got stuck at sundance for 2 days.  they didn't let anyone in or out.  they opened the lift for 3 hours on thrusday and we got the whole mountain (after 4 feet of fresh powder) to ourselves.  It brings tears to my eyes just to remember it.  One of the greatest things that has happened to me in my whole life.  Me, my sister and our kids skiing our hearts out --the mountain to ourselves-- for a whole afternoon.  No words to describe my joy.

I have to report how moderate running (3-6 miles instead of 6-8 miles a day) has given me my life back.  I have kicked anemia, I have a handle on the exhaustion, I am running 10 m/m again with ease; and on top of it for the first time in 3 years I am skiing without getting tired half way through a tough hill, out of breath or having my legs/quads shaky ready to collapse.  I have been skiing like a champ and have been able to handle some pretty heavy choppy snow with ease I have not felt in years.  I can only attribute my new strength and energy level to my reduced running schedule.  I have felt really great now for about 3-4 weeks.  I do believe that backing off and eating everything in sight for these past few months since Park City Marathon has helped me regain strength, focus, energy, and general health.  I'm fat, but I'm strong again and thrilled to feel so much energy skiing.  Even just jogging my measly 4 miles is a joy instead of the energy sucking burden it was just months ago.  Just sayin for anyone suffering exhaustion due to over-running.  I didn't think I was doing that much running, but I guess I wasn't ready for last summer's marathon of marathons.  

The ground is still deathly frozen and the air quality too bad to try and run on the road. So I watched Good Hair on the TM.  In the same way I could never have a boob operation, wear stilettos to work, or sport acrylic nails, I could never maintain straight hair. I would shave my head or wear a fro...I can not even shave my legs with any regularity.  I would also advocate beards for men out of sheer laziness.  Up with nature! Big, fat, hairy nature.  After running I did 500 sit ups, 50 push ups on the floor while the dogs took turns trying to lick my face. It was maddening.  Outside there were little snow flakes flying around in the air and I temorarily lost conciousness while I thought about last Thursday.

first half of Inception

2nd half of inception

I don't mind the movie watching treadmill running.  Although I should be more worried about getting in shape for the National Marathon in March.  Whatever.  I'm more interested in Utah Valley and if by March am feeling strong, would like to try and qualify for Boston again.  Today, I've been spending my time looking at the sunshine feeling as if I  may die if I don't get up the mountain  soon. Maybe tomorrow I'll go up with Haily.  I don't love Saturdays, but why miss a chance for some girlfriend chatting.

Ran outside for the first time in a while.  It's hard with the block solid ice frozen onto the sides of the roads and sidewalks.  It was clear once I got down to the bike trail--but the mouth of the canyon is about 10 degrees colder than the rest of the trail.  I'm skiing with friends this weekend and am excited to get out above it.  They say it's going to be 4 degrees on Tuesday.  4? 

Catherine left me a message yesterday and said she had exciting news!  She's either pregnant or she's moving back. Those are my predictions.  I'd hope more for the latter, than the former because I'm selfish and old.  I'll call her back today to see what she's up to.  Going skiing tomorrow w/M.  The say it's going to be between 4-7 degrees.  Seriously?  That should be pretty interesting up on the mountain. A real calorie burner :) Maybe we'll bump into Thayne.  Today's run was brought to you by Super Size Me and a 3.0% incline (10 m/m ap).

Worked a few hours and then got to do ski therapy with Michelle.  The snow was actually pretty darn good.  This quick run was made possible by an episode of Nip/Tuck.  I wish they'd make everyone watch this show.  I mean, if they make women who want abortions watch movies about what they are doing to a baby, they should make everyone interested in externalizing the internal hatred they feel about themselves through plastic surgery to at least watch the surgery they think they want to have, to see what they are actually doing to their bodies.  I dry heaved three times in a half an hour.  They should have never taken that show off the air.  10 m/m  a/p 3.0 incline

Yay!  Cath is coming back by May 1, and she's even going to live pretty close by.  I am so excited!  Double Yay!

For some reason I was euphoric today running with a perma-smile down the road at lunch.   Some guy honked and waved.  I couldn't see who it was. I have been feeling great since I cut a large bit of emotional cancer out of my life that was a long time coming. I thought I had done it a long time ago, but it required a final round of chemo.  Also, the little bit of sunshine at lunchtime glared off the snow, felt warm and made me remeber how gorgeous winter snow can be in the sun. I am waiting anxioulsy for the next big storm.  I've been having so much fun skiing with friends this year.  Also, the sub 20's let go and I was able to get some significant ice off the front porch. I know winter can be dreary, but I feel like I have it beat when I can play in the snow and run on the road, and get my face in the sun when it shows up. 9:13 ap

Cath, secretly reading my blog and never commenting in public realizes I am not doing my mileage, and am skiing every day instead......so she sent me a text last night, telling me that she had just finished her 15 miler, a suble reminder of where we are supposed to be on our Hal Higdon marathon training schedule for the DC Marathon in March.  Whoops.  So out of total guilt, I got on my treadmill and pounded out 10 miles before morning while watching The Fugitive.  Makers of action movies ought to have runners on treadmills tell them where their editing lacks pizazz, cause no one can tell you the movie got a little slow in the middle like a person on a treadmill who has to run 15 miles.  I know the TM isn't best to train, but I am hoping the DC Marathon is more a visit to my sister's house and a way to visit Cath for 5 hours while walk/jogging the monuments around town.  By the way, I am so psyched because my BIL has been at my hosue all week buyin a repo'd cabin at Sundance.....it belonged to a really good friend of mine's parents....oops.  I don't know how long that will take to get around.  Maybe they won't notice it was my sister.....But MAN, it is a great piece of real estate.  I am so excited to have her here (at least on holidays). 

Celebrating racial justice in the whitest way I know how, skiing with my friend Linda.  To make up for it, I posted part of MLK's I have a dream speech on the FB page's of all my racist aunts and uncles--who all think MLK days shouldn't be a holiday. I had to remind them just yesterday that my children's best friends are black when they launched into their Michelle Obama jokes. 

I am feeling so much stronger.  Ran 9:13's with no sweat.  I did sweat, I mean, it wasn't hard. 

Sitting at my desk at 11:00 a.m., wondering about the success of the passing storm I casually checked the snow report and saw it snowed 26 inches at Sundance.  I coughed twice while walking backwards out the door mumbling vague excuses, and  then drove as fast as I could toward the montain.  Once there, I was practically alone, except a handful of vagrant snowboarders....Besides the sketchy weather, the place was buckeling down for the film festival.  I took a hard, agressive push on the first run and realized that snow was only about 4 inches powder on top of rocky ice from the frozen rain just days before.  I skiied hard until I hit a bad block of ice going really fast, tumbled forward onto my shoulder, and then slid down a really steep mountain upside down on my back.  I spent 30 seconds looking at the sky behind my skis which were up in the air behind me as I hit the tops of a hill full of frozen moguls.  I went back to work by 2:00 and felt depressed about global warming.  I re-read the National Weather Service report and saw what I had sadly missed hours before.  I read snowfall: 2-6 inches.  I missed the hyphen. That's what I get for wishful thinking.

Sort of freaked out that I've really got to get myself in gear for DC.  I've increased my daily mileage and have one 10 miler somewhat under my belt.  I spent the rest of my afternoon teaching 11 years olds to ski.  Although it was icy groomer the whole day, it was deliriously sunny.  Nothing lifts your spirits better than an afternoon with 6th graders skiing through the magical forest and practicing 'french fries' in the bright winter sunshine.

I wasn't intending to do my long run today--especially on the treadmill.  I planned to run 15 tomorrow, but I was watching Salt and got carried away.  Forget Nancy Drew, every young girl needs Evelyn Salt.  I had to stop a couple of times during my run because I got 4 really great writing ideas and had to jot them down before I forgot.  Salt really inspired the badd  A in me.  I was on fire.  It's nice anyway to get the long run out of the way today since I have a futsal and a baskeball doubleheader again tomorrow and my sister is showing up to outfit her new house at Sundance.  I'll be nice to have the extra time and energy to do funner things than run this weekend.  Also, it wouldn't be smart to try and push two long runs in the same week when I haven't done any solid running.  I'm getting there.  If I can just be in shape by the time I hit DC I'll be ok.  I just want to keep it in the bank for UVM. 

Closest to 40 miles since August, and I'm doing ok.

Rita Hayworth in Gilda. It's amazing how tawdry those old 40's film are.  We think things have really gone down hill in 'modern times'. 

Mortal Kombat

Catch 22

I'm starting to worry about how much I run on the treadmill vs. the ground anymore. I only get out every ocassionally. Since today was sunny and mild, I chose to go outside.  But I am currently addicted to my pre-dawn old movie treadmill festivals.  It's no way to train for a marathon.

Ran the first 4 with Jos. It's good to be on the ground and with company. There were lots of runners out. The thaw makes everyone come out of hibernation, also anyone training for an April (like Salt Lake City) Marathon is out. After Jos left, I ran back up and down the canyon to get another 8.  I'm not going to lie, that last mile was painful. The difference between the ground and the treadmill is, well, it's just plain harder.  Also, the air hurt my lungs. Came home, ran another 3 on the treadmill. I ran the first 12 miles 9:40 ap then the last 3 were all 11's.  Getting to 17-20 miles is the hardest part.  It's been a while since I was up into those miles and  while your brain remembers how it used to be, you hamstrings do not.

Here's a tip.  You know for sure when you need a new running bra when your boobs fall out the bottom.  It's so ironic becasue most of my life I've spent spilling over the top. My, how time and elastic fail you.  Also, don't be lazy like me and put your running bras in the dryer.  Let this be a lesson to you. 

Truly I wanted to get outside more this week, but it was 0, I mean  ZERO degrees today. So today's run was brought to you by the movie Charade! starring Audrey Hepburn and Carey Grant.  I highly recommend it.

Negative daytime numbers are a crime against nature in these parts, even if the sun is shining brightly beconing me to go for a jaunt around the mountains in the neighborhood.  I'd hate to be found Jane Doe frozen to death having fallen on top of the deer droppings.  Yet another TM day.  I am greatful for my TM and for Netflix.

27 degrees! a victory.  I took a little jaunt up to Rock Canyon and Back and then spent the rest of the afternoon skiing really, really fast with 6th graders. I hardly even crashed except when that one kid cut right in front to finish the solomon poles before me. I'll show him next time. He'll be sorry he crossed me.

I had such a great day.  Worked 2 hours, skiied 2 hours in the fresh powder and sunshine, picked up my sister and then went to have lunch with Smooth, Josse, Marion, and Michelle.  It was so good to see everyone today, and fun to share my sis with them too.  We all have so much going on, it was nice to have a reason to catch up. It always makes me laugh a little to see everyone all dressed up  like they dress in real life.  We're so used to seeing each other half dressed, no makeup, sweaty and /or freezing noses. 

I am not very good at blogging recently and have been trying to enter just my mileage but when I only enter my mileage without including a blog entry, the entry does not appear on my blog face.  So this is my blog entry.

Ran outside.  It's not getting dark until almost 6 now. 

Today's 17 mile journey is brought to you by kidney failure, an anuerism, and hypothermia.   Oh...My.....Gosh.  The first 6+ miles were GREAT! ran to the water fountain with Jos and Ericka. We averaged 9:40's I think, but after they left I began my great lonely trek back into the Provo Canyon running against gale force winds with a windchill I am certain was in the teens.  My face and brain became so frozen on the uphill portion against the wind I felt positively comatose. I thought about little smooth with her owie knee also going it alone.  I wished I had the time to run the JRP today.  I ran  many, many  11 minute miles and at the end my average was 10:53.  I was literally hypothermic by the time I got home (I was running too slowly by the end to generate any heat).  Anyway, I did it.  I'm looking forward to the weeks getting better and better. By 2 pm I am more fully recovered after a glass of milk with ovaltine and brewer's yeast and fish oil and a long hot bath.  I stretched right before the bath and my legs were shaking like after I had a baby.  Probably a bad way to jump into the higher mileage--but now I'm patting myself on the back for getting in done and running up hill both ways. 

had to get this done so I could ski Monday.

