Ashley Jensen's running blog

8:48 pace. 10:00am.  27:53 minutes total

2 miles. 8:30 pace. 2:30pm

8:45 pace.  2:00pm. 27:46 total time

10:30 pace. 11:45am.

8:50 pace.  8:30am

9:30 pace at 6:45am.

8:30 pace, but I was out of breath by the end. 

It was a hard run as I was talking throughout the run and because I haven't run much lately. About 1/4 mile from the end of our run I got a bad side ache which came back for about 24 hours everytime I exerted myself. Obviously I'm not running enough!

Ran with Bingo, my dog, and a Jen, Rock these past 2 days.  We were slower today: 9:30 pace.  

sick today.

sick today and so tired

still sick.  Will try for tomorrow.

3 miles, 8:35 pace, total time: 25:11.46.

8AM.  Okay, so I tried to strike on the balls of my feet and absolutely HATED it!  I did feel propelled forward, but at a pace that my heart couldn't maintain for long, and I felt like I was getting the worst ever shin splints. I do love to run barefoot, so I'll have to see sometime if it feels any different when I don't have shoes on. But that will have to wait until its a bit warmer. I don't do crazy winter barefoot runs like some people do.

3.22 miles, 9:19 pace. Total time  30minutes exactly.

6:50am.  Okay, I wasn't expecting to get up early today, but my dogs wouldn't stop barking and once I was up, I figured I might as well run.  Yeah!  Thanks Bingo. (but stop barking!).  Anyway, it was a slow and comfortable run. Thoroughly enjoyed it! 

8:54 pace. 10:00pm. It was a bit scary in the dark with the dog and others with their dogs whom I couldn't see. Just wanted to get a run in before the day was over.

 I also went on a 3 mile bike ride with my kids. So, it wasn't a lot, but it felt great to be outside. It was wet today--even a couple of periods of hail. Thank goodness the rain let up so we could make the bike ride home because Shad was threatening to stay at the gas station over night. 

I know its hard to believe but I am sick again. I thought it was food poisoning from the whooper jr. I ate yesterday, but now I'm wondering since 2 of my kids are starting to exhibit the same symptoms: naseau, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chills, drowsey-ness, and muscle aches. Hmmm.  I need to be more healthy

6:45am.  12:49.44  time.

1 mile

 slow 

Mountain biking:  2.58 miles.  25:02 minutes.  6.2 mph.  160 calories.  136 bpm

running with Elisse: 3.32 miles.  45 mintes.  13:38 minutes/mile. 120 bpm.  208 calories

In the morning, I took a bike ride with Nunzia.  It was slow and flat, but lots of fun:

20.2 miles,  10.6 mph.  Time: 1:54:03.  Calories: 688.  Average heart rate: 119bpm 

When we got home we took a little jog/walk: 1.8 miles.  Very slow.  15 minute pace. 

We took another ride in the evening with the kids and with Dixie and Steve.  Here are the stats:  6.92 miles on the bike. 56 minutes. 7.4 mph. average heart rate: 109.  

2 miles at 6:30am.  Don't know my pace

3.11 miles.  9:10 pace except when I was starting and finishing. Had my dog and it sometimes takes me some time to get in a rhythm with him.

Cycling 7 am: 5 miles.100 bpm

6:25am    9:30 pace.  156 bpm

9:39pace. 156 bpm--6:20am

cycling  4.65 miles

10:12 pace. 144 bpm.  6:20am

Cycling

6:30am.  5.82 miles.  5:39 pace.  108 bpm 

cycling

5miles. 5min/mile 

 6:30am 3.94 miles. 9/mile pace

5pm:  cycling 7.91miles. 4.54 pace.  131 bpm

7:15am-  8:59 /mile

7:30am --8:51 pace 3.17 miles/ 160bpm 

8am-  9:19 pace. 3.17 miles  163 bpm 

6:30am--Cycling: 5.79 miles. 6:30pace.  117 bpm

6:22am--9:50 pace. 148 bpm

12.84 miles cycling.  4:28 pace.  112 bpm

6am- 9:38pace for first half. 10:22 pace for second half. 143 bpm

7am- 9:30 pace.

6am--9:27 pace. 148 bpm

6am.  11.61 miles on the bike. 4:20 pace. 113 bpm

7Am.  9:06 pace. 151 bpm

6:17am  2.55 miles 10:45 pace

Yuck! 

Easy run on the course of the upcoming 5K with Heather Langeland.  Pace is just below 10 minutes/ mile.  6am

6:20am   4.5 miles. 8:56pace. 152 bpm

Cycling: 5.5 miles. 6:36 pace. 2:04pm

9.45 miles. 4.14 pace.

cycling 11.63 miles. 6min pace. 143 bpm

3.72 miles. 9:02 pace. 151 bpm

Matt leaves town tomorrow so I don't know if I'll be getting any excercise for the next 10 days.  We'll see how it goes. 

