Believe to Achieve

lent my shoes to a coworker who showed up to work in boots (she works night shift) so I went over to AFH first to give her her boots and to get my shoes for work later this week.  They are my altras that I wear to work.  This made it so  I arrived at the rec center 10 minutes later (5:40) and no cybex or elliptical to be found free.  So I ran a mile (7:58) and quickly took a very needed potty break (that was locked too when I got there) then still no cybex trainer or ellipticals so I ran another mile before spin class (6:49).  Spin class 62 minutes spinning.  NO workout after.  Giving myself a break as I am being chastised at work for overdoing it.  Blah blah.  But you all understand right?  Okay so I went home and got kids off to school while fitting in Upper Body weight training.  Ate breakfast then finished with 90/45/45 planks x 1, 10 pushups and abs for 10 minutes.  My muscles are bulging.  Not sure if this is a good thing.  Really getting bummed about my ankle. The "tendon" is bulging again and my ankle seems not to be getting too much better.  I figure I am going to have to ignore it but it really is quite the THORN in my TRAINING's side.  Doesn't hurt in spin class and didn't hurt in the second mile....going fasterrr.....hmmm???? 

no track miles since it maybe contributing more to the heel pain from the constant circuling.  Just felt like trying the treadmill and see if that would be less painful.  Not in the first two miles but I continued for the endorphin affect and my legs were a little tight from all my working out yesterday.  I figured I would run 4 miles and then go to spin but I just didn't feel like spin today. Spin is hard.  I started at 8:13 pace and by two miles I was at 8:02 average.  I mostly kept my pace at 7:41 to 7:47 occasionally going back to 8:00 pace.  In the middle I did 1/2 mile at 6:31 but that aggravated my heel more so I went back to 8:00 pace for a lap (1/4 mile).  Later I got bored so I did some easy strides for 200 meters @ 6:18 pace, last one at 6:11 to 6:00 x 5 with equal recovery @ 7:30 pace.  Finished at 59:52 for 8 miles so 7:29 average pace.  Cooled down on the cybex trainer (finally available) for 20 minutes...only the longer I was on the tougher it got as I like to take the incline up to 20 (the steepest by the end).  flip that thing works my legs.  I needed an easy bike ride and a spin class was just starting so I half-heartedly joined the three person spin class and left at 15 minutes for home.  Marathon shopping -- 3 hours at Walmart, double couponing/price matching and forgot to take a snack.  Got hungry looking at all the food so took a berry drink (all natural) out of their cooler for $1.25.  Ate too healthy today.  Really wish my ankle would show me any signs of improvement.  Luckily the second time I called the podiatrist office the secretary got me in for an appointment tomorrow.  There is a bony prominence in my  calcaneous-- I think it is a large heel spur....chronic plantar fascitis can cause it....man my heel is NOT happy.  I am sure he will xray it and if it isn't broken I am going for several steroid shots.  It worked last year in November 2011-- same foot but it didn't hurt near as bad as it does now-- now my entire heel is angry.    Nothing else is bothering me.  I feel strong and ready to perform but I just can't do it with pain....it makes running not so fun.  blah. 

slept in. yup, just let the clock roll by 515am....but not without looking at it. Woke two times before finally getting out of bed at 720am. The last 20 minutes I just lied there thinking....didn't feel like working out but I work the next two days so I best be getting myself to the rec center. Drove the carpool to the elementary and junior high...BUSY. The kids in my car were complaining cause I dropped Amber and Brooke off in FRONT of the school instead of by the crosswalk. Too snowy to do the usual drop off and Brooke had her Science Fair Project in hand. I did some Indiana Jones moves and made it from the Elementary school to the Junior High in 6 minutes. My running comes in handy...I know all the routes. They weren't complaining when they saw how many cars we did make it in front of through my fast action driving skills and backstreet knowledge. The car lines were atrocious outside the school. Still made it to the rec center by 8:15.   Snow packed shoes I just stared into space for a few minutes.  Legs a little tight.   I did some squats on Monday (about 40 in a row) and now that effort was showing forth in delayed muscle soreness.  Decided to run a few laps....WELL a few laps turned into 31.5.  Basically five miles-- nice and easy...progression not on purpose but how it naturally played out...8:44, 8:06, 7:46, 7:43, 7:23.    That's 7:56 pace for 5 miles (39:44).  Thought spin was a 9am but turns out she does a core workout prior to spin...the class is at 930.  So I toughed it out and did this core class. OOOOOooooo baby....man alive is my core struggling.  Gettting there but really need some help for sure engaging several of my abdominals.  They refuse to work...I really think they enjoy just taking over the roll as FOOD cage keeper (intestines).  Survived and then died in Spin class.   I was so out of there at 20 minutes but hung on in this endurance spin class til the bitter end.  I didn't push it as hard as I usually do (some reason my ankle was hurting with the standing).  I really needed a rest too so I took it easier in spin.  Not sure if that is possible.  I still was dripping large sweat droplets.  Drove ever so slowly home and ate and showered.  Can't wait to get a diagnosis today.  He better have one!!!  Arghhhh!!!!!

