Chug-along-chica!

Speedwalking with Sparky at 18:11 pace on ave. including many doggy stops.

So I'm sure you are all dying to get the real report on Del Sol, right? I.e. what are all these super-human fast people on the racing team really like when they are not COMPLETELY DOMINATING a relay? Well, from what I can tell, they mostly lay around a lot--fall asleep in the sitting position and so forth. By the time I got to meet the whole team (after the race), they were...hmmm...flat. Like flat soda, I mean. The fizz was gone, but they were still sweet. Anybody who can be polite and thankful after being up all night running in the desert just has be a good person. I didn't get a chance to talk to everyone as much as I would like, but these were some of the things that were notable to me about the relay:

• Logan. Holy smokes! This guy ran a 7 mile leg with an average pace of 4:55! He beat his 5K and 10K PR in route. And do not forget--this was on his 2nd leg! He had already run, and he still did that. But running aside, Logan also gets muchas bonus points for being the one to volunteer to hold baby Jacob Pachev when Sarah and I were really busy doing stuff. And he even made Jakey laugh...
• Kory ran really well, even though he has been battling achilles tendonitis pretty bad leading up to the race. He's just as kind and respectful in person as he is on the blog. Great athlete, great person.
  
• Ted also ran surprisingly well--making all his times although fighting off an illness. Way to gut it out, Ted! And by the way, this guy did a FABULOUS job of pulling all the details together as team captain, don't you think? I do! Plus, this guy, I suspect (in cahoots with Jeff Shadley) is chiefly responsible for the wonderful Friday's gift cards I got as a thank-you for hosting. How did he know that I dream night and day about Friday's brownie obsession? I got enough to buy one everyday for the next couple of weeks. I could roll around in 'em! But I digress...
  
• Clyde. This guy is such a natural leader. When he talks, everyone listens. Especially when he is recounting his "I almost puked on a girl on one of my legs" story. You have to read about it on his blog.
• Walter ran very well and was coming down with a nasty sore throat. Hope you feel better, Walter!
• Jeff. You know, this guy is really modest. I don't think he ever even bragged about how well he did. But I'm sure he ran fast. He's like lightning, but nice about it.
• Ashbaker, I mean Steve, I mean Darkhorse, I mean Masterhunter. He rides a motorcylce! I heckled him about it. But of course, he ran fantastically (even after quaffing a double cheeseburger from McDonald's right before the race!)
• Steve Hooper. This guy provided the best entertainment of the afternoon by fanning the fire of Sarah's wrath. He's fun to be around. He also has the highest bone density of anyone I know.
  
• All the guys on the team tried out our fancy scale that not only tells your weight, but also your metabolic age, fat percentile, and bone density. ALL the guys on the team had a metabolic age of 12! That explains some things, I guess. ; )

I didn't get to talk much to everyone, so I'll let you get the juicy details from their individual blogs, but let me end with just saying how much I enjoyed having the Pachevs stay at our house. What a great family! They are so authentic. Just having them around makes you want to not only live healthier, but just be a better person all around. Sarah was an absolute lifesaver. I really could not have fed the whole team without her. I'm the kind of person who freaks out just when we feed the LDS missionaries. (2 whole extra people!) And Sasha is a great coach. When he talks about running it is powerful, because you know he is speaking from vast experience. He does a great speed-walk too. ; ) The highlight of the whole weekend for me was just hanging out with the Pachevs all of Sunday and talking like crazy.

Congratulations to the Del Sol Relay Team! This is just the beginning. Today the relay, tomorrow the world!

I'b zick.   Sore throat, low fever, gunky coughs.  I decided to get out anyway.  After all, half the Del Sol Relay team was sick, and they still ran sub-6:00 pace even uphill.  So I put on my shoes and went out.  But I didn't get anywhere before I ran into my neighbor, who happens to be a physical therapist.  I ended up talking to him for 45 min. during my running time.  He wants to do a full evaluation and figure out why my knee and back keep acting up.  He sounds like he does a really thorough job.  The only bad thing is that he is a run-hater.   He said we're not really built for running, and I should be doing stuff like rowing.  How could we be built for rowing?  He also said that running causes osteoporosis.  Has anyone ever heard of this?  He said he just read a study where this 22 year-old running chica had the skeletal strength of a 70 year-old with osteoporosis, but when she stopped running her bones went back to normal.  It freaked me out a little, since I am genetically at risk for osteoporosis anyway.  Any thoughts?

