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

The stray momma dog we've been feeding lately followed me as I started my run this morning. I thought she'd stop at the end of our street, but she kept with me for the first 3 miles of the Ottoville loop! I was afraid she got lost, but an hour or so after I finished up, she made it back to our house fine. The run was a bit slow, but felt really nice. Avg. 8:03/mi. (DS3 453.1).

Long run. Thank goodness it was a bit cloudy out since I left a bit later than I'd planned. My new record longest run (again) and it was pretty good. The humidity is so nasty, though. My shirt had no dry spots at all by the time I'd finished the run. And I could wring sweat out of my hair - eew! But only 10 more runs in the humidity for me! Avg. 7:46/mi. (Adrenaline 523.1)

My first college meet ever is in less than a month! Aaaak! And the workouts:

Monday: 88 min, w/10x1:30 @ tempo pace w/2:00 rec.
Tuesday: 64 min
Wednesday: 88 min
Thursday: 72 min, w/8x20 sec @ 3k race pace w/1:00 rec.
Friday: 48 min
Saturday: 128 min

Main road out-and-back this morning. On the way back, I did the 10 x 1:30 min. push sections. They were all right. Dist. were: .22, .22, .22, .22, .21, .22, .22, .23, .22 and .23, so not a bad workout - min/mi. were all around 6:40 for the tempos. I'm already getting excited to be back where there are people to run with! (Adrenaline 534.2)

Bleh. Tired and up too early this morning, legs are worn out from yesterday's run plus the hike around the entire island of Aunu'u. Both pairs of my running shoes are in need of replacement! Avg. 8:06/mi. (DS3 461.1)

Suckiest run ever. Really. I don't think I've had this crappy of a run for a long long time. Hard, slow, tired, sore, grumpy, slow and super super sucky! My feet are killing me, too. Crap for crap. (Adrenaline 545.2)

The awesome thing about having an absolutely awful run yesterday is that it would've been really hard to get much worse! So, today's run was better. Not a ton better, but I'm headed in the right direction.... Did the Iliili loop this morning, on the way down the main road, I did the 8x20 sec. pickups and my legs felt good during those. My knees were feeling lots better than yesterday, too. I got a killer sideache for the last few miles, but overall, it was an ok run! Avg. 8:06/mi. (DS3 470.1)

I'm coming home in exactly ONE WEEK!

Ottoville loop this morning. A bit tired in the legs, but overall it was a good run. I love Fridays! Avg. 7:58/mi. (DS3 476.2)

The first half of this run was really awesome! But on the way back, I got an awful sideache after a half mile or so and it killed me dead. On the way out, I ran 8.25 miles, but I only ran 8 on the way back in because my 128 minutes were up. So I just walked and did drills for the rest of the way home. Too many painful stops today. Next Saturday, I'll be running in St. George! Woo! Avg. 7:55/mi. (Adrenaline 561.5)

My last week here in Samoa and my last week of runs by myself all the time! Woo!

Monday: 88 min w/12x1:30 - first 70sec@ tempo, last 20@ mile race w/2:00 rec (Ocean)
Tuesday: 64 min (Iliili)
Wednesday: 88 min (Main)
Thursday: 72 min w/8x20 sec@ 3k race w/1:00 rec (IliiliL)
Friday: 48 min (Hawaii)
Saturday: 128 min (SG)

Ocean road out-and-back this morning. Relaxed on the way out, then did the workout on the way back in. Distances were .23, .23, .22, .23, .22, .23, .23, .24, .23, .23, .23 and .23. The .22's I had were against some heavy wind, so overall these were really consistent and felt pretty good (besides the sideache I had for most of it). Good workout and glad to be back feeling reasonably fresh! Knock on wood. Gosh my shoes are DEAD. (Adrenaline 572.9)

Iliili out-and-back this morning. My whole upper body is sore and I can't figure why! The run was really relaxed and slow and it was fine. My left foot was achy for most of it, probably from needing new shoes. A nice recovery run from yesterday's workout. Avg. 8:20/mi. (DS3 484.2)

My whole body is exhausted! Again! Yesterday I went on my first ever scuba dive and it wore me out. All that gear is heavy! So, today's run was way slow. I was so tempted to slack off this morning since the boys' school started, but I'm glad (now) that I got up freaking early. Avg. 8:25/mi. (Adrenaline 572.9) 

Last run on this island! It's insane how fast time flies. Ran the Iliili loop nice and early. I got rained on (just for old time's sake, I guess) and nearly got run over in Iliili! Once on the main road, I did the 8x20 second pickups; they went well and easily. Still have that crappy sideache from forever ago, though. My legs felt tons fresher today and the run mostly flew by. Avg. 8:06/mi. (DS3 493.2)

Late tonight my flight leaves to go HOME! As long as the Honolulu Airport has lockers, I can still get my run in for tomorrow during my 10 hour layover.

