Believe to Achieve

Met at Kim's house a mile away.  Drove up with Kim, Jane, Madison and met Melanie at the mouth of AF canyon.  Left one car there then drove to Timp Caves Monument and parked.  Ran up 5 miles past Tibble Fork Reservoir on to  dirt trail for like .1 miles then turned around.  5 miles up then ran the Timp Half course to mile 10 and turned right at Deerfield Elementary instead of left.  Plan ORIGINALLY was 14-15 miles then realizing the run we were doing (the rest were running 20 miles except Melanie who was running 12-- she ran 20 Thursday with JulieE) it looked like I would get 16 plus miles--I stopped running at mile 16 and walked towards Kim's house leisurely.  It felt so nice and I never give myself a break.  I always push, push push and today I was just going to follow the plan.....except as I started walking down the steep hill to Kim's house I decided to jog back to my car, this mile also has the nice climb back to Kim's.  It ended up being 0.6+ miles so of course I just decided to run to 17 miles even :D.  I was running easy.  I felt really good today (except the electrical feelings to my left ankle, but no pulling hamstring/sciatica pain.  I awoke with a good amount of nerve pain to my ankle but I tried to relax and not worry as I know it is from my back and I am seeing a pain specialist on Friday.  I needed this run.  It started out easy and the threesome in front of Madison and I were going easy ( I could tell since we were right with them).  If only they wouldn't look at their lap pace.  It always makes them speed up.  There is NO slow running with them EVER!!!  Madison and I didn't look at our watches until the end of the five miles of uphill.  We were proud of our 8:13 AP at that point.  We talked the whole way, in between breathing heavy.  Air is thick up there not to mention the incline.  I was surprised at our splits the first 5 miles--- 9:09, 8:05, 7:55, 7:53, 8:13 (last mile up includes that steep incline just before you reach the reservoir.    we were out of breath there!!).    Jane and Kim were a ways ahead.  Their AP was 7:30.  I told Madison that I don't like to train that way and that booking it on long runs is not how I am going to get faster.  But kudos to my friends who can always book it!!  I just can't mentally or physically do that to myself.  We stopped for water at  the top then ran back five miles for another water break.  Then another 2.5 miles to Melanie's car at the mouth of the canyon (bye Melanie!) and then on to the golf course.  I split from the others as they continued toward Lone Peak and  I had to turn and go up the hill (mile 8.5 of Timp Half).  I got the great shade of the river trail though and turned my music on for the first time.  The remainder of the splits from the top (all felt easy except last three miles I was tired!!)-- 7:18, 7::21,  7:15, 7:06, 6:55, 6:32, 6:34, 6:48, 7:08, 6:49, and 6:45 (my last mile was the rolling hills mile and I was at 7:10 average pace at 1/2 mile to go so I kicked in gear to get it under 7mm).    Walked a mile then ran a cooldown mile of 7:57 pace.  AP for 16 miles =  7:21.  AP with cooldown mile 7:23.   Iced in River 8 minutes at Timp Caves.  Brrrr!!!