"tempo" run

Well, I think it's one of the first ones I actually did outside, and still not too successful.
I have dead legs...and not willing to push it too hard since I want a great quality 20 miler on Saturday.
I was supposed to do 6X 6 minutes at 8 to 8:20 a mile, two minutes recovery between, and jogging two to start and two to finish.
I started with only five hours sleep, jogging as slow as I could at the beginning for about 1.7 miles, then hit the lap button for the first 6 minutes. When I looked down after 100 steps (I have learned it takes that long for the Garmin to find my pace), I was 6:55...too fast. I kept looking down after each 100 steps but I know I ran the first interval way too fast, 8:05 being my slowest time looking down every 100 steps. The second one was more on target, as was the third...but I was dying badly so I did a four minute recovery instead of a two minute recovery and then did pace for three minutes, then recovered, then did 8:30 for about the last five minutes...not as bad. Basically I figure I did about four of the six and also shorted the jogging time.

I have all the symptoms of going too hard...headache, the runs, weakness, etc. etc. The long mileage over the weekend and Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday were not easy at all.

So....I really think I will be fine by Saturday if I just do next to nothing as far as running, maybe jog a mile here and there. I don't want to waste the 20 miler because of dead legs.

The high mileage is more than I am trained for.

I have to sign all my posts "E", so Jill will know which ones are mine.

E

Checking out/in

I'm headed to Lee's Ferry for a fly fishing trip today with my buddy Olen. We are suppossed to leave in 3 hours and I still need to pack and do a 4 miler...

Then when we get back from the ferry, Tami and the boys wanna go to Eagar to camp one more time prior to school starting.

So, I'll run right before I leave for the ferry, take Thursday and Friday off, then try to have a 5.5 miler at 9000 feet. I'll check in on Monday and let you all know how committed I am to fishing and how committed I am to running.

cool movie

http://www.runnerspace.com/video.php?do=view&member_id=4&video_id=15541
and free!

Out for a tempo run, which is really intimidating me. i am tired! And I have the 20 timed mile downhill run in a few days...the same run I did that convinced me I could do St. George and qualify for Boston on my first marathon. Truly. Truly i could not do this again...I didn't know it was such a big deal or I would have been too intimidated to do it.

It's a great marathon documentary. Let me know if you watch it!

E

Today the program was low-heart rate running, better known as Humiliation Central. My mile splits, running about 90 minutes, were 14:04, 14:05, 14:24, 14:50, 15:49 and 15:21, total of 6 miles. Heart rate under 132 the whole run. (Yep, Nathan, I was wearing a bro.) Temperature was 81 F, heat index 90. The purpose of these runs is to build the body's aerobic threshold. After doing it for several months this spring and crashing in the Ogden Marathon I am skeptical. Certainly I am not going to train exclusively this way until I see some better science.

These times are indicative, though. It shows why I have a hard time running fast. It is true I am old, but I should be faster. Eric says be patient.

The other thing is that these times show the effect of the heat. They are 1:30 to 2:00 faster in cool weather, or at least they were the last time I ran in cool weather.

Knee was a little bit painful again. I will take the rest of the week off and try again for 20 on Saturday.

I have been struggling with a knee injury and the heat this summer. Every race or training run seems shortened because of one or the other. But I got in a good run this morning. Out the door at 5:02 a.m. for a 10-mile run, temperature 79 F, heat index 83 F. I intended to run at a 12 minute pace, since that is the pace I have been having a hard time holding for very long. I eventually want to run 20 at that pace in the heat. Anyway I succeeded for 10, here are my splits:

12:04, 11:31, 11:22, 11:21, 11:13, 11:27, 11:07, 11:21 (stopped to re-fill, did not stop my watch), 10:55, 10:19.

Negative splits, baby!

I drank Nuun, raspberry flavored. It is pretty good and I haven't gotten any stomach problems from using it, but it is kind of expensive and I am going to experiement. I have ordered S! Caps, which a lot of runners use.

No significant knee problems, but we'll see how I feel tomorrow. I am hoping to start getting in some consecutive training days so I can start improving again.

My last couple of runs

On Saturday, I went to Prescott to visit Wallace Ashcroft and took my 4 boys as Wallace has 4 of his own that are right around the same age. They are all real good buds. After a birthday party in the morning and a ward party in the afternoon, I finally got Wallace to show me a "good trail" that he thought I would like. We only had about 40 minutes, but I was desperate to get in my long run for the week. No one laugh, I'm very proud of my long runs. Every one I take is a new PR for me. This Saturday was 5 miles. An out and back. Wallace followed behind me on his bike and made fun of my "Bro". I was wearing my chest strap/heart monitor under a white t-shirt and Wallace said it looked like a black bra. So he called it a bro to atleast add a little masculinity to it. The trail was around Willow lake and I soon found out I was going to be in trouble after sucking in a small bug at about .75 miles into it. It was getting dark quick and Wallace kept making fun of me, so I figured the quicker I got it over with the better. I picked up my pace to about a 9:30 and tried to hang on. With about .25 miles to go, I inhaled a monster bug. It had to be close to the size of my pinky fingernail! I chocked, coughed, gagged and tried to puke as I continued my new PR run and was not about to stop. Nothing came out, but I did feel it crawling in my throat, lodged and slowly dying. It was not pretty. I did finish though but could not get the dang thing out. I had no spit or even water for that matter and had to live with it till we got back to the house. Even water couldn't get that sucker down. I finally figured out that some sticky bread might have a good shot and it worked! I considered my protein immediately after a run taken care of.

