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

Woke up and my foot was hurting something fierce. With the revolution run tomorrow, I figured I probably ought to take it easy and baby it a little. Outside of the foot, pinky toe side just distal of the ankle. Started Sunday afternoon with no warning.

Convinced a friend in the ward to come with me to the gym and bike. We did the spin bike for 45-50 minutes. Nothing spectacular, but it was still good!

I had a redemption run today. Last year I had to go on my scooter to this race due to my fractured foot! So, this year...I was out for blood :) I wanted a 50K, and figured in 5 hrs I could totally make that work. And I did! 

Running on the track at the Oval can get a little hard...on your knees, ankles, hips, feet, mind...pretty much everything. I started at 8:00 with the crowd and Becca and I stuck together for the first half marathon, then I started running with some other people I knew there. It is really nice to be able to break when you need to, drink when you need to and see people every few laps and run with whoever you want for a lap.

I did the half in 1:55, slower than I thought I would, but looking at my splits I was running and 8:30ish or below pace the whole time...it was the stopping that killed my time. Same with the full. I finished in 4:13, which seemed crazy knowing the pace I was running. All my laps were coming in consistently around 2:25 (8:40ish pace), except when I would stop and drink or grab a gu. So, I think my overall pace (without stopping) was around an 8:45, but my overall time certainly doesn't reflect that :)

They only had Achiva seed things to eat...and candy. I couldn't stomach the candy and those seed chews were NASTY! So, I bummed some gu off of friends. Without them I wouldn't have finished! I needed that caffeine boost. SO grateful for good friends who plan better than I do :)

I pushed the last lap of my half and full and both came in under 2:00, which is a sub 7mm pace...for the lap :) Felt good to move a little more and open things up. But, then I'd stop and fuel/drink and it was hard to get going again! I had a guy from the fuel station come up to me afterward and tell me how much he loved watching me run by and asked what place I'd taken..."I didn't" I replied. He was a little shocked, and honestly so was I. But, more on that later.

After I hit my full I figured I could still get the 50K in. I was going to do this. I kept running, and although the first few laps (until I grabbed my last gu with 30 min left) were slow, I picked it up and was just enjoying the run. Good times! There really were a few times during the run I felt like I could just run forever and I didn't want to stop! That was the last 15ish minutes for me. I was just feeling good and no one was passing me anymore and I was just busting out the laps, plugged into the music and doing a little run dancing and enjoying every minute!!

Well, the final count came in at 112 laps. Which I now know was 49.952K. SO close. I knew I was close, but I didn't know HOW close. So, even though my lap counter had been taken off, I ran 3 more laps to make sure I hit that 50K! I wasn't getting that close and not achieving it. So, my total of 115 laps gives me  51.29K or 31.58 miles. Rock on! I don't think doing the 50K indoors can count as an Ultra, but well...close enough :) What a way to start out the year!!

A highlight of this run for me was having my daughter with me. She expressed interest last year in doing it and so I signed her up this year. She completed OVER a half marathon!!! I was SO happy that she worked hard and got her half medal. It took her probably 3.5 hrs and she walked the majority of it, but she did it! She didn't wimp out and sit after her first 30 solid minutes of running, but would sometimes run my pace for 100M or so when I passed her to keep up with me. Such a proud mama! No other kids went the full 5 hours, only mine :) My mom also showed up and saw Lauren finish her half, me finish my full and then walked a few laps with Lauren as well.

Overall it was a wonderful day filled with friends and fun and the perfect way to start out the new year! I'm trying to not get down on myself about finishing fourth. It is kind of getting my goat. Especially because the 2nd place lady no one remembers running fast enough to pass people. I never saw her pass me, and trust me...I took note of all those who lapped me or were running my pace. I knew Kelli would take 1st for most laps, she KILLED the run! Leslie Howlett and I seemed like we might be neck and neck (she ended up just ONE lap ahead of me). She passed me a lot at first, but then I was passing her a lot at the end. The 2nd place lady...I don't ever remember seeing! I'm not saying she wasn't there and didn't run a full 5 hours or was malicious about getting extra laps, but I truly think I ran more than her. Thus, the aid station guy's comment really just kind was a stinger. Anyway, like I said I'm trying to keep in mind what an awesome accomplishment today was and to just enjoy it. I just hate 4th place...it really does feel like the first loser :(

Met Sara and Amy at the rec center to WALK. It was a nice shake out and get moving 'workout' problem is...afterward, I still felt like I didn't do anything, even though I'd walked for 90 min, at least 3 miles. I was feeling good so I decided to try just one mile running.

Yes, I ran on the track. I guess after 115 laps 11 isn't so bad. Plus, we ran the opposite direction :) had to unwind a bit. After the first mile I just finally started feeling the groove, was enjoying my music and just kept going. I decided 5 would be good for today.

3 on the track...no idea on pace, but certainly progressive. The first mile was SLOW!

2 on the TM in 17:30. Not super fast, but enough to feel like I was moving again. Finished with a 7:30 kick for .02 miles, now that felt good! :)

Then I rode the spin bike in the corner (my initial intention for the day) for 45 minutes.

Total of 90 min of elevated HR, enough to get the blood and legs moving again!

Last night I was up late helping a friend...didn't get to bed until 1:30ish. So, I passed on the Newton's run and slept in. Finally got out of bed and to the gym by 9:00 to do spin class. Kelli told me about the new class TRX and I got off the bike and grabbed a pass for that one too. Good times!

