Believe to Achieve

Wore my Mizuno precision 11s from over a year ago on the TM for 12 miles--  I really think the injury is shoe related.  Brooks Pureflow are rather "smooshy" and they turn my foot inward at the ankle and heel.  I was great when  I ran all the 70 mile weeks in December in my year old well over 700 miles mizunos.  They have been sold out since the first month.  I got two of the second color (orange, I am sporting them on my blog picture at the Bryce 1/2 marathon) last April and May.   I was never injured in all four of those pairs.  Then mizuno changed the flexibility of the precision with their japanese flower model (the precision 12s) and progressively my inner foot could not take too much flexibility and I got injured with PF just before SGM.  I am bummed the pretty light blue pair are no where to be found on line (they were just too cute).  The orange are available a lot of places (not so cute, but hey I MATCH JAKE : D).  I just bought a pair.  I burnt my other two to the ground wearing them completely out last summer with all my running lunacy. 

Anyway ran 12 miles with the abdominal flu-like symptoms-- nausea, and cramping and you know what.  I felt weak but I just kept it up and started to feel better around mile 6.  My ankle and heel was RATHER EXCRUCIATINGLY painful the first mile.  I almost thought I would have to truly stop and take a week off....and then I started running on my forefoot and suddenly the pain went away!!  The mizunos then naturally took over since they have more of a lift (12mm) then the Brooks Pureflow (4mm drop) and the altras which are zero drop.  Life was better.  I could see the light in my injury ending with a change in shoes.  I will still wear my altras as I don't think they are the problem.  The Brooks are just too narrow and for a 4mm drop they sure put in quite the arch support insert.  DO NOT like the feel of it.  I have crushed it flat with all my miles in them but still I can feel it torquing my foot.  I am going to stay away from them for a while.  AP today 7:47 for 12 progressive miles at 1 %-- 8:27, 8:20, 8:13, 8:06, 8:00, 7:53, 7:47, 7:41, 7:41, 7:35, 7:24-7:30, 6:50 for the last mile. BTW Boston Goal time--- 3:10 to 3:15.  Not planning on overdoing it unless some miracle happens.

Came home and did some pushups, WEEK 1.  And some upper body weights like I used to do back in November. I have been slacking.  Planks x 60/45/45.  Still feel week and flu-like.  Should pass.  May be skiing today with the kids at Brighton since we have free passes. 

Good laugh at the end...stay tuned :D.  Long day so far......started waking early (6:40am ) to get Courtney up for Piano at 7am.  Drove her to piano and read in the car (freezing to death, certainly not going to idle a car for 30 minutes).   I am almost done reading Dean Karnazes book  "Run!!!"    I definitely have an Ultramarathon mind.  I can totally see where he is coming from and hope to fulfill my goal of running the 50k Antelope Island, 50 miler Squaw Peak, and the Wasatch 100 next year.  It's GOT to happen.  Okay so later after getting my other two girls off to school by 915am Troy and I headed to the rec.   No available TM (that's why I like to go at 5:30am right when they open so I don't have to wait for one, I charge in and grab one).   I ran two miles around the track passing everyone several times in two miles and pace wasn't even that fast, it felt very easy and so the pace revealed, 8:37 first mile, 8:13 second mile.  (6.5 laps is a miles).  Troy reserved a "nonshaking" TM for me.  Well, it shakes a little but not like the other EARTHQUAKE TMs.  Got on TM at 1 % incline and ran two miles at 8:20 warmup pace.  Got off and pottied and stretched.  Ran another  0.5 miles at 8:20 pace, I think, and went right in to my planned SW of 5 x 1200m (well, actually 0.75 miles) at 5k pace.  Now the pace I have for 5k is based off Mcmillan's calculator for a 1:28 half marathon (6:07).  Well,  I have NEVER run a 5k at that pace so I slowed it down from that to a 6:11 pace for all five sets.  Needless to say I have never run a 5k at that pace either.  I haven't raced a 5k for three years!! I ran 0.5 mile recovery at 8:57 pace  (exact same time as the SW interval : D).    I ran the SW at 0 incline and the recovery at mostly 1%.    I have to say that I felt completely out of shape today but I think that my flu-like symptoms yesterday that lasted until this morning's run had something to do with it.  I felt lightheaded and achy.    This was all topped off with MARATHON grocery shopping at Walmart (double coupon day) and when I say marathon  I mean marathon.  I was all sweaty just wearing my sports bra under my jacket to get rid of the sweat off off me and my shorts (Troy went home while I was running 12 TM miles and showered then came back to pick me up and head right to Walmart).  I was freezing to death after the first hour and asked Troy for a break to go home and shower. I left him for 45 minutes.  I came back and he was still shopping.  I told him we better hop in line or we wouldn't make a Subthree hour marathon time with the cashier taking all our price matching and double coupons.  We were almost done when I looked down at my watch and saw that it was 15 seconds to a sub3 hour shopping marathon  (lots of marathon jokes being said between my husband and I,  the teller was a young lad, quite amused).  Well I told him to speed it up or I wouldn't be under three hours but that we could go for my B standard of 3:05 and that would be okay.  He said "yah I am going for the 3:05!!.  Yup he was done tallying up our groceries and he crossed the finish line at 3:04:50!!".   I am such a numbers person.  I can't believe I timed us shopping.  I didn't ever think it would take that long.  It was the first time we ever took that long!!!!! 

