Believe to Achieve

EXTREME RUNNING workout.  So I couldn't sleep at 4am but too early to go to the gym with Melanie (opens at 5am).  By 5am I was tired again so I laid in bed trying to sleep with a noisy sleeper.  Not happening.  Alright already I will get up.  Now it is 520am.  Got in car and drove to the gym.  A first in over a year.  Tried out the TM space (small) and it hit me that I was way over dressed, so I started stripping off clothes and even then that wasn't enough.  My goodness it was like St. George on that balcony of a TM area.  Holy Moly.  I was like a Chicago Marathoner 2008 revisited.  I was sweltering.  My muscles were not going to give and I thought 10 min. pace on the TM was fine enough.  And then I added the 1 % incline like I like to and chatted with another TMer.  She was taking her cloth and wiping her brow every few seconds.  I wasn't sweating at that pace because it was sauna-like, zapping the heat from my body.  Every mile I planned on picking it up until I got to a 6:15 but I got to 8 min. pace (4 miles @ 8:42 avg) and said this is it I am heading for the potty which is inconveniently placed on the lower level.  I drenched my head with cold water and just the run to the bathroom was soooooo refreshing.  Luckily I saw Melanie checking in and I just went up to her and told her the sweltering news.  She was going to run outside so of course I joined her.  Oh yah 24 degrees, so lovely, as my sweat starts to form icicles on me.  I premeditated my not liking the TM so I brought my heavy wool-like coat, gloves and head band, thankfully.  Soon my butt cheeks were numb and my palms sweaty.  We did a hill work out (Micron Hill, Mel calls it).  Its a doozer of a hill plus we ran up a hill to get there.  We ran her Monday 8 mile easy pace route.  Even lovelier were the snow-capped surroundings and slick roads and speedy cars.  Really the scenery was very nice.  Beats the heck out of the TM.  Oh I will return to the TM but probably at PG Rec.  Hopefully it is NOT blazing there.  Got to do some TM speedwork.   Anyway ran the 8 miles at 8:56.  So nice to run with Melanie.  So I got home and since I torchered myself to the extreme temps I thought why not get to my original goal of 15 today.  So, again with sweaty clothes I was out my door for another 3 miles.  This avg pace was 8:06 for 3.13.  No icicles on the ground here.  Just colder temps.  Oh yah!!  I didn't warm up until the last mile.  Met my goal.  Long post.  Happy day!!   15.13 miles at 8:42 pace.  Warm shower (done), long nap and a 12 hour night shift coming up.

Invigorating run post 4 hours of am sleep.  Went out in shorts and two shirts, head band and gloves.  The miles got easier and easier.  Pace nice and easy.  First mile 8:48.  Last mile 7:50.  Was going to run 5 but felt really good, weather cold but comfortable with the sun out.  Ran up to canal via 2600 north and headed north to Deerfield Elem and on to the new path below Lone Peak. Good news,  it is just about done!!!  In fact totally runnable.  Soooooo come join us Thursday  8AM (Thanksgiving) at 550 East AF off 700 North (road below Mt. Timp temple), go west of Temple down the hill on 700North.  You will see the park there, take 550 East (goes north) and keep winding on that road for 1/4 mile.  Nice HUGE grassy park area.  New Trail.  We are going to a do a group run now (about 7 miles)  because no big response from people (poor announcing on my part).  So if you happen to read this and want to run, please come and enjoy the early am run with Mel, Kim and I.  Ran today a total of 9.67 miles @ 8:14 pace (1/2 mile cooldown at 8:19). Stretched and had some yoga moments :DD.

Didn't sleep well.  Darn cause I had a plan to torture myself with a 15 miler (5 mile warmup, 5 mile TM speed, 5 mile cooldown).    So I still did with the sad sleep.  Got up at 540am.  Geared up.  Ran to the PG rec center (3 miles @ 8:47) then, peeled off my additional layers and warmed up two miles on the TM at 8:34 then 8:00 pace (1 % grade).  Yay not sweltering here and NOT crowded.  Felt wasted already.  Oh well, paid the $3 so got to get going.  Progressive tempo run at 5% grade.  Not liking a grade at all to start with.  Wishing I ate something or had some GU or gatorade.  This is going to be hard.  No stopping in between here goes:  6:44, 6:40, 6:35, 6:31,(totally parched sprinted to the water fountain, took 25 seconds) then finished with a 6:27 (last .3 at 6:11- 6:20).  Not a pretty sight.  Occasionally I had to hold on to the rail and let my legs go, my heart was at its max.  Yikes.  I am out of shape or need some sleep or something.  Then 2 mile cooldown on the TM at 8:20 to 8:34 pace (1% grade).  That seemed like it took forever to run two.   Ran home 3 miles at a slightly quicker pace then the way there but boy my sweat was a freezing.  I think it was colder outside than Monday.  Probably 20 degrees?  Brrrrrr!!!  I think I  can only do this workout every two weeks.  Totally not for me.  Hope it gets easier.  I think I will try mile repeats so I can have a break in between.  Legs were okay, heart was the issue.  Probably fatigue.  Made it to my 15 mile goal today.  