I'm getting a cold.  I can either blame my sub-zero run on Saturday or a trip to the supermarket in which I did not wash my hands after visitng.

I haven't been sick in a while, so I guess it's due. But still.  it sucks.  I took both yesterday and today as "recovery runs" (10 m/m's).

Atlhough I ran the first and last mile really slowly (11m/m) it did me in.  My whole face and head have been pounding since yesterday.  I'm a gonner now, down for the count.  I'll be lucky if this just stays.  If it goes into my lungs, it'll be a long time.  I shouldn't have pushed the 8 miles this morning, but I think I knew I'd be forced to hiatus the rest of the week.

I came out of a coma at 4:45 after taking two advil and a hit of Flonase.  Hooray for nasal steroids.  My teeth and eye sockets have been killing me. Weird because normally the kind of cold I get goes right for the lungs.  Not to say it won't travel there later, but it has had a heyday in my face these past 3 days.  I got tired of wiping aquafore on my raw nose and whining to my kids for the millionth time how much my head hurt. My daughter rolls her eyes and tells me I'm such a baby.  I have no idea how tomorrow will go down.  I'll run as far as I can with Jos.  We'll see how it goes. But tonight after I started feeling better I took a beautiful sunset joggy walk up to the cemetary hill and down.  The dogs were elated to see me come off my deathbed. But my nose is so raw, it stings in the wind. 

I feel lucky to have had Josse and Ericka to run with.  I had to run with my ski mask to protect my face from the wind. I admit, I looked pretty rad.  Overall, I was doing ok, but had a hard time breathing. I feel 150% better than Thursday and  even better than yesterday.  I'll take it easy at home the rest of today and do my long run on Monday. I'd hoped to have 3 50 mile weeks in a row, but I didn't count on getting sick.  That means I'll  get 60+ miles next week if I stay healthy. 

Sunday I woke up to 24 inches of snow. It snowed another 12 Monday.  So I decided to run my long run Sunday night to free up Monday morning for skiing.  I ran 13.1 miles last night between 8-10 p.m.  I never run at night, and never on Sundays except vacation. But it had to be done. Got up to Sundance by 8:30 and got all the fresh stuff for 4 hours straight.  The powder was sick.  I was thrashed by noon.  Came home at 12:30 when everyone else showed up for half day and the lines got longer. MAN what a morning, that was some awesome snow, there was no wind and some sunshine.  I am still high.  These days have been few and far between this winter.

Today I ran lots of little segments around the house to test out the mileage so I could know how far things are w/o the Garmin.  When I finished up, it landed at 7.16 and I'm not even OCD enough to need to run that .04 to round that up to 7.20  I know I just made all you running freaks cringe.  9:43 AP

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/article_47037ed0-1810-52e2-afc6-fe30569dc093.html  For work, we set up a Curt Brinkman scholarship fund.  Curt of course, in the wheelchair division, won the St. George Marathon lots of times, won the Boston Marathon and several others across the crountry.  He was also Paraolympian gold medalist. Before being in a wheelchair he stood 6'7 and had dreams of becoming a pro basketball player.  When he lost his legs at 17 he was tortured by the thought of not being able to walk again.  But from that greif he summoned the will to become a true champion and world class athelete. Curt spoke at a couple of our Kidney Camps and never failed to inspire and connect to the struggles of those having to survive on dialysis and wait for a transplant. One of his best friend's brother had been a dialysis patient and later received a transplated kidney donated by the man's wife.  Since Curt died last September, we developed a scholarship fund called "Will to Win" that would be made available to any youth transplant recipient (kidney, heart, pancreas, etc).   So yesterday we had a luncheon to announce the first scholarship recipient: Ryan Proctor. I know Ryan because she singlehandly raised $600 for a Kidney Walk he had a few years ago.  The whole experience of remembering Curt, seeing his massive shoulders push that wheelchair, remembering what an affiable, positive person he was; remembering Ryan and her struggles to overcome both kidney failure (10 hours a night on dialysis) and later thyroid cancer, really gave me pause.  We are so lucky who have health, we strive for excellence or to overcome our own challenges. But I was reminded as I am so often through my work what a gift a healthy body is.  Curt and Ryan challenge us to look at what they overcome, to give us the strength to overcome whatever it is we think we can not.  It was a great day.  Curt Brinkmann was a great man.  I'm really proud to be part of the scholarship fund and give young people who have struggled to get through school through chronic illness and financial hardship, the opportunity to go to college.     

10:03 ap Today's run was hard following yesterday's 9. In addition I had at least 1 mile of 35% grade at mile 2 and mile 5. Today's weather made me remember last year trying to do speed work outs pre-Boston on those same hills up and down up and down; panicked about whether or not I could run Boston with any grace. It was the beginning of the end of last year. Running this hard in February is a crime against nature. All white people should be hibernating right now. Our genes have adapted to closing shop for the winter in order to survive our Northern European winters. Why am I running? Someone please remind me to never sign up for a Marathon before May. I like skiing more than I like Marathon training. I don't mind running and skiing, but it's training that takes up the mojo. Everyone keeps whining about this incoming storm. When will it stop? I am sick of this weather....While they whine; I am silently giddy and begin to peruse the national weather service snow reports to see how many inches are predicted.  Last week was only the second good storm we’ve had all winter.   I had a moment last weekend so beautiful and perfect it has sustained me and given me strength all the days of this week.  Here it is:  On my first lift ride up I could see the quality and quantity of the newly fallen snow (36 inches of Pow).   I rushed off the lift without slowing, and flew over top of the rim at Bishop's Bowl.  I caught a good bit of air, taking my breath away, until I landed about 10 feet from the lip.  The snow so soft and ample, the landing caught my skis in a downy embrace as I floated the rest of the way down the bowl; literally in heaven.  I spend days and weeks longing for those moments of beauty and freedom.  Without the bike trail behind my house, this has become my only connection to the outdoors I crave so much. 

Ran a quick easy 4 to dedicate the rest of the morning to 12 new inches of silky dry powder.  It was great snow, but windy and Zero visiblity.  Tomorrow I have to do 18 EIGHTEEN miles.  I'm only going to be able to get to 20-21 before DC. But it's better than nothing. I'm going to miss running with Jos and Ericka tomorrow, but there is no way I can get up as early as they need to tomorrow.  It's going to take me all day to get that 18 miles in the bank.  I hear it's going to snow some more so I may have to do half on the ground and half on the treadmill.  We'll see what happens.

The first 18 miles were run on the trail in 3 inches of fresh wet snow.  I wore my best 'traction' shoes , a pair of Mizunos, that have a hole in the heel (austensibly for shock absorption).  However that hole packed itself full again and again with fresh snow, converting my shoes into those sickening "fitness" shoes everyone is paying $40 for (the ones that look like a pair of teeter-totter wedges).  The further I ran up the canyon, the fresher and fluffier the snow became; tauning me that I was plodding and slushing along on that fresh snow, instead of gliding over the top of it on skis. The run was so slow, labored, and unenjoyable,  I ran back to the house utterly disgusted with myself.  I vaguely enjoyed the solitude of the trail, the stillness of the windless morning, the fresh whiteness of the world or the solidarity I normally would have felt with the with the few brave other runners.  I should have brought my dogs and called it a walk.  I came in the house, changed out of my soaking wet gear and  ran another 2 miles on the treadmill in my bra while crying; utterly exhausted, and dissapointed it took me 4 hours to run 20 miles.  In retrospect, it was a hard run in the snow, a lot of canyon uphill, back up hill toward the cementary, etc.  I don't know where all this negativity is coming from. But I am dissapointed with myself.

I remember how easy 6.4 used to be on the river trail.  All the way along the river, down to the lake, and back.  Those days on the trail were so soul-nourishing and blissful for me--there was no season or weather that did not thrill me to my core.  This time of year I know the lake is melting and now the consistency of light green slush.  There may be steam that rises of the water in the eddies. I know the silent winter tundra is suddenly alive with the sound of waves washing on shore again.  I miss the tiny clouds of birds that fly like crazy loosed confetti in those first days of false spring.  I miss my hawks and owls flying low overhead to remind me that they watch over me.  I miss the ocassional egret and pelican.  I miss seeing the frozen lake and tundra come back to life in the tender early spring.  I miss the dozens of gosslings that gather at the inlet in the cow pastures and seeing how the geese protect them from the cows and dogs.  I miss the countless new calves and foals that teeter on new legs in the clumped up grass, standing close to their mothers.  I miss the sound of those sudden microburst winds hitting the treetops--the wind so deafening and powerful it would take my breath away.  Every single day, it was secret power and  source of inner strength.  I have become Sampson without his hair.

Jos reported the knife wielding man on the trail. It just makes me sad how many violent and scary things are happening with the homeless and mentally ill on the trails around here lately. I blame all the new and improved homeless services, and food coalition grants that have come our way in the last year. Utah is far too friendly to criminals and derelicts because they want the federal money that comes with caring for this group. Since last fall there have been 4 serious incidents that I am aware of on the trails. I don't have the means on this end of the trail to head up safety campaigns like I did where I lived before. If there were weird things going on (homeless people starting to camp out or drug addicts sleeping the nights on the sides of the trail) I'd start telling the neighbors to get out there with their dogs, kids, strollers, friends in droves--to call the cops when they saw druggies, or drug deals, wandering homeless, or cars parked overnight. I am without a doubt socially liberal and have mercy for the less fortunate...but when it comes to protecting the sanctity and safety of public outdoor space I am a heat packing, vigilante, and minuteman. I don't feel equipped to do anything on this side of the trail. Too many people come for different reasons and from different places (to long board, bike, run or walk). Maybe I'll start N. Rivertrail vigilante community that --save our trail, take our trail back group through Orem and Provo City. I'd totally volunteer to ride my bike up and down the trail twice a week during peak crazy hours looking for trouble. We used to have cops on bikes trolling the trail. I haven't seen those guys in over 3 years.

I was really tired after this run. I was planning to run 8, but just gave up.  Talked to Cath about National Marathon.  I really do hope I can hack it. They only give you 5:15 to finish.  I was seriously considering what it would be like to use up 6 full hours.  I took an alieve when I finished my and was glad.  My knees and piriformis are achy.

Ran easy, I feel achy in my hips and knees.  The old  kind of achy.  I've set up running on the wrong side sunrise with smoothie and co.  I hope to get 15 tucked under my belt by 9.  If I'm still alive, I'll kick in another 5 to make it 20.  We'll see.

I hitched my carcus to the Susanna and Rachael wagon.  I let them  haul me around and listen to my crap for 15 miles.  I kept up with the sub 10's for about 10 miles, but I called an end to that around mile 10 as I slowly dragged the whole group into the low 11's.  I could see the shock and sadness in their eyes as at what I have become since we last ran.  Even the multitude of new calves stading meekly next to their mothers in the fields and lovely green hue of the swollen Jordan river didn't do it for me. Could it be iron they asked?  sleep? exhaustion? No my sweet ladies.  I'm just slovenly, unmotivated and have trained and eaten badly since January.  I thought I could pull it out of the bag for a running party, but sadly I do believe I might be back to the low iron.  It was great to have company, but now I feel guilty because I couldn't keep up and they felt obligated to run back a few times to make sure the mountain lions and carion hadn't taken me out.  It was wonderful to partake of their energy and company.  It lifted my spirits to be reminded of their beautiful faces and graceful strength. 

I had the best run.  My legs felt great, which is good news that I've at least trained to the point a 15 miler didn't phase me.  So there's that.  I felt great.  Now it's dumping a ton of snow and my best friends are in Park City this week so I'll be skiing tommorrow.  I am giddy.  It's going to be like 30 inches of fresh powder.  I don't know if I can sleep.

