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

Started the New Year by doing nothing.  I'm going to take two days off to try to get over my cold.  I think I'll get better faster if I rest a little. 

14 miles on treadmill with Melanie at Legacy Center.  We did 6 miles of it at 6:31 pace and the rest slower.

4 miles on my treadmill at home.

10 miles at BYU track with Melanie, Melody and Emily.  8 x 800 @ 2:55, 2:55, 2:56, 2:56, 2:57, 2:59, 2:58, and 2:58.

Spin class and weights with Melanie.  I'm going to work on getting my quads stronger so I don't injure them so much.

10 miles outside!  We were going to treadmill it, but when it was 35 degrees and the smog was gone we went out.  Smith's run avg 6:49 pace.  So nice to feel the road under our feet.  I felt so good when we were done.

4 miles on treadmill.

14 miles.  We lucked out and it was 15 degrees instead of the single digets forecasted, and only 1 new inch of snow instead of the possible 2 - 5 inches.  Melanie, Melody and I ran 10.5 outside, avg 7:16 pace, then all three of us hit tredmills for the last bit.  I ran 3 miles @ 6:15 pace on mine.

4 miles on treadmill.  It was zero degrees this morning!

10 miles on treadmill at Legacy Center with Melanie.  Only 8 degrees outside and the smog is back.  2 mile warm-up, 7 x 1 mile @ 6:15 pace with 1:20 rest between.  I was supposed to have a 1 min rest, but it always ended up being a little longer, 1 mile cool-down.

Met Melanie at the Legacy Center for a spin class but the class was ful.  We decided to lift weights first and Melanie got us going on a bunch of Body Rock stuff, basically doing one thing for a min, 10 sec rest, do another thing, etc.  We must have done that for over 30 minutes then we lifted a few other weights.  I was exhausted.  Melanie is a lot stronger than me.  Then I biked for about 20 minutes while she ran 3 miles.  I was so sore the next day.

Ran 10 miles, 7 of it with Melody.  I was miserable. average 7:25 or so, I'm not sure. 

The night before I went with the church youth group while the youth sledded.  The hill was really steep and bumpy and I didn't want to get hurt so I stood there and froze as I visited with people.  All I could think about was the pioneers, since I just saw "17 Miracles" last week.  I was miserable with double layers of my warmest running clothes, snow pants, coat, big hat, gloves, etc.  The pioneers didn't have near as nice of clothes.  

It was just way to hard to freeze for hours in the evening and then get up and go out in the cold again.  It was only 8 or 10 degrees outside and I had a bad attitude about it. 

4 miles on my treadmill.

14 miles with Kim and Melody.  It was 6 degrees!  I wouldn't have gone if I wasn't meeting people.  I used to say "I don't do single digits," but this year I've done that several times.  I think this was my coldest run, but it didn't seem as hard as Thursdays.  I had to remind myself I won't go back out in it again until at least Thursday since I'm planning to go to the BYU indoor track on Tues.

After 11 miles Melody wanted to tempo and I said I didn't think I could make myself go any faster.  I wasn't breathing really hard, but my body felt like it could hardly go.  We started to pick it up and I felt like I was running in Jello.  Managed to pull out a few faster miles, but only by about 15 sec.  Average pace for the run 7:05. 

Nothing today.  Saturday night my left butt all of the sudden felt like I pulled a muscle.  I could hardly walk around the house.  I was really careful yesterday and it's feeling a lot better, but decided one more day off would be best.

10 miles @ BYU track with a big group.  I planned to meet Melody and Melanie, but ran into Josse there too.  Emily came late.  Rachelle and Jen were also there.  We ran 15 x 1 lap fast & 1 lap slow.  I couldn't believe how fast everyone was.  Melanie and I were bringing up the rear.  I was regretting the "In 'N Out Burger" and cookie dough I ate the night before.

Spin class and weights with Melanie.  I decided not to make myself as sore as the week before.  Felt good, not too much but still felt like I did something.  Sat in the hot tub afterwards.

10 miles on the treadmill @ Legacy Center.  Melanie and I thought we might go outside, but @ 6:00 a.m. it was only 23 degrees and it was starting to rain, freezing rain.  The air quality was still really bad too.  Ran 4 miles @ 7:13 pace, 3 miles @ 6:15 pace, and 3 miles @ 6:58 pace.  I need a nap today.

4 miles.  I stopped for 5 min after each mile to do push-ups, pull-ups, burpees, core exercises etc,  The mile felt like the rest between the the other stuff.  I'm not as strong as I should be. 

14 miles outside with Melanie and Melody in Lehi.  Avg 6:58 I think. 

4 miles with strength exercises for 5 min between each mile. 

10 miles on treadmill at Legacy Center with Melanie.  2 mile warm-up @ 7:30 pace, 3.5 miles @ 6:15 pace, .5 mile @ 8 pace, 2 miles @ 6:15 pace, 2 min standing rest, 1.5 miles @ 6:15 pace and .5 mile cool-down @ 8 pace.  This was supposed to be 2 x 3.5 miles fast, but I really wanted a little breather in the middle of the second one.

spin class and weights

10 miles

4 miles

14 miles outside with Melanie, Melody and Kim 

4 miles

10 miles @ BYU indoor track

spin class and weights

10 miles on treadmill @ Legacy Center

4 miles outside

14 miles on treadmill at Legacy Center.  We were wimps about the weather this day.

4 miles

3 miles outside at 7 min pace then 7 x 1 mile @ 6:15 pace on the treadmill with a two minute rest between each one.

spin class and weights

12 miles downhill run avg 6:43 pace.  Melanie, Melody and I started by AF Canyon and ran down to Melanie's house in Lehi.

Nothing.  I didn't feel well this day.  So tired.

16 miles avg 6:57 pace with Melody, Kim and Cassy from Kim's house in PG.

1 lousy mile on the treadmill.  My right hamstring hurt really bad, like I was having a pinched nerve.  Got in the hot tub and really dug into my butt muscle to try to work out the problem.

10 miles with Melanie and Melody.  We ran up Provo Canyon a couple of miles then down and around the Riverwoods a couple of times then back to our cars.  Avg 6:56 pace.  The first two and last two were slower.  We ran about 6 miles at a faster pace. 

spin class and weights

10 miles with Melody and Melanie from Melanie's home in Lehi.  This was a cold somewhat miserable run.  We headed north/east to do our Burger King run, but when we got to the top of the hill at mile 3 the wind was terrible.  We turned around and went back by Melanie's house and headed west towards the Jordan River trail.  About a mile before we were to turn around the wind picked up again, then it seemed to swirl always coming at us from the front or side as we made our way back home.  This run felt 3/4 into the wind.  Avg 7:07

In way too much pain to run today.  My hamstring was so tight that it pulled on my leg and gave me a pinched nerve feeling etc.  Couldn't even walk without pain.  I spent a while sitting in the hot tub digging into it trying to loosen it up.  Melanie even stopped by my house on her way somewhere and put her elbow into it for about 10 min.  By the end of the day it felt a little better, but I still had a big problem. 

