Believe to Achieve

How to begin?  First, I never was and never will be (I'm turning 41 next Sunday) a track star.  I always and always will HATE speedwork unless I run considerably slower than some stupid  program puts me at.  So yes  I decided to follow some plan to see if I can improve my MP at Ogden starting at the 15 weeks to go.  So I ran like this after a 3 mile warmup at 1 % incline nice and easy:   1200m (6:11), 1000 (6:07), 800 (6:03), 600 (6:00), 400 (5:56), 200 (5:49).     Rest Interval (RI) was ONLY 200m.   At first I just ran them at a 9 minute mile pace then pretty much dying after the third one I decided to put the TM at 3.7 mph and gradually increase it back to 6.7 mph (8:57).  This, at least, gave me a longer RI then less one minute, more like 90 seconds.  PHEW!! and  YIKES!!  I wasn't at puke zone but  I was at OXYGEN DEBT and I want to stop this TM now zone!!!    It was a lot easier SLOWLY jogging the RIs.  The plan says to do that so I guess for a good reason.  Ran a 3.5 mile cool down.  Total miles 10 exact (thinking of you Smooth) at 7:52 avg pace.  P.S.  It didn't help that I went night skiing (first time this season) with my kids and husband at Sundance after my 21 miler.  Skating with my 7 year old held on to my pole to get her in the line- did this several times- caused a nice sciatic problem on the left to resurface.  NO soreness however anywhere.  A few morning getting out of bed aches but that's all.  Just a nagging sciatic pain.  Got Troy to give me a massage last night.  That helped. 

Nice GA run.  Would have left earlier but woke up to a muscle cramp in my leg (reminds me when I was 7 months pregnant, I would get them all the time) and leg pain was still nagging.  I took some yoga moments after only sleeping less than 3 hours getting up and trying to do some piano playing then tried reading church magazines to lull me back to sleep.  Nothing worked.  By the time stretching was done at 210pm,  I felt like running.  Much to my surprise it was warmer than usual and the sun was actually out again--thats two days in a row-- like a long lost friend back in my life.  I should have left earlier to enjoy it longer but could only get in 3.61 miles at 8:32 pace.  Then flew out of my house to make  it to staff meeting by 3pm until 6pm (luckily I am exactly 1.1 miles from the hospital where I work : D).  Oh my.  I sat there with a grumbly tummy and a tired head but the run at least revived me for the first hour of it.   I was sad to just let the warm daylight disappear before my eyes sitting there...oh how I wish I were running out there then.  Now its dark and chilly and I need a nice long restful sleep before the big T tomorrow.  

MTR (medium tempo run).  7 miles at .5% to 2 % incline at 7:19 pace.  3 mile warm up.  1.25 mile cooldown.  No cheating.  Kept it the same the whole time with no stopping.  Not sure I am ready for all this working out.  And I am sorry to say I ate 2 m&ms before vowing off sugar for February.  

RR run at GA pace.  I guess.  I don't know I just ran by feel and rarely looked at my garmin.  Ran this way and that through the dregs of AF and PG.  Some scary abodes some ever so lovely.  The show HOARDERS should come visit some of the homes I saw today.    Did enjoy the sidewalk run, though, with all the bumps and cracks and slants and some snow packs.  I went from sidewalk to sidewalk enjoying the sounds of birds chirping and fire engines roaring (around mile three a fire engine and ambulances stopped at a house two blocks in front of me.  I could hear them a ways off and then they showed up in front of me in a remote street, weird.  Didn't look like a house was on fire.  I am thinking carbon monoxide alarm.  Who knows.)  Anyway I was enjoying my ever so at ease pace but my joints began to bug me as my hips are out so my sciatica flares up.  It actually first shows as joint pain, so I change my gait and then my fourth toe has sharp nerve-like pain in it.  Sure enough I do some back stretches and my toe is no longer in pain.  Got out late so feel like I have tons to do so better go soon.  Have a very high protein (lots of lentils etc... whole wheat pasta, brown rice...soup a brewing.  Day two of chocolate detox going well.  I really already had been doing really well about no treats except chocolate chips.  Had a wicked headache last night but hopefully three days and I will be fine.  Ran 10.76 miles at an easy 8:42 pace.  First mile 9:34.  Last mile 8:14.  

