Believe to Achieve

AVG pace 7:54 for 15.1 miles.  Ran 4.8 mile warmup to the AF high school track at 8:08 pace then ran my scheduled gruesome 10 by 400 meters.  I am just not a track star in any way shape or form.  Wayyyyyy bad memories of my struggling teenage years.  No joke.  Anyway ran the first 5 clockwise and the last 5 counter clockwise.  Problem with a north/south outdoor track is headwind  (17 mph) is your friend either way but somehow it seemed more pronounced clockwise.  After the third one into the wind I was about to give up but decided to take my gu and some water and see if that helped.  I hadn't eaten breakfast and it was 1030am.  It seemed to help.  The repeats were done with a 400 meter recovery run.  I sure needed the recovery.  My heartrate is sooooo thankful.   Here are the splits:  86 sec (5:46), the first one is always soooo easy and too quick, my goal is 6 even, 89 sec (5:58), 91 (6:06)  did not take in the wind as my friend here, 89 (5:56), yay back from the abyss, 90 (6:00) GOAL : D, 90 (6:00) GOAL :D, 89 (5:56), 90 (6:00), 89 (5:59), 88 (5:53).  DONE!!!   What a "friendly" headwind!!  I just reached deep.  Funny I seemed to pick it up per garmin more so in the wind.  I could see my garmin go down on pace.  Its like a hill in a race, I go slower coming up to it.  Its a mental thing.   And then I push hard up the hill.  I should probably try the reverse.   I may be exerting too much energy this way.  AVG pace for 2.5 miles of SW = 5:58 : D     Glad I finished when I wanted to quit.  Ran home 5 miles at 7:53 avg pace.  

To go from no run at all to 7 miles, how do I count the ways?  Well, I awoke after 4 hours of broken sleep and desired a frosted brownie my husband made Sunday.  So  I ate 1 1/2 pieces with a large glass of milk.  Like that wasn't gonna need some penance for.  I still was like "I'll take the day off and wallow in my brownie mishap".  But then I did my pushups then my arm workout with a window open in my living room and could hear the birds cheering me on for a run with the coolness of the air as a welcome too!!  So I just got out and started out on a nice and easy run.  It once again turned progressive.  I also had a mission with this run.  Yesterday I left my headband, I thought, on the field.   My favorite headband, my only headband.  I drove back yesterday and the ladies at the HS office said try back tomorrow and the janitor said "teenagers are cleptos, you won't see that again".  I was like really?  gone forever?  : (  But I didn't give up hope as today I got the idea to run by there again and check once more.  I was literally drawn to the drinking fountain first out of the way of the office then I thought maybe I will use the bathroom right next to it( I had gone in there when I first arrived at the track yesterday).  Voila, MY HEADBAND!!! LIKE A LONG LOST FRIEND THERE IT WAS!!  AND NO CLEPTO teenage girl dared to take it!!! TAKE THAT.  The janitor didn't have a lot of faith.  Silly story, but hey I am ready for the next run in a snowstorm, my ears will still be warm : D.  Avg pace for 7 miles = 8:17    I felt great the last three miles so I picked it up.  First mile 9:18. Quickest mile 7:31.  Cooldown mile 7:56.   This was supposed to be  a recovery run.   The after the rain falls Spring run was SOOOOOO worth it.  I even saw a few worms Allie. 

Ran a MOST pleasant 1/2 marathon so to speak with Melanie this morning over in Lehi and on the JRP etc....  We picked it up at the end when at over half way we were averaging 8:08 pace (we had some position in the universe problems, so we slowed a bit) to end up for an average pace of 7:52 at the end for 13.1 miles  Cooldown of .4 miles.  Mel was about 8-10 seconds ahead of me by the end.  I was soooo very parched and my arms were sore.  But still I am NO match for the speed queen who took lots of time off this winter.  Now she's burning me : D.  Should have conserved energy yesterday.  We just came up with this run at 830pm last night, at first we weren't even running together and then the pieces started to fit so we worked it out to run together at 630am.  Weather a cool and crisp 30 degrees, but no WIND.  How about that?  Got in  a few good hills with the fine surroundings and wonderful blooms for the sight and smell.  LOVELY.  Birds a chirpin' and hearts a beatin'.  First mile 8:53.  Last mile 7:16.  Getting serious about getting serious now.  Heat wave arriving soon.  