Worked all day on pediatrics at Utah Valley.  No work out.  Got steroid shot on Wednesday after dr. xrayed my foot.  Not broken.  : D. But dr. felt it would be better for me if it were then he could get me to stop working out on it.  Tarsal Tunnel-- nerve entrapment in the ankle. (carpal tunnel).  Can't tell if it fully worked yet.  Walking a little more normal.  But pain definitely still there.

Ooops.  This was unplanned.  Just felt like doing this work out again.  Was going to go to spin but not in mood. 

2 mile WU at 8:10 AP (started at 8:27).  1% incline

Water, stretch briefly.

1/2 mile WU 8:06 AP.  1 %.

Right into:

1 min 6:00 pace, 1 min 8:00 pace (0 percent)

2 min 6:15 pace, 2 min 8:00 pace

3:15min 6:31 pace, 2:30 min 8:00 pace

4:30 min 6:40 pace, 2:30 min 8:00 pace

6 min 6:49 pace, 2:30 min 8:00 pace

6 min 6:49 pace, 2:30 min 8:00 pace

4:30 min 6:40 pace, 2:30 min 8:00 pace

3:15 min 6:31 pace, 2:15 min 8:00 pace

2 min 6:15 pace, 1:30 min 8:00 pace

1:15 @ 5:46 to 6:00,  3min @ 7:53 to 8:00 pace, 1 % incline.  (60:15 for 8.5 miles = 7:05AP, not including 2 mile warm up).  Besides forcing ankle into submission this all felt easy.  Not a moment where I didn't think I could not finish this.  6 minute intervals were the easiest :D.    Really like this workout.  Last time I ran this was about three weeks ago.  That time I needed the longer break I was giving myself.  This time 2:30 minutes on every interval but the shorter ones was perfect.  I didn't feel tired starting next interval, like last time.  Must be all the spinning :D.

Okay so I worked all day yesterday and got some advice on my ankle....cause it wasn't really changing...ICE bath, HOT water BATH.  Repeat several times.  I did just that last night and miraculously could walk normally on my heal.  But I awoke to the TIGHTEST HIPS AND THIGHS I have ever had.  SO bad that I thought I should cancel on Rachelle.  But I have been through worse so I thought  I would tough it out and make her run slower.  Her plan was to run the last four fast.  My plan:  survival.  First outdoor run since the New Year's Half with Rachel-- and that cold was IMPRINTED largely in my brain.  It was 5 degrees when we left but sure beat the negative 6 degrees of the New Year's Half.  The sun came up about an hour into our run and it was Heavenly.  I didn't have my watch in VIEW mode so my plan was to see where we were at when we got to the eternal WATER fountain in Alpine.  We got there at 8:12 AP for 9.2 miles.  I honestly thought I was at a 8:30 to 8:45 pace.  So that's good.  My legs were like a dead man's.  NO joke.  I have never even felt that tight in a marathon.  It was a bad dream--- no ankle pain but this intense tightness in my legs!!!!!  I could barely turn my legs over and Rachelle  I am quite certain was tired of hearing my whining about them.  We ran into Mel, Melody, Kim and Julie coming downhill around mile 4 of our run.  We didn't stop.  They were hopping.  We were going up at a leisurely pace.  At the water fountain we ran into several runners from the Blog-- Walter, Scott, and several others.  We left there and headed to mile 10 where Rachelle was to start her four miles fast. I, on the other hand, was not in that mode and decided that I should be wise for once with my body.  When Rachelle took off I got worried that she would get lost as she had expressed this concern...so I hung back and followed at a pace close enough to verbally tell her which direction to go.  I didn't start my watch/lap button and I don't have my garmin tell me my splits anymore (haven't worn my garmin in over three weeks) but after the first mile I was about 20 seconds behind her.  When she got to where I knew mile four of the fast was she kept going....I thought she was going to stop so I slowed there and hung a left and Rachelle was nowhere to be found.  I turned the next right to look down the last hill to my house and there Rachelle was speedily heading towards my house.  I was trying to yell her to slow and wait but she was in a zone.  I decided she must have added on a last tempo mile.  Which ended up exactly what she was doing.  I was back to my nice 8:12 pace.  When I started the tempo my AP was 8:13 for 10 miles. When I finished my tempo my pace was 7:50.   So this puts my four miles at about 6:45 to 6:54 pace. Not bad for running with MUMMY legs and not pushing myself.  Jogged back to my house with Rachelle the last 0.3 miles.  Rachelle had a Raynaud's attack and dizzy spell from her lightning speed  :D.  All is well. Orange juice is a miracle food :D.  Hmmmm....15.2 miles after 3 weeks off of much running at all, except for yesterday's speed work of 10.5 miles.  How quickly I forget :D.  Lips and tongue are going through a weird experience....tingling and burning especially after long workouts. Melanie suggested it might be a iron, vitamin B, zinc or low thyroid issue.  I don't take zinc so I am going to get that and see....and for once and for all stop with  all the chocolate. I only lasted three days!!!  STARTING again, MARK MY WORDS!!