Believe to Achieve

Got up at 445am and said "what the heck"  maybe I can do that last 20 miler and see if I am in or out.  Despite the difficulty of even PRing I must run SGM to stay in for the 10 year club and giving my number to someone would not be honest to myself or the marathon....so I must put up a big fight.  Did anyone think less from me?  I  just started running that 1.4 mile hilly loop I did Saturday and figured I would go and go until 20 (I stayed on this course until 14 miles then I added a bigger  hillier loop in sections).  At mile 14 my pelvis really acted up intensely as the pace picked up and the fatigue set in.  Cardio-wise I was great but man this pain is indescribable, throbbing nerve pain down deep in my buttocks and my pelvis feels like I am about to have a baby---burning, pressure.  Geez.  It throws off my form and my concentration but I perservered.  I never stopped my garmin as I picked up my water, gatorade and two go-gurts (I ran out of gu, what to do?).   Just bending to pick up the water was quite the feet.  I had no flexibility and it was quite painful.  I am so masochistic.  But I just had to.  This was my last attempt to put me in shape and its all taper from here.  No big work outs.  Just eazy/breezy from here on out and lots of pampering.  Massages, ice baths, supplements, good diet and I should be all set.  This was good for me to not stop my watch so  I wasn't cheating on pace.  Goal was to hopefully get to an AP of 8 or so.  AP was 7:58.  That was nice.  My miles were  7 above 8 and 13 below.  That seems respectable enough in all this pain.  Even as I sit here my pelvis and buttocks are throbbing.   Splits:  9:03, 8:35, 8:28, 8:18, 8:04, 8:01, 8:07, 7:59, 7:41, 7:45, 7:41, 7:45, 7:44, 7:43, 7:38, 7:55, 7:49, 7:45, 7:52, 7:30 (UPHILL POWER PUMPING!!)  BTW I am fully aware of how INSANE I AM.   I should not even be running, but SGM comes once a year and its here!!      Second of all-- my Dr's office called me yesterday and asked me to come in this morning to review my lab work.  Again--drastically low on Vit D and B12 (she said its due to age and poor absorption and stresses on my body...certainly NOT running : D).  Also drastically low on progesterone--- practically non-existent and severely low on DHEA the hormone that if low my body won't be able to handle stress well, meaning I am headed for the disease pathway if  I don't change.  Slightly anemic and amazingly thryoid intact.  Phew!!  Don't want to be popping too many pills.  Got all the prescriptions and have actually started taking Vit D on Friday but started a Calcium and B12 supplement that I started reacting to so I am glad she called and put me on a better one for better absorption.  Good Earth will refund me, YAY!!  She wanted to give me a Vit B 12 shot since I am so low but I may be allergic to the aluminum in the shot.  Don't want to take a chance.  Apparently all my allergies are due to immune dysfunction most likely due to my deficiencies.  I am on my way to healthier me.  She told me I would not get osteoporosis if I get my Vit D level up.  My bone scan just showed that I was at medium risk which means I am osteopenic (low bone density) but too low for my age.  My mom has osteoporosis.  So there it all is...a HUGE nut shell.  I am hoping somehow my back pain is related to the ADRENAL fatigue (DHEA) and not disk related.  It is listed as a common symptom along with fatigue, sleeplessness, lightheadness, and headaches. 

NO WORRIES everyone, this was just a mountain bike recovery ride with many a steep uphill to get my heartrate up once in a while.  So nice out and didn't want to waste it.  Back really started hurting at mile 10 and feet started to go numbish and tingly.   I think I will push for that MRI this week just to have assurance.  AP 5:07.  Time flies biking.  

Very busy at work.  Used my poor Spanish all day.  By the end I was tired of thinking.  It had been a while that I spoke that much Spanish.    NEWSFLASH--- apparently all my labs were not in.  I thought I was only borderline anemic but apparently I am VERY anemic.  My ferritin level (iron stores left in my body) came back pathetically low--5.  Supposed to be at least above 12.  The dietician from my unit told me if that isn't corrected soon I would be in big danger.  I was thinking that my nails  on my hands got all the new ridges over the last year because I was getting old.  Apparently that is a sign of severe anemia (along with exhaustion and difficulty breathing on exertion-- I thought I was getting out of shape from not running ).  Ooops.  I never take supplemental iron because I get so you- know- what that I feel like a stuffed pig.  I got to find a product that doesn't do that and has great bioavailability.   I figure with all this correction I need to take I should be bionic in a few months....just not in time for SGM.  Blah, blah.  Still showing up there,,,unless I have a bone sticking out of my leg.  AFTERTHOUGHT -- I never or extremely rarely get colds etc....taking iron binds to the proteins that kill bacteria/viruses...hence the less iron in your body the less seasonal illness....they found this to be true in lactation--lactoferrin binds with iron supplements given to babies and babies are then more susceptible to GI diseases like yeast overgrowth.   So...its a win-lose or lose win situation unless I find that "happy medium".  : D

Was going to try some speed but decided to just go easy and forget taxing my body anymore than it has been.  Just ran 6 @ 8:45 AP.  First mile a 10:00.  Barely movin'. 

2 wake up miles before work at 523 am.  Still clocked in on time at 600am on the dot.  I live one mile from the hospital.  AP 9:05.  I took a shower.  How's that for  Tri-speed transition?  

Ran with Mel, Kim and Jane (the sub-3 marathoners) at 5:10am up AF Canyon.  Actually I didn't run with them I ran behind them.  In the dark up the canyon for 5 miles.  Kind of scary.  I had a bit of a panic attack.  Stupid hormone pills.  The first 7.5 miles and the last mile was uphill.   Steep uphill but totally doable just not speedy for me.   I was just plain tired and didn't want/couldn't run fast.  Even the downhill I struggled.  I avoided feeling pain but then came the left hip/foot problem and we were on angled ground. It wasn't  as bad as it has been however  :  D.  So hopefully taking it easy the next two weeks should get me there.   I just had no umph today.  The three speedies were quite impressive and its obvious they will go way under 3 hours at SGM.  They are in AWESOME shape.  I hope to come in at 3:20.  I turned around down the canyon at mile 14.25 and ran back uphill to Kim's car and the others ran all the way down and thru the golf course and turned around to our cars at the mouth of the canyon.  I drove Kim's car to them.  We iced in the FRIGID river.  Could only handle 3.5 minutes.  I didn't take my progesterone pill last night-- it was making me very tired and spacy-- so now as my level is dropping I am very anxious.  I am going to try to go on a more bioidentical hormone so I don't feel "out of it", and "non-caring" as I have felt on it.  The withdrawal is hard to take though so I will have to take a pill tonight and wean off it.  AP 8:11 for 15.  The last uphill mile killed my pace.  There was a strong headwind and the grade was very steep.  Slowly but surely  I will try to gain my performance back.   I read that if a runner is anemic (iron deficient) a tale sign is a decrease in performance.  I ran part of this run 4 weeks ago and could do 6:30s on the downhill.  I was breathing hard at 7:00s.  Blah.  Cross your fingers.