Believe to Achieve

Arrived 15 minutes earlier than I usually do at the rec.  Which is a problem because NO tms available.  I ran four on the track.  6.5 laps for a mile in the third lane.  I tend to run faster on a track.  I didn't have a watch but I remember the stop and start time on their digital clock and just guessed at how long it took to retie my  untied shoes and take a swig of water right at mile two.  AP probably about a 7:45 pace or less.    Yay a TM opened up.  Ran 8 miles  on  the TM  AP 7:41/ 2% incline.  8:00, 8:00, 7:47, 7:47, 7:41, 7:41, 7:35, 7:24.  Legs lead.  My cousin Jessica is visiting this week.   Makes it hard to want to do SW tomorrow  morning with the speedstars at the indoor track at 5:30am.  4 x 1600 supposedly.  BTW  Don't forget group run starting at my house this Saturday at 730am sharp-ish.  I will have breakfast at the finish line.  There is an eternal water fountain at mile 12 in Alpine.  This is an 18 miler but I think some may add on and do my usual 20 miler extension further into Alpine.  The courses are posted under "course tool" under "Group 18 or 20 miler".  I will probably get water/gatorade at mile 8.5 (Jane's house) other than that I would suggest bringing water if you need it.   In the Summer there are several places with water but not now except the eternal fountain.  The bathroom there has been open as well  :D.   Sometimes this route varies in intensity.  It is hilly but last five finally give you some downhill!!  Oh I could have made some wicked last five mile course but many of you might have cursed my name :D.  And I didn't want to get anyone lost.   Breakfast closes at 1030am!!  JUST KIDDING!!  : D.   

First let me I do not even feel like I worked out today.  Not even an incling that I ran speed today.  No soreness no tiredness.  This was my 530am morning: To the BYU indoor track.  Haven't run there since the early 90s.  Met JulieE, Josse, Melody, Desiree and Emily.  Plan was 4 x 1600 (5 laps) with two lap recovery.  Didn't go as planned.  First of all I warmed almost 1.5 miles before I saw the others.  Then I ran 1.5 miles with them.  Roughly 3 to 3.5 miles warmup. I started losing count of the laps.  I stopped to get a drink while they kept running their warmup and when they came around again apparently it was time to start the 1600s.  I pretty much had no warning and my watch wasn't even cleared and I was facing the wrong direction.  It was kind of one of those nightmare race starts you can think of.  Glad it wasn't a race!!  I turned around and Melody, JulieE, Desiree, Emily and Josse were already 1/4 of a track ahead of me when I got ready to go.  I don't like to start speed unprepared.  I didn't even stretch.  I felt out of it.  Finished first mile in 6:14 (probably faster, I started my watch more towards the stairs and stopped it at the line. I kept forgetting that part on the first two miles).  It was hard to gauge myself with five laps instead of 4 laps mentally.  I was slowing and speeding up a lot.  The second mile was pretty funny as again as I almost neared them on the two lap recovery they started before me and then suddenly  (after the others passed the ROTCs, but not me) the coach of the ROTCs told them to get on the track RIGHT when I was about to pass by.  They realized I was coming after a few moved to the side and they would tell one another to move over but it was quite distracting wondering if any of them would move.  This mile was 6:22.  The third mile was even funnier.  A rather old guy was on the inside lane. Oh well.  I stayed up with Desiree (mainly because I finally started with someone from the group.  I tried to pass her but then some others got in the way and I was yelling track but nothing came of that so I just stayed behind her.  About three laps in I was mentally beat from OVERSTIMULATION on the track, not to mention the carpets that were just cleaned and quite perfumy at every lap.  They had the fans blowing the lovely air into our track.  The fifth lap  I tried hard not to give up.  I wasted time weaving into the second lane to pass Desiree and thinking about having one more repeat to run.  This mile was a 6:22.  I was in the mindset we were running another one but to my surprise "waiting while running behind them after our two lap jog...noone started running fast....okay maybe we are resting three laps??? Nope.  Okay..."hey aren't we running four??"   I should have just run the last one.  I always do the worst on the third one because I know I have one left to conserve for.  Instead I ran three miles of cooldown.  Let me say I probably WON'T be doing SW indoors again-- too crowded and overheated and smelly.  I do like that the track tilts on the curves however.  I need the four lap track.  It is a mental thing.   I really wish I ran better.  Next time.  There are few things that slowed me both on and off the track today.  Won't dwell on them (one being I should have worn my altras on the soft turf).  Should improve next time.  :D.  

