I'm not crazy...I'm just bored!!

A perfect start to my birthday month! A Lake Mountain double. This is my last "big" run gearing up for Moab 55K on 2/15 - my 34th birthday.

I'd recruited a big group to run with me, but despite the majority of the group going up for their first at 5AM and then doing their double when I was doing my first at 7AM I still couldn't keep up with them. Yup, those guys are speedy! Scott hung with me the first time up though.

It was a rough go. The snow was the kind that didn't like to pack down, despite some tracks up there and the early group tracking things out it was still pretty slippery. Having a 4-wheeler come by and pollute the air and noise and also tearing up what little track there was created an even better situation! Ugh. Slipping half a step back every time you pushed off to go up. They got stuck, and the track was nice again! Until they got the bright idea to have Cletus stand on the back and give one of them enough extra weight to get up the steep part. Another sigh as they came by and ripped up the track...again.

The single track from the saddle up to the towers wasn't much better. Although the early group had tracked it out, I was still in shin deep snow and would slip up to my knees. I should've been better prepared, but I don't own any running socks that aren't super low cut and my tights don't cover my ankles either. So my ankles were exposed and cold! We made a quick stop at the top then turned around to head down.

Running downhill in the snow is fun! Slipping around and feeling like a kid running down a sand hill, it was incredible and I had a perma-smile the whole time. It was an awesome core workout trying to stabilize the core too. It was a good run down! Timp was beautiful as we headed down and Scott got a pic, but I haven't seen it from him yet.

At the bottom I grabbed a gu, refilled my water and then headed back up with Joe. Because of the extra time the conditions were taking each ascent Joe couldn't do the full climb again and everyone else had done their first at 5AM. So, he went up about 2 miles with me before he turned and went down. I then was alone. My mind likes to wander about all the horrible things that could happen to me, but I tried to keep it quiet and just keep moving. The track was much better and I honestly think my 2nd ascent could've been faster than my first! UNTIL...the steep part at mile 3. Our favorite 4-wheelers came down the track and ripped it all up again. Ugh. I was tired, ready to quit. But, when I put something in my head, I get it done. I just kept trucking and at the saddle there was another runner! I stopped and talked to him for a bit. He was a wrangler and had seen my post and so we chatted. He said he'd gone up the front side of Lake Mountain - yikes! He said a lot of it was crawling on hands to get up the slope. Did NOT sound fun!

I then started my last climb up to the peak. Our good friends on the 4-wheeler had decided to go up to the peak! SO all the track that we'd made all morning...gone, ripped up and now I was sliding and crawling on my hands (oh the irony) to get up to the top. I seriously wanted to punch those guys! Make your own trail, don't rip up ours. UGH! I finally got to a point where the foot tracks departed from the 4-wheeler tracks  and it wasn't so horrible. When I got up there it had been snowing for the last couple miles and although the could wasn't ON the peak, I could see the back side of it about 50yds down the front slope, and that was all I could see. So, with my frozen aching ankles I turned around and headed down for the last time. Ahhh, finally!

The last decent was just as fun (although the trail was a little more packed thanks to me coming up and the guy going down before me) and the time passed quickly until I had to pee. Man alive. I hate peeing in bushes so I just tried to run faster :) There was another guy coming up that asked me how much further to the top, at that point it was around 1.5 - he wasn't too happy about that, especially when I told him the best was behind him. Made me feel like super girl for heading up twice! As I ran the last stretch down to the parking lot I was feeling great! If someone would've been there and crazy enough to do it I think I would've gone again!

I was proud of myself for doing the double and mentally staying strong enough to get through it alone. It wasn't easy. It was hard work and I wanted to stop, but I knew that I just had to do it or live with regret...I didn't want the regret. No excuses. Push through and live to run another day.

When I got home my ankles hurt SO bad! I checked them out and the ice that accumulated around the edges of my low socks and tights had chaffed my ankles. I now have big scrapes around my ankles from it all...my ankles turned to hamburger :) Just another casualty. I felt pretty good the rest of the day and Sunday things weren't horrible either, but Monday the soreness finally set in big time. I need to just keep moving and get all this lactic acid out!

