Believe to Achieve

Left late.  And it is way too humid for me.  I ran what I call the sprinkler route.  I ran from one sprinkler to the next.  Very refreshing.  Kept me out longer than I thought I could last.  With my chemical allergies/fibromyalgia humidity is a killer.  46 minute run.  I don't do much speed work.  I rely on local races to improve my times.  But I will try to step it up the next few weeks. 

Run easy to my usual spot in North P.G. to the 800 meter start.  Did 2 by 800 at 6:36 pace.  Then a mile at just under 7 minute pace.  Someone rolled down the window while I was doing my 800 with ear phones on to ask directions.  I kept on running as I was in the zone.  Felt really torn afterwards.  Should have been a better person to stop and help.  Personally being a runner I would never ask a fast runner for directions.  A jogger yes but a booking it runner no.  What do you all think?  I feel guilty enough.

Biked to American Fork Rec center (3miles), swam one mile freestyle.  Haven't done a complete mile for over a year.  Did it in just under 36 minutes.  Felt great and had a lot left.  Biked home.  Love cross-training.  Giving my joints a good break. 

Ran from Timponoke campground down 1.5 miles then back up.  Took it real easy.  Exhilarating run in the mountains, but a little too humid.

Woke up at 4:50am in P.G. and made my way over to the race for packet.  I was hoping to know the course but oh well.  Not keen on Snake-like endings on flat terrain (it was flat right?).  Planned for a 7:15 to 7:30 pace.  Ended up at 7:25.  I was glad with that.  First mile 7:20, then the rest as follows: 2- 6:53 (oops better slow down), 3-7:18, 4- 7:17, 5- 7:30, 6- 7:37, 7- 7:09, 8- 6:54, 9- 8:02 (longggg?), 10- 7:20, 11- 7:37, 12- 7:47 (spray painted bright orange on ground, going slow enough to see it), 13- 7:30.  It is a mental game for me.  If I don't know the ending or where the miles are I panic and my breathing becomes labored and I of course slow down.  Glad to actually find the mile 12 on the ground as I wanted to pick it up the last mile.  Took two gus.  Had to pee the first half greatly!!!!  Makes for pace problems but managed anyway.  Improved last years time by five minutes.  Can't run hobble creek as a race (didn't make the cut).  Bummer as I have run it at least 7 times and I really wanted to get under 1:34.  When I ran 2001 Provo half I came in at 1:36:12  (much different course) and was 1:34 at Hobble Creek.  I think I could do it  because I won't be stupid and camp the Thursday nite before and get no sleep and eat over 15 marshmallows on a campfire (yup, I did that last Thursday).  Oh well.  It is not St. George yet.  Hope to run HOPE to HOBBLE on August 30th.  Any thoughts on this run from you fast runner bloggers?  I think it may help my strength and endurance.  My plan August 23rd with permission from Runners-corner is to run the Hobble Creek half at 530am with all the markers in place and try for a PR with my good fast runner friend Melanie (she had a baby two weeks ago, yes she is fast).  My husband will be dropping me off and Melanie's car will await us at the bottom.  Then it is off to three soccer games (two I coach) of my three girls.  Have a great week!!!

Easy run to help release the lactic acid.   Thighs sore.  Ankles tight.  Need more support in my shoes.  Probably need new ones.   Stomach trouble at 45 minutes so stopped so as to not have accident.  Walked half mile home.

Ran up 1100 north to canal trail and over to cedar hills and back down.  Stomach trouble again at 45 minutes.  Stopped for five then made it home slowly. What is going on?  Realize a little intestinal bug involved.  Husband having same problem.  By the way as of Jan 2nd of this year I got my husband to transform into a runner over the following months.  He has lost 45 pounds and even ran the Speedy Spaniard in 47:10!!!!!  He played soccer all summer so no other races.  He may be convinced to run a marathon but first the half.

Losing weight without trying.  Feeling weak.  Took day off.   Need to hydrate. Was going to swim but neck pain and burning nerve pain down arm acting up.   Shoulder and other muscle aches. This is usual for me.  Chronic pain. Trying to get used to it.  Not taking anything for it.  Just being tougher than the pain most days.  If in a bind I take one half of a soma (muscle relaxant). 