I went to the chiropractor earlier in the day.  He checked my feet for pelvic stabilizers, which is a kind of orthotic.   He took a picture of my heels from the back, and I could totally see how my right achilles tendon totally bowed in more than my left.   He measured my arches too, and said my right arch was more collapsed than the left and needed an orthotic.  It really sparked my interest, since I never have problems with my left leg, always it is my right knee or hip.  So the stability shoes I've been wearing have been sufficient for my left foot, but my right needs more motion control.  What are the best kinds of orthotics?  They are expensive, so I'd prefer something that lasts forever.  : )

 Maybe I'll put some of this stuff on the discussion board.

Oh man...  I feel even worse today.  I skipped my "speedwalk" or whatever in favor of laying around horking up cabbage from my lungs.

But the bright side is that I found a you tube clip that really captures the dignity of speedwalking.  I know you will all appreciate it...punks.  Actually, I'm quite certain 95% of you will hate it, so don't bother watching it. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwsXkHNWMww

Hey, I said DON'T watch it! Only the seriously ill will find this clip funny enough to reduce them to tears.

The lower your mileage is, the more important it is to round up.   I actually ran today!  Yea!  I started out at a really brisk "race walk,"  which is the correct term, btw.  I was trying to see how fast I could do a mile.  I was averaging about 13:00 pace, and MAN did it feel hard.  My lungs were burning because I'm still a little sick, but my shins were putting up the biggest complaint.  I started thinking how much more comfortable it would be to run, even if I had to keep it at the same pace.  So I eased into a really really tentative jog.  I pushed the stroller with my two younger ones to a park 1.25 miles away.  We played for a while, then I ran home.  Ave. pace for the whole thing (not including stops) was 11:55.   I am delighted that my knee was not an issue, and I think I actually felt better overall for having run.  I know it helped my incessant coughing.  That reminds me of my sweet friend Megan.

I have a friend with cystic fibrosis.  (The biggest danger--and it is a big one--is getting pneumonia and other lung stuff.)  She is over 30 years old and still has really great lung function, and the main way she keeps it under control is by exercising every day.  She exercises even when she has pneumonia, because it helps clear out her lungs.  I thought about her today on my run. 

I ran again!  Yippee!  I took my  youngest son to the park again.

And in terms of the rest of the day I just have one hypothetical question...  Why is it that the one time you drive your kid to school in your leopard print pajamas you get stuck in a traffic jam, become late, and have to suffer the humiliation of going into the office?  Life is not fair... 

So this was my (ha-ha) long run for the week. It was infinitely longer than last week's long run, so that's progress, at any rate. I have 3 weeks to get from here to running 13.1 miles. No knee issues today, so here's hoping!

I have to teach billions of piano lessons today because I was sick during the week & had  rescheduled them for today.  

James and I went to Friday's for dinner tonight, courtesy of the Del Sol Relay team. It was great! I haven't eaten a Friday's brownie (previously my favorite food) in months, mostly at Sasha's injunction to try to avoid unhealthy food.   Well, I finally tried one today, and was ASTOUNDED that I didn't really like it.  It seemed sickeningly sweet to me.  Could the abstinence of most sugary foods have altered my perception?  But even though I didn't really want it I knew I would start to eat it again just because it was sitting there for a long time.  So I poured salt all over it to completely remove the temptation.  Problem solved. 3 Points for Sasha.

Congrats to all the runners who raced today!

I've been getting really good sleep since I've been sick. My fever is gone, my energy is returning, but there is still a lot of gunk in my lungs. I left church early today because I couldn't stop coughing like I was trying to bring up a hairball. Next week will be better.

Well...let me explain that rotten sleep. I took my traditional Sunday nap yesterday, and it wreaked the traditional havoc with my bedtime/ability to fall asleep. I should give it up, but I just love napping! I don't see why all kids everywhere don't beg their parents for naps. Youth is wasted on the young!

So today I spent almost ALL my time and energy potty training my littlest guy. I won't bore (or horrify!) you with the grisly details, but let me just say that I think we are 95% there. I can hardly wrap my mind around the idea of no more diapers after 7 years. This is a red letter day in my life!

In terms of running, I am preblogging here. Christine and I are going out for a gentle 3, she is going to talk my ear off, my knee is going to be fine, and I am going to run no faster than 11:30 pace (which is my ultra-safe speed).

(Ended up being 3.12 at 11:18 pace, almost eventful, as my productive coughing fit mid-run almost produced  a yakk.  But the knee is ok, so I'm trying for 4 tomorrow.)
 

