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

Feeling even worse. Didn't even get up for yoga.

10 miles @ avg 7:02 pace.  Felt a little better than Tues, but still not 100%.  Ran at 6:00 a.m. then got my boys off to school.  Then spent 2 1/2 hours in bed while my daughter played with her cousins at grandma's house. 

4 miles @ avg 7:32 pace.  I feel like this cold is going to my lungs!  Usually if I don't beat a cold in three or four days I end up at the doctor's office after 10 or 12.  But I don't feel like I have that kind of time right now, with my marathon in 2 weeks.  So I went to the doctor and got medicine for my sinus infection. 

18 miles up/down Provo Canyon/South Fork.  The medicine really kicked in and I felt a ton better today than yesterday.  I've always intended to do a 2 week taper, but don't think I've ever ended up doing it.  Avg 7:22 pace up & 6:36 pace down, total 6:59 pace.

6 miles with Mark @ 7:12 pace.  My sinus infection came back.  I guess the one doze Zmax wasn't enough. 

4 miles easy because I didn't feel well.  Went back to the Dr. and got on something stronger for my sinus infection. 

10 miles up/down Provo Canyon @ 7:00 pace.  Went to bed feeling tons better from my sinus infection, but didn't sleep well.  Spent 7 hours in bed and slept for about 4 1/2.  I went to back-to-school night and am really stressed out about my son's schooling.

4 miles easy

10 miles with Mark @ 7:39 pace

Nothing.  Woke up feeling like my head cold is coming back.  I can't believe it.

10 miles.  Went back to the Dr. for the third time.  She told me to take Ibuprofin.  The antibiotic should have gotten the infection, so could be a virus or my body still fighting off whatever it is making me sick.  I've had a headache everyday and now the body aches.  I can't believe how bad I feel and that this has gone on for two whole weeks!  Only three more days to get better.  I'm going to sleep as much as I can and not run again until the race. 

I had to buy a new cell phone today.  I stuck my phone in my bra while I ran on Tuesday (in case one of the kids called me from school) and sweat it out.  When I took it appart it was totally wet inside.  This is the phone that survived a cycle in the washing maching two years ago.  I must sweat more than a washing machine! 

I ran the Top of Utah Marathon today. I was hoping to break 3 hours but didn't quite do it.  My previous PR was 3:03:42 on that course last year and I haven't done a marathon since.  Last year 3:03 got me 2nd place and this year 3:01 got me nothing.  When I registered for the race after taking 4 months (Dec-Mar) off for an injury I thought it would be a miracle if I ran as fast as last year. 

For having a PR I think I should have enjoyed it more though.  I spent most of the race discouraged and worried.  I feel like I'm still getting over my head cold.  My hamstring and Achilles started huring me around mile 13.  I was afraid I might have a real problem.  That hurt for several miles then my Quads hurt.  I've had trouble with my quads for over a month now.  I didn't do as many long runs in preparation this time and the few I did really wipped me out.  I was worried I would totally fall to pieces the last 6 miles.  Fortunately my body held together, but I didn't feel confident of that until about the last 3 miles. 

My splits were: 6:31, 6:35, 6:41, 6:51, 6:51, 6:45, 6:52, 6:35, 6:47, 6:44, 6:42, 6:32, 6:35, 6:28, 6:41, 6:49, 6:47, 6:52, 6:53, 7:33 (walk @ water stop and stretch), 6:56, 7:19, 7:42 (another walk @ water stop and quick stretch), 7:35, 7:19, 7:16, last .39 @ 7:06 pace

I really sturggled miles 19 through 22, decided I would never do another marathon etc..  I thought I was coming up on mile 22 when I saw the 23rd mile marker.  That was encouraging.  When I stretched at the water stops I thought I was already in 6th place and couldn't see anyone in front of me.  I felt discouraged about 6th place, but kept reminding myself I was on track for a PR.  Later I learned one of the ladies ahead of me jumped in to run with someone and wasn't registered.  When I passed her in mile 23 she told me she wasn't registered and that I was in 5th.  But that didn't last long because Mary Ann ran by me looking really strong at about mile 24 1/2 and I just didn't have it in me to stay with her. 

I was happy with my time and how good I felt the last 2 miles, especailly after how poorly I felt a few miles earlier.  I swore off marathons at mile 20, but I still want to break 3 hours, so I guess I'll do another one.

Happy that I'm not very sore.  I feel about like I felt after TOU last year and I thought that was my best "recovery."  My head cold is still really bothering me though. 

Set the alarm to get up for Yoga, but the AM/PM was wrong.  I woke up right when I needed to be leaving and decided I'd just do another day of nothing.  The extra sleep felt good.  I needed it. 

8 miles up/down Provo Canyon @ 7:07 pace.  I feel like I'm finally over my cold.  My legs were tired at the end, but the rest of my body felt much better than I've felt in weeks!  I had more energy and was breathing a lot easier. 

8 miles at 7:39 pace.  Michelle L came to Orem to run and it was fun to go with her.

This was a weird run that in hindsight was a total disaster!  I met my sister (who is in town from AZ) and my brother (that lives next door) at 6:00 a.m. for a 10 mile run.  My husband drove us 10 miles away, up South Fork so we could run home.  As we drove up the canyon in the car I said, "Isn't this great!  How many adult siblings meet up at 6 a.m. to go running?"  to which my brother said, "I can only think of three." 

Mark and I were running and my sister was on her bike.  The first 1.75 miles was great.  Then Sandra's tire totally went flat in a matter of seconds.  We walked a tenth of a mile then left her and started running.  About a tenth of a mile later we flagged down a car and used their cell phone to call my husband to bring up another bike and meet her at Vivian.  Sandra caught up to us and we told her the plan.  Mark and I started running again and a tenth of a mile later I tripped on a rather big rock, as it was still dark.  All of the sudden I was diving towards the road face first.  I rolled over my right side and even hit my head!  As I was laying on the road dizzy and in pain everywhere I thought "I can't believe this!"  And Mark said, "What's wrong with us today?"  My knees, hands, hip, shoulder and head all hurt.  I sat there for long enough that Sandra caught back up to us. 

Mark and I continued on our run.  Sandra caught up to us on the other bike at Bridal Vale about 20 minutes later.  For the next 4 miles my left knee only hurt a little bit.  At first I wasn't sure if it was just the scrape or something else.  After we stopped for water though it hurt more then 2 miles later when we stopped for water again it hurt even more.  I was making it home ok, until I stopped at the traffic light on 800 N and Palisades drive 1/2 mile from home.  The last 1/2 mile really hurt. 

Now my knee is all swollen and I can't even walk normally.  This is so frustrating.  I had such high hopes for St. George.  I wonder if one week is enough for a knee to heal from that hard of a hit.

I woke up Sunday morning with even more swelling in my left knee and a lot of soreness in my right shoulder and the left side of my neck.  I whiplashed my neck and bruised my shoulder when I hit the ground on Saturday.  The maid problem is my left knee.  It's hard to imagine how in the world I'll be able to run a marathon on Saturday when my knee is so swollen and hurts so bad that I can't even walk normally on Monday.  This is very discouraging.  I'm taking Ibuprofin off and on and iceing it several times a day.  I guess later today or tomorrow I'll start alternating heat/ice. 

My  hopes of running St. George are fading.  I still have some swelling in my knee.  I can walk normally, but it hurts a little to do so.  My test run down the hallway in my house was rather painful.  I did heat/ice/heat/ice on Monday night and Tuesday morning and rode my bike up/down the street a few times very slowly to get it moving again, which both seemed to help.  If I can't go out an run two miles without pain on Friday morning then I won't go to St. George.