14 miles with Melanie.  My leg only hurt a little off and on during the run.  Avg 6:58 pace.  I was hopefull it wouldn't bother me too much later in the day, but when I woke up from a nap it hurt again, but not as bad as after Thursday's run.  I had my husband dig his elbow into it that evening.  I can tell it's making progress. 

Biked 30 minutes and dug into my hamstring more.  I didn't want to do a stupid 4 miles and then not be able to run the next day. 

8 miles with Melanie.  We ran 4 outside then went into the treadmills.  Melanie wanted to do some speed work and I wanted to take it easy and get my hamstring better. 

Today is my 40th birthday!  Went to a spin class with Melanie and lifted weights. 

I put corn starch in my hair before waking the kids up so my hair would look like it had gone grey over night.  They thought it was funny.  I remember my dad doing that for his 40th birthday.  There are a lot of things about birthdays I don't remember, but the corn starch at age 40, that I remember. 

I told my kids they should carry on the tradition when they're 40.  I held onto a package of corn starch I used for something 9 years ago because I planned to use it when I turned 40.  I said I would give the package to Canyon when he was 39, he could pass it down to Eli, then he could pass it down to Elsa.  Eli said, "But what if I turn 40 first?" We looked at him funny and he realized that was impossible.  Good times!

10 miles @ 6:54 pace.  Hamstring still bothered me late in the day, but not as much as Tues.

30 min bike

14 miles in Lehi with Melanie @ 6:55 pace.  The first 10 miles were pretty good, but then the cold got to us.  The last 4 felt harder.   

Hamstring only hurt a little off and on.  Very little pain in my hamstring later in the day, which was encouraging.  For the past two weeks or so it has really flared up after runs.

My foot looks horrible.  Seriously any tips for a sprained ankle?  I iced it several times the first 24 hours, did warm Epsom salt followed by ice on Fri.  Sat my workout seemed to reduce some of the swelling, but when I sat for a while in the afternoon the swelling got worse.  When church ended today it was just as swollen as Fri/Sat!  I just did more epsom salt.  Maybe I need to keep it elevated?  This is so frustrating.  About 80% of my ankle and foot is black and blue!  Really black and blue!

30 min bike.  Thought I could probably run, but becided to do one more cross train day so I can get in a good workout tomorrow.  Hamstring almost better.

10 miles with Melanie and Emily.  Ran from my house to Orem High track, 6 x 800 meters, ran back home.  My thermometer sais 25 degrees, but the wind was blowing so hard it felt like 10 degrees and my times showed it, 3:00, 3:02, 3:02, 3:02, 3:02, and 3:05.  I started laughing when I saw the last one, because I felt like I was going so hard and still being so slow.  My calves were also really tight.

At lunch time I was encouraged because my hamstring felt so good.  It didn't bother me at all on the run and wasn't acting up one bit.  I was in the process of emptying the dishwasher in the afternoon when the phone rang and I spent about 20 min in the office.  As I walked around the corner of my island in my kitchen I forgot I left he dishwasher open and tripped on it.  As I fell I thought, "If I land on this door I'll break it right off."  Not wanting to purchase a new dishwasher I put my hands out for the floor and tried my best to avoid it.  I hit my knee on the corner of the open dishwasher door as I fell and landed on my side on the floor.  As I lay on the ground with my hands on my knee, tears coming to my eyes and breathing like I was having a baby I thought, "If I can't run because of this I'm going to be so mad."  Then I thought, "I'm glad I swept the floor this morning."  Then I realized it felt a little sticky where my face was on the floor and I thought, "I would have mopped if I knew I was going to be laying on the floor for this long."

Later in the afternoon and evening all my hamstring problems seemed to come back, the tightness, pinched nerve pain, etc.  I'm so mad at myself. 

skipped out on spin class and everything else.  My knee is swollen and hurts to put weight on it bent.  Hamstring still hurting too.

What is wrong with me?  I'm seriously having such bad luck.  I spent about 3 hours over the last 2 days, since I fell over my dishwasher door, working out all the kinks in my muscles and actually felt really good running today.  I felt good, that is, until I stepped on a rock and sprained my ankle!

We warmed up 2 miles then ran 3 miles hard @ 6:19, 6:28, 6:35.  That last one was slightly uphill.  Then we drank and ran about a half mile before the second part of the run, 3 x 1 mile with a minute rest between.  My times on that were 6:17, 6:23, 6:23.  Finished feeling tired, but so happy that my hamstring didn't bother me and that my knee, although black and blue, didn't hurt either.

Barely into the 2 mile cool-down I stepped on a small rock and rolled my ankle.  I stopped and lay down on the road saying, "I'm having such bad luck!"  I couldn't believe it.  At least I didn't fall when I twisted it.  I was able to walk ok if I didn't totally relax my foot and let it do it's normal full range of motion.  Every once in a while I got a shooting pain through it though.  Melanie ran home and came back in the car to get me.  I'm glad I walked.  If I tried to run the last 2 miles I probably would have injured it more or favored it and run funny making something else hurt.  So stupid!

My ankle was swolen and I couldn't walk normally.  I biked for 30 minutes, which actually took the swelling down a little and made it feel better.  Went home, soaked it in Epsom salt, showered and iced it.  It seemed to be improving, but then I sat at my computer working for a few hours and when I got up it was more swollen and hurt worse.  Decided not to run the next day.

Went to the Legacy Center.  Bike 30 min, elliptical 30 min, bike 15 min, stairmaster 10 min.  Not near as much fun as running outside and I didn't feel like I got a very good workout.  My ankle is black and blue all over.  I can walk normally now, but still with a little pain.  Hoping to run Tues.

My ankle is so stupid!  Stop swelling up and just get better!

Elliptical for 30 min.

10 miles with Melanie in Lehi.  It felt so good to go running again.  My ankle is all black and blue, but it didn't hurt.  When we started it felt a little swolen, a few miles into the run my shoe felt really loose.  I had loosened the laces on my sprained ankle foot a few days ago and had just slipped them on.  I tightened them up and my foot went numb.  I stopped two other times to loosen them a little and my foot finally got feeling back the last 2 miles.  We did 11 x 1 min faster with 2 min slower.

I was highlighted in the Utah Valley Magazine's "FAB 50" article: 

http://blog.uvmag.com/marchapril13/31.html

10 miles with Melanie, Melody and Emily.  Felt extra tired avg 7:08.

Ran the Shamrock 1/2 Marathon in Saratoga Springs.  This course was basically three different loops off the same main road that started and finished at the same place.  It was hilly and somehow seemed 2/3 uphill and only 1/3 downhill.

I wasn't paying attention to the person telling me where to go at one point, mile 9, and started running down the wrong street.  There was no one I could see in front of me at the time.  I heard the runner behind me yell at me and I turned around and ran back.  I was mad the person directing the runners didn't yell at me sooner.  I probably ran down the street for 6 or 7 seconds, stopped looked back, wondered what was going on, and then had to run the 6 or 7 seconds back. 

