Patience; the new endurance sport.

I’d like to apologize to those of you awaiting the Greatest Snow on Earth.  You see, the Universe is in the process of showing me who’s in charge and I guess the rest of the world just has to wait until I’ve learned my lesson.  Since June (and perhaps the August before that) my liver has ceased to function properly and my hamstring and patella have been maimed in such a way as to render me just slightly below functional.  This would have stopped most smart people, sensitive enough to take a hint—but not me.  The second I learned I could ski (marginally) without injury--  it simply stopped snowing.  I apologize for any collateral damage.  It may take me and the Universe a while to come to an amicable agreement.  

I have had a pretty awesome 24 hours.  I spent last night rubbing elbows with Robert Redford,  Blythe Danner, Melanie Lynskey, Christopher Abbot  (and many others) at the Premier Day One event of Sundance at the Screening of Hello, I Must Be Going (and the afterparty).  It was electric. So after being out until 3 a.m. I skipped work and spent my morning skiing the fresh little bitty bit of powder we got yesterday.  Turns out it wasn't all that bad.  Not bad at all.  The wet heavy snow stuck to the ice and made for some nicely packed powder. There was some nice little powder tucked away in a few corners and chutes.  My knee and ham didn't hurt at all--but man alive, I am OUT OF SHAPE.  I was breathing like a noob and my quads were literally shaking by the end. I'm getting a Precor ellpitical for home this weekend.  So maybe if the platlette therapy works I can get my cardio fitness back in order and I can be walk/jogging again by spring.  Today has been a good day.   

It is time to confront the beginning efforts of wogging.  Since the plasma rich therapy by the orthopedic surgeon in February, my knees have only given me a few problems (relevant to skiing like someone just recently escaped from an insane asylum), and my hamstring (sitting place) has behaved nicely. But again I have not tested it by running or even walking more than a mile  (which hurt later).  I can however, stand up after sitting for an extended period without asking for help from my assistant or rolling my chair into a co worker's office to ask for a push or a pull or falling out of my chair on purpose near my filing cabinets so I can use the handles to pull myself up (when no one is around... except the people walking by your office window who come running in from outside with panic on their faces because they think you have had a heart attack).  Anyway....   Now that I am pretty sure Tuesday was my last ski day (since it snowed like 47 inches) and I took off all the days I could to be in it (I hate to admit it, but I finally broke down and got some rockin' powder skis and the memory of them brings stinging little tears to my eyes to remember the times we shared....  Until next winter S110's -- adieu). So since February, I've been on the elliptical 30 minutes a day (plus my regular routine of 50 girl push ups, 300 sit ups, light weights, Botsu stuff, and the horribly painful PT stretching).  So, today after I was all warmed up from the elliptical I felt like I was ready to switch over to my treadmill just for kicks.  So I put the thing on 15 M/M and jogged--it felt fine. In fact, it felt great.  But I had to contain myself and against my will I kept it slow until I was done.  I could have jogged further and faster, but glad I didn't. Because the second I stepped off the treadmill I could feel my hamstring tendon (from the back of my knee to my sitting bone) absolutely throbbing.  So weird.  I never felt it while I was running, I was so elated to jogging.

I woke up and that tendon was sore.  Sitting down on it was sore.  Because of the injury I was afraid of the pain.  But I decided to stretch it (with the idea that it was just balking at being asked to go again into active duty).  Then I walked briskly, jogging occasionally up to the cemetery.  I’m enjoying the heat today, even if they say it’ll snow tomorrow. 

I had to go back to the elliptical.  My tendon was so sore from Friday and Monday. But I will persevere.  I'll walk/jog once or twice a week as I build up my ellpitical minutes from 30, 40 to 50 minutes (and so on).  I continue the stretching they taught me in PT.  I don't know how to read mileage on my elliptical.  The reading says I did 5,354 steps in 40 minutes (I used to only be able to do about 3,000 in 30).

