Believe to Achieve

EARLY TM run-- 5:35am---2% incline, 8 miles, 7:52 AP.  First mile 9:05.  Gradually increased the pace every 1/2 mile by .2 mph until at 7:30 pace (four miles).  Ran 3 miles at 7:30 then the last mile somewhere about 7:00 AP, getting it down to 6:27 briefly.  STUPID PF!  I am determined that this is a DISEASE!!  seriously WHATEVER you do don't CATCH it!!  I also have a Morton's Neuroma between metatarsals 3 and 4 on the opposite foot.  I can actually see it bulging on the top between my two toes.  It feels like a toe nail is growing backwards into my toe and it shoots pain signals up between the two toes.  Hence, the term neuroma.  A benign, but painful, nerve tumor.  I looked up the pathology report of my first morton's neuroma surgery I had back in 2001!!  It was 2.1 cm by 1.6 cm by 0.5 cm!!  That is rather large considering the little space it had to hang in and grow (between 2nd and 3rd metatarsal).  I don't want surgery again.  Apparently there is a new treatment involving injecting sugar into it (prylotherapy) which ends up killing it.  However I don't if there is a Dr.  around here that does it.  Will ask my podiatrist when I see him.  Hopefully soon.  I am calling for an appt.  soon after  I finish this report.  Anyway!!  Did 63 pushups (not easy today for some reason, wrists felt achy and my strength was down.  I think I needed some fuel.  I hadn't eaten since 730pm last night and it was 8:15am when I did them)  Basically I did 14/12/11/10/16 with 70 seconds in between, except the last set I rested for 120 seconds before doing them.  Opted out on more arms today.  Oh yah I did planks at the rec ctr....60/45/45 x two is all I had time for.  But even those felt hard today.  Oh well. 

stop WATCH run.  Garmin low battery.  3 MILE TIME TRIAL.  Forgot I was going to do this when I awoke so I had to switch gears and NOT go to the rec. and bundle up for the outdoors.  I have to say that I thought I remember the weather report saying it would be in the 30s at night.  APPARENTLY I was reading the weather for St. George (southern Utah).  I was completely taken by the EXTENT of the COLDNESS/FROZEN TUNDRA FEELING.  YIKES.  Two layers and tights, headband and gloves was NOT enough at first or for any part of the run but perhaps the last three laps on the track when I felt it was safe for my hands to lose the gloves--ONE at first and the other two laps later.  My hands were so cold they could barely push the LAP BUTTON on my stop watch.  BUT still I didn't peek at my watch until I accidentally saw the time when I was pushing up my sleeve on the last 1.5 laps.  It read 17:09.  I was trying to do the math and figured it would be close.  BUT honestly my problem was ANXIETY.  I didn't know how well I was doing the first 10 laps but I felt like for sure I was close to that PR but then the UNexpected TRACK trauma came on.  Two women entered the track and began picking up the fence door that fell and they began to worry me that they were going to hop right in FRONT of me and I just lost concentration for a moment feeling weird "RACING" in front of strangers when I had 3 laps to go as I passed them at the track entrance.  I wanted to yell out "don't get in my way please.  I don't want to exert more energy trying to pass you.  I only have three laps left.  PLEASE."  When I got to my last lap I peaked again at my watch and I didn't quite get the math down in my head about how fast I needed to go.  I just ran as hard as I could in the FREEZING air and passed the girls on the final stretch as they took off  quite a ways in front of me before my last lap.  I felt slightly nauseated the last 50 feet but other than that my legs felt great despite the fact that I could tell that they were stiff from the cold.  I came home to find out that it actually was less than 20 degrees out!!! 17 DEGREES!!!! ~ 17 DEGREES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  No wonder my chin was frozen during my warm up.  NO wonder I didn't PR today--- I was 3 seconds SLOWER--- 19:47 (actually only 2.5 seconds, I just checked my entry two weeks ago).  Didn't have my garmin to tell me how badly I didn't hug the  corners, thankfully.  The effort was there and I felt this was a definite EXCELLENT FREEZE YOUR HINEY off TIME TRIAL!!  BRRRRrrrrrrr   as I came around the track and ran north--  the wind chill (slight wind  nothing drastic at all, just ICE AIR) was ALARMINGLY nasty.  My warm up pace (I ran a  two mile loop by my house  that I already knew the distance for) was a 9:01.  It felt like I was running faster.  Not because I was out of breath but because my legs felt light.  But the AIR was super THICK.  Burning a hole through my lungs of course.  I ran another two miles to the track.  So 4.07 miles (USED THE COURSE TOOL to determine distance) @ 8:49 AP.  Even one lap around the track took just over two minutes.  LEGS were NOT wanting to warm up in this AIR.  Too bad they were forced to run fast for 12 laps.  It was dark at first but with DAYLIGHT savings on my side I could see the sun working its way up over the MOUNTAINSIDE.  Didn't come over the top until I got home unfortunately.  Here are my lap paces--- the two laps when the girls came by me show how anxiety/people watching me--  really distracts me-- 1:37, 1:39, 1:38, 1:38, 1:39, 1:39, 1:39, 1:39, 1:38, 1:40, 1:40, 1:34.   Total time 19:47!!!!  : D.   Actually these are pretty consistent paces.  Must have been the song I kept playing over and over-- it lasted exactly 800 meters so it was perfect : D.  The song was "Tonight, Tonight"...there is a party on the rooftop, top of the world tonight....  Maybe I should find a song that make me run consistent 1:35s!!  : D.   However it looked like I was coming down in pace with that lap 9 at 1:38-- Then as I rounded the corner I saw the two girls.  At least they helped me run a fast last lap.   Ran almost THREE miles for a cooldown. Even that pace was surprisingly slow.  Thick air must give you the allusion of running faster.  That pace was 8:41.  I guess its either that or the COURSE TOOL is off.   My body started to melt when  I came in the door.  I had to jump in the shower within 40minutes of being home because I began to SHIVER quite a bit.  AHHHHHHHhhhhhh WARM/HOT showers are the best after a COLD RUN.  : DDD    Let me know what you think?  does cold weather slow you down?  or am I just in worse shape from two weeks ago?  It was 60 degrees two weeks ago. I ran that trial just as the cold front was approaching--- the air was amazingly warm for October.  However am I going to run a time trial in two weeks? the track will probably be covered in SNOW and ICE.   PM-- CYCLING CLASS-- tone and endurance, so floor for 30 and bike for 30.  NOT easy but a great sweaty workout nonetheless!!   MY PF foot is hurting less and less---CROSSING FINGERS, praying for a miracle. 

