Believe to Achieve

9 Easy at 8:15 AP.  I left at 7am and headed in the direction of the sun (west) as the mountains always block the sun a little too long.  I had the WORST attack yesterday-- burning in my spine, down my leg and and arm on the right side.  My calf would burn then go numb as well as both of my feet would tingle and go numb all day long.  I am lacking something.  I suppose I should check my ferritin level again since I haven't taken a break from running for a long time-- I can't even remember when that was.  I also am getting the brown splotches back on the backs of my legs mostly behind my knee so I am suspecting an adrenal insufficiency.  I didn't take the DHEA hormone that I was lacking a lot of last fall because it made me feel sick.  The iron made me feel so much better that all I continued to take was vitamin D since my level was two points off from deficient (I was classified as insufficient).   I try to eat a lot of veggies and wholegrains but since I sometimes don't lately I haven't felt as well.  So this week it is strictly good eating.  And a visit to my favorite FEMALE nurse practitioner.  She will probably not like that I avoided some of her advice.  But the DHEA supplement made me dizzy.  And progesterone (my level was "0") supplement made me terribly zombie like.  I obvioulsy have low levels for a reason-- my body doesn't like what it doesn't like.  No worries I plan on OVERCOMING ALL THIS NONSENSE COME SATURDAY AM AND RUNNING THRU ANYTHING MY BODY PLANS TO THROW AT ME!!  So PR IS HAPPENING NO MATTER WHAT : DDDDD.  I am so excited to see what I can do and see if I peaked right or if that was so three weeks ago.  No matter I am going for SUB THREE AT ST GEORGE MARATHON.  Just sayin'.

Was thinking I should bail on the two at marathon pace mile race prep until later after my chiro. appt. but then decided leaving my house at the 612am start was as close as I could get to real time, as the race will start at 6am.  This is supposed to be a "dress rehearsal".  So I wore my arm warmers and gloves--didn't need the gloves after a half mile nor the arm bands after one or so but  I kept the bands on anyway.  The temp was probably 50 degrees.  Ran 3 mile warm up and went straight into my MP miles (I forgot I should do my lateral raises and kick backs to stretch, so I am going to try not to forget that on race day since I doubt I will warm up much on race day).  So miles 4 and 5 were 6:51 and 6:41.  Both felt very easy, scary.  In fact the first mile I had to slow down seeing my pace at 6:35--hence the slower first mile.  I tend to ease back too much then gauge off that to go in to my next mile feeling more evenly paced.  The first mile however was 1/2 uphill and half flat.  The second mile was half downhill and half  uphill.  Calf is a real bugger.  The chiropracter spent 50 minutes on me with electrodes, laser, and ultrasound.  Also the lumbar stretch table.  My shoulder was out.  My right hip was way off, as well as my right knee and ankle.  Oh and he did laser to my TMJ joint-- it is so tender.  The braces therapy didn't work.  Money gone to waste.  My jaw constantly clicks and locks.  Which causes strain on my jaw muscles then my trapeziuz muscle down my neck.  Seriously I was  a train wreck.  I told him I would dedicate a mile to him in the marathon : D.  Last mile of two mile cooldown 7:12.  Oops.  AP for 7 miles = 7:35.

Nice and relaxing 6:33am run.  5 miles at 8:12 *first mile 9:08, last mile 7:43.  No gloves, no headband.  A little chilly the run was so short it didn't matter.  Day 3 of soccer camp for two of my girls.  Every morning its up by 7am and off to the car pool to go to BYU for 4 hours of camp.  I was the driver yesterday.  We stopped at Krispy Kreme Donuts.  You get a free donut for every A!!   (the max. amt is 6 donuts, glazed only).  Just have your kids bring in their report card.  Fun times!!   I didn't have one.  But they smelled so delicious.  I at least breathed in one in the drive thru.  After taking prednisone 20 mg yesterday I got violent abdominal cramps-- very odd.  It came and went for hours yesterday.  Gone now.  I am taking 10 mg today.  5 mg Thurday.  2.5 mg Friday.  Even this morning my calf was trying to show its ugly head.  My jaw muscle to my shoulder was in a great deal of pain on the right.   So tired of my jaw CONSTANTLY clicking and popping.  And the constant headaches lately.  Diet RIGHT happening.  Going to try and avoid gluten a bit.  Nothing processed this week.  Natural food. So oatmeal this morning.  With some cottage cheese.  And a banana.  I haven't been very hungry.  Lost some weight--- down a pound from yesterday 127 lbs.  When I ran my 3:11 at SGM 2009 I weighed about 124 lbs maybe 123.  

