Believe to Achieve

EXTREME RUNNING workout.  So I couldn't sleep at 4am but too early to go to the gym with Melanie (opens at 5am).  By 5am I was tired again so I laid in bed trying to sleep with a noisy sleeper.  Not happening.  Alright already I will get up.  Now it is 520am.  Got in car and drove to the gym.  A first in over a year.  Tried out the TM space (small) and it hit me that I was way over dressed, so I started stripping off clothes and even then that wasn't enough.  My goodness it was like St. George on that balcony of a TM area.  Holy Moly.  I was like a Chicago Marathoner 2008 revisited.  I was sweltering.  My muscles were not going to give and I thought 10 min. pace on the TM was fine enough.  And then I added the 1 % incline like I like to and chatted with another TMer.  She was taking her cloth and wiping her brow every few seconds.  I wasn't sweating at that pace because it was sauna-like, zapping the heat from my body.  Every mile I planned on picking it up until I got to a 6:15 but I got to 8 min. pace (4 miles @ 8:42 avg) and said this is it I am heading for the potty which is inconveniently placed on the lower level.  I drenched my head with cold water and just the run to the bathroom was soooooo refreshing.  Luckily I saw Melanie checking in and I just went up to her and told her the sweltering news.  She was going to run outside so of course I joined her.  Oh yah 24 degrees, so lovely, as my sweat starts to form icicles on me.  I premeditated my not liking the TM so I brought my heavy wool-like coat, gloves and head band, thankfully.  Soon my butt cheeks were numb and my palms sweaty.  We did a hill work out (Micron Hill, Mel calls it).  Its a doozer of a hill plus we ran up a hill to get there.  We ran her Monday 8 mile easy pace route.  Even lovelier were the snow-capped surroundings and slick roads and speedy cars.  Really the scenery was very nice.  Beats the heck out of the TM.  Oh I will return to the TM but probably at PG Rec.  Hopefully it is NOT blazing there.  Got to do some TM speedwork.   Anyway ran the 8 miles at 8:56.  So nice to run with Melanie.  So I got home and since I torchered myself to the extreme temps I thought why not get to my original goal of 15 today.  So, again with sweaty clothes I was out my door for another 3 miles.  This avg pace was 8:06 for 3.13.  No icicles on the ground here.  Just colder temps.  Oh yah!!  I didn't warm up until the last mile.  Met my goal.  Long post.  Happy day!!   15.13 miles at 8:42 pace.  Warm shower (done), long nap and a 12 hour night shift coming up.