Let's do this!

I'm back!

I ran everyday in Page AZ. It was dry and hot each day as I ran. I ran inclined roads and trails everyday so today as I went to the gym, I worked on the elliptical for 60 min then I ran 2 miles on the tm and it felt easy peasy after the running I did earlier this week.

It's nice to be back and I have some fatty patty to burn off. What's new. This happens to me every year after I go to Lake Powell. There are to many treats to eat. Here we go!

Freedom run Monday morning. I feel pretty prepared after all my hill running the last two weeks. Let's do this!

Ow ow ow ow. Does anybody want to give me a muscle massage? I am tight and sore everywhere. Anyone-anyone?

5:30 wake up call. Ran to the gym 2.6, elliptical helled my life away for 40 min, ran home + some extensions. 6.2 miles altogether.

Already down 4 lbs of the 6 I gained at Lake Powell (don't be alarmed it's normal for me to gain that much every year I go :p ). I've only been home since Thurs too.

I don't even want to write up a race report. I am really sad at how I did. I shot out to fast the first half, and started struggling miles 5 and 6. It wasn't pretty.

I know I am totally capable of doing better than this. I'm a little upset..... I should've listened to Allie. The heat and humidity conditions were awful and didn't help either.

Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Whatev! grrrrr

I found the silver lining in this race. I ran the first 5k in 19:26. 5k under 20 min! Now I'm going to have to run another 5k so I can meet and check off that goal this year.

50 min elliptical and 3 tm miles to let me legs recover a bit. There is a slight soreness, nothing major at all. 

40 min elliptical (staring at eye candy, I won't lie) . Then I came home and ran 7 miles river trail loop in reverse.

The last thing Julie said to me before I left the gym was run it slower today (my quads are a bit sore from Monday). So cruising down the trail I pass by Julie and I look down at my watch and I'm running a 7:24. So much for running slower today.

This morning I ran the speedy Spaniard course with Merri and Susan. My arms were tired from the get go because I went to the gym and lifted weights before meeting the girls. Taking a mental note: lifting before a run is probably not ever a great idea. Spagetti arms.

It was a little muggy. I'm a little sick of this mugginess running or not. It just feels like I can't breath as well.  The course has an uphill the first mile and it's a wee bit brutal. But after that it's a pretty good cruise. -which is what makes in one fantastic race. Love me some Speedy Spaniard. 

1.35 miles on the pm.

5 miles at the gym -sprint intervals. 

7 miles- river trail loop twice with Merri, Susan, Allie and handsome fiddy.

I'm thinking of running fiddy cents race at the end of the summer. Something about cookies and a giant sock....race raffle will go on during the race with the dunce who signed up to help running and raffling. 

Good times and Allie's shoes are awesome. I am getting some. I sent Fiddy and Allie on their way to Yogurt bliss. Who knows if it was open but it's so good it's worth a shot.

My legs needed a break. Just an hour and 6 min of eliptical hell today. Oh, and weights. 

weights-

10 miles running river trail loop. My avg pace was a 7:25 today. So glad. I've been playing mental games lately. I think I've slowed down a lot in the past 6 months, but I look back at my garmin history and I ran most morning runs at that same avg pace last year. I don't know how my marathon will pan out this year. But I'll try to do my best. I think I train better when I run alone. My last mile, a couple of ladies on road bikes passed by, so I sped up to try and keep up with them. My garmin suddenly spun and looked something like this: ...7:26...7:22......7:18......7:15.... 7:10  Ooooo Lily run faster they are getting away! ...7:08......6:55.....Argh! I'm over it!....7:15.....7:26..... holding steady. :)  I make myself laugh sometimes.

There is a psycho looking fella on the trail just after 6:30 these days. He looks like he wants to murder someone. Serious. Freaky.

Red hot pink chics half on Saturday. If you want to come and run it, email me and I will give you Marion's email. It's so fun and we EAT after wards!

I woke up rather incoherent this morning, stumbling around in zombie mode. Makes for a  pathetic workout. 45 elliptical and 7 miles running the river trail. Totally drained now.

5:15 am Speedy Spaniard course with Merri and Susan. The temps were good and I felt like it was a good pace. 7 miles I ran with them. I enjoy running with those girls.

After I drove Merri up to get her car at the start, I headed back to the gym for some weight lifting. I had  a really good weights day today. I'm not sure why, but I just didn't feel tired or strained from it. Maybe I'm getting stronger.