It's a miracle I could run with my ankle looking the way it does.  It still has a big bump on it, swells up when I sit for any length of time and hurts to rub on just about anywhere on my foot.  Somehow it hardly hurts to run though, which is an answer to prayers. 

I felt good running the race I think mostly on account of my taking so much time off for this stupid hamstring issue and my ankle sprain.  I felt well rested and that makes a big difference for me. 

I'm never lifting weights on my hamstrings again.  They are still causing me so much trouble.  Did the elliptical for 30 min and some sit-ups.

Ran 10 miles with Melanie.  We did 5 x .75 miles @ 6:01, 6:08, 6:07, 6:18, and 6:17 pace.  I felt really tired doing these.  It was a little discouraging to be doing them so slow.  Last summer I ran them in under 6 min pace on the same stretch of road. 

30 min elliptical and a few weights.  My  hamstrings are getting a lot better.  I've dug into them and rubbed them out a lot this week.  Hoping to be able to run more than 3 times next week.  I haven't run more than 3 days a week for over a month now. 

10 miles up/down Provo Canyon on highway starting at Nun's Park with Melanie and Melody.  I stepped on a broken up part of the edge of the road right when we started running and twisted by already sprained ankle.  It really hurt when I first did it, but wasn't reinjured bad enough to not run.  This was a hilly run and my hamstrings hurt.  We didn't have any water and that affected me towards the end.  I couldn't keep up the last several miles. 

When I got home my left quad started hurting when I walked up the stairs.  I walked around the rest of the day feeling so frustrated.  My left quad hurts, both my hamstrings hurt and my ankle hurts.  I've decided I'm not going to lift weights on my hamstrings again.  They were almost better then I lifted last Wednesday and my problems started all over again.  My hip flexers are like that too.  I just can't lift on them or BAM! big problem.

18 miles with Melanie and Kim.  My husband was so nice to get up at 5:45 a.m. to drive us 18 miles up into Provo Canyon.  We started about 3 miles past the Wallsburg turnoff and ran down to the River Woods Shopping Center.  There was snow on the ground and it was in the 20's.  I felt really good the first 9 miles.  Then the cold started to get to me and I felt tight.  When Melanie said we had gone 9 I said, "We're only 1/2 way?"  I did ok for about another 5 and it seemed like we got to 14 pretty quick.  Then I felt like I slammed into a wall.  I was exhausted and everything started to hurt.  Our pace to mile 17 was 6:55 average, which would have been good on an out and back, but this was down the canyon.  I decided to stop at 17 but we were still 1/2 mile from the cars.  We walked .1 then decided to run since walking takes so long and it was cold.  When we got to the cars we already had .4 and Melanie convinced me to do another .6 for 18.  The last mile was 7:45 average mostly around the parking lot.  I'm not trained for the distance. 

12 miles with Melanie and Emily up/down Provo Canyon.  We ran up 6 miles then did 15 x 30 sec fast with 90 sec slower.  I was ok on the faster part but then I wanted to be done.  Our cool-down the last 2 miles was hard. avg 6:59.

10 miles with Melanie, Emily and Melody in Lehi.  We ran the ankle sprain route, which is pretty flat.  Warm-up 2 miles, 3 mile tempo (6:24, 6:37, 6:32), drink & stretch break, 3 mile tempo (6:22, 6:33, 6:37), 2 mile cool-down. 

I feel a little better, like I'm finally getting all my tight spots under control.  Still some work to do though.  My ankle doesn't hurt me the rest of the day after a run and I'm not hobbling so much when I get out of bed.  It still has a bump that hurts to push on and I don't quite have my full range of motion yet.

Still frustrated with my hamstring.  I guess we'll see how well I can run a marathon on only 3 days of training a week.

18 miles with Melanie down Provo Canyon on the highway.  My husband dropped us off at the Wallsburg turnoff.  We ran 2 miles into Wallsburg then turned around and ran down the Canyon.  We stayed on the highway until Canyon Glen then got on the trail to the Riverwoods.  

I felt a lot better than last week and our pace was much faster, avg 6:43.  I guess that's what 20 degrees warmer and the wind at our backs will do.  Last week it was 25 degrees in Orem when we started, colder up the canyon, and didn't warm up at all.  This week it was 45 degrees in Orem when we started and warmed up quite a bit. 

Melanie wasn't feeling as good as me towards the end.  At about mile 15.5 she said, "I feel like I'm doing a death march."  I looked at my watch and said, "Well at least you're death marching a 6:30 pace."  We slowed down to 6:40's the last few, still a good pace.

10 miles up/down Provo Canyon avg 7:01 pace.  Brent came with me on his bike.

Hiked with "Y" with my husband and kids.  It irritated my still recovering ankle sprain. 

This is the 8th anniversary of the day my dad died.  He got me into running and we ran together for years.  He was a good runner.  Lot's of great running memories of him.  I pushed him in a wheelchair for his last run down Provo Canyon a few weeks before he died. 

16 miles up/down Provo Canyon avg 7:00 pace.  My husband can't keep up with me on his bike going up the canyon so he drove up and met me at Bridal Veil.  He came with me 3 more miles up and all the way back home.  I still got ahead of him going up South Fork.  Nice to visit with him on the way down.  I was tired.  I don't usually do two long runs this close together, but I'm going out of town for a few days with my mom and siblings and won't be able to get a long run in. 

10 miles around Central Park in New York City.  I saw the start of the New York Runner's Association Scottish 10k.  I was 3 1/2 miles into my run when I came upon the race about to start with 9,000 + people.  I watched the supper fast people start and hopped int he race for about 4 miles, then tuned off and ran back to the house we were staying at on the north end of the park.  My hamstring hurt the first two miles then felt better once I was warmed up. 

10 miles outside with 8 x 1/2 mile repeats.  Felt ok doing them, but then my leg hurt later in the day.  I'm so frustrated.

20 miles with Melanie and 16 of it with Melody.  We started this run at 4:40 a.m.  I'm sure this is the earliest I've ever started a run.  I felt good on the run, as I had a massage and a chiropractic adjustment the day before.  We ran from my house 10 miles up Provo Canyon / South Fork.  We ran faster the first 6 miles down then slower the last four.  Avg 6:54 pace.  I was happy finishing the run because I felt so good, but later in the day I could hardly walk.  My back, butt and hamstring thing totally flaired up again.

Couldn't run today anyway because my leg hurts.  Having a surgery on my nasal passages.  Would be at the hospital now, but the doctor had an emergency, so I'm waiting who knows how long.  I'm really hungry so I hope they call soon.

I ran the Salt Lake City 1/2 Marathon this day.  I hadn't run in 10 days due to my nasal passage surgery and also the ongoing problem with my hamstring tightening up.  The night before when I wasn't feeling very well my husband said, "Are you sure you should be running tomorrow?"  I said, "Yes!  I just want to feel normal again." 

