I Can Do Hard Things

Holy smokes - what a fun race!  I certainly wasn't brave enough to wear a "colddddest costume", but enjoy watching everyone else!

Here are a few of the highlights:

-Driving up to Salt Lake listening to all the best songs from the year/decade (two that particularly stuck out were "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns and Roses - secretly, I always wanted to be Axel Rose for Halloween AND "Dreeamweaver").  Nothing like a good song to put you in a good running mood.

-Seeing the hairy dude in the red speedo and the ladies in the string bikinis (Maybe they weren't highlights, but I had bad dreams because of the hairy dude....)

-My race number was 2010.  I thought maybe that was good Karma for the year, but then I realized everyone had that number! 

Definitely not my fastest race, but I was there to enjoy!  It is always nice to have a starting point for the year - I want to run every race faster than the next.

1 - 9:10

2 - 9:03

3 - 8:05

.1 - 1.20 (7:52)

Average pace - 8:44

Total time:  27:40

I wish I would have run outside today!  But ended up taking the kids to the gym's daycare.

7.5 miles on the treadmill

70 minutes

20 eliptical

2 miles on the stair climber

I'm having a hard day today - maybe even a pity party!  Over Thanksgiving, I decided I was going to run my first marathon.  On things like that, once I commit - it is go time.  I don't turn back.  All my best efforts are put forth and very very rarely do I slack.

My left ankle has been bothering me for 2 weeks.  I should have rested it.  I thought I could run through the pain.  After doing some internet research (and that is always SO accurate), I think I might have a slight stress fracture.  This makes me mad cause gosh darn it -  I'm ready to go.  Mentally, I'm ready to work hard and hurt after a good workout.

I've been icing several times a day, Motrin, an ankle brace - but I think it needs rest.  While waiting for the stair climber at the gym, I went on the eliptical - YUCK!  What a waste of time.  It just bums me out!

 I'm ready to start racing fast.  Last year was my "warm up" after my 4 year "having babies" break!  I'm ready to loose my last few baby pounds (I'm 146 and want to be between 125-130) and be fast.  

Okay - I'm done with my frustration - time to make the best of the situation!

I decided to beat all the gym fakers and get there at 4:45am (fakers don't get up that early, do they??).  All the stair-climbers were occupied when I walked in the door, but by the time I took off my jacket and put on my brace one freed up.  

 My ankle is starting to feel better.  I've been wearing my hubby's old school ankle brace and it is really helping.  I think taking yesterday off helped too. 

I got home earlier than normal from the gym, so I went back to bed for an hour - AWESOME!

4.25 miles on the stair climber

45 minutes

 I decided I wanted to get on the road this afternoon -an easy slow run.  I wore the ankle brace and it did help.  My ankle got sore around 2.5.  I am going to cross train tomorrow, but it sure felt good to get outside!

Total time 35:13

Average mile split 8:51

1-8:57

2-8:58

3-8:56

4 - 8:21

This was my first awesome workout of the week!  I went to the gym at 4:45am and still had to wait for a stair-climber.  I asked the front desk guy about getting more machine - I wasn't the only one who had been complaining.  

2.25 miles on elliptical

4 miles on stair climber (35:25 minutes)

My ankle felt great!  I really massage it hard last night and the seemed to help a ton! 

8 miles on stairclimber

72:25

I was the 5th person in the gym today and got on a stairclimber - HAH!  I had people coming up to me the whole time asking when I was going to be done.  Unfortunately, there isn't much on TV at 6am on a Saturday morning - "The Bass Masters" is an AWESOME show (NOT!!). 

I didn't wear the ankle brace today and felt fantastic.  I think next week I will run every other day and cross train.

So on New Years Eve, on my way to the "Beat the New Year" race, they played the top 100 songs of the year/decade on the radio.  I hadn't heard this song in a long time and downloaded it the next day.  It helped me endure today on the stairclimber.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvj9i7wnFtA

6 miles on the stairclimber.  

55 minutes

I took my kids to the daycare today at the gym - there was a million kids.  I know going there isn't their favorite, so I tried to be quick.

Aerobicly I felt good, but my ankle was starting to hurt.  I'm going to wear the brace today and do low miles tomorrow.

3 miles on the stairclimber

1 mile on the treadmill

I felt frustrated this morning.  I'm so ready to run and when I got on the treadmill, I definitely need to rest my ankle some more.  It was sore and ached.  Anyone know of a good foot doctor in Utah County?

I'm taking the next few days off - hopefully my ankle will feel better.  I register for Grandma's marathon tonight.  I hope it doesn't jinx my ankle!

I went to see a doctor who specialized in sports medicine yesterday - I almost canceled because my ankle was feeling a lot better, but glad I didn't.  He was awesome and didn't look at me funny because I was a runner.  Actually, he works a lot with the BYU running teams and wish I had the budget that those teams did (they don't seem to sorry about cost!).  Nice guy and seemed to know his stuff.

They took an x-ray of my ankle and didn't see any fractures.  He said a lot of time they don't see the tiny stress fractures so he wanted to do a bone scan.  I felt like I had to coordinate a 3-ring circus trying to get my big kids to school - someone to watch my 2 year old daughter - pick up kids and take to art lessons and someone else to watch my 2 year old.  Going to the hospital twice in 3 hours ALONE is tricky.  I think I have it all worked out though.  Tuesday is the day.

So I'm still out for alittle while.  He told me to get into the pool and to bike.  Sadly, I have a fear of water.  Yep - I admit it.  The only time I get in a swim suit is to take my kids to swimming lessons and I sit on the side. 