Arrrrgh! I am so angry about today! The Honolulu Airport SUCKS! I flew in at 5:30 am and didn't leave until 3 pm. In the 10 hours I spent there, I should've been able to get a run in, but there weren't any lockers and if I left my carry-on bags anyway they would've been "confiscated and destroyed." Angry face. After 24 hours in transit, I finally got home at 3:15 am on Saturday. So, it looks like I get a big fat ugly goose egg for today.  >:(

After getting home and situated, I decided to forgo the possible 20-minute-night's-sleep and just pulled an all nighter! At 5 am, I met up with MarcieJ and company, we got dropped off up on the marathon course and ran down it. It was awesome to run with fun ladies and enjoy the cool morning. Marcie was fresh as ever and wore me out! The legs were pretty stiff from no run and sitting around all day yesterday, plus the feet are begging for now shoes. Exhausted! Record number of yawns on the run made today: 11. Good run overall, avg. 7:36/mi. (Adrenaline 389.9 - retired!)

 SGRC to the rescue! Got the Asics 2130 later today - hope they turn out as good as they felt at the store. 

Monday: 88 min w/12x1:30 - first 70sec@ tempo, last 20@ mile race w/2:00 rec
Tuesday: 64 min
Wednesday: 10k time trial, then travel to Bear Lake
Thursday: AM - 88 min, PM - 30-45 min
Friday: 48 min
Saturday: 128 min

Hoping for an easy day today, but alas, I die. Did a weird figure-eight type loop around Foremaster and down past the Dixie Center this morning. It's so nice to not have to run out-and-backs all the time! Did the 12x1:30 intervals: .23, .24, .23, .24, .23, .24, .23, .23, .23, .22 (little uphill), .21 (big uphill) and .23 miles. Not bad for how worn out I feel. Avg. 8:02/mi for the easy parts and 6:31/mi  for the tempo sections. New shoes feel great! (GT 11.5)

Up so early. Yuk. Frustrating run, but oh well. Ran Chuck-a-rama once and Arctic Circle once and did a few laps on the track between. Then I got on my way to Logan to move into my dorm! (GT 19.6)

I'd been so nervous today's time trial with my new team at USU, but it actually went really well! Did a little warmup around the field beforehand, then got going on the time trial. It was a 10k with a goal pace of 6:40/mi; Coach Gensel rode his bike with us to keep us on pace. I haven't done very much continuous tempo work this summer, so I was scared that I'd die after a mile or two. But it went awesome! I got a bit tired at the turnaround and on a couple of slight uphill spots on the way back, but overall, it was great. Avg. pace was 6:39/mi with mile splits at 6:48, 6:43, 6:59, 6:29, 6:34 and 6:23 and total time of 41:06. And, as a plus, I finished first of the freshmen and in the first group of girls! Took an ice bath after and it felt awesome. (GT 27.2)

Later in the day (at the mini-camp thing with the team), we all ran down from our cabin at Bear Lake to the lake and played around there. Then we ran back up to the cabin, all wet! Fun times. (GT 31.1)

This morning, we drove out to a dirt road someplace and ran an 88-minute out-and-back on it. My watch was out of batteries, so I guessed on the mileage. Legs were a bit stiff, esp. the hammies, and the sloping uphill for most of the way out was pretty tiring, but on the way back, Ali, Caroline, Vanessa and I cruised  back down 4 minutes faster than the way out. Good run. (GT 42.5)

Another guess on the mileage. Gensel dropped us off a ways up on the same dirt road we did yesterday and we ran back down. A little misunderstanding... we ran all the way back to the main road when we were only supposed to run to a little gully place before that. So, Ashley, Jessie, Ali, Vanessa and I ran quite a bit extra and Gensel got mad at us. Oops. Felt pretty good though.... The mini-camp was a blast and now I know all my teammates' names! (GT 52.3)

It's cold up here! I got going on the run at 8 am and I was chilly for the first half of the run! I am gonna freeze come wintertime.... Anyway, I'm getting a cold and I am so congested! So, lots of snot rockets were flying. I ran out by myself up the canyon on highway 89, then ran along the river trail until it ended and ran on the road again for a while. And back. Not too bad, just a bit worn out and covered in bugs at the end. (GT 66.3)

Weekly mileage record this week! Woo! 

