Believe to Achieve

Oh yah, bring it on.  17 degrees and 3-5 inches of snow on the ground for my running pleasure at 6:27am.  Was supposed to leave at 6am but I was enjoying my warm bed  and then I contemplated my day and there just was no way to pass this time up for my run so I dug deep and drug myself out of bed and into THE GEAR.  The same things I have been wearing lately to weather the frozen tundra of Utah dessert.  Anyway, just got out there followed car tracks for a bit and then I enjoyed more making my own footprints in the snow so I stayed on the side walks and ventured up 1100 north on to Canyon road twisted back to 600 west then up Farm rd. to Cedar Hills up and over to the mouth of AF canyon via some awesome hillage and then massive freezing head winds at the mouth of the canyon and then a nice tail wind to brush me through the golf course Cedar Hills trail.  This is the only point in my run I got to run on real ground (until the last .2 miles) as there was quite a bit of snow drifting happening out there in the open.   Couldn't get across 4800 north due to lots of traffic and treacherous conditions for crossing over to the extended trail so I stayed on the Walmart side and took a varied route back to my house extending for additional two miles.  A lot of the run was on the side of the road to sneaker-deep snow to avoid being taken out by some skidding driver.  It made it more snowshoe run like and hopefully strengthening my legs more for the big climb in June.  When I got to near my home there was some cleared areas of road that made me feel like I was on a conveyor belt moving me along at a swift pace as I no longer had to trudge the snow under my feet.  It was a funny feeling.  First mile 9:00.  Last mile 7:36 (don't know how I managed that in the snow but I did :D).  Total mileage 13.75 at 8:37 pace.  Wanted 15 but I got out too late and I couldn't pick up the pace much.  Oh well.

EXTREMELY NAUSEATED when I awoke at 1130am (wow 4 1/2 hours :D),  so I had to  RUN soon.   Ate lots of junk last night at work.  Work party from Wallaby's.  Really not my type of food. Too starchy and meaty.  Then tons of peanut m &ms.  Also not good for me.  Love plain ones much better.  White bread too which doesn't sit well.  And some root beer.  Oh I want to throw up thinking about it.  It was pretty much a nausea run the entire way.  Glad the sun was out to try to dampen the "frozen wind".  Temp below 20.  But really I have adapted.  Didn't feel frozen anywhere with all my layers.  Thought of removing my pullover but why?  I wanted to detox so I had to try and sweat well enough and I did.  I began to welcome the wind to cool me off. Stretched well when  I got back.  So nauseated right now as I write this.  Can't shower as husband is working on the plumbing in the basement.   I might be a snowman soon as my sweat starts to freeze.  Ran a similar route from last Thursday's run but added on what I would thought make it 10 but I was way over, that was surprising considering the icy, snowy and sometimes slushy roads with brisk wind chill.  Total mileage 10.58 @ 8:23 pace.  

Looks like there is no hope for a run today.  Heater broke down in the night.  50 degrees on the main floor with wind chill.  Smells like burnt rubber.  Was up at 6am trying to pry off the fan from the furnace (clogged filter from all the embers flying may have cause the motor of our fan to finally give, EVERYBODY CHECK YOUR HEATING FILTERS!!!!  NOW!!!).  Our filter was thick with filth.  I used to have a schedule to change filters, I think all my night work got me off my cleaning schedule.  I don't remember when I last changed it.  Not good.  So now on the coldest day of the year I am without heat.  I have no real desire to run right now.  I am very nauseated still.  Probably from the burnt rubber smell that the furnace gave off before the fan stopped working.  Bring it on I say.  JK.  I would rather be warm and cozy right now.  Heading for the upstairs to where we have a second furnace.  We are thinking of plugging in our microwave up there and secluding our little family there.  One big family adventure, survivor edition coming up : DDDD>    Neighbor furnace guy coming to check our furnace soon.  Oh please let it be the $5.00 part.  Yah think?   Not here.  Probably the $300 one.  Enjoy your warm homes everyone.