The next morning as Melanie and I were freezing cold, in the rain, squatting down in some bushes together peeing she said, "Are we crazy?  We're crazy."  Having already told her about my comment to my husband the night before I said, "The crazy thing is, this is what I have to do to feel 'normal.'"

I must say overall I was just happy to be out running, but really the race was miserable.  My hamstring hurt most of the way, not bad, but enough to stress me out about how much it would bother me later.  I must have started out too fast based on how much I slowed down and the cold really got to me.  I think the cold is part of my hamstring problem.  I felt like everything was tight by the end because I was so cold.  I walked through a water stop because I felt thirsty at mile 5 and ran 20 seconds behind Melanie most of the race.  Towards the end I thought "I'm running a 7 min mile.  I should be able to pick it up to a 6:40 or even 6:50 and catch her," but I couldn't.  I wanted to run with her and couldn't make up even a short distance.

I thought my misery was over when the race ended, but that was really just the start.  Melanie and I only hung around for maybe 5 min before we were freezing and started running the 2 miles back to the car in the rain and already soaking wet.  About .9 into our "cool-down" we came to a hill that from a distance looked like stairs!  We walked the hill and by the top we were even colder.  We ran another .1 then decided to walk.  We had another mile to the car and it was a very long miserable mile.  I told her my dad used to say, "If we don't suffer enough we won't remember it."  At first our "suffering" was a little funny, but by the end it was not funny at all.  I really wondered if we needed to stop and get help.  Our whole bodies were shivering when we got to the car.  We stripped down and put on dry clothes.  I didn't have any dry pants so I rode home in my underwear. 

When I got home my hamstring was so tight I couldn't bend over at all.  I think it would have hurt no matter what, but being so cold and shivering I'm sure made things tighten up even more.  I spent over an hour rubbing myself out and felt tons better.  Then I went to my sons soccer game and by the end I couldn't bend again.  I'm so frustrated.  I really hope the warm weather that must be coming will help me get all the tightness worked out. 

30 min elliptical.  I decided I need to cross train if I can't run every day. 

10 miles with Melanie in Lehi.  In my frustration over my hamstring problems I used a scraping tool to dig into my butt on Saturday night.  I had a big bruise the next day, but it seemed to help.  My hamstring still hurt, but not quite the same, more like it's recovering and less like it's still being pulled funny.

We ran 2 miles warm-up then 4 x 1 mile faster with 1/2 mile recovery.  It is discouraging how much conditioning I've lost.  Mile times were 6:15(wind at back), 6:20, 6:28, 6:44(into wind).  The last one I felt cold and tight.  I just had a hard time making my body go even though I otherwise felt ok. 

I've changed my philosophy on running in the cold.  I used to feel like I was wimping out hitting the treadmill, but I just don't do well in the cold.  After about an hour I really struggle.  My limit used to be single digits and even then I sometimes went out in less than 10, but next year it's going to be 28.   

After my run I spent over an hour scraping my quads, hamstrings and butt.  I had a hard time getting one spot in my butt and resorted to using the race metals hanging on the wall in my bedroom, Utah Valley, Provo City, Ragnar.  I look like I've been abused or in an accident or something with bruises all over my legs and butt, but I'm feeling a lot better. 

30 min elliptical.  My hamstring faired up much less, almost not at all, after my run Tuesday which was encouraging.  I dug into my hamstring more after elliptical.  The Ragnar metal works the best for this.  I'm hopeful I can be done with this problem soon.  Warmer weather is just around the corner too.  I get so tense in the cold and it makes everything tight.  Summer is bound to be better for me.

10 miles with Melanie.  We started at Vivian and ran up/down South Fork Canyon.  I am so much slower than I was two months ago.  It's ridiculous, 7:06 average pace and I felt exhausted, like I was at the end of  a hard 20.  Saturday I really have to do a hard 20.  I wonder what that will be like.

On the bright side, my hamstring hurts less and didn't seem to feel worse after the run.  It was also beautiful up South Fork.  Cold, but beautiful. 

Ran 18 miles down Provo Canyon with Melanie and Josse.  Melanie and I planned to go 21 and Josse only wanted 18.  My hamstring hurt the first several miles, but seemed to feel a little better when I got warmed up.  We were going to do a "progression" run and get progressively faster, but I unfortunately got progressively slower.  I realized at about mile 9 that I wasn't going to go any faster and would be lucky to just stay the same.  After about mile 10 Melanie and Josse kept getting ahead of me but not so far we weren't together at the water stops.  I was getting tired, but doing ok until about mile 14.  Looking back I realize I should have fueled more.  I drank some PowerAde, but only took one gu.

At about mile 16 I realized it wasn't going to be smart for me to run the whole 21 and decided to do something less.  My legs were so tired I felt like I was going to be sore if I kept going much farther.  Sore muscles lead to tight muscles and that's what's causing all my hamstring problems.  I stopped to stretch at mile 16.5 which helped me feel better for a while.  I was down on the trail by the river woods and would have just run home, but I was so far behind Melanie and Josse after stretching that I couldn't yell to them to tell them and didn't want them to wonder where I was.  

I struggled the last two miles at a 7:15 pace and finished my 18 miles in an average 6:50 pace.  Josse gave me a ride home and Melanie finished up the 21 miles.  I don't remember ever cutting a long run short before but I know it was the right thing to do.  I was tired from lack of sleep and didn't fuel enough, but the biggest problem is that I've lost conditioning.  I have some serious work to do the next six weeks.  With the spring I've had I'll just be glad to run Utah Valley and feel good.  No time goal anymore. 

I was a little frustrated my hamstring hurt later in the day.  I had to remind myself it was hurting a whole lot less than it hurt after every Saturday runs for the last two months.  I'm so exhausted with this problem.   

30 min elliptical

12 miles with Melanie up/down Provo Canyon, tempo 4 miles down, avg 6:49 pace.  Last Tuesday I felt like I was slamming into the wall at mile 8 and today I didn't feel like I was slamming into a wall until mile 11.  Hamstring also feeling a lot better.

30 min elliptical

8 miles with Melanie up/down AF Canyon.  avg 7:22 pace.  The inside of my left foot up by my big toe started hurting on the way down and by the end I was in a lot of pain.  So frustrating to have another problem.

Ran the Provo City 1/2 Marathon without registering.  I wasn't sure I would even make it the 13 miles when I started because my foot hurt.  It seemed to get feeling better as I ran and didn't bother me too much until the cool-down.  My butt started feeling tight and I just kept going.  Later in the day I wished I would have just stopped to stretch it out.  My hamstring hurt again afterwards.  I literally spent two hours digging into the tight spots on my legs on Saturday and again on Sunday so I could walk normally on Monday. 

Time for 1/2 Marathon 1:26:25 (avg 6:36 pace).  One mile warm-up and cool-down.  My foot hurt again on the cool-down.  I'm so much slower than I was last year at this time. 

