Each Day Is a Gift

10 on TM autopilot mode.  6 on wet road under fluffy  white clouds/blue sky.  TT: 2:29:28.  The sun finally peeked through the clouds, HOORAY!!!!  :) :) :) 

Here's to a wonderful week y'all!!!

AM:  What a beuuuuutiful day!!!  33 degrees, sunny, blue sky, calm cool air.  Ran 7 w/ Karen, Wendy and Carolyn; then ran Karen home for a mile and 2 by myself to make 10 in 1:36:34.  Would have gone farther but I didn't have breakfast and didn't carry fluid w/ me.  Got home to drink and eat bowl of oatmeal w/ banana.  Was going to go out for more but the phone rang...too long of a break...so did core and strength exercises instead.  I really need to do these regularly!

3 circuits of Pfitz's advanced core strength exercises:

Abdominal crunch ~ 20 rep

Leg pushaway ~ 20 rep

Staff ~ 6 rep of 5 sec

Standing knee hold ~ 15 rep

Back extension ~ 15 rep

Side plank ~ 5 rep of 10 sec

2 circuits of Pfitz's strength training exercises:

Push up ~ 20 rep

Dumbell lat row ~ 15 rep per side

Bench dip ~ 15 rep

Swan ~ 10 rep

Step-up ~ 15 rep per leg

Lunge ~ 15 rep per leg

Squat ~ 20 rep

Alternate shoulder press ~ 15 rep per side

Seated triceps press ~ 15 rep

PM:  2 EZ to loosen things up then Yoga

Another nice day for outside running! :)  Had a yogurt & EmergenC before going for a 10 mile progressive run.  The legs were lead and everything hurts for the first couple miles.  Next 3 miles were easy, tried to be patient.  The last 3 took some focus to not get lazy.  Concentrated on one proprioceptive cue, Navel to Spine, during the middle miles.

10.5 in 1:41:33.  Splits:  11:23 (yikes!), 10:48 (ouch!), 10:07, 9:55, 9:44, 9:33, 9:20, 9:11, 8:55, 8:30, 8:00. 

I find that the nice thing about running in the 30's is I don't need to drink or fuel for 10 miles.

Stretch, yoga.

Jazz game tonight!

2 miles warm up in 19:14 (AP: 9:52)

6 x 800 in 3:42 to 3:56 (AP: 7:27). 

RI of 400 in 2:25 to 2:29 (AP: 9:50).  

2 miles warm down in 16:20 (AP: 8:06). 

8.5 miles total in 1:12:28.  AP: 8:31.

Went to the temple with 7 long time friends, Cathy, Carol, Elma, Nancy, Sharon, Valerie and Viola.  We have been friends for over 30 years since we moved to Lehi in 1980.  Then we went to Cathy's house for our annual Christmas luncheon.  So blessed to have such special friends!!! :)

Going to my son's Chamber Orchestra concert at BYU tonight! 

Ran by my lonesome under cloudy sky which turned to a light rain mid-run.   Did the 7-mile-bench-loop twice minus 1/2 mile on the west end of Bull River.  Lead legs, tight hip flexors, sore vastus medialis. Almost cut it short but so glad I didn't!!!  Rhett still beats me by 0.1 mile though! :) :) :) 

Kept thinking about my 5 sons and my SSF having Finals this week.  Today Bryan has *jury* which is a solo performance graded by the music professors.  He really needs a professional sounding viola.  Eric is finishing up his ER rotation at St. John's, hopefully will get some decent sleep next couple weeks, no holiday breaks for him though.  

I have been asked numerous times, mostly by non-runners, why I run so much.  I used to give quick answers like:  I just love to run, or Because I can.  There are many reasons why I run.  Today my thought is:  Running is the next closest thing to feeling FREE.  There is nothing quite like propelling yourself forward with your own power.  Endurance running is the only sport that I know of that is SPIRITUAL in nature.  I believe our spirits are much bigger and tougher than our bodies!  Indeed I believe there is nobility and greatness in each soul just waiting to break free! :) :) :)  Happy running y'all!

One of the most painful, lonely run of my life, death march, dead legs, at least the weather was nice, high 30's, cloudy, wet road.  I'm starting to question my sanity...why in the world would a 55 yo woman out there pounding pavement when all her friends are shopping or doing Christmas stuff.  Something is seriously wrong with me!