Believe to Achieve

What the warm weather is this?  Sorry but rather have cool breezes not warm.  So "out of this world of a feeling" starting this run but figure I only have less than 4 weeks so I got to get serious no matter what or I am going to fade at SGM so I poured it on after climbing 1100 north at quick (not quickest) pace to canal.  First mile 8:14 then slowed due to 10 percent grade to average of 8:43 to canal (1.82 miles from home) ran north on canal to below Deerfield Elem.  ran north past Deerfield and on to Cedar Hills trailway to my one and only water stop.  I have been forgetting to take gu on these intense long workouts,totally parched when I got to the water.  Poured some on myself and drank until just before I felt like my stomach couldn't take it (you know the feeling).  Anyway took off at 6:56 pace to Lone Peak High school then flew home as best I could getting back on the canal (rockie here so slowed me, plus sun beaming on my face, couldn't find my hat this morning and it was 10am).  Got off the canal just below Deerfield again (think figure eight) this time headed south towards my home in Pleasant Grove.  Ran past Lincoln Academy to my 800 road, pace check 6:52.  Picked it up for the last mile, soooooo parched.  Passed a guy real dripping huge drops of sweat.  He couldn't even wave at me so just flew by him.  Came in at 6:30 mile.  Ran cooldown of 1.17 miles at 8:20 pace, usually I run this slower but it really did feel slower.  It is just that I was running a 6:30 that it felt like a cool down.  Walked a bit to get heart rate down more.  Average pace for the first 10.09 miles (7:39).    I am fine with that with the steep uphill in parts and the searing heat.  Bring it on SGM!!!!

Not doing well at all in the sleep department (broken record here).  Applied for a dayshift position on the medical/surgical floor at AFH.  I would certainly miss the babies, my true love, but my sanity comes first.  I need to work dayshift!!!  Night shift is spiraling me into a depression/mood disorder.  Already been there done that as a teenager after half my family were killed in two separate car accidents (1982 dad, sister, 1985, brother).  I don't want to go there again.  Plus I am older, wiser, I can pull myself out of it easier.  Back then the anxiety from it all caused major sleep deprivation, plus I was an overachiever, type A personality, didn't miss school even if sick, track team, field hockey, ski team push push push and then break break break......then I moved Utah to go to BYU, was baptized into the LDS church on campus, gained hope, started to run longer.....  Why am I telling you all this story?  Well I guess I thought I ought to let you know who I am where I came from etc....why I am the way I am.  I am from New Hampshire.  Born in Massachusettes.  Currently have one sister who moved out here after me and is married with 7 kids. My mother still lives back east but is a travel nurse in Arizona in the winter.  I see her twice a year.  She takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'.  Tough woman.  Anyway...I have stories that would make your hair on your arms stick up...sometimes I think about them...it helps me realize how strong anyONE can be.  We all have our battles...no one is immune....so GO FIGHT WIN!!!!!!

Ran to Kim's house 2.35 miles @8:02 pace).  Lovin' the cooler weather minus the smoke-filled air  : DDDD.

Ran Kim's worksheet speed workout on the TM.  Faster paces feeling easier and easier.  Ran 3 X 2000 (1.25 miles) with 1 lap recovery(.25 miles after each one):  Started like this:  1 mile warm up on TM at 8:00 to 8:34 pace (1% incline).  Interval 1:  9.2mph (6:35 x 1000 increased to 6:31x1000, 9.3mph).  Recover at 6.7mph (8:54)x 1 lap..  Felt so cloud like here at this pace.  Sweating like I was in Haites.  Fan on but tipping back.  Window open.  Door closed.  Interval 2:  9.3 mph (6:31pace x 1000 then 9.4 x 1000 for 6:27 pace).  Recovery at 6.7 mph x 1 lap.  Had to pick up the pace, good sign, hitting the top of treadmill with feet.  Interval 3:  9.4 mph x 1600, didn't want to overdo it, but did pick it up for last lap (400m) to 9.5mph-  6:22.  Cool down at 7.1 to 7.4 mph (8:15? to 8:27?) for 1 mile (Total TM miles 6.5).  Workout felt controlled and quite exhilarating, detoxifying.  Lots of dripping sweat,  Kim came in right after I finished my last one.  She was at the gym.  She was like "wow, it is HOT in here".  Didn't notice.  Hope this plays well for dry desert heat of the SGM.  I am sure it will be hot this year.   Ran home a little slower than warmup here at 8:13.  Felt really easy.  Work tonight, 12 inductions scheduled.  All the mommies want their babies born on 9/9/09.  Half of those will be 9/10/09.  Sorry mommies.  Some inductions take a while : ((. 

ummmmmm  nothing.....too tired to think about getting out there.  Slept the usual, stayed up and work again tonight.

ummmm nothing again.....

Very nice run with Josse and Melanie.  Troy drove us up to Deer Creek Reservoir at 540am for a 6am start for our 18 miler.  Melanie stayed a few paces in front of us.  Josse and I hung back and "strolled" our first miles, at least from all my speedwork this week it seemed that way.  I was happy to find that our  pace after the first mile of 8:24 stayed under 8s the rest of the miles. We stopped briefly at the usual water/potty spots down that canyon.  Josse knows a lot of runners but we only had to stop, of course, when we spotted her mother on the trail.  That's when Melanie pulled further ahead.  She waited for us at the mouth of the canyon.  Thanks Mel!!!  The canyon was so beautiful, the cool air, the changing leaves, the mountainsides.  This course only drops 700 feet.  With a nice hill up out of the canyon on 800 north (short though : D).  We then went thru the Foothill Elem.  neighborhood to the canal trail.  About six miles on the trail, so harder to keep marathon pace plus 30 seconds (7:30 goal for me).  We stayed up with Melanie, she started to tone it done, thankfully.  Ran on the trail until 1100 north then ran down 1100 to the light (by Grovecrest Elem) turned left then left again into Grovecrest Elem parking lot where we added on a loop.  Staying up with Melanie was my goal for the last few miles.  Felt strong but glad downhill came when it did.  So ready to be done.  Lower back/sciatic bugging me but ended up going numb-like so muscles in back and upper quads felt really tight.  No other major pains.  Needed more water less things with sugar.  We then cruised up the hill in Melanie's car to the top of 1100 north where there is the Grove Creek stream.  We did a 6 minute ice bath.  Melanie and Josse both verified that this creek is a lot colder than the ones they were soaking in.   Run off from Mt Timp.?   10 minutes is too long in that water.  Refreshing though.  1/2 way thru Amber's (6 year old) soccer game at 10am got a splitting migraine (I feel your pain now Josse).  Hydrated more and took some ibuprofen.  Still there but getting better.  Two more soccer games to go this afternoon.  Watch splits, some are averages because I wasn't always hitting my split button with Josse's or Mel's garmins (you can tell by the duplicates):  8:24/ 7:48/ 7:48/ 7:46/ 7:54 (water)/  7:25/ 7:28/ 7:17/ 7:13/ 7:30/ 7:31/ 7:31/ 7:31/ 7:28 /7:28/ 7:15/ 7:37/ 7:07  0.2 in 84 seconds (7:00 pace).  2hrs 17 minutes 33 seconds, Average pace= 7:33.