Patience; the new endurance sport.

Got up with the kids to do the Freedom Festival 5k. I was so excited we were "running as a family!" Until my daughter said "um, you don't expect me to run with you, right?" Then she finished in 21 minutes . Brat, but good for her. She runs so hard in soccer, she probably does a 5 por 10 k every game and she is FAST on the field. She said the 5k was only a moderate effort and felt easy compared to soccer. So that,axe me proud. My son on the other hand who comes home from XC to report his mileage like he's all that, ran the first mile with his sis and lost steam/confidence completely and finished 4 minutes after me. He started in on all the reasons he held back, lost steam, had a bad race. And hoping to teach him something about reality I said "son, there is ALWAYS a million reasons why we don't do our best and they don't even deserve mentioning them if you think they are excuses. In running, you either do or you do not finish with a respectable time. If you didn't try your hardest, no one's interested in why not. We want to hear what went right". He was quiet but I'm not sure if he was taking in a dose of running math reality, or if he was mad. In all fairness, this was his first attempt at 'racing' so I pointed out that starting out too fast before you can find a suitable sustainable pace is just as bad as just taking it easy and running slowly (time wise). I don't know what he'll take a way fom that. Fourteen year old boys, at least mine, seem delusional about their abilities. It's a cross between helping the, see reality so they can improve their performance, and allowing them to build a little confidence without self deceit. Not sure I'm the one to teach him those lessons though. Mom's "don't understand" .

Probably not such a great idea to run a half marathon the first Sat. after not running for 2 weeks. I ran extra miles on Thursday after the Freedom Festival and could feel it yesterday. On my last trail run, I got horrible poison ivy, probably using the bushes somewhere (tmi). Because of my immune system idiocy, the rash became pervasive and they had to put me on prednisone and augmentin. So I have been a dragging, swollen, bag of hives and blisters driven to the brink if itchy madness. The rash, is gorgeous, as far as rashes go. So there's that. But anyway, we wanted to run with Josse and Michelle, Rachel, etc. for some impromptu RHPC love for Josse and because Michelle's here from Hong Kong. I saw Michelle Thursday doing the Freedom 10k and cheered for her as she speeded past me going up 9th east going on to become the first woman finisher (way ahead). Anywho, I made the mistake of bringing my sweet old dog Sara today, who's 9 now and losing her hips. I did it to ensure that I would only run 6 or 8 miles. But Rach kept me company and before I knew it we'd already gone 5. So I let her go ahead, I finished the 6.6 is and waited so we could finish the canyon, I was actually feeling great, but my dog, not so much. Poor old girl. We actually had to wait on her a few times. She's no good for more than 6. The girls brought breakfast fruit and water (I got locked out of my house at 6am leaving my cut, chilled watermelon on the kitchen counter). It was good to see Josse and Mac and Michelle even briefly, but I really need to get with it and call Karen (Smooth's friend/neighbor). Running with the guys my own age was a revelation when I ran 13 or 14 with their group a few weeks ago. I'm ok with slowing down if I can keep some good company. Anyway, Josse's having it tough, more tough than anything I am fit to bear and so we wanted to show her our love and support today. I'm glad I went, though my dog and I will be a little sore today. If my rash and the fever would just subside ill start some regular mileage this week. The cooler weather and the rain were literal heaven to my skin. Sending my love and gratitude to the universe and saying a prayer for Josse, Jade and Karin and their family.

9:44/9:42/9:50/10:01/11:16/11:45/11:30/9:25/10:10/10:02/9:47/10:30/10:09

I waited until 9 pm to run. It was so dry and hot, and the air quality so bad. A runner went by in the afternoon breathing through a handkerchief and when he saw me watering the roses, he jogged up and asked me to spray him down. Why was he jogging at 101 degrees? And he was an older guy too with a UVM shirt, he should have known better. By 9 it was windy, blowing around the settled smoke and smog. It was perfect. I felt amazing. I clipped along at a good ap(9:50) it got cooler and cooler as I went. I ended up at Rock Canyon park running the path and getting hit by sprinklers. I felt like a kid, running in the dark soaking wet. It was delicious. Then the breeze cooled me down even more. It wasn't a pretty night out, but I definitely go the best of it. Furthermore, it was strange, there was hardly anyone out and about. I had the streets and the park to myself.

