Each Day Is a Gift

After getting hubby all settled in his dialysis session at South Mountain Dialysis Center, I changed into running clothes and went out on the JRP which is a few hundred meters from the dialysis center. There were swarms of flying nets everywhere! Ran south into some headwind. Got to the park at 12300 South (finish area of RAD's 31K birthday run last year) at mile 2, perfect to get a drink. Continued south for another mile and turned back to the same park for drink, back to dialysis center for a total 6 in 57:24. Splits: 11:23 (took a long time to get warm up) 10:43 (batting swarms of nets and tried not to inhale any), 9:30, 8:55, 8:17. Pushed hard that last mile, breathing was out of control. Sadly I used to be able to run some high 7s. But am grateful for any 8s I can get these days! Back to the center, cleaned up and changed. After dialysis, will take hubby to the hospital to be admitted for a procedure this week.

Ran with Wendy, Karen and Leslie on MCT east in between down pours. Legs felt good, great conversation while dodging around rain puddles and snails...heaps of snails...much better than swarms of gnats! 5 miles in 47:44 (9:57,9:36,9:15,9:21,9:30). Wanted to run more but everyone including me were short on time. Spending the rest of the day in the hospital with hubby.

Went to the hospital dark and early. Hubby were all prep'ed for surgery (insertion of peritoneal dialysis catheter). To angiocath lab at 9:30, out of surgery at 11. The surgery went well. Stayed with him in recovery then back in the room. He was groggy the first four hours, then was very sore. Had dialysis in room. I was going to go run while he had dialysis but he wanted me to stay. After dialysis, he had dinner and I ate with him (beef stroganoff, carrots and green beans, salad, dinner roll, strawberry cream cake). Then he said I should go run before it gets dark. I had plotted out a route to go on JRP. In order to save day light, I drove west on Vine St. from the hospital to the JRP. I seldom run after eating a full dinner so wonder how I'd do.

Plan is to run south on JRP to 3 miles and turn back for 6 miles within an hour before it gets dark. It was 7:17p. It's been a long long time since I last ran here. Right as I started, I got a text from Teena! What a serendipity moment! Here I am running on Teena's old stomping ground. How I miss her! My phone kept dinging with texts between her and Lowell, made me laugh! I would've joined in the chats if I wasn't running to beat the sunset.

Got to the tunnel by Winchester Park at 3 miles, perfect! Took a drink then picked up the pace on the way back. Hubby was so worried that there would be no one on the trail. No need to worry, there were SO many people on the trail, walkers, runners, dogs, scooters and youth playing baseball using zucchini as bats, nice night out for families and love birds! :).

6 miles in 55:14 AP: 9:12 (10:11, 9:43, 9:10, 8:45, 8:40, 8:39)

Got back to the hospital a little after 8p. Helped hubby got ready for bed. He was hurting and a little concern about bleeding and getting up in the middle of the night so he asked me to stay overnight. Needless to say I had a sleepless night.

The hospital night staff came in to check on hubby and do blood draws every two hours all night long, so I hardly slept and was so tired when the morning shift nurse came in. Helped hubby up and breakfast. I had a huge juicy peach, boiled egg and a carton of milk. Hubby suggested I go run! I wasn't planning on it. So put on the same running clothes I had on 13 hours earlier..eek! Instead of driving to JRP, I ran from the hospital on Vine St west to the trail. Morning traffic was steady, crossing the trax lines and the frontrunner rail took some caution as well as running past an industrial section. Sunny sky but still cool. Got to the trail at about a mile. Ran south as last evening's run. Not nearly as many people on the trail as last night. Ran nice and easy. Stopped to use the bathroom and drink at Winchester Park. On the way back, I was so zoned out that I ran past the Vine St access. I found myself running on some boardwalks and bridge. Thought may be I just took the wetland route instead so kept going. Then after going under a tunnel it turned on the trail with the river on the right. I recognized this section of the trail when I used to run with Teena and would go 5-6 from Winchester. I stopped and asked a biker where about we were! He said I am far away from the hospital which is on 5300 and we are at 4800. So I ran back the same way, stopped for a drink from a fountain after passing the 4800 tunnel and boardwalk, bridge and voila, there's the fence at Vine St. So looks like I ran an extra mile. It got pretty warm on the way back, glad I took a drink! Not as much traffic and no train going by, good thing!

9 miles in 1:28:37

Got back and showered in the hospital. Walked with hubby in the hall before lunch. Looks like he will need to stay for at least two more days. Another long day in the hospital.

Ran/walked with Karen and Leslie.  So excited for Karen running BC tomorrow.  Was hoping I could run the last 11 miles with her; but looks like I might need to be at the hospital in the morning to bring hubby home which is good!

