Denouement

Walked about 4 miles, then ran 1.1 (still can't find gps watch, so figured out distances per course tool).  9:37 ave pace for the run.  Walked 7.4 total, for 8.5 miles altogether.  

While running, pain the same as yesterday, gradually getting worse during my run.  I tried not to get upset about it.  Pain 1-3 in SI area, also tightness in right calf, my right calf-to-ankle tendons are tight/sore.  I knew my body might not be able to handle a lot of running, but c'mon!! I'm just running in the single digits/wk here.  Sigh.  Then I get on the scale and I'm a way lame 140.0 again (even after weighing myself a second time hoping for a lower number).  I am not going to have another lame day.  I am not going to have another lame day.

I saw Clay and found out he chose GO for his St G decision.  I hope he gets his BQ he's worked so hard for.  

Midday--walked over a mile with Paul

Evening--walked just over a mile, then stretching, ab workout 

AM: walked 2 miles on treadmill, then stretching, then workout on elliptical, some crazy endurance program for 30 minutes, I was sweating so bad by the end of that, then I went manual and did level 4, jumping to 6 then 7 for one minute each three times.  I didn't feel too strong, ok I guess I felt pretty out of shape, but I didn't give up, and the workout's money in the bank. (I have 15 cents in my bank now :) ).  

Last time I did a hard workout on the elliptical I had pain in my right groin toward the beginning that subsided after a minute or two, and today had the same thing.  My right lower calf tendons still achy, but didn't hurt acutely during exercise.

PT this afternoon and hopefully running 2 miles, though i don't look forward to doing them on the treadmill :( 

Pain 2 

Walked about 4, then ran 1.1, then walked back to car, 6.85 total.  Pain got up to a 2 by the end of the run, but was much better than the last road run on Tuesday, pain didn't start for about .4-.5 miles.  I wore my orthotics to see if they make a difference, and they did--I am getting a blister on the bottom of my foot.  I'll continue to wear them for a while, assuming they don't grate my heel-skin off, to see if they make a difference.

PM:  elliptical for a mediumish workout, 30 min, same as last week

walk 1.33 miles with paul in evening, and 15 push ups--push ups are hard! 

Met MacK and walked 2, stretched, and ran 2 miles.  Per Mack the running miles were 8:55, and 8:24, a new post AS pr for me, thank you very much!  I felt much better than any run all week, most likely it was due to running with MacK, and me focusing on my breathing ("don't breathe too hard or MacK will either get annoyed or think you are too out of shape to run with her" I tell myself).  Actually I am too out of shape to run with her, but I'm glad she was willing to so some slow miles with a friend.  After we split, I saw KellieS with her two Heidi's and we chat for a bit about our very exciting Pig Wrestling event going on tomorrow.  Since we are supposed to be red hot pink chicks I am thinking to do something inflatable for some extra curvature :)))  My boys are also pig wrestling.  Sb way fun!  I am also volunteering for the SF 1/2 marathon tomorrow, one of the best 1/2's in Utah.  I wish I could run it, but since I can't I'll be cutting fruit or something.

Early AM:  walked .5 mile, stretched, then did a 20 min elliptical workout, then weighed myself, showered, and got the kids in the car to get to the SF half by 6am for volunteering.

I had alot of fun volunteering, and my boys enjoyed hanging out at the park, playing in the maze garden, climbing trees.  Smooth was there, as cheerful as ever, didn't even mention to me that she got zero sleep.  I think the zero sleep works for her since she pulled off a PR performance today. 

While there was volunteer downtime, I walked the course backward (.3 miles) to see the leaders and to see if my course record I set last year would stand.  It did, the leading lady was about 4 minutes behind my time last year.  I started to run after walking (1.1 miles) including a 2 minute stint with TylerS.  I later went on the route again to find Smooth, walked the ending to find her a couple of times (this would have been easier if I knew what time she was targeting).  She was looking soo good and there were four ladies ahead of her, so I took the risk she would get mad at me and started screaming "Go get those ladies!  Practice your kick!"  And then started running after her when she had passed three out of the four and kept yelling at her.  She looked so great and finished so strong.  When she crossed the finish line she just kept running so I couldn't catch her and congratulate her--she's like the energizer bunny.  Afterward, I thought how dumb I was, I should have coordinated with her re: pacing her for the last mile, since I needed to run a mile, but I wasn't sure I could get away from my volunteer post, but it turns out it would have been just fine.

