"If we don't suffer enough we won't remember it."

I sacrificed my run in an effort to get the grocery shopping done.  I wanted to go on Monday, but my days have been so full.  It's rediculous that it took me until Friday.  My other son had a 3 x 3 soccer tournament in the afternoon.  As I sat there in the shade eating strawberries and bananas before the game I thought, "This is the life, sitting in the shade eating fruit," then a couple hours later when they played the best team in their group I felt almost like the night before, down by one, only a minute left to play, total anxiety, then score and tie game.  

Met Melanie B for a 15 mile run in Provo Canyon, Avg 7:15 pace.  We started running up from Nun's Park.  Uphill and into a fierce wind, my lungs were burning at an 8:30 pace.  We could hardly hear each other to have a conversation so we turned around after 1.5 miles and drove to the top so we could just run down.  After that first bit the run was really fun, then we iced in the river.  Melanie found a very shallow spot to sit.  Probably a place that is just flooded because the rivers so high and usually doesn't have water.

3 miles on hills at my in-laws cabin

10 miles.  Met Marie and Josse.  We ran together for about 4 miles then Marie and I went ahead for about 4 miles and met back up with Josse for the last two.  Avg 7:28 pace.

10 miles up/down Provo Canyon.  I can feel that I lost some conditioning tapering for the marathon and then taking two weeks off.  My avg was 7:12 pace, but I was exhausted.  I felt like how I used to feel doing that run averaging sub 7's.  The last mile was the worst.  I stopped and stood there for a minute 1/2 way up the hill on 800 North about 3/4 mile from home.  Oh well.

4 miles @ 7:09 pace

21 miles, yes 21!.  I've never done more than 20 in a training run before.  I met Melanie B and Julie C at Bridal Vale Park and ran up Provo Canyon 10.5 miles and back.  Avg up 7:26, down 7:06, for a total 7:16 avg.  I felt good going up, but was really thirsty coming down.  We didn't drop enough water off for ourselves.  From about mile 12 to 18 all I could think about was the drinking fountain at Vivian Park.  When we stopped I literally drank a whole water bottle full of water.  I also took a gel even though I was almost done.  About a mile later I felt tons better and was able to do a 6:20 pace the last mile coming down the highway by Bridal Vale.  O was super tired later in the day though, and took a nap.

4 miles easy.

10 miles.  Met Marie, Rebecca, Josse and Desiree for a run.  Marie wanted 3 x 1 mile repeats.  I didn't want to go fast on account of the 21 miles I did Saturday and the Bryce Canyon 1/2 Marathon I'm doing in a few days.  Josse didn't want to go too fast either so we stayed together and watched the others go out ahead.  My legs are tired from Saturday.  I hope I recover enough to feel good on Saturday. 

8 miles avg 7:11 pace.  My legs still feel tired I guess from my long one last Saturday.  Hopefully I can sleep well the next two nights.  We're camping at Bryce Canyon the night before the 1/2 marathon, so I don't have real high expectations with that one.  The kids are excited though and my son needs to do a camping trip for scouts.

I ran the Bryce Canyon 1/2 Marathon today. My goal was to be as fast as last year, 1:23:43. I was pleased with that time a year ago. I've done enough long runs that I didn't think the distance would be a problem, but I haven't done any speed work in almost a year so I wasn't confident I would be able to pick up my pace.

We camped in a tent with our kids. They fell asleep in about a minute and I laid there forever. I think I have a sleeping problem. It took me a long time to go to sleep then I drempt a lot and woke up at least every hour. I heard some wild cats fighting and growling outside the tent, and had a hard time going back to sleep after that. For how little sleep I got I felt surprizingly well.

I printed off my splits on an old bib number and put it around my arm. I stuck right on those for the first four miles and let the main pack of women go out ahead. I didn't want to start too fast and make my lungs burn. I was in 7th the first 2 miles then passed two people, including Kim, around mile 5 to move into 4th. After mile 4 I started running my splits faster than last year. It took me a long time to catch Melanie B. We were together for a while around mile 8 and 9. I could also see the first two ladies along here. But at mile 11 they picked it up more than me and got out farther ahead. I finished 3rd, barely holding off Melanie and Kim. We were all in the 122's.

