With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams...

AB RIPPER X - why does it still seem so hard after 4 weeks? 

45 minutes on the elliptical

planning on doing a run/walk after work.  More walk, less run.

walked 2 miles or so, ran 1.2 miles, and walked another lap (.3) with my co-worker after work.  Time flies when we're talkin' and walkin'.  Since it was a run/walk, I'm calling it a ralk.

Ralk on!!

Yep, it's going to be one of those kinds of days.

5.5 miles- 1 mile warm up, 3.5 miles fast, 1 mile cool down.  Avg pace 8:44.  It was cold, but I stayed warm enough- I added a scarf to my running attire and it helped.

I was falling asleep last night and wanted to wake up early so I could run a longer (6 mile) run than the "taper plan" had listed for me (3 miles).  I feel like I'm not really doing enough.

I decided that if I slept in and woke up later in the morning, I wouldn't have time for a long run.  So I just stayed in bed an extra hour.  It was marvelous, even though I'm still tired today.

I didn't watch my pace, just the time - so I'd get home in time to shower.  The distance ended up being about 3.6 miles. 9:48 pace.  I tried to keep an easy pace.  I guess I did a good job.

No critters, no crazy animal sounds, but a beautiful dark, starry sky.

__________________________

Went out after work again with my co-worker.  We had a friend join us for her first ralk in years.  I'm so proud of both of them!!  The middle school was using the football field/track, so we went out in the 'hood.  We walked the streets & ran the cul-de-sacs.  I'm giving myself a total of .5 miles run.  We totaled 3.8 miles, but I didn't measure the running parts.  Just an uneducated guess.

20 minutes elliptical

ab ripper x

dozens of boxes of donuts at work, all screaming my name....be strong, be strong, be strong

My next-door neighbor asked me to run with her this morning, so I couldn't say no.  Our goal was a 9:30- 10:00 pace.  We started out a little fast and then had a slow mile or two at the end, but still pulled off a 9:45 pace over all.

Nice having a running neighbor.  Hoping for new running opportunities.

2 mile walk in the evening.

20 min elliptical in the morning, because hey, I had some extra time :-)

In the evening, I went for a walk with Wyatt.  we ended up walking 8 miles and didn't get back till after dark thanks to the daylight savings time thing.

Taper, shmaper...

Ran 4 with MR.  progressively slow.  It's all good.  Just nice to be out in the cool air with the stars and the bats.

My last speedwork.  It must be a mental thing, but I think tapering messes with my head.  I usually do 7 miles with speedwork, and it's all good.  Today I was feeling tired after 2.  I start wondering how I'm going to run the marathon when I am tired after 2.  Aaarrrggghhh.

Terri, you'll be happy to know that the orange kitty I saw in the ditch last summer is still hanging around in the underbrush beside the road.   I saw him again today, and knew you'd be happy to get some good news.

Got home, drove to seminary and found some missing stuff I'd left in the closet at church, then came home and did my P90X ab ripper x because that's what I do on Tuesday.  Then I had some hot cocoa.  Hooray.

Went on the track with my 3 co-workers and gave them a workout.  We did 1 lap walk, 1 lap with bleachers- running inbetween sets of bleachers, 1 lap walk, 1 lap of run/walk (either 1/2 or 1/4 of the track, either way run 1/2 the track).  Then we repeated it all and finished with 2 or 3 walking laps.  I ran a couple of laps on the walk/run part, so between those and the bleacher run-betweens, I'm counting 1 mile of running.  I walked the bleacher steps because I didn't want to stress my legs out on stairs this week.  Maybe next week if I can walk.

20 min elliptical- medium setting

weights with arms

drive to seminary

40 min elliptical- tougher setting

I am hungry today!!

My last run before the big race.  I've enjoyed sleeping in a little this week.

I did my run- a 9:40something pace.  The moon was so wonderful and bright and full.  I turned my headlamp off and enjoyed a moon-lit run in the dark.

I drove mini-me to seminary and then MR and I walked the park while we waited for class to end.  We managed 2.6 miles.   The walking felt great.  Excited for my evening with the stars (or just the star).

