Just Keep Running

I started out great then at 13 miles I was just plain tired. My feet hurt and the elevation was getting to me and I just wanted to be done. That doesn't help the motivation at all when you have 13 miles left so I came in a lot slower than I wanted but it was still a fun beautiful run. 

I tried out my new spin bike today. The video kicked my butt. Then I did one deck of strength training. I've never been able to make it through the whole deck before so that was cool.

I did 3 miles speedwork on the treadmill today, before work! It was the first time I have ever been able to get myself out of bed to run before I work for 12 hours. I was pretty happy.

I got my hubby out to ride with me today. He rides a mountain bike and I ride a tri bike so I should be a lot faster than him. Either I'm really bad or he's really good. I'm not sure which...

This was my first run with Anji. She kicked my butt! I think I figured out today that for the shape I'm in, running 13 miles the week after a marathon is too far for my legs to go. Even with my frequent walking breaks, it was a fun run and a good chance to catch up with a friend and a beautiful morning. 

I went for a "long" bike ride today. It was beautiful outside! Perfect riding weather. My average was 16.9 mph and it was new course for me I was happy with. Now, it time for a relaxing day with my husband...

I had all the intentions of getting up and going to the track to do speedwork (mile repeats) this morning. Instead, I remembered my keys were lost when I got up and didn't want to wake up my husband to look for them. So, I did 1/4 mile repeats on the treadmill instead. It felt really good. I did repeats for 30 min. What a great way to start the day. I did some good stretching while watching the today show.

After a long week at work and not much time to exercise I got out for a long run this morning. The plan was to do 20 in preparation for Utah Valley Marathon in a couple weeks. But, I slept in and my feet couldn't take working 50 hours and running 20 so I did almost 16. It felt good for the first 10. I was able to keep all those miles under 10min pace. All in all, not the best run but I was glad to be out there toughing out the miles. I hope next week is better when it come to exercise.

After the pain in my feet was so bad and my othodics aren't coming for a few weeks and won't be here in time for the next marathon- I went to see Steve at the Running Center and he hooked me up. I got new smart feet insole, the BRAND new Saucony Omni 8 that just hit the stores and some good sports nutrition. It was fun to get to cash in my 15% off blog member discount. I'm excited to try the new shoes and hopefully my feet will thank me.

What a great day! I heard about an Ironman talk that was tonight so I dragged my husband along. My friend had told me some triathalete was coming to talk about nutrition and stuff. Well, it was not just some athlete--- it my inspiration, my hero- Paula Newby Frasier. I met her when I was 15 at one of my dad's races. At that time, she was at the top of her career and ever since then I knew I wanted to be a part of the sport. It was so cool to get to hear what she had to say and I soaked it all up. It was a great motivation.

After the talk my husband dropped me off at the trail head and I ran home. I didn't know how far it was going to be but it turned out to about 7 miles. I felt great. It was right when the rain was hitting so I got to run in the rain for a while. I ran a 10k faster than I ever have and got home right at dark. I needed a good run after having a horrible time on Sat. 

After a great run last night, I decided just to swim today to give my hip and feet a break. I got to the pool and they were having swim practice and swim lessons for little kids so there was only lane open and it was in the warm pool. I decided just to do an easy half mile and call it good so I could get out of all the little kids way. I felt good. I didn't swim at all last week so my arms were burning for the first few laps but once I got warmed up it went pretty well. 

Went out for a ride this morning Meri and Kim from work and a few others. It was nice to be a group and feel safe. We just did an  easy pace around town. She tried to teach me how to ride around Washington Fields without getting lost. With my bad sense of direction I'm sure when I try it on my own I will be lost. It was a great way to start my day. 

Today I worked all day and then went to Costco and had dinner with Ryan. Not a lot of time for running. I kinda hate those days but they are kinda good at the same time. A little recovery is nice but I think I should plan it. 

Today I tried something new. My mom told me some good advice from a Boston Marathoner she got last weekend on her run. He told her not too worry about trying to run faster just try and pick up her knees a little and her stride will get bigger. He also told her when she's training with her heart rate monitor to pick a BPM (he said 170) and go whatever pace she needs to keep her BPM at that.

