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

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.