30

min elliptical

12 miles with Melanie in Lehi.  We ran 6 x 1000 meters, guessed it at about .62 so not exact.  I just tried to run relaxed, so I don't make my tightness problems worse.  I was way behind Melanie.  Paces: 6:14, 6:14, 6:19, 6:07, 6:13, and 6:18.  I can't help but compare myself to last year, when I did mile repeats at 6 min pace, and feel a little discouraged.  I guess I'll just keep plugging away. 

My hamstring felt a little tight at the start, but after stretching a few times it felt good for several miles.  Towards the end I started getting that pinching feeling when I bent to stretch it.  We stopped and stretched after every other one.  My left foot hurt a little the first two miles, then warmed up and didn't bother me the rest of the run.  My left calf was really tight when I got home.  I spent over an hour digging out the tight spots and stretching after I got the kids off to school and am now feeling pretty good. 

I couldn't believe it.  My other hamstring totally flared up, tight and sore and I don't know why.  Now my left hurts like my right one did when that whole problem started.  

Met Melody and Melanie for a run up/down South Fork.  We ran up four miles then turned around.  I couldn't keep up on the way up.  I jokingly said I was going to sit down on the side of the road and cry.  On the way down I couldn't keep up either.  It was more like I felt like I would be pushing it to keep up and pushing it would only make my problems worse.  My left calf and hamstring both hurt and felt tight.  I stopped to stretch.  Josse and Rebecca drove by on their way back up to pick up a car they left at the park there earlier.  I talked to them for a minute.  When I got back to my car at mile 8 I stopped.  Melody and Melanie had run another mile down past the car to get 10 in.  I stretched and waited for them to come back. 

Later that day I decided I'm not going to do Utah Valley.  I felt a huge relief.  I'm not in shape to run a marathon well and I don't want to keep stressing out about it.  

Melanie, Kim and I drove to the Wallsburg turnoff.  We ran in towards Wallsburg  a 1/2 mile then turned around and headed down the canyon.  I didn't want to push the pace and make my tightness and problems worse.  As we ran the hills around Deer Creek I couldn't keep up.  Just keeping up was hard.  When we stopped for water after 5.5 miles I decided to turn around.  I wasn't going to keep up and didn't want to go 17 miles.  It didn't make sense for me to keep going and have to call my husband for a ride.  I ran back to the car. 

I actually didn't feel as bad running back.  I slowed down and stopped every 3/4 mile to stretch.  At one point I realized I actually felt relaxed and was enjoying running.  I think I haven't felt relaxed on a run in months.  I'm always so stressed about how I'm feeling or how I might feel afterwards, or whether I'm going to be able to keep up, or even finish.  I'm so out of shape that I'm pushing it when they're running normal and easy. 

I just want to head out on a run feeling confident I'll be able to make it back and not be in pain.  I'm going to take two weeks to run by myself, short and slow to try to get feeling completely better before I go hard again.  Hopefully by the time my friends recover from Utah Valley in five or six weeks I'll be able to run with them again.  Right now I don't even care about going fast, I just want to feel good.

4 miles.  My daughter woke up with her stomach not feeling well so I kept her home.  I planned to run while the kids were at school.  I got ready to go thinking I could run a mile loop, check on her, run the loop again, etc.  I asked her if she wanted to come in the stroller and she jumped up off the couch and said, "Yes!"  She's clearly not very sick.  I ran 4 miles pushing my 7 year old who is way to big for the running stroller.  We stopped every mile to stretch.  My hamstring and calf hurt a little but I felt better at the end then when I started so that was good.  Average 8:11 pace.

I rode my bike down AF canyon with Melanie while she ran. I drove to the top and rode down, so wimpy, she ran both ways.  I ran a 1/2 mile at the top waiting for her.  My hamstring and calf hurt.  I'm nervous to run again because I don't want to be in pain.  I spent all week trying to just get out of pain and I'm afraid if I run I'll hurt all over all the time again and be right back where I started. 

It was cold and raining and my hands were freezing.  I wished I could run, but at least I got outside and had a nice visit with my friend.  I'll try running next week.

I spent about 2 hours every day last week digging into the tight spots I have everywhere. I couldn't even walk or bend over without pain most of the week and it slowly improved.  I ran 4 slow miles, stopping every mile to stretch, and it helped me realize where else I need to rub out. 

4 miles and this time I only felt like I needed to stretch half way through.  In a little less pain than yesterday.  Still more stretching and rubbing.  Brent came with me on his bike, which was nice. 

I did some yard work later in the day.  This was the first day my aches and pains felt like they were in the "normal" range walking around and doing regular things later in the day.

4 miles, stretched 1/2 way through.  My right hamstring felt like it was being pulled, just a tiny bit on the run, but more later in the day as I walked around.  I can tell my left quad and hip are tight so when that leg goes back and my right leg is forward my hips are twisting funny.  I think that's part of what's causing the pain in my hamstring.  I guess I need to rub on that more. 

4 miles

4 miles.  My hamstring hurt again.  I stretched a lot and dug into my quad later in the day and that helped, but I walked around in pain most of the day. 

5 miles.  I parked my car where Melanie wanted to finish her run along University Ave and biked 2.5 miles to the mouth of the canyon.  I left my bike there and ran just over a mile up to meet her as she came running down.  I ran the last four miles of her run with her.  I wondered if I would be able to keep up with all the conditioning I've lost.  The 6:20's an 30's felt a little like a tempo, but I did it.  So fun to run down the trail side by side again even if it was for only 4 miles. 

I ran into Lily and Carina on the trail and had a nice chat with them.  They gave me some good tips/reminders of what I can do to get over my hamstring/hip issues.  I went home and pulled out my old papers with exercises and stretches the physical therapist gave me when I had this type of problem four years ago.  I spent a while doing all of them and it seemed to help.  I did several of them a couple of times earlier in the week, but this time I did more. 

I'm happy to report I feel better than I've felt in weeks, which is encouraging especially after a good paced 5 mile run.  It's still sad that 5 miles was my "long" run.

6.2 miles with Melanie.  Ran a 10k in AF as a slow easy day.  Stopped to stretch, not sure the pace, about 7:30.

PT exercises, stretching, dug into tight spots.

8 miles with Melanie.  Parked at Bridal Veil, ran up 2 then down 4.  PT exercises, stretching.  I spend about 20 or 30 min three times a day stretching, morning, at lunch and again before bed.  Melanie challenged me to be able to do the splits both ways by St. George.  I've got a long way to go.

Didn't run today.  PT exercises, sit-ups, etc.  Sat in tub working out tight spots in legs.

8 miles with Melanie and Emily in Lehi.  Up along the Burger King/Smith's route.  The hill didn't seem as hard as some other times. 

4 easy miles, PT exercises, stretching, etc.

12 miles.  This was a big bump up in miles.  I felt good running until the last mile, but I also had a lot of stops to stretch.  My right butt started tightening up towards the end.  That made my hamstring hurt later.  I think if I would have stopped at 10 I would have felt a lot better afterwards. 