NSL 5K:

Finished in 25 minutes, but it wasn't really a 5K. Had 7:50 pace for first half, but petered out.  8:20 average by the end. 

9.06 pace. 154 bpm average. 3.5 miles

9 min/mile. 151 bpm average. 3.5 miles

5 miles cycling with Nunzia.  We tried the hill but went down early for her sake.  It was great fun!  not very hard, but like I said, we went down early.

3.5 miles cycling STRAIGHT up in the 3 Kings Bike Event in NSL. It was Awesome!  My son Nathan did it with me and I was going his pace.  I can't wait to do more next year.

8:30 pace. 163 bpm average heart rate

2.5 miles.  8:30 pace.  Did some hills and felt strong, but my heart rate won't seem to let me go far.  

10.53 pace.  It was on the hills up Heber canyon during a family reunion/  Got startled by some deer and went home early.  145 bpm

4 miles 9:38 pace.  154 bpm

1/2 mile at 8:05 pace...I think my watch died  ...143 bpm

9:40 pace  147 bpm

9:19 pace. 155 bpm

9:40 pace   149 bpm

10 miles on the bike 14.9 mph. 150 bpm

10 miles on the treadmill at 10pm.  6.75 mph I think

4 miles 8:58 pace.  153 bpm

10 miles on the bike 13.7 mph.  117 bpm

Hobble Creek Half Marathon.  8:51 pace.164 bpm  1080 cal. 7:55am start time

4 miles 9:20pace..  146 bpm

3.5 miles on the bike. 10.3 mph.  115 bpm

5:42am. 9:15pace .  149 bpm

2 miles 10:20 pace.  145 cal 136 bpm

2 miles. 9:16 pace.  140 bpm

3.6 miles. 158bpm. 8:40pace

7.75 miles. 9:11 pace. 150 bpm

6am. 5 miles. 9:30 pace w/ Jen.  Felt too slow.  143 bpm

4 mile bike ride.  13.2 mph.  111bpm.  6:50am

First ever awesome Legacy Trail Half Marathon  8:50am start time. It was way too hot by the time we were finishing!!!  3 participants. Tons of Fun! 13.2 miles 6.6mph for 10 miles then 8:51pace.   Race time not exact  My watch was set for cycling and I tried to change it after 10 miles and messed everything up. 

3:20 pm.  4.5 miles  8:52 pace. 159 bpm

4.5 miles on the bike.  14.2 mph.

9am  Did 8 miles.  9:14 pace.  156 bpm

Did 4.55 miles with 15 second sprints followed by 45 seconds rest .  15 reps after a 2 mile warm up.  My fastest split was 4:58 pace! With an average of 5:50

3pm did 12 miles 10:30 pace. 147 bpm.

Earlier I went out for a spin on my bike 9 miles, 12.7 mph.  It was a casual pace w/ Nunzia on her mountain bike 

5 miles pushing a double stroller w/ a few sprints.  10:04 average pace. 159 bpm

7 miles on the bike/ 14.2 mph.  I had a great speed on the way out (23 mph)but then had to fight the headwind on the way back.  113 bpm average

1.75 miles very slow.  I was going on 4 hours of sleep and just could not convinve myself it was worth it....

8miles 8:58 pace. 148 bpm average.  Hills

7:43  pace. on the 5k .24 min.

1 mile slow run.

10 mile bike  11.4 m/h 

8:33/mile for 2.63 miles.  164 pace

9:16/mile 2.19mile  

6:11am 

8:50 pace

155bpm 

10 mile bike?

9:23 pace

147 bpm

1325 cal 

7x 1/2 mile at 7:30-8:00 minutes pace

10 miles on the bike with Jen; we were both pulling bike strollers  It felt great. Not too hard, but not too easy.

2 miles at 8:45

6 miles at 9:15

144 bpm 

10 mile bike

5:28am--left early. It was still dark for some time. I ran 10 miles before I met up with Emily and Tara.  Then they rode their bikes alongside for 3 miles before they decided to chain up their bikes and run alongside.  It was a great run. I felt strong and fast. I could have done faster.

18 miles.  8:54 pace. 153 bpm.2:40:12 time. 

2 miles, 9:30 pace.  Included some sprints, but mostly just taking it easy.

10 miles on the bike pulling a stroller in strong wind and light rain. I didn't realize until I got home, but it was very hard. My legs were shaking for the rest of the day whenever I went up the stairs.

