Let's do this!

My husband flew in last night from Orange County and I waited up till about 10:15 for him, then we chatted and I ate a huge plate of red iguana he brought me home. I was stuffed. I didn't fall asleep until around midnight. I woke up late. I got to the gym and started up a dreadmill run. A man I have noticed more and more the last few weeks was next to me. I noticed him because he is FAST. He doesn't come in everyday, but when he does he runs super quick. So today I finally asked him his name and complemented him. His name is Steven King and he won the Spanish Fork half marathon this past Sept. He ran the SGM this past fall and did well. He said he doesn't really road race much anymore and feels out of race shape. But when he did race in his 30's, he did well. I looked up his race results and WOWZA, YES HE DID. 15 minute 5k?!?!

Insane.

He complemented me on my running as well. I thought it was kind of funny and wanted to write it down. He said:  "I come in here maybe twice a week to do my speed workouts on the treadmill in the winter. There are only 2 women in here in the mornings that I've noted so far that can RUN. You're one of them and the other is Kristen Thorne. Do you know her?" 

Haha, yes I do! She is the friend I paced with at SGM this last fall. Too funny.

Steven said he is planning on getting back into race shape this spring and summer and making a goal to run a 15 minute 5k this year. I think that is a mighty fine idea and I walked away feeling a little more inspired. I love running.

10.5 miles POW how's that! 

Weights -biceps triceps and legs all moooshed together.  It's Friday!

7 miles on the river trail loop x2. I wasn't able to get out until 9:45 but it was so fun. My fingers were cold but everything else was good to go. 

5.5 outside. Beautiful cold sunday morning!

Hang onto your seats because I'm feeling chatty.

Weights chest at the gym, then 21 minutes on the elliptical with hard effort.

Then I went home and got my cold running gear on. I was out the door by 6:07 and ran 6.60. It's a bit frustrating knowing in a week from now the time will flip forward. I'll be back in the pitch black dark for a month or so. I forgot my pepper spray and so I felt slightly uneasy during the run. It's not people I am worried about, it's dogs. Barn dogs. The further west you go from our neighborhood the more barn dogs there are. And they are scary. So I ran for a bit with a good size rock in my right hand. I was happy as a clam running with my tunes. I was doubled gloved. I wasn't cold at all. I wore Saucony stability trainers and they are so heavy to run in. I don't know how anyone could race in stability shoes? I felt like I was slow and picking up bricks with each stride. I am switching back and forth between my performance neutrals and stability shoes right now so my feet get some cushioning off and on. Maybe that isn't a good idea? I don't know... thoughts anyone?

What a good morning. The past 3 days of outside only running is rejuvenating my drive. While it's a bit of a slap in the face realizing that my outside fitness is not that awesome. I know with steady consistent training outside it will all come back + some in a short time. It does every year yeeeehooo!

Weights in the gym working lats for about 35 minutes. Then 26 minutes on the elliptical. 

Came home. With the pleasant temperature I ran in shorts and a thermal long sleeve running top. Gloves for the first 30 minutes, then took them off as well as my headlamp. I dropped them on my lawn and did another 1.6. It felt so good out and I saw the most beautiful sunrise today. My feet hurt a lot yesterday. The first .5 mile of my run today my feet hurt, but then it always goes away and I feel just fine. 

About a mile away from my house I looked at my watch and thought: 'this is crap, I can run way faster than this'. So I sped up to about a 7 minute split and held it. I was not winded, I did sprints all winter ( I still do once a week at least). I just needed the pep talk to kick into gear. It worked. Great morning. Loving being outside. I can do this.... 5.60 miles total today.

Jumped rope when I got home in the garage.

Strength trained legs. Then I thought I'd give my feet a break so I elliptical helled my life away for 45 minutes. Hard off and on efforts.

Have you seen this movie? I did today and cried! Please watch and then my idea will make more sense. Runners let's all get shirts screened printed for our upcoming races this spring and summer with the words: "Stop Kony"  and perhaps with the website kony2012.com  I feel like we can help raise awareness towards this animal  while running towards the shoot of a race. What do you say?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

http://s3.amazonaws.com/kony2012/kony-4.html

Weights worked biceps and triceps.

Ran 6.26, the first 4 miles were sprints. 

12 minutes elliptical.

I got some decent sleep last night after going to bed at 11-11:30 every night since Sunday. Last night I was out by 8:45.