The SF running club puts on a wonderful event.  Very family friendly, the 5k runs while the 1/2 is going, so supportive family members can get in a little exercise, pancakes and fruit aplenty, and a tough, honest 1/2 marathon course.  I am more grateful than ever to them for putting this on year after year.

 Will post about the pig wrestling later, I need to get ready for church. 

Pig wrestling:  we lost so bad, but we had a blast!  See Marion's blog for video and pics.  Afterward Kellie and Tyler were generous enough have us over to watch the end of the BYU game which was awesome! And they provided a chocolate fountain, just what I needed--one step away from the chocolate iv! 

Marion's Onion Days gala-- I kept waking up each hour, terrified I would miss the chocolate pancakes.  

I am not posting this as a race report since I did not race it, or do anything like racing it.  It was my first participation in a race, though, since my hard AS flare up and diagnosis period.  It was a joyful day, and I was grateful to share it with some of my biggest supporters. 

Warmed up about a mile of walking, then walked the first 3 miles of the race, chatting with a couple from Payson who were pushing their 18 year old disabled son.  Our group of four were being "escorted" from behind by a police officer, only my second time being escorted by police :)  I warned them right before the three mile mark that I would be starting my run, and I did, and hit a rhythm after 1/2 mile or so, picked off some people I felt kind of sorry for passing, since they had been running 10-11 min miles, then I pass them at 8:00 pace.  I averaged 7:53 per mile, and got a 7:48, a new post-AS pr.  I tried to keep it an easy pace, but in all honesty it was a marathonish pace of tempo (breathing hard, but able to converse well still).  No pain until the very end, pain level of 1 for mile 3 until the last 1/4 mile and then right after race, pain rose to a 2.  I cheered on all runners I passed except for the very last one, and I am afraid I wasn't a very good sport about the man I passed in the last 25 yards, since he was a guy I decided to pass him but not the woman ahead of him, and there were red hot pink chicks cheering me on, and the discussion forum of men being motivated by the desire to not be chicked ran through my head, so I am afraid it worked in reverse in this case.  After some good conversation with running buddies, walked about a mile of cool down between getting my shirt and walking to Marions.

Wonderful breakfast party afterward, my husband Paul was there working the griddle like a pro (only he tried to sneak out some pancakes that were chocolate-chip-less, some of which I witnessed Marion chucking over the fence in disdain).  Good conversation with many of my friends.  You guys are the best!

Sleep in--then elliptical for 20 minutes, easier program that went up to level 5, occasional pain to 1 after elliptical.  Stretching

Later AM:  Walked 4 miles, then ran 2.5 (by course tool), wanted 2 miles and ran 18:15, which I just mapped and the course tool says is 2.5, which works out to 7:20 pace, so that can't be right, but the details don't really matter right now, but walked the rest of the way back (whole walk/run was 7.75, then shopping at Walmart.

I am thrilled my sins of commission over the weekend haven't tipped my scale too much.  Back to work. 

Pain 0-2, gradual increase, SI area 

4.18 miles walking total, 3.1 running total, 8:40ish pace. Walked 2 miles, then met up with Kellie, lots of stretching with Kellie and her Heidi posse, then we ran 2 miles, then I had to head back.   I felt sluggish due to low sleep.  I didn't get to bed until 11pm, hard time falling asleep, a phone call from my sister at midnight saying my mom (who had surgery yesterday) took a turn for the worse, then another call from my sister at 1am, saying that my mom stabilized, then my alarm went off at 5am.  I am pretty sure I slept a bit somewhere in there, but I have had better nights of sleep.

Will jump on elliptical soon. 

PM: hardest endurance elliptical workout, 30 min 

Pain 0 this morning - yeah!

Walked 4 miles, stretching after 1.7, then ran 2.06, then walked to finish up.  Saw MacK twice but I think she only recognized me the first time because the second time she threw me a bland good morning like an old bone to a mangy dog.