Biked 6 miles (to American Fork Rec center and back), swam 1 mile freestyle, half mile other strokes.  Improved mile from last  weeks to 30:48.  It was  a yard pool today (they alternate at AF from the 25 yards to the 50 meter length every other day, didn't know that) but swam 65 laps the guard told me made a mile.  I prefer the long pool (50 meters), lot less flip turning.   Apparently it may be good exercise to flip turn 64 times.  Timed my slow breast stoke for 25 yards (27 seconds) and back stroke (28).  Fly (22 seconds).  Not sure how good or bad the times are.  Haven't swam in several years.  Was on the Ossipee Otters swim team when I was 10 and under back in my homestate of New Hampshire.  No swim team in high school so just waited around not swimming until I decided to do a triathlon back in 2003.  The Salem one.  It was in April then and I froze so greatly that I never thawed on the bike or run.  I did come in third overall  for woman after two road bikes.  I used a mountain bike.  But because of the near death feeling of the frozen Salem pond I haven't returned.  My health deteriorated for   quite some time after that race.  The water was scary (to me).  Now I am reconsidering venturing back to the triathlon.  Is there a way to change my original template for this site back to the tri-template so I can write down miles for swimming and biking separately?  I am computer challenged.  I think since they are getting rid of softball and baseball in the olympics they should add text messaging as an olympic sport.  It is right up there with badminton and table tennis as far as hand eye coordination.  I don't text either.  So no medal for me.  Have a good day all!!!

Tempo run.  Not really fast but not really slow for me either.  Did MY 5k I clocked around my home.  Just ran at a 8:28 pace.  Legs floppy/sore from biking and swimming yesterday.  Tommorrow is 18 to 19 so I didn't do much mileage.  I have this nagging burning pain in my right ankle on the outside.  It feels like I could tear something and then it goes away after several minutes and doing some ankle twists while trying to run.  Anyone had this problem?  It happened in last weeks half marathon and for a week before that in my runs.  Hope it is not serious.  Would hate for something to snap and give up my goal for this year at St. George. 

Had my husband drive my friend Kim and I to a couple miles up past Timponoke (sp.) campground  at 445 am.  We started running at 515am.  Because I had to watch my daughters soccer game at 8am we had to pick up the pace after the first 7 miles.  It was pitch black at the beginning and still had to dodge at least 15 cars before getting to the fork where we turned up and ran to the Tibble Fork Reservoir potty (2.4 miles).  We then went straight down the canyon toward Kim's house in PG.  We ran 19.5 miles at a 8:24 average pace.  I am pretty sore today.  Did too much on my legs last week I think with the swimming and biking.  The night before my legs were extremely tight and sore from stretching after my brief run yesterday.  Part of what I have been dealing with physically.  I hope to figure out this fibromyalgia thing.  I am on a stict diet of avoiding possible allergenic foods (yeast, sugar, corn) and eating lots of whole grains and vegetables, taking vitamins (yeast free) and probiotics.  I have gotten a lot better.  I don't have as much burning nerve pain and numbness.  But this thing switches areas of my body  so I have to switch my training focus when it takes over my legs.  I will now have to rest several days.  I am also extremely allergic to perfumes and colognes/cleaners etc.  If anyone wears it at a race (or anywhere) and I am close by I get an immediate headache, lightheaded, labored breathing and muscle aches.  I have to stay to myself until the approaching starting time as anyone wearing a strong scent will kill me off.   The fresh, cool mountain air is therapeutic for my health situation  I would have taken it slower on the run if I had more time but still I wasn't dying at the end. It felt like a tempo run.   We ran eight minute pace for 3 to four of the last miles.  I wouldn't recommend this run on a Saturday to anyone.  The traffic was atrocious (sp.).  It was more like dodge car--ing.  Our pace would have probably been much better if we didn't think every turn we might get hit and this was at 7am.  I guess something was going on up in the canyon my husband said.  Hope everyone else had a great run!!!

Easy run.  Loop around my home for 3.7 miles.  8:46 pace.  Relaxing post long run run.  Lactic acid pretty much gone.  Biked twice to school (total 4 miles).  Walked one mile.  Not sure how fast I will be able to go at the 530am start at hobble creek without pace setters around me.  C'est la vie.  Too busy with two soccer games at 8am (coach both).  My husband will coach one, I the other.  Only time where two games at same time so need to leave early on run Saturday.  Plus even though I had someone who didn't want to run Hobble Creek that won a spot they aren't allowing name changes this year.  I never run a race under a different person's name.  If I am going run a race I want my name behind it.  Good luck to all of you that get the extra push of other runners on the road.  Melanie and I will try to push the pace on our own. 

Easy run to my 800 meter road in upper PG then ran two by 1/2 mile (800 meters).    Times:  3:08, 3:05.  Ran back up once to do the second one.  The third half mile is from a stop sign to my house. This 800 is partly uphill so was 3:12.  Got to take it easy or I get a super duper headache and major exhaustion.  Felt great and still do.  Getting hot again outside in the am.  Glad I went at 630am. Will take it easy next few days and hope that Saturday's run down Hobble Creek is at my goal pace of 7:15 (I will take faster). 