I had such a great day....started out by running my standard 8.  My pace is faster when I know I only have to run a little over an hour: 9:30/9:13/9:34/9:20/9:13/9:50/9:50/913 and it feels pretty good although I'm still stopping for bathroom breaks every few miles.... bad habit, and...I am still on the treadmill most days.  It's just so easy to hit the machine in the basement instead of the road with the cars, weather, and people or whatever.  I've never done this much pre-race running on a treadmill except for the Moab half marathon and some for Boston last year when the weather was crummy.  I'm only running on the ground once or twice a week, and it makes the road running harder.  Anyway, today I headed up to the Canyons in PC to see my friends who were visiting and staying at a condo there.  There was so much fresh snow and sunshine.  We played and played all morning and afternoon; laughed on the chair lift rides up, sailed down mountainsides soft with fresh packed powder, jumped, raced like we were all 18 again when we'd all first known each other and used to ski together. The snow wasn't that deep so my quads didn't burn as much as they do when it's super thick, but I was suprized how beat everyone else was by the end of the day.  Backs aching, legs burning, everyone was sore....not me.  I felt guilty nothing hurt, and overall it had been a pretty easy ski day.  I'm glad I took the edge off by running my miles early in the morning because I was tearing it up and had plenty left over by days end.  But of course, seeing friends always gives me that extra bit of energy.  It was a glorious day and I'm hoping to use that feeling, plus the tulips coming up out of the ground as some extra fuel for the Naitonal Marathon in a few weeks.  It will be fun to run with Cath.

This was kind of a tough run.  I had to do it in the evening and chose to run around the streets.  I ran a lot of up hill and sidewalks up to the cemetary, up to Rock Canyon, down around the MTC and BYU.  I wish I could say it was good to be outside, and while I could feel spring thaw in the air, it was very distracting to  be running with cars. 

Spring is definitely in the air. It was so balmy.  The bunnies at the cemetary are out in adorable record numbers, the bulbs are are swelling their tuberous tips above the ground, my japanese willow has exploded with hundreds of veltety buds, the children are out on the driveways and running around their yards; and everyone wanted to pull their car over to say hi. It was a party outside.

Saved my gas today for a little night skiing with the kids and their friends.  I had a ball playing red baron with the tweens.  We need helments though if we are going to ski that fast in the dark.  Either that or I'm losing my nerve from oldness. Still, protecting your brain is probably smart.

Met Smooth, Kathy, Karen, Teena Marie, and their friend  Matt way up off 7200 South at a part of the Jordan River Parkway I'd never been before.  I hadn't seen Kathy since we started out at the Boston Marathon together last year!  She ran up with Teena like a champ--she's going to rock  Boston again.  Smooth was pretty bad when we got there, she could hardly breathe but a hit of the inhaler at mile 6, and a naproxin 7 miles later... I was cheering her on from about a mile  back. I thought I might only go 15 to 18 but the turn around point on the far North gets into some pretty seedy WVC territory: A stoner and flasher's paradise, the back of a prison, and a criminal youth facility where boys with teardrop and neck tatoos play basketball while a huge supervisor looks on to make sure no one jumps the chain link fence.  The further north we ran, the creepier the bike riders became (they carried their dirty garbagy looking stuff in baskets, had wobbely wheels, and looked generally like thugs on stolen bikes).  I stayed close until about 17 when the Alieve I gave Smooth kicked in and she no longer held back in the low 10's.  Karen tried to say with me, but eventually toward 18 she got a good lead and I walked a few 10'ths for mile 18 and 19.  I finished the last .5 ok, but I was in a lot of pain. Finishing up, even in pain, was pretty sweet though.  I've hardly run on the ground except on Saturdays and the week before last I put down that 20 in the snow and on the treadmill.  I just kicked my butt.  So last week and this week, even though I was the last one coming round the corner....I did it.  I have no idea how this will translate to DC Particularly since I really should have run 20 last week, and 15 this week then 8 next week (for a 3 week taper).  I've had 2 20 mile runs, and 2 50+ mile weeks in the last month.  I can only hope that will help me get the job done on the 26th.  Now I'm going up to Sundance to help my BIL with some chores at the cabin.  I wonder how the snow is holding up on the back mountain. AP 10:08 (I only ran the first 13 with any grace).

I opted for an easy recovery run.  My knees were sore all yesterday and so I wore ice packs strapped to my patellas for a couple of hours in the morning and night.  It worked, and also the epic PT hamstring stretching.  Hopefully I won't get that bent out of shape over a long run for the rest of the season.  But it was a great feeling to know the ice helped get me back to 100%.  I love my knees and feet. They take me so many places and do so much for me.  I hope they stick around for some more fun times togehter.

AP 9:34 This was such a great run. Had an extra a.m. hour and decided to call Jos to see if she and Ericka were hitting the trail with the babe. So we joined up and ran into the wind together. I felt so strong on this run, I know my decision to rest up yesterday was the right choice. I'm now upping my iron twice a day and taking it with minty fresh chlorophyll just in case what they say is true about it helping the iron asorbption. After the beating I took on Saturday, I am at least feeling more mentally ready to take on another marathon. It was a confidence builder and when I look at it in retrospect 10's were not a bad pace for me on a long run. It will be fun to run another marathon somewhere else and I'm getting excited about doing it. I may opt out of my other "spring" marathon (UVM) and head straight for NYC marathon in Oct. We'll see if I make the hit April 1st.

11:12/10:03/8:57/9:08/11:08/10:51/8:40/10:38/9:20  Can you guess which miles were uphill miles?  I have to run up so many hills around here that it's been hard to know what my true AP is.  Also, I did not intend to run 9 1/2 miles tonight.  I did this run last Wednesday and because my Garmin shut off and on during the run it counted it as 8.5 . Tonight it rained so hard and got dark so fast I never looked at my Garmin until I came home. The AP was 9:58, but it was a hard, downpour on many miles of up hill.  I'm not sad about it.  I love running in the rain, it makes me feel like such a champion. 

Last night, after I returned from my heroic 9.5 mile in the rain ,got right into my wonderful tub and immediately hit the celing when the water rose above my ribs to the place my skin had been rubbed RAW into a 10 inch thin, bloody, welted, red line under my bra.  It was a minor inconveneince last night. But let me tell you what, it was a real problem about a mile into my run today.  I spent 3/4 of a mile holding up my straps with both hands, pulling back my shoulders (as if to proudly display to passersby my ample bosom).  I really, really thought I would have to quit the run because the pain was so excrutiating.  I even tried to tuck my shirt between my skin and bra. I have not complained very much about being 6 pounds more than I weighed last year at this time, it is my own fault.  I havn't eaten as carefully, run as many miles, or trained with any skill.  But I will tell you what...when those extra 6 pounds are divided equally into each boob...I officially declare war.  I would rather starve myself than do this again.  It hurts, and I forgot until now.  I will literally need to run with moleskin across the top of my ribs until that raw red line heals and stops bleeding. ....Today, I wrote down my splits on a piece of paper on my way out the door, and then lost my paper.  My AP was something like 9:43 and splits ranged from 8:58-10:13 (on primarily uphill miles they are  20-30% grades at least).  For how strong I felt Tuesday and yesterday, I felt like the effort I put forth on the flat parts, did not match the times.  It was a little dissapointing, but I can't blame my body, I have done ZERO speed work, strides, or sprints, nada.  Good news, I found a great mile strip of trail by the river starting at the Red Hot Pink Chick's park, behind UCCU and those Riverwoods buildings.  It was nice to be so close to my river, even if it was only a few miles.

Saved gas to night ski with my kids and their friends tonight.  I had a blast throwing all caution to the wind and playing 'Red Baron' (tag on skis).  We need helments though if we are going to ski that fast in the dark, either that or I am getting scared because of oldness....it coulnd't be a bad thing though... protecting your brain.  I should wear my Garmin to see how fast I ski. We clocked some pretty scary fast races once the place thinned out toward the end of the night. I love being around 14 year olds who have no idea how many things can go wrong....they are so carefree.  I never got to be carefree. It's nice to feel that way sometimes.  

9:14 ap (Josse's Garmin said 9:04?) If a marathon was only 10 miles long, I'd be all set.  It was a great run. The downhill second half aiding in the oh so elusive negative slpits (10:00/9:15/9:59/9:24/9:58/8:48/8:41/8:48/8:43/8:45).  I felt strong and my hamstring only hurt a little toward the end and now that I'm cold. Josse and Ericka are always good to share their energy.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for next week that the funness of seeing and running a bit with Catherine, being at my sisters and running the monuments and the DC parkway is enough distraction to keep me from remembering how much I will surely want to die at mile 22.  I have to run hard and earn my nephew's respect. One of the greatest pleasures of my life was being with my children at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. My son, especially.  He put his arm around me as we walked down Boylston Street together. I cherish the memory of riding the train out of the city, my kids faces shining with pride, as they took turns looking at my medal and hugging me and slighty aware of the smiles and support of the other train riders.  I have to do that for my nephews this time--even if my performance is less stellar, I have to finish strong for their sake. They really don't know me very well. They are now big, brooding teenagers (all of them 6'5 and taller). Not much captures their attention.  This is my opportnity to show them what's what in their own city.  I may not have many opportunties to gain these boys respect.  I will need it in these upcoming years. 

Today was impossible.  Because of tapering week, I underscored the mileage, and the amount of time it would take to achieve said mileage I made the mistake of billions of other Americans.....I didn't run first in the morning before the rest of the day hit the fan.  I ended up running at 9:30 at night with stomach full of mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini & cabbage--which had been delicious until it came up my throat a thousand times and distended my hernia from running full.  I woke up and my hernia was actually sore. I am so disgusting.  In my next life I'm going to be 33 (the height of my physical prowess) for the rest of eternity.

Wanting to avoid the SNOW and wind chill (prounoucned WindShul here in Utah) I did the treadmill and (unbelieveably) watched an episode of Weeds. The people who write for a show about pot are abviously smoking a lot of it, because if you watch it while you are not stoned, it's a dumb show. Maybe growing up in So. Cal with a bunch of pot smoking hippy left overs makes it more annoying than interesting to me.

They said when we crossed the finish, that there was a 20 minute disparity between gun and chip time? Here are my splits/time off Garmin the 4:23:something

9:30/9:27/9:11/9:00/9:36/10:05/10:11/

10:17/10:03/11:06/9:17/9:30/9:31/10:07/10:00/10:19/9:30/

10:02/10:01/10:16/10:19/11:06/10:23/10:35/10:54/9:40

First of all, we made the mistake of having my sister try to drive us to RFK stadium instead of taking the metro in at 6. So we got stuck in traffic 24 blocks from the start and had to get out of the car at 6:30 and run 1.3 miles to the stadium (or more). I've never run a marathon warm up before. It was hectic to find the start line, cars stuck in all directions and people streaming in from the metro. I made Cath come to my corral since she was forfeiting her pace to keep a safe pace with me and protect her stress fracture. The sun was rising just as we started moving toward the start line, it was very cold but the sky was clear. Running toward the Capitol building and down the mall was pretty cool. I love to be able to run down the road, we turned the corner at the bottom of the Mall and suddenly Catherine was searching for a POP. We tucked into a Starbucks and the small drama began to unfold there at mile 5. We ran a little while more, Cath's stomach in knots. We made about 3-4 stops, standing in lines for every POP we saw until mile 13 where I thought it might be wise for Cath to consider running the half marathon. But she's no quitter, and there's no stopping her and by the time she was arguing with me instead of turning white and looking for a bathroom she was feeling better. I had thrown away my gloves at mile 6 but it was so cold after stopping at the bathrooms that I had to pick up someone else's discarded gloves and I kept them on until mile 22. The course through 13 was picturesque DC and the majority of the runners were halfing....I would only suggest this marathon as a half. At th mile 13 the roads diverged and a pitiful amount of people carried on in the other direction after we'd looped back to RFK stadium. As we ran out toward Anacostia I remembered the scariest time I've ever had in DC when my sister's car was impounded and we had to go into this really skanky part of town to get her car out of impound. Guess where the race route ran....right past the impound lot, and deeper into the heart of crazy. Soon after we turned off the mall, under the bridge there were no 'motivation' or 'drink stations' just policemen. At first there was about a policeman every quarter mile. On the other side of the bridge we ran a pretty little waterway that is famous for floating dead bodies to the surface. Nevertheless, two Anacostia marching bands played vibrantly on either side of the trail. After the most ridiculous set of circles and turn around we finally ran into the very heart of darkness. The last drink station was on the parkway, and as we hit the neighborhoods where bars were on every window and door, the policeman became closer and closer together; Like 20 feet apart for about 2 miles. We passed a Baptist church that had about 70 people out front...all young people attending a funeral. It gave the impression it was a gang banger funeral. The cops in the area were no longer responding to the runners 'thanks for being here' they were focused on the funeral. A runner stopped to stretch up ahead of me, and the cop said "you can keep going" to which the runner replied, I'm just stretching. Then the cop said, well do it up there a ways if you can . I looked back at Cath who was taking it easy a little behind me and started to freak out a little that stray bullets would start flying from the direction of the funeral in progress. Then from about mile 21-24 there were no stations. No gel, no oranges, no portapotties, nada. Finally at mile 24 and again at 25 we had some more water/power aid. We finished running strong, a little tired and hamstrings aching but overall I felt pretty great. In retrospect, I think it was pretty cool I got to run through one of the most insane parts of SE DC with police every 10 feet. When else can you see that up close? We The course had a surprising amount of uphill for DC and the finishers chute was literally about .3 miles of incline which was pretty cool. They start kicking people off the course at 5:15. And we were both just happy to not be the last people straggling through Anacostia.

