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

Although I'm still hacking up a lung frequently and have my deep sultry voice and a little bit of sore hangover from Saturday (but nothing terrible!) I got up and out this morning to start my BIG mileage week before Ogden taper. I can't believe this is the last week of high miles for Ogden, the butterflies are starting to come up...and I'm hacking them out :)

Did my normal ol' big Herriman loop up through the Cove, up Emmeline, down Juniper Crest (love this speedy downhill!), then made the trek back up 13400S home - that is always the worst. Up hill there and up hill home. This is the tall tale route: uphill both ways! :)

Just ran what felt good and didn't look at my watch, pleased to see a decent pace especially for the uphills. Only stopped twice to wake up the peacefully sleeping residents while I hacked up a lung or two. The air smelt SO good this morning and I got a beautiful sunrise and the temp was perfect with just a slight breeze. You really couldn't ask for a more perfect run!! I'm glad I got out and got it done.

AP: 8:57; splits: 9:59, 8:24, 8:27, 9:08, 7:43, 8:32, 9:20, 9:35, 9:22. The last 3 miles that were uphill home were still faster than when I ran them uphill after my tempo a couple weeks ago, so I can't be too upset. The 7:43 was the super-de-duper downhill, you can't help but run fast there.

Now I'm going to take the morning and x-train in the yard with the lawn mower, shovel, rake and weed killer. Fun, fun, fun!

I'm sick and tired of coughing so much! I wake up in coughing fits at night and am not really getting a decent amount of sleep, which is paramount for me this week being the BIG mileage week for Ogden. Poo! 

Got up early to join Chad and George for our classic 10 mile loop. I really would like to run WITH them sometime. I haven't had a good pace on this loop for a long time. I know neither of them ran yesterday and they aren't sick, but my ego keeps taking a hit that I can't keep up. After I let them go I had a coughing fit at the corner of the lake and after losing a lung or two I actually felt okay and picked up my last mile, but not intentionally until the last quarter. Felt good to finally open things up and not feel the drag. 

Working in the yard yesterday for 4.5 hours (up, down, rake, mow, pull, up, down, rake, dig, dig, dig, weed, up, down, rake, spray) was NOT the best idea. Sunburned and my glutes and quads and feet are lovin' me today. But, how else does it get done? I've got another full day on Wednesday too...

AP: 8:54 splits: 8:58, 9:13, 8:55, 9:02, 9:32 (a huge microburst wind threw a cloud of dust at us just as we went up the 'big' hill on the route - took any wind in my sails right out and I crawled to the top), 9:10, 8:42, 8:26, 8:44, 8:13

Went home and slept for 30 minutes before getting kids out the door.

Spin Class - holy hannah that lady doesn't know the definition of recovery! :) usually I love it, but not today (yes, I'm whining!)

Baby swim class with Adam. He loves it! Except that I had him stand by the pool while I hopped in today and he decided to hop in himself! I screamed and grabbed my sinking baby. I thought we'd passed off "wait until mom is ready" - guess it needs a little review. Thanks for the heart attack son! I hadn't gotten enough adrenaline from my morning workout.

On advisement of an honored source I decided to nix my plan for this morning. I've been tired and fatigued, not really sore or achy, but just tired. I think this cold is catching up to me, plus this is my normal week for low energy and I haven't been sleeping like I should. I don't want to hit a 'recovery hole' that I can't get out of before Ogden and I want a good long run on Saturday so I need to start taking care of myself. Rolled out the legs last night and I went to bed feeling okay. I figured if when my husband woke up I felt good I'd go out for a short 5K while he was getting ready. 

When I woke up I felt better than I have for a couple mornings, so I decided I'd go out for the 5K loop. No garmin, just run and be relaxed. When I got home I sent hubby off to work, then decided to take Lucy out for the 2+ mile loop because I was still feeling okay - especially running just nice and slow, whatever I felt.

