Each Day Is a Gift

Mesocycle 4 ~ Taper ~ Week 1 to Goal

6 recovery mi in 56:03.  AP: 9:20

180 years ago today on April 6, 1830, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized.   It was a humble beginning with a handful of members.  Today there are over 13,750,651 members throughout the world.  I am so very grateful to be a member of this church.  I know this Church is true.  I hope and pray that I will live worthy to be numbered among the disciples of Christ. 

18 years ago today on April 6, 1992, my youngest child was born.  How time flies as I watched this wee baby grew up to be a fine young man.  We took him to the airport last night for a red-eye flight to New York City.  He's spending his 18th birthday on a plane and in the big city.  My husband and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to raise him along with his five siblings.  We hope and pray that we will live worthy to be an eternal family.  I testify of the Savior's infinite love for us, of His atoning sacrifice.  He is the Son of God.  He lives!!!

Beautiful sunny day, cool, a bit breezy.  Since my Garmin is broken and the new one hadn't arrived yet, I ran down to the HS track for today's workout,  expecting to have the whole track to myself since it is Spring break. 

3 miles running to the HS in about 28 min.  No one's using the track, YES!  But there was a baseball game going on or about to start...so there was "audience".  Did the dynamic flexibility exercises and jogged 200 m to the "start line".

3 x 1600m @ 5K race pace; jog 50-90% interval time between.

I accidently reset the lap memories on my watch erasing the splits.  STINK!  Here's what I remember on the 1600m but not sure of the 800m RI jog:  7:35 (4:55?)  7:37 (5:00?)  7:34 (no clue what this RI was.  

Drank 24 oz water that I had carried and used the port-a-potty by the baseball field before running 3 mi back home.  The calves tightened a bit during the stop.  The left vastus medialis was complaining on the uphills.  Took it easy and made it home just under 30 min. 

When I got home, the new Garmin has arrived sitting on my front porch, SWEET!

This is the last VO2 max workout before Boston!  Wore the shoes I'll wear at Boston.  A tiny blister started to form on the medial ball of my left foot.  Will need to get new socks and try them on Saturday's run along w/ the new Boston wardrobe.

Busy busy day!  Lots of errands and stuff.  Gone all morning, afternoon and evening!  Only home in time to cook dinner before heading to a meeting.  First no running day (other than Sunday) since the day after my last marathon in Oct last year.  It's all good!

Did manage to do 2 circuits of core tonight.

Where's every body running this Sat? 

Colder this morning with wind from NW.  

Ran the first 2 miles west into the wind and uphill headwind.  Thought one day of rest would help...nope, the left vastus medialis complained.  Felt better when I picked up the pace a little. 

After 5 miles, began the 100m strides.  I didn't program the new Garmin so just ran 0.06-0.07 mi for the strides, the pace range between 6:30-6:45 (best at 5:58).   

6.5 mi TT: 59:12  AP: 9:07 

Off to Post Office and may be get a haircut!

It's like family reunion!  So GOOD to see Leslie, RAD, TomSlick, Maynard and Kathie this morning for our last run together before Boston.  Leslie looks SO cute and trim.  RAD does not even look pregnant and her baby is due in two months.  Slick looks slim and same patriotic handsome self.  Maynard and Kathie must have lost at least 5 lbs since I saw them couple weeks ago.   Thanks Maynard for programming my Garmin so I could get the mile splits!

I wore all the stuff I plan to wear at Boston, new shorts, shirts, socks, semi-new shoes, even new bra.  Brrr, it was cold at the start, 34F, no wind until we hit mile 5 where we encountered head wind AND uphill.  Not only did I draft off Kathie on the dirt trail along the rail road at the point of the mountain; she was my sherpa sharing her water and gel-chews with me at mile 6 turn-around.  Those gel-chews were GOOD!!!  When we ran under the pedestrian tunnel, I hollered out a choochoo, love how it echoes.  :)  Must be something in the gel-chew!

Made it back to the park where I decided to finish with a Half to honor RAD who will be running the SLC 1/2 next Sat!  She brought a buffet of fresh delish oranges, muffins and chocolate milk.  THANKS RAD!  You sure know how to do a run-party!  We miss you, Leslie,  where'd you go after the run?

Kathie, the yoga queen, showed us a few yoga moves.  Seriously, I wish I had a camera!  She did the crow and then head/hand stand like it's nothing, not to mention all these pretzel poses.  What an AMAZING acrobat!!!  I tried to do the pigeon and got a charlie horse instead...pathetic.

13.11 in 1:55:18.  AP: 8:47.  Splits:  9:37, 9:23, 8:52, 9:10, 8:59, 9:24, 8:23, 8:26, 8:29, 8:38, 8:29, 8:19, 8:21, 0.11 mi @ 7:03. 

THANKS everyone for such a FUN run!  Sure love my running family!  :)