I never have done a very good job at post-marathon recovery.  I usually just go right back to my mileage, particularly after marathons where I didn't push any limits.  But just to be sure to prevent what happened to me at the end of last Summer,  I've taken 3 full days off, packed down the chlorophyll and iron, red meat (of which I can hardly gag down anymore), and a mountain of protein and water.  I've set up my Utah Valley Marathon run schedule on an excel spreadsheet and I'll be ready to resume regular mileage next Monday.  I need to get started eating better now too and drop my Witner 10 before the training gets rigerous.  It saps my energy to try and drop weight while doing any real training. I just keep mulling over in my mind the great time I had in DC.  The things Catherine and I talked about keep coming back to me, I've missed her.  The whole weekend, and the marathon experience was very moving.  If not for Cath, I would never have run St. George in 2007 so shortly after my Dad died. Channeling my grief, literally saved my life.  Of all the things marathoning has brought me these past years, I am most greatful for the patience, endurance, and the mental & emotional acuity running has excersized and formed within me.  I am a better person.  And I thank Catherine for that.   

Last days of skiing right here folks.  I am sad, we had a rocky start to the snow year, but the late spring pow was stellar. The skis I got this year revolutionized my skiing and I am just not ready to give it up. There's never too much of a good thing. Oh well, I hope I live to ski again another season.  Today, a little clean air and sunshine did a body good.  I had a nice lunchtime jaunt up to Rock Canyon and back.  I'm running with an old buddy friend of mine from High School on Saturday. Haven't seen her in years, she's driving down from Salt Lake to run 8-10. She did the Ironman in Florida last year and is pretty hard core.  Her Dad and my Dad hitchiked from Riverside, CA across America and worked a summer pitching hay in Wyoming.  They got paid in Silver Dollars and headed to BYU with thier pockets full of rolled coins.  A few summers later, they worked paving I-15 near Baker (home of the world's largest thermometer near Death Valley) and Barstow (in 137 degree afternoons).  My Dad used that money to buy my mother's engagement ring.  Her father is now buried in the cemetary I run around almost daily, and my father's ashes are scattered along the beaches of San Felipe in Baja.  I'll be nice to laugh about our crazy Dads.

It was actually hot to run during lunch today. Everyone in DC on Saturday was complaining about how cold it was there, I absolutely prefer to run in the refridgerator than the oven. So today when it was so hot outside, so suddenly warm after so many weeks of the 40's, I was shocked. I took a water bottle and was glad I did, I drank all of it. My Garmin wrist band broke right at the finish line at the DC Marathon and so I have no idea the pace, only the mileage because it's a regular route.

Was going to run with my friend Shawna, but she had company fly in unexpectedly for the weekend so she rainchecked till next Sat.  Luckily Jos was taking the dog up to the Bonneville shoreline trail and let me and my dogs tag along.  I waaay overdressed.  Because of the cold temps last week in DC, plus it snowed 19 inches at Sundance, plus all week long I was freezing....I thought it would be windy up top.  I should have known.  I night skiied with the kids last night and it was positively balmy.  Got to the mountain top with long tights and a long sleeve shirt, gloves, etc.... and I swear it was sunny and 70 degrees by 7:30 a.m. like summer. We met up with Karen who was running up the other side of the hogsback, and then we turned around.  I don't know if it's because I lived at Sundance all week (owing to the fact it was closing this weekend) or if it was the trail running, or if I'm fatigued from the marathon and travel last week or what, but I am more sore today than I was after the marathon.  That trail running was rough on my hamstrings. I am going to have to turn up the running to get over skiing.  I always get really bummed when the season ends.  But there is spring to look forward to.

I am sore  and achy !  I don't know if it was the trail running on Saturday or the 3 day skiing marathon at Sundance.  I took full advantaqge of those new weekend inches, and I have no regrets of not skiing enough times (time permitting) this season.  Whatever I did,  my ham strings are killing me.  I vaguely recall realizing the existence muscles I didn't know I had after running those 17 miles of the Squaw Peak 50 miler with Jim last year too.  I think it was the trail run with Jos that did it.  I'm sore in weird places (like my inner thigh, which never happens).

9:21 AP Took the doggies down the River Trail. There were baby leaves! There was the slight sheen of green on the far away tall branches! The Canyon walls were lush with green grass, and the river fat with icy clear overflow. Even with all the fresh snow that remains on branches, tucked into the North Face corners of everything, and on rooftops, Spring is here! With Sundance is Closed, I'm ready to join the chorus of people complaining about the cold weather. Except, I still prefer these chilly spring temps for running.

9:38 AP, which would have been lower, but I ran up "goliath hill" and my first mile was 12:01. While I ran, I counted and tried to name all the kinds of flowers/bulbs blooming.  There were boys riding their girlfriends around fast on their motorcycles, carloads of teenagers who always honk and hang out of their windows to give me a high five, and lots of walkers.  I ran past so many people's houses I used to know including one of my cross country friend's from high school Lisa Rowberry.  Lisa and Heidi Hughes were the fastest girls on the team. Lisa in particular I remember because she always ran double the mileage we were supposed to, double the work outs, and she rubbed pure DMSO on her legs.  Because of this, her breath always smelled of garlic. It's still not clear to me why she did that.  Heidi was more naturally talented and took 3rd in state with a 17-18 minute  5K. But Lisa was hardcore.  I wonder what happened to Lisa Rowberry and her bottle of DMSO.

ap 10:00 Took this one easy. I'm sleepy.

All this snow with no good use for it, makes me want to put my head under the covers for the rest of the day.

I had to get going at 6 am because of my daughter's soccer game in Salt Lake at 10.  Today was the morning of maddening eyeball snow.  I am grateful it wasn't sticking to the ground, but now my neck is sore from hunching over to to protect my face.  I should have worn my trusty running hat to protect my eyes.  What I did see of the day made me pleased...The snow and the river were fat with spring.  There were more baby cows this time than last. I have no idea what the AP was 9 or 10ish? My Garmin--which has given me trouble since I bought it (shorting, turning off, not reading the same as other Garmin's, beeping maniacally and wihtout cause while charging) finally bit the dust.  I think it was the wet snow that did it in.  The strap deteriorated the the National Marathon, but this time I think it's a gonner. I need to go see Steve Orrick.  My left hamstring--the one that gave me such trouble in '08 is acting up again.  Smooth suggested myabe I needed to do hipflexor exercizes.  I'll find out, because I'm not going to last the season with this thing pulling like it is on both ends of the attachments.

The .06 is for Rad :)

Today's AP 9:53 was brought to you by tween children, offering to ride their bikes alongside their mama up the canyon, where-at mile 4, a tire popped completely off the rim for no apparent reason.  We then ditched the offending bike in the bushes at Nunn's park and they each took turns running .5 miles distance while the other rode the remaining bike.  My daughter in teeny-thin little flip flops/alternating with barefoot, and my son in horribly crafted (worn through to the soles and flat footed) favorite pair of canvas converse.  I have to say, regardless of their terrible shoes and sudden without-a-choice necessity to run, they kept up, were cheerful, and coperative.  By the end they were pretty pleased with themselves.  It turned out to be quite fun and made my daughter ask "how far do you run in a Cross Country race?" It turned out to be a happy accident.  We went back later to get the bike we'd ditched.

The cold ick outside just made me want to sleep all day.  The cold and mountain snow no longer secretly thrill me.   It's been like that since Sundance shut down. As easy, balmy, and fun as yesterday's run was--today's was chilly and lackluster.  I ran uphill and more uphill.  Two straight miles uphill.  It was hard but I didn't want to run where there were cars so I ran up rock canyon until I hit mile 3.  I got home and my calves were sore.  That never happens. I have the calves of a daughter of the Utah pioneers. They are usually the least of my problem. 

9:36/9:03/9:29/10:03/8:26/8:41/9:18/9:08

Up Provo Canyon kinda slow and back down kinda quick.  Headwind, blustery skies, fat, loud rushing river, hints of green.  I love the waterfountain.

9:17 average.  I feel ok about this run.  I ran 10 repeats (of only about 300 feet each) but it was the first speed play I've attempted for 2 years. I wish I had an air funnel going down my throat.  The back of my mouth doesn't feel big enough for air when I run "fast". (I run fast so badly and suck air so loudly, I am only attempt fast running when I am sure I am alone).  Even the dogs get concerned; although pick up the pace with me, they look back more frecuently to make sure I haven't died.  Anyway....shorter run than usual, but I feel good about the improved paces from February.  I really do believe that taking the Chlorophyll with the iron has made a difference.

I awoke to 4 boys, all over 6'4 sitting in my kitchen taking turns using their huge, fumbely, sausage fingers to delicately fish blackberries out of a glass bowl in the middle of the table.  I have two boys from Spain and two from Chile (here for exhibition/Friendship basketball tournaments in Vegas).  Blame my husband, if it were me, they'd all be in school.  anyway....yesterday afternoon, I got to be the proxy Mom for one of the boys when the Coach from BYU Hawaii came to offer him a scholarship, and the position of point guard.  So my Pablito, who graduated Juan Diego Catholic School with honors while he lived with us, will be the new point guard for BYU Hawaii.  I am so happy for him. He's worked so hard and he's a good boy.  I don't believe in sports over scholarship, but these boys give it their all.  Not all of them turn out to be Jimmer, but they all eat and breathe basketball.  It is gratifying when their hard work pays off and they will get a free education because someone's interested in how they play ball.

Yay for negative splits! 9:36/9:28/9:20/9:20/9:25/9:42/9:10/8:51/8:39/8:38/9:05/9:13/9:03  = AP 9:11

Ran up the canyon easy with Josse and ran down the canyon with Ericka while Josse ran a few tempo miles.  Josse ran back to meet us toward the end.  I am greatful for the diem sister training team. Those are some tough, good girls.

9:23 AP In addition to thinking about Susanna and Marisa's races, missing my friends who wanted me to come to Boston 'anyway' and called to reminisce about how awesome last year was for all of us, I spent much of the day obsessing about Desiree Davila. I cannot believe a 2 second win kept us (women) from the first American win since 1985. What would that look like coming down Broylston Ave? To lay it ALL on the line like that for a 2 second loss? I can't imagine it. I am even more impressed Davila hails from Chula Vista (my neck of the woods). Those Kenyans though, with their high altitude, long legs, and generations of cattle hearding on foot. Who can beat em? Today's run was mild, and pleasant. I have decided 8 miles is my favorite daily distance when I've got the time. I really need 2 to warm up, 2 to break the bank, and 4 more to keep the pace strong. Going downhill in the canyon helps (mentally) relearn faster turn over. So I've been enjoying my canyon runs--going half way on an uphill makes turning around so easy. I need to stay away from Goliath and Rock Canyon. I'm pretty sure those 35-40% inclines for more than a mile each was what was getting my hamstring/piriformis/hip all jangled and yanked.

