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

Oh I am SO happy!! I finally went to the PT and now wish I would've done it MONTHS ago. A simple problem with an easy fix (and my running on it wasn't the best thing for it, but PT said he didn't see it causing any long-term problems/fractures etc). 

I went to the gym and did elliptical (my quads are SO sore from the half. Even taking it easy, that downhill pounds your quads like no body's business!!). 60 min @ L12 - 5.0 miles

Then 15 minutes of stretching to try and loosen up these quads.

Headed off to the PT and after just a couple minutes of assessment he had it nailed down. Oh, how I love my PT!! He did extensive tests to rule out other issues and now hopefully this will be just 3-4 days more of x-training, then with marked improvement I should be able to run pain free (fingers crossed) on Saturday. Two weeks should put me back at 100% - with calf strengthening ongoing I shouldn't have any other issues with it. So...the problem? Popliteus  a muscle I didn't even know existed until now :) When I ran on the TM and he could see my 'hobble' it also fit perfectly with popliteus issues (no full extension of the knee). Wow, I love smart people :)

So, a few more days of blah, blah, blah with the blogging x-training then I should be back in top form and ready to go for my next adventure with QP!

60 min on the elliptical @ L12 - 5.65 miles

Busy day ahead, but I got stretching done yesterday and strengthening done today at the gym for the popliteus. Stretching ongoing today as well.

I wish I could tell if the pain was decreasing, but my quads are filling up pain receptors lately :)

Crazy morning! I wanted to get up so I can get used to waking up again, but I just took Lucy (our dog) on a nice 2 mile walk around the 'hood. Even my walking gait is still not 100% so, I know it's not time to start running, but it is better!

Had to meet with the principal at 8:30 this morning about my son David (he's not in trouble...just his teacher :) ), and spent WAY too much time in there, but left feeling SO much better about the situation.

By the time I got home and picked up the kids not in school it was 11:15 and the nursery at the gym closes at Noon. So I got over there quickly, did 30 min on the elliptical @ L15 = 2.75 miles (HARD effort, dripping sweat all over!) then my stretching and strengthening for the leg. 

I figure with Plyo last night for p90X (yup...still plugging along in the 3rd week now) and arms and shoulders tonight I'll still get a decent workout in today.

NOT enough sleep last night...

Woke up early to get a workout in - 45 min on the elliptical @ L12, 4.25 miles

Yoga class and then 30 minutes on the recumbent bike to get some reading in.

Oh this week has been BUSY!

Today I CHOSE the better part...

I CHOSE to be a mom and take care of my sick baby. Doctors apt this afternoon...

Skipped p90X last night (just me not hubby), because he didn't start until 10PM and I am SO exhausted from not getting any sleep due to sick baby that I decided to just go to bed!

Got up for 90 min spin class. Felt good to move after a 'sit and love baby' day yesterday. Ran a mile to test out the leg and things were great! NO limping, it felt great to have my stride back. I even picked up the speed on an extra lap just for fun and it felt fantastic!

Got home had to deal with baby, church calling (baptisms), then did Kempo (p90x) with hubby, went outside and got some end of year stuff done in the yard and am now finally ready to 'get going' for the day *sigh* 

I'm looking forward to bed time, well...if baby sleeps tonight that is. He is doing okay, just congestion and a fever - doc saw nothing else wrong so just waiting it out :(

Sleeping in this week, I've got a crazy busy week - well, I have to jam 5 days of cleaning and responsibilities into 3, so it's going to be busy and I'm going to SLEEP.

60 min on the elliptical @ L15 - 5.30 miles

1.5 miles @ 8:23AP. Started at an 8:34 and oh, how wonderful it felt!! I had no problem/pain/limping and it didn't even feel fast. I can't wait to run 26 miles at Outer Banks! So, after 1.2 (which practically flew by) I upped the speed and ended at a 7:30 AP, still felt good.

