Believe to Achieve

 TAPER MADNESS BEGINS  :  D.  Come out come out wherever you are (phantom pains).  7 Easy miles (AP 7:56) with Troy on the Memorial 10K course.  Did  8 x 150 meters (.1 miles) STRIDES.  Felt way comfortable and fun.  Pace in these ranging from 5:40 to 6:00 depending on how I hit  the turns into traffic. VERY flat course.  Not a single bubble in it AT ALL.  Not sure what pace I should run it at.  I haven't run a 10k RACE in 22 months or so.    Should be interesting!!  My training schedule calls for it so I found one local in Orem.  I ran on RUN13's treadmill at the Women's Expo in April to get a free entry into it.  I am torn if I should run my 17 mile long run in conjunction with the 10K or just run the 17 miles the day before?  The race starts at 8am.  Kind of later than I like and I don't want to waste too much time away from my family on my OFF weekend or run too long of a warm up waiting for the start.  Temporary Decision- I think I will run the 17 on Friday at 8:00 pace and save energy for the 10K with a 3 mile warmup.  All of my runs have had NO recovery in them so I shouldn't worry  too much.  My goal for the 10k is to go under 41 minutes.  My PR is 43:51 (2009, 4th of July).  So BELIEVE I can beat that.   Unless I fall over.  NOT.  

12 miles--  6 UP  6 Down. Ran up to the AF CANYON and past the entrance than back home up THE GOLF COURSE CANYON HILL. Gotta love it.  A biker was disappointed I wasn't continuing onward (he yelled out to me, "awwww I thought you were going to keep going).  I so felt strong going uphill at 7:30 pace for a bit, I felt I could go on and do my long run today but I really should have my long run fall closer to the schedule than this so I am running it Friday instead of Saturday.  Invigorating run, however my right achilles is still my gremlin and  is compounding it to my upper knee.  I think I need an adjustment for sure as my lower back is very achy.  I am sure my discs haven't had time to REFILL in between all these runs and since I show moderate degenerative disc disease in the spine (bone scan last May) it is important to watch this. I don't drink well, I am camel-like.  Drink a lot than go a while and push myself without hydration.  This run was  without hydration whatsoever.  I was slightly parched.  I wore shorts, headband, shortsleeves (took off the second long sleeve).    It was cool out with a slight wind, more in some areas.  Love the smell of freshly cut grass  : D.   Ran 1 cooldown mile in 7:43.  AP for 13 miles=  7:43.  First uphill 6 at 8:08.  Took it easy on the way down (only one at 6:59).  I am forgetting I need to try to do well in the 10k and not over do it during the week.  Oh well, just couldn't stop myself.  : D.  

trail shoes, tired, slow, early, 5.5, 8:41 AP, before work.

garmin died, 5.5 easy miles, AP 8:30 or so, EXTREMELY WINDY, TWISTER-like ambiance, worried, persevered, MORE than tired, worked again in Provo.  Long BUSY shift.  Legs achy, shooting nerve pains in all sorts of places in my legs and feets, like walking on pins and needles.  EATING POORLY, obviously causing issues.  

garmin still dead, forgot to recharge.  the battery isn't holding its charge.  ran to kim's at 5:03am a 3.29 mile route (infamous course tool).  ran slowly.  legs so VERY achy especially right achilles and calf, needed to go easy today due to 10k tomorrow.  ran 10.62 miles with kim at 7:58 pace.  right on target.  besides the nerve pains I felt fine cardio wise, wondering if hopefully the down week now means UP week for UVM in two weeks : D.    ran the same route back to my house as i took to kim's house.  total AP 8:05  for 17.2 miles using the course tool and my ol' stop watch for start and finish time.  No gu or fuel except water at kim's at mile 14.    brief stop at texaco for kim to use an actual potty : d.    i am going to go get adjusted today and a massage i got for my birthday.  hoping for a better feelin' day tomorrow.  just going for 41 minutes or better.  

Woke to the same bum leg and worried about running this 10K  but I told myself I could make myself do anything, especially for only 6.2 miles.  I warmed up for 3.05 miles at 8:27 pace, I think.  Removed the headgear and overlying shirt, gloves.  Lined up at start and almost had an anxiety attack seeing the four REALLY fit looking girls towing the line.  GEEZ.  I felt so wimpy and blubbery.  Well one of the toner looking ones I beat by 8 seconds passing her at 3 miles and then she almost tripped me at 3.3 miles, running on my heels.  Basically the start was scary-- HELLO 6:07 pace, NOT ME.  I think I even saw 6:00 for a few seconds and that was REAL time.  I did NOT want to do this because it is NOT good pacing so  I slowed and then I find that that sets me up for a slower second mile due to the early SURGE.  The second mile was towards the canyon on 800 north with a NICE HEADWIND.  I was mentally not in the game and was asking myself why do you have to run in all this pain?  Why?  SERIOUSLY?  Why not stop?  JUST STOP. Pulled my head out when we turned south, and the wind was to the side.  Ahhhh.  I just passed a muscular girl (found out later she is 25 years old).  She passes me back and I let her stay ahead for a bit longer then pass her and stay ahead of her for the rest of the race.  At just before mile 4 there was a cop car on the side of the road with the crosswalk just in front of it.  I wanted to cut off going around the car to the right because we have to turn left across the street.  I was worried about cutting the course short so I went around the car.  But apparently it would have helped me to be right on 6.2 miles and to get that sub-41.  At mile 4.5 we start passing walkers for the 5k and some I have to kindly tell them I am on their left as they were walking not noticing the 10kers.  I saw two guys out in front of me about 20-30 seconds ahead of me and I tried to gain on them but my leg hurt like the dickens and I couldn't kick it in.  I also felt I needed my gu that I totally forgot to take out of my car before the race.  Dang.  I did get water at two of the three stations.  It tasted great!!  I finally heard Troy with .1 to go, even through my music, so I picked it up the last turn having to DODGE around at least ten 5kers.  I saw the clock at 40:55 and I knew I was going to miss the sub 41 but oh well 41:02 is pretty close and with a 17 miler yesterday/bum leg I feel pretty good about it.  My leg is currently throbbing-- mostly my inner quad.  It has a good sized lump on it. That can't be good.  It is as if someone punched me in my leg and it swelled up but when you feel it you can feel the muscle is swollen.  It is stemming from my right hip and radiates to my heel and toes.  Burning, pulsating kind of intense pain.  The massage therapist said is was VERY tight.  So for me it is massage, massage, massage until Utah Valley Marathon : D.  I am sure hoping it can respond well to therapy.  Splits:  6:26, 6:46 (mental game into the wind),  6:35,  6:29, 6:31 (thinking I  so HAVE THIS so not sure why I couldn't turn it up the last mile.  It was a long stretch, slight incline, very slight, majorly MENTAL), 6:46 (how in the heck?  GOT GU?  NEW RIGHT LEG PLEASE!!),   .22 miles at 6:25 pace (hard to go fast passing runners and turning, I don't think I picked it up until the last .05 miles).  Good training run. Now time to heal.