Patience; the new endurance sport.

Just when you think you've sunk to a new low, alas, you've gone ever lower.  I got so sick last week, I lost 8 pounds in 5 days.  That's another 7 days without so much as a sit up.  You'd think that losing a few pounds would be a bonus prize for getting sick, but still my clothes don't fit right. Even when I weigh this much while I'm running, my pants and shirts are not this tight.   Everything gets wide when I don't run, even if I weight the same, or less. I don't suggest the H1N1 diet, it's bad.  Today was the first day I've had the strength and time and where-with-all to get out there.  It was lovely to be outside, thankfully I'm high enough on the bench to avoid some of the poorer air quality of the valley.  I had a wonderful warm-ish winter run up the canyon with the doggies.  I love getting outside in the winter, it gives me the sence of triumph over nature. Sundance opened today, but I think it was a mistake for them to push the opening.  I went to pick up my pass yesterday, and I would not suggest using that snow.  Maybe snow boarders don't care.   However,  one more big storm, and I'm there.  I'm excited, particularly now I live so close. 

This running blog could turn more into my spot to review movies than to log my running "progress" since I'm spending so much time on the treadmill watching every movie and random TV show ever made.  I love Netflix. I do not love where I there is to run close to the house.  I hate cars, I hate people, I hate houses.  I miss my trail.  Today's run brought to you by "Up in the Air."  Sadly reminiscent of someone I know, which made me kind of sad the rest of the day. 

Did the run around the Temple at lunchtime.  I am dissapointed to my core that the snow at Sundance is not shaping up.  We had such high hopes with the snow in October and then all that snow a week ago, and the early opening.  But the snow is just not coming and what's there is melting into slushy yuck.  It has to snow, it just has to. I have company coming in a week, and a new ski jacket.  

treadmill 

Invictus

Canyon Run.  It feels like spring. I was hot.

Second half of Invictus. The end was so emotional.  I loved it.

I have been struggleing to maintain 11 minute miles.  I set the tredmill up with a 3.0 incline, and I do go faster outside (when there is no snow on the ground).  But I really feel like 10 m/m is the new norm.  At least last week, for the first time in months--I felt like running was making me stronger rather than wearing me down.  I'm doing Iron and now D3.  My bloodwork is better --so there's that.

( 10 m/m ) As sad as my "running" has been, at least December has been pretty consistant.  I was doing 0-15 mile weeks for like 3 months when I thought I'd die.  I do finally feel like I've got the anemia under control. I feel strong--just feel heavy and slow.   For the first time in a long time, I'm looking forward to next year, epecially UVM and Park City.  Today's run brought to you by Black Narcissus (1947). 

My Christmas starts tomorrow.  My sis and her family are coming to Sundance for 2 weeks.

 27 miles this week.  It's so weird that it took me a week to run a marathon.  Wow.  Today I got outside and within .5 miles was in a state of utter euphoria. I spent 45 minutes last night wrapped in a blanket sitting on the rocking chair on the front porch looking at the snow fall from the night sky.  It was so silent and perfect, the pregnant stillness punctuated by the laughing of two teenagers playing in the snow up the street.  Today it was slushy.  It was getting  into the mesh toe of my shoe.  But by and by I forgot all about my wet feet and started noticing the people outside shoveling the sidewalks.  Dad's and young sons shoveling the church walkways.  A dad on his quad equipped with a snow shovel going up and down the street.  On days like today you have an instant comeraderie with other people who venture outside in the grey light of morning after it's snowed.  I saw the snowboarders and skiiers headed up the canyon on their way to Sundance.  I smiled thinking about how I will be there tomorrow with my sister looking down over the valley from Bearclaw.  I trudged up the slushy Foothill , up to East Lawn Cemetary followed by Memo.  He's this amazing local soccer player from Mexico.  He runs all over town every Saturday.  I used to see him on the trail by the lake every Saturday and now I see him here.  That means he runs like 20 miles every Saturday, and has for like 10 years.  He's this squat, thick indian looking guy you would never in a million years guess ran 20 miles every saturday.  He's probably a janitor somewhere and no one around him has any idea how tough he is.  Anyway, getting outside, as anyone can see fills me with endorphins and hope for the future and so I was wordy and  poetic about the quality of the snow and the beauty of the world. I didn't even care that cars and trucks splashed me mercilessly when they drove by.  I was so happy to be outside.

a.m. quickie

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treadmill hurry

Merry Christmas fun run!