Did some strengthening stuff since it's a 'rest' week in P90X (mostly yoga, kempo and cardio stuff - off week for resistance) and then did my PT stuff. Feeling good again. I think I'm going to slowly up my miles and make sure my leg will be happy with more miles this week...then I'll beat it to death at OBX :)

Elliptical for 60 min @ L15 5.65 miles (had to switch ellipticals in the middle, because someone keeps using MY elliptical at the gym. pshhh...don't they know that one is reserved for ME?)  :)

1 mile on the TM @ 8:20 AP, still felt good. I did have some tightness and soreness later in the evening though. 

Spent the rest of the time stretching and strengthening.

Core synergestics p90x at night. This is my favorite workout so far.

Busy day and climbing into bed at night was my favorite part of the day!

Boot camp at the gym, and then worked out my jaw jabbing away the last 20 minutes and so that's it!

Kempo tonight for p90X then I hope I can get something in tomorrow early morning.

Got to bed at 1:30 in the morning and when I woke up to go meet Kelli at the gym I was tired and had a headache (I seem to get these lately in the morning when I am sleep deprived). So, I ditched Kelli and made her run alone and just got up and ready to sit on a plane all day.

Baby did great on the plane(s) and I'm now here with QP and loving no responsibilites just playing with the little one and catching up on the blog I've neglected for some time now.

I really feel good after this race. It may have been that I was taking it easy and having a good time the whole way pacing Wyatt to her first marathon finish, or just the confidence boost I got from running the full distance after being 'injured' for the last six weeks and running less than 26 miles between SGM and OBX.

This seriously was one of my all time favorites!! I will write more later and when I have splits from the garmin. I just had to get this posted to see my name at the top of the mileage board...for once in my life :)

Just an FYI - 18 months ago (nearly today) I ran my first marathon. In the meantime I have run 5 full marathons and had a baby...not too shabby!

***********************************************************************

Okay, so I'm home and have a minute or two now the kids are in bed and I wanted to get my thoughts about this race down before they were gone.

I had a wonderfully lazy weekend with QP and family, the best entertainment of the weekend was that my niece got her 'think it over baby' (robot babies to help you find out what it is REALLY like) the same weekend she had a REAL baby. The car drive to Outer Banks was quite entertaining with the babies playing tag team with the teenager in the middle trying to help them both. She was such a good mommy to both of them, I honestly don't know how she dealt with both babies while we were running all morning, but she did a great job and both babies were happy when we got back. However, I don't think she'll be having babies any time soon!!!

We got in late Friday and it was fun to meet all of QP's running friends from back East: Terri and Katie and Wyatt. It was nice not to have the only baby in the room waking up in the middle of the night :) The hotel had a great breakfast and then we hit the expo which was VERY well organized and the normal stuff around to buy. That afternoon we went to a lighthouse near the hotel and we hit the top right at sunset - we couldn't have planned it better if we'd tried. It was stunning and beautiful, the Outer Banks are SO amazingly beautiful. Since we were on the island off the coast you could see the ocean on one side and the sunset over the inner-coastal waterways on the other. If I'm lucky QP may get me some of the pictures, it was breathtaking! For dinner we hit a local pasta/pizza shop and had a great pre-race fuel. Back to the hotel for an early bed time for race the next morning.

Baby cooperated beautifully and I was able to feed him just before leaving and since QP wasn't able to run she drove us right to the start! SO different than races here. Since the race started in town, right off a highway, there were families and lots of people lingering around the start, no need to bus all the way up the canyon. We didn't have to linger an hour or more...waiting, waiting and waiting. It was more like a local 5K, smaller than other marathons I've run as well - probably only 20 pops and the line moved quickly, probably only 5-10 minute wait.

We headed to the start after the pop and after a quick prayer, and National Anthem we were off....oopps, not yet. They started waves of people every 2-3 minutes, and they controlled how many people went through each start. So, it was about another 10-12 minutes until we got OUR start (they had you line up in corrals according to your pace). The start of the race was through a beautiful little neighborhood and everyone was out cheering and supporting the runners, it was SO much fun! They had names on the bibs, so they would call out your name and give you a shout. The race is pirate themed so we'd "aaarrggghhh!" at people or "ahoy!" at the spectators. BEAUTIFUL scenery, fun people and amazing company as I ran with Wyatt and Katie.