One glorious mile! Yes, the legs are sore.

I walked uphill and then fast with Amy for 50 minutes then the last 10 min I decided to run. I could do one ten minute mile, right? After I got moving it wasn't so bad and I ended up at an 8:30 pace.

I then went to the bike and did that while reading for an hour. Stretch and grab the baby. I'm tired. Legs need to stop being sore so I can move again :)

Tuesday 10 with the Newtons. I knew I was going to be slow with my tired legs, so I started 5ish minutes early. As I was driving to Chad's house I saw Amy running and harrassed her a bit as I passed. She decided she wanted a ride and to run with me. So, she hopped in the car and endured some slow miles with me on the uphill. In front of Providence Hall Chad finally caught up. He was cruising. I thought he'd be with Jerry, but Jerry was late, so Chad was hauling too fast and still had to wait for me at the top.

The way down I was able to carry some low 8's and high 7's - not too bad for the way my legs were feeling and I kept the whole run comfortable. No pushing! Then around the rec center we saw someone infront of us. I was pretty sure it was Jerry. He'd cut a few miles off and so we had to catch him. It took 1/2-3/4 mile, but we eventually got him.

Got home and took a warm bath...heavenly! You know what else? I went to bed/sleep at 9:15! Waking up at 4:30 isn't so bad when you go to bed early :)

Afterward I headed to the gym and did an hour on the bike to read and get a little extra spin out of lactic acid. Legs are still sore.

I liked going to bed early and waking up early so much yesterday I talked Amy into doing it again with me :) We had an AP of 8:26 with a few sub 8 miles in there. Feels good to start getting back into the game. I guess I should start tapering sometime...

Then another bath to warm up (my new favorite thing!!!) then back to the gym for an hour of spinning while I read. Amy then came over and helped me gut my panty. Oh heavens, what a task! I think I sufficiently grossed her out :)

Long socks, Chad, Kim and Jen made for a fantastic run! I wasn't fast by any means, but I felt like I kept a decent pace while pushing uphill and downhill. Legs are slowly recovering. Shaggy Mountain is such a beautiful run!!!

I was going to hit the gym, but figured I'd stay home and hit the pantry to knock it out completely. HA! Still took me until 5:00 to get it all done. Whew. Now I feel accomplished.

I was going to run early with Amy, but a forecast of cold, wind and snow kept us from confirming anything. So, we booked a date with the TM at the gym. I got there after she'd already started, so we did 3 on the track together...my first, her last.

I then was feeling good, hopped on the TM at 7.5 and it just seemed nicely paced! So, every song I increased the speed .1 and then the last .25 mile went progressive to finish at 10.0. Just felt good!!! I like it when that happens. 23 min for the 3 miles. AP 7:40

I was feeling so good I went to TRX! HA! I now remember why I stopped going to that class. It kicks my trash. I'm such a weakling. I'm going to try and go at least once a week...after my birthday race :)

A nice run, as flat as it gets from my house with Amy, Chad, Dave and Jerry. We all met early and headed off to Daybreak and back. I was impressed when I got home and saw that what I thought was me being slow on this run was really a 1:45 total time. Crazy! I thought I was dragging at a 8:00mm. My pace mind gets all thrown off when I'm tapering. Great day, then I spent the rest of the next 5 hours at the church referring YW stake basketball games...yay....

Five nice little miles to start my taper week out with! Sometimes tapering stinks. Okay, it always does, but workouts just fly by!

Thought I could have my cake and eat it too today. Sleep in, meet Amy on her loop, run a couple with her, break off back home and run into Chad and Dave on their 10 miler (Dave tapers a little differently than I do :) ) and get a couple miles with them in on my way home.

Well, I caught Amy, but not Dave and Chad. Then I got in trouble for breaking up the group and running a different route behind their backs with Amy on a Tuesday :) hehehe. Women who behave rarely make history.

