Believe to Achieve

Okay so I decided to check back at MY INSANITY last year--- and I was in fact INSANE (so VERY OVERTRAINED for St. George last year, especially for someone 42 years old, now I am 43).   Here is a training eulogy of death---

sat July 30th (and I am not even counting the madness happenings from Utah Valley Marathon til now-- two fast half marathons, two 10ks)-- Sogonamit at 340am 15.5 miles with Kelli, then worked ALL da y 12 hour shift starting at 6am.

Monday Aug 1st-- Impromptu marathon in heat and humidity(10am start time!!)up to the reservoir and back from my house-- exactly 26.2 miles-- eight stops, no watch stopping, run in 3:34!!

Tuesday Aug 2nd-- I show up to track work (not planned but that was what the girls were  doing.  I ran 7 x 800s PRETTY decently-- some of them at 5:57 pace!!

Sat Aug 6th -- 22 miler up and down  Provo canyon (11 up, 11 down )  6:49 Average down under 7:45 on the way up!!!

Aug 11th-- 8x 800s (but I ran 13miles too!! In fact most days I ran over 12 miles except days I worked I ran 5-7 miles).

Aug 12 (friday)-- ANOTHER long run 19.5 miles  FAST too!!! 

August 15th (monday)-- apparently I forgot  I ran long just three days before-- 21 miles!!!  I was going camping so I thought I had to squeeze it in.  Got strep throat but still ran up in the HIGH UINTAS 10,000 feet above sea level the next several days!!

Sat August 20 -- 18 miles with 13 fast (Hobble Creek half) several of the miles at 6:07 ish pace!!

Monday August 22,  YET I still run a 16 miler!!

Friday August 26th,    21 miles with 6 miles fast!!!

Tuesday Aug 30th-- 18 miler with 14 of the miles FAST on the treadMILL!!!!!!!!!  What in the heck am I doing to myself????????

Saturday, Sept 3rd--- 23 miles!!!!  AP 7:05    Wallsburg to Provo.  I am seriously sick in the brain!!!

Monday, Sept 6th-- Payson onion days 10k. 

No taper and here it comes-- Sept 10  Mt Nebo half in 1:19:35 with a  five mile warmup!!!!!  So another 20 miler!!!!   I need therapy!!!

The FINAL straw  TWO WEEKS BEFORE st george marathon--- I ran the TOP OF UTAH MARATHON  on Saturday Sept 17th pacing my girlfriend in the hail,cold and rain-- running a head EVERY mile taking pictures, stopping at a porta potty twice for several minutes then sprinting to catch her. Carried her clothes, her GU etc... It was fun but by the end I could tell I was very tired---I needed to be done with running.  Soon after that my heel started to hurt just a few days before SGM and I couldn't sleep.  I stopped sleeping well at all.  My body rebelled with three periods in six weeks and major insomnia.  I AM trying to learn from my mistakes last year.  I really should never have run the TOU marathon and Mt Nebo only if I didn't run all the other insane runs in the weeks before.  I over did it MAJORLY!!!  If I had run SG in early September I  am quite sure I could have run under three hours.  This year I am not sure what I am capable of. My body breakdown with injuries puts me mentally on the defensive.  No trying for subthree.  I am trying for a PR.  3:07 would be nice.  My body knows how to drive it hard I just want to peak at the right time and be watchful to overtaining signs. 