This mornings workout: weights -shoulders. Then 30 min elliptical hellishness, came home and ran 6.1 outside. Avg pace was 7:47. Calories burned...j/k haha

Tomorrow: 8-9 miles outside in this beautiful weather.

9 miles on Saturday outside at 11 am. I was good until about 7.5 in, I haven't run this far outdoors for awhile and my body could tell. The last 1.5 were a slight struggle. I held on until 9 though. So glad.

 I also elliptical helled my life away earlier in the morning for 31 minutes. 

Sunday sin run. on the river trail. 4 miles. Nothing special- beautiful out though. I swear I have the best views.

I ran 8 miles this morning starting at 4:45 am. I know, crazy right? It was actually nice to get it in first thing and it's so dead outside not much traffic to worry about. There was a point on a lone road where I was scaring myself and doing involuntary speed work :)

Came home and got some stuff. Headed to the gym and strength trained chest. Then 28 min of elliptical hell. 

avg pace 7:35

I have learned a lesson today. I just have to get up and run first no matter what. I didn't do that this morning and my energy lagged horribly because of it. I lifted weights -lats and then 31 min elliptical before I left and came home to run outside. I just struggled for energy and umph the whole time. It was a poor run. So I know that getting the run in first is my top priority, and anything else takes a backseat. If I get the other stuff in great. If not, oh well. A great dane came up to me on my left in the pitch black. I don't like that. Seriously, people need to chain up their dogs at night.....

Track workout at 5 am with Merri. We both strength trained a lot this last fall and winter, and running had taken a backseat. Considering that, we decided to start out our speed work a little easier. So we did 6x100's. We sprinted the straight away of the track, and recovered on the curves. Then sprint the next straight away. My lungs burned bad. But I was semi-pleased with my leg turnover. Next week we will up it by 2 laps and keep progressing to a 200. I really like doing track work with another runner. It is so much easier and it pushes you. And it was GREAT to run with Merri again! Woo hooo!

Gym afterwards -worked legs and then I did 22 minutes of elliptical. Worked core.

6 miles w/ Merri, exhaust up our noses loop. Good times. Easy pace.

gym time: weights biceps and triceps.

Elliptical for 25 minutes. Chatted with Kira.

Tomorrow is my longer run. 9 miles.

8.2 with Merri! Gym for some shoulder weights. 31 min elliptical. Its friday! On my way to Krispy Kreme with the kids, trouble!

8 miles on the river trail loop. Did a 4 mile tempo with 4 more miles of shake out running. It hurt so bad, but I am a strong willed girl. I pushed through it and gave it my best. Looked at my watch at one point and was doing a 6:10. I know it's not the fastest but I am proud of what I can do. -esp after a long fall and winter of minimal daily mileage.

Ran 7 on the dreadmill. Lame. I hate inside. I was being a wuss this morning. 38 min elliptical. Worked core.

7.5, Okay, so it's Spring now right? I am sick of the chill. Go away old man Winter.

elliptical for 12 minutes.Weights -lats.

I did this all arse backwards today:

Strength training on my legs first. WHY?  I dunno...

Elliptical for 21 minutes.

Drove to the H.S. track and did 12x400's around 90 sec a pop. 30 sec recovery between. Gotta thank Lindsey Dunkley for the track workout plan. If I keep doing this it will get me where I want to be. It was so hard. I started fading around the 9th sprint but I didn't give up, I finished all 12 with the last one all out. I almost puked.

1.25 of cool down jog afterwards.

Strength trained my biceps and triceps a bit. Then 21 minutes on the elliptical, not much and pointless I know.

Came home and ran 5.50 miles. I felt slow and sluggish. I know it was supposed to be a slower recovery run day but I am still so hard on myself when I look at my watch and see an 8 min pace. I need to get over the psychie of it. I couldn't figure out why I had no pick up. Until I stopped to fiddle with my ipod, and I realized my quads were quite sore from the track workout yesterday. duh me.....that's why I was sluggish today. But I still came home feeling like a loser. I would have run at least 2 more miles, but I had a meeting early this morning at my daughters school I had to be too. Maybe some more slower miles this evening. I hope.

10 miles, 7 with Julie, 3 more for me alone with some mild speed on/off's. I had a great morning!

