Patience; the new endurance sport.

Ok moving right along....um, slowly.  I think the pressure of training for SG is part of the problem.  From now on, I will focus on Spring and Summer marathons only (maybe Ogden and Park City, or TOU).  It's just too hard to balance the hardcore training once the Fall schedules and reduced a.m. daylight kick in.  I don't have the emotional or physical energy to spare once Summer is over.  Sunday was a restful day for me.  After feeling more mentally and physically rested. I went to a good friend's birthday party in the Avenues.  In attendance was a group of girls I lived in Spain and trapsed around Europe with for a year. One of us was missing because she was attending Burning Man.  So by the end of the night we made a pledge that next year at this time we would all be at Burning Man.  Just the idea of it gave me a little something extra.  So I'm good for today. 

8:41 Average :  9:13/8:55/7:53/9:36/8:11/9:48/8:10/9:40. It was a much clearer day than yesterday (all that brown air in the upper atmosphere from the fire eminded me of my summers in Riverside CA--terrible air quality in the late 1970's before 'smog and emissions' testing on vehicles).  I caught a quick gimpse of the lake, and it was pretty & still.  But today I paid my running more attention than anything else.  I was fairly alone on the trail and just really let myself go--not caring who would hear my heavy breathing or see my agonized facial expressions.  It was a real effort for me! I warmed up and then began running every other 1/16 with a little clip. Then I ran as fast as I could bear for a whole mile (they are long when you really try hard). Then I let myself slow it down, then I ran another fast mile, another slow mile and then got back on the trail where those triangles mark every 1/16th and ran home speeding up just slightly at every other triangle.  I have to say something really weird about when I try to run fast. Anytime I push myself  between a 7:37 and 8:11 m/m I feel the need to roll my eyes backwards and I feel like I'm about to fall asleep.  It's not painful, and I don't feel like I'm passing out, I feel like I'm falling asleep.  How weird is that?

I finally put a $140,000, 25 page grant to rest yesterday by 5:00.  I feel much better having met the deadline (a few hours early even).  I'll feel even better if I get the grant.  Today I let myself meander along the trail feeling the coolness in the air at who-knows-how-fast because my Garmin was out of juice this morning (as was I).  I noted how much both the daylight and the air have changed this week.  It's not that end of summer air that lies upon the atmosphere like a cool sheet, it's the kind of brisk air that comes up from cooling ground and trees.  I do love changes that come in September and October.  They are my favorite months. But the cool air made me really hungry! I swear by seasonal eating. I can promise you that as soon as it starts gets cool I crave potatoes, bread, and all things carbohydrate.  So when I got back, I ate 2 scrambled eggs inside a warmed whole wheat pita, with avacado slices and black bean salsa.  I may be a so-so runner, but man I am so good at eating.  

Ran 5 with Marsha, the mother of one of my daughter's soccer teammates.  She's older than me by 4 years, and looks better by far--really strong, lean, and atheletic.  I assumed she was a life long athelete based on that fact, also because of what a great soccer player her daugher is (I was assuming genetics played a role).  Also, she's training forRagnar in Las Vegas in October.  So I met her at 6:00 and we chatted while we ran along the road.  But toward the end she got sort of pooped out, but kept on truckin' to the very end.  When we were done, she asked "how far did we go?"  I looked at my Garmin and told her we'd gone just 5 miles.  Her eyes got really big and she said "I've never run more than 3 in my life!" Oops. Well Marsha, you have now.  Our average pace was 9:17, it was a great run.  When we talked about running her concern was how FAST I ran, which I assured her was not very fast.  But we never really clarified how FAR.  I hope I didn't scare her, it's hard to find a good a.m.-in-the-dark-consistant running friends. Came home, got the kids off to school, and ran another 2 miles as fast as I could (which didn't feel very fast, I feel tired).  I just keep thinking about the 3 day weekend ahead.  I so need a break.

I had such a great little run today.  It was so cool and clear, not a lot of people on the trail and I was happy thinking of all the things I get to do this three-day weekend and how I get to wear my new red patent leather flats that I love so much.  Anyway......  I warmed up one mile and then ran fast every other quarter mile--so cheerful and full of energy (who loves 4 miles?!). I only have 14 to run tommorrow so I figure it would be ok to throw in a little speed down the trail. Last Saturday I was a such a mess.  I still can not get over how badly that run went (so much emotional and physical exhaustion).  I've slowly recopued this week, but I just won't know how I'm doing until my next 20 miler.  Today I saw my favorite tri-athelete bearded man who is always nice to me.  He looks like a really in-shape reformed hippy on a very expensive road bike.  It's a winning combination.   When I finished, I ran back to a favorite little sunny spot on the river and swam for a minute wth my dogs.  Lying on my back in the water, looking up at the sky, past the still-green cottonwoods, really filled me up.  I'm glad, because I've been running on empty for about a month and wondering how long until I felt alive again. 

9:37 ave.  Ran 12 w/Catherine up and down the Canyon.  She had like a stomach bug and so was ammenable to taking it slow.  That was ok with me given last weekends mental and physical meltdown. I just wanted to get it in the bank.  She didn't however want to go more than 12. So once we came home I ran another 4 on my trail.  Ran into a friend here in my neighborhood and had a conversation about how doing anything is better than nothing.  He kept appologising for running slow 9 m/m (and I was on miles 13-16 so didn't care by then).  I think men feel like if they are not good runners, or marathon runners, they won't run at all.  I'd rather see anyone, fat or slow speedwalking, or running slow that sitting in front of the tv watching a ball game.  I think the amount of TV you watch should be equal to the amount of time you spend outside.  But that's just me.  Anyway, I'm pleased that the whole 16 felt great.  I credit the dozen powdered sugar donettes I ate for dinner.