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

What do I love about triathalons? You push hard, but aren't horribly sore on Monday! I was ready to hit the road running this morning. Tried a new course on the Herriman trails and it ended up being 9 miles instead of 7 - oops, but my hubby was nice and I was really only about 5 min later than when he needed to leave. 

The course was good and I was determined to run the hill of despair (SV halfers know what I'm referring to!) all the way up to 7300W, so I could've cut it short, but my pride got the best of me!

It was a wonderful new route and I loved being able to run on the trails. Only problem is that the down doesn't feel good enough to make up for the bad going up! Weird.

AP: 8:51, splits: 9:05, 8:38, 8:37, 8:42, 8:31, 8:43, 9:24, 9:38, 8:25 - can anyone guess which miles were the hill? I swear, I think it may be a mental thing, but I can NOT beat that hill!! (beating it means under a 9mm pace for me).

After sending kiddos to school I hit the gym, but due to a short couple errand runs on the way there I only had time for one quick mile before FIT. 7:32 mile then I ran into class!

The class was a GREAT one, I really like the new teacher (and her music), I will certainly miss her and the class.

Finished off with 3 quick miles to round out the miles for the day since I had to get home. I set the timer for 24 minutes, then I knew I had to keep it at an 8mm or less. One nice thing about TM's is you can force yourself into a pace! finished them in 23:32 so and AP of 7:51. To be completely honest, it was a lot easier than it probably should've been. I hope this week of training continues on this same path.

On a different note, this Plantar crap is getting annoying. The pain on the side of my foot has gone away, but the heel pain isn't making me happy. Easy to run with once it's warmed up, but I wish it would go away! I'm already rolling on a frozen sprite bottle and frozen golf ball 2-3X per day as well as stretching the foot/calf and doing the 'wadding the towel' or 'pick up marbles with your toes' exercises. Anything anyone else would like to add to my regimen before I pull my hair out? PT appointment is still a couple weeks away and I'd LOVE to cancel it!

The real question is...did Smooth and I run the PC marathon, or just dance our way through? :)

A wonderful BBK morning. We went with a classic hill sprint/tempo workout this morning and I am almost ashamed to admit that I not only liked it, I think I missed it!

3 mile warm-up, regroup, 10 min warm-up 5 min easy then 5X of 30 sec on/30 off. Ran to the 'hill' track just South of Oquirrh Mtn Temple. Either way you run it, downhill at the beginning then uphill at the end. Recover and re-group. Yup, I still suck at hills! Besides the fact that I left my speed on the TM yesterday. We ran the track loop (.4 miles) I think 5 times then went back to the temple street.

There we did a 'dog mile' - fire hydrant to fire hydrant = 1 mile. All out, whatever you can do. I hit it in low 7's!! I was pushing myself and even passed a few people (yay! I wasn't last!), now that isn't to say they weren't taking it easy, but I did finish just behind a couple fast girls not going easy, so I felt good that I'd pushed hard.

Went back and did another track loop, then 3X approx 30 sec hill sprints with downhill recovery. When we were done with that, we were finally done! Finished up with 2.5 cool down miles to round out to an even 11. Becca and I were keeping a nice consistent pace :)

Good times, trying the Straussberg sock this week - still icing and rolling. Not as bad as I had anticipated today after the run.

AP: 8:48 splits: 9:44, 9:02, 8:40, 8:48, 8:35, 8:14, 7:18 (the last .10 ish of this mile was recovery, so most of it the 'dog mile' which means it was faster than a 7:18! Yipee!), 8:53 (hill sprints -blech), 9:12, 9:09, 9:10 (see - pretty consistent!)

It's nice to pile the miles the first of the week and be able to 'taper' to a long run :)

Well, the first night with the sock went well. It didn't bug me too much, thankfully and my PF is really starting to feel like its on an up swing. Compared to last weeks low miles and the pain I was having then, this week I've been higher miles and pain is probably 60% less (today). So, I'm seeing this as a good thing. I'm gonna keep on keepin' on with all the stuff I'm doing until I don't feel that morning heel poke when I first stand up.

Decided to get out for a nice easy recovery run this morning. Just my normal 6 mile route at a nice and easy pace (9:29). The sunrise was beautiful and I was happy to be out and not pushing any pace, but just sitting back and enjoying it all!

Went to the gym and did 60 min of spin (my own class, I'm beginning to think I may be a good spin teacher. I can push myself pretty hard sometimes!), then went out to the pool and swam a mile in about 40 minutes (give or take).

Since today was my last day at Club Hollywood I decided to let the kids swim afterward. It was nice and my 4 year old (for once!) didn't want to leave. Oh well, it was good while it lasted and we got our last hoorah in.

Took Scott's advice and finally had that caffeine this afternoon. Between no sleeping in this week and frying in the sun this afternoon I was zapped. Lucky for me, my neighbor stocks a years supply of pepsi max. Not my favorite, but it'll do the trick!

So tired. I don't know how some of you get up early every day to run, these 4 days in a row have killed me. I knew the BBK workout was going to be a tempo and I wasn't really feelin' the love this morning...

3 easy warm-up miles (10:09- yeah, I'm tired!, 9:01, 8:57 - okay things are moving now).

No time to waste, onward with the tempo...

Well, I'm playing pity party and making excuses as I drag my tired butt behind the group pretending to run a tempo. As I'm running I think "this feels like the last 6 miles of a marathon. I've put in higher miles this week, I'm tired, I'm working on suppressing injury, you can run slow, don't push it." Then it hits me: did you show up to run or show up to quit? Sacrifice of Regret. Decide.