9:25/10:33/10:46/9:47/9:22/10:19. Ap 10

It's a bad idea to run after eating about a pound of Carmel popcorn your neighbor friend made for you and brought over 5 minutes before you run. But whatever....

I have been loving to run at night. It's cool and I feel free that all my duties are behind me. Also. The sprinklers go off at night and I find intense, almost perverse pleasure running into the sprinklers at full speed. So while the lovers are making out in the dark spaces of the park I am running along the path laughing by myself and soaking wet praying not to trip in the dark.

It was really rainy this morning so I put off running until noon.  It was still cool, and muggy when I left.  Humid running reminds me of running in DC, NYC, or Boston.  The rivulets of sweat coming off your arms and face is deeply satisfying.  Usually Utah is so dry the sweat leaves salt patches on your neck and arms.  Not today.  I ran a little over two miles up the canyon with a handsome young lawyer visiting from Syracuse NY.  I seem to know a lot of people from Syracuse these past few years.  We chatted about upstate NY, weather, people we might know in common from here and there. He's here doing something for BYU law school and knows a few friends of friends (Moms of his friends and other Lawyers I know)  I was 23 years old when he was born.  I can't believe that there is an entire lifetime between how old I am and those in their 20's.  

I have decided that 9-10 p.m. is my new best running time.  Giving my best energy in the morning to running is no longer wise considering my changing family structure/needs.  I've got to reserve a lot of mental energy for the hours of 4-9 p.m.  If I run in the morning, that energy runs very low during those hours. Since my teenagers have begun a lives of their own it seems more important than ever that I be able to stay alert when they are most likely to talk to me which is either breakfast or bedtime. Though they get up at 7 a.m. to do cross country, soccer,basketball--they seem to function on 6-7 hours of sleep then come back to nap.  I do not have the luxury of napping and can not function on anything less than 8 hours of sleep.  I only have 4 more years total of trying to be a mother. I am in the home stretch. So I think I'm going to make it a habit to run during the hour they are getting ready for bed.  Also, running before bed has felt good because all the stress and anxiety of the day is behind me and running feels more like a celebration than a duty.  I'm happy to report that my AP is back in the 9:40 range which feels like a relief (like maybe I'm not dying after all).  This week my praise and thanks goes to Augmentin and Prednisone.  Aside from the weight I've gained from being on steroids, I am so grateful to whoever determined that suppressing your immune system could stop skin infections/hives/poison ivy/shingles, and arthritis from torturing you unto death.  I have NEVER been more miserable than I was for those 3 weeks with those weeping disgusting rashy blisters and open wounds all over my legs and torso and forearms.  It looked like leprosy.  I am so very grateful not to itch.  Itching is the worst kind of hell and feels like being burned alive.   Anyway, nice day for a run today.  I've had a pretty good running week taking it easy and enjoying the sprinklers and rain.  

I tried to run at the rock canyon park aiming for another night time run in the the sprinklers, but it was just a hot, dry night with no sprinklers.

Did my favorite Ronald Pugh vintage park loop. Ap 9:38. I have a strange thing to report. Since the skin infection they gave me a two week dose of prednisone. Since being on the prednisone, I have felt stronger, been less tired, have run faster and felt better overall than I have since 2010. I have been to an internist and endocrinologist with no answers to. my situation. I don't even know what prednisone treats besides suppressing the immune system for rashes or kidney transplants. But I feel the best I have felt in a very, very long time and I know it's the prednisone. I'll go off it in 2 days and so I can see if it really makes a difference. It's not good to take prednisone long term, but its interesting that the problem could be adrenal rather than endocrine. It's not like I can take prednisone long term, but I can say that it has changed my life in 2 weeks..

I finally heard from my daughter in Japan. She arrived on Sunday and I know she has been in love since the moment she arrived. One of her first friends in the neighborhood was a Japanese exchange student named Elisa. Elisa lives in Tokyo and so met her old friends from our high school for their tour. They are having a wonderful tour. She'll be in Nagano by Friday to stay the weekend with a family and go to school.

