Believe to Achieve

stop watch 915am run.  Too late for my body that awoke at 630am (and 4am with a stomach ache for an hour-- too much squash and candy corn I guess for Sunday dinner).   I either have to go really early or after 9am due to my kids' separate schedules.  Not liking B-track at all for my two younger girls.  I end up "waiting around" to work out.  I actually made lunches, mandated them to get things done-- piano, dishes, then vaccumed downstairs.  By the time I left to run I was quite hungry having only eaten 1/2 banana.  Coming off steroids (last taper dose of 5mg was Sat night) is not easy for me.  I got pretty hungry on them.  I am pretty sensitive to adrenal shut off medications.  I have had Cushing's Syndrome twice in my life.  Scary.  Anyway....I just mozied along at whatever felt doable.  After course-tooling my run it came out to be over 8 miles--- 8.88 miles @ 8:16 AP.  Now off to do arms after I just ate some toast and drank some OJ.  Oh and had some cottage cheese.    Foot acted up at mile 6 but not too greatly.  Didn't even hurt when I started.  Not even a twinge  :D.   POST ARMS:  YIPPEE-- total of 60 pushups--- 12, 13, 10, 10, 15!!!!  120 seconds in between.  REGULAR PUSHUPS BABY!!!  This is AFTER I did two sets of planks (front, side, side) at 90, 45, 45 seconds.  After pushups I finished with circuit arms-- 2 sets of 10 to 12 as before increasing weights in some of the excercises.  Side raises (2 types), over head shoulder raises, biceps (2 types), triceps (two types), bench press and rows.  Done. 

READ ON to get to the BEST PART : D.  Okay....so not having run any speedwork since before the SGM, I have been feeling down and depressed about my fitness.  Actually just down and depressed.  Taking a supplement with DHEA, since I am very low in it.  Started to take it last night, a very low dose.  I am very leary of taking any medications but this one seems just as important as iron.   Anyway, moving forward....I got out of bed already having premeditated the possibility of running a three mile "time trial" on the track.  Too dark to run down the Provo Canyon on the marked path.   Not sure how I was going to feel with my foot in repair but I just went out and warmed up and ran to the track, just going through the motions to see if I could "force" myself to do speedwork FINALLY.  I ran 4.16 miles warmup @ 8:34 pace.  I ran the last of the warmup doing two laps around the track, clockwise then counter clockwise to check wind resistance.  On my warmup I  could feel the wind blowing at me to the south from the north.  I knew that on the track, that lies north to south,  I could face some problems.  If I had my choice I would have run  clockwise but I bumped into a guy in the dark doing lap repeats counter clockwise (the usual way people run on a track).  Because of the building there wasn't much tailwind when running south but when you ran north there was a good headwind for the long stretch but vanished at the turn.  Oh well.   I had no idea how well I would run anyway, so I didn't look at my watch but pressed lap button every 1/4 mile.  Just before I started, I realized  that I knew the gentleman running his laps.  He is a Stake leader in my stake and is in his fifties.  He quickly said before he started on one of his laps (he knows I am a "fast" runner) that  I would "chick" him.  Before I could tell him how out of shape I was, he was off.  It was still quite dark but I found this to be good because I felt like I was dreaming about my run, not actually running.  All the laps felt REALLY controlled.  Only the forth lap felt taxed as Brother Hobson decided to jump in with me and test himself I guess.  It kind of panicked me and my breathing went askew  for a minute there but  I managed my second fastest lap there.  I really have track anxiety and race anxiety.   I don't like to be challenged unless it my 80 year old grandma!!  I think Bro. Hobson wondered when the heck  I was ending my speedwork as  I continued on for 12 laps.  He was gone by the time I finished.  The cooldown was awesome.   I felt so light and my lungs were wide open feeling so refreshed.  I could have kept going in the cooldown but had to get back to my daughter for school.  Got back at 7:27am.  Ran 1.94 mile cooldown in 8:09 AP back to my house through all the construction once more.    Although my PF is slightly trying to show its ugly face  I have found that wearing support shoes all day has helped tons along with icing and stretching.  I threw out my shoes that contributed to my problem. They were my work shoes that I have had for four years-- rubber and no traction and no support.  Oh yah here are my splits (in the dark, no peeking EVER)--  1:34, 1:36, 1:38, 1:35, 1:40, 1:41, 1:38, 1:40, 1:40, 1:40, 1:40, 1:38  which equals= 19:44 for the time trial.  I got to learn to HUG the edge as my garmin had the distance at 3.08!!!!!  Almost a 5K.  Geez.  So if I were in a race it is safe to say that I would have been under 20 minutes!!  Also the fact that this did NOT feel all out is encouraging.  Very controlled.   I really thought my time was over 20 minutes.  So happy with the results.   It appears I haven't lost too much fitness with over three weeks off.    BTW MY ARMS WERE QUITE SORE THE ENTIRE RUN (from 60 pushups yesterday etc..), so with that in mind  I feel even better about this run!!!

