Believe to Achieve

"30 Years"  typed my mother from her iPad to me.  I didn't need a reminder.  I remembered.  30 years ago tonight my father drove four miles down the street to pick up my sister from her friend's house.  She had ski team practice and her friend's mother picked her up.  She (my sister Kristin) ate dinner there at her friend Kristen's house.  She called for a ride home.  As my dad left, and I was to go with him, my girlfriend Nancy called.  Being the talkative person I am, I instead talked away on the telephone.  My father nor sister never returned.  THEY WERE BOTH HIT AND KILLED BY A DRUNK 18 YEAR OLD DRIVER ON JANUARY 8TH, A FRIDAY NIGHT, about 7 pm.    The 18 year old survived without any physical injury but sadly a remorse she would have to live with.  She also paralyzed her best friend sitting in the car next to her.  As I write this, tears form from my eyes for the painful, many painful years my family endured since then.  Also losing my brother 2 and a half years later in a car accident when he was driven home drunk by his best friend as they left a party.  Hence, I don't drink.   I honestly feel everyone should try NOT drinking alcohol.  I believe it changes peoples manner.  A way to hide from life.  It affects their health.  My own brother eventually becoming an alcoholic before ironically being killed by one.  I watched him turn from an aspiring artist and fishermen and incredible skier to a deeply depressed individual due to alcohol-- directly  (drinking)  and indirectly (my dad and sister's accident).   That was so many years ago.  And still I witness the affects of decisions of others with their choice to drink.   If you do, be responsible.  One drink, you need a sober driver to drive you home.  But if you read this and think....not me...I invite you to try....make the choice not to drink. 

First, if you all could go into facebook and vote for my husband's run down shoes so he can win some Altras that would be great.  Just go to "Altra Running" and say you " like" his worn out shoes.  They are listed under my facebook name  "Julie Fothergill Crossley".  Thanks everyone.  Votes need to be in by Tues. at 9am.    Troy's shoes are the ultimate run down shoes so he should really win but some guy has 23 votes already and Troy only has 3.  So please vote!! Thanks!!

After yesterday's reflection and fast--- My legs were ready to get in some speed today.  Not really following any set schedule so who knows what will come of Boston.  With all my family there and visiting for a week beforehand,  I am not banking on a subthree there.  Just a PR.  : D.   Today I decided to do 3 x 1 mile repeats at desired 5K pace.  First I warmed up for 3 miles in 25:27 (8:29 AP, varying speeds starting at 8:57) at 1% incline.  Wearing my Altras of course.  Just loving these shoes!!!  Then I pottied and then stretched briefly and hopped at 1% for 1/2 mile at 8:00 pace.    The Turned incline to 0.5% and ran 1 x 6:18 then 1/2 mile 8:00 (1%) repeated three times with the third lap of last mile at 6:15 pace and the last lap getting down to 5:42 pace!!! I felt awesome. The whole run (despite the wiggling TM) felt very controlled, almost effortless  : D.   Added on another mile (was only going to do 8 miles) and ran that at 7:00 AP pace or less.  I actually got to a 6:18 again at the finish just for fun.  Total time for last 6 miles = 41:36 (6:56 AP).  AT home did 60 pushups.  One front plank and both sides 60/30/30.  Getting hungry so stopped working out. 

8 miles before work at 420am.  Left late for having to work at Utah Valley but made it to work on time despite running easy.  AP 8:05.  Tired as I write this after work. 

Not easy to get up when alarm went off at 415am because if I ignored it I surely could have slept the additional hour easily. But I overcame that notion and got myself out the door at 4:23am. Ran a two mile loop around my house 4 times. It was nice to "run" into a neighbor three times while running. If I wasn't pressed for time I would have run with her but I couldn't cut on my 8 minute transition time to semi-shower and jump in work clothes and head out the door towards Provo-- Utah Valley Hospital. The last two days I worked on Pediatrics. Lots of upper respiratory illness and gastrointestinal bugs. Yay!! AP 8:03 for 8 miles.

Forfeited longer sleep for a chick flick I had never seen-- Letters from Juliet.  Woke to take all my girls to piano.  First Courtney at 7am then Brooke and Amber hang out for an hour trading lesson spots at 7:30am.  Went to gym after dropping off Brooke and Amber at school  later at 9:20.  Troy ran 5 miles, waited for me impatiently so I told him to go and I would run home for my last 3 miles.  Plan was to run 12.  Forgot that I like to hill work on Thursday so I remembered as I began my warmup.  This was again impromtu.  I should follow some plan for Boston but I just don't have one.  This is what I ran--

2 %  8:27 pace  .75 miles

4 %  8:27/8:13   .75 miles (the   /    means I ran 8:27 at .50 and .25 miles at 8:13)

2 %  8:13   .50 

5%  8:13/8:06   .75    (same as written above, repeated at every incline below as well)

2%  8:06   .50

6%  8:06/8:00   .75

2%  8:00   .50

6%  8:00/7:53   .75

2%  7:53   .50

5.5%   7:53/7:47   .75

2%  7:47 and down to 7:03 pace.     .50     STOPPED treadmill to reset it.  Darn thing shuts off at 60 minutes.  Got to this point in 55:55 for 7 miles with 1430 feet vertical gain  :D.   I didn't want to be in the middle of a climb and have it stop.  Stretched very briefly.