I'm glad I went, I'm still a little bummed I'm not going to hit my high mileage this week, but I really think that feeling good is more important than the numbers game. Preventing injury and being able to hit my long run goals have to be weighted in the decision.

I came home and got the last kiddo off to school then did p90X stretch. I haven't done enough of that lately either. Now I hope I can rest and recover well today and be ready for the 8 urban trail loop early tomorrow.

8 mile urban trail loop, faster than I've done it before...which I won't complain about. Not saying it was easy, but I had to keep up or risk dying as I ran alone. Could've been worse.

Came home and took Lucy out for her 2 mile loop, felt good until the last 1/2 mile...could've done without the black spots and feeling like I was going to fall over.

I had high hopes/dreams of getting to do spin class and masters swim today, but I'm just run down and need to stop. I'm spending HOURS a day out in the yard getting things spring ready, fertilizing, weeding, hand tilling and planting the garden, planting new trees/bushes, putting together new hoses, fixing sprinklers. Dang it, I'm just tired. So, today should be my last day out in the yard and I might be able to fold laundry and do dishes tomorrow while it snows :)

I think I'm taking tomorrow off - period. Anyone want to watch my kids so I can sleep all day? Oh, and you can clean my house too! :)

AP: 8:54 splits: 9:51, 9:24, 8:37, 8:28, 8:41, 8:44, 8:54, 8:36

Lucy's loop: 9:19, 9:40

Oh I am SO over hills! SO. OVER. HILLS.

No, I've never liked hills and yes, I'm whining (sorry, bad attitude day). This course was a BEAST. I've never run anything quite like it before. I've been through Thanksgiving Point Gardens so I knew what I was in for, but holy Hannah! I tell ya, by mile 9 I was cussing the rolling hills under my breath. Rollers all OVER the place. Not a good uphill, not a good downhill, just up and down and up and down every 20-50 feet. It is pretty in the gardens and I'm sure as you drive your cart along the golf course, but man alive it is NOT fun to run! Okay...I'm done now.

Met Smooth, Toby, Catherine, Karen and Lowell for a 5 mile warm-up and well, since I was the late one (yes, bad day all around) we only got 4.5 in - which left just enough time for a potty stop and a quick breather before the race.

AP for warm-up: 9:09

My plan was to hit MP for the race. I'd been cautioned about the difficulty of the race course and told that getting into the 8:10-8:15 range would be sufficient effort. I  lined up and started around the 1:55 pacer, but quickly decided if I caught up to the 1:45 pacer and stayed in front of him I'd be golden. Well, poor pacing again as he caught me around mile 4-5 and said he was almost 2 min ahead of time. We leap frogged a lot through the gardens, but then I finally left him just as we started the golf course trail. I never heard from him again until mile 8 when he said ":45 ahead of pace." As I'd seen my splits I figured he must have said 1:45...but who knows. I didn't care, I'd already decided I was just running MY race - screw the bad pacers. Oh, as a side note, the 2:00 pacer came in at 1:53...nice....

Anyway, I was tired of the course hills and cussing it, but I kept seeing my paces come in despite the bad terrain. It was giving me confidence and hope. At mile 11 I almost decided to slow down to 8:30's, but by then I had my ego to deal with and all the people around me. So...I carried on. I was pleased with my finish time and effort that seemed honestly a bit too hard for MP, but I'm trying to remember the terrain difference.

AP: 7:58 (I got the course at 13 even, so my AP according to the race is 7:54)

Splits: 7:35, 7:38, 7:39, 7:47, 8:12, 8:11, 8:11, 8:12, 8:07, 7:55, 8:20, 8:08, 7:41

After everyone came in and we got to chat with Jun, Lily, Julie C and lots of others we all headed off for our last 4.5. I got a chance to run a bit with Smooth, then finished up with Toby and Karen. I felt good, but run down. The legs are feeling the miles.

AP for cool down: 9:49

Overall I felt good about this run, but I still need that mental boost to hit Ogden the way I should. C'mon Rachel...you CAN do this...you can.