As for today's run, I felt very strong. Prednisone has changed my life and now my dosage for the skin rash/infection is done. It will be interesting to see if I revert.

On another FRB note, met Michelle L and Marion to swim the Spanish For Reservoir while Michelle is visiting from Hong Kong. It was so fun to see them. I miss those fun times we used to have at Michell's house. I have to go to Hong Kong and Australia next year. I just have to visit Michelle and Susanna.

9:15/9:36/9:31/9:30/9:35/9:26/11:36

Last day of prednisone was Sat. I can feel the difference in my joints, they are a little achy. I got rid of like 3 pounds of retained fluid within 24 hours. I didn't complain about the water weight gain though because I felt miraculously healthy and strong (like going back in time 3 years). One of the side effects of prednisone is that it raises blood sugar --that could be another reason I felt so awesome on it.   It will be interesting to see if, after 2 weeks I can still maintain my normal 9:30 ap. I never thought I'd see the 9's again. But the prednisone brought me back. It's too bad steroid is not reasonable therapy until you have like, MS or something. I'd better be glad I don't have MS. I think it also gives you fatty liver--which I don't need.  My liver has glycogen storage disorder as it is.

Today marks the end of prednisone.

I had to drag myself through a 10:00 ap, I felt like I would die, I started to cry on the way home, I wanted to lay down on the side of the trail. All the exhaustion, muscle weakness , and low blood sugar has returned. I'd been averaging blood sugar into the 90's which before had only been possible by eating pure sugar. When I finished my run today, my blood was 64 in spite of the fact I had a reasonably sized bowl of raw muesli . I a, so sad and discouraged to know that there is something seriously wrong. I might actually risk liver disease if taking prednisone is my only option to feeling normal. I don't know what this means or what to do about it. I read an article yesterday about GDD (glycogen storage disorder) of the liver. The worst class (1a) is helped by drinking corn starch every 4 hours. The starch metabolizes as sugar at the perfect rate, but must be taken regularly. Though my life is not threatened like the children who have these serious liver disorders, it's worth a try.

In other news I ran into my handsome son running the canyon trail with the XC team this morning. I picked him out of the group immediately, though not the fastest, he is definitely strong. His shoulders are getting broad and his face so handsome. I'm really proud of him for getting up every day at 6:30 am during summer to run.

This was a trail run up in the American Fork canyon which ended at Silver Lake where we swam for more than 2 hours. It was the most breathtaking lake, surrounded by a granite quarry and mountains. The water was so clear and perfect we swam across the lake 3 times and jumped off a big boulder on the opposite side of the lake. It was a spectacular run up, but we walked back down the trail cause my hamstring doesn't work going downhill.

Yesterday I had a piece of cake and this morning I had some granola. I don't think I can digest sucrose anymore. It makes me sick. I left my regular muesli at my sister's house at Sundance, so I ate this stuff I bought at Costco a while back that has pumpkin seed and flax. But my body can't tolerate refined sugar very well. My run was so-so. Not as bad as Tuesday. At the mouth of the canyon as I was going up, some cute girl called my name and it took me a sec to recognize Sarah! I haven't seen fastrunningblog mommy for a very long time. She's cute as ever and says she's ready for baby #9. We ran a little over a mile to chat, but I had many more circles to run before heading home for the rigamarow of the day. 9:03/9:17/9:32/9:38/10:03/10:27/9:37/10:40

9:34/9:31/10:57/10:08/9:54/9:42/10:09/9:13/8:34/9:25/10:02/9:46

What a great day for a run. Overcast with occasional sprinkles. Going to spend the rest of my day at Sundance. Read a really interesting informative article by my friend Keena Hooker (Coach Keena) regarding adrenal fatigue, hormones and nutritional needs. Amazingly good information about the need for good fats and liver cleansing. She's on Facebook under Keena Hooker Schaerrer. I didn't realize adrenal fatigue was a thing or that training too hard makes progesterone lower but raises cortisol levels = weight gains despite calorie deficiencies. Good info.