40 minutes elliptical 5, 662 steps.  300 sit ups, 50 push ups, botsu ball, weights and stretching.  I've been recalling my training for Boston two years ago a lot this past week since it's coming up.  I did much of my winter training runs from work during the afternoons because it was just too cold and dark in the morning before work.  The whole Boston experience was a really good one for me.  I hated the winter training--but being with my friends there, taking my kids to Concord and Lexington, to Walden Pond, to Louisa May Allcott and Ralph Waldo Emmerson's graves, walking the red line, and then also running from Hopkington into  Broylston Ave with all those amazing Boston Marathon supporters--including my personalized message held by a few of Boston's finest police officers--then having one of my better marathon times...it all added up to an amazing experience.  It is something I can always look back on and be proud of having achieved. That folks is what I think about as I'm pumping and sweating away on my stupid elliptical while watching the last few episodes of Archer.

6,500 steps/57 minutes/9 resistance/2 incline .  I'm scared to go back to the treadmill-- the tendon is only just feeling normal after my attempt at 2 miles last Friday. But I'm going to try it again tomorrow, or Friday.

Today was the Provo City Marathon. I spent the day downtown in charge of 200 teenagers. I helped direct a 1000 person city-wide youth volunteer effort to plant the flower boxes on both sides, and down the middle of  Center Street leading to University Ave. So instead of spending my morning racing;  I was planting and helping kids, unloading flowers, and digging in the dirt. I got to watch about the first 50 finishers of the race.  I had a lot of feelings about this. Last month it was all about  Boston.  This month it was about Provo City, next month it will be about Utah Valley (which I paid for in November with the hope I'd be running again by February).  Of course I felt the pang of not being in the race, on the road, running with friends, cheering for friends.  I missed the post run endorphins and that dewy glow of contentment I can only achieve from running.  But mostly, I thought of how much time I have available now to spend with my kids on Saturday mornings--including going to early morning soccer games, getting up early to work together on the yard, and also to do service projects like this one.  There have been 2 big ones recently, including a cake auction fund raiser to raise money for Scout and Girl's Camp.  It's been so many months now without running  and all I've done is felt sorry for myself.  But while I stood there planting and thinking about the marathon, I was glad I didn't have to divide my energy or time between running and also something else. I've done a lot of important, fun stuff with the time I used to spend running on Saturday mornings.

My favorite river woods loop.  It took me 70 minutes to do this.  I ran 9 minutes, then walked 1.  My hamstring is ruined.  Even after all these months of rehab,  plasma surgery, stretching, elliptical work out and strenght training.  It's fried. Whenever I tried to put a little speed in it, I felt like my leg would hit the ground and give out. That hip ligament tear has been weird.  The only thing I notice now is when I go down stairs or jump off a rock, any forceful step down--will cause my leg to collapse.  So while I'm running, I'm afraid that if I hit my foot wrong, I'm going down.  Good news is, doing intervals on the elliptical have kept my cardio vascular health in great shape. I walk now probably 25 miles a week on top of really intense interval elliptical work outs.  I think I've got the hypoglycemia under control:  but I've also given up meat and milk and caffine. I'd like to give up sugar too.  So the intense weakness could have been one of those things too.  I don't know. The endocrinologist wants me to have my gall bladder out.  She says that's what's making me so sick.  But now I don't eat milk or very much meat, I feel better.  Anyway, so good to get outside and give running/wogging a small try.  Beautiful early June morning.

Av 11:30 (and who knew it would be so painful, even at that speed).  I ran 6 minutes, walked 1 minute.  I'm not sure trying to run again was a good idea.  The hamstring hurts in the way of bad hurting.  I can not believe it's ending this way.  I would have suspected my knees would give out before my hip ligament and hamstring.  The pain isn't just a tight hamstring--it's the whole hip, and the fear of it giving out on me when I hit my foot at a certain angle. I'm going to do an every other day slow-go-walk-jog for at least 2 weeks just to be sure I'm not just being a chicken.  The good news is--I'm hardly winded at all when I try and run. Doing hard, fast intervals on the ellpitical has kept my cardio pretty strong.

60 minutes of elliptical in the morning. Walk jogged (6-1) with the dogs in the evening.  11:00 pace.