Today, I ran an easy 2 miles on the treadmill at the gym. Tomorrow I'll rest and then Wednesday I'll see if I can eek out 3-4 with a little bit of speed in there.

You have been enlisted

To write on this blog. You know who you are, the Corny Ones.

So I ran a short long on Saturday, then I ran a longer long on the treadmill. And I walked some.
The most exciting thing occurred when I was outside, of course (The treadmill is boring). I thought I should refill my water bottles because it was getting hot, so I stopped in at the local Cenex and scared everyone with my dripping and stinkling and sunglasses and...well, just dripping. I wasn't tired though... I was doing well.

So I saw some very cold cherry Limeade Sunkist. It looked so good! So I grabbed it and a bottle of what I thought was water. It wasn't...but I didn't know that until I had dumped it all over myself in the bathroom (uh...I wasn't wet enough?). The other one I put in my four fuel belt bottles, added some water, and closed the lids. Then I left the establishment, much to the poor owner's relief. I only had one mile left and two miles before I got home so I walked and drank for a bit.

It was when I tried to start back running again that it got exciting. Have you ever shook a pop can? Now, not only was I dripping, but I was squirting from the waist. It was actually splashing up into my face and then down on the pavement. Of course it was a very busy street at a stoplight and people had nothing better to do than, (what's that word, Mark? Leer?...okay we'll go with "gape". They gaped.

So I stopped, drank some more and tried again. Same result. By the time I had finally drank enough that it didn't squirt out the lids, I was soaked and "water" logged. Even on the inside. Oh. And my heart was doing it's little slooooooow down to nothing thing again. It was a long mile and a half home. Yes Jill, I "ran" another 15 minute mile up the hill. Well. It was sort of a hill. Sort of sloped, if you look at it just right.

I did get home. I did take a shower (don't ask me why), and then I tried to drink and couldn't, so I got back on the treadmill and walked, then jogged, until I got to ten miles and my husband informed me I must stop and go to Costco with him.

The good news is I got in some extra miles I will count on this week's miles so I don't die from too much work (cough).

The bad news is I don't think I'm going to be able to stop in the middle of the marathon. Not if I want a good time. I just can't seem to get started again...except for my waist. It starts up well, like rockets except with their jets shooting out the top instead of the bottom.

Now it's your turn. You know who you are!

the wee hours

I know some of you get up at 0400 or 0500 routinely. For me, it is a bit of a struggle. I went to bed at midnight and slept, yes, slept, for four hours, then got up to get ready to go. It always takes me at least an hour to prepare for a long run.

Early morning sun is a special treat for me, not usually being coherent that time of the morning. I took off, taking great care to get my prescribed 09:38 per mile until about mile 9, when I sort of got lost and hiked for awhile. I just went down by the river and wandered around...a little too far as I couldn't get back on the road without a major detour. It was a detour I loved! An incredibly gorgeous, even spiritual, morning. Hiking, or gazing at the river, was not on my running plan, but what I needed today for soul. So good stuff.

But by the time I finally got back on the road and started running again, I was so stiff. My left foot, which has been bothering me for a long time, is not letting up. It feels like it is not getting blood to it, in fact, it feels better when I stick it on the vibrating diabetic foot thing we have. Well, at first it hurts like crazy, then it feels better. At least for a few minutes. Maybe I should have someone check it out because it is really starting to slow me down.

So I was supposed to do tempo of 8:30 per mile when I got to mile 13, but I came up on 13 before I had ran 13 and there were a lot of stop lights and freeway entrances, so I waited until 14 and did a very fast mile and then died. I was tired! And the heat was getting to me. So I jogged, then ran fast till I got to the water stop. All in all I think I only did 3 miles of tempo, not four, and not all together. Very humbling. I'm hoping I can do better when my foot is functioning properly. I still have the heart stuff when I stop and then try to start again (neurocardiogenic syncope related), but the beta blocker does help a lot and it isn't as severe. I don't think the pericarditis is affecting my running much at all, in fact the doctor said the rub was not as obvious last time she checked.

Anyways, so I am going along...I walked for awhile after the water stop, since I had done 17, and hoping to get some energy to run mile 18-19 fast. I did, a total of 19.34 miles, very similar to last week's long run. Will I ever improve?