Went to rheumatologist yesterday, and he didn't give me a strong recommendation on what to do next, I have permission to start Embrel at will, but since my pain has been nil/low over the last week, perhaps my body was just getting used to the impact, and I'll be ok for a while on just Diclofenac.  He gave me a prescription to start a different NSAID if I continue to have issues/it gets worse too.  So I think I'll stay where I am, and if I continue to have SI pain and it gets slightly worse I'll go to the other NSAID, and if it gets consistently hurty I'll move to the Embrel.  The rheum. has a colleague in SLC who is an AS expert, and he said he was going to confer wih him since I am an unusual case.  Most AS patients are just hoping to be able to work and do daily functions, well my intentions are still to train for OTQ, so my definition of full functionality is more demanding.  I also had blood drawn to see how my body's handling my training so far (he's looking at inflammation markers in the blood).  When I get my blood work back I'll see if he remembered to call the SLC doc and I'll remind him to do so.  The real crux of the matter is what is the tipping point for going to Embrel, and how fast to ramp up training.

 Zero pain throughout! 

All indoor workout: 

Walked 2, stretching, walked another .25

Ran 2 miles, starting at 6.8 mph and bumping it up .1 every 1/4 mile for two miles.  Ended up at 7.5, felt good!  I usually seem to be more achy on the treadmill because it is so dang boring there's nothing to do besides ponder the injury possibilities. Despite this tendency, all was well today.

Walked another .25.

30 min elliptical workout. 

Zero pain again, I could get used to this :D 

Slept in, ahhh!  But first of all, last night we went on a date and went to Arby's and spent $6.22 on dinner, 5 for $5 and then Paul got a soda.  Sweet!

Anyway, met Marion at 7am, after I walked one mile.  Then we did a 4.22 loop with me walking and her mostly running, then we stopped at her place, we witnessed her kids having lollipops for breakfast, I changed shoes, had about 8 oz of old gatorade (which I brought) and Marion had a peach, stretching, then back out for that loop again, and I started running at the Payson Onion Days 5k start, so I could see splits: 8:48, 8:29, 8:31, 25:48 total, ave pace 8:36.  A great way to start the day, despite Marion giving me the business about how I should delay going on Embrel (which I will, unless I get cronic running pain above a reasonable threshold) and about weighing myself before my workouts so that I don't delay fueling.  I gave her the business about her Mi Ranchito habit, so it's all good :)  Love ya Marion! 

For those of y'all who can't get enough of the pig wrestling, Marion told me there was a story and video on the daily herald website.  Well I found it and here it is http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/south/payson/article_d8240146-dc39-5e97-bbf1-36ea21941be7.html 

On treadmill, walked 1.5 (while considering a client's accounting issue, and taking notes--bad handwriting when walking on treadmill), then stopped and stretched, walked .25, ran 3 miles, then cooled down .25 walk, 5 miles total.

Will be working alot this week, so will be doing treadmill at least today and tomorrow.

Leaves are changing in my town. 

Walked 1.75 on TM, nice long stretching session, then 30 min on medium edurance workout on the elliptical (2 min each level: 2,3,5,7,4,6,8,3,5,7,4,6,8,3,2).  I was sweating so much by the end of the session I couldn't keep my eyes open.  STINGS THE EYES! Sweat induced weight loss-at least it means I am working out.

I am so grateful that I can workout, that I am not in pain.

I plan to run a couple of miles tonight. 

PM:  Walked 1 mile, then stretching, then 2.28 miles at 8:07 pace, nice bug swarm action, I am glad I had sunglasses for that, though I am sure I swallowed a couple.  HMMM. 

0 pain in SI, up to a 1 in left groin, just a niggle, for a week my right upper hammy has been pretty tender/sore, only upon stretching can I detect, feels normal while running

walked 3.5, ran 3, then walked .5 to car. 

Slept in!  9.5 hours of sleep baby! 

After getting the kids on the buss, I walked about 5 miles with Marion, then ran 2 miles, the first mile had the uphill portion of Payson Onion Days (I ran the 5th and 6th miles of the 10k).  The pace was something under 9 min pace. Then walked about 2 miles.  1:56 for 10 miles total.