Biked six again to recreation center and back.  I get there and they changed their routine on me so  I get to swim the mile again on the yard pool.  65 laps.  Yuck.  Too many flip turning after eating a light breakfast.  Took me to the 1/2 mile mark to feel like not losing my cookies.  I can hear my mom say "don't eat before swimming you'll get a cramp"  hey and I did.  Moms are always right.  I stayed pretty much the same pace as last week mainly because I was all excited to get back to the 50 meter length pool and got there and they changed to the new high school schedule.  Okay, okay enough.  It was a nice swim.  I did the mile in just 32 minutes.  Bike pace is faster now on my mountain bike.  Hope this teaches my legs to turn over faster in my tempo runs.  Took a nice warm bath this evening after coaching my daughters soccer game.  I get too involved.  I played field hockey in high school.   We were a pretty competitive team.  Anyone watch the field hockey in the olympics?  Pretty tough/rough game. Brings back fond memories.   I always came home with ball prints on my knees. 

Absolutely nothing.  Except help at the cannery for 2 hours canning peaches and riding with my kindergarten on my bike to school for her assessment (a whopping two miles,very slow).  My shoulders are very tight from canning.  I carry a lot of stress in my shoulders.  Two days to the starting line.  My husband will be driving us to the start at 5am.  We should start around 530am.  Hopefully we won't have to manuever around too many buses on the way down.  I feel safe once we are on the trail at mile 8.  Hope the drivers can see us.  Not sure I can get a PR in these conditions.  Perhaps I should go at night around 7pm?  but then the mile markers may not be up.  I am not a night runner either.  What to do. 

Changed our Hobble Creek race date to this morning at 550am from Saturday as we chatted about the logistics last night on the phone (Melanie and I). Since I had two soccer games and she has 5 kids and a husband leaving on a camping trip we decided it would be best. Avoiding the parading buses up the route was also an incentive. The weather was cool but I started in shorts and shortsleeved shirt. No problem. We put water at mile 4 and mile 10. Therefore we were lacking on hydration and could have done better if it truly was a race. We ran it in 1:34:10. Melanie 20 seconds faster. We ran the FULL course, thru the ridiculous trail that takes away your speed for a moment. We were at the halfway point (6.55miles) at 46:01 (7:00 pace). Wow haven't run that fast in over 7 years. The second half was 2 minutes slower. Oh well. Our last 5K was 22:43. I assume the course ends around that building in the park again for 13.1 cause that is what we did. We are glad to be done. Good luck to all you golden ticket holders!!!!!

Ran a slow four plus mile run to try to remove the stiffness.  Ankles stiff and sore.  Thighs tight, hamstrings tight but not as bad as after long run last Saturday.

Ran to Cedar Ridge Elem by way of 600 west etc... up farm road and back down on trail at Heritage Park to Deerfield Elementary turne right for .2 miles then turned left toward Lincoln academy and down my 800 meter road to see what my pace was (7:22) from Heritage park to home.  So 3.5 mile or more of tempo running.  Felt great second half which is why I started tempo running.  But my ankles are quite stiff.  Lay off spaghetti squash as I read somewhere you should if you have gout or pseudogout which can cause aching joints.  Been eating tons of spaghetti squash.  Still avoid ibuprofen as much as possible so I don't get a bleed again.  Although it helps the inflammation I can't stand the stomach pain.  I am looking for a wholistic treatment in that respect.  PS I don't have gout per se I just can't understand how intense my joints ache in my lower legs that I figure it might be diet related since inflammation and food allergies go hand in hand.  Hope this makes sense.  Been studying up on nutrition and body healing  due to my health problems.  I learn things everyday.  

Swam a mile (1600 meters) after biking to rec center.  Got to check the difference as I know 1625 yards (25 yards times the 65 I was doing on the short pool) is shorter than 1600 meters.  Obviously with my times.  I did the 1600 meters in 34:20.  Faster than three weeks ago at just under 36 mintues.  The last two times I went I swam 1625 yards in under 32 mintutes.  So now I got to check the conversion chart.  Felt fine.  Good work out.  I also did 200 meters of cool down with back stroke and breast stroke.  Had to get back home for kids on their way to school so quick cool down.  Rode to school and back with kids (2 miles round trip).  Will do that two more times today.  Good easy exercise.  I like this cross training.  It is strengthening my arms and shoulders.  Hopefully they can carry me better in the marathon.  Anyone doing Hope to Hobble this weekend?  I am for the first time.  Sounds very fun.  I love the back country. 