Group run up Provo Canyon trail. Merri and I met up with Allie and Cam. Smashing good time! I

A couple  miles up we ran into Melody who is in great shape for Boston. Also Julie E and Jossee. Somewhere around 4.5 Cam was keeping the pace rolling so I stuck with him and we kinda charged the incline up the canyon. Merri hasn't quite gotten back into the running swing, so Allie and her were just a little ways behind. Merri turned at 5, and Allie caught us shortly after. At 6 were turned around and semi-cruised the downhill.

After doing this today, it has only strengthened my resolve to do these up and backs to prep for UVM and Provo city half's. Cam said he'd join anytime. From now until May 5th and June 9th, I'm going to run up that trail and down as many times as I can.

The bikers on the Provo trail never change, bunch of bossy loud mouths.

avg pace 7:38

Sunday morning river trail run. 4 miles!

Elliptical 46 min. Lifted random weights (yeah I'm back doing randomness because I don't care).

Came home and ran  6.5 with 3.5 of it tempo . When I left, no wind. Halfway through the wind picked up. The wind made the run less than awesome and the tempo struggled.

I'm thinking I have some kind of strong energy field or something. I have noticed more and more that when I would run under street lights, they would suddenly pop off. This happened 3 times on the same loop, no lie. Eeeeeeek

47 min elliptical. Random weights. Came home and ran a recovery run outside. 7 miles. You better believe I turned up my ipod and had a great time, even in the dark alone. avg pace 7:50

Tomorrow is my track sprints day. Even though it hurts and burns, I am looking forward to it.

Gotta find a 5k sometime in April. Preferably the middle or end of April.

Wednesday, hump day! 48 minutes elliptical. Worked my core for half a second. I always have someone ask me why I elliptical before I run (or after, depending). I just like to keep a high volume of fitness and elliptical is not a lot of impact so.....

Left the gym and came to the high school track. Track day! Oh ya.

12x400's with 30 second recovery. This is so hard. But good news, I felt a little quicker and stronger this morning compared to last Wed. I didn't feel the fading until after the 10th repeat.

A picture of my last timed 400. just for fun. (I reset my watch each sprint to make sure I am hitting around 90 seconds each. It burns.)

Leg strengthening in the weights.

36 min elliptical

ran 7 miles on the river trail. Still have issues looking at my watch doing 8:20's on a recovery day. My legs were really tired from yesterday though. I wonder if world class athletes run an 8:15 avg on a recovery day? I wonder if they feel like a loser too ha!

Wellllla I was out late last night. Saw the Hunger Games movie with my Husband, Shawn. I didn't get to sleep until 12:15, then woke up at 5. I only ran 5 miles, but I took half a caffeine dose (very small) and had a productive, but short 5 mile run. Progressive splits for me this morning. I can't remember all 5, but I know the last was a 6:50.

More serious note, I need to start getting to bed early and running first thing so I can log the correct amount of miles. I haven't been disciplined in getting rest. Its my goal right now.

This is a great little article to read about eating  and taking care of your body-here

-36 elliptical before the run.

Us last night :) my husband look funny. It looks like he has giant hair. He doesn't, it the person behind him! :)

Long run today. I had the best time this morning on my run. I ran the river trail loop 3 .5 times which totaled 12 miles. There were a ton of runners and bikers out this morning. Which provided the opportunity for me to treat them like a competitor. I would pick a target up ahead and try to catch and pass them. This went on my whole run and it helped me so much. I learn a lot of things about myself and have good experiences it seems each year while training. This morning I passed an obese women in a wheelchair pushing herself up the river trail. I passed by her and she looked longingly at me, almost as if her eyes were saying to me to be thankful I can use my body so freely. I thought about how much I love to run and move. I teared up and felt ever grateful. 2 miles later, I passed a women who had been doing the walk/jog interval thing. She was a little overweight and you could tell hadn't really run much. As I passed her I thought I would encourage her a bit my telling her nice job. The next loop around she was coming towards me and she said "thank you for your words. Those things help someone like me."You just never know how a person is feeling...

 I felt really good for running 12 miles at a pretty consistent pace. There are times to feel proud of yourself, and today was kind of that way for me. I came home feeling really good about this long run. Here's to hoping for more!

.60 cool down before I hit home.

12 mile splits: 7:30 7:12 7:15 7:23 7:13 7:20 7:22 7:31 7:43 7:08 7:27 7:31