Monday: 80 min w/15x1:30 @ 3.5 effort w/30 sec. rec.
Tuesday: solo AM: 56-64 min, PM: strength training -ST
Wednesday: 45-60 min w/15 min at 7:00/mi pace (race course)
Thursday: solo AM: 56-64 min w/3-5x10m strides, PM: ST
Friday: :  45-60 min run with a 5 min “push” @! 3
Saturday: RACE @ home (American West Heritage Center) @ 9am

First 'workout' with the team today and it was brutal! Coaches had us run at 3pm and it was warm out, so we warmed up out to the River trail and ran our 15x1:30 push sections there. I got thrashed. It's so crazy to be running these workouts with girls and that some of them are owning me at it! Caroline made us run up front on the next one if we fell back from the pack, so I had to a couple times. And the switchbacks hurt SO bad! After we got back to the trailhead where Reeder and Gensel were, I drank so much water and powerade that running back to the track was hard. Kira and I jumped in the river and froze, too! Then abs and ice and a barefoot walk back home. Tired out! I'm gonna be feeling this tomorrow. No watch, guesses on mileage. (GT 78.8)

Not to sore, but definitely tired this morning on my run. Just did an easy out-and-back from my dorm to main street, then north on main for a ways and back. Not bad, not great. Avg. 8:18/mi. Met up with Mike after and we went and took an ice bath in the training room. (GT 86.8)

My quads KILL! I am so freakishly sore, I want to die. And not live on the third floor. For today's workout, we drove out to the American West Heritage Center and ran around on the course for Saturday's race for an hour. In the middle, we did a 15-minute section at 7:00/mi pace, it wasn't too bad. But I want my legs to feel like legs again! (GT 94)

Still pretty sore today, but I had a great morning run. Not that it was fast or anything, but I just felt content and enjoyed how beautiful the valley looked and how perfect the weather felt. I ran out on 1200 E, then finally got to the canal trail and ran on it for a couple minutes until I had to turn back. Maybe I should get up early more often! Avg. 8:22/mi. (GT 101.9)

Right after class I hurried over to coach's office and got my new uniform! And the bummie shorts... oh man, I'm not excited for those -they're tiny! I guess they'll be more motivation to run fast - the sooner I finish the sooner I can put on some decent pants! :D I have my first collegiate-level race tomorrow... I don't really know what to expect or aim for, so I'm just hoping to get a good time and feel fast and good. Cross my fingers!

Anyway, after getting my kit, I ran to the track and then did an easy 45-minute run along the canal. We did a 5-minute push section at 7:00/mi pace, mostly we just goofed off and relaxed, though. (GT 107.4)

This whole week I've been so sore, I was afraid my legs would be dead today, but the race turned out to be super awesome! There were only 4 teams total at the race (us, Weber, UofU and UofU's xc ski team? go figure...) But it was still tons of fun and a good race.

Our team together started out as a big pack near the front, so we were really close for most of the race. Lots of jostling and tight turns for the first mile, but it made it go by fast. By mile two we were a bit more spread out, but still pretty close. With about 600m until the finish I was getting pretty tired out and that's where the only hills were, so I was pathetic on those. I passed a Weber girl on the downhill, then she passed me back on the uphill, then on the final straightaway to the finish I pushed and caught her right at the line! The only sucky thing was that the uni bottoms gave me a wedgie and are supershort... no good. But our team won the meet and I got 7th overall, 3rd on my team and a PR! Awesome! Way exciting for my first college meet ever! And here's our article and results. (DD spike 55.6) (GT 110.9)

Late at night, I randomly wanted to go run some more, so I jogged around the area for a few miles during the thunderstorm. Fun times. Finished the run at exactly 12:00 AM! (GT 115)