I ellpitcalled 40 minutes, ran 2 miles, then came home in the evening and ran 3 miles with the dogs.  I'm running 6 minutes, walking 1-2.  AP is about 11:30   So, so, so happy about the cool weather.  Perfect for being outside.  The green on the mountains and along the trail, the flowering horse chesnut trees and honeysuckle are making me dizzy with glee.  I am so glad my debut week of putting my feet on the ground has not been disastrous.  Taking it slow and happy.

here I'm gong to record my ellpitical work out in case I forget that for every time I have not blogged a run, it's due to an ellpitical work out.  Today's work out consisted of 60 minutes of 5 minute intervals  On the 4's and 9's (every 5 minutes) I  push incline to 4 (out of 12- got to be careful of the hamstring on the higher incline) and to 12-13 (out of 15) resistance trying to maintain 150-60 steps a minute.  This makes me sweat bullets and cry a little.  Then I'd recover for 1.5 minutes hanging onto the handles and trying to keep my feet moving at 2/7 until I can breath again.  Then I'll push it back up to 3/9 for the remaining 3.5 minutes until the next interval. It's a good work out.   It scares me and makes me sweat without hurting anything (except that vague pain in the hamstring that will always be there until I die).

Met Marion in Spanish Fork for a little morning walk.  We did 5 miles walk jogging.  It’s the first time I’ve seen one of my ‘running’ friends in over a year. Then as I came home, I couldn’t help but cross the path of the UVM runnings heading down University Ave coming out of the canyon. So I got out of my car ran from my house down to the 22 mile marker.  The marathon was winding between the 4^th and 5^th hour.  I did a lot of cheering to groups that looked like they were hurting more than me (some yes, some no).  My daughter was up the canyon with the THS XC team, manning the station at Deer Creek (mile 9).  So I started running that way.  I ran up and down the mile 21-24 corridor jogging with a few tail- enders who seemed happy to have some support.  By the time I was done, I'd jogged another 6 miles (on top of my morning).  I am so happy to feel like I'm getting better (instead of always worse, as it's been these past 2 years). Utah Valley Marathon was my last marathon one year ago today.  It was the beginning of the end. This time last year I literally thought I was dying. I may have to get tumors taken out of me from time to time--but overall, I feel so much better than last year. I am so much healthier overall.  I have my blood sugar into the 60's instead of 40's.  I can make it through most days without passing out or collapsing (which happened less and less frequently after I stopped running).  I have been exercising vigorously since March and doing what I can to both stretch and strengthen my quads and hamstrings as the ortho doc has instructed me. I’ve continued my 400 sit ups, 60 push ups , planking, squats routine. My hamstring will always be 3 times fatter than it should be because of prologued tendonosis, my hip will always hurt and I’ll always be unsure of my foot if it it’s a certain angle.  But I am outside, doing my thing!  One week down of jogging 3-5 and then walking another 3-4.  I’m glad I’ve kept it up. The original achiness I felt last Saturday has subsided.  For the first time in two years—I feel like I’m getting stronger instead of going down hill.  That is a gift.  I have been so sick for so long, I’ve forgotten what it feels like to feel ‘stronger’ after exercising. I don’t know if I’ll ever recover full range of motion on the left leg, not sure if I’ll ever run another marathon, or run fast again. But I feel pretty confident I can continue exercising by running 4-6 miles a day like normal people.  

Slow jog. 500 sit ups, 60 push ups.

loop

ran my loop, and then hiked squaw peak (4) in the evening

ran my loop--going to girl's camp

ran down to the lake, and twice around it the Heber Valley Girls camp 

slow easy evening jog 10:30 ap

ran up to squaw peak camp ground and back.  coming down was really hard an ended up carrying my dog about 3/10ths of a mile down (she split her foot pads on the hot rocks).