Melanie and I warmed up 3 miles on our way to the starting line of a 3 mile downhill race.  We ran past the starting line abut 1/4 mile down a hill to a port-o-potty.  The busses hadn't dropped off the runners yet.  It was time for the race to start when we began running back up the hill towards the race.  We hoped it would start a little late, but it didn't.  The race started a minute before we got there.  I wasn't registered or planning to go fast, but Melanie was.  We started late and had to wind through all the slow people. 

We met up with Melody after the race for a cool-down.  We ran back along the race to pick up the clothes we left at the port-o-potty and back.  I was so happy to finally be feeling "normal" for most of the run. 

I didn't have time to do the PT exercises and stretching I wanted to do.  Then I sat in the car driving to St. George for 4 hours.  My hamstring hurt later in the day, so that was discouraging, but not near as much as it hurt a month ago.  I don't have all the tight spots fully worked out and I still need to be more flexible, but I'm making progress and I was happy to feel good doing 12 miles.  I finally got a little "runner's high" again.

4 miles, PT exercises, stretching, etc.

7 miles.  Ran the last 7 miles of the Utah Valley Marathon course with a 8 other women.

  I kept thinking I would get around to doing my PT exercises and stretching all day, but things kept coming up.  I felt like I was running around all day.  I finally had time to do a few after we got home from my son's baseball game at 10:15 p.m.  Ridiculously later for 9 and 10 year olds. 

4 miles, PT exercises, stretching and sat in Epsom salt tub digging out tight spots.  Made this a priority today.  It took a while so I felt like that was the only thing I accomplished in the morning.

10 miles up/down Provo Canyon by myself.  My right hamstring hurt just a tiny bit and I had a hard time telling if it was still being pulled a little by the tight spots in my butt or if it was just the bruise I gave myself digging into it that was hurting. 

It must have been pulled a little because later in the day it hurt more.  I was frustrated but reminded myself that I went 10 miles and it hurt less than it did after the 12 I did on Saturday.

6 miles.  I parked my car 2 miles from the finish of the Utah Valley Marathon and ran back along the course 4 miles to mile 20 so I could cheer for people I know and run Melanie in.  I met Melanie at mile 20 and started running with her. 

2 miles later I was looking over at her talking when I stepped on a small rock in the middle of a little gravel in the road and ROLLED MY ANKLE!  My right ankle, the one I sprained in March!  It still has a big bump on it from the sprain three months ago.  It hurt bad when I did it, but I hoped the pain would quickly go away, sometimes sprains are like that.  I sat down on the curb and the pain only got worse.  I really felt like I was going to cry, it hurt so bad.  After several minutes I tried to walk and that hurt even more.  I called my husband to pick me up. 

We drove along the race and cheered for Melanie.  I wanted to walk the last .2 down to the finish to see people after the race, but after walking about .03 I decided I couldn't do that.  I am seriously having such a bad spring!

Met Melody and Marie at Provo Canyon in hopes I would be able to run.  I went a mile with them and quickly realized  my ankle was hurting to bad.  I walked back to my car and went home, stopping at Harmon's on the way.  I realized if I got right on my bike I would still run into them up the canyon.  I rode up the canyon from my house and turned around with them on their way down.  I rode by Marie and Melody as they finished up their last little bit.  So I didn't get much of a workout but at least I got to visit some.

I decided I must need to eat more salt.  Last week my legs and feet started cramping on me again.  I'll be stretching and my foot will cramp, or I'll be laying in bed and my butt will cramp.  It's so frustrating.  I got a good vitamin and multi-mineral supplement with potassium and magnesium that I started taking a few weeks ago, but I realized I eat a very low sodium diet.  Last week I purposefully ate some extra salty French fries on Thursday and again on Friday and felt a lot better for a few days.  Then I went back to eating normal and last night I started cramping again.  I really don't eat anything salty and I don't salt anything.  I purposefully cut back on my salt when my blood pressure was a little higher than normal a few times last fall, and also because my sister is having blood pressure issues and it runs in my family. 

My foot hurt me most of the day.  The pain ran along the inside of my sprained ankle foot.  I've actually had this pain before and it was caused by a tight spot on the top outside part of my foot, making my arch fall in more etc.  I dug on the huge lump on the top outside of my foot three times this day and each time it seemed to help with the pain.  I could walk pain free by the end of the day but didn't have much confidence about running the next day.

I met Melody, Dessire, Marie and Rebecca for a run.  I didn't want to get too far from home in case my foot started hurting more.  We ran down Center street, along Canyon Road and up the Canyon a mile then headed back.  The other girls turned around before Melody and I on the canyon stretch so we didn't finish with them I ended up with 8 miles.  My foot started with a dull ache and actually felt better when I finished.  still a little hamstring issue going on though.

4 miles.  My ankle was throbbing by the end of the day yesterday and I had a sharp pain when I got up.  After some rubbing and stretching it felt ok to go 4 miles.  My hamstring still isn't 100% either.

Ran the AF Canyon 1/2 Marathon with Kim and Melanie.  We were not registered and Jane was nice enough to give us a ride to the top.  I was relieved Kim and Melanie are still recovering a little from their marathon and wanted to take it easy and stop for drinks and to stretch.  We walked through the water stops and I stretched every time.  I was happy my ankle felt good.  Thursday it really hurt going down a hill and AF is a lot of downhill.  My left butt started feeling tight around mile 10 which pulled on my hamstring.  I was worried I might have a problem with it later.  13 miles felt long to me, in that my legs felt very tired the last two miles.  I massaged my butt really good at the end as we stood there talking to people.  When I got home I stretched and dug into my hamstring, iced my leg and took 800 m of Ibuprofen every 4 hours the rest of that day.  I took it for my ankle, but think it actually really helped the hamstring to not flair up.  I wish I had started doing that two months ago.  I was so encouraged when I only had a tiny bit of hamstring pain later in the day. 

4 miles

10 miles with Melanie up/down Provo Canyon.  My quads were sore from running down AF Canyon on Saturday.  My legs seriously felt like I raced but at the time I didn't think I was pushing it that hard. 

10 miles with Melanie along running trail near her house, mostly flat. 

4 miles

14 miles down AF Canyon with Melanie and Kim.  I told my husband that run kicked my butt last week and made my quads way too sore so I needed to do it again.  We warmed up a mile at the top then started down.  No tempo, lots of stopping for drinks, etc.  I got very tired at about mile 12 and the last 2 were hard.  But the next day my quads were just tired instead of sore so that was encouraging.  My hamstring hurt a little the first several miles, but after stretching my butt several times it felt fine.  It did bother me more later in the day though.  I started to feel discouraged about that but reminded myself that compared to last weekend I ran 1 mile farther, a little faster and it hurt less. 

4 miles

10 miles with Melanie.  We ran a new way from her house in Lehi, flat roads out by the farms.  Great route with hardy any cars.  Did 6 x 1/2 mile repeats.  The last one was hard.  I would have had a difficult time doing 8 today.  This is the first "speed" work I've done in about 8 weeks. 