Well, my first split came in at 8:24, a good pretend tempo and all I'll need to run at the end of a marathon, but I want more...I have put in the time and effort to deserve more. I decide and start running. Splits for the rest of the tempo: 8:04, 7:56, 7:46, 7:43, 7:21. That's a little more like it. Peggy and Jerry were about 1/4 mile in front of me when I first caught site of them around mile 4. I decided to reel them in. It wasn't easy and with about 1/3 of a mile left I knew I'd be able to over take since I was only 15ish feet behind them. But, then they decided to go straight for an extra cool down mile and I went back to the church. I wanted a drink before cool down. Which I finished with Bec (9:52, 9:15 uphill v downhill?)

I'm proud of my mental conquest today. Honestly, that is probably the hardest part for me in a marathon. Giving in to my whining. Now I know I can stay strong on tried legs. No excuses.

Came home and my kiddos let me sleep for a bit (hallelujah) and then I did a stretch video I have -oh, it's old and comical! But it does the trick. Since I can't do yoga at club Hollywood and the rec center doesn't have yoga in the mornings. Feeling good and ice rolling out the heel, maybe not better, but with all these miles not worse!

AP: 8:35; fastest double digit AP since March-ish.

Well, the new era at the rec center has begun. Spin class - I didn't really like how the teacher taught. WAY too laid back, didn't push much at all and most of the women in the class barely broke a sweat. I hope I just caught him on an off day. Plus, he spends 80% of the class out of the saddle which isn't realistic. Sit your butt down and WORK. Sorry, I've been to too many tough classes.

Went out to the TM and did 6 miles just to shake it all down for tomorrow. First 3 miles @ 8:57, next @ 8:41. Mile 5 was 8:34, last year's MP, so I decided to make mile 6 this year's MP @ 8:06.  AP for the full 6= 8:44

When I got home the real fun started. Friday is our garbage day and it always just bites me that we have to fill our trash with grass on Saturday and have it sit around all week! So, when I realized the garbage hadn't come yet I decided to try and get at least the front mowed before they came.

Well, I got that done and thought...hmmm, maybe I can get some of the back done before they come. I picked up the dog poo (thank you Lucy) and went to work. Our grass is growing crazy lately and so you have to empty the catcher every couple minutes!

As I trudged the catcher back and forth out to the street there was no sign of the garbage man, then about 1/3 of the way through the back I hear him- CRAP! He's headed right down the street, so I start running back and forth. One more load...one more load.

He turns and goes down the other street before doing our dead end and circle. Whew! A couple more minutes. I can still hear him though...so I'm still running, back and forth. Finally, it starts to get louder again - Crap! I'm almost done.

I have only about 1/3 of the lawn in the back left! I run out and back, pull the mower - nothin'. Dang it! Since I was just going to do the front I didn't fill up the gas and it's out now. AAAHHHH! I book it to the shed, grab the gas can book it back and do a quick 10 second fill just to get me through the last of the grass. I'm off again! Still sprinting back and forth out to the street and wishing the lawn mower would go faster.

Then I see the truck heading down the dead end (this means only 8ish cans before he gets to my circle), I throw the catcher on for one last fill and run it out to the street just as he is backing up out of the dead end to head toward our circle! I was SO happy. I beat that garbage man good, and he didn't even know it! :) I did have one load of grass left to mow, but only one. I got all the grass and the dog poo out of the garbage fast! I really feel so accomplished, small victories make my day :)

Well, I'm finishing off my high mileage week for SGM and it's nice to know I'm on my way down. I was tired, ornery, whining and cold this morning. I wasn't all that good of company, sorry ladies. I wish I could be someone who could throw down 70 miles/week consistently, but I think I would fall asleep running and drop over into the river off the trail and drown if I tried to do this every week! This is the highest mileage I've ever hit in a week. Good thing: PF is still going in the right direction, even with the miles. So, I can't complain. I'm just tired.

Toby, Becca, Annette and I met on the JRP in Lehi and headed South. Becca had dropped some gatorade for us about mile 4ish and it was very nice! We had some great chats and good talks and finished up back at the cars at 12. Toby and Annette left and Becca and I slogged through the last 6 alone (well, I slogged through - Becca was feeling good!).

I didn't know going into the run how long I wanted to do. Since running PC I don't feel I need to do a 'long' run for SGM, I've got the distance - just need the training. So, I feel like I kinda chickened out when I didn't do 20. I was tired and my muscles were getting tight and I was just ready for a nap. I asked Becca if we could turn around and she agreed. Should've just gone and finished 20...regretting it now, but I know it was probably best not to push then. Still just feels like a mental defeat :(

AP: 9:00 splits:  9:22, 9:12, 9:00, 8:55, 8:41, 8:53, 8:41, 8:33, 8:42, 8:47, 8:52, 9:02 (now Becca and I are on our own and I make her slow down for me) 9:20, 9:05, 9:07, 9:03, 9:34 (where the heck did that come from?!? We had to walk through a little construction area for maybe 20 feet and I wonder if I forgot to stop my watch?), 9:12.

Great chat with Becca afterward (should've run another 5 or more! we had plenty of time...), I sure am going to miss that girl when she moves to Texas! David - why did you make her fall in love with you?!? Okay, y'all can be happy and get married :(

Now, my quantity week is done, and next week is quality week! Payson 10K Monday (racing...as much as I can recover/taper in 1 day), 2 BBK workouts, Hills on Wednesday and then Saturday Spanish Fork Half. Here is my question for y'all....I don't know whether it would be more beneficial to run the half in tempo miles (warm-up before and cool-down to add to maybe 16 or 17 total) and get the legs used to MP or to push and try to race it untapered and see where that lands me prediction wise for marathon. I'm thinking the MP miles would be more beneficial, but it may also just be me not wanting to push a half on tired legs from a good weeks workout. Plus, I'm racing Payson on Monday so I'll get the 'race' in as well. Hmmm, I'm just bewildered. I need some good direction!