Patience; the new endurance sport.

My Garmin contact points are worn down so I have to shove them  into the holes.  I just figured that out.  I didn't know why my Garmin was 'losing' charge...it was actually never getting charged.

I had such high hopes for this week being more simple.  I am still beat, and just found out I am going to miss my nephews combined court of honor in DC.  I am bummed. 

Ran 4 in the morning with Catherine, and ran 3 more with my son in the afternoon.  He's training for his school's 5K.

Ran a nice, easy chatty run with cath, then went over to the 5K where my kid's school was having their race. It was fun to watch him run it.  He did try to run faster than we did the Freedom Festival, he did not want me to run with him (said I'd hold him back).  It was really inspiring to see how many parents ran with their kids (Cath ran with her cute girls).  The XC coach for Timpview paced his son too--first finisher at 16:58 for a 6th grader wasn't to shabby.  My son said "everyone says that kid won because he cut corners".  I said, "that kid came in 3 minutes before any other kid...he won because he runs fast."  I want my son to like running, and he was proud of his 24 minute time and 32nd place out of 200 classmates--but the great thing about running is (self) truth.  It's a good lesson for a 6th grade boy to realize exactly where he stands so he can either improve himself or give the winner's their due and be a good sport.  It was a good learning experience, and it was fun.

My friend Shawna came down from Salt Lake to run.  Shawna's Dad and my Dad were good friends when they were young, and it was nice to be reminded of them through our visit with each other. Her Dad was an awesome man, and it was great to see her again.  It had been a long time.  We ran from the house down to the Tabernacle and met Michelle, Jos, Mac, and Ericka who were running the Provo half.  Michelle was primed and ready to win.  We ran close to the course about a half hour ahead of the start.  But I was out of juice by mile 8 (my own fault for reduced mileage, lack of proper hydration, sheer laziness, you name it).  Shawna was a sport. She's training for UVM too and told me all about her neighbor's studies in Nurological marathon recovery.  Very interesting stuff --he's a physiologts and her husband is a PT.  So she's very knowlegeable. She's also tall, if I havn't mentioned it--she's 6 feet and an ironman triathelte.  I felt bad I was dragging her around the South Provo with my whimpy, whiny, dehydrated piraformis problems. We did a portion of my old bike trail, peeked in the back yard of my renters at the house, and  got to cheer Michelle at the half point.  Along the trail, Shawna and I got passed by Mac & her friend, and Josse.  My friend headed back home to her daugther's volley ball trny and I hung around with Michelle for a bit, waiting for Josse & Ericka, and hoping to see Michelle get her prize.  Then I got a call I had to go get my kids from their service project.  I guess 6 hours of cleaning up city parks was enough to make them call me 100 times in a row and come pick them.  Aside from my own sloppy run, it was a fun day to be out, see pals and see Michelle do her thing out there.  Spring, is finally here which means I'll be back to 6 am runs pretty shortly.

This weather is absolutely killing me. I have not been this cold, chilled to the bone since I lived in the South of Chile and it was rainy and wet all the time.  On the flip side, it's like living in Ireland.  I've never seen the hills so green or the clouds and fog so low.

Sebastian and Ivan ran with me today.  It was nice to have company and together the two boys push the pace. So we averaged 8:40's on a flat run by the river.

9:34 ap It's a little warmer, but still cloudy.  The grey has me down.  It reminds me of June in San Diego when it's hot like summer, but overcast until noon every day.  I've been riding my bike to work in spite of the rain and I know it's got to stop soon.  I forgot to mention it:  I got in to St. George.  I really should boycott it because of their stupid lottery. But this may be the last year I can conveniently run it, and I got in, and I didn't get into NYC becaue of their stupid lottery....so I guess I should be happy I got a number.  Maybe I should just skip UVM and work toward a more significant effort at SG instead of all this trash running.

What a glorious bright, clean, cool Spring morning. FINALLY. My crabapple trees are blooming deep reddish pink and the grass on the mountains and hillsides is lush and deep green.  Everything was frangrant florals and peppery fresh.  I found a really great loop that only requires 1 out of 6 miles to be at about a 20% incline. I hate the hills around here. It was a great morning though, and I was thrilled to be able to get a good quality run & core work out in before breakfast.  I can't wait for the kids to get out of school so I don't have to rush so hard in the morning or put off my run until the afternoon or evenings. Today is a big day for me....I am ever closer to Jimmer Fredette on my billboard.  Coach Rose has talked to Jimmer's father and they've all said yes to both my radio PSA's and my billboard. I've just got to clear the project with his agent.  It will be so great to have a fresh new look and Jimmer's support.  It's the most exciting thing that's happend to me in a while. 

ran my new loop down by the riverwoods

9:34 ap w/ Smooth

Ran to my daughter's soccer game from the house, by the time I got to the game it was windy and had dropped 15 degrees.  I stood there in the wind, in my damp running attire, literally going hypothermic until another parent/friend offered me a blanket.  My daughter played very aggressive defense.  I'm proud of how tough she is. 

