I can do it. I will do it NINE times!

I went to bed at 9:35 pm last night! It felt SO good. This morning I ran toward Leone and back, the hilly run, and I died. Legs felt pretty crappy, but the sunrise was awesome yet again! I still need a buddy, it's day 26 of lone running. Total time - 53:20. (DS3 343.8)

Totals: pushups- 50, crunches-200, situps-50

Stormed pretty hard last night, so I headed out on the Airport beach loop today to hopefully find some awesome cowries! I got totally drenched in the rain and ocean and found 2 awesome cowries plus about 8 other pretty good ones. The garbage walk part and rocky sections really slow me down on this run, so my avg. was really slow. But it was a good run and will give me stronger ankles! And I got almost 10 hours of sleep last night! Woo hoo! Total time: 64:22. (Adrenaline 379.8)

Totals (so far): pushups-25, crunches-150, situps-50. 

Tomorrow morning, we're flying to Apia for 5 days!

Woke up freakishly early - 4:44am - to run before our flight left for Upolu (Western Samoa). Ran out and back on the Ili Ili road and ended at the airport and got to fly all gross and sweaty (good thing the flight was less than an hour long). On the run I did my 6x20 second push sections with 60 second jog recovery and it was an overall good run. Avg. 7:57/mi. (DS3 351.4)

Ran from our hotel in Apia along the waterfront and looped around the court buildings and back for an easy 5.5 miler. Nothing too exciting, except Upolu is prettier than Tutuila. (Adrenaline 385.3)

This run killed me! I ran from the hotel, then out and back on the cross island road, which goes up a mountain. So, in 4 of the miles out, I gained 1600 feet of elevation and it hurt! Then I ran back and hammered my legs on all the downhill. I realized yesterday that my Garmin only had 3 hours of battery left, so I only used it on the way out to measure the run. And that part was way slow! (Adrenaline 396.3)

I'm not sure what A and B are for (coach didn't mention in his email), but I'm going with the B workouts this week, since they seem to be better! 

Monday:  A-62 min, B-70 min
Tuesday:  A& B-53 min
Wednesday:  A-59 min, B-67 min
Thursday:  A-62 min, B-70 min, w/ 8x20sec@3k race pace w/60 sec jog recovery
Friday:  A-44 min, B-52 min
Saturday:  A-79 min, B-96 min

This morning, I woke up to go running and realized I didn't have my running shoes! Apparently, I left them at our previous hotel, which really sucks. I got lucky and they still had them there, so we picked them up in the midmorning. Plus, I didn't have access to the internet to find out this week's workouts until afternoon. So, I ran later in the day.

At around 4pm, J&C dropped me off at Apia Park Sports Complex and ran on their track. Although 6 miles on the track usually would suck, I had entertainment - there was rugby practice on the field and some of the track and those guys... yeah. I ran for 45 minutes on the track (switching direction every mile) and the guys there at first were giving me annoyed looks, but by the end I even got some applause as I came around! It was funny and fun. Then I ran from there to the hotel up on the cross island road - all uphill again, yuk - three miles more. After, I hopped in the pool with the kids for a while and it felt so awesome. Yay for being on vacation! Avg. 7:47/mi. (Adrenaline 405.3)

Today is my halfway point for being in American Samoa  - I've been here for a month and a week and have the same amount of time left - crazy!

We flew back home today in the afternoon, so once we got unpacked and situated, I left on my run. Ran out and back on the ocean road and got rained on. It was a really good run, though, and felt awesome. The vacation was awesome: I relaxed lots, had fun on great beaches and got some great deals on souvenirs, but now, it feels good to be home again. Avg. 7:44/mi. (DS3 358.4)

Out and back on the main road this afternoon. Another good run. This week has been a week of good runs so far (knock on wood) and I'm loving it! My guts were being a bit uncooperative on the way back, but I only ended up taking one pit stop and it all ended well. All miles were under 8:00 and my avg. was 7:41/mi. (Adrenaline 414.1)