PMP (predicted MP + 45 sec) =  goal of 7:49 for 13 miles with Kim today.  We ran 1800 North west then up a winding road to 700 north (above Costco) headed East then to before AF cementary then head North past the Gazebo Park (I call it that) and up to the road Mtn Ridge Jr. High is on and turned right towards there then right again down Alpine Hwy then thru Lone Peak Park via West Park Rd and up and over past Lone Peak High School crossing over by Walmart and turning right at the roundabout to Henley (sp.?) Rd then west to Farm Rd and some funky looping around Kim's to get us to 13 even. I think we ran well.  Had a headwind as the storm was gaining on us but not too bad.  So glad we went at 5:35am as now the storm is showing its face.  We were at conversation pace and did 5 miles at 7:32, 7:32, 7:33, 7:39, 7:39.  Only two miles above an 8.  One was the first warm up mile at 8:28 that was uphill for me.  The other was a significant uphill by AF jr. high at 8:04 pace.  The other miles were steady inclines with some better downhill near the end.  We ended with a strong mile of 7:39  with more than half of it being uphill and  lots of turning around several times to get to 13 at her house.  13 miles avg pace 7:50.  Missed 7:49 by 13 seconds.  Oh well.  Ran a cool down mile to my house at a trot pace of 9:08.  Carried my B-day present from Kim--  Two cadbury, one dark, one caramel, chocolate bars and a pair of nice addidas running socks.  So sweet!!  I will try not to break into the chocolate bar until Monday.  But I have to say that I had a strong craving at 3 am this morning and was about to give into temptation.  I am not sure how long I can hold out.  Total miles 14.12. Work the weekend, both nights.

got home at just after 7am.  Got in bed at 7:35.  Woke at 12:09.   Yay, 4.5 hours of sleep be it daytime sleep it is more than 3 hours.  And that's with a little sleep aid 1/2 tab of xanax.  So of course I wasn't quite in the mood to run at first and even tried to fall back to sleep.  To no avail.  I decided to get up drink ice cold water to fully awake myself, see my kids, feed them lunch then leave on my run by 1:40pm.  I should just leave when I think of running because the more I wait the more tired I get.  Oh well.  Just told myself to go at 10 min pace and enjoy the fresh air.  It was warm-- 40 degrees I think and was quite pleasant rockin' out to Troy's music on his $30 dollar cheapo player as I killed my iPod on Tuesday's run. Short as that run was my iPod had been taking a beating with my sweaty runs in California and then my runs with this new protector that I could see was locking in the moisture after runs.  Gradually the buttons wouldn't work and then presto no more music, no more lit up screen.  Bummer.  Looked this up on the internet and found a guy who had "ruined" at least 20 iPods from his sweat.  He has a long blog about his frustration there.  Funny.  Mine has lasted 3 years I think. Still bummed.  Figure something 100 dollars should last longer.  Anyway, Troy's music more rockin' then mine so it at least kept me awake for the run.   I grazily ran towards the PG rec thinking of doing some TM miles but the AQ was so nice I just stayed outside and headed up the hills of East PG.  Just mozied along without a care and it felt great.  Each mile I felt more and more alive and not more and more like a zombie arising from the grave.  I felt renewed and reflected on my last run as a 40 year old.  Tomorrow I turn 41.  A Sunday, so no running on my b-day.  A rest day of all things.  What a present.  Did an awesome steep hill loop and breathed in some great pine smells mixed with the melting snow.  So lovely.  Thought my pace would be 9:30 to 10 avg so was glad to see it at 8:51 for 11.1 miles.  Off to work I go.