All it takes is all you've got

8 miles easy around Countryside.  Started out really slow and a little sore, but felt a lot better after my stretching at mile 2.

I counted my cadence so I could affirm to Aaron that I run with a fast cadence.  According to Barefoot Ken Bob, whom Aaron has been reading on form advice, we should have a cadence of 90 or more (180 steps per minute).  So I counted for 6 second intervals and multipied by 10 to realize my cadence is between 95-100 (190-200 steps per minute).

My achilles is slowly starting to feel better each day.  Very slowly though.  Wish it would heal faster but what do I expect when I wont take time off?  At least I have been biking a few times to try and give it a rest.  Maybe I'll bike a couple of days this week in place of recovery runs.  I've also been icing my achilles/calf and massaging the knots out of my calves. 

I decided to register for a 4 mile race on Thanksgiving morning.  Its in Fort Collins and it is sure to be SUPER fast!  The last two years it has been won by Nuta Olaru, a Romanian Olympian.  It usually takes faster than 5:25/mile pace to win the women's race.  Men go sub 5:00 pace.  I guess the race directors like to watch fast people and thats why the offer a prize purse of $800, $500, $300, $150, $50 for 1st-5th places.  There are a number of elite runners who live and train in Boulder and what elite runner wouldn't go out for a nice Thanksgiving morning workout and see if they could win that kind of cash?  I'm sure to be pulled to a fast time!

Good luck to all the NCAA D1 Cross Country runners at Nationals today!  I was reminded by Coach Shane's wife on Facebook that today is the Championships in Terra Haute.  Go BYU! 

Met with Running Republic group at Potts Field.

20 min. warm-up, stretching, 4X25 sec. strides

4X45 sec. quick turnover/75 sec. easy

8X2 min steady/60 sec. easy

4X30 sec. quick turnover/60 sec. easy

I didn't bother getting splits on all of these but looking at my garmin it looks like my pick-ups were all between 5:15-6:00 pace so I definitley got some fast time on my legs.

Thank goodness my achilles and calves are feeling a little better every day.  I'm still going to ice and massage a lot and probably cross-train some either tomorrow or Friday, maybe both.  I just want there to be NO pain at all so I can train effectively.

Darren got me all set up with the whole Running Republic uniform tonight so I can represent now.  Getting new running clothes is always fun.  :)

1 hour bike ride and 4 mile run.  Stretched and did core work for 15 minutes and lifted weights for another 20 minutes.

Now we're off to the store to pick up our Thanksgiving food ingredients.  Tomorrow we'll be joiniing our friends, the Stouts and the McDonalds for a fun-filled day of eating and playing.  12 kids and 6 adults in one house all afternoon/evening is bound to be fun. I'm bringing mashed potatoes, green beans, and Acini De Pepe salad.  Mmmmmm.

I'm thankful for good friends here in Colorado who have invited us into their home for a fun family gathering on this great holiday.  I'm thankful for a supportive, loving husband and three amazing kids.  I'm thankful for good health and fitness that enables me to run and enjoy God's beautiful sunshine and creations.  I'm thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the way it guides my life, for our freedom and safety living in this Country, and for my family and friends all around the world.  I could go on and on because there are SO many more things I am Thankful for.  I am so blessed.  Here is a great video that really captures the Spirit of Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!! 

Went to Fort Collins to race in a fast 4 miler.  Warmed up 3 miles; stretching, strides.

Looking around me I knew there were some very elite racers on the starting line.  Sara Slattery was at the front as the race went out.  It made my body feel a little sick and shocked my nervous system a little to go out at the pace the lead ladies were blazing at but I just held on for dear life.  I was sticking to the front group of 5 other women who came through the first mile in 5:24.  After that the pace let up a bit thank goodness!!  2nd mile was 5:40; felt a lot more comfortable.  3rd mile picked up again to 5:30 and Sara slipped back a bit.  I was still trying as hard as I could to hang on to the other 4 women and I stuck in 5th place (the final spot to get prize money).  4th mile the front group got a little gap on me but I just kept at it as best I could and sprinted to the finish in 22:11 with a 5:28 final split.

I was 13 seconds behind the leader and the top four were only 2 seconds apart.  Here is the breakdown:

ADRIANA NELSON	00:21:58 ($800)
NUTA OLARU	00:21:59 ($500)
ALISHA WILLIAMS	00:21:59 ($300)
NICLOLE FEEST	00:22:00 ($150)
NAN KENNARD	00:22:11 ($50)

Sara Slattery came in 6th at 22:30

Aaron and I chatted with Adriana Nelson and her husband while waiting for the awards.  She mentioned that she just ran 2:35 in the Chicago Marathon 6 weeks ago and she's not in her best form for a fast 4 miler (yet she won anyway).  She was shooting for 2:25 in Chicago and was dissapointed in her 2:35.  Haha.  I would be STOKED to run 2:35.  She was really friendly and kind and welcomed me to come run with her in Fort Collins sometime and also to befriend her on Facebook; super nice person.  I got $50 and a yummy pumpkin pie for my award.  I was really happy with my result and just super excited to race such fast women and be pulled to such a fast time.  My 5k split was 17:11, which is the fastest I have run since college.

We almost got in a car accident on the drive home.  There were 4 separate fender bender accidents on I-25 coming towards Denver so the traffic kept randomly stopping quickly.  I was chatting with Aaron and didn't notice in time that the cars in my lane were slowing fast and I was still cruisin' along at 70mph.  Aaron said "watch out!" and I slammed on my breaks but it was not going to stop me in time so I veered off into the median and bounced to a stop in the weeds.  I actually didn't fully stop, just crawled right back up onto the highway.  Got a good amount of mud in my under carriage and some stinky breaks.  My heart was racing and the kids were startled.  Not Ali though, she slept through it.  As I pulled back up onto the freeway the guy who was behind me when I veered off the highway gave me a big thumb up and mouthed "NICE MOVE!"  I'm thankful we didn't collide into the car in front of us at 60 mph and that we didn't roll down the slanted median into oncoming traffic.  We defintely had guardian angels watching over us.

12.5 miles on Big Dry Creek in 7:41 pace.

Went running a little later in the morning; 10:30ish.  Saw lots of bike riders and walkers out on the trail today working up an appetite to eat their leftover turkey and pies while enjoying the warm, fresh air.  Also saw many fat prarie dogs out sunbathing.  I would be out of my hole if I were a prarie dog too; it is absolutley beautiful out there today!  65 degrees and sunny. 

I was very pleased with how good my legs felt today after my race yesterday.  Achilles are probably at 88% and calves 91%.   

Four mile trailhead in Boulder with Running Republic.

20 minute warmup, stretching, strides

10 minute tempo at 6:05 pace, 4 minutes easy

4X4 minute pickups at 6:09 (uphill), 6:00, 5:34 (downhill), 5:49 pace with 2 minutes easy in between each.

15 minute cool down

My legs were pretty tired today, so I just did the best I could.  Enjoyed running with the group!