BRRRRRRrrrrrrrr!!!  Zero, I mean "0" degrees at 711am in Pleasant Grove.  Yes I got myself out there (late again, contemplation not helping my mileage).  Geared up as usual but added my neck warmer (again eighties style) from my teenage years skiing in SUB-zero temps in New Hampshire.  This weather ain't nothin!!  Never really cold, NUMB but not cold.  Wore soccer socks to my knees under my green sweats (sorry Kim) and my eyelashes immediately frosted over.  I wiped them often to have some visual.  Then I realized my eyebrows were frosted over.  Thighs and bum numb so didn't matter what the weather was like by now.  Fingers, chest, pretty much all of my upper body was toasty.  Kept that pull over on of course.  I am sure I got a few "who is that Nut in the streets?"  kind of looks but I really was feeling survivor-like.  At about mile 6.5 my right middle toe was in piercing pain.  This has been happening since the cold weather runs.  I think my nerves have frozen up sending pain messages to my feet.  Oh well.  Thawed out pretty good in the car pool drive to school this am.  I was seriously melting like Frosty.  Had Troy take a picture of me.  Will try to post it later.  I am also running 8 more miles this PM on the TM.  Why?  I know not.  It is just I felt too good and I barely got started this morning.  Partially in charge of a big ward Christmas Dinner tonight so lots to cut and cook today.  Ran 9.42 miles @ 8:20 pace.  Last uphill mile felt like I was running in place, stiffly, and was 8 flat.  Weird.  I honestly thought I was in slo-mo. 

PM UP DATE RUN:  Didn't think I would make it out to run.  No TM time so ran AGAIN OUTSIDE.  At least now it was 230 pm and 15 degrees.  Sun helped.  I was hot from working on the Christmas Party for tonight in the HOT gym of the church so didn't think to gear up much.  Wore shorts under regular very baggy sweats, no pullover (shocker), short nylon shirt with a BYU sweatshirt (80s style of course).  Headband and gloves a must but felt surprisingly warm on this run until the end when my fingertips sweat started to freeze from blowing my nose on my gloves.  No cold just lots of draining in the cold.  Ran rather quickly for an ICE cold run.   Had lots of red marks on my abdomen, neck and wrists.  7.92 miles at 8:01 pace.  Wowsers.  I did it., 

Sadly I DID NOT MAKE THE LOTTERY FOR THE SQUAW PEAK 50 MILER!!!!!  They will post the 60 person deep wait list later.  Question is do I want to bank on being let in?  Last year everyone on the wait list were offered spots to run it but not until May.  Blah, Blah!!  Post office error?  My luck is running out.  I made the SGM lottery  the last three years and given a spot one year.  We shall see if I even make the wait list because everyone with a post mark Dec. 1st should make it on there.  I mailed mine in the wee hours of Dec. 1st as I worked the night before. What to do?  Perhaps I should just train for a fast marathon?  The new and improved Utah Valley Marathon, offering money to the master's division.  I don't like this predicament. 

1030am run:  11.31 miles  up and around over to the canal trail a varied route with a lot of hills.  The canal was nice with some 4 wheel tracks on it to make it smooth.  Felt colder today.  The sun behind a thin layer of clouds not helping.   Hands sweaty but too cold to take off gloves. Wimpy me. Thermometer at the end of my run at Manila Elementary read 18 degrees as I ran passed it.  Pace 8:08. 

A measly 7.5 miles.  Tired.  Very busy night shift, no time for sitting much even for a break.  Slept 4 hours.  Snowed about 5 inches.  Slushy, snowy run.  No sun.  Hey but over 20 degrees!!  First mile felt out of body slow at 8:55.  A lot of weaving around slushy/icy spots for a bit.  Ran a two loop route just to get in 7 or so.  Really had to drag myself out today.  Could have added more on by the time I ended but decided I deserved a break.  Threw a couple of MP miles at 6:59 and 6:56.  Felt easy but I was sleepy.  So just took it easy in between.  Avg. pace 8:07 for 7.52 miles.