Believe to Achieve

Easy day run turned more difficult because I just had to turn up the incline for some hill work.  This was out of no where and with my EXTRA FIVE POUNDAGE, I was feeling so very LARD-LIKE, especially in my legs.  This is my impromptu run:

1%   1 mile  8:27

1%   1 mile 8:06

1%   1 mile 7:53

4%  1 mile  7:53

2%  1 mile  7:47

4%  1 mile  7:47.  Reset TM.  Water refilled.  Stretched after brief potty break.

2%  1 mile 7:41

4%  1 mile 7:41

1%  1 mile 7:35

4%  1 mile 7:35

1%  1/2 mile 7:53 AP  1/2 mile  7:30- 7:41 

1%  1/4 mile 7:30   1/4 mile 7:24   1/4 mile 7:19  1/4 6:27 to 7:03. Roughly.  Just kept upping the pace the last 1.5 miles.   12 miles in 1:33:07.  AP= 7:45. This was not easy.   As I was writing some of these entries I still felt like I was either on a cruise or a  coaster.  My head feels like it is bobbing.  Not to mention a 10 hour drive yesterday with one stop in St. George.  Time for another vacation  ;  D.

Felt the common cold coming on.  Two of my daughters came down with sore throats and runny noses on our drive home from California Sunday and my littlest proceded to cough and sneeze all over me while I was helping her with piano.  But my symptoms yesterday was just a headache and burning feeling in my nose.  My lips were also burning and were cracked this morning.    I decided to skip the track workout with the girls--- intimidating to say the least anyway.    Someday I will get myself to that track on Tuesday at BYU.    Tomorrow I will attempt my speedwork.   I think my body is in post vacation blues.    My left hamstring is pulling on my knee and buttock.    Nothing too worrisome yet.  Will just stretch tons for now.  Probably need an adjustment.   I really want to get to running outside but my husband was all dressed waiting for me to join him.  We go together at 9:20am after dropping off our two youngest girls.  Tomorrow it is OUTSIDE for me.    Ran a progressive easy paced run on the mill.   Miles-- 8:34, 8:27, 8:20, 8:13, 8:06, 8:00, 7:53, 7:47, 7:41, 7:35, 7:30, 7:24-- (with 1/4 mile at 6:18 pace) to try to lock that pace into memory.   1% incline.  Felt easy.  But the nagging hamstring liked the 8:00 pace and slower.  AP 7:54.  Had to get off the mill at 7 miles to reset it which slows my AP to get it back to pace. 

Flight booked for Boston with Troy and my three girls.  We are leaving Tuesday April 10th and coming back on Tuesday April 17th.  We are actually flying into Manchester, New Hampshire, my father's birthplace.   Cheaper and hey we don't have to deal with the excitement of Logan Airport in Boston.  : D.  I grew up in New Hampshire.  I was born right outside of Boston in Attleboro Massachusetts.   Thankfully we just joined Southwest Airlines and earned two free flights and got the other three for a great price considering.  So we got five flights to for 167 dollars each!!  btw I am getting a cold and it is a bummer.  It is even going into my nerves as all viruses seem to.  My left leg from the hip to my foot is acting up more than usual.  Don't think I will be running speed today, just an easy 8, if that. 

300pm.  Finally dragged myself out for an easy (but not so easy, I was feeling achy from this head cold coming on) pace 8 miler.  First mile 9:21.   Then apparently progressive run to about a 7:55 - 8:00 pace for the last five miles.  My sinuses made my brain all fuzzy so this was not a fun run.  Just a detox run.  NO overdoing it all.  AP for 8 = 8:17.

forrest gump moment. 

for some reason my MIND is LISTENING to the strong signals it is sending about taking a few days off.  I am having a flare of some sort along with a head cold (that really isn't too terrible) but my left leg is in a lot of pain from my hip to my foot.   I think it is the virus in my nerves and will pass but I don't want to worsen it by running as more pain would not be good right now.  So for the first time in a long time....two days in a row off from working out.  Shocker.    My sinuses are quite plugged up so  I can't smell food well....maybe that is why I am in a slump....food doesn't taste so good right now.  I even can skip meals without realizing it til hours later.  No appetite.  BUT I plan on DRAGGING MY LAZY tushy to Riverton in the morning!!!!

I woke up suddenly at 330am (crud only 5 hours!!) after drifting to sleep some time after 1015pm when I was struggling due to sinus congestion to fall asleep.  After that, for the life of me  I could not fall back to sleep.   I had gotten up to get a drink of water and felt too alert so  I looked on my mail to see if my cousin from Massacusetts wrote me back.  And she did.  Well that got me wired up and excited to see them.  They have several places lined up for me to stay-- Condo in NH, house right outside of Hopkinton (Boston Marathon start) etc....And then I just could not fall asleep.  It was ridiculous.  I wasn't really thinking about my 18 miler because I knew I could run slow and be in GREAT company.  So by the time I left my door at 7am I felt a bit fatigued wishing I could skip the run.  But luckily I had called Rachelle last night to have her join me in my car.  We met at Target in AF.  There was no bailing.   We got up there and there were over 25 runners there I think.  Kind of like we were starting the race that day.  We lined up at the Riverton Half and then just trotted (some of us "sprinted")off to run the course.  Quite the hilly one.  No wind today however so that was a bonus.  But it was 23 degrees, but felt like 17 due to humidity.  My fingers were numb they were so frozen.  Not fun.  My legs were quite stiff the first 4 miles and then due to wearing my Altras on my first long run my hamstrings and lower back kept me honest at a good for me long run pace.  I decided against running the last four fast because I am sick and because my back/hamstrings would be injured if I did.  I never felt winded and kept it real easy.  Aerobically I felt terrific.  My brain is still fuzzy.  This sinus issue is a drag.  I did suck on one Halls cough drop to see if that helped.  Not much.  Took one Gu at mile 10.  No water til 13.1 miles.  Waited around for about 10 minutes before we started the last 5 miles of our run.  I got to run with Kelli finally. She stayed back on the first 13 to help a newcomer out.  Kelli and I need to train together.  I think we could get each other where we want to be.  We are the same pace taking it easy and speeding up so I think that it would be wise.  I am writing this to make Kelli WANT to train with me :D.    I think toning it down in long runs and and easy runs will help me overall to reach that subthree.  Took a long hot shower.  My feet bottoms were pale white for a while there.  I am very much in need of a nap today because of my very short sleep cycle last night.  Hoping taking it easy today pays off.     AP for 18.06 miles = 8:12.  Ran first 13.1 at 8:07 with Rachelle  so the last five were nice and relaxing with Kelli.  The long break made me feel less into it the last five but I still felt fine.