4 miles. 8:37 pace,  144bpm

Taking it easy before the marathon on Saturday. I was just going to use it as a training run prior to the Mesquite Marathon in November, but have decided there's no point to not try my best on it. So I will be attempting, again, to qualify for the Bsoton marathon.  I need to run 8:20 pace.  I have put in place 3 people at the end of the race to pace me--which has been my downfall in the past.  Regardless, it will be a good run (whether or not I make that goal)  because I've been feeling great lately.

I ran the inaugural Layton Marathon today and I owe my finish to the many angels who helped me along the way...

It was supposed to be a training run, but I decided just a week before to go all out and try to qualify for the Boston with it. This new level of commitment really made me nervous.  I started in the dark (it was pitch black) 5 minutes after the bell went off because I decided to take a bathroom break after the crowds left. It was a great strategy for me and really calmed my nerves to not start out in a rush of people. When I came out of the bathroom there was only a handful of straglgers and it felt just like any other Saturday run. So far, so good.

 Because it was so dark, I couldn't see my garmin, so I didn't actually take a look at it until mile 6 when I was headed up the only hill on the course. I was going 8:45 or 8:50.  This felt pretty good and I knew I was on track for an 8:30 pace overall as I would compensate for this slightly slower pace on my down hill (which I did).  Those first 10 miles or so, I gaged my nutrition on the conference talks I was listening to. I've decided to take a little nutrition every 30 minutes and it worked really well for me--except that I need something a little more solid (and salty) than Gu and Gel next time.  Around mile 12 I started to fade. At that point we were half way across the 7 mile cause-way to Antelope Island. I jumped in the wake of a guy I'd been leap-frogging with and decided to just keep pace with him. It worked beautifully.  After about a mile, we went through a rest station and he came out behind me as I didn't stop (I was carrying my own food and water).  I waited briefly to see if he was coming and he did--so we ran together for the next 3 or 4 miles. We talked a bit, but mostly, we were content to run side by side with a good stride at about 8:45 pace.  He was like an angel to me at that time

At this point, I was seriously beginning to doubt I had it in me to make up the time to an 8:20 or 8:30 pace.  Of  course, as soon as I thought that, I began to wonder if there was any point to finishing when I wasn't going to qualify for Boston and I really only needed 20 miles for the day.  That was the beginning of the end for me as I really died mentally at mile 16 and by 17 had almost completely given up.  Unfortunately, I haven't figured out the end game yet.  So at 17, I knew Emily and Tara were waiting just around the corner and suddenly I felt like I couldn't go another step.  I threw in the towel not only for this race, but for any future marathon.  My mind was spiraling to negative thoughts and I couldn't think of a single reason to keep going--quite the opposite of how I'd been feeling an hour earlier.  I stopped to stretch for about 2 minutes. Then with shoulders slumped, began to trudge towards where I would meet Emily. At this point, I'd driven the course and I knew exactly where she would be. There were a lot of concerned people passing, and one even offered me Exedrin. I didn't know what that would do for me, but I for some reason I accepted. (Of course, it took me the next 5 minutes to gag it down, because I don't know how to swallow).  Just 1/4 mile from where Emily and Tara a gal passed me whom I'd met that morning. She must have felt compassion for me since I had shared my "tinfoil" blanket with her in the dark as we waited for the race to start.  She just kept saying she was going to get me to my friends. I was really doing badly.  But she wouldn't let me stop. And even when I finally pointed them out, she wouldn't leave me until they were right by my side.  She is another angel I owe my finish too.

Emily and Tara were the biggest angels of all! I don't know what I would have done without them. At one point shortly after we met, I was so spent mentally that I sat down.  I just wanted a break for a minute. But they were on me in 2 seconds and pulled me up and informed me I was not stopping now and they had trained too hard this week to let me stop now. They did concede that I wasn't going to qualify for the Boston (because of mile 16 and 17), but insisted that I make this my best long run. I hardly responded to them the next 8 miles, but I absorbed every word they said.  They related advice, humorous stories, spiritual insights, reviews of conference, jokes,--have Emily tell you about the family that moved into her shoe-- etc.  I don't think I ever cracked a smile, but I was so grateful for their company and their optimism.  They new just what to say and when I needed another reminder that I could do this.  

About 5 miles from the end Tara suggested we guess how many people we could pass before the finish.  Emily guessed 15. Tara guessed 20. I thought a LONG time about it wondering if I'd be able to catch that person in front of us and then wondering if it would be subtracted back when they passed me again.  Finally, I gave an answer of "8" just so it wouldn't be totally pessimistic.  To my surprise,  Tara pointed out one person after another and would say, "that's who we're going after, the pink skirt" or "That group of walkers" or "The guy with the blue shoes" and before I knew it we had passed them.   Sometimes they were 20 feet, sometimes 20 yards or more  ahead of us. I couldn't believe it when they got to 50! people.   