Red Mango Rendezvous with Marion.  I give Marion's new dress a thumbs up and Red Mango's yogurt a thumbs down for lack of chocoliciousness and high prices.

PM: at Ben's FB game, walked a mile, did stretching and planks.

AB workout in PM--current ab workout is 4x2min planks if on ground, about 1.25 min each if on the ball (harder to stabilize), 3x50 crunches on the ball (started at 10 at a time, which just about killed me), 3x1 min planks on each side on the green ball.  Bridge.

also a 1 mile walk with Paul in the PM 

Walked 1 mile, stretching then ran 4 miles with JOSSE! in 35:38, so nice to share the miles with her, they just flew by, then walked .5.  Went to Zermatt for a work retreat, then Paul and the kids came up and we spent the night, we hit the pool and I squeezed in 30 minutes of pool running, with some intervals in the middle, but the kids were bored in the pool with me being such a dud.

Zero pain baby! 

Up in Midway, walked 4 miles, ran about 2.

Then 3 mile hike with family after breakfast.  

When we got home I did 30 minutes on the elliptical, high intensity.  Good times.

Zero pain, just some slight niggling on the left groin.  Right ham is still really tight and sore when I stretch.  Have a PT appt for Monday. 

Walked 1 mile, left groin niggling. Stretched, walked another .5, then ran 3 miles, starting around 8:40, and going up .1 mph each .25 mile, so went from 8:40 to 7:30 pace.  Manageable hard toward the end, like marathon pace. .5 mile walking cool down. 5 miles total on treadmill.

Then hopped on elliptical for 30 minutes.  Hard parts were especially hard, perhaps because I had already pushed it on the treadmill?

21 mph planned this week.  Have a PT appt this morning.  

AM:  9.04 miles total, 4 running 

Ham still feeling nice, still hurty when I stretch, but much less tight today, still some niggling in left groin (Orrock didn't get to this injury).

Met MacK, walked 1.35, then stretched (it was soo cold this morning!) and then because it was cold she didn't want to run the farmlands (good call), so for our run she led me up the hill we just walked down.  I huffed and puffed beside her, then flat miles for 2-4, our miles were 8:19, 8:09, 8:01 for the last three, the first one was uphill and in the middle of a split, so we don't care about it's pace :) We then parted ways, and I walked another 3.69 (12:34 ave pace).  My hands were freezing and I knew I needed them to get my key off my laces, so I started to fartlek walk and that warmed me up really well. .  

When I got home I jumped on the elliptical just to warm up, then kept going until I hit 100 cals (6:23). 

PM: Walked 1 mile warm up, stretching and ab workout (watching biggest loser, that's one way to motivate myself to not eat something naughty at night, had an orange instead). 

Bad sleep!  I kept waking up and dreaming of missing my alarm.  Lame-o.

Walked 2.5, then ran 3, then walked .5, ave pace for running 8:40.  MP3 free, had Jars of Clay and Lincoln Brewster replaying in my head.  The sunrise was so beautiful!

Will do elliptical this afternoon. 

PM:  man, sweated up a storm on a killer interval workout on the elliptical:  3,3,4,4,5,6,7,8,5,6,7,8,9,6,7,8,9,10,5,6,7,8,9,6,7,8,4,4,4,3.  I am beat.  I gotta go get a water bottle. 

AM:  When my alarm went off at 5am I was deep in sleep, so reset alarm for 5:30, but by the time I had reset my alarm I was awake.  

9.3 total, 3.5 walk, then 4.4 run (trying for 4 miles started slow, sped up, ran for 36:00, so 8:11 pace), then walked back to the car. ave pace for walk: 12:22

2 servings of cream of wheat, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, 1 cup milk (should have done just 1/2 cup of milk): 455  cals.

PM: 1 mile walk, stretching and regular and side planks at my son's flag FB game (I am the biggest geek there, but I am a limber geek!).  He won his game!  They are now 4-2.  Then ball crunches at home. 