temple loop at sunset

My kid is taking tennis lessons across town at Lakeview and so I ran my old trail from Geneva Road down the River to the end of the Lakeshore trail.  I looked in on my renters (doing good on the yard) and went all the way down to the end of the trail.  I miss my trail -- it makes me heartsick.  So much went through my mind as I ran.  I grew my pregnancies walk/jogging along that trail, I called to get my 7 year old son out of bed to pedal down the trail in his pajamas to come see a turtle lay her eggs  near the bird reserve, I tried to save a parakeet I found sitting in the middle of the road and countless ferral cats.  I even fended off an attacker.  I let my eyes rest along the familiar beauty and pondered the countless pictures I've taken there in summer, winter, and autumn.  I never got tired of the bike trail.  It still holds its magic for me.  I'll run it every morning this week while they have their lessons.  When my kids are gone, maybe I'll rent out my new house and go back to the old one to remodel it.  I hate that side of town, but I love that side of the river trail with all my heart. And after my kids are grown and I don't have to drive across town 100 times every day, I may go back.

Slow going today, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from being on the trail.  I walked and stretched when I wanted.  Averaged 11 mm doing that.  I so enjoyed hanging out in the hood.  Except the last segment of the trail was sectioned off with yellow caution tape and a huge "trail closed" sign.  It reminded me of when that homeless kid overdosed one night out on the trail two or three summers ago.  But it wasn't a crime scene, they are doing something down there like deciding to delta out the last segment of the river (not sure why, there are some years so dry there's hardly any water).  Also, there's a group of protesters in tents with a huge billboard petition to 'Save our River'.  Except for the recent improvements to many parks and trails throughout the city, I'm not sure Provo City can be trusted to make a decision about the area that will be beneficial to residents down there.  Just this morning, I was sickened by the sound of a Fronteir Airlines commercial size jet taking off.  So who knows what the city is up to down there.  But it's hard to know, "environmentalists" around here get pretty hard core.  Who knows what's going on.  I ended up having to run the Lakeshore drive which cut my run short by 1 mile.  It's ok, I walked 4 more in the evening up near  Squaw Peak as I've been doing these past few weeks. 

My last day on the River for a while.  Maybe if I can keep running, I can come back on Saturdays.  But knowing it was my last look for a while, I took in the sights: A ferral Kitty curled up in the grass sleeping in the early morning sun, a hawk landing and perching on one of the hundreds of alfalfa bales out in the freshly shorn fields, 8 new calves in the reserve who mooed and bucked when I stopped to take a picture of their sweet faces looking up at me.  I saw that yellow bird whose name I do not know, 7 ducklings floating on the mirror-still  shore of Utah lake, a quail quickly crossing the road trailed by a row of tiny, tiny fluffy babies, and listend to the high whine from the cloud of the hundreds of thousands of crane flies hovering above the marsh.  I'm averaging 10:30's to 11's when I walk a bit--but this morning took the opportunity to push one full mile into 9:28. Yeah! Sub 10.  I seriously never thought I'd get here.  It's been like recovering from a car wreck.  I did really have to focus on lifting that left leg up at the knee (the leg with the broken hip ligament and bad ham) or it drags and trips me up.  These past 3 days along the trail have filled up my cup a bit.  Maybe I'll try to run my end of the trail more often.  I just HATE the sound of the cars going up the canyon off in the distance. 

Ran before Yoga at 8:15 a.m.  After a week of running outside--I finally felt like I was "worthy" of running up the canyon.  I just about cried when I got to my favorite concrete pipe water fountain. the water pressure was high, and the stream from the pipe was thick and cold.  That water feels like heaven to me always.  I even took a picture of it. I've missed that side of the canyon too.  I've been back at Yoga this week, and realizing how much I have wrecked my hips/hamstrings with every stretch.  I used to be so flexible and strong in my buttocks, hips, and back.  Practicing in studio is a good challenge for me now.  Did 25 salutations in 2 hours of Yoga.  Felt so good, cleared my brain and made me feel how bad running has been to my body--I didn't strength train or stretch the way I should have after I stopped regular Yoga in 2009. I hope to rebuild that hip strength.