I only did a little yoga in my family room.  I'm so frustrated with my hamstring.  It flared up after my run Tues and bothered me all day Wed.

Ran 9.5 miles with Melanie and Melody.  We met at Provo Canyon and did the hilly route that took us past Timp View High School and up by the Provo Temple.  When we got to Rock Canyon Park we only had 4.75 miles.  It was enough.  We headed back and by the time we got to the canyon we didn't care about getting in 10. 

On the bright side, although my hamstring bothered me a little on the run, when I got home I rubbed on a different spot, in a different way which seemed to immediately help.  A few hours later and I'm actually feeling pretty good.

I did the Spartan Beast 12+ miles with 30+ obstacles.  I had so much fun doing this race last year that I immediately signed up for it again.  Last year I was nervous because I didn't know what to expect and this year I was nervous because I knew what it was like and I felt underprepared.  Then Josse's friend Tie said the race was harder this year, she works with the Spartan team, and she was right.  The trails were steeper and the obstacles more exhausting. 

The route and order of the obstacles was all different this year.  Lots of steep trails, climbing walls, crawling under things and through muddy trenches, dragging heavy tires and cinderblocks, flipping tires, carrying sandbags, carrying cinderblocks, carrying buckets full of rocks, climbing ropes and rope ladders, crawling under barbed wire, walking on poles, etc.  If you fail and obstacle you have to do 30 burpees and your chest had to touch the ground.  I failed four, falling off the poles, my javelin throw missed it's mark by inches and I couldn't climb the two ropes. 

On my last set of burpees less than a quarter mile from the finish my sister Sandra was standing next to me yelling, "Come on, you can do it.  Speed up, this girls doing her burpees twice as fast as you."  On about 20 I said, "I feel like I'm going to cry."  Then I rolled and crawled under about a 100 yard stretch of muddy barbed wire, climbed another wall, ran through fire and past the gladiators banging you with big poles and across the finish line.  I put my arms in the air with a feeling of gratitude I was even able to do it and at the same time felt very glad to be done. 

The Elite men started 15 minutes before the Elite women so I never saw my brother.  He finished 15 min before me beating me by 19 seconds.  I wish we could have done it together.  The first thing I said to him was, "This was so hard."  He agreed, it was harder than last year.  My arms were so tired I could hardly lift my banana to my mouth.  I rode home in a daze, saying, "It was so hard Brent, It was so hard.  I can't believe I did that."  Then I said, "I don't think I'll do it again next year," and my husband said, "Well good, you got that out of your system." 

I couldn't run today because of my shoulder!  It hurts so bad.  My arms were so sore Sunday and even more sore when I woke up Monday.  But Monday afternoon as I got a heavy box of bookkeeping papers down from a shelf in my office I hurt my right one even worse.  I can't even walk normally without pain.  So frustrating.  I'm wearing a sling.  My left one hurts too, but I can at least use it some.  With all the injuries I've had this year I now must add a shoulder problem to the list. 

Last night as I was telling my kids every little thing to do to get their own dinner my husband came home from work.  Everyone was extra glad to see him.  My daughter said to her dad, "I'm glad you didn't do the Spartan.  Then we wouldn't have any parents to do things for us."

Saturday I was able to run again after another whole week off. I met Melanie, Kim and a few other ladies I don’t know as well at Jane’s house. We ran up the Alpine Highway and out almost to the natural water slide and back. My right arm hurt a lot the first few miles, not the front muscle that seemed so injured earlier, but the side of my arm. Melanie rubbed it out and we kept going. A couple of miles later it didn’t feel as bad so that was nice. I made it out 9 miles. On our way down my quad started to hurt. I mile 15.5 I decided I would try to keep a decent pace for another ½ mile then slow down the last 2. Just a few steps later I had a shooting pain through my hamstring. I stopped and stretched and started again, going a lot slower and it felt ok. A mile later I felt the pain again. I stopped again to stretch and decided I would run until I felt the pain again or mile 17, whichever came sooner. At 17 miles I started walking and walked the last mile. My hamstring hurt afterwards. It was fine after the Spartan, but I wasn’t able to stretch much all week as I couldn’t even get up and down off the floor with my arms so hurt. Hopefully it will feel better next week.

4 miles

10 miles with 6 x 1/2 mile repeats. 

I was so tired I stayed in bed until 9:30 a.m. and didn't run at all.

8 miles up/down Suncrest.  This street is so hard to run up, up, up.  At mile 2 I felt like I was going to throw-up when we stopped for  a breather, stop again at mile 3 and again when we turned around at mile 4.  A lot easier coming down.

4 miles in the rain.

Bryce Canyon 1/2 Marathon.  This is my 5th year doing this race.  Every year I've run it faster than the last, but knew that wasn't going to happen this year.  I pulled out the split times from my 1:23:48 year a few years ago and shot for that.  I was worried about being trained for the distance, something I don't usually think about with 1/2 Marathons, but it turned out ok.

Splits: 6:36, 6:41, 5:56, 5:58, 6:10, 6:07, 6:21, 6:27, 6:37, 6:30, 6:32, 6:34, 6:28, last .1 6:14 pace. 

I was pleased with this time.  I know I'm not in as good of shape as I was the last two years.  Melanie and I drove down together without our families for this one, and stayed at her friends house the night before.  We iced in the river afterwards.  The 23 1/2 hour trip was fun.

4 miles

10 miles.  I got  up at 4:15 a.m. to run 10 miles before heading to girl's camp for the rest of the week.  My husband came with me on his bike.  That's true dedication/love, etc. 

6 miles early in the morning at Camp Shalom, our stake girl's camp.  Started at 9250 foot elevation and climbed to 9750 in a couple of miles on trails.  My 6 miles took about as long as 8 usually does.  Felt like 8.

3 miles on trails at Camp Shalom.  Felt like 4.

10 miles up/down Provo Canyon.  I got back from girl's camp around noon.  I should have left for the run at 7:00 p.m., and gone 18 miles but one thing led to another and we didn't leave until 9:20 p.m.  Brent came with me on his bike.  My head lamp doesn't work well and I could hardly see on the running trail.  I felt like the darkness was slowing me down.  When we got to Bridal Veil it was 10:00 p.m.  I was tired and had to get up early to speak about girl's camp in church the next day.  I also still had to make a pasta salad because it was my mom's farewell talk and we were having a bunch of family over for lunch afterwards.  Running at 10:00 p.m. seemed even more ridiculous than running at 4:30 a.m. so I turned around and only went 10. 

4 miles

12 miles with Melanie.  Parked at Bridal Veil Falls and ran up into South Fork for a warm-up.  Ran 6.2 miles fast down the canyon without stopping.  Two mile cool-down.  I really pushed myself and after lunch I felt like I was going to get sick if I didn't lay down.  I put in earplugs and took a 2 hour nap.

