Believe to Achieve

Do I get to count skiing as miles?  I guess when I skated and used poles to get places uphill or flat.  But I didn't put on the cross training mode.  Don't know how to change that yet.  Nonetheless, spent a beautiful day skiing at Brighton. Our first as a family and my second since college years (1987).  High speed quads are the way to go.  My 6 year old went down without fear for her second day skiing.  Later got a lesson and now refused to go on the Green Circle runs (easiest).  She was skiing and seeing ABBA songs from the movie Mama Mia.  It was quite a site.  She followed her sisters and I through the trees on the trails made off main courses.  It was a heck of a lot of fun and the weather was warm, my hands were sweating.  We can't wait to go back.  Opted out of running in the am as I had to work tonite (Monday) and we needed an early start (didn't want "the look" from my husband either).  I was put on call but was called in just as I nodded off for 20 minutes at 950pm.  C'est la vie.  At least I got to unwind a bit after the big day of skiing. 

Lately my pace is speeding up so technically some these miles are fast but I guess now my fast has to be faster since my usual fast speed is my regular speed now.  Slept 4 hours after the night shift.  Woke and ate a nutritious lunch of blueberries, ricotta cheese and black beans.  Tried to nod off again but the sun was calling me out to run.  So I got out there at 230 pm and ran 6.15 miles in 7:55 pace and 1/2 mile cool down at 9:02 pace.  Inversion made me nauseated.  Chest felt tight didn't help that an intern came into my work at 5am wearing extremely strong perfumed lotion.  Instant nerve pain on the side of my head thru my spine down to my lumbar region.  A fellow nurse also with allergies (but asthma) told her to stay away ruder than I would be but I was glad she was told but still this young girl made no attempt to wash it off after the suggestion was made.  She was also updated about IHCs policy about not wearing perfume.  I feel bad that she was "attacked" verbally by my co-worker but at the same time glad I didn't have to be the only one to have try to say something.  It affected my thinking the rest of my shift which luckily was only an hour and 1/2 longer.  Perfume fumes make me lose memory.  It sounds funny but I am like a stroke victim when I smell it.  My heart even starts to skip beats (lots of them).  ON and on I went sorry.  But I feel really strongly about the chemicals we are putting into our environment and how it affecting EVERYONES health even if the person thinks it is not affecting them.   I will stop here.  A topic for another blog perhaps. 

6.15 miles (7:55); 1/2 mile (9:02)

Shortest run in a while.  Felt very heartburn/indigestion-like as I left for my run at 2pm.  Kind of felt that way yesterday too in my run but this time it went to my intestines and the rest of the story is too graphic to describe...basically I had to track down a cell phone (spotted a postal worker in her truck and asked to use it) and call my husband for a ride home as I was too grossed out.   Anyway the pollution seems to be the problem for me these last two days running.  I felt more tightness in my chest and I think along with the perfume at work and lack of a good sleep schedule my overall body burden was high.   I decided it wasn't worth getting out there again today.  Headache this am should have been a clue but I tried to rise above it.  Didn't happen.  Plan to run at least 8 miles down the drain.  But you know what, I am sort of glad, cause I was getting a little obsessive with getting in my miles and now I can just give myself a hug and say "it is okay"  and run better tomorrow or the next day.  Life isn't all about running even though some days  I focus more on it than what should truly be important.  Got to take a big recertification test for Neonatal Rescutation (passed) and got home at 8pm to get my kids one at a time on the piano, then say our prayers and listen to one of my daughters read to us from the scriptures.  So all in all I got a lot in today (oh and also did my visiting teaching, in place of the am run I was going to do).

3.4 miles (8:31 pace)

Too much SMOG stayed inside and read for the first time TWILIGHT.  Pretty much read all day.  Got a little into it.  More than I thought I would.  Figured half the population (woman) around here couldn't be totally off on it being a "can't put down" kind of a book.  Think I will see the movie now.  I saw some trailers which look like they changed the ending to the way I wanted it so I am glad.  NO RUNNING, again.  Very low miles this week and I don't care.  The unhealthy alert status on air quality scared me away a bit.  Indoor quality poor with all the cleaners at rec centers so I was stuck, had to read a good book.

Dragged my lazy self out to get in a good 7.71 miler (8:06 pace average) which pace started real slow (9:30 first half mile).  I was taking advantage of a clear, but brief blue sky evidence that perhaps the air quality was better.  However by the end (last three miles) going by a few trucks and a laundromat I was beginning to feel the pollution again and SEE it for that matter.  It was scary to see that I was running into it.  The haze once again taking over the community.  The break in the clouds lasted only so long.  I picked up the pace the best I could (last three miles at 7:48 pace average) but chest feeling the grime rubbing in my lungs, no joke.  I couldn't even stretch well outside due to all the exhaust smells.  People aren't paying attention well to the news (at least five homes were wood burning as  I passed them).  Okay enough at least I finally went running weather it helped my health or hindered it more I don't know.

7.71 (8:06 pace).

Afternoon post night shift run.  Up to Cedar Ridge (good uphill).  Work tonite so hopefully the long run woke me up.  Avg pace for 7.76 miles (8:06).  Last mile 7:13.  Babies falling from the sky so work is very busy.