At mile 23.5 another angel met us: Heather Langeland. She too had come just to help me finish. She had asked me before hand what she should talk about. I told her: "anything that you'd say to a laboring woman!" She said all the right things. She told me about her trip to Park City, she told me about other things in her family. She told me I could do it and how amazing I was. She counted down the time and the miles for me. When we came within sight of the finish I really wanted to just sit down and think about it (Why do I do that?!!!!)  But she just walked me through it. She counted the curves to the end, and the steps to the end, she pointed out my family, she reminded me that I was strong and that I wanted to show my family how strong I was.  And then, right at the last minute, she told me to sprint it. I would never have thought of that on my own. I had stopped thinking so many miles before. But she said it and I saw the finish line and I did it.  All three of them ran in with me in the lead sprinting --I am good at that at least. Then I stopped and threw up--I felt so much better after getting all that gel out of my stomach.

I had finished! I just couldn't believe it!  I can't take the credit even though I made the steps myself because I never would have done it without those angels! What a day! What a mix of emotion. I'm still not sure what to think. I'm definitely humbled by it. I'm frustrated that I'm so mentally weak as to give up so easily. I'm so grateful for so many people willing to reach out and help.  I'm encouraged and discouraged for the next race--not sure if I'll do better because I know better, I know what I'm up against and I have the experience or if I'll do worse because I won't have all those people in place to help me.  I do feel really good about my time.  It was a completely flat course except the one hill that goes up and comes right back down. That means, I didn't have any advantage that people get from hills. This makes me think that my time would have been better on a hilly course. I'm also grateful to have gotten in such a good long run before the race that I've been training for all this time: Mesquite marathon.  

If anyone wants to leave me advice, I'd love to hear it. 

8 miles on the bike.  11.4 mph. 120 bpm

9:27 pace.  146 bpm.  5:30am

sprints

8:33 pace.  10:00am.  157 bpm

2 miles of short sprints in the morning. Then 3 miles at 7:43 average pace in the afternoon.  Very hard strong run done in the second part

10 mile bike ride with Jen. Not hard as I was on a road bike and she had her mountain bike and a bike stroller. But still fun.

5 miles done in sprints....can't remember the details right now.

8 miles today. It felt great.I was only going 9:30 pcae, but I was also pushing a double stroller with my 2 year old inside.  Jen was with me for the first 3.

22 awesome miles today all by myself!  I'm so proud of myself.

My averages were:

3:16 total time

8:53 min/mile pace

149 BPM heartrate

My calves were really tight, but feeling much better now! 

30 min bike ride.  It was windy and finally cold enough that I had to wear long pants.  Nothing special.

5 miles. Easy pace.  My calves were VERY tight from the run on Saturday.  I think I worked through the last of that today.  

8 miles.  9:20 pace. 143 bpm

10 mile bike ride with Nunzia and Jen--I had a hard time. Felt very spent.

15 sprints-- average pace was around 6:40.  Overall, 9:03 average.

149 bpm 

22 easy downhill miles.  Slow 9:50 pace.  141 bpm average.  Great weather.  Started at 5:52am at the temple, went south then north to Farmington, then home on the Legacy trail. Hardly anyone on the trails even at 9 or 10am.

4 miles. 8:32 pace. 149 bpm average.  It felt fast once I got moving.  The first mile was 9:30 or so, but after that it was low 8's

7 miles. 8:39 pace. 155 bpm average heart rate.  Included hills

Sprint work.  9 min average.  But the pace on the sprints was between 5:25 and 6:00min pace.  Did 15 reps plus a warm up and cool down

9:00 pace.  Not a great pace especially considering how much down hill I had, but I got the job done. It was enjoyable, but I felt really sluggish. Everything seemed to move in slow motion.  I'm not sure why.  I got PLENTY of sleep, but nutrition could have been better.

tried to go for a bike ride but my bike had a flat. Later I changed the tube out and found a great big thorn.  But 10 minutes after I put the tub in I heard a loud pop. The new tube had split down the center 3-4 inches.   A few days later I had Matt patch my original tube but it only kept the air in it for 3 miles.  Now I've got a new tube, but no good riding in this week.

Rode my bike 7-8 miles.  My watch died. In addition to that, we had to stop to replace the tube.

3 miles fast.  Can't remember the pace/

23 mph winds for 18 miles and at least 10 big hills...actually, probably more...This was a hard course and I felt great despite the poor showing on my time. No regrets.

The first 8 miles I had to slow down to keep the 8:20 pace.  We had done 2 hills at that time, but when I came over the 2nd one I was hit by a strong wind that didn't let up for the remainder of the run.  It was brutal.  Matt was on his bike riding from the other end and he found me shortly after that. 

...oh, time for dinner. More later