Believe to Achieve

Okay, so today called for SW 3 x 1600.  I awoke after the usual make up sleep night feeling still wiped out.  But dragged my tushy to my closet and got dressed to run indoors on the TM.   Looking outside there was NO WAY I could face the wind and overcast again.   JUST NO WAY!!  I thought I will just get it over as quick as possible on the TM, maybe get in 10 miles.  As I was about to reconsider where I ran (PG rec or maybe Kim would let me run at her house) I reached for the phone to call Kim and low and behold the phone began to ring.  8:08 am on Spring Break.  Who would be calling?  I saw who it was and immediately picked it up.  It was Melanie.  She immediately announced that she just ran 20 miles on the TM.  20 miles!!! We had just talked last night on the phone how we both needed to run 20 today to detoxify all the junk we put in our bodies over Easter weekend.  (I had 3 cupcakes with an inch of yellow frosting on them at work Saturday night.  They had bunny rings on them so I told myself it was for a good cause, my three daughters for their baskets.)  This wasn't good, that Melanie announced this.  I certainly was going for the 10 miler with a little SW.  I was dragging as it was and really didn't even think three miles at 6:20 was even possible at all.  Soooooooo...I got in my car not knowing what to think of Melanie's call.  It got me thinking....maybe if I start out real easy I could convince my body to wake up and do a 20 on the TM.  Basically that is what I did.  Progressive run to a 7:30 pace finishing up at a quicker pace, forcefully.  The first 10 miles were at 2 % incline and they went like this:  8:57, 8:41, 8:27- 8:34 (avg 8:30), 8:13- 8:20 (avg 8:16), 8:00, 7:47, 7:41, 7:35, 7:30, 7:30.  Can I let go of this incline already?  I told myself to just make it to 10 miles and then I could take it down to 1/2 percent.  So I did just that.  It took a 1/2 mile for my heartrate to adjust and be glad.  7:30 was now feeling doable.  Here are my last splits, I ran the last 4 miles at 0 % in order to finish strong and get over the boredom already:  7:30, 7:30, 7:30, 7:30, 7:08- 7:24 (avg 7:16), 7:47 (needed to take a breather here, TM running is quite monotonous), 7:41, 7:35, 7:24-7:30, 6:40-7:24 (avg 7:08) = DONE!!!!!  AVG PACE for 20 miles =  7:45.  Total time 2 hours 35 minutes.  Got off TM and ran to fill up water bottle at 5, 10, 15 mile markers.  Really gave that TM a needed workout.   Wowsers.  Of course I had my cell phone on the TM so as to call Melanie immediately of my accomplishment.  We rejoiced together!!!  We are both done with our detox!!  : DDDDD

Addendum at bottom.  So far nothing.....I just awakened an hour ago.  Felt like a smoothie,,, the close as I get to cryotherapy in the winter....I mean really is it winter in April again?  Snow!!!!!  Wind!!!   Cold!!!  Not in the mood to get out there but might now that my body temp is lowering with my smoothie.  But here is some SCARY I'D BETTER GET MY ACT TOGETHER NEWS...THE MAIN DIRECTOR OF SQUAW PEAK WROTE ME BACK AND TOLD ME THAT I COULD COUNT ON BEING LET INTO THE RACE-- HE ALREADY CASHED MY ENTRY SO I GUESS I SHOULD THINK IT TRULY IS HAPPENING.  I AM GOING TO RUN THE 50 MILER ON JUNE 5TH!!!!!    I PLAN TO JUST TAKE OFF TWO SATURDAYS AND RUN AND RUN AND RUN ON THE TRAILS OF THE SHORELINE UNTIL MY GARMIN READS 32 MILES.  I ALSO PLAN ON RUNNING UP SUNCREST SEVERAL TIMES AND SPEEDING DOWN.  AND RUN A COUPLE OF BACK TO BACK 20 MILERS TO SHOCK THE OLD BODY.    My goal is to get in under 10 hours 26 minutes.  That is the top master course PR.  Time will tell.  Currently I work 5 of 7 nights before that big day.  I am going to get the Thursday night off for sure!!  I think one night of sleep is necessary before I conquer 50 miles of steep terrain.  I am both excited and terrified.  I wonder what my body will say after 32 miles.  Antelope island was quite the feat and I am more trained to take on this distance with my mind.  The 20 miler on the TM with only music and random TV shows without sound or words keeps me thinking I can endure this well.  I look forward to the descent at mile 40 and trying to "fly" down the steep terrain to the finish line.  It may not be pretty.  Should be very fascinating.  I look forward to eating and eating while running and new socks at each aid station if necessary.  I just hope I don't get lost and add on more miles.  Those are my thoughts at the moment.  PS This race is three weeks post Ogden so this will be VERY fascinating in deed.  A fast marathon followed by miles and miles of treachery?  Eeeks.  Maybe I'd better slow it down at Ogden....nope not goin' to do that!!