Supposedly a recovery run.  Ran my planned 17 mile course for tomorrow in reverse to the mouth of AF canyon so 7.5 miles of UPHILL  then  I turned right out of the golf course and up that GRUESOME hill out of the AF canyon.  Somehow I averaged a 8:34 mile on that all uphill mile.  Hence the tired feeling on the way home.   Leg muscles achy from yesterday I suppose and I keep forgetting to carb and electrolyte load so today I will do that.  Took the Cedar Hills path home.  Had ONE gigantic downhill and I realized my legs are scardy cats.  Basically I kept the breaks on here because tomorrow its at least 13 miles of MP in that 17 miler and mostly downhill untill the last 2.5 miles.  Still I don't think my legs were prepared for a straight downhill.  I practically kept the same pace on the straightaways as that downhill.  Thats pathetic.    My uphills speed was decent for rest mode.   I kept it real.  Just recovery pace there. No pushing it.   Avg pace for 12.64 miles =  8:30 even.  I think I need an ice bath to shock treat my legs.  

I think I am out of shape or just plain old tired of running fast or is it that I just hit 65+ miles for the week and ran my third SW?  I figure with a nice taper and a couple of nights off the marathon will feel tons better.  Plus this course is waaaayyyy downhill (1700 feet) and over a 1000 of the feet are the first 7.2 miles downhill.  Ouch.  In fact  I caught myself "putting on the breaks" for the first few miles and finally I found some sort of rhythm.  The first 7.2 miles average pace was 6:38!! after my initial slow pace for a good downhill.  I did start this run going UPHILL 2.15 miles the last bit being VERY steep and managed a 8:39 pace there.  UPHILL.  I was slightly adrenaline-ized for this.  I was sooooo  NOT wanting to do it but tried to get in "race" mode on my own and just do it. I started at about 1010am.  Ran the uphill portion feeling pretty strong.  But then thinking no way "this for  1/2 of the 50 miles?  You've gotta be kidding!!"  I will most likely walk a lot in that thing.  Okay back to my run.  Ran 13.1 miles and stopped.  I didn't know my time but I knew my average so I decided to reset my watch to see my time---  it was a 1:29:57 Half Marathon!!!!!!!!!  6:52 average.  If I known I was that close to my PR I would have picked it up (NOT : D).  I did have three water stops along the course that were a HUGE welcome.  I even tried to take a dip in the river.  More like I was trying to put some water on my hands and I nearly fell in at mile 12.  It was hard to pick it up again after this stop for just one more mile.  Then I ran home another 1.75 miles to my house at 7:51 pace.  Average pace for all 17 miles= 7:11.   Splits:  8:46,  8:20, .25 @ 9:52 (MEGA-STEEP, I was delusional), 6:49,  6:41,  6:55 (this was a not so steep downhill),  6:30,  6:26,  6:25,  6:31, 6:58 (rolling hills), 7:14 (rolling hills),  7:11, 7:14 (getting pretty tired of running fast), 7:05, 7:11 (after the almost river fall in),  .1 @ 6:39.  Done with that already.  Took a brief breather and started my uphill trek to my house.  Last splits = 7:54, and .75 @ 7:46 (this was all uphill).  So doing the celebration dance.  My legs don't feel sore YET.  Its mostly my heart rate that was having issue.  Less chocolate chips more protein.  

So very asleep.  Slept two hours went to Amber's soccer game.  Slept 1 1/2 hours got up and went to Brooke and Courtney's soccer games.  They were on the same field at the same time.  We sat in the middle trying not to miss anything.  I missed Brooke score the only two goals for her team.  Hard to focus turning my head back and forth.  Of course I told her "great Goal!!!!".  Anyway, got out for my planned short run to get 70 miles and low and behold my NEW ascics gel cumulus 12s arrived from Arizona!! Yippee!! They feel quite good.  I am barely sore from yesterday and even did 4 pickups to 6 pace for 30 seconds.  Time will tell but I think these shoes are thinking of getting me some PRs.  Crossing toes here.  So tired of searching and spending for the right shoe.  5.25 miles at 8:33 recovery pace.  Nice warm day.  Shorts and visor.