Yesterday I wrote up on all the wrongs of running I did last year for SGM subthree training.   You can read it and weep for me!! D :   Today, I was only going to run 8 miles but I  was feeling so good (after my opening 9:34 pace first mile :D)  that I decided to make it 10.  That way the next two days at  work I can run 6 miles before work instead of 8.  I will run 10 on Thurday (I think) and 16 miles with friends on Friday and another 8 miler on Saturday before work.    I wasn't the LEAST bit sore from Saturdays run yesterday OR today.  Legs feel alive.  I was VERY tired getting out the door this morning at 730am.  I had awakened at 2 am only to find my husband not yet in bed.  He was on his way when I went down stairs. He is a night owl.  Always has been.  I couldn't fall back to sleep so I looked up about the Pain specialist Dr. I am seeing Friday-- I found two quite negative comments written about him and his office since last year--- one in February.   Always makes me nervous.  But those were the only negatives I found.  In fact there weren't any others that made comments.    His name is Dr. Rosenthal in Provo Jamestown-- Nexus Pain clinic.  I just want my sciatic pain to be gone.  When I awoke at two in the morning it was all back.  I sleep on my stomach and that is a big no no with a herniated disc.  I took 1/4 of a relaxation pill and fell back to sleep around 3:15 am or so until 7am.  I slept on my side and the pain was minimal when I awoke.  I think that is why I was so sleepy (the little 1/4 pill hit me good).  I awoke in my run around mile 3.  I was under 7 mm by mile 4 so I had to slow it down on purpose.  I am happy with how strong my legs feel!! :D.  AP 8:08 for 10 miles.   Last mile 7:30.  No faster miles : D.  This run was easy but  it was qutie humid out.  I was dripping with sweat!!  Pruned some bushes after taking some swigs of powerade zero.  Just finished  rolled oats (cooked) with cut strawberries and blueberries.  I don't add sugar to my oatmeal.  I also added a teaspoon of flaxseed.  YUMMY!! :D.   I forgot to mention that this run was Olympic Marathon London Style course--  I probably ran as many twists and turns in this run as half of the marathon does in London-- no lie-- I made my run interesting by turning down every road in my neighborhood and I climbed several hills along the way. This kept my mind off the distance and pace.  I only looked at my watch as the mile markers beeped.  I was quite surprised the remainder of the miles after the first three-- it all was easy running like I said.  YIPPEE!!

6 miles before work.  Worked in Orem.  Nice shift.  Cute babies.  AP 8:29.  440am run.  Kind of asleep. 

Did not set my alarm to go running BEFORE work.  Had to work in Provo (Utah Valley NICU) and stayed up past 11pm watching Olympics.  Worked all day in overflow for NICU.  Dark no windows nursery-- three lamps, six babies.  13 hour shift.  Luckily we had air conditioning.  I brought my running clothes so I could have the option.  Thought about going to the PG rec center but Hey I was right next to the Provo River Trail-- all shaded.  So after walking to my car realizing the STIFLING heat (97 degrees with quite high humidity I am for sure), I proceeded to get dressed in my car.  It was about 105 degrees in there.  Stayed in there for 15 minutes so that 97 degrees would feel "cooler".  Proceeded to stagger towards the trail running over to 8 th north.  I used to run this trail ALL the time.  But this run was eerie.  Gang members and gang member writing on monuments just made as a memorial and on the newly built bridge and the smell of smoke from 75 percent of the people I jogged by.  It no longer felt like a safe place to run.  The heat was ridiculous even though I began my run at 7pm!!  So very humid and it made the cigarette smoke stand out more.  I kept waiting to feel a cool breeze but nothing-- just stench.  I ran by all my old haunts-- where I used to do my 4 mile loop when I lived in west Provo.  I am sorry but west Provo seems getto like.  What has happened?   Skate boarder boys and chain-links on pants and many a tatoo.  I was definitely thinking I could outrun any of these guys but was worried about lurking weirdos.  I just did not get a good feeling during this run.  It saddened me as  I loved the west provo river trail back in the day-- 8 to 14 years ago.  I used to push my babies in the stroller along there. NOW if I still lived there I would NEVER let my kids even go over there alone.  It was 3/4 mile  from house.  It was a true run through memory lane.  I knew every mile marker--- I didn't wear my garmin-- forgot to bring it and NO music.  I just ran to the 1/2 mile from the lake marker and figured  I would course tool it when I got back.  I ended up running 8.42 miles.  My legs were tight from the 13 hour shift and crab I ate the last few days at work.  Was certainly glad when this run was over--- I was dripping with sweat.  Heat running and I do not get along.  AP for 8.4 miles = 8:15.  First mile MOST definitely over 9mm.  : D   Now to go watch more Olympics.  Oh yah, my sciatic nerve in my low back was a killer all day.  I did some pressure point massage and it so very tender but ignored it during my run, as usual.