Ran a with Cath in the morning.  It was sooooo nice to have friend to get up with--especially since the day is overcast and rainy-ish.  It makes it worth getting up early.  But my knees hurt this morning because of my new 'unconstructed' running shoes... now my hips too after sitting too long at my desk. 

Could new (unconstructed) running shoes cause me to be more sore than normal?  My knees and hips are sore like arthritis.    Ran in the a.m. w/ Cath.  I hate/love the rain.  Nice to be cool, not fun to get pelted in the face and feel your tendons shrink.  The overcast sky makes it hard to stay on top of my energy level.  I'm back on Iron again.  Jos said it took a full year to recover from episodes of anemia.  I need to stick with it. 

Sticking with Cath's low mileage while her leg heals. It's been such a pleasure to have a friend to run with...in this horrific rain.  I will never get over the Spring of '11..the Spring the rain never ceased. 

9:28 ap This low mileage is making me anxious.  I really do think however, that running just 4-6 miles a day is what my body can handle.  I feel great....

Got up early to run into the hills with Cath. She said she wanted to see how far she could run on that healed leg of hers.  I offered to have my husband pick her up at the mid point of the run and drive her home, but she stuck with it and ended up pushing me those last 2 miles home when my hamstring ached so badly and the gel I took made me dry heave a few times.  The lowered mileage from these past few weeks has helped me get through the days, but the long runs are hard when your mid-week mileage doesn't build up your resistance. Unfortunately, this 18 miler is going to have to be my 'long run' for UVM.  I'm not able to do more right now, and it's a pleasure just catching up with Cath and doing our morning 4-5 mile runs together.  I love getting up in the morning, I love having that part of the day to myself and to share with a pal.  It puts the rest of the day in order.  Sadly, the best part of my day is often over by 7:00 a.m.

9:08 ap Finally, a day without a rain jacket and hat--no need. Thankfully, the morning was calm, and balmy and didn't start to rain until later in the day.  I feel so lucky to have those morning moments...the world is so good before 6 when you have it to yourself.

Started out slow, but ended ap 9:38.  Loving the green, and the lushness of the rain.  Even if it is inconvenient.

Ran 4 with Cath in the morning, we got a couple of solid 8:40's in there.  Love going 4 miles it makes me feel like a champion.  Ran another 3 up to the cemetary and back.  Found a new strap for my Garmin $19.99 instead of having to replace the whole thing.  Garmin also told me how to clean the connection points.  I'm glad.  I don't really want to buy a new Garmin, mine is only 4 years old.  Anyone seen anything about the running class at UVU? https://aceware.uvsc.edu/ShowSchedule.awp?&Search=KEYNAME&Target=runners&Title=Search+Results&Descript=Course%20Name%20Contains%20runners

Ran 5 w/ cath and the dogs in the morning....then up the hill for a better look at the valley & the lake before sunrise. So serene, so green.  The girls (dogs) were freaking out, poor little things hadn't been on a good run for a few days.  I have no AP because my Garmin gave up the ghost for the umteenth time.  But it's ok, I was in love with the Blue sky.  Finally! I have been controlling my freak-out over interminable rain.  But over the weekend, a group of my bestest friends facebooked me their shenanigans from Newport RI on Rapture day--sunshiney, beachy, balmy darling New England Resort town.  It broke me in half.  Monday, one of those friends showed up at my office with a beautiful pair of silver earings they picked out for me at a cool little shop there, to show me how much they wished I'd been there too.  I needed that blue sky in the morning today. Now I'm all better.

Ran with Cath and her sister Kendall  who just arrived from Atlata for a month's visit.  Cath's sister was an olympic figure skater (her skating pictures graced the downtown SLC buildings wrapped with photos of olympic atheltes).  Cath has said that her mother referrs to Kendall as the "pretty one" and Cath as the "smart one".  All I can say, is those are two pretty amazing girls.  AP 9:08 (Granny took it up a notch for the young'uns).

Kendall came with Cath and I to run Provo Canyon.  It's fun to have someone new around and hear what they have to say.  I felt bad though, going so slow.  I think Kendall might like to run faster, but I was tired.  Our ap was 10:13 (in spite of two 8:40's coming down the canyon). Then my legs were achy and a little sore the rest of the day.  Foam roller, foam roller, foam roller and iron......It worries me that running 12 isn't a treat after so many weekends of higher miles.  If I don't rock 12, then what for Utah Valley marathon? I should be running shorter races and do more speed work over trash miles.  Toward the end of the run Cath said her leg was twinging during the week.  Hmmm.

Cath and her leg need a little break today.  Well, they don't need a break, they've got a break. What she needs is to heal her stress fracture by staying off her leg.  She's out for today.  Ran in the cool morning rain (yes, rain, again) around my new favorite 6 mile loop.  So many cars heading to the cemetary today.  Everyone remembering their loved ones.