I don't know how to swim.  AT ALL!  So I did my version of a back stroke and was breathing hard for 45 minutes.  I'm sure I broke all the pool etiquette rules and looked like a wreck.  Next time, I'll go to spin.

 Good news is I got into Grandma's and have a hotel (rooms are hard to find in that little city). 

Off to wash sheets!

I totally got my hiney kicked at spin class this morning.  I really liked the instructor.  He was in his 60's and had a jersey on for a ride across America from 1996-2006.  The dude rode across the states - for 10 years in a row!  He is tough.

 I felt that I worked out hard during the class.  It is had to compare spinning/swimming to running - I'm sure I am getting a good workout, but how good, I'm not sure!

After the spin class I swam for 20 minutes in the pool.  I had goggles today and still had no idea what I was doing.  I don't know how the athletes swim MILES during the ironman - I would drown!

I think between the hour of spin and 20 minutes of swim I could have run 9 miles.

I did 3 miles on the STUPID elliptical.  My ankles started to act funny, so I jumped off and finished my last 20 minutes on the bike. 

I'm not sure why I have such an aversion to the elliptical, but it doesn't suite my fancy :)

I'm getting my bone scan this afternoon.  I hope all my arrangements don't flake on me for getting kids places or I am swimming up a creek.

swim - 25 minutes (I will count it as 2.5 running miles)

spin class - 45 minutes (I will count it as 4.5 running miles)

I am getting more comfortable in the water, but need to take lessons if I am going to keep it up.  I don't feel like I am getting that "high" when I do when I run.  I guess that is the frustrating part. 

CRAP-CRAP-CRAP!  The doctor called me - it is fractured - in the ankle AND heel.  Arghhh......  I haven't run for 2 weeks and still need to rest it for 6 more weeks.  What an inconvenience, but definitely not the end of the world!

This evening I swam 45 minutes and 44 laps in the pool.  I tried to swim 2 laps average pace and then pick up speed for 2 laps and repeat.  After each 2 fast laps, I was huffing and puffing - it was hard.  I felt like I had a good workout.  

Pool was crazy this morning.  Every lane had 2 people in it and I only hit my lane partner a few times :)

 I swam 45 minutes - 42 laps - 1100 M. 

Tomorrow since it is suppose to be my "long running day", I am going to try to swim a mile.  I hope I don't drown!

Off to the shower and back to bed to the kids come wake me up!

I had every intention of working out hard this morning.  My two big girls were up all night long.  We usually close their door when they sleep, but left it open.  Since it was open, they thought it was time to get up.  So at 2:47am and 30 minute intervals after that the parade of girls came and woke us up.  

 When my alarm when off at 5:45am, I had no issues about hitting that off button.  Oh well.....It was nice to rest my ankle!

Swim - 25minutes (about 2.5 running miles)

Spin Class - 45 minutes (about 4.5 running miles)

I feel so discouraged today.  When my doctor called withe my bone scan results, he told me I could swim and bike.  That has what I've been doing - I haven't cheated because I know it will only slow down my recovery.  But my foot kills today and I think it is from spin class.  I feel like I keep taking 1 step forward and 2 steps back.  

  Running always gives me such a high.  I am addicted and going through such serious withdrawals.  I need it and I am a long way from getting it.  I'm just having a downer of a day.  Plus, I'm really tired.  On the days, when I know I am getting up super early (5am), I always wake up in the middle of the night fearful that I have slept through my alarm.  Silly - I know. 

 I need to find 4 parents to help with a class party - those phone calls are SO not fun!  No one ever wants to volunteer!

45 swim minutes - 44 laps

The pool was "hose water" cold this morning.  I would have left, but I had gotten up at 5am to swim and wasn't going to leave after making that sacrifice.  Brrrr.....I've been cold all day.

40 minutes - 46 laps - approximately 4.6 running miles

The pool temperature was back to normal - hooray!  I felt really strong today while swimming - I tried to visualize my favorite runs while I counted ceiling tiles during the swim.  I know this may sound silly, but I STILL cannot believe that I am swimming (even if it is only the back stroke).  My fear of water is slowly not becoming a fear.

 The weigh in today was 142lbs - down 2 lbs.  I was alittle surprised because I made a big batch of cookies last night for my kids and snarfed down WAY too many.   I was chatting with a friend about P90x - anyone have any thoughts on this?  Is it worth it? 

60 minutes aqua running

I went to the rec center tonight (my regular gym doesn't have a deep-end pool) to do some aqua jogging instead of regular swimming.  Wow - that is really hard!  I really liked it and plan to do it more often.  It was fun to watch all the little kids in swim lessons (I felt like I needed to join them) and it kept my mind occupied.

Kelli-I'll have to weigh in tomorrow morning.  I didn't know where the scale was at the rec center.  Yesterday I was 142. 

22 easy laps - 25 minutes - 3-running miles

I was SO tired last night after my deep water aqua running.  My body ached and ached as I was trying to fall asleep.  I decided to take it easy today and recover.  I think I will go back to the rec center tomorrow and do a "long run" aqua style!

 Kelli-I weighed in at 141.8lbs (down .2 from Wednesday).  The weekend is coming up which usually means extra treats - I've got to be careful!

swim - 64 laps=1 mile - 52 minutes

I was SO not excited to go to the gym today.  Hubby was camping with the scouts and I kept procrastinating and procrastinating.  But I did go and was SO glad I did!

I think after my pool run on Thursday, my body thought this was a cake walk.  Each lap, I kept getting faster and faster.  I was breathing hard (really hard in some areas) and now I'm feeling alittle bit heavy (like after a good workout).

I'm seriously considering doing a tri - I just need to get a bike.