Believe to Achieve

3.5 mile warmup at the rec center at 5:30am (really 4:30 am 1 1/2 days ago!!).  8:41, 8:27, 8:20 and 8:06 at 2 %.  Then planned 4 x 15K to 1/2 marathon pace (6:40, hopefully someday : D).  So ran 6:40, 6:40, 6:40, 6:30-6:35 for the last one (started picking it up the last two laps to 6:18 at the end).  Cooldown x 1.5 miles.  Cleared the TM time after 3 miles of warmup then started this workout with the 1/2 mile warmup.  Stopped the TM when it got to 6.2 miles.  Total time = 43:23 so AP 6:59 for 6.2 miles (4 miles plus the 1.5 miles easy pace miles).  I picked it up to below 7 pace for the last .2 to 6:18 pace just for a fast finish : D.  I ran this STRAIGHT through without stopping and NO water.  Forgot my little water bottle.  Going skiing at Brighton today so had to get up early AGAIN.  Past five day history--  Thurs morn up at 410am to run with Mel up Suncrest, Friday up at 4:50am to run before work, Saturday-- up at 4:30 am to run before work, Sunday (daylight savings loss of an HOUR) up at 5:40 to get to work by 6am but really it is 4:40, Monday up this morning at 5:15am (4:15 that I am used to it being).....EQUALS INTENSE fatigue exhaustion RIDICUOULOUSNESS but nothing I can't handle.  THINGS have been worse, working nights.  Three shifts in a row with CRAZY workload is TOUGH. WE HAVE HAD A BABY BOOM in the VALLEY.  MANY BOYS, few girls born.   SERIOUSLY.

REally, 14 miles today?  NOOOOOO!!!  I still haven't recovered from the lack of sleep and three shifts in a row and SKIING yesterday for 7 hours in SNOWFALL.  The skiing was spectacular but the snowfall was sometimes a bit much.  Hey it's March!!  But we had a wicked fun day, the kids and hubby and I.  I overdid of course flying through the wooded made-up trails with my kids.  They love it.  I love it.   But as the day wore on so did my thighs.  They were tired and beat.  I was done.  Skiing take A LOT out of you.  Today, I ran in my trail shoes.  Third run in them.  This time I actually ran on a trail with them.  Only the canal though.  No major toughie but I was tired of the clay soil and hills.  The first 5-7 miles were great and then I could tell I had been working my legs TOO MUCH and was like "be done already", but I was running an out and back course so no such luck and I just pushed through the fatigue.  The last mile I was so fed up with myself and the tempo of my songs (they were all TOO slow).  I flipped thru the songs sighing with every song that was next finding no umph to get me home any quicker.  Then with one final flip I got to my favorite UPBEAT song and was like totally adrenalinized.  I turned the volume way up and I ran a 6:18 pace back home for the last .3 miles.  Now I am dead to the world and need a break.  But no reprieve.  I work the next two days.  Going easy those two days.  Recovery runs x 2 in a row for 5 miles each.  Oh yah, AP today for 14 (8.6 miles on trail)=  8:12.

Oh my aching,   tired body--- FATIGUE O'RAMA!!  Dang the daylight savings--- seeing sunshine until 7pm makes me stay up later and then I have to get up early which is still earlier if it were last week....I just haven't caught up and I keep waking after only 2.5 hours of sleep thinking it should be morning and I stare at the ceiling or my pillow waiting.....I  got up at 4:50am and out the door by 5am to run my measly 5 mile recovery run, jog pace--8:48 for 5 miles.  First mile 9:52.  Last mile 8:13.  SOOO glad at mile 4 I literally ran into a group of friends from my ward (7 of them) and I got to have company for my last mile in the darkness.  So refreshing.  Whether was so nice, light breeze.  I clocked into work at 6:01 after getting back to my house at 5:46am.  Worked my BUTT off all day, non stop for 12.75 hours--- pretty much a 50 miler.  So much for ANY TRUE RECOVERY days.  When you work full time as a nurse there is no such thing as recovery.  I so wish I could truly rest....in my dreams, then again I don't even have much dream time since I am not sleeping well.  It looks like tomorrow I will run my next 5 mile recovery run in the rain.  I am trying to look forward to it : D.  Raindrops Keep Fallin' on my head  :  D.    BTW today I was teaching a student nurse and she accidentally walked abruptly into me while I was walking out the nursery door while my arm was out to the side getting the hand sanitizer on.  I whacked my inner lower arm by my elbow so hard that the entire shift I had such intense pain to my finger tips and up to my shoulder.  I have a very large contusion/bruise/hematoma on my arm and it swollen, burns and is also numb in areas.  I didn't have time to take anything for it and just thought of it as getting through the end of a marathon, and toughed it out.  But it was quite excruciating at times.  I finally just iced it for 30 minutes and took some ibuprofen.  Holy Moly, it is just a bruise for crying out loud.  