debated whether to just sleep 40 minutes longer or try and get in my 5 miler.  Well,  I debated too long and got out late cause' I was going easy with 6 x 100 meter strides at 6:30 pace mainly.  Not wanting to induce further the nagging nerve pains.  On day three of steroid taper therapy.  At work my leg pains just suddenly ended (typical of my attacks, probably  helped by the prednisone) but yesterday afternoon I had killer muscle cramps in my jaw radiating to my shoulder with numbness and burning (trigeminal neuralgia) so basically a "switching" of the same symptoms to a different spot.   I went to my TMJ  Dr. in pain and he injected it with dextrose/lidocaine.  But all that did was make me notice HOW tight my muscle was.  All day my face has been numb and burning down the back of my head and down my arm.  Such a bummer.  And the muscle by the jaw joint pulsating.  Feel like I am Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde.  One side of me feels normal and the other side I feel distorted.  So to say the least I haven't been able to focus on my marathon AT ALL.  It is like my body WANTS ALL THE ATTENTION.  Seriously?  Like am I running a marathon I have trained for or not?  Perhaps that is just how it has to be because I am.  I hope to wake in the morning CURED and ready for my last day of REST for MY BIG PR THAT SHOULD HAPPEN : D.  I am slightly wondering how the HEAT the last 6 miles will feel.  It should be in the 80s and NO REPRIEVE FROM THE SUN.    So lots of water cup dumping for me : D.  Oh yah, lastly ran 4.3 miles @ 8:29 AP.  No time for the scheduled 5 miles.  I worked at UVRMC's NICU today so I had to drive 20 minutes.  I don't know why, but I feel ME Lan CHOly.   I can't seem to snap out of it.  I should be excited/pumped up, but I feel down and out.  So ALL I can say is WORDS OF BENEFIT--  YOU CAN DO IT.  YOU HAVE BEEN THRU WORSE, YOU ARE READY< THE FINISH LINE IS ONLY JUST OVER 3 HOURS AWAY AND THEN  AHHHHHHH!!!!!  TIME TO RELAX and take it easy enjoy some DOWN TIME : D.

Thanks to a miracle (worried just saying that will jinx me) I awoke to NO LEG CRAMPS!!  No intense burning nerve pains and no pulsating jaw.  I attribute it to an understanding God and the miracle of modern medicine--prednisone, and time on the prolotherapy to work on my face muscles.  Yesterday I also started taking a Magnesium supplement-- apparently a lack of this mineral has been linked greatly to fibromyalgia and leg cramps.  I am just so thankful I don't feel as miserable as I have the last 7 days.  It is like NIGHT and DAY.   Even though I only slept 6.5 hrs getting up once last night I am just so happy to be burning pain free  : D.   Today is going to be a fun day with the kids.  We are going to 7 peaks and then to a Men's Soccer game at 8pm.  The girls got tickets from soccer camp to all the mens' and womens' games.  I don't know what to think about tomorrow but that I will give it my all.  I have done the training so a PR is likely  : D, but you never know with a marathon.  But the math and logic and heart all point to the affirmative.  I can do this.  I will do this.   I will be as if I had wings carrying me to the finish line.  I am ready to cross the UVM finish line.  Goal time is under 3:10.  Go out conservatively 7:10 to 7:15 for the first half then erase my memory and kick it in gear the second half.  The sky was blue this morning at 5:48 am.  I expect to enjoy every minute of the mountain air through the canyon.  I expect to have to keep my head in the game down University Avenue-- the 8 mile stretch to the finish.  I expect to do my best with the moment I have been given to run this race.    This morning I ran an easy loop passing Kim's house and quite enjoyed the relaxation of an easy run.  4.7 miles at 8:39 pace.  Some of my music made me want to vomit due to excitement/nervousness but also pumped me up.  Less than 24 hours and I am there : D.  