Amy was telling me I was fast and I told her no, I'm just at normal effort...well, getting 5 miles done at a 7:40AP (thanks to map my run app) I guess is a little fast for me. Oops. Tapering works, right?

ugh, taper schmaper. Wanted to sleep in, but Adam wanted to go to his big kids class at the gym, so I had an hour to run 3 miles. I hate only getting to run 3 miles. I'm going crazy! I want to run!

using map my run since my garmin is kaput. I was only going to do 3-4, but I got up two miles and the group still wasn't there (since they run from my house I just run the course backward until I meet them on tapers) and so I decided just to finish walking uphill until I caught them. So, I got an extra 1/2 mile in on the way down. I like downhill :)

The uphill miles were regular pace, but downhill was incredible! 6:45, 7:03 and 6:04 for the last 2.2 miles that Chad had recorded. I was just loving it, chatting and then I hear Dave say "You're killing me!" to me. HA! I guess tapering works. This is crazy fast Dave and he is having troubles keeping up with me. I'll take this once in a lifetime reverse of roles. Then Chad says "you're the fast one!" wow...coming from these guys, I think I'll taper every week!! It is nice to feel some speed in your legs occassionally :)

The miles were over too quickly, but I had a great time and a nice last run before the birthday race!

Nice sleeping in day and rest day to get ready for tomorrow's race. Oh, hubby also came home! First time I've seen him in 2 weeks, then we packed up to leave again :)

Beautiful uneventful drive down and then I stood in line for 90 minutes to get my stinkin' packet. There has really got to be a better way to do that. Ate at Zax pizza with Dave and his wife, I'm sure she loved the romantic setting with our 4 kids running around acting like houligans!

Off to bed early, despite a pretty decent sleep in time for the race. No anxiety, just ready to enjoy the day and know that I can run 34 miles and not be last! It is a highly competitive race with all the top runners from UT and CO coming to duke it out. No flat road, all dirt, sandstone and rocks to run on. I was honestly just there to have a great time. I'd like to not finish last, but as long as I don't die (ie bonk hard and want to quit and have a terrible day like Antelope Island) then I'll be fine and will enjoy it! Ugh, nervous, but ready to take on the epic birthday run!

Oh the epic birthday run! How many times in your life will you have a race that is your exact # of miles/years ON your exact birthday? Never I tell you, never. So when this does happen, guess what? I'll be there will bells on ready to enjoy the party that has been organized for me! Whether or not the race director knows that it is all for me :)

Don't panic. I will fill in al the nitty gritty details, but I don't have time right now and just want to get caught up on logging miles before I forget them :)

My legs feel a lot better than I anticipated they would. So, after hiking yesterday with the family and then doing a crazy awesome chimney climb on Indian ladders I was feeling good on our little 1/2 mile there walk/hike we did. So, I challenged my kids to race me back to the car if they wanted to choose where to go for lunch. I ran the whole way with Lauren right on my heels! But, I still won. It was fun and I actually felt pretty good. Fatigue, yes. Soreness, no. Just a little on the outside of my left calf, but I figured out that must be from the few time I rolled my ankle. The tendons etc were just a little stretched and tender. But overall I felt SO good. Ready to run, but looking for excuses to stay in recovery and let myself fully heal before starting to push pace and training for Boston.

Had a great drive home and just really enjoy our little Moab vacation. I really could live there. I know it wouldn't be the same, but man alive I love that place.

I decided to mix things up a bit for recovery week and to let my running body rest a bit. So, I'm going to work on weights this week. I did one mile warm-up, then did a set of arms/core and another mile run. I did 3 sets of arms/core work and 3 miles; so a total of 4. I still had time and energy to burn at the gym so I'd been watching people do the punching bag and decided that was going to be my fun today.

Man, it is fun to punch the bag! I did about 15 min of different kinds of combinations and sets on it with my arms. Legs are in recovery. It was amazing! Until I started running my last mile - I noticed a big skin flap on my R knuckle...oops, then as I looked more I had a huge blood/goose egg between my middle and ring finger knuckle on my hand. YIKES. Funny, but I guess I should use gloves next time :P It has been ugly and fading all week, but toally worth it!

Ran a 7 mile loop early with Amy. A nice run to get back into the swing of things.

Then I did step class with Heidi at the gym later, which I haven't done for a VERY long time! It was nice to do something a little different.

