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

Same ol' seven miles. AP: 8:25. Wanted to try and hit the last mile @ my goal 10K pace, but some strange side ache prevented me from even starting, but the last 1/2 mile was a nice pick up to the standard 8:34 that was the rest of the run.

Went to FIT class, but as per day care had to leave at 11, so I missed the last 15 minutes. Man, I love that class! Perfect strength training for runners. Core and balance work all on the bosu ball. Unfortunately, the lady that came in and sidled up next to my spot didn't understand this and tried to do class w/out one - duh. I swear she spent most of the class standing around checking her text messages - LEAVE already if you aren't going to do the class! Sorry...a little pissy today, but as I'm sure my husband would agree: what else is new?

4.1 with Sandra at AP 10:00 - I love the company even if the pace is a bit slow.

3.15 with Lucy, I had to practically drag her the last .5 home while I was finally ready to pick it up. Oh well, it was nice to have her along and getting better every time.

AP: 9:13 splits: 9:08, 9:31, 9:19, 7:32 (last .15)

Now off to boot camp class, but I refuse to make myself sore. I want to be ready for spectrum!

Wow, what a crazy day! I started at the gym with a pissy attitude and all I wanted to do was sleep, so I decided to bag speed work Wednesday and just do x-training. There was a class "no limits cardio" that I figured I might as well jump in, because a group class usually motivates me more than going at it alone. 

The class was really good and wouldn't ya know it - I get in there and the first thing the teacher has us do is running. really?!? uggghhh. Anyway, it ended up a nice mix of different things and it was a better cardio workout than any other class I've been to! So, I added a 1/2 mile of running, because we did at least 5 min of running total in the class.

I was feeling better after class and thought I'd hit just a few slow miles. Well, I got on the TM and decided to see how 8:34 felt in my legs. Hmmm, fine. So, I thought maybe I'd tackle the speed work after all. In RW it said a workout to see if you could hit 10K goal pace was 4-5 mile repeats at goal pace with 3:30 jog between them. So, I took it up to 7:13 to test things out. Well, after about 1/2 a mile I hit an epiphany. I took stock of what I was feeling: breathing, good under control and I can even sing (with my ipod) a bit under my breath as I run; legs, fine no aches pains or fatigue. So, then why are you going to stop at 1 mile to 'recover' you have no need to recover - you're fine! So, I just kept on keepin' on.... after 2 miles at that pace (and still just fine, almost felt effortless a bit) I decided to hit it up a notch and went a sub 7mm for the final mile. I finished the last .25 at a 6:30 pace and then I wanted to see if I could run at 10mph. A fun challenge! So, after I'd run 4 miles in 30 min (1 warm-up @ 8:34) I went to 6:00 and ran. I finished .10 at that speed, but I think I could've gone to a full quarter mile. I was done playing though and then went to cool down and finished to 4.5 miles at an 8:34. Total time on the run was 34:41 for 4.5 miles AP of 7:37 for the run.

I stretched and rolled my hamstring afterward (I felt it tighten up a bit on the cool down) and now I feel great. I'm still surprised that I ran that fast that long. I don't know if it was the 'warm-up' at class and pushing my cardio that helped me fall into a good rhythm on the TM or if I constantly just don't challenge myself enough and I need to take 'inventory' on my runs to see if I really need to increase the speed or not. Rather perplexed about this run honestly. I still think the TM's are just calibrated wrong :)

Crazy morning around my house today! baby woke up about 5 minutes before Sandra came so I had to do a quick feeding and cross my fingers he would go back to sleep. We ran our Mirabella loop backwards today and Sandra seemed a lot stronger with that direction, so maybe we'll keep it! AP 9:40. I was fighting nausea, but chatting with Sandra I could keep it at bay.

I got home and went to the kitchen to grab a glass of milk to hopefully calm my stomach down, but I turned on the light and YIKES! All the chairs from my table were tipped over all over the kitchen, all the drawers in the kitchen were open and the books on the end table in the family room were spread all over the floor. I was in a panic. I went and grabbed my husband to ask him if he knew anything about it and he was just as surprised as I was. Lucy's kennel is down in that area so we figured it had to be someone in the family, because Lucy would bark or whine if it was a stranger. My oldest is a known sleep talker/walker so I was worried she had done it in her sleep and if so, then this would call for some testing and at least an alarm on her door so we would know when she got up. How I (or my hubby) slept through all of this I'll never know!

So, I grabbed my glass of milk and Lucy and we headed out for our 5K loop. Less than 1/4 mile into it my stomach blech came back, I seriously have never felt SO sick running - even when I was pregnant (and NO I am NOT prego now! - trust me.) I just wanted to stop and throw up, but there were too many cars around, so I cut the loop short and headed back home with just 2 additional miles under my belt. Funny thing is, the AP was the exact same as with Sandra: 9:40.

I got home and still no kids were awake, but my husband broke the news about the riff-raff to me (my daughter heard the commotion downstairs and told my husband when he came back up to get ready for work). My 2 oldest children had conspired together to become 'leprechauns' and make a 'surprise' for mom and dad. My daughter had woken up early (she was the one that woke up the baby!) and went downstairs after she heard me leave and got the business done. Crazy kids! I was SICK with worry about her and sleeping issues, never once did I think about a leprechaun sneaking in my house and trashing my kitchen. Crazy kids, I guess they got us good!