PM:   To the rec center with my family.    Felt fat as we ate Kneaders French Toast (homecooked) just 30 minutes before running.  Bones creaked the first two miles so started at 9:31 pace for about 1/4 of a mile.  Ran four miles (AP 8:49) then rowed for about 7 minutes then ran another mile at 8:43 pace.  Five miles.  I was just starting to feel good, like I was a runner again.  I am SO   DONE WITH EATING JUNK!!!  It makes me sooooo moody!!!!   DONE I SAY!!!   

oh man this was mentally tough for me.  I was in some spiraling "I don't think I can run another step" mode in the first 1/4 mile.  My brain felt down and depressed.  It was weird.  I wasn't breathing hard I was like lacking vitamin D or something to my brain/body.  I thought I was going to stop and call my husband from the nearest phone and call it a day but magically at mile 3 I started to feel myself again.  I ran the last 6 miles of Allie's 22 miler and was going to turn around and run back but decided to check out the new UNDER the highway trail tunnel (coming out of AF canyon and on to the trail then crossing under the road that passes by Lone Peak high school.  It is finally finished!!)  Yay this is where the AF half will go now instead of risking our lives trying to cross the four lane road!!  (I guess they did have a police man there last year.  Don't need him now).   Well the trail under the bridge lead to my usual trail behind lone peak so  I followed the AF half marathon course to nearly the finish and ran home from there (about two more miles).   I wanted 12 miles and funny for the first time in a long time my course was right on what I wanted :D.  No longer, no shorter.   This was a recovery jog.  The last three miles I was famished and very thirsty.  When I got home I quickly drank some juice and ate a turkey sandwich with cheese and lettuce and red onion.  Well that was mistake.  I have been nauseated ever since almost to the point of puking.  I had to lie down and I actually fell asleep for about 20 minutes.   I also didn't realize how hard I worked with the rowing machine yesterday.  It felt so darn easy while I was doing it.   I slightly sore up top.  AP, I stuck within my recovery range for once-- 8:32 for 12 miles.  First mile 9:30  : D.    Got a few flakes of snow on me.  Probably from the mountains but it finally felt somewhat winter-ish!!

So very tired but couldn't sleep anyway and I also commited myself to meet up with Jane and Kim for five miles at 5 am before rushing over to work.  Of course my first three miles starting at 433am were nice and easy (first mile 9:09) and with Kim and Jane I felt so anemic....like my legs were lead and breathing harder than I would like.  Pace 8:00 for all 8.16.  Worked at AFH then pulled halfway thru shift to NICU at UVRMC.  Busy day.  Activity Days right after work at 7pm.  Go. Go. Go....this lead to me to skip tomorrow's run.

Zero.  So very tired.  Again worked AFH mom/baby then pulled to NICU.  Legs and eyes so very tired.   Got to get it in gear....TOMORROW  THE BIG RUNNING BLOG 20 MILER (was an 18 miler).  Troy and I have been cooking up some pancakes.  Got to go buy some more bananans and oranges.  Kind of ate a few the last few days.  Can't wait to see everyone.  Planning on spray painting arrows tonight with Troy.  EVERYONE please run on the LEFT side of all roads (except in one area by the Alpine circle coming south where the shoulder is too narrow...stay on the right briefly then move over.  I am drawing all arrows on the left side of the road :D).  Water will be about 8.5 mile mark (Jane's house in Highland)  and 16.5 mile mark (bathrooms by golf course just north of Lone Peak High School).  The fountain at Mile 12 should be flowing.  Bathrooms available there.  Hope you all enjoy the run!!  There are so many awesome routes I could have chosen but this is the easiest to cut down on possible confusion!!.  See you at 730am SHARP-ish!!! 

FRB run starting at my house.  Fun seeing such a large group of great runners starting out from my house at 730am.  (should have warned the neighbors).   First of all the start was colder than I thought it would be.  Sun hadn't risen above the mountains yet.  The lead pack started out at a 730pace making it down to the 5s for the end of the run.  Jake ran 25 miles in like 2:39, he said!! YIKES.  We pretty much could not see them after mile 4.5.  I stayed in a "chase" pack that included Allie, Andrea, Rachelle, Kelli, Chad and Kam.  We ran a pretty decent pace.  Felt great the first 14 miles then the last climb and the brief steep downhill really made my PF ANGRY.  I pretty much ran on my toes on my right foot for the remainder of the run.  Dang.  I am not sure why this is happening. Plan to get my iron level checked this week and to get a second steroid shot as this pain is not conducive to a good time at Boston.  I was still able to push the pace a little at the end but nothing too drastic.   Slowest mile was the first one in 8:06.  The fastest mile was a 7:14 when  I ran to catch back up to Allie and Andrea after I stopped for water for about 45 seconds at mile 8+.  Stopped at the eternal fountain in Alpine for about 3 minutes then ran the back side of Healey drive that leads to the steep downhill.  After the nice climb we didn't feel like pushing that lovely 0.5 mile downhill but it was still a 7:17 mile, the same as the last mile.  BTW this is MY FIRST 20 miler since the St. George Marathon.  I hadn't run longer than 18 miles.  If my hamstrings/lower back and PF would clear I would be ready to go.  I am going to try some hamstring light weights that Allie suggested and get that shot for my foot.  Other than that not sure what to do??  Hopefully  I can get an IV iron transfusion and be miraculously cured like I was the fall 2010.  AP for 20.22 miles =  7:42!!   That is faster than my 18 milers that I have been running and which didn't include the last climb.   I run my 18 miler slow until 13 miles then 4 fast and my fastest AP has been 7:44.   Group energy is so wonderful!!   I honestly don't feel any different then my 18 milers.   Glad I didn't go for the fast four today.  Foot wouldn't have like that .   At the finish we had breakfast and chatted in my house.  It was fun hanging with the gang.  Thanks everyone for coming out here and running with me!!  (or at least the route I picked out SPEEDIES)