Believe to Achieve

JULIE'S 23 MILER, running at the seat of her shorts.....basically  here and there and everywhere.  Rather than waste time driving up Provo Canyon to Vivian Park I decided to just take off from my house with no water and one gu.  That's all the gu I have left.  I headed North through Cedar Hills and to Alpine.  Meaning, I headed uphill for over 10 miles and still more hills to 12.5 miles where I crested the Top of Healey Dr. the back way through Alpine a very gorgeous loop and then back on the Golf course trail to the mouth of AF canyon, still going over tremendous amount of hills to mile 17.4  to that infamous STEEP hill at the mouth of  the canyon where a man running down showed his support by saying "just keep at it".  I am sure he never thought I was at mile 17 in my run.  I stayed at it and pushed the pace as much as I could without fuel for the last 6.2 miles.  Did some crazy ending making it an uphill ending so I wasn't spoiled or anything.  I will course tool the run later so you all can check it out elevation wise.  Avg pace 7:57 for 23 miles.  A good effort after being at at a 8:21 average at 12.5 miles.  This run should make me stronger, hopefully.  Luckily the fountain of youth was still running at Alpine Park (a water fountain that is always running spring water) where I took my gu (mile 10.5).  Got two other brief water stops at mile 7.5 at a gas station at the Alpine round about.  The ice cream cookie sandwiches looked so welcoming.  The last water stop was at Cedar Ridge Park on the trailway.  So glad that's open now.  Cruised home.  Forgot I had my music with me and put on my iPod at mile 19.  That helped.  Last big run before Ogden is now over.  YIPPEE!!! SKIPPY!!  : DDDDDD  Splits:  9:12, 8:42, 8:50,  8:46,  8:25,  8:17,  8:08, 8:09,  7:51,  7:52,  7:57,  7:56, 8:16 (good uphill coming to the crest at 12.5 miles),  7:25, 7:55,  8:09 (forever uphill),  7:59 (HUGE UPHILL), 7:06, 7:12, 7:07, 7:07,  7:08, 7:29 (wish I ended on a downhill to look better : D).  Total Time=  3:03:07. 

Recovery afternoon run after dropping my daughter at dance in Cedar Hills.  Ran on the trail and a little off.  Awesome welcomed wind.  It just gave me permission to take it easy and enjoy nature along the way.  Too bad this wind is the preempt to five days of rain in the forecast.  Of course I have three of those off of work.  Ran to total just over a marathon in two days.  3.31 miles at a lovely 9:00 even.   26.2 miles in just under 3:32!!   I love those last nine minute miles!!  Hope to have more in me for the real showing in less than three weeks.  I think I do and that is the first step.  PS I don't want to toe the line at the start but with all the gun versus chip problems with overall and master divisions last year I may have to.  Yuck.  I think I will do what I always do and go toward the end of the first third.  PS I am hoping to place in the masters top three again.  

Plan:  6 x 800 meters at 6:10 pace (TM goes to 6:11 so I settled for that, no point going overboard).  Warmed up for 2.5 miles easy.  Ran all of them at 6:11 except last two I picked it up at the end especially the last one to a 6:00 pace for the last 100 yrds.  32 mph winds kept me from running on the track today.   My left hip/inside hamstring bugging me and I am sore in the arms from working them yesterday which I also compensated with the use of my left leg in place of my wimpy left arm.   Funny, I wasn't sore AT ALL from my 23 miler on Monday.  Then I do arms and I am sore in the upper body.  Totally had to use reverse psychology to get all six done.  First four I ran one lap (.25 miles in between) at 8:00 to 8:13 pace.  To help myself out on the last two I walked .07 miles then got back up to an 8:00 pace before finishing the lap.  I sure appreciated that.  Cooldown to make an even 10 miles for the day at 7:30 to 8:13 pace.  Avg pace for last 8.25 miles = 7:27.   Ready to eat tons now.  And take a hot shower.  Would like to ice in the river but the breeze is not welcoming.  Later.  Next week after the storm passes.

Left hip/hamstring injury.  Day off to implement ancient healing remedy--- REST.

lower left back hip pain bad level 8.   i think its my disc crunching down on my nerve.  I can exact the point of intense pain but it radiates every where around the hip and front of thigh is burning and foot is buzzing.  Off to chiro at 1040am.

The Visit:   Quote:  "Uhhhh   your hip is out a mile".   Nice of him to put it in runners' terms : D.  Also he told me the  reason why new shoes put me in distress is that I keep making "them" conform to "me".  When my shoes are probably right but my foot, hip .... etc...is not.  That's why the old shoes feel just right as I "pounded" them into submission : D.  I am not a conformist apparently.   He adjusted me from head to toe focusing on my hip, foot and tibia. Apparently my tibia also is displaced inward.   He wants me to keep running.  He'll call me later and see how things are going.  I need to see him again next week.  He charges only $15.00 and is quite thorough, has a nice office on main st. in Lehi.  And also to do the piriformis stretch on that leg (lay on your back leg crossed over knee, pull knee in to really stretch it), which BTW hurts like no other.  Pain level went to a 5 to 6 but is currently back at an 8.  Got my prescription for relaxant just now and took 1/2 a tab.  I don't want to be knocked out all day.  Will ice and take ibuprofen as well.  

After two days off and a good friend to run MP with me for 13.1 (the Provo Half Course ) at 7am (actual race started at 8am) I tried to reevaluate the hip/hamstring issue.   First it hurts continuous.  Second starting the run with extreme tightness and lots of pain may not be a bright idea but I still did it.  We were supposed to go easy the first two to three miles but the hail and the wind and the conversation just had us going from the starting line.  Ran the first mile and was stopped by a train for about 4-5 minutes.  Pretty funny.  Luckily the real race did not have that pleasure.  I was hoping for a 7:15  to 7:19 avg pace but with the injury it would have been pushing it.  My breathing was labored as I tried to guard the pain while running.  Eeeeks.  After 5 miles regained strength with a chocolate gu but getting on the River Trail and talking non-stop slowed us.  We were pretty chatty throughout the run.   Obviously not in race mode.  No music.  Just each other and some lovely rain clouds too.  Freeeeezzzing!!!  Put back on longsleeved shirt at mile 10.5 where I had our water station on the bridge.  We passed it twice so was a perfect water/gatorade spot.  All the water stations were up but we weren't registered so we passed up on the water there.  Splits pretty even. If hip was  not  so tight  and painful could have run minutes faster.  Wasn't sore and still am not sore after working all night.  Just a bum hip that is in agony.  Going to Josse's today (Sunday) to get it scraped.  13.1 @ 1:36:49. Avg pace: 7:23.   Splits:  7:36,  7:15, 7:21, 7:22, 7:21, 7:10, 7:17, 7:26, 7:21, 7:31,  7:34, 7:29, 7:14, .11@ 7:19 pace (slowed because we merged with lots of slower 5 kers close to the finish line).   We were at a 7:20 avg until mile 8.  Should have focused and stopped talking  : D.   A lot of "Brrrrsss"  and  "I am frozen" and "why the pouring rain now?".   The slants on the sides of the roads were not at all good for my hip so I ran a lot on the sidewalk the last 1.5 miles.