Ran from my house to the water fountain ( 7). the air is so bad from the fires it makes my lungs hurt. I think that's bad. The good news is harddley anything hirts when I jog. AP 10:38/10:15/10:03/10:24/9:53/9:58/11:00

did 2.7 slow in the evening plus yoga/meditation

slow plus yoga/sit ups/push ups etc

3,000 feet incline.

slow + 2 hours yoga

ap  10:23

ap 10:20

slow

water fountain & back

10:30 ap

It rained the whole 8 miles and was the most delicious, satisfying run I've had in a long time. Although, my energy was low--I thoroughly enjoyed the soak in the mountains.

Vintage & canyon trail loop

In addition to getting in a few runs, I've been doing Yoga 1.5-2 hours every day and walking 3-5 miles every day with Victoria in the evenings.  I slacked on the sit ups for 5 days in a row, and a few days last week, and I promise you that my belly instantly became soft again.  It's so unfair, how quickly my body loses it's form. The good news comes from the world of Yoga. I am getting back into yoga shape and able to stretch and bend in ways I have not in over 2 years.  I am good at strength Asanas, but have to be so very careful about hips and hamstrings stretches.  Astanga feels like literal therapy for both my mind and body.  In running, you are trying to extricate a performance (at all cost) from your body.  In yoga, as you move, you must remove pride and quiet your ego in response to what your body says back to you. The stillness of it forces you to listen; instead of you telling your body to shut up and do what you say.  So as time goes by and I incorporate other activities into my fitness life, the running is becoming less important. In terms of health: Running is like eating raw kale, Yoga is like eating warm boiled potatoes, and walking with Victoria in the evenings feels like eating my favorite sesame candy from the health food store (it's kind of good for you, but mostly tastes like candy).  My arms are looking strong from the yoga, so that's nice.  But my son grabbed ahold of the skin that now bulges over between my armpit and sports bra on my back and asked "what's this!?".  I didn't know how to answer him.  Letting go of what (for me) was physical greatness has been a humbling.  I am trying to be grateful for what I can do--not focus on the pain/ache in my hip or worry about my 10:30 ap when I do get out to run.

ap 10:20

ap 9:50

ap 10:30

Ran my loop +1.  I've been getting like 9 hours of sleep and it's barely helping.  It was hot by the time I got out to run at 9:30.  Really hot, like back east humid and still. 

Ran 4.3 in the morning and 3.2 in the evening. 300 sit ups, 60 push ups and  planks. I love doing two separate shorter runs. I feel so good afterwards.  Nothing hurts.  It's just long enough to get up a good sweat, and short enough to keep my energy.  Had lunch today with the girls (Mac, Kelli, Josse, Marion, Melody and Michelle) in honor of Michelle's visit from Hong Kong. I've missed her whole visit, but was luckier than the rest, I got an extra hour sitting at the restaurant before lunch.  I've missed Michelle.  It was so good to see Marion, Josse and the rest.  Without running races, I juts don't see anyone anymore. I miss it.  But I am grateful for what I can still do. Also, my arms look and feel pretty good from all the yoga. I'll be able to lotus again so help me.  

I love that I have friends, whom I have not seen for over a year, who confidently knock on my door first thing in the morning dressed in their running clothes (without an invitation).  My friends Nancy and Jim (friends from college who married each other) are here from Denver for the week and they came by this morning to run.  I paced Jim the last 10 miles to the finish of the Squaw Peak 50 miler two summers ago (it was the hardest thing I have ever done for love or money).  It was so nice to see them.  Nancy is a children's book illustrator and he is an English Ph.d. who's tenured at the U of Colorado. We took it slow and chatted up all our recent diet ideas (paleo v. macrobiotics), health and injury issues, children's progress, and all the friendly gossip over the last year.  I have been blessed throughout my life to be surrounded and loved by truly amazing friends.

My last few days wogging w/ Victoria.  She's going to DC and then on to Bejing.  Yet another of my long string of jogging partners bites the dust.  They all love me and leave on their way out of town.  

My sister left today, and Victoria leaves tomorrow.  I'll be all alone again.

Haven't run on the ground in a while.  We'll see how it goes.  I tried to do Yoga right after this run, and was so off balance and stiff I couldn't finish my practice today.

Found a new show: Breaking Bad.  It will get me through a few treadmill miles.

