Believe to Achieve

Actually not sore (lactic) after the race.  Just my neck, shoulders, and left knee are sore from the fall on Friday on my bike.  Knee still sore.  Swelling going down.  Hip feels out of place probably the way I ran to not feel the knee so much.  Did some stretching.  Super Duper migraine.  I am used to these but getting real tired of them.  I had one everyday for a year and they ended finally in late June when I changed my diet to grains and no processed foods and avoided all the allergenic foods I was told I was allergic to.  I ate at a friends house on Friday before the race and she had soup  (lots of soups have MSG in them).  I try not to be too fanatic about restrictions so I had some.  Along with my bike wreck, I think I was in trouble for a migraine.  I usually have to wait it out.  Lortab touches it briefly but I only take a half cause I don't want to feel drugged.  Also a mild muscle relaxant too.  I was glad not to feel lactic at all and actually walked just as normal as I do.  I find this hopeful.

Biked to elementary school and back.  Hip out of place causing IT band issues all the way to my left foot.  Darn that fall.  Oh well what doesn't kill us makes us stronger right?  Anyway was nervous about running but really I felt great, yay!!!   No soreness just pure runners pleasure.  Ran with hubby for 3.5 miles at 8:45 to 8:50 pace.  Faster at the end because my husband had fresh legs.  He didn't run Saturday.  He coached my daughter's soccer team.  They won in penaly kicks.  It was AWESOME!!  It came down to the last kicker on each team.  Our goalie dove for the ball!!!  I am so proud of the team of girls we coach.  On to the next tournament game tomorrow night.  I feel really good now that the headache is gone.  I am trying to think of a strategy to get the projected time Michelle and Josse think I could get which is double the SF half time (3:16:44).  I think perhaps more along the lines of 3:20.  My first goal is to beat 3:30.  I think I can do this.  I feel so much better than the last two years I ran.  Two years ago I trained for only 3 weeks and ran a twenty the week before and came in at 3:46 missing Boston by 34 seconds.  I wasn't trying so that was interesting.  The next year 2007 I had this headache that wouldn't go away.  My half times were slower and I had chronic fatigue badly.  I learned I was allergic to perfumes/cleaners/ colognes and slowly got better as I avoid them (still getting better).  I ran in at 3:41:13.  The first half 9 minute miles as I was worried about myself because I was in ER the Tuesday before with a wicked migraine.  The second half I ran in just under 8 minute miles.  I felt great.  This year my half time is much faster and I just did Hope to Hobble (23-24 miles) and felt awesome in the mountain air.  When it was over I felt I could keep going.  I think I will try the Squaw Peak 50 miler next year.  Anyway lengthy report is now over. 

Ran up to Murdock Canal via 1100 North Pleasant Grove.  Always exhilarating.  Many stares (it is steep).  Got there in 16:56 (1.9 miles straight up).   I think my fastest so far and still felt like I had more.  Ran the trail to Lone Peak High School (just below it) and then began my 4 by 1 mile Tempos.  First was 7:36 (with a very steep climb for 0.2 miles and moderate for 0.3 miles) so felt wiped out after mile one that I got water at the firestation park in Cedar Hills and walked to my next mile start just a few trees a way.  Nice and even pace at 7:30.  Then another at 7:32 and my last at 7:23.  There done.  No more for me.  I think tomorrow is a very easy day.  YaY!!! Total miles 10 in 1:25 ( avg 8:30 pace). After first 1.9 miles of uphill pace was 8 for 3.8 miles then slower until 4x1 mile.   Needed GU or some kind of nourishment.  Can't wait for taper starting MONDAY.  Did you all notice triangle lady is gone?  I wrote an email to Sasha.  Thanks Sasha!! 

This was a run to "try" to get rid of my almost four day migraine. It gets worse thoughout the day and goes away while I sleep but back again when I wake. Got to break the cycle eventually or I will be where I was at July 2007 when I had one everyday until last June. Instead of getting better with the run it just kept creeping in stronger and had to take a strong medication, darn it. After my daughter's soccer team win tonite when I got a huge adrenaline rush the head isn't so bad. We won in a shoot off 3-1. We actually didn't have to shoot our last goal with our best kicker. The original score before penalty kick off was 0-0. It was pretty much a mud fest. Even I was covered from the knees down. We play again Saturday morning. When to get my 20 miler in? I tentatively have 430am Saturday on my mind with a new runner friend that I just learned is also running SGM. She hasn't done any long runs yet (except a 13 miler). I figured we would take it easy to end up at a 9:00 pace, nothing strenuous. My body is wanting to taper. My friend will appreciate this. But 430am? The sun won't even rise before we get back. So we will have to gear up warmly and enjoy the night.