WAITING to RUN until the ACTUAL temp and the FEELS LIKE temp MATCH at a more suitable enjoyable state.  CURRENTLY temp is 20 degrees but FEELS LIKE  7!!!!!!!!   SEVEN degrees--- freak me out no way!!  I was chilled to the bone yesterday even after my long hot shower.   The humidity level nose dives as the sun gets higher in the sky---ALLELUYAH.  The best time to run looks about high NOON but will probably run at 11am as both temps match then at 36 degrees : D.  Maybe I should go at 9am but still I just looked and it say 25 degrees feels like 17.  NOPE not doing that again.  So off I go to wash my blinds.  I started yesterday and I have 34 windows-- actually 30 now since I finished four yesterday. It is a 7 day process.  I don't want to get overwhelmed.  I haven't cleaned them in four years.  Sad huh? but working nights I didn't care or see or whatever but now that I am not running as much and its freezing out and we are having a homecoming at my house on Sunday and I don't leave my windows open in the Winter--- I am getting to them.  WOW the cleaned ones look LIKE NEW!!! : D.    1045am  ahhhhhh warm!!  wore all the fixins' of course.  But better than this morning would have been.  AP easy pace 8:33.  Was pretty tired starting out and ending.  Cyycling must have wore me out a bit.  Finished up with 72  ppush ups per schedule.  : :D.  Feel really strong.  Biceps and triceps bulging these days : D.  btw I just had my vision checked so I am typing this with very blurry vision. Sorry for any typos.  I can't see anything on the computer screen.  Pretty funny.I can see colors sso I know how to save this to the blog  at least.   PM-- Cycling class with my daughter Courtney.  I was tired heading out the door but after that class I sure woke UP!!!  LOVIN' CYCLING! :D

Could not sleep last night but tried.  Went to work at 530am.  Home at 2pm.  Sent home early.  Hospital slow right now so I offered since I have a lot of PTO.  Good thing I did a massive bout of fatigue came over me and  I literally could not move for four hours.  Somehow I managed, as planned, to drag myself to the gym and run 6 miles very slowly.  It didn't feel too good.  We had just refinanced and closed on the house 30 minutes before hand and my head is always spinning when I sign THAT many papers.  But got a great rate compared to what I had and our payments will be lower and taking off a few years of our loan. But still stressful for me.  AP 8:29 at 1%.  Tried 2% for 1 mile but I was just plain old DEAD TO THE WORLD. 

so love OUTDOOR running.  The TM is the pits.  Too overstimulating for me.  I was in the back row last night behind all the bikers, ellipticals and other runners.  I felt "crowded".  I longed to be outdoors so I was glad to get outside at 6:40am this morning for a nice easy 6 miler before sending Courtney off to school.  AP 8:38.    Then I did planks 90/60/60 x 2.  Followed by 80 PUSHUPS!!!  16/18/13/13/20  (120 seconds in between).  Once again REAL pushups.  OH MY!!  My pecs feel tight in my shirt these days.  Must be swelling.  : D.  Pretty funny.  I do my pushups with no shoes and no other things too.  Just for concentration.   BTW I could NOT fall back to sleep after crashing at 930pm until 1230am.  I was up UNTIL 430am counting sheep.  It was ridiculous.  I am JET lagged from getting up at last weeks time but not making it up with sleep. And the dark early stuff then working OUT at night in the dark is causing my diurnal rhythm to QUAKE.  So I only slept again from 430 to 630 but it was the kind of sleep that you are aware you are asleep.  NOT restful. 

Kim picked me up in the rain at 6:10am to drive to Provo Canyon and meet up with Jane, Julie and Melanie.  I knew I would be running alone as my foot is again acting up and I just don't want to run fast from the get go.  It doesn't feel right to zip in to 7 pace from the start.  Just little Ol' me and my over 40 year old bones :D.  I stopped to pee once on the way up and when the girls were stopped at mile 6 to turn around.   My foot gradually became more and more sore no matter how I tried to land on it.  Bummer.  So on the way back with the girls now a ways in front of me, I stopped to stretch for about 45 seconds.  Then as I neared mile 8, I decided to just go for that 4 mile fast finish for the heck of it.  My foot was angry by the end but during the running fast I didn't have time to "dwell" on it.  Last four miles were 6:48, 6:50, 6:42, 6:42.  Passed the girls at the second fast mile.   They were getting water.  I didn't bring any.  Don't remember ever being thirsty.  Must have been all the rain and wetness around me.  btw those last two miles were exact to the hundredth of second-- 6:42:37.  Thought that was pretty funny!!  : D.   I got back home cleaned more of my blinds, ordered my kids around to get things done and then played a game with Brooke and Courtney.  Then went to Amber's Futsal game.  AP for all 12 miles- 7:45. AP for first 8miles = 8:15.  First mile 8:52.