Patience; the new endurance sport.

I am soooo sore I could barely move this morning.  Sunday was so spectacular with all that fresh snow and sunlight.  Me and the kids took a walk along the river and saw what looked like barefoot footprints for about a mile in the snow.  Upon closer inspection of the footprint (I was worried there was a schizophernic escaped from the mental hospital walking barefooted on the snowy trail) there was a small #3 embedded into the heel of the footprint.  Someone (probably Sasha) ran with Vibrham 5 Fingers in the snow on Saturday. The snow is nice shock absorbtion, but that would be really cold to run in barefooters.  Today, I ran 4 on the indoor track and 2 on the treadmill. The trail and road are frozen slippery tundra.  I am sore from this weekend.  But it was worth it, I got 11 miles in and a full afternoon of skiing. I hope my legs/knees recover by tommorrow.  I need to feel rested by tommorrow though or risk injury. I've been doing my 'speed work' T/Th.  This wintertime training absolutely sucks.  It has been really hard to try and get my traning done before getting kids off to school & work, running in the snow and the dark (or the track and the treadmill).  It's killing me and it's not fun, and I'm not doing my best running. Boston Marathon is going to be 'an experience'.  I hate to go there and run a so-so race.  Normally, I enjoy outdoor winter running.  It's my time to enjoy the landscape and take it easy. But I just can't focus on the training during my kids school year, ski season, and while working full time.  Also, I'm just not that dedicated--so I should just stop complaining.  I'm making a choice not to use all my energy to train.  Last fall, I ammended my work schedule so I could do longer morning work outs prior to St. George.  And now, not only am I NOT doing harder weekday running, I'm still giving extra hours to skiing instead of recovery.  I need to accept my choices and their consequences,  and be at peace with the whole experience.  I am still enjoying running with my friends and skiing, while not neglecting my kids or work.  I simply do not have the energy to 'do it all.' So I'm chosing a higher balanced palate every day, over focusing on the training.  It's obvious by my actions, that Boston is not as important to me as having energy to have a good life with my kids and friends every day.   I've got to be at peace with that, or shut up and do what I know must be done to make Boston a good performance.

I had a lot of interesting thoughts this morning as I ran along in the snow.  My mind was very clear as I made new tracks in the fresh white snow.  I realized a lot of things about the way I live, and how I got to where I am now.  One of the things I pondered was the number of truly inspirational triumphs and struggles I’ve witnessed and learned about through the world of running (which obviously has a much wider life translation….).

FRB’ers and others have helped changed the way I think about what is possible and how much I can withstand—now and in the future. Thank you for the inspiration.  Your words have given me strength and inspiration for a long time to come:

Marion: When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you as though it seems you cannot hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time the tide will turn./ I can do hard things

Josse: I can, can, can!/Free Float Fly!

Smooth: You are hard and strong like diamonds and titanium/ No one ever died because of the pain of running.

Michelle:  My goal is to vomit, or at least dry heave. Then I will know I have given my all.

Bonnie:  Did I mention how much it hurt?

Lance Armstrong:  Pain is temporary, quitting is forever.

Sasha: Become a Lover of Truth. In order to know where to go, you need to have a clear vision of where you are and why you are there.

Duane:  The difference between the great and the mediocre, is that the great try a little harder, for a little longer.

Luz:   There are no excuses today/I am not afraid to be my best.

You know what will really cut your time?  Run when it's getting really dark on the rivertrail.  When a hawk flys overhead in the dusk, and screetches just above you,  it means hurry home the boogie man is coming.   I wish I had my Garmin.  I'll bet I made some good time. 

1. Wear less clothing on your torso, and more on your bum.

2. Low, mysterious fog along the river reminds me of New England, but it's creepy because you can't see where your dogs went.

3.  When a police car stops you at the trailhead by the lake to ask how long you've been around that area and if you saw 2 men either walking the trail or camping in their 2002 Mazda-- silently thank your gardian hawk from the day before. 

 8:45/8:46/9:28/9:24/9:37/8:40/8:47

I miss my treadmill.  It was such a comfortable back up plan on the days I could not make it outside....I had it fixed (temporarily), but have been waiting for new rollers and a belt.  It has over 5,000 miles on it.  The technician fixed what he could last time and told me I could use it as long as I kept the incline above 3.5 (to austensibly keep the belt away from the rollers). but it still grabs and turns off inexplicably mid-run.  I can't wait until the rollers and the belt come in (any day now).  Using the track has been ok, but mentally it's worse than the treadmill.  Hopefully I can nail 12 tommorrow and average something under a 10 m/m.  I'll just feel better overall when 13 comes easily--but I'm not looking forward to the fatigue of those 20+ mile weekend runs.  I am however, looking forward to Moab Half--I've never 'raced' it.  It's usually the first run of my season-- sort of a kick off 'fun run' that I plan with my sister.  She comes with a group of friends from DC to run it (and hike arches, etc).  I made pretty good time last year, but I wasn't even trying super hard.  It will be interesting how well I can do it this year--it's a month almost to the day before Boston.  Hobble Creek was about a month before St. George, and that was a great way to prepare to run fast at SGM.  I need to get more speed work & miles in these next two months before I feel mentally prepared to take on the idea of Boston.  I've been working toward it, and am doing much better (running a few faster miles during the week/sprints, getting 40 miles/week and getting in my long runs).  Better anyway than 3 weeks ago.  So there's that. It's a process both mental and physical. 

8:39/8:49/8:46/9:16/9:07/9:12/10:12/9:24/9:33/10:01/9:29/10:44/10:16

See how brave I was for the first 6 miles while I ran with Catherine? (She keeps me young & fast-er).  We averaged well in that first half, and then she left me. The remaining 7 splits are all mine. I am really ashamed of all those 10's. But I did run 13 miles (finally), and am at least getting on top of the mileage. We ran into Sarah early into the run, and Sasha & Jeff later on.  Saw my hawks down by the lake.  It was a sunny beautiful morning, and so there were lots of people out. We ran by a couple of ladies with fuel belts on, and slowed down to ask what they were training for and they said "Surf City Marathon (Newport Beach, CA) -- next Saturday!"  We congratulated and wished them luck.  Then they asked us what we were training for, and Catherine pointed to me and said "Boston" and I pointed to Catherine and said "Utah Grand Slam".  They laides threw up their arms and clapped and cheered as we passed.  It made us feel like 'real runners' for a second.'  Saying it out loud makes it more real. Those 10's were a little indicitive of my state of mind right now, but at lest the whole run averaged 9:29.  If I can stay healthy/uninjured, I'll get there. It takes time, and fast running.