Okay so I am not in triathlon mode here. But the miles are 6 biking (to AF recreation center and back). I improved my time with biking by over 1 minute. I heard biking fast helps with running turn over. I hope that is true. It seems I am able to run faster easier since adding in biking. It has stretched out my adductor muscles (inner thighs) and making me more flexible. I also swam 1.5 miles. The first mile I swam consistently moderately fast. I was out of breath after the first half mile so I cut the pace a few seconds the second half of the mile. I swam 1600 meters (a mile) in 34:22. If I kept up with the first half pace I would have been at 33:20. It felt good to slow down. Pretty much this was my ceremonial swim. The bubble to the AF pool is going up starting Saturday so noone can swim at the pool for over a week and then the bubble (goes over the outdoor pool so it is indoors in the winter)will be in place. It is large and white. No windows so the lovely mountain views and open breeze will be gone. I took it all in and will count the months for the openess of pool swimming next Spring. I feel great now that the headache is gone.

I was just going out to do a regular run and got to my first mile spot of a short route I do and was thinking "I feel like I am going at a my usual easier pace". Imagine my surprise to find it was 8:00 minute mile. I was like hey my body must be adjusting up so that an easy pace is actually faster now. My last mile was 7:37 as I did a loop course (just over 4 miles)that I usually do in the winter or an easy run. I was surprised by that time too. The rest day on Wednesday and the pool/bike yesterday must have helped with muscle recovery. Now for tomorrow at 415am... We changed the time to 15 minutes earlier so that my friend could have time to rest if needed at the water stops and I can be back in time for the marathon of soccer games for each of my three girls(8am, 9am and 11am) and not to mention the later BYU home football game. I am exhausted thinking of my schedule. For some reason I am dealing with insomnia. I don't feel tired after I wake up at 3am. So I walk around get a drink and read. What's the deal? Headache is back from the shoulder to the top of my right head. Neighbor had a meeting at her house (outside, because of my allergies) and her scented candles breezed out her back window and hit me hard. I really wish there was an easy cure for this problem. I may have to wear a mask to the starting line of St. George (just kidding, I will just go to a far corner). Count your blessings this isn't one of your allergies. Scents are everywhere and in almost every product. Meanwhile... Hope you are all gearing up for the last long run. Have FUN!!!!

Yay. Its over. Marathon soccer day and marathon early morning run day. Yah we left about 420am. The roads to ourselves(almost). Got to see a cop pull someone over just after our first mile. Thought he was after us. We were actually at a pretty quick pace for starting out (8:30) so we cooled it down a bit. By mile 3.5 we were at a average 8:50. Since Brooke hadn't run her more than 13 yet and has had to bail out on SGM twice in the past I thought it wise to go easy. It was however a hilly course as PG, Highland, Alpine and Cedar Hills terrain have enough of them. It was about 9 uphill and 9 down. With just over two of flatter terrain. Well we stopped probably a total of 11 minutes. She had her GARMIN. First experience having a GARMIN at my side. Somehow after mile twelve stop it was turned off. We noticed this after about two miles or 17 minutes on my watch. So after restarting it and getting back to home we were at 18.78 so we added 2 miles and rounded down in case it was just under two miles. So total miles= 20.7. Average pace with all the stops 9:38. So with 11 minutes of stops calculated off the pace that makes our running pace average at 9:05. The big uphills we took it real easy on but our last three going all downhill were at 8:15 based on my watch. The weather was perfect. I got home to my husband ready in the car to take off to the first of three soccer games. Our other car broke down the day before so I had to quickly switch shirts, grab a snack and take off for game 1. Middle daughter Brooke scored four goals. Then played goalie most of second half and didn't get to touch the ball. Troy left me there to get to our oldest daughter's tournament game. Needless to say I arrive 10 minutes into the game (got a ride to field from Brooke's coach) with one sick child (she spiked a fever while watching Brooke's game) but she kept me warm as I was chilling in the cool dew morning. Sadly we lost (1-0) as I had to take a potty break (the bathrooms are on the opposite side of Discovery park, a journey). I get back in time to see my awesome goalie forget her position and go to kick a wet ball, miss and the other team score. She loves being goalie and does well. She just forgot to use her hands two minutes into the second half. She played offense the first half. We tried to score and dominated from there on out but the refs looking at their watches blew the whistle. I was timing it too and they ended it two minutes early. I was a sore loser coach. The refs have done this at a few games because they look at what time it is not their timer. ARGGGHH!!! If I was just ten steps earlier/closer to my goalie she would have heard me say "use your hands". It is not up to a goalie to win so I knew we could score. But darn those refs. And thank goodness this is only 5th and 6th grade. Bur our team had worked hard. And we beat the team they lost to last twice. So it was hard to take. This is why I like running. It is solo. You can speed up or you can slow down. You are your own captain. You set your own PRs and you can control yourself. As a team you got to do it together. If one player decides to stay up until 2am and another has a baptism to go to an hour after the game so doesn't come, the team is weakened. I love team spirit. But running will always be my first love.