 Ran OUTSIDE in the frigid windy (18 mph per weather report for Pleasant Grove, I just checked) but I didn't care.  I dressed prepared today.  I wore a turtleneck, sweatshirt and long sleeved nylon shirt with my tights, headband, gloves AND GOGGLES. Yup that's right GOGGLES for skiing.  They really are more like sunglasses with foam edging and a strap for holding in place.  Problem is they fog up easily so I easily went from quiet alert state to non-rem sleep and sometimes REM sleep but noone noticed because I was the only NUT out there in the snow to hailstorms that were comin' and going like a bad memory.  Anyway did NOT look at my garmin once.  I wanted a recovery run from yesterday and the wind was going to be my friend.  I was going to run with it, against it with a smile and which ever way I could with it, but certainly not try to run fast in it.  It turned out I ran quite the progressive run.  Was only going to do 5 or 6 but of course just had to add on when the moment was on.  First mile 9:43, fastest mile (2 of them) 8:15.  Avg pace for 8.1 miles = 8:50.  I guessed 9:20 avg so I guess that's good enough for me.  After my run I laid on the grass and meditated then did my pushups from the 100pushups.com program. Hadn't done them since last Wednesday.   They went really well, felt really easy.  Total 23 pushups the hard way.  Then I worked my arms with the three pound weights.  Time to move up to five pounds.  But I will probably wait until next week. 

To the Lehi Rec Center (had a 1/2 off coupon), boy is it CrOwDeD in there!!  And STILL hot!!  Plan to run 3 x 1600 at 6:20 pace with 400 meter recovery.  So I start my warmup and another exerciser approaches me to ask if she could put her "treadmill class" pass on my TM to reserve it for the class that was starting in 15 minutes.  What?  Oh no.  There's a class?  Yikes.  I called Melanie the pro on this rec center and she told me to go and get one of those passes so I could keep running.  The other woman also told me I could do this if I wanted to do the class.  So I quickly ran down and got one of the last passes and placed it on my TM and continued my warmup.  I was a little stressed now that a class was going to start and I would look silly doing my own thing but I did it.  I took off my iPod and listened to the instructor's music and ignored her directions.  Although I do feel that class would be quite effective.  Anyway it was very hard to continue sprinting while the other TMers were taking breaks on the edges of their mills.  I sooooo wanted to stop too.  When they started running again it was easier to focus.  I seriously have ADHD/anxiety on a TM doing SW.  My form falls apart and  I can't focus very well as there are sooo many distractions, TVs all on different channels, runners goin' by on the track, instructor yelling out instructions....etc... But all in all I achieved pretty close to my goal.  After my 3 mile warm up ran a 6:18 mile, a 6:20 mile (2 laps at 6:18, 2 at 6:22, starting to struggle with focus), and last mile 6:25-  first lap 6:31, 2nd lap 6:31, third lap 6:27, 4th lap ending at a 6:00 pace so average = 6:25 for the last mile.  I was too anxious, self concious, thirsty and hungry.  I ate the gu too late, after the second repeat.  Rested for only the 400 meters, HR not fully recovered with that.  I am not sure I can get any faster.  I am more for the endurance mode.  Ran 2 mile cooldown.  Total mile 8.5.  Seemed so short but pressed for time.  Went home picked up my girls and brought them back for a swim at the rec center with Melanie's kids.  They are all currently playing at my house, three of her girls with the three of mine.  She took her baby and son home, to hopefully eat and sleep.  She gets the big standing ovation for her performance today.  YOWSERS!! 

