Believe to Achieve

VERY busy day at work.  Lots of running around.  No time to notice my soreness.  Minimal today.  

10 miles, 70 % humidity.  AP 8:25.  My glutes are sore as well as my quads.  Why my glutes on a downhill half?  Well....that's because it was from my ASCENT on my hike the day before.  1.5 miles STEEP incline  (after a 1.5 mile descent) and switchbacks at a steady pace to keep up with my little Amber.  She likes a good workout.  Time to get my dreams in gear.  No holding back.  But really I have been racing a lot since UVM--- 2 weeks post UVM I ran the AF half,  8 days later the Freedom 10k, then 12 days later Bryce Half Marathon.  All the while working full time with 8 hours of over time a pay period.  HELLO!!!  A lot of MOVE MOVE MOVE moments.  And now the HUMIDITY hits again.  But I know I can do it.  I believe I can.  So I will.  : D.

HOLY HUMIDITY (more than yesterday for sure and yesterday it was 70%).  I have no idea why it feels even worse than last weeks humidity runs.  This run was sucking the life out of my SWEAT RATE.  I lost 3 pounds on a 14 miler!!!  I was PURELY saturated and sticky.  I ran to AF high school and along the 1/2 route but instead of going towards the canyon at the fork I turned right to the water house at the TOP of all the ROLLERS.  Steep incline to the turn around.  Huffing puffing perspiring.  AP not comparable to effort for the way there mostly uphill-- 8:14.  AP total only 7:59 for all 14 miles.  My legs just DID NOT want  to run fast for very long.  I was without music and  had one water stop.  I seriously needed some carbs.  I am sort of dieting lately to get to a better weight for the races--mainly SGM.  Instead of 4 or 5 chocolate chip cookies I would USUALLY eat when homemade ones are made, I ate one.  Such self control : D.  For now.  But diets and lots of miles don't go hand and hand.  So I will see how it goes.  If I have to eat more, I will.  So far I have lost two pounds.  Almost 2.5.  I am at 127.5 in the morning.  I should get to 122 or 123.  After my run I gulped down powerade ZERO and ate oatmeal, whole wheat toast with almond butter and honey, OJ, milk and a couple of choc. chips just now.  Iced in river for 10 minutes.  Muscles already feel better.  My house is all sticky.  Time to shower and go to the dentist. 

Not that running with Kim and Jane is ever SLOW but I always put my non-speedwork miles as slow.  Kim, Jane and I ran to the AF track (I first ran over to Kim's to get in an extra mile) and  ran 4 x 800s with goal of 6:00pace.  They were so sweet to give me the inside track for all of them  and would switch off who was beside me and who was behind me.  We also switched directions after two.  We ran a 400 in between at about an 8:30 pace.  Apparently they have a plan for me to get me out of my rut.  No more excuses and WORKING hard and remembering I am faster than I think I am.  This is what I learned today.  Although I have been thinking about it for the past few weeks.  This workout really AWAKENED my legs and I felt fairly good for all of them and do feel I could have held out for two more and the additional four after that with some fuel.  But that's not until a few weeks down the line.  We are adding one every week or so until we do ten.  After this work out we ran to the hill below Timponogos Temple on 700 north and ran ONE hill repeat.  Well I guess it isn't a hill repeat since we none of us felt like repeating it.  It was .25 miles long(1:41 secs) and STEEP and at 6:57 pace.  Jane was in front, Kim just behind me.  The next hill we ran was by Kim's house only .5 miles away.  It was a shorter hill but steeper.  Jane took off like she was at a track meet.  Wowsers can she kick back those legs.  Kim and I were huffing and puffing.  I was probably 6 or 7 seconds behind Jane and Kim was REALLY SORE from here muscles class so she came in just after me.  She did DEAD LIFTS and her hamstrings were VERY SORE.  SERIOUSLY NOT GOING TO EVER do deadlifts.  I have enough trouble with my hamstrings so no way.  Pace for this STEEP short hill was 6:52 for .18 miles.  AND SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST---  The 800s:  1-- .52 miles at 5:44 pace (2:58:45), 2-- .51 miles at 5:52 pace (2:58:15), REVERSED DIRECTION --3-- .52 miles @ 5:51 pace (3:02:22), 4-- .52 miles @ 5:48 pace (3:01:82).  I am sure the pace is accurate, I am just not sure I pushed my watch at the exact moment of crossing the line.  So there you have it.  So far So good.  Kim and Jane were a HUGE help in getting me to do this workout-- BOXING me in.  NO choice but to GET MY REAR IN GEAR.  A HUGE THANKS TO THEM!!!  I am ON MY WAY WITH ALL MY GOOD FRIENDS TO THE SUB THREE!!  :DDDDDD  Total miles before icing in the river 9.88.  Was supposed to run 11 today but Kim and Jane are telling me to not think about the miles today.  I will just add one on to my run before work tomorrow : D.

so wanted to turn my alarm off and sleep an extra 45 minutes  before work but sticking to my plan I ran 5.62 miles nice and easy.  AP 8:25.   Liking that the air was cooler at 5am.  7am has been too hot.  

