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

I ran a nine mile loop on a trail with my sister in NC. It was a great recovery run at about a 9:30 AP. It was in the sand hills, so different than what I'm used to! The hills didn't seem like much (thank you BBK's), but running on sand is much different. Most places were pretty packed, but some were quite squishy/sandy! No IT problems at all, I was really trying to keep good posture, have the foot strike directly under the center of gravity, and lift my heels (like was suggested in Runner World, my flying entertainment). I really think the form made a big difference, but its hard to concentrate on changing something that your just used to letting go. I guess if I work on it enough it will get easier and more routine. After the nine, we walked to meet my Bro-in-law who was carrying a 70 lb rock sack (litterally, it was filled with rocks!) and walking/hiking. That was probably at least another 3 miles of walking - a great cool down, which I rarely get because I've always got to rush off to one place or another after a run. It was great, but then I had the 6 hours of sitting on a plane to get home :(  Luckily the Atlanta airport is big and I just kept walking the whole hour plus that I was there - and resisting all the crap there was to eat! YEA! I didn't get home until about 1:30 AM, a very long day!

Well, despite the late flight I was able to get up and get the children off to school and get myself to the gym. I did a body sculpting class and then ran 3 miles on the treamill (9:30-7:30 mm accelerating slowly at the end). I think I probably should've done 4, but Lucy needs to get out so  maybe she and I will take a nice little jog around the 'hood this evening. It was really great to get back to life again, you kind of start missing the routine of things when you get so out of them. I did miss running group- 3 hours of sleep wasn't on the docket today! I figured I got some good mileage and hills yesterday on the trail, I'm sure its nothing like I would've had to do this morning, but not getting any sleep and the snow kept me rationalizing. I will be there Thursday though and ready for some speed/tempo work! The IT is talking to me a little, so I'm stretching and icing - it's not bad, I can just hear it a little so I really want to take care of it so it will go away! I think I'll take a nap this afternoon and try to get back to cleaning and taking care of my family.

Missed Michelle's class this morning because I was too lazy to get up, but I did get to the 8:45 kickboxing class where they did circuts (one with 1 min 30 sec of push-ups, uuggghh!) and then afterward ran for 4 miles at 9 mm with a 2% incline. Felt good and IT doesn't seem to be bothering me much, which is great! Looking forward to a long run this weekend, and seeing everyone at running group in the morning.

WOW! What a run this morning. I felt so good, about 3 hours after it was over. We started at BHS and did a nice slow 3 mile warm up, then met the group and did another mile or so. Cheryl then had us do some 'striding' (?) where for a 1/2 a block we tried to pick up pace and stride out to tempo. I thought it was silly (isn't all of running anyway?), because I couldn't understand how doing a short sprint 4 times could help me run faster over 4 miles - I always think I should save it! There were 2 groups the chasers and those being chased. I started in the 'being chased' group, because I didn't feel like I could push it; however, after about a 1/2 mile I decided to kick it in. I just went as fast as I could at 'comfortably hard' where I couldn't really talk while breathing, this is much harder than I was breathing even once in my race. I soon noticed I was in the front of the group, then I heard those footsteps, I was so impressed that even with me pushing all out there was someone in the back group (that ran an extra .6 mile) that had already caught up to me. Thankfully, it was Eric who had started in the group with me. Then we hit a little hill and thanks to BSROOLS I picked up the pace up the hill and I think Eric decided to leave the crazy lady to her own devices. I pushed through the whole route and even when I saw those who had cut out some of the loops and gotten ahead of me, I pushed to catch them and pass them, luckily it was downhill. I got to the finish first (with NO ONE passing me, even those short-cutters) and decided to take the extra chasers loop. By the time I got finished with that everyone was back and I got only a few second rest before we took off to do a 2 mile 'cool down' loop. Those miles my legs felt done, but my breathing was undercontrol (the opposite of when I was pushing), I was excited to see that even those last 2 I was at a good 8:30 mm or so, helped me rationalize my tired legs anyway. I was ready to stop and walk at 10, but those wonderful people I run with pushed me to finish the last .5 back to the car. I was exhausted and my shin bone on my left leg is flaking apart, or thats what it feels like! Ice and stretching this weekend with rest Friday and Sunday should kick those in the butt (hopefully). Back to good eating- I've had a good week off and made the most of it (the scale shows!) so now I'm going to get back to putting GOOD fuel into my body so it can perform better, I will, I will, I will (trying to convince myself I don't want diet Mtn Dew and chocolate today). Here are my splits that I am so proud of today, especially because this was me pushing me and I felt good in the run, no one but myself pushing myself... I LOVED IT!!

10.5 miles overall AP 8:32 best pace 6:02 -- 1= 9:30 2=8:57 3=8:57 4=9:03 5=7:52 6=7:47 7=7:47 8=7:54 9=8:51 (mostly cool down after the 'race') 10=8:35 11=8:56 (.5 mile finish)

Then I finished with a great 60 minutes of stretching at Yoga at the gym...MMMM, time for a nap!

Did resistance training and rode 7 miles on the upright bike. Trying to nurse my shins from yesterday - RICE RICE RICE, hopefully it won't give me fits tomorrow. Why do we have to fall apart as we get older and more determined to do things?? UUGGHHH! I just want to have my 16 yr old body back that would heal overnight and do nearly anything I wanted it too, even though I fed it and treated it like crap! I just don't want the brain that came with it at the time :)

Today was the longest run I've ever done in my life so...Kudos to me for surviving! And here's the best part, I actually feel okay now. After a good hours rest I could go out and probably put in a few more! I'm feeling better and better about Ogden every weekend. I still think 26 will kill me, but it may not be so painful a death as I first thought. It was a great run, I felt great and when I was done I was done, but I still felt okay and I even averaged 9.14 min miles. This is faster than my previous 1/2 PR - pretty sad, I know! I'm feeling great and ready for my 20 next weekend, I think I can do it now. Plus the last 3 plus miles will all be a GOOD down/flat! I did my best remembering of how to tape shins and taped up my left one and wore a brace on my right knee for the IT, but I didn't feel either one the whole run or so far after! My hamstrings are feeling quite tight, but I'll make sure to stretch them well this weekend and we'll be ready for another great week!

Oh, with my splits I had a couple 8:30's in the middle of the run, but my last mile was the 3rd fastest of the whole run at 8:43! Whoo Hoo! I'm feeling the runner's high now...I wasn't so sure about mile 15, but now that its done I'm GREAT! Thanks to Kelli, Smooth, Jon 'A' :), Bec, Alan, and Scott for keeping such great company...thats what makes the run good for me!!