Patience, the NEW Endurance Sport!

Monday is here!  I am beginning my official taper for the 1/2.  5 miles today, 4, 4, 3 and then Friday off.

I am not feeling very chatty today so I am off to do something.  Maybe I will take a nap.

2.5 on the treadmill (31:00) and 2.5 outside 26:31, 10:24 ave, laps-11:37, 10:05, 9:38ave/4:49(1/2 mile)

I did not take my garmin for my little 2.5 miler outside so I had to play with my little sports watch and figure it out.  It was a tough little run but not too bad.  I went to get on the treadmill for my last 2.5 and saw that the temp was 38 and could not resist going outside!  I am glad I did.  I needed a speedy little run for myself.

I am really thinking a lot about my goals, as usual.  I think I am pretty set on my running schedule for the year.  I am 89% comitted to Ogden 1/2, 100% to Hobble Creek 1/2 and the Provo Riverwoods 10 miler.  I will put in for St George and if that does not work out I will do TOU.  I am planning on racing Hobble Creek and Ogden.  My marathon will just be a run for the experience, unless I some how blossom into an amazing distance runner this summer ;D  My number one goal is to be able to run everyday of my life.  I am also going to race local 5k's and 10k's as they arise.  I am planning on being able to go all out for the Ogden Marathon 2010.  In 2010 I want to do a triathalon and the Wasatch Back.  Although, I really might consider the Wasatch Back if I am asked this year by my cousins.

47:23, ave 11:51, best 9:17, Laps- 12:47, 11:50, 11:55, 10:56

Day #2 of the taper.  I like taper.  LOTS of energy!

What should I be eating?  I am guessing just regular stuff- no or not too much crap.  Make the calories count ;)

I have to share- last night we sent Mac (5 years old) to get the rest of the family for Family Home Evening.  Well, we heard him yell from the top of the stairs, "It's time for Family Home Believe-ening"  We chuckled.    He is also always telling us that his brother is "fathering" him.   "Will!!! Quit fathering me!!!"  "MOM!!! My shoe is fathering my foot!" :D

55:57, ave 13:57, best 10:00, Laps- 15:41(2 stops), 13:25, 14:11(1 stop), 12:32

Lead legs today.  Lots of little aches and pains, none lasted.  Tired and thirsty today.

I forgot to mention something cool from yesterday- as I was running by the high school I got high five'd, whooped and honked by a car of teenage boys.  It must have been the cross country team ;)

I am now 100% committed to losing 20 lbs before Ogden (25 if you count the 5 I am still trying to get rid of from Christmas ;)  I am committed to eating 97% better than I have been.  I am going to virtually cut out all of the the refined carbs and bad fats.  I say virtually, because I am still going to have dessert once a week and go out to dinner once a week.  I will make fabulous choices when I go out, but they will not be perfect, so I am going with "virtually" as my qualifier ;)  This will put me at a 100# total weight loss.  I would like to lose 7-8 more after that, but I will give myself a year for those last few, if they will come off at all.  I have been trying to muster the enthusiasm and resolve to commit myself to this, and I am finally there.  It has been really hard to tell myself that I need to lose more weight after losing so much already. I suppose it feels somewhat like mile 22-24 of a marathon.  "What do you mean I have to go further, I've already come SO FAR!!!"  I am going to make signs for all over my house with my goal weight on it.  My main reason for the boost in enthusiasm and commitment is that I want to RACE the Ogden 1/2 Marathon.  I want to RACE this whole upcoming season and I want to see what I really have.  It makes me excited to think about my possible potential for 2010.  I don't want another decade to pass with a speck of "I wonder what I could have done?"

Sorry for the long introspective entry.  It helps for me to write it out :D

Oh- I asked my son what he wanted to blow up with his riches, he said, "Maybe a tree."  So there you have it, Mac (5) wants to take his whole 35 cent fortune and blow up a tree.  I really don't understand boys at all!  They are just plain WEIRD!!!

2 miles on the treadmill at 12 mm.  I am tired today.  Now it is time to rest and get the house and kids ready to leave for Painters.  I am really excited!

We'll be off soon!  Have a great weekend everyone!  I am SO excited :)

The RED HOT PINK CHICKS rule the universe!!!  There is a lot of hot pink at the end of the race :)  I focused on picking them off in the last two miles.  I don't think anyone passed me in the last two miles.  Jon and Kelli could have been tripping them for me ;)

KELLI-  THANK YOU!!! You are the best pacer 'keep me from quitting' friend EVER!!!  LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

LESLIE-  I Love you and WE DID IT!!!  I know you have done this before, but dang it girl- we ROCKED!!! :)  and we looked MARVELOUS!!!