5%   7:41/7:35   .75    Troy came up to me wondering how much longer I had to twelve miles.  Told him to just go home and I would run home. 

2%    7:35   .50

4.5%  7:35/6:58  .75     DONE.  Sweat city.    Pretty much crystalized on my run home in shorts.  At least I premeditated this might happen and brought my garmin, headband and sweatshirt.  I wrapped my leggings around my waist.  I didn't think I needed them but I did.  My legs had frozen  "dew" on them.  It took me until I got home for them to thaw out. 

3 miles home at 7:53 AP.   It felt easy.  Wore my Altras for the entire run.  Loving them. 

First time I felt sore in over 5 weeks after running.  Seriously.  The hill work on the mill with ZERO drop shoes worked my legs good yesterday.  That was 5.25 miles of 4-6 percent grade at a moderate pace.  Zero drop shoes and hills make it so your heels have to stretch further to touch the surface.  I mostly run on my forefoot to avoid that.  My quads WERE slightly sore as well until I started running today and it ALL went away.  I felt AWESOME the first 9 miles.  Took my last of my Caffeine Gus (remember I don't do well with Caffeine but had just one left to get rid of) just after mile 9 before the last big climb in Alpine.  I ran the same loop as I did two weeks ago (FIVE CITIES RUN : D) and ended up slightly faster even though I thought I would be slower due to the harder workout yesterday.  My first mile was 8:28, not my traditional over 9 pace for a LR (two weeks ago  I opened with a 9:17 mile).  But today it felt easy.  I wore my new Brooks shoes that have a 4mm drop.  It was nice to have the extra cushion today that the zeros don't on the heel.  Most shoes are 12mm drop however so these new ones are close to the ground : D.   This was my first time running or even wearing them but they felt so good that I didn't notice they were new.  At mile 7 I had to erase data again so as to not lose data today.  I forgot to download my garmin on the computer so I could erase all the data and get recent entries to be on my garmin.  Dang...so I had to erase some good runs from the summer.  Oh well.  They are on my blog so that counts.  At mile 12 the ETERNAL WATER FOUNTAIN was like an ICE SCULPTURE but there it was steady and strong flowing away.  So yay WATER!!  I was surprised too that the potties were open at the park there so YAY POTTY!!  It is hard to duck in the bushes in broad daylight (I left at 9:56am) so that was nice to have that before my fast finish.   Ran one more mile with a nice climb then started my fast four again at mile 13--- the pace was pretty darn close to two weeks ago-- 6:48 (6:47), 6:45 (6:44), 6:40, (6:41),and  6:37  (6:36).   Last cooldown mile to my house- 7:20. Funny huh?   AP today was 7:47 for 18 miles (7:50 two weeks ago).     For taking it easy I think that was pretty good.  I felt really strong.  However,  I wasn't wanting to run fast and had to slow again at the light up in Cedar Hills and actually turn left (needed to go straight) to wait for the light to turn green on my first fast mile which made me have to keep looking back at the traffic and the light to tell me when I could do a U-turn.  Not bad I guess on tired legs.  Going easy before work tomorrow.   My miles are down the last few weeks for a special treat to myself from all the 70+ milers I put in in December.  I am not sure about Painter's half.    Most of it is on the city trail and I get dizzy in enclosed areas booking it so I will try my best to get a 1:30.  Maybe I should just run with the 1:45 pacer for fun  : D. 

Just too tired to get up and run in the freezing air once more.  So gave myself the morning off.  But then I just lied there and couldn't sleep but  then it was too late to get out and get the wanted miles in....so  I just went to work and was going to skip running altogether.  But then I was sent home at 12:15pm because it was my turn.  Went out for my run about 1:20pm.  Overdressed with my tights on.  Should have worn shorts.  Stopped at Kim's house to use her potty.  It is so difficult to potty in the grasses in broad daylight but it got so uncomfortable that luckily I was near Kim's house.   Was so tired and wanted to be  done the first mile.  I never felt like I really wanted to run because of fatigue but a few of my iPod songs pulled me out of my abyss.  First mile 9:24.  Last mile 7:51.  AP 8:21 for what I thought would end up as a 9:30 average.    Still tired.   Work tomorrow.  Bed early I guess tonight.  Did read about the Olympic Trials!!  fun to hear about the guys all at 3:09!! and the girls are a pretty strong crew with Flanagan, Davila, and Goucher.   Wore my new Brooks shoes.