Believe to Achieve

Off to go camping in past Heber a ways in a remote area. Not sure if I will be up for running when I can't shower afterwards and the mosquitos bugging me.  Father in laws birthday present-- spending time together camping.  I am bringing my running gear in case I feel the need to go running at 8000 ft.  HELLO!!  I was told not to worry about pace UP there.  So I won't.  Just taking my garmin in case I get lost :D.    Only dirt roads to run on.  Basically today was make up the miles day, just in case-- so I intended on running a 20 miler, well I ran the Highland, Alpine, Cedar Hills loop from my house and I was at 20.7 so I just decided to run to 21 miles of course : D.  I left at 6:30am.  Sore throat still there.  I think it is from when I gave my nostrils/sinuses a kiddie pool enema when riding down the slide and the water pressure/height was pretty high and went right up my nose.  It burned etc.. and my sinuses hurt for a bit.  Less than a day later- sore throat.  Inoculation with lots of fun microbia I am sure.  Lovely.  I was a little achy leaving on my run today and felt kind of "fighting" something off feeling but I was determined to get those miles in and just "do it" like I always do.  Well I felt better and better despite the DANG HUMIDITY that hit our town once more after a MASSIVE warm front  with thunder/lightning flew through here last night-- tornado-like in nature.  I thought our house was going to be lifted.  I had to hop over SLUGS/snails crossing along the river trail.  I did NOT want to hear the CRUNCH of a shell.  I am just humane like that.  Stepping on purpose on insects etc... is not me.  The poor snails probably got hit by many a walker and biker today but I was not going to be one of them.   This was a hilly 21 miler.  I ran the back side of Healey drive via 300 north in Alpine.  I had NO WATER  or fuel until mile 12 where the eternal fountain was flowing.  Unfortunately it wasn't refreshing.  It was warm.  My next stop was, after the nice climb, not until Walmart in Cedar Hills.  The water from the fountain was even warmer from their indoor fountain.  Seriously?  I let out a sigh and a worker told me to get some water from the Subway that was inside this Walmart.   Ahhhhhh ICE WATER.  I put some ice in my bra front and back and hoarded the water like it was my last ever water I would be drinking.  I ate no gus or gels.   Wasn't running prepared.  No music either.  Just me and my garmin in "hide" mode, just telling me my mile splits.  AP for 21 miles = 7:51.  First mile 8:29.  Last two miles were the fastest-- both 7:10s.  All miles under 8 except the first four.  I so love a good warm up.   No rushing it.  This all felt very easy.  : D.  Off to go camping.  Hope I come back with some adventures to post.  : D.

So.....I awoke this morning at 6:36am  after a scenic drive to our remote camping area in Heber (yesterday afternoon), nice campfire dinner with roasted marshmallows (too many to count) to start my first day of ALITITUDE training.  Oh yah baby!!!  it was 94 degrees in PG but 69 degrees when we got there at 3:45 pm yesterday.  Well I was a BIT off on the elevation--  I just downloaded my garmin and I was camping at 9510 FT !!!  YUP UP THERE.    So I go the way grandpa (father in law) said to go and where Troy and I briefly 4 wheeled yesterday and I ran until 5.5 miles.  HELLLLO !! It is like I have altitude reserve training for just 5 miles because turning around and running back UP and DOWN was like sucking through a straw.  I stopped for a total of 2 min 9 seconds.  Once for pottying once for "holy moly give me some relief here" moment.  I sure could have used my water belt.  I keep forgetting to plan for water.  I just run without.  Oh yah there is only DIRT and ROCKS to run on. I ran without music and put my garmin in "hide" mode except for mile splits.  I am telling you this was an intense run!!  Ending on a  1 mile steep incline at 9500 feet is intense.  Total elevation gain on run 1298 ft.  Elevation start 9343 ft.  Highest elevation 9893 ft.  Tomorrow I run shorter but HIGHER.  AP for 11 miles = 9:20.  Nothing too fast, no heart attacks out in the wilderness alone.  SO VERY BEAUTIFUL.  I was envisoning myself running the Wasatch Back 100.  At least then I would have water/fuel and a few friends along the way.    btw-- I awoke again with a sore throat. OUCH.  But I ran through it.  I think it is allergies-- all the smoke from the campfire not helping.  Even my left ear feels full of fluid.  FINISHED THIS DAY OFF WITH a FOUR HOUR 4-wheeler ADVENTURE ride with my daughter Courtney on the back and Amber with Grandpa and Brooke with Troy.  OH MY quite the bumpy ride in parts.  MY THUMB GOT A GREAT WORKOUT holding down the gas!!   4 HOURS!!! 

This time I started a little higher (9510 ft) and climbed higher (9995 ft) on the dirt road/trail.  No wonder on my way back at the half way point 4.5 miles away a net downhill apparently but after the huge climb, I was like just barely moving my legs and arms to conserve energy.  Could certainly use a little agua here, maybe even Kelli's crystal light.  There was an almost full water bottle from like Costco on the ground, but really should I?  Not unless I was truly dying.  Oh and there was one glacier I passes.  YUP you read right, a glacier.  There were several up there.  This air was thick and amazingly refreshing to run in.  I even ran a 7:43 mile at one point before my HUGE accent.  I decided "no need to push it" this high in the clouds.  I am supposed to try to run the Hobble Creek Half at 1:24:xx or another makeshift event that is timed and includes all stops to = 1:24:xx.  YIKES.  I hope my altitude training pays off.  AP for 9 miles and 1,031 elevation gain = 8:38, must be adjusting now pace quicker, but less overall elevation gain today.   Oh I must mention that I have had to take TWO BABY WIPE BATHS at Camp.  I used five each day.  Sparkly clean.  Good as new and ready for adventure.  : D.