SLEPT RAN this morning at 4:50am.  Woke at 4:24 am very tired but unable to fall back to sleep.  Thought about trying to just sleep and not run and wake at 5:40am for work but since I couldn't sleep I ran.  But every mile, although run at a slow pace, I was wondering why it came up so quickly.  Kind of like hitting the SNOOZE alarm button and wondering how 10 minutes flew by so fast.  I honestly think I ACTUALLY SLEPT while I WAS RUNNING.  WEIRD.  Ran in my trail shoes to give my legs/feet variety.  AP for 5.6 = 8:45.  

I am going to call all the 20 miler miles fast because THIS COURSE WAS TOUGH HILLY.  We were convinced there were more uphill then down although it is a loop course.  So how is that possible?  Probably because it ROLLED upward and was more direct coming back for just three miles.  Will unload garmin later and see elevation gain.  SUPER HILL 20 MILER.  And I am the one who mapped out the route.  We were glad (Mel and I) not to be running on the UVM course on the hard cement and highway speed cars flying by.  This run we could hear birds chirping and not worry we were going to be hit at any moment.  We had quite the fun group--- Mel, Jane, Kim and JulieE.  So of course my brain and body were like "HELL---O!!!"  another fast 20.  And we (Kim, Mel and I) are running the Speedy Spaniard on Monday (24th of July Holiday here in Utah, celebrating the pioneers).  And like hey we just ran the Bryce Half LAST Saturday.  Amazing how quickly we forget such things.  Basically I awoke at 4:40am (poor sleep once again, but I did take 1/2 a benadryl at 8pm to see if that would help, nope).  I ran over to Kim's house to "warm up" because these Lassies take off right at the planned pace (7:30!!).  What in the heck?  I am still in sleep mode.  But I stuck just behind them  a few seconds for three miles and then on the long uphill (my mile 5) I picked it up and stayed with them the rest of the way.  Warm up 1.17 miles @ 9:08 pace.  So nice.  Four water stops, NICER.  Ate one GU, one chomp square, and 1/2 a fruit bar. And THEN  20 miles @ 7:23 AP   Splits:  7:28, 7:29, 7:37 (HILL), 7:31, 7:18, 7:17, 7:19, 7:22, 7:34, 7:42 (BIG DIPPITEY HILL), 7:51 (continuing the CLIMB), 7:17, 7:32, 7:15, 7:24 (LOTS OF UPHILL, not sure how we went fast), 7:31 (UPHILL), 7:39 (LONG UPHILL), THE REPRIEVE-- three miles of downhill with only .5 total of uphill-- 6:41 (pelvis hurting now), 6:53, 6:52 (yes we finished going up hill, but only for .1 miles, Kim lives on a hill).  With the exception of the first 2.5 miles all the miles had hills in them!!!!   They don't call it Cedar Hills for nothing.  Oh and Highland and Alpine, the other towns we ran through sound equally inviting.  Glad that's over.  We then proceeded to the river to ice ourselves.  FREEZING TEMPS. Toes Froze.  8 minutes all we could stand.  I guess I can eat as much as I want today : D. Analysis of this run--- BESIDES not sleeping well due to two 13 hour shifts running around (LITERALLY) up and down between floor levels (too many babies not enough rooms so I was on Labor and Delivery with MOM/Baby patients but LD doesn't have all the exact stuff a nurse needs so I had to go between the floors over 20 times.  I take the stairs because the elevator is so ridiculously slow. THEN I was pulled to the nursery to take care of all the admits and NEVER on both days GOT TO TAKE LUNCH!! STARVING!!!!)  Basically I was worried about fatigue on this run and I felt it at times but was still able to keep up feeling strong at times and I feel quite good right now.  I just need a nap and MORE food.  I just feel like I am always working so hard at work in between tough workouts.  But that is just how it has to be.  No rest for those who want SUB THREE : D.  JUST GONNA DO IT  : D.