Shaggy Mountain with the Newton crew. It was slow and steady, but I didn't stop and walk the hills once. That is a huge accomplishment for me when I feel tired and slow. 1:12 total time.

At the gym I killed myself doing lift class. I think when I walk in Raylene knows that I hate glute/ham work and so she changes her plans! Friday I had a girl tell me she consistently goes to that class and that was the sorest her butt had ever been...I really don't think I'm wrong on this one! My butt hurts!

I spent 4 hours later that night running up and down a basketball court ref-ing YW games for the Stake...alone. I was ready for bed!!!

Well, the Newtons decided to get together for a rare Friday run. We did the Herriman trails that we tried to do last month, but they were snowed over. Much nicer now! A nice little jaunt down to Monarch Meadows, around and home. I felt slow and my butt hurt :) However, when I got back to house I noticed our AP was 8:20 and I was the slowest. Crazy people...making me run fast when I'm tired :) Okay, the downhill warmed me up for the climb back home.

Later Amy and I hit the gym together. Since Adam likes his kids on the move class, I got there at 9AM and did the bike for 45 minutes until TRX class when Amy joined me. It wasn't as bad as it was last time, but man alive with a sore butt it sure is a lot harder! It was a good class and I'm excited to take it easy tomorrow on the long run.

Oh my sweet heavens. I'm nice...but I'm really not THAT nice. Seriously. I got up early and ran to Amy's house and then we ran back here to do Jerry's group run up in Shaggy Mountain. Since I was "recovering" I told Jerry I'd be happy to stick with the back of the group and we'd take some short cuts and only do 10 miles and get back about the same time as everyone else doing 13....I had NO idea what I was in for.

I did the first 6 miles in 50 minutes, nothing crazy, but just a nice pace. Then, the journey of 5 million hours started!

I thought the back of the group would be a 10-13mm uphill (walking and a little running) then a good 9mm downhill, because the downhill is good. Oh no...that would've been merciful. The lady that was at the back was a very sweet and wonderful lady. I had a great time visiting with her, but I hesitate to call them running miles. She really had a hard time "running" more than 1/4-1/2 mile at a time. Lots of walk breaks between those runs too. The running was closer to a 13-16mm when it was happening. It was hard to shuffle that slow, but I didn't want to walk while she was running and make her feel worse. The downhill was hardest. I couldn't run them and the shuffle I had to do really made my knees hurt.

Take a guess as to how long it took us to finish the 10.5 mile loop...go on. 2 hours? nope. 2:30? nope. I even stopped my watch when she would stop and take pics etc. 3:10. Three long hours of walking. I was SO cold and never felt like I warmed up. My butt just got more sore and I was going crazy. At least the company was good. If I would've known it would be that long and slow I would've either chosen not to or done it going in eyes wide open. I really liked the lady, just eating up 3 hours of my day and still not getting my long run in, but being exhausted and tired...I was done.

I went to sleep for 2 hours to get the grumpies out. Didn't work as well as a run, but I guess I'll take it. I rewarded myself with a trip to the waffle truck with Amy as my sympathy prize :)

Well, news that I got yesterday of my mother deciding to get married in 3 weeks kind of threw a wrench in my plans this morning. I spent an hour walking on the TM talking to my sister and my mom on the phone. I was only going to stay one hour....

I then had some energy to get out. Ran one mile, then Sara invited me to go do some volleyball with her - felt good to smack something around.

Went back upstairs and ran another 4 miles in 34 minutes chatting with another friend Amy. A good workout even though it took me 2 hours to run 5 miles. I guess I decided I liked Saturday's pace :)

Tuesday Ten with the Newtons. Since I was all well rested and ready to run I took on the hills today. I was still the slowest in the group, but I only had one mile over 9 - 9:10, which is actually pretty good for me. The first mile was 7:58...didn't even notice :)

Total time for the run was 1:20:00 - which gave me a 7:54 AP for the run, I'll take it.

I was going to go to the gym, but stayed home and snuggled my sleeping baby. Yes, he is three...but I'll snuggle while I can!

A sleep in day was needed. Hit the gym hoping for just an hour and some speed work inside that time.