 Do I need to run another 1/2 a mile to be even steven 40 for the week?

sleeping in and ab ripper x.  Getting ready for the race- traveling in the car, and having fun with RAD and Terri.

Shopping at the expo, making tshirts and eating too many nuts at the manager's reception.  These are the things dreams are made of.

Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day.  I've got a beautiful feeling- everything's going my way. .....  and it did!

Awesome things about this run:

1- it didn't start till 8 am.  Nice to sleep in a little, and nice to not start at 31degrees. 

2- the 1/2 and 8k started before the full.  So when it was time for us to check our warm clothes, there were plenty of "left overs" from the other runners we could "borrow" and wear to stay warm with.  I found a pair of pull away pants that functioned well as leg-warming chaps for 6 miles.  Good stuff.

3- the river.  I always love running along rivers.

4-the fall leaves.  Beautiful Autumnal show!

5-the company.  RAD, Terri, and RAD's B-I-L. 

6-the wicked downhill at the end.  I've never run a 4:30 pace (even if it was for 3 seconds) before in my life.  The poor little girl who walked out right in front of me will forever be traumatized, but there's a reason they announced 10 times NOT to let your kids, dogs, or cats onto the course at the end.

7- the 6 dollar A1 thickburger I'd been looking forward to for a month or so at the end

8-hot tub times with family & friends.

hobbled around the hotel

hobbled around with Wyatt & RAD and enjoyed a super beautiful sunset

Walked the Cafe Fear Trail with RAD & MR.  He had a 45+ lb ruck sack and was walking circles around me.

I was slow.  It hurt.  Legs hurt like a mother, but it will pay off later (I keep telling myself that).

A girl at the race had a skirt that said "Run like a mother."   Today I needed a skirt that said "Hobble like a mother."

Waffle House with RAD.

perfect morning workout!!

Kenpo X.  Cause it's one of those days when I feel like I need to kick someone in the head.

 45 minute elliptical after work.

Pilates video for about an hour.

Walked for 50 minutes after work with one of the girls from my bubble club.

4 miles in the hood.  the moon gave me enough light to see.  nice to run again.

Got in an early run with MR in the morning before my long flight to SLC.  Nice cool morning.  Nice company.  

bwaaahhhhaaaaahhhaaaa...... nothing.  nothing at all.

6 miles in the "Harem-Inn" with RAD.  She took me on the "flatest" course and it was too hilly for me.  Can't wait for the "hilly" route.

I love mountains.

I love watching the sun rise in the mornings over the peaks and paint the sky with pinks and oranges.

Life is good.

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

 Yesterday, Rachel said, "you see those green water tanks on the hill?  That's High Country."  I was NOT thinking clearly and said, "Well, let's run that tomorrow!" BAD idea.

 We ran from her house, which is 20 yards away from where we were in this pix, and ran up the hill to the houses you see in the background, and up on the side of the mountain.  It was crazy steep.  uphills like I'd never seen before, and when it wasn't super steep, it was super windy.  I'm glad I survived.  It was tough!!

 We saw 4 deer at one house, and another group of them in the brush on the hill.  Then we saw a flock of game birds.  We were almost home when bada-bing, what do you know?  A parade of turkeys!!!

The little rooster in front was cock-a-doodle-doing himself crazy, and the toms and hens were gobble, gobble, gobbling in their crazy turkey voices.  It was the best thing ever.  A Thanksgiving Parade, just for RAD & me!!

When we got home, I told RAD's little boy we saw a Turkey Parade and I showed him the photo.  He asked me, "Did the turkeys throw candy at you?"

Still laughing every time I think about it.  Good times :-)

Happy Thanksgiving!  RAD drove our little band of pirates up to the rec center early in the morning for the race.  This was a hilly route!  And even though it was an out and back, it felt like it was an all up hill route!!  I'll be happy to get back to my flat roads soon!

There sure were a lot of people at this run.  I was glad they had timing mats at the start and end, because it took us 1:30 to get to the start mat.  

I'm not used to "racing" a race (I'm just usually along for the fun) but after a while I figured why not?  What did I have to lose other than my dignity, pride, and ability to walk the next day?  I guess around mile .5 I started seriously running.  My garmin wasn't cooperating so I don't know the first .75 split, but after that, I felt like I did pretty good charging up the hills.