I'm livin' the life! Awesome runs all week and cool weather (today was even a bit chilly - 72 degrees - I'm going to die this winter in Logan!) even in the afternoon. Got rained on quite a bit, but it's fun and I like it. Did my 8x20 sec push segments and they just went by so nice and easy. Avg. 7:35/mi. Farthest run this week and fastest run this week! Good times. (DS3 367.7)

Slept in this morning (again), so I had to run after Julia got home from work. Fortunately she came home early, so there was plenty of daylight left to go run the Airport loop. When I got around on the ocean side, the tide was high and it was way windy. The waves crashing at the blowholes before the beach were amazing and got me wet wet wet! At the coral beach I found a couple pretty good cowries, but nothing awesome, sadly. No watch, just partyfulness! (DS3 374.7)

Awesome ending to a great week of runs! Around 7 I took off on the Ocean road and ran all the way to Utulei and back for a long run. The wind was crazy again today and it kept blowing me off the road and my legs around, which made for a hard run. Overall it was a really good run, though. It's funny, I think this run is the farthest I've run straight since the half marathon! 7:41/mi avg. (Adrenaline 426.6)

Monday: 72 min
Tuesday: 56 min
Wednesday: 72 min
Thursday: 56 min, 8 x 20 sec @ 3k w/ 1:00 jog recovery
Friday: 48 min
Saturday: 104 min

Ran out 37 minutes on the main road, then back again for a 9.75-mile run. Went pretty well, though the uphill first half kinda sucked compared to the downhill last half. I got completely drenched on the run because it poured rain on me for most of it and there were huge puddles that I just couldn't help but run through! :) Avg. 7:32/mi.

After, Everett wanted to run. So, we ran a little bit out-and-back, not quite to Steven and Sons since Everett slipped and fell in a puddle and didn't want to run very much after that. (Adrenaline 437.1)

Ottoville loop this morning, nice and easy w/o the watch. Just ran a little bit since I'm going to run in the afternoon today too.

This afternoon, I ran the airport loop with a person! He was really really late, so I just left after waiting for 20 minutes, thinking he just didn't show. Good thing I stopped for a pretty long time at the first shell beach, because that's when he caught up with me. He isn't really a runner, so he basically died and I feel bad. We had to stop lots and walk (that's why I put it as 6.5 miles not 7) and it got kinda annoying. But it was somewhat nice to run with a buddy for the first time in a month and a half! (DS3 387.2)

And, in only a month from today I'll be arriving back in the USA! Time flies....

My quads are SORE! I randomly did 4x20 lunges on Monday and my legs are feeling it. Ouch. So today's run was a victory because I didn't die, puke, stop (except to fix my mp3 player), run really slow, go crazy, explode or drown! It was sunny out for the first time in a week and I got up late since today is a holiday.... Happy Manua Flag Day! Avg. 7:54/mi. (Adrenaline 446.2)

Arrrrrrrgh! So mad at myself! I slept in this morning after a long night getting up for puppies, then forgot I had to babysit for some friends at 5:30. So, by the time Julia and Cliff got home from work and I was ready to go, it was 4:55 and I didn't have enough time to get in my 56 minutes before babysitting. So, I ran around to their house and got in 4.8 miles with my 8x20 second fast segments in 35 minutes total and thought I could run back home once I was done babysitting. But, lots of villages here have a 10pm curfew (enforced by big Samoan guys with sticks) and it was 10:15 by the time the parents got back, so I couldn't go run. So, I'm annoyed at my lack of planning, forgetfulness, and stupidity that made me not get in all I needed to today.  >:(  7:29/mi avg. (DS3 392)  

Easy 6 on the Ottoville loop this morning, measured the 'track' on my way (.35 mi) and just took it slow. Still need to work on the sleeping in thing. 7:55/mi avg. (DS3 398.1)

More than a half marathon today! Woo! And the run went pretty well once I got through the first 3 miles or so and re-tied my shoes. My shoes are starting to wear out, so my feet are not liking it. As I ran it was fun to see all the decorations and preparations for the Pacific Arts Festival that starts next week. Painted coconut stacks, fabric-covered rocks, Dr.Seuss-esqe bamboo and palm fronds around every pole, it's quite a sight and fun to run by! And the ocean, of course, is awesome to run along. Avg. 7:41/mi (Adrenaline 459.8)

USU xc camp is on the 19th of August, so a couple days after I get home from Samoa I'll be going there! And the week's assigned runs as usual...