Oh how I wish I had kept running after the first two miles (Courtney up for school), first mile was quicker than usual---8:40 and it was so cold.  Had to wear my ear warmers, tights and gloves etc...  Well coming inside I melted but I had this notion to do my planks (2 sets of 90, 45, 45) which  I did x 2.  Wait for Courtney to leave for school.  Done. Then run two more miles before the other two got out of bed.  Done.  Well....I decided to do "circuit like" arm training mixed with all the 2 milers.  This work out was tougher than yesterday.  My legs weren't sore just my arms.  AND I was feeling dizzy after the first two sets of 2 miles.  So this is what ended up happening (and it won't again anytime soon, it kicked my TUSHY!!):

2 miles @ 8:24 AP.

Planks two sets, 90, 45,45 seconds (front,side,side)

2 miles @ 8:10 AP.

Pushups:  12, 17, 13, 11 (was supposed to do 13), 10 (supposed to do 17, yah right!!)  I was feeling weak and dizzy.   

2 miles @ 8:08 AP

Weights upper body:  laterals (two types), overhead shoulder press, triceps (two types, biceps (two types), rows, and bench press.  Two sets of 12.

2 miles@ 8:11 AP.  Holy Flip!!  I was starving by the end!! I started this work out at 7:20 and finished it at 9:20am.  It was cold.  The sun didn't help my sweat thaw as my gloves were wet from previous runs.  Seriously worked hard.  Legs feel normal however.  I got to do some lower body to off set this heaviness I am feeling in my arms!!    I had eaten at 550am so I guess it was too much for me during my run.  I was burping and got heartburn during the run.  It was kind of uncomfortable.  I would have been better off starting my run at 915 am when my kids had left then doing this kind of workout.  NEVER AGAIN!!  Can't wait for daylight savings when 6am will be really like 7am and I can get out earlier before Courtney even gets up.  : D.

8 miles.  FREEZING COLD.  20s.   Didn't realize how cold it was until I got back with frostbite on my stomach and chest.  AP 8:23, legs were stiff entire run.  Worked all day.  Foot problem back.

Foot/heel pain spreading to tendons in metatarsals.  I think I have a tendinitis metabolic problem.  Josse had some ideas for me : D.  Seriously this is depressing.  I can't believe I have a continuous foot problem out of nowhere.

Designated driver for Halloween Half.  Dropped the girls up at the start of the race at 8:10am.  Brrr....in my opinion.  26 degrees!!   Drove to the finish line (theatres) and ran up 7 miles of the course just in time to see the first guys and gals to come through.  Right along with all the speedies was RACHELLE, rockin' it down with her red TuTu : D.  I was dressed as a zombie.  My pace up was nice and easy 7 miles @ 8:20.    Only there about 4 to five minutes (the water station at mile 6).  Asked Rachelle if she wanted me to pace her and she did.  We were chatty at first but I wanted her to conserve so later we didn't talk much, except cheering here and there for her.  She totally kicked butt coming in at 1:26:22!!  The course was probably a little long too.  I don't know.  Kelli got the course at 13.2.   I will read Rachelle's blog to find out.  I was glad to not have run the wicked downhill part and to run the 7 miles of not so down hill.  MY FOOT WAS AILING and my left foot has a DEFINITE NEUROMA in it between the forth and fifth metatarsal--- KILLER shooting nerve pains.  I feel like my body is just NOT happy with me NOT taking a break.  My heart felt great and I didn't ever feel thirsty the entire 14.25 mile run.  I didn't take GU either, no nutrition at all.  I just wish my feet felt better.  After the run it hurt quite a bit WALKING to my car 0.5 miles away.  It really was ridiculous.  My left hamstring has also been acting up.  However,  I really felt strong in those 7 miles with Rachelle after our first chatty mile at 7:02.  We ran a 6:38 for the second mile together :D.  I think I could have held that pace til the end, but I didn't run down the first 5 steep hills like Rachelle so instead I CHEERLEADED as best I could.  She RAN AMAZINGLY.  I broke into song at times since I had my iPod on.  Probably annoyed Rachelle more than anything so I turned it down low.  It was stupid that the race made this new run around the parking lot and into gravel right after the water station.  Lost a lot of time there.  But after that we were back on track.  The finish was different than last year and the course measured longer than last year.  So nice.  NOT short.  Rather have it long than short.  A lot of fun costumes again.  Jane came in  THIRD (PREGNANT TOO!!!, yup she ran the SGM a couple days pregnant--- hence her 23 seconds past the subthree hour mark!!).  Kim came in fifth!!  I think Mary Ann came in first and I thought I saw Tara too-- second  I think?, not sure.  I have to say running in a DRESS was interesting (along with my running tights).  I felt a little confined with the dress and makeup, but it was all for fun anyway.  Still feeling down about my physique.  Maybe  I should really take a WHOLE TWO WEEKS OFF.  Blah!!!  AP with Rachelle 6:46 for 7.25 miles--- Splits with her-- 7:02 (chatting and catching up on things), 6:36, 6:42 (walked thru water station),  6:32 (dropped glove and had to turn around to get it then sprint up to catch Rachelle--worked it there), 7:09 (gravel, walked thru water station, GO RACHELLE.  Also met a guy from the blog that recognized me --name?-- who wanted me to run with him but I told him I was with Rachelle so then he began to help her too so we all stuck together : D), 6:38  (PUSH IT RACHELLE!!), 6:43 (Rachelle tiring, CHEERING HER TO REALLY MOVE IT : D).   I really need to just be a Pacer for the rest of my life.  It feels right.  It's FUN to help others and really gets me fired up.