Believe to Achieve

Mizuno precision Japanese Flower.  Yup have been wearing last summer's shoe.  Haven't found the right shoe.  The WRONG shoe however I have found--- Altras (sorry my PF can't take it),  mizuno precision orange (they mess  with my left arch, seems factory problem, like an extra pad is added to the left shoe, noticed this when I first got them. Should have returned them.  )   Brooks Pureflow-- left foot pronates a lot in them!!  This is the shoe that really put my left foot over the edge.  My poor left foot is is a whole half size smaller than my right and always has to "swim" in shoes, hence why the arch in shoes is always bugging.  It falls in a different place than my right.  Okay enough already let's get to the good stuff. 

DAY 1 of ST. Georger Marathon Training.  Mainly my goal is to finish (laugh here).   Seriously, second goal is to finish without much pain.   Since I have been injured (and still am, laugh more, I can't take NO running anymore.  It is causing me to sink in to an abyss that I don't like to be reminded is there),  I  have a plan to take it easy on increasing mileage.  I mapped it out.  Only 5 miles a day with a long run of 8 miles this week.  I will also swim three miles and bike 40- 50. 

Today I got up and ignored the pulsating numbness tingling in my left ankle and the the PF residual pain.  Just can't give into it.  Wore my mizunos.  They feel cushy and sweet on my feet although I have over 600 miles on them.    Now I was a little worried the prednisone wouldn't be quite out of my system and I would have that rebound painful feeling going from my hips to my knees.   I really was hopeful that I could run through it if it did happen.  IT didn't happen.  My legs felt ridiculously light like they have absolutely NO muscle. Just skin and bone.  First mile uphill 8:34.  Felt real easy so I just kept it easy running UP to Kim's house and around the neighborhoods of my stake.   Felt really strong and light (stopped at a porta potty on 1800 north, conveniently placed in a moment of dire need.  Who knew it would be so light out at 550am??? )  the rest of my splits look tempo like but I promise you they were easy--- 7:55, 7:40, 7:27, and 7:09.  AP 7:45 for 5 miles. Walked two minutes then jogged the last .12 miles to my house.  Woke Courtney up for swim team.  SWAM a MILE in 34 minutes (36 minutes including the two stops to work out the lane schedule and take my usual every 12 laps break).    Shared the lane with two guys.  One guy let me go first in the circle of swimmers.  He started gaining on me after giving me a 1/2 lap lead.  I was thankful to see that he had flippers on but I made it a goal in the last 1/3 of my mile (12 laps when he was with me in the pool) to NOT let him pass me.  He didn't get a chance.  He started telling me how (after I finished my mile) he had to wear the fins for the navy and that the elevation was kicking his butt.  Mainly his excuse for not passing me but hey I have only swam a mile four times in the last 2 weeks-- the last time was four years ago.    I am just too competitive.  I honestly should do a triathlon like I said I would.  The Jordanelle is still an idea.  I am just NOT going to ride on a road bike.  To me it is NOT a good enough work out.  I need to feel my legs working!!  I am just a nervous henny is the real reason  I don't ride a road bike.  I like my body unbroken please, for the most part that is.  Day 1 of training... looking good so far.     Here is a song my daughter put on my iPod that I inserted running words-- da da da da daaaaa....  you think your faster than me, you got your sunglasses and your nike frees....and you run by like you think your faster than me....you got your PRs.....yahta yahta yahta.    : DDDDDD   hope you are smiling on that one. 

mizuno precision 12s.  5am before work.  5.1 miles @ 8:11 pace.  Really tired when the alarm sounded.  Wish I could be lazy like the last two weeks and really tempted myself but decided 40 minutes of sleep after waking to an alarm wasn't worth my failure today to get in my run.  Warm out.  Busy long day at work.  So very tired right now.  Will probably go to bed early. 

mizunos prec japanese flower.  5am run before work.   5.1 miles with 5x 0.1 at 6 to 6:18 pace.  Kinda sweaty in these but there was a breeze today.  AP 7:55 for 5.1.  Worked all day.  Nice day at work. 

Challenged to a 1 min 30 second WALL SIT yesterday at work....NOT PRETTY.  I could barely make it.  She also wanted me to lift one leg up while wall sitting.  NO way.  She proceeded to tell everyone that "runners are weak" since everyone watching me was surprised it was hard for me since I run marathons and have a thing for pain.  Time to do MORE wall sits to get strong....BUT not today.    I don't feel good. Yesterday at work I started to feel stomach flu symptoms....today I awoke feeling weak.  I still was going to run and even thought  I could swim a mile afterwards.  I had dropped Courtney off at the pool and headed out for my hilly five miler around the benches of PG.  I was pooped and my HR felt too speedy.  I was achy all over, like you get with a flu.   Not much strength.  I wore my new saucony mirage 2 shoes that arrived yesterday and it made it feel even harder to run.  New shoes always confuse my body.   I am too sensitive.  I got to five miles and was still a 1/2 mile from the pool where my car was.  I decided swimming and not feeling well wasn't a good idea.  My arms felt really weak especially with all the achiness.  So.....in case I can't even run long tomorrow I got in the "long" run today and ran 8 miles.  AP 8:06.    Iced in river.  Feel really weak right now and need a nap.  Tylenol taken. 

Went to Amazing Spiderman with Troy, Courtney and Troy's high school friend Dave and wife and a couple of his kids.  Went to bed at 1 am.  Woke just before 6am.  Drove my tired Courtney to swim team.  For some reason I was very awake for only sleeping 4.75 hours.  Ran in my mizunos.  The mirages caused my back to ache and my ankle numbness to be even greater along with arch pain.  Not good and depressing for me. I have an MRI for my lower back today.  Worried it won't show what is wrong and I will have to pay more money to the foot and ankle dr.  I think I have tarsal tunnel syndrome.  The pain and numbness in my ankle fits completely with how I have been feeling to a  T.   It also talks about how people with back problems can have a "double crush" on the nerve --- lumbar disc compression cause pain and numbess down the leg to the ankle as well as further compression through tarsal tunnel.  I have noticed my foot on the left is flat now when I used to have an arch so something weakened in my ankle which in turn must have caused my ankle to turn inward and cause impingement on the nerves.   I do not like NOT  feeling my ankle. That tells me nerves are dying.  Anyway....I still got in my run but by the end my left lower back was aching and that nagging "hamstring" --really sciatica was trying to show its face.   I think the mirages run yesterday played a role there.   My legs felt good in the mizunos despite the lingering pain issues from yesterday's run.  AP 8:00 for 6 miles.  Ran up to the canal (great hill work) and ran on trail for three miles.  SWAM a 1800 yards (1760 yards is a mile, so just over a mile as usual).  FEELING REALLY STRONG IN THE POOL.  My breathing is finally connecting well with every three strokes and my flip turns I don't feel like I am out of breath like I had my first four miles I have done.  I felt smooth.  Maybe it was my new racing bathing suit : D  I FELT GREAT in the water and swam over a mile in 33:30.    34:50 with a couple of breaks.  I really should do some triathlons.  I think I could do very well if I weren't so scared of road bikes!!  LOVE MY MOUNTAIN BIKE!!!  I know I have said this several times before. I just feel safe on it!! 

Stuck to plan.  Phew!!  Okay, one mile over and a little change (yesterday I ran 6 instead of 5 but the trail was so inviting, low impact).   Ran at 530am before taking Courtney to Payson for Swim Meet.  Plan is to quickly head over to Mona and see the finish after I watch Courtney's first event.  Swim meets are long!!  AP today 8:07 for 5 miles.  :D.  Off to work at noon.