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

Time to get Lauren in shape for her sprint tri in September. So, I threw Adam on my mtn bike and Lauren on her road bike and we went up Rose Canyon. It was a good exercise for Lauren to get used to shifting gears on hills. I knew she could handle them and she did...fabulously! It was hard to keep up on the mtn bike with Adam!!! We took the long way home so a total of 8 miles.

Becca met us at my house afterward and we loaded everyone up (Adam in the stroller, Lucy on the leash) and headed out for one mile for Lauren to hit a brick workout...well, both of us :) Becca got her first shot at pushing a jogging stroller...a true natural! HA! I was impressed and decided Becca needed to run with Lauren and I more, because it was the fastest mile she has run WITH me. 9:20 and we even stopped at the turn around for a second while we turned the stroller and got ready to head back. This girl is ready to go!!!

Then we left Lauren and Adam and Becca and I headed out on our own. I had a wonderful therapy session with Becca and although I was slow, it was perfect. A great run with a great friend. I'm glad my VT drove by...I forgot about an appointment with them, so we had an impromptu visit around mile 1.6 :)

splits: 8:21, 8:05, 8:15, 9:04, 8:26, 7:45

TIMP!!! TIMP!!! TIMP!!!

I have NEVER been to the top of Timp before, but Becca and I had discussed doing it this year and she finally convinced me. Thanks to hubby for staying home a bit to get kiddos off to school I was able to make it work. We met at 4:45 at AF Canyon with Cam and his friend. Always good to meet fellow bloggers! Rachelle and others were going to come, but due to work and other issues they postponed their trip, but Becca and I knew we couldn't so we just made it work.

The trail is pretty runable to the meadow. I was just a little chicken, because I knew people had talked about how hard it is - cliff drop offs, slippery rock, high elevation - so I didn't push myself like I will next time :) After just a couple miles you could take the head lamps off and boy was it amazing! Gorgeous views anywhere you looked. Then we reached the meadow...heaven. I was ready to run it, but the elevation made my legs burn since I couldn't get the O2 in as well. So, it was still a slow slog, then we reached the saddle. Oh, the views. CRAZY! I was almost there...and it was getting cold.

Hands in l/s shirt that I'd had on since the beginning and I wanted a hat too! Note for next time: bring winter clothes for the top. The devil's staircase is aptly named and I have NO idea how some crazy trail runners can RUN that stretch to the top and back down. I'm not afraid of heights, but man alive it is a little frightening.

We finally got to the top and had some treats and our PB sandwiches...on white of course! :) Saw a mtn goat, signed our names in THE book, chatted with other hikers then took off before hypothermia set in. Again, the down was scary. That top section is just crazy steep drop offs and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to run it!

After the saddle we got to some good running and despite a short-cut fall and elbow bang-up had a perfect run down into the Meadow. As I ran through the meadow I decided THIS is runners paradise. Cool, fragrant, beautiful, sunny, dirt trails. Seriously, I was in heaven and didn't want it to change!

We had a quick stop at the toilet at the end of the meadow and I just have to laugh. I should find a way to post the pics. It is literally a piece of plywood behind a toilet. A toilet that is FULL of...well...crap. No real walls, ceiling or privacy, but hey! GREAT views. Best views I've had from a toilet EVER. E.V.E.R.

Back on the trail we just started running down again. Although it wasn't super fast miles we were just hauling through and enjoying the chatting, views, other hikers and run. I could've run DOWN 14 miles on that trail :)

We also took another side trip to Scout Falls on the way down. It was worth it. I didn't think it would be, but I'm glad we went. It is gorgeous and I would totally take my kids up there too. Not to the top, but to scout falls, definitely.

Just after that I hear someone splashing in the river crossing behind us and it was Nick barreling down the trail! He stopped for 2 seconds and I asked what he was up to: "challenging a record!" well, with that I shooed him off! I'm not going to be responsible for disrupting that. I told him we'd chat at the bottom.

Cam and his friend had been done a while, since Becca and I were just doddling around the way down, but we'd given them the car keys and they were just relaxing talking to Nick. I'd told Cam he should hook up with Nick and voila! connection made :) I'm such a good match maker! There was a snake near the car that made getting into the car a little longer than it should've taken, but overall it was a pretty quick trip back to the parking lot to drop off the speedy boys.

The full trip took 5:30ish with only stopping the time at the top. So, not sure you could really call these 'running' miles, but I'm taking it! I loved it. Best morning ever.

Dead legs, serious dead legs. I didn't think I worked that hard on Timp, but man alive I was tired and sore. 

Got a good bike ride in out and back on MVC with a quick stop at institute class, then finished up and back in Rose Canyon. Cadence was 70 and  I kept a good 18mph before the canyon climb, 16.5 with the climb.

Got home and told my legs they weren't done yet, and busted out just one mile 8:27 with a nice headwind :) always a headwind out here.

Woo hoo! Nice group for the Newton Shaggy Mtn loop. Neasts, Kelli, Becca, Chad, George, Dave, Scott and myself. Equal boys and girls. That never happens! I was slow as molasses on the way up. Again, those quads were screaming from Timp. Becca said she was sore, but she certainly wasn't running like it :) Luckily, one of the ladies would always fall back with me and let me drag them along. 