I was doubtful about Paul Ryan. Now I know I don't like him. Who runs a sub 3:00 marathon without knowing the exact time, or mentions which marathon.  That my friends, is a man prone to self-agrandizement and lies.

Love the thunderstorms and cloudy skies.  It enabled me to sleep in while it rained, and to run later on in the morning.  When I was almost home from my run, I saw out in a farmer's field near my house, a llama leading about 50 sheep in single file.  It was so funny, that llama, just kept on walking in circles around the field with all those sheep following behind him. Ran into my daughter on the way back from XC.  She's on the soccer team, but is running the meets that don't conflict with games.  She did a 22:45 minute 5K w/ no training.  She's pretty tough.

Man, I have been bad at logging miles since school and soccer started.  I've been averaging 25-28 miles a week (4-6 a day).  I still have to switch it up a lot (treadmill, walk/jog/yoga/yoga/yoga).  I've been running the mountain bike trails behind Sundance and a few trails in the American Fork Canyon. Lots of LOUD elk up there.  I saw one with huge antlers that felt like they were 5 feet long. I was worried he'd rush me when he saw I wasn't one of the mules he'd been calling.  The last two weeks in the mountains has seen a breathtaking transformation. The beauty of the changing leaves against the sunrise, blue sky, or the lush wet trail after it's rained is so intense I have to stop and let it overcome me.  Terri says I'm like that You Tube guy who videotaped a double rainbow, and he's so stoned or whatever, that he starts crying and asking the Universe "what does it (the double rainbow) mean?" Yeah, I'm that guy.  But I am unashamed. Nothing makes me feel more free or at peace than being outside.  I miss the days I used to have the desolate beaches of Baja California in my life, but the solitude of the mountain and the quiet of the red rock Utah desert has been a good second.  Lately, I'm feeling my legs stronger and stronger (though my cardio strength and energy level is still lacking).  But I am happy to report having found a happy medium 9:50-11:00 minute pace that (mostly) does not hurt my lower back, hip, ham, or patelar tendons.  I think back on how hard I trained to qualify for Boston, how hard I learned to run and how dedicated I was.  I am proud to have done that. But I am also happy to have found some peace, even when I am not able to make my body perform as it used to. 

10:30/9:13/9:13/9:00/9:13--9:30/10:30  gangamtreadmillstyle

See how non-OCD I have become?  I ran 5.9 miles and didn't even feel the need to run an extra .10   Saw Josse on the trail, had a little chat about blood sugar, dogs, and the Huntsville Marathon. I dragged the rest of my run thinking it was the power of suggestion (the chat about low blood sugar) had caused me to feel dizzy and dragging;but when I came back my blood sugar was in fact really low (55...oops).  I have to remember to eat before I leave.  I think it was because I ran two miles in the PM before bed, and then didn't eat breakfast. I hate having to strategize eating.  It was the one thing I really hated about marathon training (what to eat, how to eat, when to eat/drink).  I've felt so free of it, but the low blood sugar thing is a problem so I have to deal with it.

Ran 3 miles before Yoga, and ran 2 more after.  I really think Yoga is the key to keeping my hams, glutes and hips aligned and strong. Running feels great after yoga every time. I can actually feel myself getting stronger. It's the first time in over year, I feel like I'm heading uphill instead of down.

Jogged to Yoga, and then ran back.

Canyon to waterfountain.  I had to stop three times, including for water and the bathroom.

Ran 3 miles before Yoga and 2 miles after.

All I need are my .50 cent grocery gloves.....and my earmuff.....and my long sleeve all weather jacket.....and my Garmin....ok, I need it all.  It was freezing, wet and icky.  First snow of the season (in October no less) .  I can't believe that I was so hot last Saturday I thought I'd pass out and drank 3 bottles of water on my run.  The mountain is hidden behind a shroud of grey clouds and I'll bet when they recede our mountain will be dressed for her winter wedding.

I had a GREAT run today.  It was the first time I ran without significant slowing or even stopping.  I felt strong, my lungs felt strong, I had energy!   I've been on meds for 2 weeks and also I force myself to eat about a cup of oatmeal before I run.  It feels like a miracle.  