3 miles with Christine.  I woke up this morning feeling not so hot, so I skipped my planned morning mile.  That 8 hours of sleep is somewhat misleading.  I was in bed that long, it was very interrupted sleep.  I had to get up so many times with my littlest.  Post-traumatic potty training syndrome, I guess.  I am exhausted.   (Zero accidents today, though!  I'm proud.) 

Blechy day.   This was supposed to just be my extra mile, but I didn't get out this evening as planned because I was needed at home.   It's probably good to rest a little.  I am still coughing a ridiculous amount.

I am feeling pessimistic about doing the Striders half.  My training has been pathetic for a very long time.   

One bright spot from today is that my little 3 year-old is making me so proud.  He has memorized some verses of scripture describing our religious beliefs (The Articles of Faith).  He's just barely potty trained and he's got the first three memorized!  I'd been teaching them to my older guys, and he just picked them up.  It's funny to hear his little mouth say big ol' words like "atonement," or "ordinances."  

4 miles, 1.4 BAREFOOT! Hahahaha! Running barefoot for the very first time in my life brought the biggest smile to my face I've had all day. It feels good! It took me about a quarter mile to really start getting into it, and not run so gingerly, but then, it was all good news! I could feel that there were muscles in my feet and lower leg that I don't normally use. By the end of the first mile, I could tell that I had modified my gait. It seemed like I was much more forward, putting more weight on the balls of my feet, and my foot does its own little push-off. After 1.4 I put my shoes on. I still felt myself running a little differently. One interesting thing is that after running barefoot, my shoes felt much tighter. I think it is because of increased circulation in my feet. I wonder if this is part of the reason that barefoot running is supposed to prevent injury. I've got to try it again tomorrow. The only bad thing is that there is an occasional little rock that I'd step on. Ow. This was the most exhilarating run I've had in a long time. I was planning on stopping at 3, but I just didn't want to, so I tacked on another mile.

1 mile this morning, barefoot. It was beautiful...sun just coming up, ducks on the lakes, the cool pavement between my toes...

3 Miles tonight, shod. Within .1 of starting, my knee started to hurt/get a little tight. I stopped and walked for half a mile, then continued my run with no more issues. My knee doesn't like going straight from sitting at a computer (reading about running barefoot, of course) to running. Guess a little warm-up is in order, even though I'm still running slowly.

Now if you'll excuse me, it's time for my nightly coughing-for-20 min. ritual. Very long-lasting cough, this one. I am so ready to be over it!

Oh yeah, and I am NOT running the Striders Half Marathon. James will be running the Provo City Half Marathon, and if I feel up to it, I will too. Otherwise I will run the Provo City 5K. To tell the truth, I would MUCH rather run the 5K. You see, April 7th marks the year anniversary of when I really starting running/training. Sasha said he thought I'd be able to break my high school 5K PR in about a year. Too bad I've had these injury set-backs, or I might have already done it. But I was close! And if I were to break my high school 5K time in Provo, I would...I would...I'd just EXPLODE from happiness and every ache and pain or annoyance from running in this last year would be totally worth it. *Sigh.* It's not every day you get the chance to go back and right a wrong that has haunted you for a long time. You guys probably have no clue what I'm talking about, but I'm too tired right now to elaborate. Sweet dreams, everyone.

(The other night I dreamed I was the Prime Minister of Britain. Just thought I'd throw that out there...)

1 Mile barefooted. 3 More with shoes and the dog. Lovely night.

Napping is bliss! I am amazed at all the great races everyone ran yesterday. Everyone on the blog is either making huge progress or suffering with an injury. Very dedicated, either way.

Wish we could find some magic cure for all running injuries. That's kind of why I started running barefoot. I'll be a test rabbit...if I am able to get over 40 miles per week without injury, I'll have to attribute at least some of it to my barefoot running miles.

1 BF mile with dog, and 3 normal miles with Christine.  

Last week I had 56 hours of sleep.  Pretty good, but I want to beat it this week.  And I want to transition to mostly night time sleep.  Naps are like candy.  They taste good, but they aren't usually good for me.
 

1 mile barefooted this morning.

.6 with my son 

1.4 tonight with Lyndsay, who is one of my top 10 favorite people, non-family category. We are missionary companions, visiting teaching companions, and full-tilt talk-your-ear-off friends.  She is really fun to talk to--perfect person to run with!  She sprained her ankle a little while back and felt it just a little during the run.  Hopefully it didn't aggravate anything tonight.  She did great!  She ran the whole distance (which was an estimate, btw) without walking.  She does her stair-stepper every night for 30 min., so she is very prepared for running from a cardio standpoint.  It was a delightful run.

