Each Day Is a Gift

5.5 EZ with Carolyn, Wendy & Karen.  TT: 53:10  AP: 9:40

1 wu @ 9:26

7 x 800 @ 7:30 w/ 400 RI @ 10:00

1 cd @ 8:54

TT: 59:02  AP: 8:29

Pfitz's stretching exercises

4 circuits of Pfitz's core stability exercises

Huffing hot humid run with Carolyn and Wendy.  We saw THREE hawks sitting on a fence post.  Two of them flew up as we passed, but one stayed and stared at us...so cool to see him at eye level!  We noticed how the view is so much clearer this year,  the mountains, the lakes so vivid compared to year's past with air pollution or wild fire smoke.  This has been a greener cooler summer.  As we turned east the sun started to beat down on us, but not for long, we had a huge cloud covering for the last two miles home.  Such blessings!

Resistance bands for biceps, triceps, hip flexors.

51% humidity,  77F,  partly cloudy.   Very pleasant run with the cloud covering!

7 in 1:03:29.  AP: 9:04.  Splits: 10:11, 9:12, 8:36, 8:58, 9:00, 8:48, 8:41

Saw the three hawks again in the same field soaring overhead, the pair landed on a Russian Olive while the lone hawk landed on the Willow.  I waved to them, wondered if they recognized me! :)

2 miles bare feet (w/ socks) on the TM @ 10:00 & 1%.  Love it!

6 circuits of Pfitz's core stability exercises.

15 min stretching.

Between the rain, lightning, loud thunder and hubby's sabotage, I hardly slept a wink.  Got up in the dark and drove to pick up my SSF.  I am a good driver but very directionally challenged.  After making a million U-turns and with SSF's navigational skill, we finally made it to the Rail Trail at Park City and amazingly started our run at our predicted start time of 7:15.

Plan was to run the middle miles, the most challenge part of the course.  I wanted to start at mile 10.5 of the course but due to parking logistic ended up being at mile 12.  There was road construction where the Rail Trail ends making it confusing to connect on Park Side Trail.  Man, you'd think that I have run PCM three times I would remember the course, duh! 

The first 3.5 miles were up up up towards Deer Valley Ski Lodge...plus there was a stiff headwind.  Teena ran up those miles like nothing, a true blue (err red) puke-hill queen!    Man, she is one strong hill runner.! LOVE watching her flew up Deer Valley Dr.  I felt bad she had to stop to wait for me for directions.  Once at the top we turned left thru the resort base then it's down down down; and I thought I could catch her, not a chance! 

We ran thru the open mall, over the skier bridge and spilled onto 8th Street.  After confirming with two pedestrians the location of Empire St. (I didn't want to run an extra uphill blip unless it really leads to Empire) we ascended up 8th.  Teena RAN up that thing,  I walked it!  After using a p-o-p at the top (how convenient that they put a p-o-p there for us), Teena wanted to try 8th St again like a hill repeat!  She is INSANE!  I was crazy enough to follow her.  Too bad we both forgot to restart our Garmin so couldn't compare if we did better the second time.  But she did beat me BOTH times!  :)

Then she cruised down Empire and kept going till she reached the light at Main St.  My bad, I forgot to tell her to turn left towards the golf course via Silver King Dr.  No problem for her to run back up.  I'm telling ya!  DON'T believer her when she tells you she's going to die at PCM!  She conquered that part of the course beautifully and will do AWESOME on race day!  We made it back to the car with 9 miles so we got back on the Rail Trail and headed the opposite direction for 3 more.  Teena always has this awesome kick at the end of a run, and today was no difference even on an incline into head wind for the last 1.5 miles back to the car.  It was a great training run.  We saw a few runners who looked like they're also preparing for PCM.   We made it safely back to Salt Lake where we had breakfast at IHOP.  YUM! 

THANKS SSF for running with me!  You are the best!  You will do AWESOME! 

Splits (for my own reference): 10:18, 10:13, 10:34, 9:28, 8:29, 8:54, 8:34, 8:46, 8:11, 8:13, 8:19, 8:45, 9:36

I must have been pooped...slept like a log for SEVEN hours...didn't hear a thing!  Felt so refreshed!  :)

7 mi with 7 x 100m strides (some @ sub-7) with 100m jogs.  TT: 1:01:36.  AP: 8:48

2 mi recovery slow jog bare foot on TM.  AP: 10:10

6 circuits of Pfitz's stability core exercises.

Didn't see my hawks, Snack Crackle Pop, or Fatih Hope Charity!  Hmmm, maybe they don't like the wind!  Or may be they slept in too!  :)

The Chumps weren't meeting; so at the 11th hour I quickly put together a group run on my favorite Alpine route.  Teena, Staci, Wendy and Karen met at my house at 6am.  (really really missed JonA and Kelly).  We didn't start running until 6:20!  The weather still cool and calm as we headed up towards Alpine.  What a great bunch of girls and ladies...so very kind and positive!

I wasn't sure how the legs would handle the hills just two days after our Park City run.  Staci and I ran together chatting away while Teena took off at lightning speed (ok that was a little exaggerated, nevertheless she was FAST!!!!).  Anyhow I just love watching my SSF ran up those hills like nothing.  Her legs just churned with ease.  {When she got to where she didn't know where to go, she'd run back towards us and get directions.  I'd be huffing and trying to describe the route to her.  It's a good thing Staci was there and she had run the route with me once, so she clarified what I was mumbling about  :D }!

At mile 5, we got to see a group of bikers start a race and later saw their finish line...very cool.  Wendy and Karen turned back at the *fountain of youth* as they only needed 11-12 miles.  The three of us forged on to even higher ground with Teena running about 0.2 mile ahead.  That girl is on fire!  Seriously, I wish I could have half her speed!

The sun started to beat down on us on the return.  I am certain that if I was running alone, I'd be dragging my sorry self home.  THANKS SSF for coming to run with me, although not WITH me! :) :) :)

I forgot to restart my Garmin when we stopped at the one and only traffic light and at the fountain of youth; so don't have all the splits.  According to Staci's Garmin we ran 17 miles with AP: 9:19.

After Teena and Staci left, I went inside to cool down on the TM with 3 barefoot miles to finish off a 20 miler.   I am happy with this week's runs.  Now I'm ready to taper for PCM.

****After a quick ice bath, shower, I had to clean the bathroom, vacuum, fold laundry.  Now I need to prepare for a talk I'm giving tomorrow morning!  May be I can sneak a nap in later!  I will check on everyone's races and long runs tomorrow after Church!  Meanwhile please know that I was thinking of y'all! ****