Patience; the new endurance sport.

Running in the warm rain was delicious. 

No more time for delicious, meandering runs, and savage parakeets.  Time to plow through the week.  Tired running today.  I think it was all that hiking I did over the weekend ( I will not admit that it was that roasted side of beef and the entire strawberry pie.  Oh no, that had nothing to do with it.)  

The weather is spectacular, again.  It was nice to run with Amanda; Someone to protect me from rattlesnakes and wandering parakeets.... We ran slowly because she's been on vacation.  She kept appologizing. I kept telling her it was ok (I made no mention of the cow I ate on Memorial Day or all those 10 minute miles I relished in her absence). She's doing Ragnar!  I feel like her mommy, so proud of her amazing performance in Ogden, and cheering her on for more.  We all run for different reasons.  But she actually has it in her to be a contender, and she's either quiet about it or she's unsure of her potential. She ran with me while I prepared for the Moab Half, and the day we ran 10/12, she said "That is the most I've ever run since high school."  But when she's in her 30's and finishing her races in the top 5, I expect that I'll be saying "I used to run with her!"   I keep telling her I expect her to be doing marathons by next year.  She's not convinced.  Maybe after Ragnar.  Oh Amanda, why do all my friends have to move away to the East Coast? I guess I should actually try to qualify for Boston this year.  I need some other/new excuses to be East of here (or as I like to call it, "East of Eden").

We ran fast today.  Obviously to make up for our meandering yesterday.  (Just between you and me, internet blogging diary, I like it better when Amanda's not on her game. I'm feeling older in equal proportion to her getting faster).  I think when I'm on my own in the weeks to come; I'm going to throw in some tempo runs.  I've been reading Josse's blog about running injury free (scraping, rolling pins, massage, etc.) and it's inspired me to push a little harder. I can do it. My Springville friend Marisa asked me about the Riverwoods 10 miler. I started gushing about the fabulous breakfast they serve at the finish.  But then she asked me if I'd RUN it with her. Run it?  Geeze Marisa what do you want from me?  She says no pressure, just asking.  But who, I ask you WHO, can resist a 10 mile DOWNHILL A.M. run along the river, followed by fruit, pancakes and power water?  I'm there.

I'm going to rest and stretch today.  I may walk later in the afternoon with the kids.  It's their last day of school, they'll need to decompress.  I'd like a nice long run tommorrow like I had last Saturday. I never rested last week before that long run, and was little tired  and sore because of it.  So I'll take a breather today.  Why is 'resting' so hard?  When I drive around town and see people running, it makes me want to jump out of my moving car and run with them. 

I'm going to start doing 6 on weekdays (no Fridays off), and less (8-10 only) on Saturdays for about a month before I start having to wrack up the miles for St. George. Since I usually have more time on Saturday's I like to run long.  But I'll try doing more every day to see how that work (If it feels good, I may even get to that 8 every day stage). One of my friends from California runs 10 every day, and that's all she ever does (except a few weeks before a marathon and she adds a few long runs). I'll see if going 6, five days a week instead of 5, four days a week, and then not going so far on the weekends will help me help me 'stay fresh'.   I brought out the Mizuno's I stopped wearing last summer for a change of shoe.  Fresh blood leaking through the mesh by mile 5 reminded me how these particular shoes turn my toenails into razorblades (I forgot what the big brown stain was).  It was a gorgeous, dewy morning.  I hate to curse it by saying how perfect the weather has been.  Now I have the rest of the day to figure out what I'm going to say in my graduation speech!  Wish me luck.