This was Wyatt's first marathon, so since I couldn't run with QP I decided it would be a chance of a lifetime to run with her on her first - you never forget your first! QP and Terri were there at the beginning and then just a few miles down the road cheering us on with personalized signs and an amazing rendition of Turkey in the Straw. My sign was "Moody, let me see you shake your Booty!" So, I'd give 'em a good shake every time we passed by. We got to run on a parkway by the inner coastal waterways and then up a hill (as much of a hill as you'd get back there) to Kill Devil Hill (a city along the Outer Banks) then to Kitty Hawk (Wright Bros) monument and then down to a sandy woods trail where you got the best hills of the course, but it was such a beautiful path to run on and the sand was nice and soft on the legs and feet and I only got a bit of sand/mulch in the shoes.

At mile 13 they pushed us out onto the main highway, well that got boring quickly. We did get to jump into some neighborhoods from time to time, but the amount of people out and cheering decreased. It was still more than I'd ever seen before, but just less than the first few towns/neighborhoods. There was a dad we'd met at the start line and his two daughters were running with him as a father's day gift - this was a first for all 3! We leap frogged a lot here at the end, and it was always fun to encourage them or give a bit of advice here and there.

I felt great the whole time, and I was just going along with Wyatt (who was GREAT company, fun times and good memories! I'm glad and jealous that QP has her around to run with). I was encouraging her and giving her tips about when to fuel and relaxing and getting through to the end. There were a few people around us that we had a good time chatting with (or passing) along the way as well.

After mile 21 the road turns and you go across a bridge about 2+ miles over to Roanoke Island (remember that one from history class?). This is the main HUGE hill on the course, it's no veyo, but it is a good hill, especially at mile 23! You hit the 23 mile mark just before the crest of the bridge. Traffic was SO backed up on the bridge that people would cheer you on as you passed by their inching along vehicle. One van I challenged to a race over the bridge, sad thing is - I beat them! QP and Terri were also driving up and over the bridge as we were running it and we beat them as well, but a few times when we leap-frogged I would open it up and race the car, it felt good to go a bit faster and 'shake' out the legs. Wyatt's goal was to NOT stop on the bridge, and she didn't we got up to the crest feeling good and ready to enjoy the only downhill on the course. Seriously, this race is more flat than I have ever run in all my miles in all my life! SO different from what I'm used to.

The last 5K was all about talking Wyatt through the last few miles and keeping her mind tough and focused. I'd tell her "look at that young kid, walking - HA! He's got nothing on you!" She did hang tough and ran the whole way. She was even able to pick it up to finish strong, she left it all on the road and finished her first full in a great time of 4:29:21. Since QP had to drive all the way to the other side of the island to get to the finish she was there just shortly after we finished. We got a great medal and some bagels and PB and fruit.

I really needed this race. I've been doubting a lot of my running with my calf injury and honestly was VERY hesitant about this race. I was afraid I would not be able to finish or hurt my leg again and have to take weeks off again. I had such a wonderful time and felt good the whole way! This was such a confidence boost for me, I learned to love running again - I needed this.  Afterward I was tired and sore, but NOTHING like SGM or even the Halloween half. I could walk down stairs normal and after some stretching felt good to walk Monday and today (Tuesday) I have very little residual soreness and am ready to get back at it tomorrow!! I won't run until Saturday, and will take it slow, but I simply feel great - in and out! I'm glad the leg held up and doesn't hold anything against me for pounding the crap out of it this weekend.

After the race we packed up and headed home. My sweet niece had just about had enough of all the babies, but got stuck in the middle of them for another 5 hour drive. Like I said...I don't think she'll be considering children any time soon! Monday she was so tired she came home and slept all day. Oh how nice it would be to give a baby back after a weekend and get some good sleep :) Later Monday she did still want to hold and take care of Adam though, so I don't think she holds too much resentment toward him.

It was nice on Monday to hang out with QP and visit Wyatt's house and see their running routes and then go to a yummy lunch. I had a great time and it is SO beautiful back there right now: weather, trees, fall flowers and just the HUGE change from here. The weather was SO perfect, you really couldn't have ordered a more perfect day to run and then enjoy walking in recovery the next day. I kind of didn't want to come home...well, at least to the cold.