My pal Victoria is visiting from DC.  It was nice to get a quick jog in with my old pal and catch up.

I had the greatest run ever!  I feel so triumphant....for so long I have been dragging around this dead horse, and this week makes me feel like I might finally be able to bury it in the ground. The meds they gave me are working miracles for me. I knew it was the Halloween Half on the trail, so I wore my shirt from '09 (with the skull with angel wings)  As I ran the opposite direction of the course I saw Josse and Walter.  I turned around at the water fountain and was in about the 2:20 finishing group when I saw a kid struggling.  He looked the age of my son.  I was feeling stronger than he looked so I slowed down a bit and asked if he wanted a 'pacer' he said 'sure' and picked up his pace a bit.  He said it was his first half marathon, he was only in the 5th grade (but he was as big as my 8th grader), he was from Heber and both his parents are big time marathoners (of course).  Anyway, I got him through the last 2 miles of the course at a 9:15 pace (faster even than his original  pace).  When we turned the corner and hit the last .1 I pointed to the finish and said "go for it kid." He smiled and took off reeling in about 15 people in front.  Then I peeled off just before the finish and immediately turned around and ran back to the bike trail.  But I was elated, running with him gave me such a great feeling.  Who knows what that kid really thought about my running with him, but it made all the difference for me to think I was "helping".  It made me run faster and stronger than I have in a long time--and it was easy.  It gave me so much good energy, I ran the remaining 2.5 miles home with a perma-smile.   I even ran up the hill !  I am so grateful for finally getting ahead and feeling stronger every day.  Also, I've officially gained and lost 13 pounds.  People said I looked good fatter (my face primarily, rounder and fuller)--but I didn't like it.  I didn't feel good about myself and my clothes didn't fit.  So I'm back to my old weight (well within 5 pounds) and feeling a little bit more like my old self.  Also--the weather today was spectacular. What a great day!   

Still feeling strong during the run, but had weakness and fatigue thro

Ugh out the day. I was food on Saturday, so I t hunk it's a cummulative effect. I'll run less and do yoga tomorrow.

I can not believe they didn't cancel the NYC marathon.  I know it's a big deal to cancel and have everyone change reservations and everything, but really nothing proves with more clarity what a self-centered frivolous pursuit marathon running truly is.  How can we be so determined to force organizers to host a race for 30,000 people through a city recently decimated and has been without electricity (at least half of it) since Sunday night. I know the show must go on and New Yawkers are tough and everything--but give me a break.  The whole idea of the race seems frivolous and inhuman in light of the lasting damage of the storm.  Either that or New York is the greediest place on earth not wanting to turn away 320 million$$ in revenue even if it means sweeping the swollen dead bodies of drowned children out of the streets for the start of the race over on Staten Island. Geeze.

Excited to run 8 miles with Cath on Saturday.  She's running 30 miles because it's her 30th birthday.  She's crazy that way, but not as crazy as Smooth who ran 50 for her birthday :)

Was able to share an annual birthday run with Cath and her friend Nan. I met them at the Mouth of the canyon and ran up and back for about 9.5 or so, our Garminns lose satellite coverage somewhere under the bridges, so not exactly sure. It was so gratifying to be able to run. It's been so long since I ran with my old running friends. But I had to do w hat I had to do for recovery and its been a lonely road. So sharing the Scorpio run with Cath was a wonderful

milestone for me. Though she's become accustomed to training at much faster miles, I think running a few 10's saved a l title gas in the tank for her. She ended up not only running 30 on her 30th birthday, shed. I'd 50k just cause it's so close to the 30 she wanted. I have so missed my training runs with Cath. But she's a better runner now and knows what she's capable of. I always said I was. Just babysitting and she needed to fly the coop. She ran all those Marathons with me just because she was My friend. I feel so blessed to h ave such amazing friends....Of course the best friends are always born on the saMe week as me--since scorpios can only stand and understand each other :) We have soup feast coming up with Ashley, and then y birthday week will be complete. But you won't catch me running a mile for every year I've been alive. I've been alive ow much longer than I could possibly run without being an ultra distance freak, which I am not (yet).....