I did a 2 mile warm-up on the track and oh my legs were NOT cooperating. Felt heavy and tired. They weren't moving. I wasn't sure how speed work was going to go. I went to the TM for 10 cycles of 1 min on/1 min off with a warm-up and cool down for 5 min on each side.

Started at 7.0mph - ugh...

10.0 on and 6.0-6.2 off - after the first one I felt like I could do it. The speed wasn't as hard as I'd remembered. Maybe this will be okay after all. I successfully completed all 10 which is over 1.5 miles at a 6:00 pace, nice. I'll take it. I finished up 4 miles in 30:00 which is a nice little MP run, but I got to go super slow sometimes too :) I might be able to run fast again after all.

I then wanted to do some arms/core so I did push-ups and planks (1 min front and 1 min each side) 3X with walking lunges between each set. Well, that put me over my daycare time and so now I was paying for another hour...so, I kept working out. Did some bosu stuff with arms and core. Didn't think it was all that bad, until my inner thighs and butt started to hurt the next day. Another weekend with a sore butt! Why do I do this to myself?!? Because it is fun and makes me feel like a bad A$$ :) A good stretching session and a little rolling with someone's "stick" they'd brought to the gym (I asked to use it with a rather indecent proposal! Glad no one was there to take it out of context, I might've gotten divorced!) and then I picked up Adam and went home. Ahh. Life is good.

I couldn't decide what to do! I wanted to run with Kelli for her epic birthday 40K, but I also wanted to run with some new folks joining the Newtons. So, I did both.

I ran in the back with Jerry and Alex (yes, actually RAN) and visited with them on the uphills. Jerry was nice and would circle back down to re-join Alex...I just waited at the top of the hills :) Then after the gate I ran with Chad, Kim, and JoLynn. It really didn't seem as bad as usual. When we hit the downhill JoLynn wanted to pace at 7:20, so I took off with Chad knowing he would keep us there.

Well, I'm easy to manipulate my pace - especially downhill. JoLynn, not so much. We were ahead of her and our splits showed it! 6:50, 7:10, 7:05...or something like that. I was just chatting and enjoying the gravitational pull.

Went back to bed to rest up for Kelli's adventure in a couple hours.

Got kids off and Kelli and Scott ran to my house and we headed up Rose Canyon to the Yellow Fork parking lot then back down to Shaggy Mtn extended. Oh man was I tired. The hurricane force winds were NOT helping! I can't breathe when the wind is blowing hard in my face. Kelli was nice enough to let me power walk when needed and I was really trying to bust out a decent pace, but (without reviewing them) I think my uphills were around a 10:00mm. Once we hit the downhill I could finally run and keep up with them, but as Shaggy Mountain goes the uphill came again. I'm grateful they were willing to wait for my sorry slow butt, because I really enjoyed the company and the birthday run. It was incredible...until the last stretch into the wind along 7300W. I don't think I've EVER stopped to walk there, but I had to. I just could not push into the driving wind any more. It was rather embarrassing. The 12 mile loop took 1:50ish, so you can see how horribly slow it was, but hey...it was done!

We took a short break at my house. I got Kelli some granola bites and Dr Pepper, took them both on a house tour then after sufficient time to stiffen up (I'm so nice!) they headed back home to finish their journey.

I was exhausted, but felt awesome and invigorated. What an incredible morning! Thanks for sharing your birthday run with me Kelli. Sorry you ended up in the rain and called it off due to the wind and crap :( Shouldn't have waited so long for me!

I spent the evening hobbling up and down the basketball courts again for 4 hours...at least I had a partner to ref with! I am so stiff and sore, must sleep and do nothing tomorrow!

Oh man. I must be delusional! I was so tired and just wanted to sleep and not run...but I'd promised Amy a morning run this week and she wasn't letting me back out easily. So, I got up and trudged through 6 miles with her. Six Slow miles! Poor girl! She will be plenty rested for her long tempo run on the Riverton half course tomorrow. It took me 55 minutes to do just over 6...I refuse to look at splits. Lets hope my legs can function tomorrow for the lake to lake 2 man relay.

I went back to bed and when I woke up rested, legs actually felt better...maybe there is something to rest and slow recovery after all :)