Monday: 80 min.

Tuesday: 64 min.

Wednesday: 80 min.

Thursday: 64 min, w/8x20 sec @3k pace w/1:00 jog recovery

Friday: 48 min.

Saturday: 112 min.

Iliili loop w/ extension this afternoon for a 80 minute run. Slow, tired, hot, sweaty and achy for most of the run. Not so great, but glad it's done. Almost got killed by a rogue aiga bus! Avg. 7:51/mi. (Adrenaline 470)

'Twas nice and cool out and I got to watch the sunrise over the island and ocean since I ran an out-and-back on the ocean road this morning. Slow and easy. And the Festival of Pacific Arts started yesterday and it's going on for 2 weeks - talk about awesome! Avg. 8:01/mi. (DS3 406.2)

Got a nasty nasty surprise when I went to put on my shoes this morning to run - they were swarming with tiny ants! Aaaak! Heebeegeebees... so I opted to use my other pair even though I used them yesterday. The bugs are one thing I won't miss when I go back to the desert!

Then I ran the main road out-and-back for 80 minutes total. Still feeling a bit worn out and blah, so I just relaxed for most of it. Pretty uneventful. 7:53/mi avg. (DS3 416.5)

Iliili road out-and-back this morning. Started out pretty sucky, but once I did the 8x20 second pickups on my way back it started getting better. I saw a person running (on purpose!) and passed him - he turned out to be in the marines. Avg. 7:51/mi (DS3 424.7)

Ottoville loop with extension. Ok run. 7:51/mi avg. (DS3 430)

Longest run I've ever done! Ran to Pago Pago and back. Went a bit too fast on the way out so the way back was somewhat painful. And hot. Through Utulei I got flirted with/offered an apple by a fautasi rower (talk about lame pickup lines). Good run, though - avg. 7:38/mi. (Adrenaline 484.8)

Monday: 88 min w/ 8 x 1:30 @ tempo pace w/ 2:00 jog recovery

Tuesday: 64 min

Wednesday: 88 min

Thursday: 72 min w/ 8 x 20 sec @ 3k race pace wi 1:00 jog recovery

Friday: 48 min

Saturday: 120 min

11.4 this morning on the main road. Ran a ways past Leone and back. The way out felt really hard and pretty slow. On the way back I did the 8x1:30 tempo sections and the run got lots better. Tried to make sure I didn't do go too quick, but the first few were still a tad fast, esp. with the downhill. Distances were .23, .23, .23, .21 (uphill), .22, .22, .22 and .22 for the tempo sections. A bit tired out at the end of the run. Took a nice cool ice bath after. 7:46/mi avg. (Adrenaline 496.2 - Almost dead, please hold out another couple of weeks!)

Slow and easy on the ocean road this morning. Got rained on a tad at the start, but it cleared up quickly and the sunrise was by far the most amazing I've seen here. So nice. Avg. 8:04/mi. (DS3 438)

Pretty nice run today, went out on the Iliili road, then onto the main road past Leone and back. Legs were a bit achy, I should get more sleep. Avg. 7:46/mi. (Adrenaline 507.6)

Iliili loop early this morning. Ignored my watch for the first half and it was slow! The 8x20 second stuff went all right, but after it was still slow and blah. I'm sick of the humidity and the same runs over and over! (DS3 447)

Today I finally made it to 500 crunches/situps and 100 pushups!

Only 2 weeks 'til my flight leaves to go home!