My littlest one has a really bad fever--almost 104.  I've been getting up a lot with him at night.  Not really sure how much sleep I'm getting...I just know it is nowhere near enough.   Feels like I have a newborn again!  (For every adorable little baby out there, somewhere close by there is an extremely sleep-deprived woman.)  Anyway, I finally did drag my hind end outside today and did 4.  First mile barefoot.  ZZZzzzz, uh, excuse me.  Time for bed!

Well, I've been a baaaaaaaaaaaaad little runner.  I missed three days last week and I'm not even injured!  Time to really buckle down again.  I am still at a point where every once in a while I worry that I could revert back into a couch potato.  MUST...RUN...EVERYDAY.  Although, my excuse on Sat. was pretty solid--I spent the afternoon/evening in the hospital with Adam.  (Only because all the urgent care places were closed for Easter, though.  He just needed some antibiotics for a rather nasty lung infection.)

So 3 miles with Christine tonight, shod.   It was SOOO fragrant.  All the citrus trees out here are blooming their heads off, and the sweet, delectable scent envelopes you in its warmth.  It's like nothing you've ever smelled before.  Olfactory heaven.  I've never witnessed anything like this anywhere else we've lived.  Yummy.

1 more mile barefoot.  Today was the first time I felt the urge to run fast barefoot.  It just felt awesome and I wanted to stretch it out a little.  BTW I had some tightness in my hips when I ran with my shoes on tonight, but there was no trace of that later when I ran barefooted. 

2 miles barefoot.  My left hip was a little sore when I woke up this morning.  I'd like to say I cut my run short to be easy on my hip, but the truth is that I finished reading a book during part of my running time:  "The Long Walk."  Ug, it was painful and treacherous reading.  Not sure I'd recommend it. 

So let me explain...

I sort of accidentally purposefully temporarily rashly cowardly made my blog private for, like 18 hours as a consequence for laying around being a dork for an hour during the only time I had to run yesterday.

So there is no need to email Sasha and ask him what the heck is wrong with his computer program.

So, suffering from small lapse in running motivation, people. A little help? But I did finally get out late last night. My dog was the hero of the moment. After being used to run at least 3 miles a day, he was about ready to explode with energy (and that usually ends up causing a rather nasty clean-up effort on my part) so I finally conceded and got out the door with him. Just another reason to love my dog.

2 slow miles shod, and then a fast mile barefoot. I don't know the time because I wasn't wearing my garmin, but it sure felt good to stretch out a little. I've been running extra slow for almost a month--ever since I started having knee pain. But there were no ill effects or running faster, so I am feeling slightly encouraged.

But let me just put this out there--THANK YOU SO MUCH BRENT! You always know just what to say.

3.5 Outside with my dog at "heaven can wait" pace. Had to go under and over fences in a construction site. How dare they do construction on my 3.5 loop--they didn't even ask me!

Then a marathon pace mile barefoot in 8:47.

Thanks for all the encouragement, you guys. I am starting to bounce back. I can FEEEEEEEEL it.

Doggie be good miles.  1.3 miles bf.

1.7 Miles getting to and from the park with my kiddos in the jogging stroller.  Then 1.5 barefoot in the grass while they played in the sand.  Well, "grass" is a gross overstatement, really.  More like prickly dead plants!  Running barefoot on the sidewalk is more comfortable.  Ah...desert landscaping.   Could've been worse, though, like if it were LAVA ROCK I guess.

Then a quick 1.8 tonight to make it to 5 for the day.  Oh, and I was barefoot again.  So today was a new all-time barefoot record for me at 3.3 miles.  I'm still liking it a lot.  If anyone is interested, here's a good link to a scientific review of the health benefits of running barefoot:

http://sportsci.org/jour/0103/mw.htm

Anyway, it appears that I'll be running the Provo City Half Marathon!  YYAAAAAAAYY!  It is a long story, but I thought I was going to have to skip it because my hubby James is injured and didn't want to go.  I tried to be like "oh my dearest sweetheart, whatever the heck makes you feel better during this terrible time will be fine with me..."  But I couldn't keep it up.  I got more and more grumpy and unmotivated about running.  Finally I told James to go ahead and stay but I'm GOING!  The prospect of being home alone with our 3 rascally little boys quickly put the fear of God into him and he's now quite happy to be on board.  : )  I am really excited about doing this race because it marks the one year anniversary of when I started running post-high school, and it is something I definitely never thought I would be able to do.  It is also the last hurrah of my youth--I turn 31 on Monday. : )  I've never really raced anything longer than a 5K.  Wonder if it'll be much different... (AH!)