Believe to Achieve

So I am getting back into the A.M. groove.  I used to love morning runs and I am starting to like them again.  It has just been hard with the shift work.  But I am suddenly feeling better---the clocks back mode has actually benefited me.  Now it is lighter and I can get out.  I always dread Spring when they change my mornings to dark!!!!  I have also been sleeping better.  Not awesome or anything just actually getting some hours in, instead of minutes.  So I jolted out on my run cause I was wearing shorts and it was colder than I thought.  I resisted the temptation to walk back inside to get on my tights.  Red legs were in this morning.  All of this run was impromptu.  Thought about what I would do while getting dressed at 630 am.  Got out at 6:38am.  Ran my 5K route warm up plus the .34 to get to the start at a decent pace (23:40 for the warmup 5K= 7:38).  Oh great now that was too good for a warm up I thought now I have to make myself nauseated or something to really feel it.  That earlier pace was surprisingly easy.  Weird.  OK the 5K tempo was next.  Surprised to be at the first mile at 6:43.  Yay.  Next mile a lot of uphill and last mile a good downhill section but ends on a uphill.  Yuck.  But my time was respectable for me at least (20:58.66!!!! avg pace there 6:46).  I was pretty happy with that.  Didn't feel nauseated until the last .05 when I tried to sprint at the end to beat 21 minutes.  Thought I wasn't going to do it.  Glad I did.  Ran a 4.59 mile cool down at 8:12 pace.  Total mileage 11.23 miles at 7:38 pace.  Work tonight.  So going easy tomorrow, if at all.  Loved this early run on uncrowded terrain.  Brief sunlight at the end so my legs were still reddish at the finish.  Mind over body.  Ate nothing before run.  Couple of sips of gatorade taken before starting out and after the first 5K.  

Felt okay after 2 hours sleep, two hours up then almost three hours sleep so went for a run.  Probably last warm day.  Ran 8.3 miles (.74 with Amber who is quick) @ 8:18 pace.  Feeling really good.  So glad.  Lovin' the fall.  

Nice and easy pace.  Hilly route up to Cedar Hills and behind Lone Peak on Canal and Cedar Hills trails.  Same route as last week.  Left early at 6:50am.  Wanted to leave earlier so that made me speed it up at the end and I wanted it all to be easy.  The price you have to pay laying in your bed thinking about running and not at that moment.  Busy day.  Mom is coming to visit.  Big vacuum day  just completed on tired arms, just from lifting daughter onto monkey bars yesterday.  I guess I should work the arms more.  They aren't dead tired just a little sore, wimpy. A little more tired running then my big energy day Monday, go figure.  Should sleep well tonight.  11.08 miles @ 8:18 pace.  First mile 9:10, last mile 7:42.   

Detox run.  Was feeling sluggish and achy after eating out yesterday --blame it on the mexi-beans. So just got out late at 930am and did a couple of mile repeats.  No plan just came to me to do them.  Like I would start out on this two mile loop and then say "why don't I just go to that other two mile point and sprint a mile home?" to make it a 3 mile loop with some speed.  So I did.  First mile 8:45 nice and wake up pace, second mile 8:17 (all up hill), third mile down then uphill at 6:13 pace.  Yay.  Liked that and it wasn't all out so I wasn't near nauseated.  Did that route again.  Like when you do a fast mile then the easy miles are faster with much less effort.  Second round splits--- 7:42, 7:38 then the last my speed mile at 6:05!!!  HELLO!!  Liked that.  Ran another different 3.16 mile loop to avoid passing the same people three times already and a couple of bull dogs that scared me at first as they began to chase me until I said "NO".  Ran a 1/2 mile cool down at the very end at 8:34 pace.  Avg pace for the totoal 9.62 miles= 7:43.  Feel detoxed now.  Going to go eat well.

7 am run. Tried to leave earlier but couldn't pry myself out of bed, so the 10 I wanted was cut by 1.5  miles.   Surprised it is not freezing out yet but still needed gloves and head band and long tights.  Today was my easy day.  Ran 8.5 mile various route which included, unfortunately, the big uphill to Mt. Timp temple off 700 north coming from the west.  It is there that I came to this test question:  "You know you are a competitive Runner if....."  

1.  on your easy run days you are so NOT going to let speedy boy pass you like the wind and not want to yell out "HEY its my easy day, don't think I can't keep up with you!!" (that happened on the hill today, so of course I picked it up, dreadfully on the uphill).

2.  you wish you had a shirt that read "I am going easy, today"  Or "I am running 20 miles, how far are you running today?"

The list goes on of course.  But I stuck to my guns for the most part.  Ran 8.5 miles at 8:38 pace : DDDDD

Okay this started out as a 4 miler than as I got to the mile at 9:00 thinking truly that it was like a 10 to 1030 pace I was like I guess I feel better than I thought so I just picked it up from there and decided to loop here and there as the high winds and pelting snow began to fall around 2.5 miles.  Woman VS. Wild.  I was determined to be stronger than the storm and I truly felt really strong even with the head and side winds up hill I had a pace of 8:11.  By the end of my 6.7 mile run it was torrential.  Pace 7:55 for average.  I thought why am I stopping.   I did for thirty minutes and thought why not go out and see what its like to break 60 miles in a week.  The snow had stopped the wind was still fierce and the temp had dropped and my sweat had already cooled me but again I was not going to let that stop me.  I just kept winding here and there picking up the pace feeling again very strong.  Last mileage was 5.54 miles with average of 7:49.  Total miles 12.24 @ 7:52 pace.  Worked last night slept four hours from 730am to 1130 am.  Work tonight.  Big turkey dinner happening at my house tomorrow with my mom, sister and her husband and 7 kids.  So much for a day of rest.  I think I made 60 miles here goes the submit button to see, cross fingers   : D>