Believe to Achieve

sluggish run after Saturday up/down Provo Canyon.  Didn't look at watch until mile 10.  Ran up into Highland/Cedar Hills.  Last two a little quicker.  very salty run!!  busy day getting ready for first day of school.    Ankle pain is really daunting.  So done with pins and needle and sharp like pains to my feet. Yup both feet now but mostly my left.  I think this is my last fast SGM attempt.  I am only attempting a PR-- so 3:07.   I can't take this training anymore.  I want to rest for a while so I can get this pain diagnosed and controlled.  Appt that was rescheduled due to insurance carrier problems at the pain clinic is Thursday.  Thinking that a miracle is yet to be found.  AP 8:00 flat for 12.

having a hard time sleeping.  didn't rest at all yesterday.  it was go  go go getting kids ready for school.  then my brain couldn't relax.  slept 5.5 hours and got up at 425am and ready to run 8 miles very easy.  Recovery run at 8:34 AP.  Worked all day. Barely stopping.  Feet hurt so very badly-- they are in a lot of pain when ever I stand or sit for a while-- burning and tingling with shooting pains into mostly the left ankle.  done with pain.  i figure since the pain isn't going away i will continue to torcher myself through training.  6  and 1/2 weeks --- then a long break from running!!!  I will watch racing though!!  and try to get my fat gut in shape!!

8 comatose miles after going to bed at 10pm and waking at 430am before work.  I am in need of many hours of MISSED sleep.  Legs VERY achy at the start then they awoke.  AP 8:10 for 8 miles.  Another easy day.  Worked 13 hours.  Legs achy at the end.  Too many hours on my feet.  No down time.  Go Go Go!!

ZERO miles.  Legs (mostly left foot and ankle and hamstring again) twitching a lot with shooting pains.  I just couldn't bring myself to justify running today with this "injury".  I went to pain clinic.  They feel they can help me and that it is my L4 and S1 nerve roots that are inflamed.  I have fluoroscopy guided steroid shot into these areas of my back next Tuesday.  If my numbness/pain and tingling don't improve the Dr. is going to due nerve testing (EMG) to see if the nerve is damaged due to disease or otherwise.    Most common cause of the pain I am having is radiculopathy (nerve compression from hernaiated discs) so he wants to do that first however my MRI is NOT speaking loudly but he said my BODY is.  He has done many injections and is very experienced.    I have hope of course that it is just an inflamed nerve.  I am QUITE worried about having a disease (Multiple sclerosis being my main concern, as my grandfather had it and he was a big runner back in the day and no longer could run after 30!!  He had twitches in his right leg (mine is the left) and a lot of paresthesias (numbness and tingling).  I am optimistic but I can't rule that out yet until the shot.  My Dr. said my pain/numbness pattern isn't completely clear as most radiculopathy patients (which is why I am worried) as areas of numbness seem to skip normal pathways-- like it would do in MS (a dymylenating nerve disease).  I have ignored getting a brain MRI for some time. Sometimes it is best not to know!!   Seriously!!!! 

Okay.... THANKS to RACHELLE for driving over to my house and running one of the MOST miserable runs in our lives together.  We were both on the same page the entire run.  Rachelle said it all around mile 13 ... with a pause in her voice..okay....(pause) I am just going to throw this out there ..I don't feel good at all, just sayin'....  my reply "me too what the heck?????"   SERIOUSLY this 16 miler felt like the end of a marathon!!  we didn't even run any of the miles fast.  We ran a hilly course without fuel (on 15 second water stop and one 2 minute stop to find my girls at school at 8 am).  It was hot and it was humid.  We couldn't get past the sweat drips from all the humidity and the calf and achilles cramping and generalized achiness and then nausea.  So ......I just looked up the humidity....70 %!!!!!!  and 67 degrees!!    That is a high of humidity as Utah can get.  In fact the humidity over the course of the day will drop to 20 percent so Rachelle and I ran outside in the worst part of the day and all of our muscles are feeling the mineral loss from sweat and running a lot.  We are so glad this is over!!    Living for a better run day!! Thanks Rachelle.  I wouldn't have made it past 10 without you!!!  AP 7:59 for 16 miles.  Muscles twitching.  So very thirsty.  DONE.  : D.

PM  RUN:  SCARY but TRUE-- if this morning wasn't enough....90 degree temps at a 545pm start time takes the CAKE.  I tried desperately to "feel the love" the first few miles and I just told myself this was a recovery run (which it was intended to be) and  ALL 9s were okay.  The heat was so intense with the WARM breeze that I honestly thought I was running a 10 mm pace.  Glad to see a 9:10 for the first mile and knew I could make it if I just went THIS easy, but by mile four somehow (and it felt easy) I ran an 8:06 mile.  But I didn't want that so I told myself to cool it.  I tried to run where there was shade going this way and that.  Managed to find one drinking fountain for some putrid warm quench, huh!!  My left ankle quite the thorn in my side the first four miles.  By mile four it tunes out to the endorphins circulating.  Gotta love that part of running!!  Last mile I easily dipped into the 7s and ran a 7:27.  AP 8:31 for 8 miles.    So why might you ask did I run 24 miles today???  ANSWER:  I am all alone.  My husband took my three girls camping for Daddy's camp out in AF canyon.  Just me and my dog.  I didn't want to get up early and come home to a dark house before work tomorrow.  NOW I can sleep in until 540am!! Doesn't that sound glorious??!!!!  : D    Off to my neighbors to watch a good movie!! 

No running today since yesterday I ran 24 miles in the heat and humidity-- AP 8:09 for those.  Yee haw.  Worked a long shift-- 13 hours.  Work again in the morning.  Got Friday off from work for my trip to Pocatello for my 3:40 pacer job. Riding up with Rachelle and Rachel.  Good times!!  If only my feet weren't so painful!!  Go away heat.  Come on Fall!!