I was sad to learn about Grete Waitz yesterday too.  Dead of cancer at 57?  Wow.  She won the NYC marathon at a time I was just starting to pay attention to running.  Running was becoming popular in the late 70's and women in greater numbers were marathoning.  It always gets to me, how nothing protects us from death or illness.  Not victory, not wealth, not youth, not love.  When it comes to life and death, God is the author of our story.  Today I am dead tired.  Feeding an army of huge men day and night for a week, hosting my sister for Easter, working tax deadlines, getting ready for a fundraiser. Also, my adorable tiny mother in law wrote me to appologetically announce she has breast cancer, but doesn't want to be a bother. I thought being outside for a bit would help me, but that last one just took all the wonder out of my day.  I dragged so badly that when I stopped running I leaned over and dry heaved a few times.  

I hit a a wall after learning about my MIL. Also, I have forgotten to take my iron for a few days and can feel it.  In addition, I have had a fabulous headache since yesterday. I am nauseated beyond understanding and my vision is weird.  So either I have a cluster migrane or a brain tumor.  Either way, at least I don't need a mastectomy this week.

9:01 AP Sebastian wanted to come along with me today.  The boys we host for tournaments are always curious about my running since they only ever see me in the morning (post run, sweaty and in spandex feeding them breakfast).  I've had some ride a bike alongside, or run a few miles with me, but no one ever stayed and ran the whole shebang.  So we got going along the canyon and chatted in Spanish about weight training, good nutrition, and running & interval/circuit training.  Of all the boys I've hosted, he's the most dedicated both mentally and physically (ie the guy is totally ripped).  He's 206 lbs and had never run over 4 miles before.  It was fun to have a huge man like that begging to know how much farther.  He pushed a pretty good pace though.  Of course I stepped it up slightly to show him how it's done.  He's young, he can take it.

9:09/8:49/8:27/8:48/9:37/8:59/9:39/9:26  rain, snow, sun.  Someone tell e.e. Cumings I am sick of the little lame baloon man.

15 miles about killed me. Not my best 2 weeks on record. I will be happy to get to a less complicated and more tranquil place sometime soon.  This weather is killing me. SNOW on APril  30th???  I am officially sick of it.

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. 

My daugther is up at 5:30 for soccer practice, and then has cross country at 7.  I am floored soccer would be meeting so early.  It kind of gives me trouble in the morning to get her ready and then try to go run.  I'm used to getting up early enough I get the house (and the world) to myself.  But I can actually hear the grunting and chanting of the football team practicing in the mornings now by 7:00. 

The morning is, in my opinion, the first day of summer.  The morning was perectly clear, cool, but balmy.  It reminded me of the day I brought my son home from the hospital 12 years ago.  It was a cloudless, perfect morning--like today.  The view of the valley and of the lake from the bench was breathtaking.  I live for mornings like this.  I miss my trail, but the view today of the valley did me a solid.

Had a nice little afternoon jog up to the cemetary enjoying all the flowers in bloom.  Nothing has bloomed in order this year because of the cold.  Lots of snowball bush and lilac, flowering trees and irises.  Next to roses, Irises are my favorite.  There are several houses on the way to the cemetary who used lines of Irises to demarkate property lines -- so there are hundreds densely planted.  I am still  awaiting my roses.  Usually by the first week of June, they are in their glory.  They are still small tight buds, like me, awaiting the warmer weather to relax and bloom.  I felt ok on this run, but was laughing with Ericka earlier today about how neigher of us had run hardly any miles.  This will be the worst training episode to date.  I never got in a 20 miler and my hamstring kills by mile 12 so, UVM next Saturday should be "fun" :)

9:32/9:27/9:25/10:04/9:21/8:24/8:41/8:59/9:10  (9:13 AP). This was a remarkably good run for me.  Going up the canyon was HARD!  The wind blew so hard at one point, I felt like it hit me in the chest and took my breath away (a microburst that blew branches out of trees and sent leaves and debris flying).  It blew my hat  right off my head and sent it a quarter of a mile back. When the burst hit, I quickly turned my back against it to sheild my face.  As I turned around, I saw 3 other runners behind me instinctually doing the same.  It was BIG wind.  Then, of course, knowing there was a tail wind when I turned around I did what I could to run a couple of good miles.  I kept telling myself one of Smooth's mantras : the pain of running won't kill me.  So by the end, I was happy having run 3 ok miles.  I don't know what that means for next week....  even with just 9 miles, I will need to roll my hamstring.  After the marathon I'll head to Dr. Brady to see what can be done about it.  Utah Valley Marathon is a huge "?"  I've never not run a long run between marathons.  I did the best I could given the anemia situation and trying to stave off the burn out.  So we'll see what happens next week.  

I could not get my run in yesterday because I was up at 3:30 and not home until 8:00 at which point I fell into bed.  Our Charity Golf Tournament held at the Country Club in Salt Lake  was yesterday and sucked me dry.  I had a beautiful run this morning by the river though, and thrilled by how the parkway has greened up, and how lovely the landscaping is.  Today, I think I was the first person to use the newly paved part of the parkway behind Will's.  It will be fun to see that segment of the trail get landscaped as the weeks go by.

We just found out my dear mother in law's tumor (cancer) is too big to be operated on. She's getting an echocardiogram to see if she can withstand chemo. The chemo may help shrink the tumor so they *may* be able to operate /remove the tumor. I spent my run looking up at the beautiful green mountains profoundly struck by how short the good parts of life are. I pondered the many beautiful summers when she and my father in law would travel up from Chile to spend the entire summer with us and the children. My children adore her. She is their tiny 'abuelita', standing tough as nails at 4'11. She is the single most patient, sweetest, truly Christian woman I know. I realize God is the author of our lives, but I am sad anyway. She is so quiet and humble she would not want me to worry about her, which makes it all the worse for me. She has been so sweet to me and so grateful that I married her son. I hate these chapters of life; to quietly witness the suffering of others and the unknown. To have to say goodbye to the past and move ahead without people who love you. Running helped me cope wth the loss of my father; but I needed to run to fix the crazy he made inside of me. Losing her is just sad, no need to drum up any energy to run away from anything.

I just ran up and down the street in the cool morning.  It was a surprize how wet everything was.  It must have rained over night, but you never would have known it by 6:00 a.m. -- it was clear as a bell!   I wanted to run up to the cemetary to look out over valley and the lake, but I held back knowing my legs would be sore if I did that.  So I held back, ran less than I wanted to and dreamed of how fun it's going to be to just run, and run, and run down the canyon on Saturday. My daugther's cross country team will be volunteering at one of the water stations, which will be fun for me to see her there.  She's been at XC practice every day at 7am  for the last 2 weeks and just got moved into the 'elite' group (sub & 7:00 mile group).  I don't know if she can keep it up thorugh the season, but for now she's training with them, and will go varsity (in the 9th grade) if she keeps it up.  Also, she came home from soccer to tell me that her soccer coach knows me.  He looked at her name, looked at her, said she looked like someone he knew in college, and then asked her if she was my daughter.  Turns out he's an Ex...whose last words to me (that I can remember) were not to marry my husband (now of 20 years).  Awkward. 

Well, I started out the day fresh as a daisy running the Utah Valley Marathon with  Cath and Smooth, and  Rach.  We kept a good 9 m/m pace.The running conditions were perfect--it was cool with cloud cover and I was feeling pretty ok.  But the premature oranges at mile 10 and a few other pre race mistakes were making me suffer by the half point and I forced Cath to go on without me.  Plus my hamstrings have been killing me slowly and I'm seriously losing range of motion.  It stopped being any fun by mile 17.  From then on out, It was going to be a long series of POP stops.  At mile 22 at the mouth of the canyon my daughter was supposed to be on the aid station with the rest of the Timp XC team, but she could not be found.  At which point I freaked out, quit running went home (which was .4 miles off  mile 23).  There is more to the story that I wont' blog about.  Anyway, I learned she was at the finish line.    I thought I'd catch up with Cath but miscalculated her arrival and ended up running after some girl down the chute who was not her, then spent the next 20 minutes frantically trying to find her (scared she had broken her leg completely at the stress fracture somewhere after mile 17 when I let she, Smooth, and Rad get way ahead. I went home with 23 miles under my belt--threw my son an all day long huge birthday party and ran another 4 in the evening.  Not the  Utah Valley Marathon I had envisioned.  But according the clock, I "finished" in 4:11  I really need to get my hernia and my hamstrings fixed before I do this again.

This was my lame attemt to "Train" for the Freedom 5K with my son.  He's been so chubby this past month I'm starting to get a little worried.   So taking him on a run starting up hill, in the canyon full of people, in the full heat of noon day didn't provide for great parenting moments along the trail.  He was pretty whimpy and I did my best to ignore him to show him how to man it up a bit. As I suspected, he thought he was a hero for doing 4 miles and bragged about it the rest of the day.  We're going to bomb the 5K, but hey--it's me and my kids running.  What more could I ask. 

I have not run since June 11th but had to do the Freedom Festival because I signed the kids and me up waaaay back in April.  16th out of 101 ladies in my division isn't that  bad-- seeing how I was expecting to BOMB it. My daughter has been doing some pretty serious work outs with XC so I was hoping she'd shine.  Instead she spent the first mile goofing off with her friends until I found her at mile marker 1 and pushed her forward and said "You can not let a flabby 43 year old Mommy beat you ....GO!"  So she cleaned her self up and made two nice splits to the end.  We did all have fun  (even my son who hasn't run a step himself since his school's 5K in May).  Happy 4th!  I ended up running 5 more miles get to the parade and then back home (better than traffic). My girl ran with me one of those extra miles, but let her Dad take her in the car the rest of the way home.

Dropped my kid off at the mouth of the canyon for her group work out, and took off to run a few miles and back. I'm starting to be able ignore the sound of the traffic in the canyon and focus on the river. Was looking on the ground to see if I could find the RHPC markings from last year's half marathon. Man, it's so hot and humid these days with all the clouds and rain. It feels just like the east coast....I'll be there soon. Can't wait.

I made the mistake of seeing 3 doctors today.  I only have had a little time off and needed to take advantage to get everything done that I've been putting off.  But I hate getting touched and prodded, and bled, and injected....all of which happened at all of my appointments and now I just feel old and defeated and violated.   

I missed running with the real runners this morning and opted for resting my leg until the injection sites were less sore.  So late in the afternoon I ran from Bridal Veil to Vivian Park and back with my girl.  Taught her the ways of icing tired lets in the stream.  Even though it was an easy, fun run the icy water felt fantastic on my legs.

I am so thrilled at the prospect of NOT training for a marathon that running seems fun again. I don't really want to think about St. George. Maybe I just have to accept that my body can't do what it used to do (speed nor distance).  Maybe my wrecked hamstrings and sad variety of exhausting ailments have sucked the joy out of trying hard.  I don't know. But I do know that running--at any pace-- for no better reason than to be near the sound and sight of the rushing river, and to be one of the few witnesses of the cool morning daybreak is enough for me. I tried something new today that felt kind of good--I walked backwards up the big hills instead of running them.  

Walked/ran up to the cemetery taking the opportunity to walk backwards up the hill again.  I love how it makes my quads burn.  Watched the valley come alive from the mountaintop, I adore the view of the valley and the lake from up there.  Came home and did my 300 sit ups and 60 push ups and other stuff.  I love feeling strong without feeling exhausted.  It's such a nice change.  I always want MORE though. Who knows, I might join the gym again to take a spin class. 

Ran and remarked the course for the first 10K of the Red Hot Pink Chicks for Saturday.  I marked 'the scenic route' and the straight route depening on what Jos and I decide when we got set up the markers tomorrow.

