You've got to want it to win it

Last day of break before returning to daily practice.

Break is over. It is back to daily runs now. We did the first mile on the track and then ran 15th. The 6 mile group turned around just before 1700s. The pace felt fast, and the way back uphill was rough. But we did it. And then did strides at the track. Lifted afterwards. I doubled my PR on chin-ups! By going from 1 to 2 💪🏼👄

I was late to practice today because I was working on a group project for my biostatistics class. Student first, athlete second. Now I understand why Bekah wasn't able to make a lot of the runs her senior year while she was also in a masters program. If more people on the team were graduate students then they would understand. Yay for end of semester projects. But it is about time I get caught up on homework, missing two weekends in a row for regionals and then nationals made it's mark on my homework pile. Anyway, I started with a mile on the track and then took advantage of being on my own to run 11th Avenue, since no one ever wants to run there. I enjoyed it :-) finished with strides at the track. Skipped my GS because that's what I've done all season. Ha ha ha...

6 miles on one of the cool looking treadmills in the Sorenson that I haven't used yet. The belt is thicker and in segments, I think designed for lower impact running. I finally got to see a doctor about my foot!!! Since my heel has been hurting all season, and somehow getting my arch taped was supposed to take care of it. Anyway, X-rays were unrevealing of a stress fracture, but I am getting an MRI next week to take a closer look. The treadmill was partially for lower impact but also to avoid the yucky Salt Lake inversion air. 

One of the freshman asked if we had practice today. So the answer became yes. It was cold at 9am at Liberty Park. But at least my "long run" max is 7 right now, so it was less than an hour. And it got warmer as we went. We were supposed to do the first lap at the park, but were allowed to go out after that. So we did, out and back on 500e, and one more lap in the park when we got back. Kep was out of town for Footlocker or Nxn, so Coach Mack brought us donuts and hot chocolate!!! That made it worth it :-) foot hurt really badly the rest of the day. 

For our run today we did the Albertson's loop after a mile on the track. It would have been long had we gone all the way to 2100s, so we turned down the street we were on when we hit 4 miles. Finished back at the track with strides before lifting.

I had an MRI for my foot today and missed meeting with the team to run, so decided to run on the alter-g. I started at 75% and worked up to 82% with no pain. It was my first time on the alter-g, and I'm not sure that I like it. The most annoying thing was not being able to have a regular arm swing, and the feeling like I was getting thrown side to side in the bubble. But it was cool to experience once I suppose. And to feel the effects of running at a lower body weight and how it is easier to go faster.

Got the results back from my MRI today! No fractures, which is good, but my plantar fascia tendon has thickened just below where it attaches to the calcaneus, and this is causing some bone stress. It is nice having a diagnosis because now I know what is ok to do and how to treat it! So yay!!! We did another shortened version of Albertson's loop again today, this time cutting down before 1700s. It is nice to change things up a bit!

Before today's run I got my foot scraped to help with that thickened tendon. It felt like it helped a lot! Though it didn't completely suppress the pain. For the run today we did fruit loops through the golf course onto Wasatch, and then back through the golf course and down to Foothill to return to campus. I was hoping to do fruit loops back since I hate running on Foothill, but at least we only had to run it once today!

Today was the last day we are allowed to meet for official team practice, so we ran Trax!!! Yay!!!! Except it has been so long since we've done it that it was hard to remember which route was what distance. So Andrea and I, even with the first mile on the track, ended up just having 7 after going behind the capitol before going to the train. We didn't want to do the extra mile tomorrow, so once back on campus we ran one more mile.

I had to go to campus for treatment on my foot, so figured it would be nice to run in my parents' neighborhood again :) I started at their house and ran along 1500e to Sugarhouse, then up to 1700e and along the cemetery loop route. Doing that and then finishing back at my parents house got me another 8 mile run.

While my teammates on campus suffered on the treadmills because of the heavy snow, I for once enjoyed that there is less snow in West Valley because I was able to run outside. I ran out to 6200s and 3200w and back. The way out was nice, but I was running into the wind on the way back so that was cold!!

Today after getting treatment on my foot I ran on the treadmill at the Sorenson. The melted snow from yesterday froze overnight to make dangerous, icy sidewalks, and running outside an unsafe option. But the snow was pretty to look at, so the miles passed quickly. When I was done I got my first lift in for the week as well.

I bought a month pass to the gym by my house since trips to campus every day winter break won't be the most convenient. Also because I got in a car accident on the way home yesterday (not my fault) and it isn't really freeway safe, so while I wait for insurance I can't really drive far away places in my car. I did 7 miles on the treadmill at the gym. Change of treadmill scenery sure helps on weeks like this!

I missed getting up to campus to do rehab yesterday, so today I went to get my foot scraped again in addition to regular rehab before running. I did 7 miles on the treadmill, sad to have to cut it short and to skip lifting since I was going to be late for work :( It sure is frustrating when non-athletic people don't understand how time consuming training for a sport is.

This morning I ran 8 miles in the neighborhood. 

Long day today, it was my Grandma's funeral. Biked 30 minutes at the gym at night. 

Missed running yesterday for my brother's wedding, which was way more important :-) we had another family funeral today (in laws) so I didn't get to the gym until late. When the guy closing up came in and told me they were closing, I nicely asked for one more minute to finish my last mile and he agreed. So I got a full 4, at least.

Between work and getting Christmas presents ready and preparing for Christmas Eve parties I was able to get in a 5 mile run dropping off cookies to my visiting teaching sisters and then out and back on 3200w. Better than nothing! Plus the decrease in miles means my foot is getting better. 

7 miles on the treadmill at the gym this morning. Later we took Ellie sledding for her first time :-) 

This evening I went to the student life center on campus with Jesse and Ellie. His ucard wouldn't work to get in :-( and they wanted to charge $6 for Ellie! Umm children 2 and under are free EVERYWHERE! And I'm pretty sure the life guards told me babies were free when I asked them a few weeks ago. Also, there was only 30 minutes until closing anyway! Which was really stupid that they would try to charge us $12 so we could be there as a family :-( so Jesse tended Ellie downstairs while I ran laps around people on the track upstairs. I did 22 laps total and finished just before closing. 

4 miles on the treadmill at the gym this morning before work. I don't know what I ate, but something was not sitting well and I had to make 2 stops during. If my baby wasn't waking me up at 5:30 crying for her bottle there is no way I could be out the door this early! But I'm glad :-) it is such a relief to get my run done first thing and to be able to pick up Ellie after work and just go home and be a mom and do mom things and cook dinner for the family :-) 

6 miles on the treadmill at the gym this morning. Listening to TED talks always make treadmill runs go by quicker. I think I'm finally over whatever was making me feel crappy earlier this week. Ha. Ha. Good thing too, since the gym is closed tomorrow and I will have to run outside!