Spent Tuesday on the plane coming home. It IS nice to be home, I missed my family and it will be nice to snuggle into bed tonight. I think Heaven will feel like snuggling into a warm bed after a long hard day!

AP: 10:10

Splits: 9:51, 9:29, 9:32, 9:34, 9:36, 9:07, 9:29, 9:58, 9:37, 9:49, 10:14, 10:17, 10:43, 10:23, 9:44, 10:10, 10:26, 10:38, 10:39, 11:12, 10:27, 10:41, 11:03, 11:01, 10:20, 10:34, 9:35 (last .47 measured on Garmin)

See, we started out pretty well. The first few 10's were on the sand trail, but after that I think we just started slowing down. Wyatt has an iron will, but not about speeding up; which on her first marathon I can't hardly blame her. She was still passing people and pushing hard, so I wasn't going to complain or whine at her to pick it up. The first 11mm was a long walk at the water stop and the other two were on the bridge. However, I'm proud to see the last bit she really did pick it up quite a bit! SUCH a strong finisher, I am SO proud of her!!

I felt good this morning and so I got up and went to boot camp class at the gym. She did a great circuit with weights and cardio, Heidi's classes are always good! Then I chatted a bit with friends at the gym and hit the elliptical 30 minutes @ L15 - 2.9 miles. 

Feel good and the leg feels good too, a bit of tightness so I'm not sure about running tomorrow - still undecided. If I do it will only be a few miles, then some x-training.

Oh how I love to sleep! However, baby is still on EST and waking up at 5AM ready for the day...how can he adjust so easily there, but not back? *grump* Either way, I knew if I didn't get to the gym early I wouldn't get cardio in today. I did my best arguments to try and convince myself to sleep, but I got up and went anyway.

60 min on the elliptical @  L15 = 5.5 miles

After getting the kids off I went back for yoga. It was a good class today, just enough to elevate the HR, but not sweat and all my favorite stretches.

I'll probably jump back into p90X and do yoga tonight, I've been going to bed while hubby works out these past couple nights.

Sleepy sleepy! Besides baby waking up at 4 or 5 and thinking it's time to wake up, he's sleeping well...I just hate sacrificing my last couple hours of sleep to entertaining baby :)

Gym time yet again: Bike @ L7 resistance for 45 min = 12 miles (nice sweat fest)

Elliptical @ L15 for 45 min = 4.0 miles

Now off for a busy weekend...let the feasting begin!

Another early morning wake-up while I try to sleep, but the kid is so cute I can't be mad at him. 

Hit spin class this morning - man do I love that sweat fest!

Caught Bec as her tri-class was hitting the track and joined her for a warm-up mile. Then I did her workout with her (I was trying to keep up with her and she was taking it easy!): one lap to get the legs movin' and then 1/2 mile (4 laps) at a fast pace. I tried to run it like an 800 Yasso, a little more than comfortably hard. She only did one recovery lap, but I did 3 to round out my mile. Then I repeated the 1/2 mile push, but recovered for another 1/2 mile. I finished with a cool-down mile with pushing the last lap to speed out my legs. These four miles were in honor of my father - it's been 4 years today since he passed, and I wasn't a runner then. It was nice to honor him with a good solid 4 miles! If I had to guess I'd say the pace avg'd to about 8:30mm AP. Bec was finishing up with one last mile and I decided I would join her, so I guess I ended up with two cool-down miles.

On the way home I got the hair brained idea that I wasn't done yet. I knew Kelli was running a 5K for Riverton that I would pass on my way home, so assuming she'd be running extra miles I stopped to see if I could tag along. I couldn't believe it when I saw her in jeans! I guess when she'd told me she was 'running' the 5K I conveniently ignored that statement 'a water stop with the scouts' that followed :) She then said she was going to the gym with Wendy to do their normal Friday beat-down (they'd switched the long run and beat down days due to weather). I thought it would be nice to join them, so she said she'd let me know when they were on their way.