RHPC!! We set up the course markers last night.  It was so fun to be out on the trail in the full moon, sneaking around with flashlights. The night was beautiful.  The morning topped it.  The full moon still hung low in the sky cradled by the fat pink horizon.  The sky was blue and the morning still and perfect as only a summer's day can be.  My friend Chrysula from Australia, living in NYC (well, Connecticut) came and so I ran the 10 K distance with her.  I really felt like running more and had hoped to run 10 total.  It was fun to see everyone at the start.  It feels like a running reunion.  There was a little wind at the mouth of the canyon, but otherwise it was perfect temperature. I had a nice chat with Chysula and it was fun to see everyone.  Lily won the prized red hot rooster. Said goodbye to Michelle in case I don't get to see her off to Hong Kong.  Got a few more miles in running back up the trail to collect the trail markers.  I'll miss Michelle.

I have been so busy I never got my run in so I ended up running at midnight.  It was delicious to be the only one out in the relative cool of the evening, alone with the night shadows. But this humidity has kept the evenings rather hot.

Probably not the best idea to do 2 runs within 8 hours of each other.  I woke up and hurried to get in a run before the trip.  It was pretty cool until the sun came up.  I'm looking forward to getting the heck out of here.  I was pretty beat by the end of this run.  My legs were tired.  I just don't know how it's going to be to keep up the running while we are driving and driving.  I'll have to get up around 5:30 or 6:00 and take my girl with me every day.  Her coaches are expecting her to maintain her training while we're gone. 

Jackson Hole, WY.  On our way to the Tetons.  Ran the trail just outside of town with my girl. It's been fun to run with her.  Although she's not like a running "friend" like I'd imagined.  She doesn't talk to me, and there is an element of "parenting" even in the running together. She gets annoyed because I want to make an even 5 miles, or because it's time to sprint.  She rolls her eyes and balks a bit.  Then toward the end, when she knows we are on the home stretch, she leaves me in her dust running fast back to the cabin while I look up at the mountains.   I really need to get back here to ski sometime.  It's beautiful in the summer--breathtaking, and I love Jenny Lake in the Tetons during the summer.  But I have never skied Grand Targee or Jackson Hole, and when I see the slopes carved through the trees in Summer it makes me want to come back. Everyone says the skiing here is the best.  Wyoming has been breathtaking....the wildflowers are out in record number because of the wet, late Spring.  So many varieties and the mountains and valleys are deep green.  It's so nice to get away.  I think I will be running in a different state every day from now until next week except today and tomorrow (I'll be in Wyoming for almost 3 days). 

The air is so thin. We ran a little dirt trail around Yellowstone lake early in the morning. We ran until there was a warning sign that a bear was frequenting the trail we were running down. And since a man was killed by a bear here last week, we turned around. It felt so hard to catch a good deep breath. But the crystalline lake, sparkling blue water, green pine trees and multitude and variety of wildflowers kept me in awe. Yellowstone has been amazing.

Keystone, South Dakota.  The air smells so good here.  Like dirt, pine needles, and clean air.  Were I to do this again, we'd stay in Custer. Regardless the kids thought Mt. Rushmore was pretty cool.

Ran down a dirt road that crossed over South Dakota into Iowa with my girl.  It was so hot, she was not used to the heat and humidity.  It made a miserable run for her.  I on the other hand was elated running through corn fields and country roads.  I love vacation running.

Ran around old Nauvoo.  It feels like a miniture Salt Lake City.  Everyone walking around the City in the early morning feels just like it does in Utah.  Ran and walked the Trail of Hope.  It's been a very enlightening journey here.  As luck would have it, we got to see the pagent last night after Carthidge. 

Got to the farm in Hartsville after the epic cross country trip. Ran my usual track around the 100 acres, and over into the country roads lined with tobacco, soybeans, and cotton.  It is HOT here.  I leave for RI this afternoon for the weekend. 

Ran down Easton Beach toward Second Beach.  It's surprisingly less humid here than in SC.

I ran up the inlet and down toward Myrtle Beach from Cherry Grove.  It is so humid that my clothing is literally stuck to me by the end of the run.  As if I'd stepped under the hose and that clingly 'performance' material, once wet, leaves little to the imagination.  Oh those lucky, lucky early morning beachcombers.  I met a young high school girl doing Yasso's in 5-fingers.  She was working really tough out on the hard sand.  Good girl getting her work outs done on vacay.

Did a little run around the inlet.  It's so pretty there, but I didn't get started soon enough (slept in after partying all night).  By 7:00 a.m. it is hotter than blazes.  The humidity and heat combined literally feels like a sauna when you step oustide the beach house. 

Went 5 on my own down Ocean Drive and then 2 on the sand with my sis.  I was surprized to see my averages on the sand are still in the 9:30's.

Last run on the beach.  I ran half on and half on the street.  I will surely miss running at sea level.

Did my miles running circles around the 100 acres of my family's farm.  This time around keeping my eyese open for cottonmouths.  Man it is hot and humid.  Have I mentioned how humid it is?

Took a short little jaunt around the neigbhorhood up to the cemetary to watch the sunset. It's going to be tough getting back into the swing of things. I hate going back to real life

17 days of vacation later. I did my best to show my kids the country and all their buried great-greats in South Carolina. I am beat. At least the sun isn't rising until well after 7 so I can get some extra sleep. My body feels like lead.

I had such a great run.  Just a run around my favorite places these days--the river side trail, the vintage park loop (love the rock river and flowing water).  I also stopped in at the Riverwoods to visit the ol' 3B Yoga Studio and my friends there.  The morning was so cool and fresh.  I love these days into November.  Late Summer and fall are just my most favorite times of the year. 

Ran with my newest boy Gerrardo (international student) going to play basketball for Timpview.  He's a respectful good boy.  Just a little younger than the others we've hosted.  My other boys are all off at college now on scholarships.  This one has more academic promise than the others, which I prefer. But he's not a bad baller, and he's disciplined.  These basketball players have such a  hard time to KEEP ON running. They try to run me faster, but only last at that pace about the length or two of a basketball court. I have to teach them how to maintain a steady pace. Every single one of them does the same thing.  I know they could run faster than me (once they get used to running) at a sustained pace.  They but none of them like the sustained, prologned pace they just don't have stamina or patience for.  I always tell them-- running will teach them patience and build their endurance since what they have to learn is how to "just keep" going long after they're board with the running process.  It's good mental endurance for them.

Met Cath at wills at 6:30 not quite sure I could run all 8 miles. But we chatted along in the cool pre dawn, enjoying the warm puffs of canyon morning breezes.  We drank from the fountain of youth, stopped at the bathroom and by the end, even I was doubting my decision to forfeit St. George. 

Running into the mouth of the Canyon, there was a group of lythe, muscular, shirtless young men (maybe 20 or more of them) standing in a group on the trail. They were standing in a group talking, or maybe waiting, and when they saw me coming from behind, the parted like the red sea to line either side of the trail and began cheering with their arms up as if I were crossing a finish line. So I ran past smiling and holding my arms up in triumph as I sprinted past. It was a most wonderful random running moment. It was as if they had been waiting for me to arrive, and encoraging me to keep on doing my thing. It didn't hurt that they were young, tan, and sweaty either. Happy Tuesday fur shure.

Finally all the kids off to school at the same time. I can actually run now between seeing them off for school and work as long as I don't run more than 5 miles. I'm surprized by my pace. 9:15-30's are feeling easyish, whereas all these past months, pulling 10's was like death. It has taken me a full year to get over running anywhere but "MY" trail. But I'm getting there. I still try to find beauty in the proximity of the mountains, the vistas of the lake from the bench, and looking at people's gardens and landscaping. I do get down to this side of the trail---which is landscaped in the most lovely way--I just hate running along side the cars, their noise & smell, and my perceieved invasion of personal space and private time. I'll get down to "My" end of the trail for few Saturdays with Cath. Back in May, that 2 mile segment from the Utah Lake to Geneva Road (Provo Half marathon), it didn't feel like "My" trail anymore.

Ran the pathway up into Zion's National Park really early in the morning.  It is spectacular weather and I am completely renewed by the majesty of the canyon walls.  We're hiking Angel's Landing at dawn.  It is always such a nerve wracking hike with 1,000 foot cliffs down either side of the ridge.  Should be thrilling.

I met an Australian ex-ballerina dancer doing Tai-Chi at the mouth of the Narrows river canyon in Zion's National park.  She was wearing Vibram 5 Fingers.  When she finished her excersize we had a conversation about the Vibram and how they changed her feet back into the right shape, and helped her offset years of damage from her dancing.  I'm never convinced about barefoot runing.  Maybe I'd try twice a week, or on grass.  I'd sooner run in crocks like Sasha.   I just don't trust my body to 'biomechanically' correct my running as the barefoot running theory goes.  My body has let me down a lot and I don't trust it at all anymore.  It was interesting though to talk with this girl about yoga, energy, and the reasons we get our hair cut.

I ran 100 feet sprints every other 100 feet.  Hoping to make up for the lack of distance.  I wacked all of my hair off, I mean ALL OF MY HAIR.  6 years ago I started growing it out and now it's clear I've moved on from that phase.  Last fall, I cut about 6 inches off, but finished the job today.  So what's left on my head is all fresh, uncolor treated, hair.  Shorty short hair.

So tired today.  But the late summer, early autumn morning crispness brings a renwed sence of wonder.  The change of the seasons always affects me, and none so much as autumn.  It's my favorite season.  But I am being punished for every time I ever made fun of people with hypoglycemia.  I always said that hypoglycemia was for anorexics who were just making excuses for why they were  weak and nervous when what they really needed was to just eat something.  I have been living with this for at least 18 months, and it's gotten progressively worse.  I get to see the endocrinologist next week to see why my liver's not working, or if my pancreas is overloading my body with insulin.  In retrospect, I muscled through so much exhaustion I can't believe I could do it.  It just proves mind over matter. But now I know there is something legitimately wrong with my storage and use of complex carbs/sugars I can trace back almost every episode to this condition.  I also always thought I was so tired and foggy during the day because I was doing too much running.  I can't believe how judgemental I am and how I am now paying for it.  I just hope I can learn how to adjust my eating to make running a non life threatening event. 

I have enjoyed playing Ultimate Frisbee the past few afternoons --I mean; I really, really like Ultimate Frisbee.  I played yesterday till all my clothes stuck to my skin.  I’ve also been relishing my morning jog—It’s so cool now and the weather so gentle.  Even the bit of rain earlier in the week was delicious.  However, this morning the wind at the mouth of the canyon was ferocious!  A lithe young runner glided past me and pointed out how the headwind was causing us grief…..it sure is, I said, practically crawling  & gasping for breath behind him as he disappeared into the canyon.  Man, I really hope to rebuild some stamina over the next few weeks.  Also, my piriformis hurts again.  Dr. Brady’s magic injection must be wearing off.   Adding to my litany of complaints is how much reading I’ve done now on hypoglycemia and marathon/distance running.  My refusal over these years to eat before running, or during runs, is no longer an option. There is only one available endocrinologist in Utah County so I have to wait to see her. But ever since I've been learning about hypoglycemia, it explains almost everything that has been wrong with me (exhaustion & dizziness, heart arrhythmia, headaches, weakness, extreme irritability, mental fogginess, faintness, etc.. ).  I have thought I was dying of cancer or something so many times in the past two years, I finally made them run every test they suspected I should take.  They’ve checked me for early menopause, for liver failure, for vitamin D deficiency, anemia---but after 10 years at the same doctor, no one ever said to me:  Hey! Do you ever feel like you’re going to pass out or get really dizzy and weak? Get headaches much?  Because we’ve noticed your blood sugar for the past 10 years, has been half of what it should to even be considered “Low”.   I mean, I thought was going to die of a heart attack a hundred times because of the arrhythmia.  I just assumed it would kill me, the same as it killed my Dad of a stroke.  But come to find out it’s hypoglycemia that causes it.  I've laid down on the trail and put my feet up in the air so I won't pass out a few times, or bent way over so the blood would stay in my head to keep me conscious.  No one has ever said anything except “your blood sugar is low” in an un-alarming, monotone way that led me to believe it was totally normal to have such low blood sugar.   It's never meant anything to me until it started to affect my running. I’ve lived with it so long it’s become normal, and I have such a litany of other complaints during the day that I just shoved "passing out on the trail" into the closet along with the rest of the crap. But it came to me in June, that the only things I enjoy doing (running and skiing) are jeopardized.  It hasn’t mattered that I’ve gone through the rest of my waking life half-dead and low functioning; it hardly makes a difference.  I’m just one of 6 billion human drones doing the same thing every single day, living through whatever misery or luck is thrown my way.  But do not mess with the hiking, running or the skiing…. please.

