Create.

am

2 miles warm up, 3 miles really hard, 1 mile cool down

pm

4 easy miles

ST: hip abductors/lateral rotators 

30 minutes upright bike (easy)

11.5 miles (2 warm up @ 8:57, 8 @ 7:28, 1 mile of 1 minute hard and 1 minute jog repeats, .5 mile cool down @ 8:34)

* Still pretty tired -- hope to get the spring back in my step soon. Fonz was trying to talk to me while I was struggling to just keep my head upright during the 8 @ 7:28 ... I told him that I was dying and could NOT talk and run simultaneously but he just laughed and said it was good for me! Compassionateless man!!! He also said that he saw a flaw in my gait (there are a lot of them) but that he thought it best not to tell me what it was until after Boston. Now I am going through all of my flaws in my head ... stink! Then I wanted to quit around mile 5 (of the 8) but luckily a firefighter came and started biking almost directly in front of my treadmill -- I decided I could hang on for just a bit more. :)

Happy Tuesday, all!(It is Tuesday, right?) :) 

10.2 miles to Copper Hills HS and back, AP 8:33

Felt like I was running on fumes and as if my tummy was eating itself (the wind did not help matters). Not pretty. I pushed hard yesterday so maybe this is to be expected. I think nutrition and sleep are going to be paramount these next 19 days. Let the real taper begin. :) :) :)

Happy Wednesday! 

am

5 miles: 1 easy, 2 MP, 1 Vo2, 1 easy

For our Physical Agents lab today we did massage!!!! AAAAAaaaahhhhh!!!! I want to go back. It was pure heaven. I needed that so so so badly. I have a feeling that my hubby is not going to complain when I need his body to practice on (he really has been a good sport about letting me practice the not so pleasant aspects of physical therapy on him). :)

pm

5 miles: 2 easy, 1 super hard (6:23 pace ... I know for many of you that is no sweat ... but it is the fastest I have ever run a mile on the treadmill ... so I am very pleased :) ), 2 easy.  

4 easy miles

1 hour of aquatic therapy: AWESOME core workout plus! :) 

*** FOR THOSE OF YOU RUNNING THE RIVERTON HALF (OR 5K) TOMORROW: PLEASE COME BY AND SAY HI AFTER THE RACE! I WILL BE RUNNING THE HALF BUT WILL BE STAFFING THE U OF U PHYSICAL THERAPY BOOTH THERE (IN THE BIG TENT) AFTERWARDS! WE SHOULD HAVE OTTER POPS, U OF U PENS, AND SOME FLYERS REGARDING COMMON RUNNING INJURIES. *** 

So ... this race did not go as I expected. It was much more difficult than I had anticipated and the wind and crazy hills did not help!! I cannot say that I pushed to my max, but I definitely did not take it easy. Sadly, my average pace ended up close to what I want my Boston pace to be. That definitely has me second guessing myself. STINK!

BUT ... even considering this I am happy that I ran the race. SO MUCH FUN to be around other runners and good friends!!! LOVED seeing everyone!!! Also a quick shout out to my SSF who appeared to get through the entire race without her asthma taking over. She looked AWESOME at the end!! WAHOO!!! To Rivertonpaul for cheering all the runners on on his home turf (even though he could not run it). And, of course, to Walter who won the whole thing outright!!! NICE!!!

Looking back there are definitely some Dos and Don'ts that I will want to incorporate in future races:

1. DO NOT go to Panda Express the night before a race right before they close (9:58 p.m.) and tell them just to give you what they have left (because the choices are sparse) and then inhale it while watching recordings of The Voice. Bad idea. :(

2. The following conditions DO NOT mean you should take it down a notch and start walking through the aid stations (periodically glancing backwards to make sure no other women are getting too close):  1.When there are not any women ahead of you that you think it would be possible to reel in during the last few miles OR 2. There are not any women behind you that you think are going to catch up. Bad idea. :(

3. DO have your kids run the last stretch with you if the race people are okay with it. My FAVORITE part by far!!! LOVED IT!!! Good idea. :) 

4. DO eat a fortune cookie the night before a race. No one puts bad fortunes in fortune cookies! Last night mine read, "Good luck will come your way when you are not expecting it." Considering my race I definitely did not expect to place. Certainly the fortune cookie made all the difference. Good idea.  :) 

ALSO: a quick thank you to those of you who stopped by our U of U PT booth. :) :) :)