When I got home Craig was 1/3 of the way through Kempo, so I joined him for the rest and then fed baby and put him down for a nap. Kelli conveniently texted then that they were on their way to the gym, so I hopped back in the car and went to the gym. When I told my husband I was leaving he asked where, and I answered "to the gym" "But you were just AT the gym?!?" Oh, the rhetorical questions posed to those that self-medicate with exercise.

At the gym  I did a .8 mile walk on a 5% grade @ 4.0 mph for warm-up and then we did a great workout: wall sits, plank, jumps, push-ups, walking lunges - repeated 4X. I finished off with 45 min on the elliptical @ L12 = 4.5 miles. I chose to do a little reading instead of more miles and chatting, gotta get through the book! :)

I'm not quite as physically exhausted as I'd like to be, I'm afraid the emotional pain is going to start seeping in here soon. Now that I'm showered and with the family for the afternoon and evening I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to stop it. I like to exhaust myself so much on days like today that I have no energy left to feel emotional pain. Darn distance running, it takes 300X more effort and time to do that now - I used to be able to do it with just 3 miles!

My father was (well, IS) an amazing man and it really saddens me at times that he isn't here to share with me some of the amazing things I feel like I've been able to do and to enjoy his wonderful grandchildren. I know he is watching and around...I just wish I could hug him and have a nice chat over ice cream sandwiches about life - oh well, I'll have to eat without him :)

When I finally got to put baby back to HIS bed at 5:45 and the alarm was set for 6, I decided to bag early morning and sleep.

Got to the gym for 90 min of daycare time:

60 min on elliptical @ L12 = 6.2 miles

30 min on TM = 3.1 miles 8:50 AP (walked the rest of the time)

I'm planning on p90X tonight with hubby (biceps and back and ab X, I think) as long as he doesn't start at 10PM!

I want to get outside and run, but I'm cold and a pansy!

***does anyone know of any races/runs around Christmas in the valley or nearby?****

2nd day, same as the first...

Well, almost.

Elliptical @ L12 for 60 min = 6.2 miles

Bike @ L7 for 30 min = 8 miles

Calf was a little tight today and I don't want to push it, so I didn't run. I'd probably have to start with a limp because of the tightness so I figured I'd give it a day off. Plyometrics for p90X tonight...y i p e e.

Well, I was going to run today, but since I got to sleep most of the night baby had other plans at the gym. Got through 60 min on elliptical @ L15 = 6.0 miles, then as I was going to the TM I had to take care of baby. 

Hubby worked from home due to the 'blizzard' it was a good excuse either way, because no one ever goes into work on Wed before t-day anyway. So, we spent an hour+ shoveling the icy snow outside, then did our biceps and back for p90X with ab-ripper. I had to keep helping kids with snow suits so they could go play, and then my neighbor came to drop off her son for me to watch and had some questions - so long story short I didn't do ALL of the workout, but got a good chunk in.

Now off to make TONS of rolls for tomorrow. I'm still undecided on the turkey trot - I'm a pansy and don't want to run in single digit weather, but I don't want to TM it either...

Pansy...yup, I'm a pansy. This weather was just TOO cold! So, I threw away years of tradition in the Cottonwood Heights 5K and went to the gym and hit the TM.

Ran a half to try and redeem my guilt of nearly having to relinquish my blog title by NOT going out in the cold.

13.1 miles @ 8:55AP

Becca joined me in the fun/drudgery and we barreled through it together which was nice. I wouldn't have made it otherwise.

Then I needed some reading time so I did the upright bike 60 min @ L8 = 16.1 miles

Got to spend the rest of the day 'laxing and eating. No shopping for me in the morning, I'm a grinch this year. Now off to finish off with yogaX.

No shopping for me this morning, I slept! Hubby went out and got some stuff, but I slept in my bed warm and happy. Got up and had a lazy morning then Becca came over to join me for a warm(er) outside run. 13 on the TM yesterday was more than enough for me! 

The sun made it nice and warm after you warmed up just a tad, it was actually rather pleasant - SO much better than I'd been anticipating. About 2.5 miles in we ran past Kelli and convinced her to join us going UP the beast hill on our route. It was nice to have an impromptu group run on a nice sunny day. 