HOPE you endure the long report : D. Seven peaks for four hours, Little Caesars pizza with the kids, Expo, then byu mens soccer until 1030pm last night, bed by 1130pm up at 2:30am (up once in between), couldn't fall back to sleep, decided to eat oatmeal and a piece of toast.  Pottied several times.  In fact had to use the potty 6 times yesterday at seven peaks/expo. Strange.  So  I tried to drink as often as I saw water.  Not happy about arriving home at 11pm last night.  But tried to think positive.   But then just as I tossed my garmin into my bag at 3:45am it turned on and read "battery low".  Oh great this is just getting better.  More potty breaks.  Plug it in for 10 minutes (last bus in Provo 20 minutes away is 4:15am), got it to 20 % from 10 %.  There 20 % of  a 20 hour battery equals ( I get out the calculator cause I am too stupid to do easy math at this hour) , oh yah--- 4 hours.  I should be good.  That story cont. later.  Get to the start having to potty AGAIN--- this time more like cramps and you know what several times.  I met up with McKenzie and Aubrey and started to feel adrenalinized instead  of ZOMBIE-like.  The drive to the start I had some serious doubts of even running any 7:00 minute miles.  I was SOOOOO tired.  But seeing them boosted me.  We hung out for 40 minutes.  Got to the start, then ANOTHER potty break in the woods and oh one more behind McKenzie and Aubrey while they stood in front of me.  I am diuresing and have no idea why.  I hadn't drank much.  I started to feel flu/achy like, like when you feel you are depleted of minerals/electrolytes.  So I decided I would get gatorade at every other aide station.  Took a gu just a minute before the start to cut down on my baggage around my waist.  I pinned my gus to my shorts, three of them.  Well within 1.5 miles, the cramps start up again and I am thinking, no way I don't have time to stop.  Blah.  I endured two more miles and just had to pull over.  Accidently stopped my garmin for few seconds then quickly started again.   I went to get up and run and then cramping again, so more time lost.  About a minute.  I got out from the grass and saw the 3:20 sign.  Blah.  I was in front of the 3:10 sign when I pulled over.  Geez.  but I feel a little better so I just cruise along enjoying the views.  I catch up to 3:10 guy and wonder if  I should just stay with him but decide to run my own pace.  Which turned out to be pretty even throughout the course-- about 1:34 (my watch)- 1:35 at the half.  I noticed after mile six my garmin was reading every mile EARLY by about .14 miles.  So I think the course was long, having confirmed this with a few other runners later in the course and with McKenzie.    Kind of a bummer since that made me have to calculate that into my time/distance to my PR.  But oh well.  The fastest avg I saw on my garmin was 7:06 for a mile or two and then it crept down to AP of 7:09 just before the battery COMPLETELY died at 24.93 miles (running time 2:58:18 but need to add about 10- 15 seconds for accidental stopping of watch).  So as you can see  I thought I was running better because, well, I was.  So based off that pace my time for just one more 1.26 miles would be =  3:07:30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   STUPID LONG COURSE  :  D.  Whatever!!!  Anyway, I was 7th overall woman, passing my dear friend McKenzie, who was walking at mile 20, and Julie Esplin at mile 23 who I knew was very tired.  I could feel the gravatation to want to stop with them...but luckily Kim was there to save my HINEY at mile 20, with words of encouragement.  I ended up talking to Kim the remaining 6.2 miles.  Not sure if that part helped me but it sure was SO VERY NICE TO BE RUNNING NEXT TO HER.  She was SO POSITIVE.   I loved it.  If I wanted to slow she was okay with that.  She just pretty much was the best cheerleader EVER!!!  (oh at mile 6 I tried to talk to a woman I thought looked like my age but then she "signed to me" as if she were deaf.  So I said I am sorry, thinking well she is deaf and probably couldn't hear that.  But  I ran beside her even "signing" to her that the hills were coming up.  But that was the last I saw of her until.....The top three master's were called out.  I was first master and she was second.  As she stepped onto the podium she whispered to me (hey she isn't deaf I thought) then she said, "my husband told me NOT to talk to anyone in the race and that he wanted me to stay focused" .  "Oh I told her.  I am a chatty chatstar during runs so I am used to talking and chatting away".  Thought that was INTERESTING strategy.  That's why I  questioned my chattiness with Kim for 6.2 miles.  Oh well.  It was funner even if it was slower.     The biggest problem for me during this race was my left sciatic nerve acting up from 7 miles on.  The road is on a slant and for some reason it just flared that nerve.  Last week it was all my right side.  Today it was burning like no other on the left. The chiro adjusted me too well, I guess.  Got rid of one problem, adding to another.  Acutally I think I must have VERY weak core, so my hips are UNSTABLE.  Will work on that.  The other problem about this race is that I felt to GUed OUT!!  I took only 4 gus but the after taste was getting to me with all that powerade.  By mile 22.5  my heart rate felt fluttery from the SUGAR over load.  I tried to take DEEP breaths and kick it in and I had too much of a side stitch to want to go any faster.  So I didn't.  Plus the next girl ahead of me was definitely in her 20s, she passed me at mile 18.  NO big incentive there.  Met her after the race.  Yup, 25 years old.  She was 35 seconds ahead but her chip time was nice-- 3:07:27.  Nice girl.  Anyway.... here are the splits--- (btw I never felt like I could push the pace like I have in some training runs, probably "the runs" and lack of sleep ) so I just kept it REAL, no over the top mile paces---  7:32, 7:05, 7:09 (add about 10-15 sec, forgot NOT to stop my watch for a potty break : D, actual potty break time about 1 minute, started my watch within 15 seconds of noticing this), 6:58, 6:57, 7:00, 7:02, 7:22 ( HILL), 7:22 (HILL, not pushing the hills at all, just want to ride the downhill to improve the split), 6:54, 6:59, 7:17 (hill AGAIN), 7:04, 7:00, 6:58, 7:15, 7:09, 7:04, 6:58, 6:58, 6:52 (KIM : D), 7:09, 7:24, 7:40 (LAST HILL by country club), 7:31 for .93 miles....AP here 7:09 for 25.93 miles, so probably 7:10 for that potty watch-stopping mishap.  Did not slow down much the last mile so STUPID LONG COURSE-- Kim had my pace for last mile at 7:40 and then 7:00 for last .2.    Forgot to mention--  I won $300 for 1st place master :   D.  Being paid to run...INSANE.  FYI:  UVM course has vertical gain of  943ft.  and loss of 2127 ft.  Net loss-- 1184 ft.  Not near as fast as SGM.