Each Day Is a Gift

5.5 hrs skiing with my sweetheart & the boys.

9 mi GA run after a 7 courses Chinese seafood dinner w/ the fam.  TT: 1:24:28.  AP: 9:22.

Yoga & stretch while watching 24 and the Olympics.

The boys are loving the cookies and chocolate cheesecake which I now regard as poison! :)

Hope everyone is off to a GREAT week!

Why is it that the word VO2 max sends me into fear and trepidation?  Today's schedule is the first VO2 max workout of this training cycle.  The last time I ran on the track was Sep 29, 2009 wearing shorts.  The thought of a li'ole granny running on the HS track in tights just didn't look right; so I opted to do it on the road.  (6 x 800 m @ 5K race pace, jog 50 to 90% interval time between)

2 mi warm up: 9:55, 9:36

800m in  3:51  (RI 400m in 2:10)

800m in  3:53  (RI 400m in 2:07)

800m in  3:50  (RI 400m in 2:07)

800m in  3:56  (RI 400m in 2:00)

800m in  3:55  (RI 400m in 2:01)

800m in  3:53  (RI 400m in 2:05)

2.5 mi cool down:  8:34, 8:44, 8:50

TT:   1:16:39  AP: 8:30

I hate that lungs a gasping, legs a burning feeling.  SO glad it's done and I can run whatever pace I want the rest of the week!

Anyone interested in a group run this Sat. on the Lehi JRP?

Off to have lunch w/ Wendy and Olga! :)

Details for Sat. group run:

Where:  meet at the Lehi JRP acess on 1500 North.  Direction:  go west approx. 2 miles from the Chevron gas station at 1500 N. State St. in Lehi.  Parking area is on the left (south side of the road) just before the bridge.  To get to Lehi State St., coming from Salt Lake on I-15, take Exit 282, (the one after Thanksgiving Point).  Coming from Provo on I-15, take the Lehi 1200W Exit and turn left (west) onto SR 89.  The gas station is about 2 miles south from the Exits.

When:  start running at 8am.

What:  from the parking area (your car) to the north end is 5 miles, so 10 miles round trip.  The south end is 4 miles to the trail closure (for bridge/road re-construction), so 8 miles round trip back to the car.  Of course you can turn around at any point on the trail to get your desired mileage.  There's a port-a-potty at the Willow Creek camp site about 2 miles south of the parking area.  The 3 bathrooms on the north end are closed for the winter. 

Who:  all are welcome, the more the merrier! :)

My presidency meeting was cut short.  Ran with Wendy at easy chatty pace.  So good to have her company to chase away the gloom.  I crave/need sunshine and blue sky!  

I feel the little aches and pains more when I run slow (90 or more sec. slower than mp).  Is that normal? 

Third attempt to climb Suncrest failed.  Excuses?  Let's see:  #1 - snow (albeit light) & gray sky,  #2 - low on fuel,  #3 didn't want to trash the quads and knees.  So, did the best I could, almost identical to last Thursday's run. 

Warm up 2 mi ~ 18:57

Hills 3 mi ~ 26:53

Tempo 3 mi @ Half-mp ~ 25:43

Tempo 3.1 mi @ 5K race pace ~ 23:12

Cool down 1.9 mi @ mp ~ 16:45

13 mi TT: 1:51:30.  AP: 8:35

5 min pre-run dynamic flexibility exercises.  Drank water at mile 5 and every 3 miles.  10 min post-run stretch.  May do core tonight while watching the Olympics.

The legs felt pretty good even at the 5K pace.  The shoulders got really tired so my form was sloppy.  I'm going to order some core workout dvds.

Inviting y'all to join us this Sat. at the Lehi JRP on 1500 N and about 2 miles west of State St. at 8 am.  Hope to see you there, rain or shine!!! :)   

8 EZ recovery.  AP:  9:44.  Another snowy day.  It was so calm and serene...like inside a snow globe.  I was completely covered with a layer of the white stuff.   I LOVE carefree running.

So excited for tomorrow's run...with bloggers and friends on the Lehi JRP.  I will bring oranges since I'm still on the no-sugar-challenge!  See ya at 8am!!!

I was so excited about today's run that I couldn't fall asleep for the longest time.  I must  have dozed off around 3am b/c I had this dream that Luzy came to my house b/c she didn't know the way to the trail.  She somehow slept in our bed and was freezing.  So I covered her with 3 layers of quilts.  And then we got up to get ready for the run and I couldn't find my running bra!  The clock was reading 8am and I panicked that we would be late...that woke me up and the real clock read 3:55.   Weird dream (er nightmare).

Anyway I got to the parking lot,  Kelli and Mayard were already there.  Kathie and Kimmy had already run 2 miles beforehand and got back just in time as Davy, Teena and Luzy arrived.  It was SOOO good to see everyone.  The sky was clear and a bit chilly w/ the wind.

Maynard and Davy lead the pack, Kelli and Teena followed behind, Luzy and I followed after Kathie and Kimmie!  I just love chatting with Luzy and enjoying her wealth of knowledge about animals and birds.  I felt terrible about not knowing the trail closure.  Good thing Davy and Maynard were there to show us how easily it's to get down and over the dirt mount and get back on the trail.

The uphills always kicked my trash.  Luzy was very patient and kind to stay with me.  We got back to the car and bid goodbye to Kathie, Kimmy and Maynard; then went south for 8 more.  When we reached the campground 2 miles later, Kelli was there waiting for us.  We ran together and saw Teena and Davy at our mile 13.5  and their 14.5 Davy turned around to run with us for the remainder of our miles.  We were so impressed that he had already run over 26 miles making his run over 31 miles today, WOW!!!  Then I was floored to find out Kelli's going home to run MORE with Scott making this her second marathon+ two weeks in a row!  Here I was so proud of myself for running an extra 3 miles more than what my schedule called for!  Ha!

We had a nice post race chat eating oranges and drinking hot cocoa.  It was so good to see RAD who had come to see us after her 3 hours workout in the gym.  I LOVE running; but I LOVE my friends soooo much more!  It was a great day! 

I did not gu; but drank 14 oz gatorade on the run, no potty stop.  AP: 9:35.  

When I got home, my friend from Idaho surprised me with a visit.  What a bonus!!!