AM:  quick indoor workout:  1 mile walk, stretch, another .25 walk, then 3 mile run, starting at 8:34 pace and 8:00 pace from 1.25 to 3 miles. Then .25 walk cool down, and 20 min elliptical: 3,3,4,4,4,5,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,7,7,6,6,5,5.  You know you are thirsty when you just lick up the sweat that rolls down your face.  Indoor workout accounts for dip in weight, but I was still thrilled to see 135!  So happy to weigh less than when I married Paul (at 19) again, even if for a couple of minutes :D

Sweetness!

First a confession of my sins from yesterday:

One kripsie kreme w/ choc frosting (because that's the only way to have them), 2 diet dr. peppers, a 5 guys burger and split fries, 2 choc chip cookies, magleby's giant chocolate cake slice - and I ate the whole thing. 

 We had major, very big good news in the family yesterday and we celebrated pretty hard.  So to weigh the same as yesterday is unexpected and another cause to celebrate :D

For today's workout, the plan was to walk 8 and run 4, my first 12 mile day since Feb.  I saw MacK and her crew (Aubrey and Kent) and asked them if they were going fast or easy (I can't tell) and they were evasive, so I joined them.  Kent later disclosed that they picked up the pace when I joined them, and said we were sub 7:00 pace for 2.5, but I don't know the exact splits. Aubrey gave me a 7:00 split for one mile so I'll call that my new post-AS mile PR.  They were just cruising but I was was obviously in fast tempo pace from my breathing.  It felt so good to let runners pull me along.  My PT has told me to do my fast miles on the treadmill for now, but I couldn't run that fast on a treadmill, it would spit me off, but getting pulled along makes a fast run seem more doable.  I'd say the effort was 5k-8k effort , was working.

I don't have exact mileage but I definitely got at least 12, perhaps a little more than 4 in running and a little more than 8 in walking, from the splits I was able to catch.  2:17 for the whole thing.

Hugs and kisses to all my friends out there.  Chocolate cake for everyone! 

AM: Walked, ran, walked.  MacK came up behind me at about .7 miles, so she started jogging slowly beside me as I walked, I then said if we stopped and stretched, then I'd be ready to run, so we did that.  I ran 3 miles, then finished my walk.  KellieS and HC came up on me too toward the end.  It was a tad too cold for no gloves while walking.  8 miles total, 3 running

PM: 30 minutes on the treadmill, over 500 cals burned.  Sweet!  Literally, because now I can have two peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk for dessert.  Found a really good recipe for this yesterday, made a double batch, gave half away, some are still around. . .

Marion is so sweet to hang with me for 2 hours of exercise (for me) and joyride (for her on bike).  Went to mile 2 of POD 10k, walking, then stretched, then started my run, 8:35 for first mile, 8:36 ave pace for whole thing, ran to the 6 mile mark then back to the 5 mile mark. Then walking to make it all 10 miles. It was way fun.  Then I went to Wal-Mart and didn't even buy a candy bar or anything naughty like that.  I ate a banana on the way home.  This was my first five mile run since March (March 23rd), and my March 5 mile runs were not comfortable, but painful and aggravating.  This was nice and easy and pain free.

At Marion's request, here's the recipe for the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies I made on Sunday.  I haven't had any yet today but they are STARING AT ME!

http://www.recipezaar.com/Peanut-Butter-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-51104

According to peoples reviews, I reduced butter to 3/4 c, increased PB to 1.5 cup and they turned out so great!  I then doubled and there was so much dough it tried to jump out of my kitchenaid mixer.   

Inside day, due to excessive thunder.

Walked 1.5, stretched, ran 4 (started at 8:37 and ran at 8:00 for the last 2.75), walked .5, 6 miles total

Elliptical - only time for 10 min, approx 155 cals spent (3,3,3,4,4,4,5,5,6,6 - kind of wussy, but I was tired from the run).

Not too spry this morning.  Might be because of insufficient sleep, perhaps because 1/2 of my calories yesterday consisted of peanut butter choc chip cookies.  

My in laws are on a mission at the Apia, Samoa mission, had quite the scare yesterday, as we tried to learn news and make contact, but they reported that everything was fine, except the horn on the statue Moroni fell down as part of the earthquake damage.