Believe to Achieve

Steamy run at 7:20am.  Oh my someone turn down the humidity!!!    Ran up 1100 north on to the canal to avoid the sun coming over the mountains as long as possible.  Ran into the sun the last 2.5 miles. 8.1 miles @ AP 8:03.  This was not easy in this heat.  Did I mention that I don't run well in the heat?  Even the sprinklers watered me with warmness!!!  Did lower body and core on the cards.  Courtney only joined me for a couple exercises as she was way too excited for her BIG 12th Birthday Party today.  It started at 10am (the first of 10 other girls arrived at 9:40am).  By 1030am we were out the door to Lehi's Trafalga where they got to choose three activities (they did mini-golf 18 holes, lazer tag and go Karts), a slice of pizza/can of soda and dippin' dots,  then they each got 20 tokens to use and get tickets to buy more stuff.  It was like the party that never ends.  We were supposed to be back by 2:30 but we got back at 3:30 and still had the gifts to unwrap.  So it continued for another 45 minutes.  Pretty much a 6 1/2 hour birthday party.   We had to finally offer rides home to the girls to get them to stop partying.  They had such a great time!!  I wasn't stressed at all, despite the intense heat.  It was really fun to be with all the young women!!  But I am now pretty wiped out and have to work in less than an hour!!!  so ends my party :  (.  When will this humid summer end? 

AP 9 even for 4.5 miles at 11:16am.  Humid,  hot and thankfully there was a breeze but still I was drenched in sweat.  Slept from 7am to 9:45am.  Woo!!  2 1/2 hours, seriously?  Not good.  Hope I am up for 6 @ MP on the TM tomorrow.  

You know when you get up from your bed and all your muscles are tight that doing the intended workout happens at a cost--either do part of it or none at all or struggle greatly to complete it.  Well I struggled (darn all  those squats and lunges!!!) then I stopped at 4 MP miles.  I felt very tired still from the string of night shifts and only 2.5 hours sleep yesterday.  I didn't mind however awaking at 5:20am to the MOST AWESOME DISPLAY of a THUNDER/LIGHTNING STORM!!!  INCREDIBLE!!  The clouds roaring by and the lightning flashing at the top of Mt. Timponogos was absolutely inspiring!!!  I so love a great storm!!!  I did go back to sleep until 9am and got my butt out the door on to my bike at 9:15am.  Road to AF rec center (3.5miles) and got on the TM for my intended 2 WU with 6 at MP of 6:58 AP.  But after having to slow for my first warmup mile due to tightness and fatigue--I forgot to eat or drink anything but a glass of water since dinner last night at 7pm.  Which dinner was the kind one should NEVER eat before a big workout---homemade Fettucini Alfredo---oooo the fat!!  then of course I ate a piece of leftover birthday cake and a couple spoonfuls of chocolate fudge frosting.  What was I thinking?  Apparently I wasn't.  I felt like a slug the first mile.  I increased the speed by .1 mph every .2 miles so as to gradually get to the pace without "freaking" my body/heart out.  A frog in the warm water routine.  Very much needed today.  I got close to the pace and realized I needed one more warm up mile to get there so I did three.  My warm up ended up being speedier this way by the last 1 mile.  When I got close I kept it at 7:03 for two miles thinking I could just do two here then two at 6:58 then two at 6:53.  But after the two at 7:03 and one at 6:58 I was losing mental ground.  I was roasty toasty in the NON-airconditioned rec center (just fans, it felt like outside, minus the sun).  I ran the last of  the four miles at 6:40 and called it good but ran the remainder three miles at mostly a 7:30 pace.  Total AP for 10 miles =  7:35.  Rode bike home.  So sticky out.  Ate a good sized breakfast then went and did upper body with Courtney.  Done.  Wiped out.  Hydration happenin'.   Salt streaks were dried up on my legs.  

 5 miles @ 6:39am.  AP 8:41.  First mile 9:59.  I just can't seem to get myself going fast from the get go.  I actually feel like I am but then the darn garmin just won't pick up any faster.  The truth be told.  Last mile 7:43.  Ran into a group of cheerleaders from AF doing their run to the SMILEY FACE turn around I have noticed on the ground on 1800 North in PG (basically a smiley face with an arrow over its head pointing to turn around).  Now I see why 'there.  I passed a lot of teenie boppers huffing and puffing being polite not to show my "over 41" expression. Am I really up for 19 miles tomorrow?  Going to try for AP between 7:50 and 8:10.  Hurtful.   So very much so on my lonesome. 

BTW:    I WON A DEXA (BONE) SCAN at a work party last week.  This should be very helpful.  Having had a lot of pelvic "bone" pain and a history of low estrogen, not to mention my mother's history of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, this may be a huge blessing.  I hope I am normal but if not I can start now to correct myself for the future!!! Pretty cool?  Considering the cost of health care/tests.  

19 @ 8:16 AP.  I realized last night I should have changed my goal to slower so as to not look bad : (.  But really I am pleased with this run.  I was barely sore and still am not sore four hours later.  Butt nerve pain acting up when sitting otherwise fine.  Pelvis ached during faster miles at the end but felt fine otherwise (oh except left foot pain acting up).  Started out on my lonesome at 5:15am for five.  Circled my neighborhood a few times and took a much needed potty break then headed up to Kim's to run 8 with her and Kerri.  Kerri had GI issues so we had to stop three times.  We ran a mostly rolling hill course with only four steep hills.  Felt like a real honest course but not going for too speedy today.  Decided to have fun with it but did speed up the last 5 miles to see if  I could.  The air was still humid so we were sticky sweaty but so much nicer without the sun on me!!  After getting Kim back to her home and grabbing some water and 1/2 banana I headed out for my last 6 miles going this way and that trying to do a larger route around my neighborhood but finished going in the same circle I started for the last two.  It goes up and down so was good to push me here.  Splits for fun:  9:17, 8:30 , 8:27, 8:24, 8:32, 8:24, 8:33, 8:24, 8:23, 8:45 (steepest  longest climb), 8:28 (part of the climb but a good downhill), 8:03, 8:14, 8:11, 7:48,  7:47, 7:53, 7:42, 7:16 : D!!   BTW I don't have my garmin on pace mode any more.  It was doing more damage than good.  I could see my mile splits but didn't focus on AP so was pleasantly surprised since it felt rather easy.  Iced in river  X 11 minutes with Kim.   Vacuumed then had kids vacuum their rooms.  Hungry.  Work two nights  in a row.  First day shift is Tuesday.  Good luck to all that are running the 1/2 tomorrow down Provo Canyon.  Wish I could be there.  

Nada.  Could only 2 hours so I skipped on running "junk" miles and opted to keep trying to fall asleep.  To no avail.  Did get to go to Josse's baby shower.  Josse looks so cute.  All belly.  I ate two helpings of sundae fixins.  Yum.   Then right off to work.  I worked the nursery for my last night.  No "newbies" until 2214 (1014pm).  I just took care of the stopper byers as mom's rested until they were hungry.  So fun to take care of the littlest newcomers to the world.  Got busy after that, lots of mom's showing up past midnight to have babies.  : D.  Really wish I could be a Dr. and go lay down until a baby is born.  Nope, nurses can't sit for too long.   Sounds like me though.