I got to run with Cath this morning at 6.  She's been lucky enough to find a running friend close by who runs closer to her pace and is also training for St. George. So she doens't have to do her long runs alone now I'm a party pooper.  I take that as a sign that I really have made the right choice to forgo the ST. George.  Darn the luck, getting in this year and now not using my number.  I need to get better though.  I have to figure out how to maintain a healthy weight, eat right, and keep doing what I love.  I'm especially excited about experimenting during ski season. There were times last winter where I'd be really working hard, and I would just crash (energy wise). My thighs would burn and after that burn, I'd be down for the count.  So I want to know if I bring and actually EAT the cliff bars I stuff into my ski parka pockets really can bring me back to life, or if I snack on them conintually during \the day if it will keep my stamina high. 

Did my running at the gym with my kid on the treadmill next to me.  I taught him how to do all his abdominal exercises--singling out ab sections including his abductors. It wasn't entirely successful. It was harder than I'd imagined helping him locate and focus on where to isolate the work. He also wasn't 100% convinced I knew what I was doing. Who can blame him, I'm so flabby you would have never believed I grew up in a gym working out with Mr. America 1976 (my father).  We did have fun though running next to each other watching the Miss Universe Pageant and commenting on the hilarious things the announcers would say (and the intonations they used) when they said things like “Miss Paraguay was studying to be a doctor until she realized that the sight of blood makes her sick….Being a doc, doesn't rock with.......Paraguay!"  I was reminded while we were watching all these beautiful girls how unconscious he is in his attraction to the dark skinned women.  He doesn’t make a point of it or even realize it.  He just stops and looks more carefully, and for longer, if the girl has dark skin.  I just think it’s interesting and wonder how that came to be, and if it will translate into his dating years (a few years down the road).

This cool autumn weather takes my breath away and reinvegorates me entirely. The sun doesn't even come up until nearly 9 so the flowers are still fragrant and dewy and the air sports a fiesty chill.  The only sad part is that  my hip/piriformis bothers me again.  I did  as much grass and dirt running as possible along my route--including a few 100 feet repeats at Vintage park. 

The injections Dr. Brady gave me, I am 100% sure now, were exactly the same as getting a cortisone shot.  The effect has completely worn off, and my piriformis is more painful than it was before I went in July.  So basically, the anti-inflammitory worked for 6 weeks allowing me to further injury the injury while I continued to run (even at my new reduced and overly moderate schedule).  He told me the shots contained oxygen and B vitamins to promote healing.  The truth is, the injury is worse. Even after resting, even after the elliptical.  Today's little run hurt so bad going up and down the hill I had to stop and catch my breath.  It made me realize I've been living with this hip, piriformis,hamstring injury since 2008.  It's been a tough year starting with not making the Boston Marthon sign up last Fall and then not getting into the New York City Marathon for this November.  Which reminds me......I have a race number for St. George if anyone needs it. 

Ran around the temple.  Not loving the piriformis action.  It was a bit chilly this morning, which reminds me how much  my tendons love the cold.

 I must be the only person who ever got tendonitis on the eliptical.  I had a great work out though--sweated more and breathed twice as hard than when running.  I'm prone to tendonitis anyway.  Yoga gives me tennis elbow.  I'm about ready to give up.

Todays jog was brought to you by entire hillsides covered with sunflowers (Black Eyed Susan's).  I swear, running up the foothill to look out over the valley and see the stillness of the lake saved my life this morning.  My thingy hurts still when I run. I'm sick of my thingy.

Bleechk. Running today was icky.  I had 10 -- yes 10 vials of blood drawn earlier.  If you saw that much of your own blood spilled (on the pavement for example) it would make you sick.  There is just something wrong about seeing your blood outside of your body in a neat row of tiny vials. 

Before I forget to write this down (thus sealing it in my memory banks, hopefully forever)....I found a very useful apparatus at the gym it's called the Stretch Trainer.  It's basically a mini 'stretch cage' like they have at the Physical Therapy place, but it's all ham, glues, quads.  That and also this bend over the top -backwards pull up machine (working back, hips & glutes)-- I hope to both strengthen and stretch my glutes & hamsrings.  They both feel so good.

Trying to find something to replace running -- is exactly like trying to get over your last boyfriend (the one you dated for 10 years). To move forward, you go out with friends (the gym, swimming, biking) or people who are new (cross-fit, PX90) doing your best to be open minded and generous in trying to give others the chance to grow on you. But really, your eyes glaze over while they are talking and you look out the window, wondering what the weather is like on the trail you can vaguely trace with your eyes along the bench of the mountain--remembering what it feels like and sounds like to run strong.......I had dream last night about running the last .2 miles of the St. George Marathon.  I was running  (with beautiful, fluid, strength) down that  bit of road after you turn left on the corner to get to the finish.  There was the crowd, and I was getting closer and closer to the chute--but then I would close my eyes as I made my last effort to the finish, and when I opened them,  the finish line would be farther away, and I'd keep running until I'd wake up.  I did that a few times last night with the depressing realization that I'm single again (as far as this metaphor goes).

I didn't have the time to get to the gym before work so I thought I'd try a little "real" running (it's been about a week).  I so enjoy this weather, the clear calm pre-dawn sky, the manicured landscaped gardens around here. I am happy to report that cross fit and extreme elliptical work outs have vastly improved my cardio vascular health.   However--I'm pretty sure my piriformis is beyond repair.  It plagues me during the run, and for the remaining hours of the day as I sit at my desk.  The only place I can comfortably run at a decent pace is on the grass.  I may try a trail on Saturday to console myself that I am missing Catherine, and being in St. George.  But this '08 piriformis injury is not going away.  It really started to bother me again while training for the Utah Valley Marathon.  The injections and stretches Dr. Brady gave were a temporary fix.  The pain of running on it has now become equal in seriousness to my passing out at various intervals during the day (we'll find out what that's all about in the next 3 weeks I hope).  Doing cross fit, and going to the gym is growing on me.  I'm getting stronger in new and different places, my cardio threshold is higher/better, and performing highly challenging, high intensity work outs (that don't hurt my hip/butt/ham) are rebuilding my confidence.  It's nice to be working on other muscle groups.  And being in the gym reminds me of the years I spent working out with my father whilst he was doing his best to keep me (his adolescent daughter) from being as large as his 350 pound mother.  But working out-- just doesn't light my fire the way running does.  I'm watching the leaves turn color and enjoying the temperate weather while patiently biding my time until the snow comes, allowing me to lose myself on a mountain of powder.  

Got myself a personal trainer today.  I am kind of excited to learn new excercizes and how to use the free weights and machines at the gyn.  I've enjoyed feeling my the muscles on my back and rump get more firm.  My strenghthened hamstrings/glutes feel as if they are protecting the injury there. I've been 'running' on the ellpitical going at about 6.5+ MPH (it equals about 9 minute miles and I go at about a 15 level).  A hard work out on the ellpitical feels good when I'm done.  After an ellptical work out, my body doesn't hurt or feel arthritic the rest of the day or night. It leaves me feeling the way running used to feel when I was younger, and I did it just for fun or excersize (before marathoning).  The ellpitical allows me to breath much harder and push my self without hurting anthing.  I can close my eyes when it gets intense (or I want to ramp up the speed into the 7's) and unlike running, I can't run off the trail or into other runners (as I am wont to do).  I can go wild, and NOTHING HURTS --not during or after.  I just have to be sure I've eaten about 30 minutes before I work out, and have a few sips of juice right after to keep from getting light headed before the rest of the work out.  My Personal trainer was a pretty good body-builder once...Not my favorite personality type, but he'll push me.  I have a fitness evaluation on Monday. They are doing the whole fat caliburation, VO2 max/Threshold test, etc.  I'll set some goals and see if I can get fit again wihout my leg breaking off my torso.

Jos called yesterday to see if I wanted to go with her, Ericka and their friend to St. George to support everyone running today.  I might have gone if I had thought about it sooner and made arrangements.  But maybe it would just depress me.  I don't have a clear vision of ever running another marathon based on what my body is doing right now.  My new office accountant is running it today for the first time.  I think this is Catherine's 7th or 8th St. George?  Her husband Scott  is running too. I am sad to not be there drinking up the adrenaline in the atmosphere.  I wore some pretty killer stilettos tonight.  And I stayed out late.  One of the benefits of not running 50+ mile weeks, has been not feeling chronically arthritic or exhausted.... so I can wear prettier shoes and stay up a little later without feeling murderous or wrecking my sciatic nerve the next day.

I am still loving the elliptical and I do my best to push it hard (9 Minute Miles at a level 15 difficulty). However, I am not in love with my personal trainer.  I get 1/2 hour wherein he shows me different machines and exercises using the balls, the weights, and pulleys.  I probably should have just joined the Cross-Fit gym.  It was just too far to be practical. Coming from years of just running out my door-- to having to go somewhere -- is already a huge burden, and a step down.  On Sunday, my cousin Amber reminded me that she'd teach me how to ride (she's does Triathalons and 100+ mile rides).  She has asked me lots of times to get a bike.  I never loved the idea of being one of the canyon riders who is always fighting for trail space or having to remind walkers/runners to keep on their side of the trail.  I don't relish the idea of having to repair a tire in the middle of a work out, wrecking a bike, or taking care of any piece of equipment.  I have always been resistant to the idea of biking.  Even if I do like the idea that you could do it for 4-5 hours at a time and could cover a lot of ground.  I won't get a clearance to even try it for another 3 weeks.  Once the piriformitis calms down, I'll try a spin class.

I had a great work out today--but about passed out twice.  I forgot to bring my water/juice and didn't eat before going to the gym.  It's getting so bad.  But I have to learn to eat before working out.  I just have to.  I'm eating about 1700 calories a day.  Eating has become a boring task that gives me no pleasure. The only time I feel normal is for about 15 minutes after I eat pure sugar. 

I ran 5 straight  miles (10 m/m)  on my own treadmill and nothing hurt. My cardio is much improved because of the elliptical.  But I just love my treadmill.  It's engine has been overhauled once, I've replaced the belt once.  It's been tuned up twice.  It has over 12,000 miles on it.  But the best part of my treadmill is the wooden deck.  It gives and almost bounces so running feels low impact. I ran and treated myself to back-to-back episodes of  Arrested Development (season 2) in anticipation of the upcoming 10 new episodes and movie.  I go to the trainer later today, but he's gone after my glutes and hams so hard that the tendons behind my knees are really, really sore. My butt and hams feel great though.  A lot stronger.  It seems all the personal trainers at the gym have a vendetta against runners and an agenda to shape up our back-sides and lower abs which-- they swear is the root of all running problems. I just can't let the meat head wreck my other set of tendons.  I'm already one down.  Even with 1,700-2,000 miles a year under my belt for the past 6-7 years --  I've never had any real knee issues and I don't intend to get any before ski season.