Slept 4.5 hours!!  Woke at noon.  COULD NOT possibly pass up the opportunity to run in sunshine, and a nice breeze.   Ahhh  the smells of nature!!  So rejuvenating!!  Just took off and ran up to the canal and on to the Cedar Hills trail and up by their golf course and around down by the Lone Peak park and over to AF high school.  I felt like I could have run and run.  Ended up running 11 even.  Not on purpose I was just goin' and goin' and it played out that way.  Loved the adventure of the varied terrain, dirt trail and road and awesome views.  Avg pace= 8:33 for 11 miles in the hills.  Work tonight.  MAY pass on running tomorrow.  With everyone running their marathons I am lonely on the mileage board : D  , hey wait Allie's with me!!!

Should not have given in to the french fry craving AND a grilled chicken and avocado sandwich from JCWs.  I felt sluggish on my run.  It was a recovery/easy day and felt that way but really was hoping somehow easier was getting faster but I guess not in a semi-coma state will that happen.  Slept 4.5 hours again when I got home at 6:45am.  So when I got on my shorts and headed outside I thought yippee its spring still, but I felt a cold breeze, more so than yesterday that I grabbed my sweatshirt.  I definitely was more sleepy on today's run as it took me 5 miles before I felt warm enough to remove my sweatshirt.  Ran 7.5 miles @ 8:57 pace-- 2.7 miles of which were on a gravel path that goes around the stake center by discovery park, almost a 1/2 mile loop.  I was wanting less pounding.  Notice my right  (last time it was my left and much worse) achilles acting up, but not due to shoes but doing "guy" push ups.  My ankles are skinny and the stress of my body weight on them during push ups is stretching that area pretty good.  Hope I can just get em' strengthened by doing this gradual push up program.  Or I might have to take longer breaks in between and watch my form more closely.  Goal possibly 70 miles this week if I can get in 15 tomorrow am   : D.

Ran to Kim's at 525 am to meet Kim and Melanie for a 10 mile run (ended up 11.3) with Kim for her taper before Boston and added on with Melanie for her to get 15 and I would run home to put me at 15.5.  A  funny thing happened to me on my way to Kim's.   It tells you how sleep deprived I am,. I ran right into a pile of dirt in the road.  Someone had it there for their  yard.  I was like running a few steps up into it before noticing the soft gushy feel of it getting into my sneakers and quickly turning and sliding off it getting more dirt into my shoes.  What the heck?  Whatever.  More dirt to follow on my 50 miler so I better get used to it. We ran uphill for three miles to the canal by Lone Peak and headed south on it to 1100 north where we turned down for a couple of MP miles.  The canal we were limited on speed as neither of us had on a headlamp and we couldn't see pot holes and we can't afford a twitsted ankle.  As we neared 1100 north daylight was upon us.  We were trying to run JUST MP not faster so I cautioned my speedy friends to tone it down and let it feel easy.  Kim and I chatted away which is probably why those splits were about 7- 710.  Mel was a few paces ahead.  The last 1/4  or mile after we got up to Melanie., Melanie told us to push hard to our finish line which we put as the new traffic lights placed just passed AF hospital road on 1100 north.  I am thinking my garmin is on one because it says my maximum pace hit today was 4:18 mile!!!!!!!??????  How long must a person be at a pace when the garmin makes this calculation?  I was pushing hard to follow Kim and stay up with her so MAYBE I was there for a split second : }    Anyway we took it down a notch after those three miles and got to Kim's  house making it  12.4 miles for me then  Melanie did an easy two mile loop at mid 8s going back to Kim's ( she lives on a hill BTW so I was getting some good hillwork here).  I  then ran home and ended with a quick pace, last 1/2 mile at 6:56.  I felt better here than I did going down 1100 north.  Total mile 15.5 at 8:06 avg. Ummmm hit OVER 70 miles this week and this is my awful work week working those 5 night shifts in 7 nights.  I feel so good. 70 is my magic number.  I think I will try for this every three weeks or so.  I haven't run over 70 since late November/early December.