10m/m

Treated myself to a short, luscious little run in the pouring rain in the early daylight....my favorite. The yellow tree leaves are still clinging to the branches, piles of leaves bunched up under the trees. I love watching the rain fall into the puddles and the wet street. The temp dropped half way through, and the rain turned to hail and started to accumulate on my hood and in my dogs fur. I helped myself to the abundant purple Concord grapes dangling from the yellowing vines that no one harvested and an over ripe apple clinging to a branch on a tree near the cemetery. It was the perfect morning and the perfect breakfast. It reminded me of a run I took about 10 or 11 years ago in Oregon one summer. I had to go to Mt. Hood for a work thing and there was this 5 mile trail in a loop near the resort. Along the trail were tons of raspberry bushes. So while I ran along I picked and ate abut a hundred raspberries and I drank from a pristine spring coming straight down off Mt. Hood. I'll never forget the berries because they grew flat onto the flower pestle and would lay almost flat on my fingertips. I love the changing weather today, and am getting ready for winter. I am just in love with this melancholy day. Time to make soup....

I wanted to go outside, but also did not want to slip in the snow (seeing as how I'm missing a hip ligament already. So sadly, these were treadmill miles 10m/m.

I think the cold and the mi ssinf ligament are going to keep me inside on the treadmill. Whine the temp is below 40 my legs and hips freeze up and make for painful running. I've come too far to wreck stuff again. So it's sadly going to be a lot of cross fit and indoor stuff most of t he winter.

10 mm -- That's what Rachel and Smooth said. I ran sans Garmin. I am so grateful for sweet running friends, and I am exceptionally grateful to be able to run 10 miles with some ease and minimal pain. Tweak the carb intake somewhere near the mid point and I should be golden. Such a lovely morning to be outside, running. One of the single best days I've had in a long long time.

It was great news to hear we ran sub 10's last Sat.  Definitely a confidence builder.  I really did think I was only going to be able to run 11s and 12s for the rest of my life to avoid pain.  But I feel fine, the hip, ham, and glutes feel good; minimal wear.  I've got to keep it easy though, keep it under 40 miles a week.  I get too intense and immediately start trying to build. I have to fight that. I've got to focus on staying healthy, that's got to be my main goal.

9:10 ap

Canyon/vintage loop. 10:20 ap

I would like to post my splits, they were mostly in the low and mid 9's. But I had to hurry to work and didn't write them all down.  My AP was 9:40 and that included the .75 mile up a steep, long hill (AP on the hill 10:10).  This feels miraculous to me.  I can not even begin to believe I could be running again like this. Yoga.  Yoga.  Yoga.  I credit Yoga for helping me stretch out and create more pliable scar tissue in my hip and hamstring.  Yoga and steel cut oats for the insulinoma/hypoglycemia.

9:09/9:25/9:34/9:51/9:11/9:38/9:36/10:34 (all uphill)=9:37 AP

Went to II yoga came home and ran. I can't go so long between yoga practices. It becomes too painful if I don't do it at least very other day. My run after yoga felt great.

10:20 ap

1 warm up mile 10 m/m / .6= 10 m/m .3=8.5 m/m .1=.12 m/m @ 4 repeats. 1 11 m/ 1 cool down mile= 10m/m

10:30 ap

10:17 ap

8:25 p/.3 9:50 p/.7 @ 5 repeats plus .5 cool down

9:20 ap feeling strong! But stiff w/o yoga...too busy this week.

.3 intervals every .7 ap 9:40

300 sit ups (lower, middle, lats) 2 60 sec planks 2 reps of planking push up 3 reps hamstring rolls 40 push-ups 2 reps of squats

Ap 9:40

8:25 repeats

I had to hurry and get as much done as I could in about 45 minutes-- so this is what I got.

Started out at 10 m/m and punched 8:30 every .6 for .3 then .4.  then .5 then 1 full mile at 8:30

8 mi in the am @ 9:22 ap :) (up from 11 & 12 m/m)

2.2 mi in the pm 10:20 ap