Believe to Achieve

DECIDED after MANY BIG MILE MONDAYS  (hmmm let's see-- 16, 21, 12, 26.2....) to take it down a notch and run only 8 miles today and I am glad I did as all these hot flashes weren't for nothing.  Now timing is way off for SGM.  Who the heck knows how anything will fall then besides my SUB THREE!!  : D.   It is definitely a neuroma in my foot.  I forgot to mention also that years ago I had one removed between my second and third metatarsal after failed cortisone shots times two or three.  I am determined NOT to even consider surgery this time.  I just need to replace my shoes faster.  DANG these mizunos don't last long in the forefoot.  I need to write the company.  Some improvement could be added there.  In fact all the fancy swirling rubber on the sole doesn't even touch the ground and that looks the most stable.  I think the colored rubber doesn't last as long or breaks down quicker, one in the same.  AP in the gross humid air (still sweating like I have a hormone problem)-- 8:15 for 8.   This run I ran 4.5 miles came inside to talk with Courtney before school.  Melted in doors then significantly cooled off and started running again 30 minutes later when the sun was out.  Just not into it with my fluid-filled legs and abdomen.  BLAH.  Tomorrow is another day : D.

Well.......since  I missed the BIG MP run on Saturday that Mel, Kim, Jane and JulieE ran, I was on my own for 14 MP.  But what to do?  Kids are in school.  Husbands birthday.  Too dark and scary to run early up the canyon, too hot to run late.  Too much to ask my husband to come pick me up at the canyon if I left at a more decent hour like 6:30am and ran up South Fork like the gals did in Provo Canyon Saturday.  I was also not excited to run up there even at that hour all alone on a weekday.  It is usually not as busy with the kids in school.   So..... I was doomed for a new and improved relationship with the PG rec TM.  I ran,  back in  May of this year, a 12 mile MP,   TM run and started out at 7:13 pace and got down to 6:44 by the last 1/2 mile.  That being said I am in MUCH better shape currently as I ran ALL of my miles at 6:49 or faster with ONLY one stop at 8 miles to refill my water and take a gu and go potty.  This is how it played out (dreading it as each warmup mile got me closer to commiting to the goal today):  arrived at 5:20am.  It doesn't open until 530 am so  I ran a warm up mile around the track since I didn't have a watch on and needed exact mileage  of course  : D.  It was cool running in the dark around the track with a few overhead lights on.  One guy was on the track doing speed work.  NICE.  He was doing quite well.  Ran to my car picked up my 20 ounce water, gu, and 1/4 of a 32 ounce purple gatorade left from my last workout.  Ran  another 2.5 mile warmup on the TM  at AP of 8:00, 2 % incline.   Stretched and pottied.  Pscyched myself out for what layed ahead of me.  YIKES.  Ran yet another 1/2 mile warmup at 8:00 pace, 1 % incline NOW for MP readiness.  Went right into MP-- 8.8 mph (6:49).  It was all mental.  I decided since I cleared the TM,  I would run to the nearest mile before the TM would shut off at 60 minutes.    That ended up being 8.5  miles (including the 1/2 mile warmup).  I ran that in 58:11.  So 54:11 for 8 miles=  6:46 pace/ 1% incline.    At about mile 6 I began to vary the pace down to 6:40 to shake my legs and mind up a bit.  Hence why the faster pace for all 8 miles.    Got off the TM to get a much needed refill to my water and take a gu and potty break.  Then RIGHT back on for the last 6 miles.  This time I put the TM at 0.5% because like I said this run is mental.  Any giving from the TM I can get is gonna get me finishing this run.  I WAS SWEATING LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE.  THE HUMIDITY INSIDE the REC CENTER WAS SO GROSS.  They finally turned on the AC around the time I got back on the TM for the last 6  ( just before 7am) and I got a burst of energy feeling the coolness.  AND then it went off again.  I am not kidding I was the sweatiest girl or guy there I am sure.  I think I have some sort of sweating problem lately.  I was SOPPING wet through ALL my running gear.  I didn't feel overly spent just bored with trying to keep focused on the TM that fast for that LONG.  I started to get spent after mile 10 however.  When I got back on the TM I had this SURGE of I don't know what and FELT SO AWESOME.  I thought these last few miles I am going to ROCK.  And then after TWO miles at 6:49 pace again I was like HELL---O  what happened to all that energy.  It is like my GU lasted only TWO miles.  BUT despite that I increased my pace to 8.9 mph (6:44 pace) and tried to keep it together taunting myself that I would stop at mile 3 but then  I wouldn't and I made it to mile four at the same pace (6:44) and told myself "COME ON JULIE only TWO miles left".  I just got through this thing at the end 1/2 mile at a time.  At 1.5 miles to go I brought my pace back to 6:49 for a 1/2 mile  to somehow give my brain a break.  But by the last mile I kept upping the pace every 1/4 mile until at the last 1/4 mile  I was at a 6:18 pace.  I ran the 6 miles in 40:30, no stops, AP 6:45.  Total MP miles= 14  @ 6:46 AP.  Ran 1/4 mile cool down.  Then drove to Grove Creek and iced myself and to REMOVE THE SLIME from my body.  SERIOUSLY what is with all this SWEAT I am producing?  There was not a DRY part on my body.  NOT right!!!  So VERY GLAD to be done with this one.  The TM  for MP miles in my OPINION IS WAY HARDER THEN RUNNING DOWN PROVO CANYON.   It must be the heat and the fact that the TM does NOT go downhill.  And the fact that when  I run down the canyon I am running with friends.  We also stop more than once, even if they are brief sometimes.  I am pretty pleased with finishing this hard workout. and sticking with my goal.   : D.