The spin class was hard! Even with a lot of hill climbs I ended up with just over 15 miles in 45 minutes...20mph effort isn't easy! Nice sweaty mess.

Then went to TRX. A circuit class similar to cross-fit, but not as intense. They use suspension bands for upper body resistance. Then we'd do legs on a bosu and then cardio - 4 circuits and we repeated it all 3X. My triceps will be sore tomorrow! I think I found a new fun class :)

Well, I still needed to run. I'd already been at the gym for 2 hours...and then I started running. A true crazy. 5 miles. 4 on the track at a who knows what pace and then one on the TM where I started at 7:40 and went progressive ending at 6:30 pace. Overall time was 7:30 for the mile.

Stretched out well and headed home. I love having a built in baby sitter at home :)

Slept in. It was wonderful. When I woke up at 9:30 all my kids were still asleep! I love lazy holiday and off-track time :) 

I finally (after a LONG debate with myself) decided I should go to the gym and run and/or bike.

I caught Kelli and Amy's last mile, then walked a few with them. Then another one alone on the track, and then I convinced my favorite babysitter Allison (15 yr old) to run a mile on the track with me.

Then we went to the TM, because I thought she would be done running. But, she kept on running! I finished another 3 miles chatting with her in 24:50 AP: 8:16 - started at 8:34 and then went progressive the last mile to finish at 6:30ish pace.

I did two more on the track and Allison probably did about 1/2+ of the first mile with me while waiting the last few minutes for mom to come. She really impressed me! Probably did at least 5 miles and she keeps a pretty good pace too. She is getting in shape for Lacrosse. I think I'm going to try and convince her to do cross country :)

Finished off the last two on the TM in 16:10 AP: 8:05. Again, started at 8:34 and did the last mile progressive to a 6:30ish pace.

After 2 hrs of phone calls I finally took my kiddos back to the rec center to swim. Fun times! I love being a lazy off-track mom :)

SO COLD!! I really wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do this or not, but I put on LOTS of layers (I may have been overdressed), got to Jonathan Crampton's house at 7:15 and took off by 7:30 with Julie, who was kind enough to brave 4 below zero with me! 

The first 2.5+ miles are all a nice uphill, and boy did I feel it. When it is that cold, you just don't ever really warm up. I was going SO slow, but I thought I was trucking along at a good pace...HA! I'm glad I spared myself the guilt and didn't look at my garmin for a second until we finished.

The race was a good course and the company was outstanding. Poor Julie didn't know just how SLOW I'd really be. After all the miles this week AND the cold, well my legs weren't in top condition. She was good to just chat along and put up with my "I want to go where it is warm and I'm going to scream if this isn't over in 5 minutes" grumpy attitude. I swear mile 6-9 felt like a marathon to me! I was SO done. Brain had checked out. Water was frozen. Out of energy and any semblance of spunk that I once had. The only good thing was it was gentle downhill and my legs got into a bit of a rhythm.

By mile 9 I was ready to hit those last 4! I knew it was the shortest way back to the car anyway :) I really started thinking around this point that I was hanging onto a pretty good pace and that I might hit 1:50 or so for the half...HA! Delusional. THEN I saw 'temple hill' approaching the Mt Timpanogos Temple from the West. I will not admit/repeat the expletives that escaped my mouth. I'm just glad that by the time I was at the bottom of the hill it looked nothing like it did from a distance and it wasn't too bad. Perspective...always perspective.

The last 1/2 mile of the race the leaders (that had started at 8:00) blew by us. 2 guys and Devra, I held off Allie, but I think it was only due to the fact that she was in shorts. Had her legs had half a chance to warm up she would've kicked by as well :) Julie took off to home shortly after a couple pictures so that she didn't get the chilled shakes before having to do a mile+ more to her home.

AP: 9:11 splits: 10:05, 10:35, 9:39, 8:51, 9:20, 8:58, 8:55, 9:32, 8:29, 8:47, 8:36, 9:34, 8:09. I never stopped my garmin, so the couple times I stopped and tried to get some slush out of my water bottle or to pick up a dropped hand warmer the miles are a little slower. I'm glad that the times I finally felt like I was moving and getting into the run my miles were in the mid/low 8's. Makes me feel a little better about killing myself over a 2 hour half!

I showered, enjoyed about 15 minutes of visiting and warm food and then took off to set up and prepare a funeral luncheon for a wonderful lady! Wish I could've stayed for prizes, but my medal and knowing that I ran a half marathon in sub-zero temps is enough 'pat on the back' for me!

Julie C and me frozen solid after the run! I got some cute frozen eyelashes. It was like tunnel vision for more than half the run, because I couldn't see through/past them!

Skip and me after the run. He was happy to be done :)

I honestly think I may have been overdressed for the run, because it was SO hard to run. My breathing was more labored than usual (for that pace!) and I was hot and thirsty. My legs were cold, but my torso and head were nice and warm...probably too warm. However, I'm a pansy and so my 10 layers I put on I thought would certainly barely keep me warm. Maybe I was just exhausted from the miles this week, maybe it was the cold air and my body trying to process the cold into warm and so it took more effort (my friend who is a nurse and was at the luncheon lectured me multiple times about how bad it is for your respiratory system to run in this COLD). I'm not sure, but it was hard...a lot harder than I would hope a half would fee. Maybe it was everything thrown together, I don't know. I'm just glad it is over and that I have a TM/track to run on until it gets back up to a blistering temp of at least 15 or 20!!!