Couldn't even save on the AC-- the smoke-filled air is gagging.  I like to keep my windows open at night so when I got up and checked air quality with a sniff--- nope don't want to run outside today.  The haze was/is a dead give away too.  But I did ride my bike 3 miles to the PG rec center and run on the treadmill for the first time and several months.  I have a pass and I am not even taking advantage of it.  Luckily it was not too expensive but seriously  I should go at least once a week.    I decided to try a workout I have read about through April's blog.   I warmed up 1 mile at 8:34.  1% incline.  Stretched and BR break.  Then another 1.5 mile warmup 8:20-8:27 pace, 1% incline.  Then 2 miles at 7:30 pace, 4% incline.  Then right into 3 miles at 0 percent incline (don't have a downhill TM like April : ((  ).  Ran 6:40, 6:40, and last mile at 6:30 AP (three laps 6:35, last lap 6:00 to 6:18 pace).   Pseudo 3 mile time trial-- 19:50.  6 miles in 42:52 (7:08 AP)  This was very doable but it was ridiculously HUMID in the rec center and I could smell the smoke outside coming through  the vents.  AM I the only one that drips sweat like a faucet in a humid environment??   I started this workout at 840am.  Road my bike three miles home nice and recovery like.  It cooled my sweat off really nicely but the smokey air was nauseating.  ANKLE NOT happy-- the electric shock like nerve pains are back--- stemming from my DANG sciatic nerve in lower back!! 

After two very busy 13 hour shifts and some more Olympic viewing and hearing about Melanie trying to save a 7 year after drowning in the reservoir in Pleasant Grove I could not sleep last night before this run.  I was also in a lot of sciatic nerve pain-- took 1/2 pain med and 1/4 of relaxation med (I rarely take the pain med-- once or twice every two to three weeks) and I awoke so very ZOMBIE like.    Met with Jane, Jorge and Rachelle at my house for a just after 6am departure for a long run.  To me it felt quite humid.  Probably the meds and being over 40.  The first mile was a 8:21 which makes me laugh because on my shorter runs my miles are near or over 9mm for the first mile as a warm up.    Rachelle was being nice not to totally shock Jane in that slower mile so we went faster :D.  After the first mile I started to wake up and each mile felt easier and easier until the last mile of our four fast miles when I could definitely tell I ran speedwork and hillwork the day before.  My ankle was tingling and reminding me I had to watch footing so my back wouldn't freak out and spasm the sciatic nerve.  If this nerve was calm I would definitely be ready for subthree.  In a marathon I don't know how long I can concentrate on NOT focusing on the pain in the leg (if this makes any sense at all). Ran the last four right with the girls except the last mile where I slowed it just hoping for under 7mm-- 7:01 (wasn't sure if we were going to run fast or not so hence the slower first mile), 6:43, 6:50, 6:52.    In the Winter (training for Boston) I was faster but I didn't have an injury and I didn't do speedwork the day before.  The heat was getting to me as well.   We were a dripping sweat fest.  I rubbed arms with Jane and  EEwwww, sticking drippings!!  : D.   Fun times!!  No time for icing in the River.   Never sat down until  I went to bed that night.  Put on a 3 hour Olympic Games 14th Birthday Party for my daughter and her friends.  It was a hoot. We had a baby bottle sucking Olympic Event which was the funniest!!  We had prizes for Gold, Silver and Bronze.  The party went over really well with the girls!!  But man was I tired.  We then went straight from all the picking up of the party to SLC for a soccer tournament game for Courtney.  No more sleep again.

So very tired and sat in bed contemplating too long so only got in 3.6 miles.  I was called to Orem Hospital while I laid in bed at 5 am so that cut off even more running time since it is 8 more miles away from me.  Started to walk after 0.2 miles due to fatigue and a blister under my toe nail.  But that tricked my brain into thinking I wasn't running as I turned for home--- I just kept running past my cul de sac.  Too bad body.  No break.  Ran recovery run 8:22 pace for 3.6 miles.    Long day at work. Finished with three days catch up on Olympic events on TIVO.   :D.