Patience; the new endurance sport.

I won the lottery!  Saint George, here I come!  Wait, why am I excited about this.  I paid $60 to gamble on the chance to win the opportunity to drive 4 hours to a place where I will later get up at 3:30 a.m. after not ever sleeping, get on a bus in the dark, get dropped off in the middle of the desert and then run 26.2 miles back to civilization as fast as I can, in either the freezing rain or maybe 115 degrees?  Hmmm. There are over 7,000 other crazies who made it, and 3,000 dissapointed crazies who didn't. Who should I feel bad for?  No..... I'm really excited to go again.  I look forward to not breaking my hip this time, or wearing a trash bag for 4 hours (keep your fingers crossed).

Loving the gorgeous weather and the thrill of the rushing oversized river. Today was slow going, but I never stopped or slowed down at all. I just maintained a steady 9:13 pace the whole time. I'm a little zip-less today, but it's to be expected, it's Monday.

Ave easy pace 8:54. Talked to Catherine last night since our team made the SGM lottery.  Duane and Diane coming from California are doing their 10 year SGM run, for Cath it will be 6, for me 3.  I didn't realize how many people didn't make the lottery.  Two really good friends, and excellent competitive runners did not make the lottery.  Well, there's always the grand slam way :)  I'm really thrilled.  I made the Hobble Creek and the SGM.  I'm excited now.  I just don't want to over-train this year like I did last summer.  I can't tell if it's just because it's the beginning of the season, or my hip is feeling strong or what, but the 40 mile weeks are like nothing.  I remember last year hitting 40+ miles a week and averaging an 8:40 pace felt like real accomplishment.  I have to remember to keep it down a notch until fall.  I'm also really excited to be running the Utah Valley Marathon. Although I wish it were Ogden this Saturday.  I'm feeling so great right now. Maurine was saying how the first 10 miles is on asphalt.  That sucks.  I just don't want to over do it and ruin the rest of the summer at that one race.   Anyway, Yay for St. George!

Zen running, no Garmin.  Man it was breezy.  I stepped out the door in shorts and a long shirt, then back inside for a core shirt under the long shirt, and gloves, then back inside for running tights, then what the heck just go....sure glad I changed.  The temp dropped about 20 degrees.  I did love the wind though.  It's exciting to run when the trees are swaying around and the rush of the wind is louder than your thoughts.  I am still tired this week overall, but finished the run feeling cleansed by cool air and rushing wind. 

Averaged probably 8:50's maybe.  Josse had the Garmin, I just hung around  while she told me really smart stuff about how to be a better, stronger, person.  We saw the colt, who is getting bigger by the day, and three gaggles of geese. Isn't that what you call geese babies?  Out by the lake, we saw 3 mommy/daddy geese and a whole bunch of baby geese walking in a line up to get into the stream by the lake.  So many tiny geese.  And a flock of pelicans. I miss Mexico so much.  It's been 3 years since I was there last.  Those pelicans always remind me. I will be so happy this week is over.  I'm spent. 

8:38/8:51/8:56/8:51/8:34/9:15/9:18/9:18/9:54/10:04/10:05/10:03/10:21/9:15/9:03

 Why strive for negative spits, when you can strive for POSITIVE splits?!  I think that's the way to go.  Why all the negativity?  Catherine came to join me for the first 8.  She's been tempo-ing her little heart out. Without me as 41 year old deadweight around her neck, she's starting to figure out how to run FAST.  It's awesome.  She ran her first marathon at 22, and is just now seasoned enough to really turn up the volume.  It's fun to see her improve and how excited she is to do well.  She's going to have a great year.  She hates getting up early, and it was so gratifying, that once down at the pier, with the lake so high and still like mirrored glass ( pink and blue like the pre dawn sky), she turns to me and says "Ok, Ok, it's worth it."  I know only old people get up this early, but I always feel like it's a secret part of the day only I get to  have.  The most perfect part--when dawn is still  and full of promise, confident, and more lovely than anything the world has to offer when everyone else is awake and using up her energy and light.