I don't know what to think about "running" on the elliptical.  It has MPH and mileage, and levels of difficulty.  I can't tell it's a harder work out or not (than running).  It seems so much harder to do it while you are doing it--maybe it's just more boring because you're not outside.  I breath a lot harder on the elliptical, and I feel like I'm pushing my oxygen intake to it's limit.  But it doesn't have the same total body cleansing effect that running does.  My run on the treadmill yesterday left me high the rest of the day.  I was euphoric with the success of it.  I am learning to do a total body work out. I'm surprised by how weak my butt, hips, and back are. It does feel good to 'get strong' in other places.  I ran into Ericka at the gym.  I hope she joins. She agreed to come to the 6:00 a.m. cycling class taught by Steve Orrick (our physical Therapst) and try Zumba with me :)  

While I am at the gym, I remember all the wonderfully sexist and judgmental things I was instructed by my father (while we were at the gym working out together while I was an adolescent).  He considered himself a genius at picking out women who he thought would not become overweight (ever) by gauging the amount of fat they had on their upper arms and inner thigh-- with a cross reference to the girl's mother. He would always point out to me women who had soft upper arms or inner thighs and tell me what they would look like later in life.  Likewise he would point out women who had very thin upper arms, space between their thighs, and instruct me how to gauge the % of body fat by the amount of flesh you might be able to pinch on their forearm/neck.  He categorically preferred very thin, petite, women who were unusually well endowed (on top).  It was as rare a find in the days before fake boobs, as it was stereotypically sexist. But since he himself was physically superior to many other men (tall, muscular, and incredibly good looking), I guess he felt entitled to judge.  Even more than judgmental about a woman’s % of body fat, he was genius at finding low maintenance women, who did not require make up, nice clothes or financial status; Which usually meant they grew up in a very large family (therefore didn't require a lot of attention, were shy, or socially undeveloped), or came from a strict religious background or poverty.  I find myself wondering why I, have to be the bearer and keeper of this useless information on how to find a skinny woman who won’t get fat after having babies.  When people say how terrible fashion magazines, TV, and the general media are for the self- esteem of young women-- I can say with assurance, nothing is worse for a girl’s self-loathing, than the opinion her father holds of women.  I am sure he thought sharing his opinions would shape me into a similarly low maintenance, low-fat woman.  Sadly, it did not.  It created a borderline man-hating, cellulite-ridden, overly judgmental woman who will challenge you to look at the fat of her upper arm as a way to determine whether or not you are worthy of her attention.  

I have been truly enjoying the full body work out after my run. My long neglected back side is feeling stronger (back, glutes, and hamstrings) and by and by my piriformis is a little less irritated during the day while sitting down or driving in the car (and then suddenly standing up).  But time in the gym means being surrounded by people.  This is what I've noticed over and over.  The thinnest, most fit people do not work out as hard or long as us fatties. This goes for both men and women. The good looking ones do light reps of whatever they are doing, and spend most of their time standing around talking, subtly observing the better looking specimens of the opposite sex.  It leads me to believe that having a beautiful body is more luck than work.  As long as you are  10-15 % body fat by nature, your toned muscles show up with minimum work.  It always makes me sad, how it's never about the working out.  For the ones who are not "naturally" thin, it's all about the amount of food and what kinds of food you consume. Usually, far less of it than you actually feel you need.  It's surprising and depressing how little of it you actually need to get by.  

Ran on my TM again today.  I love it so much.  Arrested development is still genius and getting me through the miles at a 9:30 pace with ease.  I really think the elliptical and strength training is bringing me back.  Also-- I've learned to drink grape juice mixed with water throughout the day. It's my new weapon against my dangerously low the blood sugar. I'm replacing some of my complex carb calories for juice.  It's crazy, it goes against everything that I've practiced nutritionally, but I have to say, it's working for me right now. 

If I thought all those good looking posers checking each other out on other days of the week was obnoxious, it was nothing compared to today (Friday). The array of falling-off the shoulder, high rise midriff, decorative and strategically placed holes was stunning. It's a good technique though, I have to admit. Making yourself available for the weekend with a fellow poser by showing up to the gym on Friday and hanging around in your bestest work out gear. I wonder if they know just how grandly entertaining they are to the bloated, saggy, old people watching the magic happen from their places on the treadmills and ellipticals. Way better than the TV with captions for the hearing impaired.

I did 1 minute full board (8.5-9) mph every 10 minutes. I have never worked so hard, breathed so loudly, or sweat so profusely in public. Two different men tried to position themselves next to me to strike up a conversation, until they could see I was working out-working out. One of the things I love about elliptical work outs is that I can close my eyes when you're close to passing out and keep 'moving'. I've always had this weird thing where my body wants to put me to sleep when I work really hard or run really fast.

This summer, I ran in a different state almost every day for 10 days. When I was running down a gravel dirt road, between the corn fields in Iowa I found a really excellent, workman grade tape measure that had been tossed off someone's truck. It was at least 3 pounds of strong metal tape, with a thick plastic casing. I put it in the shoulder of my industrial strength running bra and supported it with one hand it while we ran 5 miles back to the hotel. My daughter made fun of me for lugging it back. But it was really high quality, and in good shape. I left the measuring tape back at the farm in South Carolina with my Uncle, thinking he could use it on the farm. There hasn't been a week since that day I haven't regretted leaving it. I have needed it every day for the last week. I use a bunched up cloth and vinyl seamstresses tape measure instead. Today my daughter was using that flimsy thing to measure out a wall in her room for a project--she looked at me and said "what did you do with that great tape measure you found in Iowa?".

I am feeling so much stronger these days. Even after traveling I'm still good-- which usually wears me out. The gym work outs, weights, and circuit training, the elliptical and treadmill, and time away from running in the cold and on the ground are doing the trick.  Last year and the year before were so hard--only about 6 weeks between marathon training cycles.  I'm just not made to do it--especially not 2 years in a row. The Long Saturday runs in the cold and snow these past winters really got me down.  I love 6-8 milers in the snow, but those 18-22's in the soggy spring snow right before DC Marathon actually made me cry toward the end. I was so broken down. It broke my will.  And when there is no will, there is no way.  You shouldn't need to ask yourself why you run. It should be what you want to do and it should inspire you -- not be like every other thing in life-- stealing away your time and energy. So I think I've put running back in it's place. I control it--it's not controlling me anymore.  It's weird how I got into such a demented OCD cycle about it.  I also think the problem in my liver/pancreas was exacerbated by the constant need for energy--overtaxing one of my weaker bodily system.  It set offl the cycle of problems with the glycogen depletion and hypoglycemia.  I needed to break my cycle, mix it up, get strong and find new ways to be fit.  Cross Fit was a huge eye opener. I feel really good--though heavier and fatter.  I'm  just not so good at eating smaller amounts of food. It's absolutely depressing how little food you need to stay alive.  Running longer distances does allow you to eat more without consequence.  But I guess that's like learning how to use money by using credit card.  It's not real money.

I had such an upsetting series of time-wasting conference calls today I was awake until 4:00 a.m. fretting and sending out venomous emails through the night. (One of the downsides of having too much energy for work vs.using it all up running). I'm losing what I'd like to think was 'my edge' for getting things done efficiently, and instead am turning into the 'crazy lady out in Utah' everyone in the whole country avoids talking if they want their jobs to be easier. That in and of itself is it's own kind of technique for getting left alone.  I't just, being crazy, is just not as cool and edgy as being the young, sharp witted, smart business woman I once was (or fancied I was). So, I ran on the treadmill and watched episode after episode of Mad Men and Arrested Development at full volume late into the night.  AD episode 43 is hands down the best one they ever wrote.  It features Scott Baio as the Bluth family lawyer Bob Loblaw.

I had a tough time getting my work out done.  Had to do two radio things that wreaked havoc on my a.m. then in the afternoon when I'd settled onto the treadmill, my darling daughter reminded me of some YW program she was in where she had to give a speech about discipline and endurance.  So, I willed myself off the treadmill until later...only to finish my puny miles off with a few wimpy push ups.

Vengence is mine today! Ha!  Blood sugar back in the 70's!  Take that pancreas!  I am going to keep eating Halloween candy.   This is proof that it's good for me for breakfast!  I had a great, relaxing work out and did all muscle groups, all the circuits, and sweat up a storm.  Seeing my blood sugar that high made me make believe I had a lot of energy.  It did feel pretty good.  

Ellpitical 8:50 ap.  I have been feeling so good since I started eating candy bars.

Treadmill run!  This is the first time in a long time I've been able to RUN.  I'm pounding out 8:50's and 9:00's and it feels like it's supposed to feel.  The hip still gets a little sore after, but I think it's on the mend.  Talked to Cath about UVM.  I think I'm in for it.  She's doing the slam again.  I think I've learned my lesson.

Did what I could today, but gotta get out the door.  

Man, I am bad at blogging and the traveling isn't helping.  I've been doing cross fit during the week and it's crazy hard.  It makes my arms not work for a few days sometimes.

It's official.  I should have signed up before Halloween for the discount, but I still wasn't sure I could do it.  UVM is the goal.  I'm going to have to start at 0.  

Ok, no news was not good news. I was all proud when I found out I could get my blood sugar up to 80 by eating candy.  But that apparently is not what is supposed to happen.  Your blood sugar should be in the 100's after eating candy.  So now we're back to the endocrinologist and insulin emitting tumors and more CT scans and Ultrasounds.  This is why I would rather just die than go to the doctor.  They are idiots and they don't listen to what you've said, and they waste your whole day making you starve and pricking your veins, and they don't try to understand what the doctor before said or look at the tumors on your liver and pancreas that someone else has already seen and said were nothing.  So now, after the endocrinologist referred me to an internist.  The internist, after verifying through 6 daily blood draws from 3 weeks that my average blood sugar is in fact 68, is now sending me back to the endocrinologist by saying "We're missing something here, this isn't normal".  Well no s Sherlock, that's why I came here after I almost died running a marathon last summer.  I was doing so good since eating candy.  It makes me feel normal in my head, and gives me enough energy to work out and run better than I have in ages. This just sucks. 

My arms are sohohohoho sore.  I 've done 3 CF work outs and boxing this week on top of my cardio/running.  It feels amazing to imagine punching someone in the face.... again and again. Toward the end of a 3 minute round, the trainer was smirking as I finished.  I could tell he was laughing at my intensity as he held himself and his mitted hands steady for me to punch.  I had totally lost myself in the hitting.  He said that all women are the same. They come in all shy and worried they'll slip and accidentally punch the trainer.  But within 3 hits of each hand, their faces transform into sheer aggression.  Yep, loved punching.

Doing what I can to keep up a few minutes of cardio. Insanely busy week--the onset of basketball season has me by the throat. Also, my sister who I have been 'not been speaking to'since August is here for Thanksgiving. Man, I need a punching bag at home.

After nearly 4 weeks, and 3 other doctors.... I finally saw the right doctor. Dr. Robert Jackson--the hip (not knee) Jackson orthopedic brother. I've had 2 MRI's and still need one more.  But Dr. Jackson read the MRI's and said no one had ever addressed the fact that I have acute and chronic tendinosis of the hamstring. It's torn to shreds and healed and scarred up. He said where it should be the size of a finger, is the size of 3 fingers held together.  He said the inflammation may be helped with PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) therapy administered by a radiologist.  Then they can tell with another MRI if it has responded to the therapy. If it has, they'll do it again.  If it doesn't THEN we'll talk surgery and hamstring repair.  He said if it's too much scar tissue, they will have to trim it down. Strangely the torn hip ligament does nothing (except maybe force my hamstring to work harder?? It's been there probably since 2008).  In the fall, however, I ruptured the bursa, tore the one of the meniscus, and a few tears on my patellar tendons.  Dr. Jackson said they will perform the same PRP therapy on my knee while they are doing my knee.  I see light at the end of the tunnel!  For the first time in a year--I see a tiny ray of hope.  If the endocrinologist can get to the bottom of the blood sugar thing, and my hamstring stops causing chronic pain I may feel my age again instead of 110. That would be nice. 

I skiied all Christms weekend after the ortho doc said I could ski "softly".  Not much snow out there, so the skiing is easier than managing powder. But it's amazing to me that I can ski agressively and really fast with no pain at all; but sitting down and standing up hurts like I'm literally 100 years old.  My knee that is most hurt from my fall did get a little sore after a few hours hours on the mountain--but so worth the extra damage in exchange for the perfect windless sunshine on the mountain with my kids.  I felt free, and was literally filled with joy for the first time in months.