Each Day Is a Gift

I just can't get into the Christmas spirit until I watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.  How I love their messages and stories.  I find myself searching at the viola section when the camera pan the orchestra.  Oh, I'm missing my son so much.  He's serving so diligently in Brazil.  He was 15 when he auditioned for the Orchestra at Temple Square.  He was set apart as a music missionary and had such wonderful experience.

I should've gotten out earlier.  I spent the morning "thawing" out my achy body and arthritis and waiting for my missionary's email.  By the time I went at 9:30, the wind was blowing fierce.  I ran the same route as last Mon hoping to do a tempo run.  The north wind just killed my drive especially running uphill.  What to do?  Cut it short?  Gut it out for a poor tempo?  I'm glad I had a beanie to cover my ears.

I read that intervals workout helps improve running economy and adapting better running form.  What an idea, it might just get my mind off this horrible wind.  So after the 3.5 miles of hilly warm up, I began the intervals going east.  It's gentle rolling, with wind coming from the north, in other words, a crosswind.  I ran 1 min. at around 10K pace and recover for 30 seconds, repeat 10 times.  The last set got a little harder, so I took 60 seconds to recover.  Intervals are hard but quite fun.  I discovered how springy my legs felt during the last two miles cruising home. 

8 miles in 1:13:55.  AP: 9:14.  HR: 165.  Arth: 5.   Splits: 9:24, 9:39, 10:33 (uphill w/ headwind), 9:16, 8:15 (10 x 1min. interval w/ 30sec recovery jog at 15K pace) 9:09, 8:58, 8:38.

AM/PM Yoga 

Hey Jeff, I did it.  You're a genius!!!  Here's Meg and I chatting away after Spectrum...FUN!

 Oops, I need to learn how to size it down before posting. 

Schedule calls for 5 recovery miles.  Pfitzinger says to optimize training, one needs to find the correct balance between training and recovery.  The most common mistake marathoners make is training too hard on recovery days.  For optimal recovery run, I need to keep heart rate below 70-75% or run approximately 2 minutes per mile slower than half marathon pace.

Temp. was in the low 20's.  The road has a layer of sparkly snow crust.  Perfect condition to do a recovery run.  I love this kinda winter morning when the mountains are completely covered with snow.  Its peaceful calm was only interrupted by the soft crunches of my slow smooth rythmic strides.

About 2.5 miles into the run I saw a gal turning from a corner and running the same direction ahead.  By her running form I recognized who she was.  I slowly caught up to her.  It was fun to talk about our SGM experiences.  I ended up running her home, for a total of 6.25 miles.  Average pace:  10:27, HR: 148, Arth: 5

Around the world core workout 25 reps

15 bench dips w/ legs elevated

30 bicep and tricep wt. lift

2 chinups, 0 pullups

Plan to run 9 EZ today.  As I was choosing which of the 4 pr of shoes to wear (they all have over 300+ miles and hashed), the phone rang.  Mary wanted to run with me.  She needed motivation.  She wants to run Ogden as her very first marathon.

I forgot to turn on my Garmin until about 1.75 miles into the run when Mary asked how fast we're going.  That's what happen when you start with someone you haven't seen for a long time and has a million things to talk about.  She only wanted to run 6 today.  Well, I'm a terrible coach.  I took her on two hills and ended up making her run about 7.25 miles.  I left her and finished my run with 10.25 miles total. 

Felt good the entire run.  Mary and I solved all the problems with her Stake's YW, and my Stake Primary.  We found our purposes in life.  She learned about tempo run, intervals, rest and cross training, long runs, motivation to run, blah blah blah.  It was all good.  I hope she's not too sore and never want to run with me again.

Garmin shows 8.5 miles in 1:21:16. Average pace 9:30.  Arthritis: 6 (stinks)

Major case of insomnia...meetings, meetings, meetings all morning.  Here's the hurry workout at lunch time:

Around the world core 20 reps

Around the clock lunges 12 reps

Calf raises single and double 20 reps

Wall sit 3 sets 15 sec.

Bicep triceps wt lifts 3 set 15 reps

1 pull up (YAY!), 1 chin up, not from hanging position.  Not sure if it's an improvement.  2 days ago I did 0 pull up but 2 chin ups.

Will do yoga tonight. 

Cape Diem

Forecast says it's going to snow tomorrow.  So I "seized the day" for a long run.  Ate yogurt, Kashi cereal w/ milk.  Wore l/s shirt, Nike sphere jacket, CW-X insulator, gloves, fuel belt.  We often say: "All roads lead to the temple!"  The road/route I ran today from home to temple is exactly 8 miles, east to Highland via SR 92 then south to American Fork for a 16 miles roundtrip.

A light snow dusted me the first 3 miles.  I drank 1 flask gatorade at mile 5.  Lotsa traffic this morning.  Under the shadow of Angel Moroni, I re-feuled w/ Gu and water before heading home.  The return trip always seems harder, heading north with slight elevation gain.  I drank 2nd gatorade at mile 11 and the last one at mile 14.5.  Passing motorists gave the "you're nuts" or "way to go" look.  Today I got two "HiYa" honks.  

I experimented with a running form where the pelvis is tilt slightly up, like tucking in the tail bone.  It seemed to give better leverage for the push off and kick...no more granny shuffles.  I used to tell my children:  "Don't just play notes, make beautiful music."  Now I'm telling myself:  "Don't just run miles, make beautiful strides." 

A bit more fatigue (during the last 5K) and calf tightness on today's 16 miler than last Sat's 15 miler.  Time: 2:33:20  Average Pace: 9:35  HR: 162  Arthritis:  5 pre- 3 post-run.

Splits: 10:19, 9:40, 9:41, 10:05, 9:57, 9:39, 9:12, 9:16, 9:47, 10:06, 9:38, 9:31, 9:00, 9:16, 9:07, 8:59

Afternoon:  clean up the play house, laundry, date night.

Evening:  AM/PM Yoga, aahh...so good to stretch!

Hubby bought me the Irongym bar from Walgreens.  I'll try it out tomorrow. 

Recovery run 4.5 miles in 42:13.    Average pace: 9:22    Felt great.  

Have never done this before, I think I like doing recovery run after long run.