Did it (as opposed to "Do it"). Came home  from night shift at 645 am.  Dressed in running gear then Vegged on couch until 745am when my watch alarm went off telling it was TIME.  Yes, time to pick up Kim and meet Melanie at the park.  When we got to the park there was a HUGE hot air balloon about to take flight and a small group of people watching.  We took off running at 8am sharp, up the new trail that leads to Lone Peak.  Of course Melanie and Kim's "easy" pace was shortly quicked to 8s and it was a very hilly course I had made out for them.  We crossed on the trail north of Lone Peak and on to the trail at the Golf Course and took that to the mouth of the canyon.  I had to have music while they talked as I was a complete zombie on NO sleep.  Managed to stay up with them, hung back at the HUGE up hill coming up out of AF canyon and up on to Canyon Rd.  Took a right a few roads down to another up hill climb that lead to a nice downhill test your leg speed area, as I gained back up to Mel and Kim.  It was nice run acutally.  A great workout.  I kept Kim and Mel with me as I was in CONTROL of where we were going.  We got back on the trail briefly just north of Deerfield Elementary then got on the road that passed the new Walmart in Cedar Hills and ran straight passed Lone Peak HS to finish up on my  "balloon" course.  Finished on the trail that was newly finished.  We were at just over 8 miles at the end but Melanie had run an additional .44 miles before we drove up so she was now close to 9 so of course the Garmin OCDer had to  even it up to 9 (just poking fun Mel) and when we added for her, well now Kim had to get to her 9 (same as mine) so we did.  Whatever, I was already a zombie what's one more .44 miles?  Basically ran total 9 miles @ 8:10.  Miles one through 5 were tough uphill climbs so average pace more, for at least one mile (thanks gals).  Last few miles were at 7:27  to 7:51.  So much for taking it easy. Happy Thanksgiving.  I went to bed for three and currently writing this then going back to bed until 4pm.  Dinner served by mother-in-law, thankfully.  Work tonight.  Nursery unusually busy.  A bunch of little "turkeys" are being born.  Also saw several bunches of "turkeys" on the roads today.  Everyone getting in the exercise before the gluttony :DDDD

Nice and easy run. Placed on call  in 6 hour increments for work last night.  Not called in but gave me crappy sleep, thinking I would be called in at any moment.  Wasn't even going to run today because I was supposed to be working but then thought I should to make up for lost hours at work.   You know earn my keep kind of mentality.  Insane, psycho, addict whatever you want to call it.  I don't know.  Was going to run 8.2 but added on for the heck of it.  Avg pace 8:34.  Geez  I don't even think I am at 60 miles yet.

Ran the MOST  awesome run EVER.  Thanks Kim.  Picked up Kim and met Melanie at the gas station at Smith's Marketplace in Lehi.  We ran 6 miles up Suncrest Drive (start elevation 4828 ft., end elevation 6243 ft.  Net gain= 1420 ft, mostly in miles 2 thru 6).  Avg. pace 9:30 on the way up. Spectacular views, headwind, cold temps what more could you ask for?  Tried to take off my wool-like 80s pullover but nope, too brisk a wind.  Biggest Rocky moment at the top.  Breathtaking.  The rich life exemplified.  Nice remote homes and a chapel on a hillside.  Too wonderful.  Views overlooking Draper/SLC and Utah Valley on the other side.  Too much I say.  Felt so good at the top I sped down at 7 min/miles.  Kim and Mel were taking it easy.  I felt too good to pass this moment up.  Ran 72 miles this week and I feel GREAT.  No aches, no pains.  Crossing fingers.   Helps if I get sleep which I got at least 5 hours of good sleep last night.  AHhhhhhhh!!!  Littlest daughter sick with the flu, high temp, sore throat and stuffy nose.  Started Thanksgiving Eve.  Should have known she was sick when she was lying on me the whole time we were at grandmas.  I thought she was being cuddly.  Total mileage 13.11 @ avg pace of  8:18  (Mel had to add in a mile at the end which we did by running to the stop light to the west and circling into Smith's Marketplace parking lot, passing the YUMMY smells of the new Kneaders, but deadended with the smells of sewage a few minutes later, lovely, last mile 8:03)