Each Day Is a Gift

Church.  Cooked a nice lunch for the family.  Took Jeff to the airport.  I hate goodbyes.  Brought out the Christmas tree and decorations.  Gave Steven a haircut. 

20 Weeks to Boston

Schedule says this is a recovery week, today's run s'posed to be 7 mi w/ 10X100 m strides.  Nah, I think I'll repeat week 20 and take the recovery week on week 16 (Dec 22-27) when the holiday would force a recovery week.  This will give me a gradual 3 weeks build up then 2 weeks stepback over the holidays.

Feeling not as rested this morning, but the weather is perfect for a nice run.  Ran 8 miles same route as last Monday and see how many miles I could maintain at sub-9.  Here goes:

1) 8:54 (0.5 mi of downhill)

2) 8:59 (some down and some uphill, keeping effort even)

3) 9:55 (uphill and elevation gain of 144' in 0.4 mi, steady effort)

4) 8:50 (heading east, rolling terrain)

5) 8:44 (2 seconds shy of tempo pace)

6) 8:54 (getting lazy)

7) 8:39 (hitting tempo pace)

8) 8:23 (tempo pace finished strong)

8 miles in 1:11:22 (last Mon was 1:10:15).  Average pace: 8:55.  HR: 170.  Not quite a tempo run, but a good run with 7 miles at marathon pace.

6 Ez recovery miles in 56:58.  Average pace: 9:29, HR: 154.  Splits:  10:04, 9:33, 9:18, 9:23, 9:18, 9:18

AM/PM Yoga

2 sets 15 rep for biceps and triceps

3 sets 15 rep crunches

1 chinup (barely and very shaky), 0 pullup (can't do it) on the trapeze bar of my backyard playground (haven't got the pull up bar gizmo yet)

I want to do today's 9 mi General Aerobic run a little different.  First off, this run is for Paul who's in the hospital recovering from brain surgery.  I love to run with a purpose.  It gives meanings and hearts to my run.  Secondly, I want to divide this run in two.  The first 2/3 (6 miles) will be run on hills.  I will run south on the 300 W hill then west on the 1200 W hill.  The last 1/3 (3 miles) will be eastward on gentle rolling terrain.  Depending on how my legs and lungs feel after all the hills, I will run this at tempo pace to cruise home.  Here goes:

Ran west for 0.3 mi at warm up pace before reaching the 1.5 mi of downhill which I ran easy not wanting to blow it.  Turn around at mile 2.3 for the 2 mile uphill.  It wasn't all out hard work.  Was able to keep the wheezing at bay.  During this stretch I thought of the struggle Paul, Leslie and her family are facing.  It gave me courage to run strong.

At the top of the hill (mile 4) I turned west to run down another hill, time to practice downhill technique and let her fly.  This is a good 0.5 mi downhill.  Just before the road level out, I heard and saw an ugly pug barking and charging from a side road towards me from the left.  I ran past the road keeping an eye on her.  She kept coming and chasing me.  I turned, while running backward, yelled for her to go home.  She didn't back off.  What to do?  I slapped my hands, pumped my arms while kicking high with each stride.  She finally got tired as the road began to go uphill, still barking and trotting now back on the sidewalk.  It made me so mad that people would let their dogs out loose.  With that I turned and attacked the uphill.  My heart rate was already elevated by that stupid pug.  I saw a group of mothers walking with their strollers, I warned them of the dog.  The next 1.5 mi has an elevation gain of 183'.  My goal was to run this at an even effort trying to keep it under 10:00.

Felt pretty good at the top of the hill (mile 6), so I picked up the pace going east.  The mountains look spectacular today as always.  The weather is perfect, partly sunny, temp at low 40's.  I began to feel that Paul is going to be all right.  A loving Heavenly Father will bless him.  Finished the last 3 miles progressively.  Jogged 0.25 mi for cool down.  Stretched throughly while petting sweet little Serena.

9 miles in 1:23:23 Splits: 9:38, 9:11, 9:29, 9:50, 9:29, 10:00, 8:46, 8:38, 8:19.  AP: 9:18, HR:159, Arthritis: 4 

50 crunches

Around the world core workout 15 reps

Around the clock lunges 15 reps 

Wall sit 3 x 15

Calf raises single 15 reps double 30 reps 

Biceps, triceps 2 sets 15 reps 

Yoga

Asian Chamber of Commerce Christmas dinner party tonight.  Try to drink water instead of juice and eat no more than 1/2 of dessert. 

Brrrr, I think temp. was in the high 20's.  Wore l/s Ogden08 shirt, CW-X insulator tights, running therma fleece, gloves, sunglasses; could have ditched the fleece after a mile.

6 EZ miles eastward, turned around at SR92 (mile 1.6) westward to 900W.  Time: 54:45.  AP: 9:07  HR: 167. Arthritis: 5  Nice easy run.  Splits:  10:06, 9:20. 8:47, 8:48, 8:50, 8:48

AM/PM Yoga

1 chin up (better controlled); 0 pull up (got to about nose level and couldn't go up higher).

The colder morning temp (24), the holiday gluttony, the late nights and the thought of running 15 solo miles didn't make for much motivation for me this morning.  Drag my tired self out of bed.  Had a yogurt and some gatorade.  Wore l/s top, tights, jacket, gloves and sunglasses.

Ran by my lonesome self on the JRP, same route as last Sat going north.  I saw two guys from my ward running on the opposite direction around mile 3.  The first 3 miles came in at 10:07, 9:35, 9:25.  Mile 4 and 5 with the uphill came in at 9:56 and 10:23, a bite slower than last week.  I really missed having someone (Kelli and friends) to push me here.   

Took 1 Gu with 1 flask of water at the mile 5 turnaround.  The downhill felt nice with a slight headwind coming from the south, mile 6 & 7 came in at 9:00 and 9:38.  I got distracted on the middle miles with the beautiful golf course, sunny sky and vista of the mountains.  Mile 8, 9, 10 splits were 9:26, 9:21, 9:33.  Felt a little tired by mile 10 and was glad to reach the car where I ditched my jacket and fuelt belt, drank 10 oz gatorade.  It took less than a minute, but sure felt good.  

Feeling revived I continued south to get 5 more.  I missed KellieS who ran with me on this stretch last Sat.  The splits came in at 9:13 and 9:06.  I turned around at the wetland trailhead and picked up the pace a little for the last 2.5 miles.  Finished the last three miles at 9:03, 8:55 and 8:32.  Right calf felt a little tight.  Jogged around the parking lot over the old bridge for a few minutes to cool down. 

15 miles in 2:21:20.  Average pace: 9:25.  HR: 159.  Arth: 4  Calf: 3

Hubby and I are hosts tonight at the company Christmas party dinner (4th one this week).  It's going to be Italian instead of Market Street Grill.  I hope the dessert is terrible.