I started to get a migraine about an hour before the race.  I left the condo and bawled for a bit.  Migraines tend to force me to run slower and when I run longer distances with a migraine, I really have a bad few days to follow.  I was pretty sad starting the race and not sure what would happen.  I did not push, for fear of lasting repercussions with the head.  In retrospect, my time could have been better with a few changes to race day. #1 I need better sleep, #2 I need a warm up, #3 NO MIGRAINE for a shot at my best time, #4 I can run a moderately tough race and not suffer too much following the race.  I suffered nausea for two days and a dull but present headache.  I also could not read for the rest of Saturday.

11:19.18  best pace 6:27  Splits are by my garmin which was off by about .2 by the end of the race.

1- 11:05- Should have warmed up.  Should have stretched!  Should have GONE POTTY!!!

2- 12:03 vpb ;)

3- 10:33

4- 10:45

5- 11:09 Short steep up-hill that was a bummer :(

6- 9:51  There was a shady gradual up hill trail here that was COLD but I felt great!  Man, if I could feel like that for the whole race- I'd be QUEEN OF THE WORLD!!!

7- 10:56- OK- this was an awesome mile.  This is where the winners pass the non-winners.  We saw Jeff and Mary Ann cruising in for their wins.  We also saw everyone else finishing SO strong.  It was a great boost! :) and very distracting :)

8- 11:39- the beginning of the loop of 1/2 marathon death!!! This little loop is just a plain old bummer :(

9- 11:49  Starting to really feel sore at the very top of my legs in my hips.  My neuroma was very unhappy, but not "race ending" and no need to pray for divine intervention ;)

10- 11:49  I was very emotionally and physically spent here and it was feeling like it would never get better, as seen in mile 11 :)

11- 12:39 WORN OUT!!!  Scott and Jon swoop in SAVE THE DAY!!!! :D

12- 11:18  Scott came in first and really gave us all an amazing shot of energy!  Soon Kelly and Jon showed up and took us in the rest of the way.  Jon was a GREAT pacer and got me in for a strong finish.  Kelly stayed with Leslie and Kelli brought me in with Jon :)  This mile felt good.  I was able to put the soreness behind me and run.  It felt great!

13.11- 10:09  It was great to finish :)  I surprised myself an bawled like a baby when I finally found David.

It is FINISHED!!! ;)  I am done and I am POOPED!  My time is unofficial and I will post the official time when it becomes available.  There is so much to say I am not sure where to start.  So I will start from the beginning. 

Kelli and Scott pick us up and  we drove to St George... I am so tired that I am going to have to do this tomorrow :)

It's tomorrow and my brain is feeling some what more clear and rested.  I took an ice bath before bed which was a good and a bad idea all in one :)  I think it will end up in the good idea column in the end.  I am taking Aleve for the soreness.  David and Ashley (14) cracked up when they saw me shivering in the tub with my Painters sweatshirt, a red sweatshirt, red gloves and my Painters hat.  They should have taken a picture.  It would have been pretty funny :)

So, Scott and Kelly picked us up about 10:30 am on Friday with Mary Ann... the speedster.  We had a great time driving down to St George together.  We picked up our packets at the rec center and then headed to the condo.  We also made it over to the Running store and Bajio.  The condo worked out great.  It was big and beautiful.  We had an amazining dinner with Kelli & Scott, Susuanna (Smooth)& Larry, Jon & Kelly, Leslie & Harold, Mary Ann & her friend Rachel, Coleen (Sunnyrun) & Dave, Kellie & Tyler (popped in) and David & me.  Everyone was SO great.

The next morning we were up and groggy but ready to race.  We made it over to the convention center in plenty of time.

*See race above*  After the race we raced home to shower and then we were off to Outback for dinner.  Kelli and I split a burger which was perfect and it tasted really great!!!  After dinner we went for a walk in the strip mall and met Kelli and Tyler at the Chocolate Factory.  I was feeling pretty horrible all post race, slightly nauseated, very loopy not hungry.  We made one last stop at the St George Running Center and then we went home.  The dive home was great fun and uneventful.

This was an awesome road trip!!!

** I just entered my official results for the race :)  I finished 99 in my age group.  I find this pretty cool as it WAS NOT a tripple didget number :)  I have got plenty of room for improvement and I am very excited about that :)