Ran up 1100 north in Pleasant Grove from my house in 23:54.  Went around row of trees then did second split to home at 16:55.  Amazing what a steep hill can do to improve your time (seven minute difference).  Felt good.  Last mile is half uphill so was 7:02.  Improved that route time by 1 and 1/2 minutes.  This was an impromtu run.  I have been dealing with asthma like feeling in my upper lungs due to the fires polluting the air.  My ankles are much improved since laying off the squash.  I am feeling stronger.  My bike mile splits are faster.  Rode my bike three times to Manila Elementary (two mile round trip).  The way back is easy as I have to wait for my kids.  Difficulty breathing well because I came in contact with some pretty strong cologne that made it much worse for me and also gave me a burning headache and shoulder pain.   Yes it is weird but cologne/perfumes/cleaners cause my muscles to spasm and my nerves to burn especially my face and shoulders.  I can actually pass out if I don't get away quickly.  Last year at St. George marathon was fascinating.  Took benadryl the night before and still had a super duper headache before the race.(Benadryl doesn't help my headaches but I was at my last resort the night before).  Able to release a lot of toxins running the marathon so felt good by mile 15 and was able to qualify for Boston again in 3:41:13.  The first half was nine minute miles.  Second half I picked it up to 8 or less.  This year I plan on starting at 8 and going to 730 for the second half considering I am in better shape and am able to avoid more of the chemicals I am allergic to because I now know which ones are setting me off.  I have many food allergies too.  Slowly getting better though.  Running is still my friend. 

Ran with my husband for a brief run at a slow pace (9:00)which felt hard because I am feeling yucky.  I still have this asthma-like feeling in my chest  but now I feel nauseated and achy.  My daughter woke up with a sore throat and cough so perhaps I am fighting the big bad ugly once more as my other daughter had it pretty bad last week.  I was glad I escaped it then and hope to now as I am running 21 on Saturday, the Hope to Hobble Run with the club.  May rest tommorrow.  Hope to come out of this soon.  Don't feel like eating but probably should. 

Day off.  I feel gross.  Achy and flu-like and slight raspy throat.  My daughter woke with a horrid cough and swollen tonsil that migrated to her whole upper respiratory tract by the end of day.  I have intense nausea as well.  Trying to beat it as I AM RUNNING 21 tommorrow no matter what.  My body loves to "pretend" it is sick when it knows I am taking it out on a long run.  Tomorrow is also my husband's 39th birthday and there is no better way for him to spend it than at a BYU football game.  Hopefully I regain strength by then (4pm).  I feel okay one moment then bam I feel gross again.  This weather change feels nice but must of changed my body's immunity.  I hear it is going around.  So watch out!!

Hope to Hobble A GREAT RUN!!!!  Totally invigorating yet challenging.  After not sleeping having nausea and achy feeling I managed to drive myself to the mouth of the canyon where the group of us drove in several cars to Hope campground.  Started out slow as it was dark, uphill and dirt (couldn't see potholes) then got my first wind after three miles.  Managed to stay even paced to the summit (11 minute miles, 2 hrs 5 minutes to mile 11.2).  Then it was a lovely rocky downhill for 11 miles and ended on 3 miles of road to the Hobble Creek golf course.  I felt great at mile twenty (or 20.7 as someone clocked in a car) so I decided to run the last three miles (some people end it at the road).  Came in at 3 hr 33 minutes 31 seconds.  The total mileage is somewhere between 23 and 24 miles.  If 23 miles my pace was 9:16 average (really 7:30 for the last 11.8 miles).  If 24 miles then my pace was 8:53.  I was the second girl in and came in with a bunch of 1:28 to 1:30 Hobble creek half marathoners (all guys) so I felt pretty good about myself.  It was awesome to have many water/chocolate milk/pretzel stops.  I definitely have to do this EVERY year. 

Rest day.  Moving quite well.  Trail running is much easier on the joints.  My feet don't hurt at all.  My quads are the only part of my body that is sore.  Survived BYU game in 100 degrees.  Went into the bathroom took off my shirt and soaked  it under the sink (I had to do this three times while I was at the game, no I didn't care about the stares) along with my hat.  I was a walking air conditioner.  AHHH!!!!  That is how I survived the eggs on a frying pan feeling I had going into the stadium.  I have a terrific cough that got worse and worse as the day went on.  My daughter's is worse and she is still feverish.  I was surprised I mustered out 23 miles on how bad I felt the night before.  I think running is my natural immune booster if I don't push it too hard.  I am going to beat this thing!!