Old mizuno precision faithfuls today.  This was a marathon workout.  Something Kelli does everyday.  This will probably only happen once in a blue moon--- although I felt quite well today.  This was the first morning I awoke in the last four to five weeks without very stiff calves.   I have stopped running in my Brooks Pureflow so I am thinking that I was right about the shoes for me. 

530am  TM  (was going to go easy and then well I got the notion to run "hills" on the TM)

2%  4 mile warmup:  8:34, 8:20, 8:06, 7:53.

Then  kept it at 7:53 pace for this:

1/2 mile 2.5%

1/2 mile 3%

1/2 mile 3.5%

1/2 mile 4 %

1/2 mile 4.5 %

1/2 mile 5 %

1/2 mile 5 %

1/2 mile 4.5 %

1/2 mile 4 %

1/2 mile 3.5 %

1 mile cooldown:  8:06 at 2 % incline.

I was going to ladder all the way back down but I was getting dizzy and lightheaded and quite hungry so I gave myself a break (which I don't do very often) and just drove home to eat some breakfast.

Next, I did weights at home in my basement-- chest, back, shoulders, biceps, and triceps.  Finished with Day two week one pushups.  I am starting out slow again and building up so the ones I have to do right now are pretty doable for me.  It is always when I get to week 5 that I quit.  Feeling stronger however.

Finally, I went to the gym with my husband at 9:20am and ran a mile around the track easy (8:34).  Went to spin class  for the first time since November.  If anyone ever goes with me I am pretty much like Jane Fonda and scream out with enthusiasm quite often.  "MAKE IT BURN"  was Jane's motto and I uphold that one :D.  Finished the 50 minute spin class (it is 55 minutes but I was running during the warmup.  Oh well.   For my cooldown I ran another mile on the track.  My legs didn't feel weird at all from the transition.  If I weren't scared of falling off a bike I would be so into Triathlons.  I am a pretty fast swimmer.  It is how I am built.  Last mile easy 8:22 pace.  Total 12 miles today.   I sure hope I can wake up tomorrow morning before work and run in the bitter cold with as much energy as I had today. 

alarm went off just after nodding back to sleep (my oldest daughter woke me to tell me she couldn't sleep at 3am, JOY).  was a struggle but since I teach Activity days on Thursday nights and I hate running after working all day I went for option A which was easier...BRRRRRrrrr.  The  windchill from the icy mountains was the best part.  Oh yah.  Ran a two mile loop around my house four times in case I wanted to cop out.  But I persevered and didn't stop once.  Legs tight.  Eyes heavy.  AP recovery jog pace 8:39 for 8 miles. Off to activity days and another day at work tomorrow!! 