For me a lot of it is just the art of having diagnoses and learning my body. It takes a lot of listening and persistence. I hope at least I am not going backwards.I did some core work when I got home as that was lacking this week. This is most definitely NOT me:

FUN

My legs were still tired at the start...and there were a ton of very slow jogger/walkers that lined up in the front I had to get around, and it was very hot. Lots of reasons to run slow. And, best of all, I wasn't stressed at all, no butterflies, just fun. I didn't want to totally jog it though because it was my only run for the day.

The good part is my two sons ran it with me! They are not runners at all...they are normal and think running is psycho. But my 15 year old stayed with me for the first mile. Then I dumped a cup of cold water on him, (did I mention it was hot?) and let him walk.
It was a very hilly course, dunno if there were any flats.

Sorry no pics. I ran to the finish in 33:32. I actually slowed down when I could see the clock, trying to get the 3:33, but didn't quite make it. Then I jogged back until I found MItch, then Collin. I finished with Collin in 1:07. I figure I went about 7 miles total.

And we bought a bunch of cherries, ate as many as we could, then got an ice cream on the way home. Good Mom times.

Oh, and Jill. I did some core work. And I am looking at the schedule every day, trying to at least make an overall week similar to the written word.

K, Jill

I did my Yasso 800s, or 800s at varying speeds averaging faster than 3:33.33 per. I was going to go to the track for an absolutely honest effort, even sunscreened up, "ready" for 80 degrees. Then I remembered an important appointment, did a U turn, showered off all the sunscreen, and went to my appointment instead. When it was done the temperature had risen 10 degrees, to 90F...so I bailed on the track. Again.

So here's my report on the treadmill.
8.2mph X 1
8.3
8.4
8.5
8.6
8.7
8.8
8.9
9.1

Count 'em. That's 9. The fastest was 3:19...dunno what 8.2 is...but most were faster than 3:33, but again, we factor in a treadmill that is inaccurately too fast, and, it's a treadmill. It was hard and I rested more than 3 minutes between most of them, although never more than 5. There's my honesty report.

I will do some core stuff tonight.

Tomorrow I run the Cherry Picker's Trot at Greenbluff. It's four miles. For FUN.

"heart" break?

FIL visit, no sleep, ran too long Saturday. I didn't think I was running too hard...but as i look back on it I did way more than an extra 5% on my miles...you're only supposed to increase your mileage by 5% a week, if you trust the RW Gods.

So I ran too hard Saturday, then slept very little Saturday night, Sunday night, and Monday night. And I am not losing weight. Hmmm, sleep is important both to recovery and to losing weight. And a high cortisol level is bad for both. Valium? Oh yeah, I am trying to get off meds completely. And I've never tried Valium at all so that wouldn't be good.

I am rambling. Monday I practically asked to do Yasso's, then was only able to do 3 before having to run to the bathroom. I pretty much stayed there. By the time I came out I realized dead legs would not be benefited by a harder work out, not without sleep. Then I slept not at all last night either, then ran 8 with a friend this morning, at about 1o min/mile average. I did feel it was valuable as she keeps a relentlessly steady pace, which is the opposite of me and something I need a lot of work on.

My trainer needs to fire me. I did 3 sit-ups for my 40 minutes of core work. I will do better tomorrow!

While my friend and I were running this morning I got a phone call. If a picture says a thousand words, here is that picture!



My FIL, husband, and the son he was taking to basketball camp were in this car. He hit another car containing one passenger; that passenger happened to be a patient of his. They both reported speeds of about 25 mph. No one was visibly injured...I am sure tomorrow I will hear of sore spots here and there but nothing today. The air bags both deployed properly...everyone had insurance...Collin even made his camp on time as it was only a block away. Just more stress, for them.

We then watched a movie, full of car crashes, which made tthem jump....a lot.

As for my running, I really hope to get back at it tomorrow. Where is my health? Pericarditis pain, which was almost gone, has come back. I think sleep is needed there too.

zzzzzzzzzz, I wish.

Good news and bad

Before 5K (I was a little intimidated)

Final Sprint (I had too much left and was trying to impress my fam, hence I am a blur)

After 5K and more confident


It was my first 5k ever and I had an astounding kick at the end of an extremely hilly course. It was a solid 3.2, not 3.1 miles, so take off 40 seconds fromy time. Five minutes after I finished I felt great, ready to start a hard workout. Other than major tachycardia after my finishing 200 sprint, which is healthy, my heart behaved amaZingly. I heard two fireworks during my run. Oh, and I came in 257 out of 1070 runners, passing many studly looking males. Many.

Unfortunately that is all the good news. My time for 3.2 was 24:43.  I don't know what that works out per mile but it aint no 7:28.

I felt like I ran pretty hard though. I just haven't trained outside to run thAt distance.