5 sluggish miles in the early hours of the morning before work-- 4:55am.  Colder since the storm came through, a wintry chill but not drastic.  AP 8:38.  I have had a slight sore throat but it tends to get better after my run.  Productive brief cough.  I am SOOOOO wiped out.  I blame daylight savings for my lack of sleep.  I am not getting any good amount. 

can't sleep....anxious sleep.   I just can't seem to konk out fully.  But every morning I am up like clock work so I walked my self out the door at 5:15am and drove the rec center to do a 12 miler.  I ran 4 warmup.  Was going to do hills for 7 miles but just couldn't do it.  I have this productive throat thing happening and I am just too worked over that it just wasn't worth it.  4 mile warmup at 2%-- 8:49, 8:41, 8:27, 8:06 sorta kind of-- I just kept upping the pace every 1/2 mile.  Took a potty break and did hill ladders, with pace at 7:53-- 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6 each at 1/2 mile increments.  DONE.  I was having a hard time not getting dizzy.  I almost passed out.  So I got off and drank more water and then got on and finished with 4 miles at AP of 7:45.  I so had to work that one out of the hat.  I worked the last two days and although I ran "recovery" runs before work I was NOT recovering at work.  It was like two 50 milers in a row.  Go go go, non stop for 12.5 hours.  I don't drink near enough at work.  I like my job but sometimes nurses are expected to be too perfect and meet so many needs and you feel if you  could just eliminate the charting aspect of nursing you could be the best ever.  Blah.  Enough whining.  12 miles total. 

First, ran two miles on my own nice and easy  in the wind (AP 9:04). Then ran with my trainee Jenn.  This time I let my garmin run through ALL of the walking at every mile starting at mile three.  Pace slower than two weeks ago but after mile 12 (we started at 530am) we had a very nice headwind.  The wind had died down after two miles together.  The moon was FULL and spectacular to look at.  Jenn was down about the wind but she persevered and made it to my home where we parted.  She only had .4 miles to go and we stopped to use my bathroom.  I had to get going to see Melanie finish her race (a whole  'nother sad but funny story), the Shamrock Half in Saratoga Winds, I mean Springs.  Our pace with no stopping of the garmin except for three times for longer stops (total of 8.5 minutes) was 10:37.  Total time 3:12 minutes!!!  Just a minute slower than my SGM PR!!  The only thing about running slower is that my joints were more achy.  Probably because I don't think I get my adrenaline and or endorphins going.  We did do some bursts which were fun to watch Jenn do.  She could really pick it up and, while my legs were stiff and struggling to catch her, she looked ENERGIZED. Seriously, she doesn't give herself credit.  She can run fast.  We got to 6:30 pace briefly.  Anyway,  back to Melanie.  She missed the turn and followed the lead pack of guys (uphill mind you) for .7 miles, then turning around after the sheriff told them they were going the wrong way.  So she and 4 other guys ran 1.4+ miles longer on the course.  She WAS in first until then and then ended up in third.  She was right next to the second place girl  at the finish and  I tried to get her to sprint with me, but she was mentally/physicall spent.  She did say she got to 13 miles in 1:30.  And that course and wind  IS a bugger!!!  The first guy came in at 1:27:40.  I don't know if he took a wrong turn so I bet the other guys really beat him.  The "first girl" followed wrongly as well but only for an additional 1/4 mile.  She came in at 1:34 something including the extra time.  Basically, KNOW YOUR COURSE.  There was noone at that turn, but a small cone with an arrow and if you blinked or if you were cruising you could easily miss it.  BUMMER.  The winner got a pair of running shoes.  The race director apologized and Melanie said "it's all good", mistakes happen.  She got in a good work out.