So, we got the kids ready for school and they found the gold coins the REAL leprechauns had left for them in their bags and shoes and had milk that the REAL leprechauns had turned green with Lucky Charms for breakfast then we headed off for school.

I hit the gym for yoga and today was honestly my favorite day of yoga so far. I'm learning to like the more intense yoga that Abby does and just do some extra stretching afterward. She talked a lot about not letting the 'stories' in your mind control what you do. Reminded me of my run yesterday. You just have to take inventory and realize that it is in your head that you can't do it, push that aside and then carry on and breathe through. Be IN your body and IN the moment, don't escape it - embrace it!

Went to spin class this morning with hubby. I was glad he wanted to come to the gym with me this morning! It was fun to have someone there with me. We had to drop the car off for an oil change and alignment, so what better way to waste some time? :)

I took it easy in spin class. I've got to thinking about the past 3 weeks and my Saturday runs being so blah and the biggest thing that has changed is spin on Friday. So, I since I wanted/needed my legs to be fresh for tomorrow I kept it easy. I could tell the teacher wanted me to go harder, but whatever. That is what I like about spin, you can take it easy if you want and few people will notice. Hubby was done about 10 min into class, but stuck it out. He says his leg won't work to push the brake on the way  down to SG - I told him to just use cruise control.

Afterward we did a bit of core work and then stretched really well. On the way home I was thinking I felt like I didn't even work out. I wanted to go run...hmmm, hopefully this is a GOOD sign that I will be rested and ready to hit it tomorrow! (I'm already thinking about excuses for not hitting my goal, especially the wind.... I need to stop and just do it!)

Well, I certainly didn’t set out to hit a near PR, I just wanted to see what my legs would do. I couldn’t even remember after I saw my time if it was a PR or not (I didn’t know seconds, only 44). I’ve heard PR’s are only good for 2 years, so I guess a near match 2 years later isn’t too bad. Not to mention this course certainly isn’t as easy as Des News, it’s still a good downhill course – until mile 3 J

Best part of the race was that I got on the first bus and got a fresh porta potty at the start! That has never happened to me, you gotta revel in small victories. Rode up with some fun girls and got to visit with Brent and Sylvie for a minute before a short warm-up. I did .6 up the canyon then turned around and came back down. Oh man, I knew then I was gonna love the downhill!

After the warm-up I found Matt, Brooke, Teena and Ryan. I was happy to have finally found them! I was getting worried I wouldn’t get to see them before the race. We dropped our bags and then headed to the start with just minutes before the start.

I just kept up with the crowd the first mile, and true to form I didn’t check my garmin for speed or distance – I just ran what felt good. The first three miles were just amazing and I felt strong even on some of the rolling uphills…then we hit Ivins. The hills really weren’t hills much at all, but after the strong drop downhill the flat made turnover quite a bit harder. At one point I thought about how slow my pace was, but I told myself “no one is passing you, so everyone is slowing pace. As long as you keep with the  crowd and don’t get passed you have NO reason to get down on yourself!” I was able to hold strong and then we hit the final downhill push which I knew was a turn onto Main St and then just the .2  to the finish.

On the downhill I had a couple catch me and just pass me. Well, I’d had enough – I was going to keep up with them/her and then push to finish. There was also a girl in front of me I’d been reeling in for about a mile and I was going to beat her! Well, these 2 ladies (the guy from the couple dropped back at about .2 to go) certainly had a push too. I tried and pushed out all I could, but we all crossed the finish in one big group! After seeing the finishing results I wish I would’ve pulled out just a little more push…just a little! 10 seconds faster would’ve taken me from 7^th place  to 4^th place – within shooting range of the podium in my AG is AMAZING for me! Oh well, I really don’t feel bad about it and as the day draws on my legs are telling me they left it all on the road!

AP: 709

Splits: 6:21 (thank you downhill!), 7:15 (realizing I need to back off a bit to survive), 7:06 (cruising on), 7:21 (honestly surprised with the uphill encountered here), 7:31 (the worst/slowest uphill for me), 7:39 (flat and bad brain talk, but brought myself back), 6:15 for the last .2 push to outrun those ladies!

I was pleasantly surprised to see the 44 on the clock! Teena came in just behind me and after exchanging short stories and seeing Matt’s amazing finish time we took off back to grab Brooke and Ryan. I ran Brooke in and my legs were so shot I couldn’t keep up with her on her surge to the finish! Had a great chat with everyone as we grabbed some goodies, drop bags and saw results then Teena and I took off for 7.5 cool down miles @ 9:13AP

Got a nice tour of Ivins and then ran the last 3 miles of the course again, and those ‘hills’ really weren’t all that bad the second time around! Teena was still running strong, but I’d pooped out and she had to drag me through those last couple, but I certainly don’t regret it! What a wonderful morning, the wind stayed away until the cool-down miles and I had great company during the race and cool-down.  Now I get to spend the rest of the weekend veggin’ out with the family, I just wish it was WARM!!