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

20 miles up/down Provo Canyon on running trail.  I messed up on my watch and didn't stop it two times when I stopped to drink/talk to people, but I think my average was 6:54 pace.  I went up to Vivian, back to the mouth, then back up to Nun's Park and down again. 

On the way down the first time I see a snake on the trail, adrenalin rush, jump to the side, etc, and the snake didn't even move.  I look back and wonder if it's dead.  Second time going by same thing, I'm scared, I jump a little and realize it's in the exact same place it was before.  I think, "Ok, this snake is clearly dead.  I'm not going to be scared by it on the way down."  So coming back, about a 1/2 mile before the snake I think, "Let's see that snake is going to be coming up here soon."  Sure enough a half mile later, in my own little runner's world, no longer thinking about the snake, I see it and have the same response as the other two times, total adrenalin rush, jump away like it's going to bit me etc.  This time I literally laughed out loud at myself.  What is wrong with me!  I'm not even terribly afraid of snakes.  If it was a huge spider, that would make more sense.  

4 miles avg 7:14 pace.  3 sets of 20 burpees.

Met Josse and Rebecca for 4 x 1 mile repeats.  All the miles were downhill with the 1/2 to 3/4 mile recovery uphill.  Downhill mile repeat times 5:41, 5:49, 5:43, 5:38.

10 miles with Rebecca, Melody and Emily.  We ran up/down Provo Canyon.  7:17 pace to top, 6:35 pace down, avg 6:56 pace.  My legs felt a little tired, like I need to sleep more.  I got up earlier this week.

4 miles avg 6:55 pace with 3 sets of 22 burpees.  I'm trying to work up to 30 or maybe even 40 in a set. 

17 miles with Kim, Jane, Rebecca, Shonde and Maddison.  We drove about 5 miles up AF canyon then ran up another 2 miles for a "warm-up."  I reset my watch and we ran the Timp 1/2 marathon course back to the high school.  Our average for the 13 miles was 6:08 pace.  It's so easy to go fast down AF Cayon, down, down, down.  I felt fine until the last 1 1/2 miles when my chest felt tight and I couldn't get a deep breath.  It was strange, as I usually don't feel like that.  We ran a 2 mile "cool-down" back to Kim's house from the high school. 

4 miles avg 7:03 pace with burpees.  I didn't feel right while I was running, still that strange tightness in my chest, like I couldn't breathe, and when I tried to take a deep breath I had an aching feeling there.

This is where men who feel uncomfortable hearing about female reproductive issues should stop reading:  I had the same feeling a couple hours later while I was at the grocery store and it only got worse.  I started taking the pill a week ago because I was having "issues," bleeding all the time.  I remembered the pill making me have high  blood pressure when I tried it before so I checked it at the machine at the store, higher than usual, stopped by another store on the way home, even higher, 151/94.  I called my doctor and the nurse said I should go to the emergency room to make sure I didn't have a blood clot.  So I spent the afternoon at the emergency room, EKG, CT scan, and everything was fine, except that my blood pressure was really high.  When they drew 5 vials of blood to do some tests I thought, "There goes all the blood I saved by going on this stupid pill!"  I stopped taking the pill.  I really feel for that woman in the New Testament with "an issue of blood."

10 miles with 8 x 800 meters 3:01, 2:59, 2:58, 2:58, 2:57, 2:57, 2:59, 3:00.  Felt better than yesterday, still not 100%.

22 miserable miles.  Avg 7:03 pace.  Ran from my house to the top of South Fork and back.  My hamstrings felt a little tight before I left I so dug into them.  They ached the whole time.  I drank orange juice and water before I left the house and felt waterlogged the first 5 miles.  Not wanting that sick, too much sugar, feeling afterwards I took only 2 GU and 2 fruit leathers.  Ate the fruit first, but could tell it wasn't enough when my calf started cramping at mile 10.  That last mile going up South Fork was rough.  I literally hit the wall like I was at the end of a race.  I stopped and stood there at the top thinking, "I'm 11 miles from home."  I really thought I might be calling my husband for a ride.  Avg at the top 7:22 pace.  Started down, probably the slowest I've ever run down South Fork.  Took 1 GU at mile 12 and another at mile 17.  Actually had about two miles in there where I didn't feel completely miserable.  Calf started cramping again at mile 19, hamstrings still ached.  Average down 6:43.  I don't want to feel this bad running the marathon.  This run was a confidence buster.  Glad it's done. 

4 miles @ 7:10 pace.  No burpees, too tired from yesterday.

10 miles in the heat of the day.  Last year I didn't have a problems with the heat at St. George and I think part of that was because so many of my Tues/Thur runs were in the late morning after the kids went to school when it was warm.  I decided I need more runs in the warmer weather just in case it's warm at the SGM this year.  My husband came with me on his bike.  Avg 7:03 pace.

4 miles with burpees, avg 6:57.

10 miles with Melanie.  2 miles warm-up, 4 x 1 mile repeats with 1/2 mile recovery, 2 miles cool-down.  Mile splits 6:00, 5:56, 6:00, 5:59.

10 miles with Rebecca and Josse, avg 7:09 pace.

4 miles with burpees.  My watch was being weird so I don't know my time.

17 miles with Melanie, Jane, Kim, Rebecca, and two other ladies, one of which had to turn back when she twisted her ankle a mile into the run.  We ran a loop from Kim's house in PG.  Avg 6:47 pace.  I felt a lot better today than I did on my long run last week.

4 miles avg 7:26 pace.

10 miles with Rebecca.  Warm-up, 5 x 3/4 mile w/ 1/2 mile recovery, cool-down.  First 3 intervals heading up University Ave and into Provo Canyon, last 2 coming down the Canyon.  Paces: 5:57, 6:10, 6:20, 5:55, 5:54. 

Felt good on the run, but so tired after lunch.  Took a 2 hour nap.  I sure feel spoiled, being a stay-at-home mom and all, when I have a nap.  Not so much when I spend 2 hours driving everyone everywhere in the late afternoon and another 2 or 3 hours doing homework (I'm in 6th, 4th and 1st grade again.  It's harder this time). 

10 miles up/down AF Canyo with Melanie, avg 7:07 pace.

4 miles

13 miles with Melanie up/down Provo Canyon.