Afterward hubby was just starting p90X legs and back with Ab ripper to follow, so I joined him (after changing out of my wet and slowly chilling shirt). I had a few child distractions (as always when we do this in the middle of the day, because this is HIS workout so I take over with kids since he took all of them while I ran). but I did get most of the workout in. It was actually nice to get my HR back up and get warm from the inside out and stop the post-run chill.

I was horribly slow on the run, but oh well...miles got in. AP: 9:24 splits: 8:59, 8:58, 8:58, 8:51, 9:46 (start of the beast hill), 10:24, 9:38, 9:19 (finally over and heading back downhill), 9:52, 9:26, 9:01 (last .6)

The snow really takes away a lot of the shoulder and when you have to run on the sidewalk it's usually covered in snow or icy. There were a couple streets we came across that were icy as well, but more than anything my legs were just feeling like cold lead. This is the first 2 days in a row with big miles run in weeks, I'm used to the cardio, but I've got to get my legs used to the pounding again. It was SO SO SO nice to get out with company! Thanks for coming out Becca, and Kelli for joining us!!

3rd day in a row with double digit miles - this hasn't happened for me in a LONG time! My legs feel SO much better than they did yesterday, which I was grateful for through the run.

Went to spin class at Lehi, there was about a 20-25 minute time period he had us going up a TOUGH hill. Yesterday I ran the beast and today I got to cycle it! Good hard class, even though I felt like I was 1/2 asleep. 

After spin I went out to find Becca after her tri class, but she was no where to be found :( I had planned on doing 6.2 with her, so I decided to tough it out and do the miles alone on the indoor track (I've still had enough of the TM!). About mile 2 I decided I could probably do 9 miles, because I was doing 3 mile sections then giving myself permission to grab some water so it would only be one more 'group' of miles - easy, cheesy. Well, a few laps later I decided that if I did one cool-down mile afterward I would have 3 days of double digit miles, NICE! So, I went for it.

Becca got there when I had 3.5 miles left and she hopped on the stair master (I still don't know how in the world she does that crazy machine!!) and I could taunt her as I ran past every lap :)

I know I finished all 10 miles plus water breaks in less than 90 minutes, and the effort felt good as well. So, if I had to guess I'd say I was at an 8:45-8:50 pace for the miles. One reason I love the track (there are MANY why it stinks) is that you pass the same people over and over, and I use them as 'bait' for myself to keep the pace up. I've got to pass them at least once a mile or once every 3 laps etc, then if someone is running faster than me (which didn't happen much today, or if they did it was for maybe a mile or two) I would try to catch them or not let them pass me more than once every few miles. Keeps the brain entertained as you get dizzy from 8 laps/mile!

I really need to start  getting up and running early again, I'm just in such a funk with sleeping in...I like it TOO much!

So, just had my 90 minutes today (daycare time). Since the gym is FREEZING (not as bad as outside, but still very cold) I wore a l/s shirt and wasn't ever hot. I want to finish my book, so I did a 60 min warm-up on the elliptical @ L15 - 5.5 miles.

Hit the TM afterward for some speed work, I stole Kelli's workout from the other day. One minute on, one min off: Warm-up for 5 min then the speed minutes were at 8.5 (7:03) and the recovery minutes were at 6.5 (9:13). Crazy thing...the 7:03 was finally starting to feel comfortable by the last repeat (#10), so I did one last bonus at 8.6 (6:57) and it wasn't much different. Then I did a cool down to hit 4.0 miles @ 9:13 pace. I just really need my legs to remember what speed feels like. I know I've got the cardio to support the speed, my legs just still find it uncomfortable and slack off after a while - the TM keeps 'em honest! AP for the 30 minutes was 8:20, at the end of the 4 miles it was up to 8:30.

Feel good about the workout and now get to go shovel more snow....

(starting week 7 of p90X tonight...almost 1/2 way!)

I have some residual tightness/soreness/weakness in my calf again - probably from my miles last weekend. Not sure if it's that or my laziness, but I opted to give it a break and just x-train today.

60 min on the elliptical @ L12 - 6.2 miles

30 min on the bike @ L8 - 8.0 miles

Sweat fest all over the place today! However...NO new snow to shovel, YAY!!!