10 miles with Melanie.  We ran the last 10 miles of the Timp 1/2 course.  I had a lot of aches and pains and had a hard time imagining how I was going to run it fast on Saturday.

4 miles.  I didn't feel as good on this 4 mile run as I did the day before the Bryce Canyon 1/2 Marathon. 

Ran the Timp 1/2 Marathon.  Melanie and I met up with Kim and some of her friends to ride the bus to the starting line.  We warmed up a mile on the dirt road before the race.  I figured, since this race doesn't drop quite as much as the Bryce Canyon 1/2 Marathon does, that I would be happy with the same time, a 1:23:20.  I didn't have specific pace goals for any of it though.  I didn't want to run too hard coming out of the canyon and struggle the last three miles where the course is flat and then uphill.  I think I ran smart and was able to feel relatively good until the end. 

My time was 1:23:03 and my splits were as follows: 6:08, 6:09, 6:17, 6:12, 5:54, 5:59, 6:02, 6:18, 6:37, 6:41, 6:43, 6:47, 6:44, 6:16 pace for last .1

I think I'm getting my confidence back in being able to run farther.  A month or so ago I felt like I was slamming into the wall at about mile 12 even on an easy run.  Mostly I was just so happy to be running and not in pain.  Being injured off and on all spring has really made me grateful for these nice days in the summer when I'm able to run and feel good.  My hamstring hurt some after the run and bothered me the next morning, but it hurt a lot less than it did after the Bryce Canyon 1/2 Marathon and I think if it keeps improving at this rate I'll be pain free after my long runs in only a few more weeks.

4 miles

13 miles.  Melanie and I ran 13 miles on flat roads by her house.  We did 5 x .75 mile intervals with a stop to drink and a .3 mile recovery between each one.  The intervals weren't as fast as we did them last year, but we haven't done intervals in a long time.

I was so tired later in the afternoon that I took a 2 1/2 hour nap and still went to sleep just fine that night.

10 miles with Melanie. 

4 miles up/down Hobble Creek Canyon on a camping trip.

18 miles with Melanie.  Parked at Bridal Veil and ran up/down canyon on the highway.

4 miles

13 miles with Melanie from Legacy Center to just past Inlet Park on Saratoga Dr. and back.  This was a very flat route.  We did 8 x 1/2 mile repeats with 3 min slow running recovery.  1/2 mile paces were: 5:58, 6:00, 6:00, 5:56, 5:55, 5:49, 5:55, 6:01.

6 miles with Emily, Melody and Josse up/down Provo Canyon

10 miles with Melanie and Melody.  We ran up/down Suncrest.  I was breathing so hard going up, like a speed workout and I still got way behind Melanie and Melody.  Coming down my legs were tired but I was able to keep up.  Steep uphill is really hard for me.  I don't know how other people go so fast up hills.  I feel like I really worked out.  Hoping for a nap today. 

20 miles down Provo Canyon from Wallsburg.  Rebecca's husband was so nice to give her, Josse, Melanie, Kim and I a ride up the canyon so we wouldn't have to go back up to get a car afterwards.  The weather was perfect, not to cold and not to hot.  Great day for a 20  mile run and I felt good too.

4 slow miles, a few aches and pains, but not bad after a 20 on Sat.

12 miles with Melanie along Jordan River Parkway with 15 x 1 min.

Felt good on the run, but tired later in the day.  I took the kids to 7-Peaks for 3 hours and by about 4:00 p.m. I was ready for bed.  Took a 1 hr 45 min nap, so nice. I was still laying in bed at 6:00 p.m. thinking about how I needed to get up to make dinner when my husband came home. 

4 easy miles, first mile very slow, took about a mile to get going.

22 miles with Melanie up/down Provo Canyon/South Fork.  It seemed nice and cool and shady.  We only had the sun on us the last 3 miles or so.  My left quad hurt off and on, especially the last 3 miles.  I hurt it a little when I got up off the floor the night before, putting all my weight on one leg when it was bent so far.  I should have stuck with the squats I was doing in the winter so this type of thing wouldn't happen to me again.  

10 miles with brent to bridal veil and back. tired from thursday still.

This race was horrible for me.  My training went so well this summer and I was easily running faster than last year on all my training runs.  Last year I ran a 2:54 so this year I thought 2:52 was a realistic goal.  Unfortunately I started the race dehydrated and began cramping at mile 3.

I had a tight calf a few weeks ago that pulled on my plantar.  It was still bothering me a little a few days before the race and I was so focused on my foot that I didn't even think to do the basics, hydrate and carbo load.  I sat in my hot tub several times in the two days before the race to heat my foot, got out and ice it etc.  I drank like normal but didn't consider how much I was probably sweating in the hot tub.

At about mile 3 my left butt felt really tight, then my left calf.  I wondered if I was running funny because I was worried about my foot and tried to run relaxed.  A few miles later my other calf tightened and then a hamstring.  I let Melanie get ahead of me going up Veyo.  She's a better hill runner but I thought I would catch right up to her.  The next 3 miles I stared at her back wondering why I wasn't catching her.  I felt like I was slogging through Jello as everything got tighter and tighter, quads now too.  Finally at mile 13 I stopped to stretch.  All expectations of doing anything great ended right there and I decided I was just going to run and try to enjoy it.  The stretching helped a little and I kept going stopping to stretch at aid stations.

As a girl ran out to hand me my Elite water bottle at mile 17 I stopped to walk.  She was jogging along trying to give it to me on the go as I was reaching out for it walking.  I must have been a sight as I said, "I'm walking.  This is not my day," because they all laughed.  At mile 18 I started considering whether to even finish.

My husband met me on his bike around mile 21 1/2 .  I stopped to stretch and talk to him for about 5 minutes.  He said, "Do you think you can finish?"  I said, "Ya, I can finish if I walk."  I called my kids and told them not to bother being at the finish line so early.  Just before mile 23 my foot started to hurt and I decided to pull out.  My husband went to get the car parked around mile 23.

By this point I was past running a mile and walking a 100 yards, and had moved onto running 3/4 mile walking 200 yards, etc.  It got even worse later.  When a man walked out to hand me my Elite water bottle at the 23 mile marker I was caught by surprise.  Feeling a little embarrassed to be getting an Elite bottle back with the masses at this point.  I felt like I was back in time and hadn't even remembered I was getting Elite bottles.

Then I thought of the 10 year club and how my race wouldn't count for that if I didn't finish.  I also thought about how in the spring I decided I would just be happy to run the marathon no matter my time.  I also thought of my dad who almost always cramped in marathons and had the kind of finish I was having and he never quit.  He would love to be doing the marathon but he's dead.  When Brent pulled up with the car I said, "I changed my mind.  I'm going to finish."

I ran, walked, ran, walked and got passed by hundreds of people the last 3 miles.  I crossed the finish line thinking, "I'm just glad I can run."

I saw a sign at the gas station on the way home that said, "Good judgment comes from experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgment."  I laughed because I thought that pretty much summed up my race.  I won't make that mistake again.