After lifting weights I looked over at the treadmill and it was like the twilight zone. It was like the tm was beckoning my already tired legs to come run some more. Ha ha! So I did! I ran 3.25 more SPEED INTERVALS -after already running a good steady 7 miler outside. It was actually good. When you push your body doing sprints, it does something to you for the rest of the day. You get MORE energy (at least I do) and I feel like I am on a natural high for the majority of the day. I felt really good when I left. sweaty betty! On my drive home I leaned over in my car and grabbed a couple of pumps of hand sanitizer, because let's face it, the gym is a dirty greasy place, blech! But I digress..... Well as soon as I rubbed my hands together with the sanitizer, I could feel all the sweaty salt crystals on my hands. YUCK! I did sweat a lot today. LOL

no energy this morning. My run was really rough. Ran 6.5 and then 16 min elliptical. I don't usually like to run inside during the spring/summer/fall, but when I do sprints, I do. I just find it forces the faster pace. Outside it's easy to let it go. Inside, the treadmill isn't going to slow.

Saw Merri and talked to her for a min. We started talking cardio kick (the class she snuck out of for a drink when I saw her) and I busted out a move. I think she thought I was going to cardio kick her in the noggin with my move  :)

I think tomorrow I will do nothing. Rest. Because Saturday morning is the RHPC. It's so fun. I don't think I'll race it. Just run it the best I can. Hopefully Merri does too! :)

weights today. First thing. Bad idea. I didn't learn my lesson from last week.

30 min eliptical.

30 min running -4 miles.

Fatigue. Watch me bomb the RHPC tomorrow. I bet I will. I have no energy this week.

Oh I love this "race". In case you don't know, none of us really race it. We run up Provo Canyon chatting. That is the beauty of it. So the first half was pretty slow running and talking and enjoying the beauty of Provo Canyon. The bikers are mean, but the runners on that trail are all smiley and warm.I ran with Mckenzie, Aubery and MichelleL the first half. At the turn around we all shared some of my fuel (banana strawberry chews). At around 8:3 miles I felt my fuel kick in, and my adrenaline started coursing and I knew I was ready to take off the rest of the way down the trail to the finish. So after the other gals stopped for drinks and the restroom, I whipped out my headphones and turned up my music and just tempo ran the rest of the way. My splits for miles 8 to mile 13 avg. a 6:33. I had plenty of energy as I ended up eating all the carbs I could find all day yesterday. I felt so GOOD today. But oh dear, it's back to the clean eating today. It was fun while it lasted ( I'll miss you donuts!)

We had so much fun and I didn't want to win the coveted rooster, because now I have to display it, arrgh! hehe I got to talk with runningontwinkies, Kelli, KellieS, RAD,bye-wing, LUZ, Josee, Merri,Leandra, Aubrey, McKenzie, MichelleL,  and of course darling Marion, Melody, Wendy and a few others. There was a man there that had a pacer tech tee on, and I've forgotten his name, but recognized him from the Halloween half. I think there were at least 40 people that came out.

Michelle is moving and I'm sad. She has been an inspiration to me these last two years. Really gonna miss her. She held back so she didn't have to take the rooster to Hong Kong.

1 mile cool down with McKenzie and Aubrey

Sundaaaay morning run.

40 min elliptical. Weights. 8 miles running -speed intervals from 30-56 minutes. 

Trail run up Little Cottonwoodrow with Jun, Matt and Scott. It was fun. I like how it made me use my lungs more, made my feet sprawl to land, and the dirt was soft on my ever weakening knees. I know this is good for my body. I was told in physical therapy back in the winter, to run on trails more. So this was good! I probably slowed those guys down, because I wasn't quick at all. I was being cautious so that I didn't roll ankle or trip. I don't need an injury at this point. Summer racing is just starting for me. 

The trail was super pretty and I enjoyed my time on it and with those guys. They are good friends. My achilles got some raw rub going on, but Jun let me borrow his socks. What a gentleman! That helped me tons. 

Running down all the vert we ran up is hard on the quads, but not so bad that I feel wrecked. I feel ok compared to other times. I know it will make me stronger.Good times. But to be honest you know what I feel like doing now? hint: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz    :)

45 min elliptical, 7 miles running the river trail. That was to much today on my sore quads. What is it with me and doing things when I should rest? Duuuur. I always realize when I'm in the thick of it (like on the actual run) that I am doing to much and pushing to hard. 

Last Saturday Aubrey Yoachum from here in S.F. told me she wouldn't be running the Speedy Spaniard on Monday here in Spanish Fork (she was the 1st woman through the finish line last year from Spanish Fork, I was 2nd) so she said something to the effect that I need to show up representing. :) It made me smile but it also scared the foshizzle out of me. Pressure! I'm not worried, between Merri and I and all the other good runners from around here, there is a few of us that will bust it out. I love that race!

Everybody pop over to Rachelle's blog. She is new to the blog. Some of us down this way know her. She runs fantastic!

Somebody call the whaaambulence! My quads hurt. I cannot paform. I cannot run. My legs need rest. I think this may cause me to bomb the speedy senorita on Monday. Oh my!

elliptical for 1 hr 30 min, weights. Elliptical helling that long brought back sweet remembrance of injury mode. 