I love taking people on this loop. It is really a great loop with hills and dirt and pavement and a great downhill finish. If I was braver, I'd do it every day. I finally could pick up some speed on the downhill and I finished well. Almost kept up with Kelli and Neasts. 

splits (don't laugh, sometimes I walk!): 9:25, 9:35, 10:23, 9:29, 7:46, 8:46, 7:32, 7:42, 6:33 - last .2) 

Had a nice chat afterward with everyone and then got kiddos off to school. Lauren wanted to swim, so we went to the rec center and threw Adam in chuck-a-child while we hit the pool for masters.

A good pyramid workout with kicking, pulling and free. Total of 3100yds in the 70 minutes I was there. Longest swim, best swim, I've done in a long time. Lauren kicked my trash on the 500's! She almost lapped me twice. Man, that girl can swim. I still beat her overall yds though :) only because I did the warm-up and she didn't. 100 was all I got her by. She is too young to let her win now. Shortly, I won't have to 'let' her win!!!

If it wasn't for Becca this wouldn't have happened. I was still SO sore and tired from Timp. It really sucked the life out of me!! Becca came over to run and then get our craft on. I'm not a crafty person, but she convinced me to try a project. So, we made a day of it. Despite my whining she still made me run first. 

splits: 9:22, 9:02, 9:28, 9:15, 9:12, 7:57 - See? I was seriously dragging butt and I could NOT go faster. The last mile was a push...downhill! I had to stop and walk a hill too. Pathetic. Just Pathetic. 

After getting cleaned up and finding a home for a lost little boy we went to Hobby Lobby and then spent the evening gluing, modge-podging, eating and lots of other fun stuff. It was wonderful to spend the day with Becca. We need insta-transport! Seriously. So, she can live in TX, but come spend the day with me and I can live in UT, but go spend the day with her. Shoot. Wish I was smarter and could figure out how to do it!

At the end of the day I have some super cute stuff on my walls that was made with our own hands! Lauren helped a lot too. What a fun crafting day. You probably won't hear me say that again...ever :)

So, last week I bit the bullet and decided to sign up for the UT half again. This is the half Ironman distance race, but put on by Race-tri so it isn't IM sanctioned. Same distance, just half the cost. Brent invited me to go with Coach Keena's group again this year to the course preview. Since I was now in it, I decided I'd better take him up on the offer! 

We swam 15 min out 15 min back in the boat harbor. I think I did about 1500M. They said to the rocks and back was 1800M and I tried to watch as the speedy swimmers turned there, I turned where I was so I wouldn't be the last by 10 minutes out of the water! I had my wet-suit on as well and no panic attacks and good 3 stroke breathing. Gave me confidence that I can survive a wet-suit swim again, unlike Spudman the week before. 

Then we hit the bikes. Brent said he had no time goals, but as the first guys set out on a speed course he followed :) Once a runner.... I met up with some others and had a good chat with Brian who had also done Spudman in 2:27 the week before. Crazy small world. He then took off with a group of speedsters. I assured him I was fine on my own and I knew there were plenty behind me too.

This is where it gets tricky. See, the Ulcer (a bike race) was going on that same day. I knew the IM course and and the Ulcer were similar, but when time came to split onto a gravel road the Ulcer had a 'detour' - so I followed it! Why go on the newly chipped road when I could just take the detour? The problem is, the courses never met up again after that. I realized around mile 22 that I was headed South and not North like the IM course, but at that point it wasn't worth getting the map out and trying to figure it all out. So, I rode 28 miles of the Ulcer course, then turned around. I did see some familiar sights. The Payson 10K course (furthest West 'turn around') and the new Payson temple they're building. Not the right course, but the right distance and I didn't feel lost OR alone with the thousands of Ulcer riders I crossed as I headed back.

I finished the 56 miles in 2:56:37 which is just 6 min slower than I raced it last year which felt good! I'd also only stopped time at University Ave and the turn around, so keeping 19.0mph for 56 miles with stop signs and lights etc? I'll take it! Again, another confidence booster. My cadence was only 72, which I'd like to see closer to 80. Lower gears and more speed. I'll get there.

Since I'd 'gotten lost' on the bike course I got back a lot faster than the others. Paul and another speedy bike guy were there. Paul was going to run 3 and although I wanted more like 6-8 I figured it would be better to go with company than not. He said his usual AP was 8:30, so I hoped I could keep up and asked him if I could tag along. Had a great chat with him while we ran and at the end he thanked me for pushing him. What? I thought I was holding him back. We had a good laugh and he took off, but the rest of Keena's group was there so I took off with them. Brian (my spudman twin) introduced me to Jeff who also finished in 2:27! What a crazy small world. Of course their bike was faster and my run was faster. I guess I'll take it :) I lost them when I had to hit the bathroom at the turn around, but took off to chase them down the last 1.5. HA! Well, trick was on me. I finished and then as I waited around they came in behind me. I guess they hit the bathroom too and so I was chasing my own tail. Oh well, at least I got a good push in, I won't complain.

splits: 8:23, 8:14, 8:17, 8:38, 8:13, 8:19, 8:00 - last .1

It was a great 4.5 hour workout and half preview. I now feel like I can finish the half and not die. Well, the run at 11AM may kill me, but I'll do my best not to die at least. Thanks for the invite Brent!!!