New mizuno precision 11s arrived last night.  Yes.  It was like coming home.  My feet were so happy.  I got up at 4:25am and out running by 4:31am--- I opened the door to my house to find my door buried quite a bit in a snow drift and the streets covered with snow.   I was like--- "this looks adventurous, let's do this"  so I ran off slow at first getting used to my footing on crunchy and possible ice below snow surface.  After the first mile I was quite comfortable out in the winter wonderland that I was able to pick it up pretty good but  just going easy.  At mile two a strong wind came  blowing in another snow storm.  The flakes pelted my face and froze it.   But I didn't mind.  I was so much loving this run.  I had missed my wintry snowfall runs.  That is why this winter seemed so long-- no change in season.  The white stuff makes some runs a nice welcomed challenge.  The flakes turned quite large and then flew around again several times.  I was just loving running on crunchy snowy surface.  I even did some 0.1  strides.  I felt light and my legs and arms were loose.  AP easy at 8:33 for 8 miles.  First mile 9:36.  : D.  Worked all day, non stop.  Ate a shake late in the day for lunch that I got for my birthday coupon from my manager.  Now I have a sugar overload and can't even eat dinner from the nausea.  Finished the first week 100 push up challenge when I got home at 645pm-- 8/10/8/8/10.  : D. 

Nice long run with Rachelle and Cam.  Met up wtih Rachelle at the Provo Theatres at the Riverwoods.  I totally always thought those theatres were in Orem and told Rachelle that so luckily she felt the vibe I was sending out (as she hadn't showed and it was 10 minutes passed our meeting time).  I was so glad she found me!!!  I totally forgot my cell phone so that made it more difficult.  We left about 20 min. later than planned.  We met Cam on University about 2.5 miles into our run as he ran UP from the other Provo Theatres.  I totally screwed up on my knowledge of theatres around here!!    Then we ran part of the Provo Half marathon course--- well actually the entire thing but just two years ago course.  We had water at mile 4.5 and 16 (same place, the tabernacle).  We only stopped briefly x two.  I also forgot my Gu in the car so ate only two gu chomps (thanks Rachelle :D) and half a roctane (thanks again Rachelle).  That kind of buzzed me a little.  Well my heart at least.  I took it just before we ran our fast four miles.  My HR kind of raised a bit.   Oh well.  I never learn do I.   Just say NO to caffeine.  I can't even take it  in small quantities.  Our AP at mile 16 was a relaxing AP of 8:09.    Rachelle and I never quite warmed up enough.  My hands were warm but my thighs were stiff.   It was 23 degrees but cooler due to humidity.  I also felt like the inversion was significant today.   The last four were not so easy.  They weren't downhill however and had a net uphill grade so I should be happy.  I just narrowly beat my goal of having them all under 7 mm-- 6:49, 6:51, 6:59 (that was close), 6:56.  These were run by feel AND net elevation GAIN 184 feet, no down hill except 15 feet.  I don't have my watch in pace mode. BUT--  I actually slowed down for a good reason.  Just after the second quick mile my left hip and buttock spasmed greatly and painfully.  I had noticed an odd sensation at my left inner knee while running the first 16 miles (only when I did kick backs to stretch while running, but it was a feeling I had never had.  It felt totally muscular. )  I think I brought that on from my running in deep snow yesterday in new shoes.  My muscles weren't ready for the change in dynamics.  Then I go and run 20+ miles in the same shoes today.  My feet were happy but my unadapted muscles were a little upset.  It wasn't really painful just a fluttery tight feeling at the side of my knee.  Well when I got to that fast mile it like spread to my hip or something like wild flowers.  I was about to stop but I decided to push myself through.  I started to run with a limp.  I managed to mentally take over my body's protest and finish what I started.   It is totally muscular so I am not worried.  Got home quickly showered and headed out the door to my daughter's soccer game.  AP for 20.5 miles = 7:54.    I forgot to mention that one driver felt he needed to tell me how he felt about HIS driving.  It was not easy mentally to run fast when there are traffic lights that may or may not be ready for you.  I only got stopped by one just as I neared the first mile.  The others I was slightly illegal running through.  Cam has learned today that runners have the right away.   I taught him that ; D.

So very sad for the people in Indiana and thereabouts.  That is quite some hardships for all those people.   How devestating!!!