@#$%^&&*()_!!=^&+@#$%^!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Somehow I need to get back to what I was doing a year ago. AWWWW THAT'S IT, next week I am going into marathon training hardcore! Watch out people!

ran 5 miles, walked 1 mile. Quads are feeling way better today, but still some residual soreness. I caught my finger on the elliptical today and cried at the back of the gym like a little girl. I'm laughing about it now, but some lady saw me and got very concerned. Grown chic crying at the back of the gym!  :)   It did hurt....

Fiesta days race on Monday! I will try my best to use a better game plan and bust out a good time. Errr um I hope so anyway!

I've been biting my nails for the last two weeks at how well or not I would run this race today. It's a hometown race and so sometimes it feels like expectations can be high. I haven't done a ton of speed workouts since being injured this last winter. I have tried off and on, but I kept feeling hurt after the workouts. So I haven't done enough of that. 

I got a ride with Merri and her hubby and another neighbor this morning. I felt pretty good about today. Sometimes my psyche has let me know before a race that I will do ok. I felt yesterday and today that I would do ok. I wrote down all my splits from last year on my hand near my watch. but I only briefly looked at them during the race. Mostly in the last 3 miles. I knew I didn't want to go out to fast like I did at the Freedom run. So I didn't, and I kept full control over my breathing.Merri went out with the same plan and it was successful for both of us. I felt so lucky to be running side by side with my friend for nearly the whole race. There was a gal up ahead that we kind of targeted to pass. Neither of us ended up being able to, but it was nice to have something to focus on on the dreaded miles through the river bottoms. That is the hardest part of the race.

Splits: 7:08, 6:33, 6:40, 6:41, 6:43, 6:58, 1:06. I kind of mentally quit the last mile. I did that at the freedom run as well. But, I've started working on the mental part. And now, in the last few weeks, I feel like something has clicked & changed in my body. I feel like my body has gotten a lot stronger. So I am going to step up my workouts between now and SGM.

I  can't lie, I was a little sad that I didn't beat my time from last year. I was 16 seconds slower this year. But, after I got home I realized that I am doing ok and I still have time to do even better.

Funny note:, during mile 4.5, I passed this guy I know from high school, in the exact same spot I passed him last year. I tapped his arm and said this is total dejavu! I passed you here last year! He laughed. And I continued on. Well, about 5.80 miles and almost to the finish, he came cruising by me, JUST LIKE LAST YEAR! AHAHAHA! It was the twilight zone. We had a laugh over it at the finish line. To funny. My oldest Gavin (11) and my daughter Maile ran the 1 mile, Gavin was 3rd overall, and Maile was 12th female and first in her age group 1-5 yrs old. I was so proud of them. Gavin ran a 6:50 mile. Nice!

Here's to hobble creek and Saint George Marathon training! Ready, set, Gooooooooooooooooooooo!

Weights first thing.

10 miles, 5.2 of sprint intervals. I'll let my legs recover tomorrow morning instead of today :)

Elliptical hell for 60 minutes....it was hell!

My knee hurts! @#$%^& ((*&**&^T^#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Yesterday was a bad idea. I should write a book about how to punch it to hard and get hurt. I am a master at it. I came home and tried to run and it hurt like a mother. GREAT! I have a feeling I am not going to be running a marathon this year.

The guy that gives Julie the creeps at our gym decided to ellipticize next to me. He was greasy and sweaty and smelled like sunblock and I wanted to relph. He kept looking at me ( I could see out of the corner of my eye). SCARY!

STUPID KNEE! STUPID ME!

I hitt 1000 miles running this morning. I smiled and celebrated in the moment. 7 months ago I was unable to take even 1 step in a run because of an injured pirformis muscle. Today I ran 7 miles pain free and I smiled the whole time. I feel so alive!

7.2 miles running, outside. 45 min of elliptical hell at the gym.

Yesterday was doom and gloom about my knee. Today I felt nothing in my knee. I came home happy as can be and crazy singing and dancing.

Met Merri at 5:30 and we ran 4 miles up the S.F. river bottoms. Lot's of wind resistance until we hit the turn around, then 4 miles back to our hood for water and fuel. Then joined by Tammalama for 5.1 more totaling 13.1.

 The problem: I got an email from the Timp half marathon inviting me in tomorrow. 

The dilemma: I ran freaking 13.1 this morning. My legs can't take that sheet 2 days in a row!!!??!?!

Weights. Then....

8 miles in 54 minutes. Speedy run.

20 min ellitpical hell.

ran 4.25.  1 mile in I saw a kitten all tied up and on the road with it's bowels hanging out  from being split up the middle.  I feel traumatized. Poor little kitten. Some screwed up persons did that on purpose.