I finished and RAD & JT were both already finished and waiting for me.  We all walked back up the finish hill to run in again with the littlest buccaneer.  She was almost finished!  Very impressive for someone so young.  I couldn't believe how many children were out there running.  I've never seen youth like that at a race out where I live in Babylon.  There certainly is something special about the youth of Zion :-)

As we were approaching the finish line I had to stop and take a photo of the "turkey trotting."

I'm just glad I finished before this guy!

After the race I asked someone to take our pix, and bless his heart, he managed to switch it to video and I can't figure out how to post it to the blog.  RAD has photos on her blog.

After the race, they had raffle drawings for all kinds of goodies and they gave out ribbons for fastest runners and ag up to 5th place.  I almost choked on my spit when I placed 5th in my ag.  I guess all the ladies my age were home cooking dinner like a good wife/mother should be doing.  I've never gotten a ribbon before and certainly not one for 5th place (who knew they even made ribbons that said 5th place?).  So now I have a ribbon and a good story about a scary lady that kicked in the bathroom door while I was using it.  Good times :-)

overall pace was 8:21.  My garmin said my pace for the last 2.35 miles was an 8:01.  Slow start.

What a fun run!!  Great company and great run!!  Perfect running weather :-)  And thank goodness there weren't any crazy hills!

Thank you to everyone who came out for the Dekker Girl's run.  I am sad I left and won't get to run with such a great group again for who knows how long.... the high seas call and I'm off on another voyage.

I loved this run, the river, the port-a-potties, the skunk that I didn't see but I certainly did smell,  and the hidden hot springs at the end with the bathing suit family gathered around the steamy spring.

I also loved Chad's whipped-cream loving little cutie!!  What a doll :-)

Thanks for a great run and awesome memories.  I'll miss you all!!

flew 2000 miles home.  What a wonderful surprise that my daughter had put up all the Christmas decorations and the tree!  She did inform me that I'd be the lucky one to put it all away.  Lucky me!!

Nice to be home with my family again.  I had a nice pillow to rest my head on during the flight home because RAD's little r.a.d. daughter sewed me a pillow to take home with me.  She's an amazing girl, and she'll be running circles around me soon.

I also had my new merrell vibram shoes waiting for me at home.  I wore them around the house for a while and walked 2 miles around the hood in them.  Trying to remember to land on the balls of my feet & not my heels.  Trying.

Walked a mile in the vibrams/merrells with MR.  And slept a lot. 

I tried mid-foot strike running today.  It is a very slow process, and I feel ridiculous.  All of my miles were over a 10:00 pace, and my heart was racing.   I guess it was a good workout, but it just felt futile.  I'm going to try a quarter mile in my vibrams tomorrow and see how that goes.  Maybe it will be easier in the minimalist shoes than it is in the cushioned ones.

I had intended to do the shred, but I felt nauseated and sick when I got home, so I went back to sleep for 20 minutes.  I was already shredded.

MEH- not feeling well at all.  Up sick most of the night. Finally at 2:30 I took a dayquil (the pm theraflu hadn't worked at all :-( ....) and the dayquil with vicks and a lozenge helped me sleep. 

I did 30 minutes on the elliptical, but did it super easy.  I wanted to wake up and get the muscles moving, but not over-do it and use up all the energy I will need for the rest of the day.

 After work I went out to walk around the track and try a short distance run in the vibrams.  I walked .3, then ran .3, then walked 1.4.  Total of 2 miles in the shoes but just ran a little bit.

Happy Saint Andrew's Day! 

Felt better after getting some sleep last night.  I felt like I had enough energy to either run, or have enough energy to be productive at work all day.  Of course I chose running ;-)

I was slow, 10:01 avg pace.  I wondered a couple times if I was going to have to stop and hurl, but I'm happy to announce a hurl-free run this morning.

Legs are a little sore from the new shoes yesterday, but not unbearable.  The girl I was running/walking with said it looked like I was running on the outsides of my feet.  Is this normal with vibrams or am I doing something else wrong??? The outsides of my calves/legs are more sore than the backs.