My splits were: 6:32,6:32,5:55,5:59,6:02,5:59,6:13,6:17,6:37,6:27,6:21,6:41,last .1 @6:26 pace.

I was pleased with my time. I got $300 and a good old fashioned trophy, gold with stone and columns and a statue of a girl running on top. You don't see those much any more.

After the race we hiked out to a waterfall and I iced my legs in the river. That felt really good!

2 miles @ 7:38 pace.  My quads are sore from the Bryce Canyon 1/2 Marathon.  I'm more sore after this 1/2 than I was after the Utah Valley Full Marathon.  I wasn't even sore after Utah Valley, I suppose because Iwas to tired to run fast enough to make myself sore.  Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow.

7 miles up/down Provo Canyon with Melody, Rebecca, Josse and Amber. Avg 7:40 pace. It was about 8:10 pace avg up and 7:10 pace down. My quads are still sore.

8 miles up/down Provo Canyon, avg 7:09 pace.  Quads felt tons better.  I only had one minor pain about 4 miles into the run.  I stopped to rub it out and decided to go 8 instead of 10.  It felt fine on the way down. 

3 miles avg 7:09 pace @ 10:30 a.m. in 79 degree heat.  I was dripping with sweat when I got home!  I don't know how Burt does it in the 90's, 79 probably seems cool to him.

20 miles, avg 7:24 pace with Melanie B, Julie C, Kim and Jane.  We made a loop around American Fork/Highland area.  It was about 17 miles of up, flat, up, flat and 3 miles of steep down, flat, steep down, flat.  The worst hill was at mile 16.  I wasn't mentally prepared for that one and complained a little, but overall I really enjoyed the run.  There's nothing better than getting up at 4:30 a.m. to run with friends.  Melanie said 20 milers are like a party and I agree.   

Unfortunately my back was tight and my right hamstring started hurting with a pinched nerve type pain about mile 11.  That  may have contributed to my complaining about the hills.  It felt worse and worse as the day went on, so I got my husband to rub my back really good that night and the next day I felt improvement.  I was worried about my quad at the start of the run and ended up with hamstring pain. 

4 miles avg 7:22 pace.  I slept in until 7:30 a.m and ran a loop by myself.  Last week I thought about running the Deseret News Marathon today, but decided not to because my quad was bothering me so much and it was supposed to be low 70 degrees and high 95 degrees today.  I didn't want to run a marathon in that kind of heat either, but it was cooler and cloudy so weather wise this actually would have been a great day for a race.  Maybe next year.

10 miles up/down Provo Canyon avg 6:55 pace, up @ 7:15, down @ 6:35.  I was tired afterwards.

16 mile run with Melanie B and Julie C.  We started at Vivian Park, 3 miles warm-up going up South Fork, then 12 miles down the canyon on the running trail @ 6:39 average, one mile cool down.  I think our 12 miles was supposed to be "marathon pace," but was actually a little faster.  I felt good, but wouldn't have kept that pace up for 14 more miles. 

5 miles with Melody avg 7:18 pace

15 miles downhill run avg 7:05 pace.  I Started at the top of South Fork Canyon with Rebecca and Melody.  The first 4 miles coming down South Fork were about a 7:15/7:20 pace, then we slowed to around 7:40.  About 4 1/2 miles into the run I started feeling weak and shaky, about a mile later I stopped to stretch and drink some Gatorade.  Melody and Rebecca kept running.  I then sped up and ran 4 or 5 miles around 6:40 pace coming down the Canyon.  When I hit University Ave I slowed to around 7's, and took a Gel pack but I still felt off.  At mile 12 I just wanted to quit.  I didn't feel right.  I headed for home and ended with 15 miles, I was initially going to run 16, my last 3 were around 7:20 pace.  Overall this was still a good training week.