Recovery miles at 6:25 am.  Hilly route into Cedar Hills.  Refreshing coolness but the humidity kept me sweating again.  AP 8:26 for 8.8 miles.  Quads very slightly sore and the blister on my big toe that seriously rubbed during my run yesterday was PAINFULLY working on my ability to run well the first few miles without thinking "yikes, ouch, eeeks, ouch".  After two miles I didn't feel it anymore.  Mind over matter.  It was weeping when I got back.  So very tender.  It does mess with form however.  Took this run real easy. 

4 easy pace miles before work at 5:11am.  8:14 AP.   Wore my trail shoes.  They are heavy.

4.25 easy pace miles before work with 6 x .1 mile strides at 6:00 pace.  AP 7:59.  Wore my trail shoes again.

JulieE's  husband drove us to Wallsburg for a 5:38am start time per garmin.  Cold.  Memories of UVM less than 3 months ago.  I ran alone for the first 6 miles because Melanie and Julie don't know how to run slow  : D.  I planned on running the first 8 @ 7:45 second 8 @ 7:15 and last 7 at 6:45 AP but since IT WAS WAY TOO DARK AND WE WERE IN UNKNOWN (as far as residents) COUNTRYSIDE I was too scared to run too far behind them so I was "forced" to run quicker from the get go.  At mile six I was at 7:14 AP.  Ooops.  But then two miles of hills coming out of Wallsburg and over the Reservoir fixed that down to 7:21 for a bit but by the time I was at mile 18 I was back to 7:10 and had been running right close behind Mel and JulieE from mile 6 on.  At mile 18 I  picked it up and since the speedstars already had quite the average pace (7:03) having gone so fast at the beginning ran behind me for the last 5 miles as I ran MP and faster.   I also don't like to stop much at the end.  I like to get it over with while I am feeling good.  So I rocked out the last 5 miles to my music and pushed myself to feel the MP.  REMEMBER IT.  LOCK IT INTO MEMORY.  NO ESCAPING IT : D  Last five miles were 6:42, 6:49, 6:51, 6:43, 6:41.    Waited a few minutes for JulieE and Mel to arrive and then we went to ice ourselves in the Provo River nearby.  Oh yah, we added on another uphill portion from mile 17 to 18 (the Provo Half course that takes you BACK UP the old road a half mile with the fierce head wind, YAY).  Overall, this run FLEW by for me.  Although I was cold and removed  and replaced my long sleeved shirt three times due to frozen arms and that my arm warmers I wore as leg warmers were cutting off venous return to my thighs, I felt really strong in this run, mentally and physically.  I held back on the uphills only slightly surged on the down.  I am saving myself for race day.  At least that is what I think I am doing.   AP today for 23.25 miles = 7:05.  7 stops, all brief except one where JulieE needed to use an ACTUAL restroom and not the ground.  We also ran into several other runners we knew.  This stop was probably 4-5 minutes.  The others were less than a minute.  I believe all stops were total 13 minutes and that the entire 23.25 miles INCLUDING stops took 2:57 minutes.  I need to download that data but I remember about what time we finished and we left at 5:38.  Had only one gu so took that and five "chomps", one every four miles.  Gatorade at two stops.    OKAY as if that wasn't enough for my day--- I spent the rest of my day boating with my nice neighbors who took us  on their boat (my whole family) for over 6 hours on Utah Lake.  We left 1 hour after I got back from my run.  I used the wave runner for 45 minutes straight.  So fun   :D!!  love WATER!!!  Didn't DARE do anything else, like water ski or knee board because ONE false move and that could put me out for SGM.  So I am on "rest" from irregular activity until after Oct 1st.  AFTER getting back from boating we left our house having ALL showered within a half hour and took off to SLC to watch a REAL Salt Lake Soccer game.  SO fun.  And here I am typing this.  I have been up since 3:40am because I just couldn't sleep.  Might as well practice race day no sleep simulation from time to time. : D D.