sore throat moving to my sinuses as I descended to 5600 ft.  Feeling achy.  Getting a full blown cold.  Blah.  I was achy on my run.  AP 8:19 for 4.5 with 7 x.1 miles at race half marathon pace or faster.  Thought that would unleash the grossness.  Got to work.  Was feeling fine and then wammo sinuses plugged, ears plugged, on and off achiness.  Hung on til the end of work and apparently many of my coworkers had similar symptoms this past week.  The new fall virus hitting early.  I thinks I have a little sinus infection.  I started taking my antimicrobial today.  Not sure how Saturday's race will go now.  I am going to try and sleep longer tonight as I called in sick because working with newborns and wearing a mask just does not look right.  Odd to have a cold in August but this is better than Sept 30th.  That would be tragic. 

AP with a SUPER SINUS INFECTION going on = 8:40.  First mile 9:30.  So feeling gross.  Ran planned run and to try to work out this grossness.  But 4.5 miles never felt so long.  My head felt so heavy and if I picked up the pace my throat would hurt.  So tomorrow?  Well of course I will run my 20 miles, just not sure how I will run the half (I am not registered so it is not do or die).  I think I will just do the run but do it at marathon pace instead of 1/2 marathon pace.  It wouldn't be wise to full on take this on like a race--- I haven't had a cold like this in a long time.  I am super bummed.  I hate decongestants because they make me feel more out of body so I am just taking tylenol and advil.  BLAH.  That's what I get for going down a kiddie slide and not plugging my nose.  Man did that inoculation hurt.  So gross to still think about what germs invaded my head. 

First I must add that I rode up to the race start by Mel's sister and dropped off at the mile marker 2.  We ran up two.  Started the race early because we were bandits.  Sad LET DOWN race for me because of STREP throat/sinus infection. Seriously POOR timing.  All night I tried to REASON with myself...I really shouldn't run this, really Julie.  You are sick.  How many people would even venture to think about racing feeling this lousy?  Well I just DON'T listen to my self speech.  I am driven.  I am not going to care about today's time and I will just "take it easy".  I told myself even "Secretariat" had and off race due to an infection and then HE WON the Triple Crown.  That is the only way I can think about this race today to not get depressed about SEALING THE DEAL of CONFIDENCE today. AND actually I think I have a 1:23 in me after my first 6.5 miles at 6:18 AP (6.2 miles at 6:17 AP for my fastest 10K ever of 38:57 with a serious head cold, so I am happy).   I don't even feel sore because this overall AP today is what I have been running so often.  I decided MP today was all I could muster but when I was doing so well and just 20 seconds or less behind Jane and Kim til mile 7 I thought maybe I could hang on but then I decided to take that pee stop and I couldn't pee (no WATCH STOPPING< NOT ALLOWED) and then I couldn't start running again.  I hadn't had any water until mile 8 because we were bandits and I felt guilty and I didn't take any GU with me (big mistake).  All I had were two HALL's cough drops creating a gross taste in my mouth.  After the Pee stop I couldn't see Jane and Kim and Mel anymore because we were in the woods/trail now and it became mental when the first few guys that started 11 minutes after us because we started this race on our own time since we heard there were still two more buses of people to arrive.  Apparently we started 11 minutes BEFORE true start time.  Luckily I was NEVER passed by a girl :D.   I just mentally lost it because my chest started to hurt, the muscles for breathing hurt.  I was not able to breath through my nose and it was just TOO hot for me without water.  I finally just HAD TO TAKE A WATER at the last three aid stations.  I was getting dizzy due to the race, antibiotics, ibuprofen, tylenol and NO WATER/Fuel.   My head got fuzzier and fuzzier that I just had to bring down the pace to 7s for the last 4 miles.  Oh we also made this course right on.  It seems to always measure about 12.92-12.96.    Mel, Kim and Jane went straight (not thru the shoot) and were called bandits and liars.  Mark Harmon directed me to turn right before the park so I just ran until 13.1.  I ran 1:27!!!  This is a PR on this course by OVER A MINUTE.  And I am willing to guess that we can take off that .18 miles since HAWK swears HIS COURSE is USAFT certified and the canyon causes it not to pick up accurately.  I don't know. There are MANY different opinions about this.  Despite my SADNESS of not BEING/FEELING my best at this race I am going to PERSEVERE AND CONQUER that 1:24 at Mt Nebo half.  Surely I shouldn't still have strep throat in three weeks?  Sadly Jane and Kim aren't running it.  But at least I will be official and start with RACERS and not try to race when there are ONLY FOUR OF US RACING from the get go.  Seriously it is NOT easy to push yourself with no one in front or behind (except the four guys that passed me).  I am thinking 1:23 is within my grasp.  Why oh why did I have to be sick today of all days?  Ran 2.9 CD miles slowly.  I felt like I needed an inhaler at the finish line yet my muscles don't even feel worked much at all.  That is a good sign so I will take that positive :D.  Splits: 6:08, 6:20, 6:20, 6:12, 6:16, 6:23, 6:42, 6:43, INHALER NEEDED WATER NOW PLEASE!!  I lost 5.5 pounds since Wednesday!!!!!!  okay the last four dreadful giving up physcially and mentally miles, pretty sunny and hot, 7:00, 7:08, 7:13, was going to stop and walk so started to drag my feet greatly, no muscles are even hurting I just can't breath and my throat, head  and lungs are spent, 7:33, 7:12, last 0.1,  6:38 pace.  These are the splits that add on to the course so if I were in the real race my time would have bee 1:26!! : D.