Shins hurting after the run!  I think I need to so some stretch, foam roll and have a serious taper! :)

Happy Friday all and GOOD LUCK to those running BC tomorrow!!!!! GO BIG!!! :) 

Made a frenzy of phone calls to find out what hubby's INR was and if I needed to be at the hospital for discharge and whether to run with Wendy locally or try to make it to Big Cottonwood Marathon to run Karen in.  I was at Wendy's doorstep ready to run with her when hubby called at 8:15 that his INR was still at 2.2 (actually dropped 0.1)...so had to stay in the hospital.  It was sad for hubby and he apologized.  I quickly phoned Leslie and she has already left and on her way to BC.  So I told Wendy to grab water bottle and I ran home to get a change of clothes and come back to pick her up for a FAST drive to BC.  Plan B was to park at the mouth of the canyon (mile 15) and wait for Karen at 9am.  The race was supposed to start at 7am.

Had no idea how to get to the mouth of the canyon with road closures, miracously as if my car was guided, I drove straight to the finish, on 1300 E and north side of Fort Union Blvd. and parked on the one available spot in front of a laundromat.  Wendy and I grabbed our water bottles and my phone, calling Leslie (no answer) while we ran on the course backward UP UP UP, all the while cheering the Half marathoners as they ran towards the finish.  I asked the runners what time the Half started, same time as the Marathon at 7 and I could see the 1:40 pacer running past.  We started our run at 8:49am , I worried we may miss Karen by the time we get there.  Saw Andy, Becky, Julie, Karen T, Susannah and Jacob running fast and strong to the finish!  :)  Thought it strange to see boxes of Gu's at the mile 24 aid station, isn't it too late in the race to be taking Gu?

We got to the mouth of the Canyon while Wendy went looking for Leslie, I ran alongside some runners and asked them what their watch said (2:04) and if the race started on time (NO, nearly 25 min. late).  So I ran back to find Wendy and Leslie standing at the road island cheering.  Lucky for us that the race started late, Karen came into sight within couple minutes.  She has hooked up with a gal named Teresa, a member of the Bells on Temple Square (was great listening to her story of Boston 2012).  Wendy got chicken out by the uphill on Wasatch so she stayed to wait for us there.  The four of us (Leslie, Karen, Teresa and me) ran together on the out-n-back of the course.  Karen was right on pace in front of the 4:00 group.  She said her calves were hurting.  She was still going strong after 15 miles of downhill pounding and now running on the out-n-back rollers, more up than down I think.  We were running in the low 9s.  When we got to about mile 17.5 I saw the Mile 20 marker on the opposing lane, I told Karen I'd wait there to run them back cause I only wanted to do 10 or 11 miles (with TOU coming up next week).  I had run 6.5 then. While waiting in the shade, I cheered on runners on both sides, saw Rachelle pacing the 3:40 (I think) and a few FRBs.  

I phoned Lowell and found that he was at mile 17.25.  Sure enough, he helped push a stroller up Wasatch Blvd and not far behind the 4:10 group.  He was so happy to see me.  I ran with him and told him Karen was having calf issues.  True to his hero nature, he pulled out a baggie of bacon to give to Karen as she runs by on the way down.  Saw RAD and we hugged, somehow never saw Marcie.  Instead of running down with Karen who has Leslie to run with, I decided to stay with Lowell who is struggling to keep pace...so what's 4 more miles to help a friend?  

Lowell getting super power from Darth after the turn-around! :)

Lowell passing out his "secret weapon" to "live long and PR" (aka bacon)  :) 

He started to take more walk breaks and checked his watch at each mile marker to compare the pace band he had purchased at the Expo from Andy.  At mile 20 he said he was 4 min. behind.  I told him we need to stay in the low 9s and only let him walk 20-30 seconds....told lotsa lies, sang songs, befriended fellow runners, enjoyed the beautiful Salt Lake Valley and Watsatch mountains scenery.  It was indeed a beautiful morning to run, calm, sunny blue sky, temp has barely climbed up to the high 60s. Sometimes I found myself running a bit ahead while talking to other runners, so I'd run back to get him.  Since we missed his 4:10 goal, now our focus is to get his BQ (4:25). He had already qualified and signed up for Boston 2015 on Wed.  He did not know that today's race is the starting qualifying date for Boston 2016! I know because I checked! :) :) :)  Cool that BC is good for two BQs!!!!

Lowell running by the church he used to attend when he lived in the area many many years ago.  Check out his form even in the late stage of the race in the 24th mile! 

No matter how many marathons you've run (this is Lowell's 102nd, his 101 was two weeks ago), the last 5Ks are still the hardest and it is still a thrill and joy to cross that finish!  He finished in 4:22:22!!! Hooray!!! 

We immediately went over to the fence where Karen and her husband Mark, Wendy and Leslie are waiting.  Karen finished in 3:58 (3 min shy of a BQ).  I felt bad I didn't run with her to the finish.  But am so proud of her AWESOME performance.  She got injured just before Ogden so she DNS there and started training back up when I got home from Australia. Consisdering that her highest mileage week was 45, she did outstanding today! Love, friendship, joy, support on a beautiful Sept morning captured at the end of a 26.2 journey! 

After bidding everyone goodbye.  I drove straight to the hospital to be with hubby. Showered and ate a big salad there.  Went home in the evening for the Saturday Stake Conference Mtg.  Both shins started to bug during the meeting.  Hope they heal up before next Sat. TOU, my last long long run before SGM! :)