So today I tried those things. I knew I had one hour twenty min to run. So set out to go for a run. I kept my BPM at 170 which turned out to be a pace of about 9 min/mile. It was nice to not be thinking about how far I had gone just about my overall time and my BPM.I ended up doing 8.2 miles in 1hr20min. Not a bad day.

Just want to wish the best of luck to Mom, Dad, and Carmen in Fontana Days Half Marathon tomorrow. I wish I was there! I think this will the first year in 5 years I haven't been there for Fontana. Mom- remember to beat my time from last year. You guys are awesome!

Ran an easy 12 this morning. I tried not to push it and just worked on keeping a steady pace in preparation for the Utah Vally Marathon next weekend. I'm breaking in the new shoes and so far they are doing great. Average pace 10:05 Average BPM 162. The weather was beautiful even though I slept in until 7. 

My mom is in town so we went for a nice evening run. It was an easy 4 miles. Perfect weather and a good time to chat with my mom. 

Went for a ride this morning with Meri and Kim. Its so nice to get out and ride so early in the morning. I even kinda learned to change a tire when Meri got a flat. Its so sad to be a triathlete and not know how to change a tire!

Did a little run on the treadmill today. I was tired and wasn't feeling it. I hate those day. Sometimes I figure its better to stop than to force myself when I'm not enjoying it. I don't want to resent my workouts. Better luck tomorrow!

Swam a mile today in preparation for next week's tri. It felt really good and my laps were consistent. Didn't feel too tired. Glad I made it!

My mom brought Jillian Michael's Fitness Ultimatum for the Wii with her when she gave to visit. I gave in a try today. Only did it for 10 min before my swim. It was so much fun. I will  keep using it before she leaves next week. 

Did 25 min on Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum on the Wii. Didn't want to overdo anything with the marathon tomorrow. Just a nice little bit of exercise. I'm sure going to miss that game when my mom leaves!

Utah Valley Marathon:

I loved that race. It was very well done. The aid stations were great. Not just nasty Lemon Lime Gatorade- They had every flavor spread out through the aid station. The course was beautiful. It started down the canyon then onto Provo's trail system. Ran next to the river and waterfalls and practically in the forest. I had a really good time. My feet and hip held up until about mile 22 which was a lot better than mile 9 at the Ogden Marathon. Everyone in the town was so great and came out to cheer us on. My brother Adam came down from Salt Lake and ran the last 6 miles with me. He pushed me for the last mile when I wanted to walk so that really helped my time. I will definitely be doing that race again. I will post the officical result when they put them on the website. Here are my splits:

Mile 1: 9:49

Mile 2: 9:22

Mile 3: 9:51

Mile 4: 8:28

Mile 5: 9:50

Mile 6: 9:48

Mile 7: 9:44

Mile 8: 9:57

Mile 9: 9:55

Mile 10: 9:47

Mile 11: 9:36

Mile 12: 9:57

Mile 13: 9:52

Mile 14: 9:52

Mile 15: 9:52

Mile 16: 10:53

Mile 17: 10:06

Mile 18: 11:24

Mile 19: 10:35

Mile 20: 11:41

Mile 21: 10:34

Mile 22: 11:34

Mile 23: 11:24

Mile 24: 13:13

Mile 25: 12:58

Mile 26: 12:00

This was really fun. Kind of a small race so I'm not even sure how many people were in my division. The swim and bike were both too long so I wonder how much time I could have cut off if it were a true olympic distance. I had a great time. It was fun to do the race with my brother Adam and sister-in-law Devin. The weather was perfect and I'm glad the rain didn't start til after the race. I was prepared to give the excuse of running a marathon last week so that's why I didn't do very well but I didn't even need to use it. It was another PR for me. 

Ran 3.3 miles with my brother Adam this morning. I'm in Salt Lake all week so we will be training together. Its nice to have someone to run and ride with. Its nice because he runs faster than me so its a slower pace for him but a bit of a push for me. I am going to try and get out on a ride tonight to work off some stress from this conference. 

Good ride with Adam around Millcreek area in SLC. Saw a few snakes and a lot of other riders. 

Ran 5 miles with Adam again this morning. Great weather. Good run. Averaged about 9:15. Had to stop a few time to stretch my hip so that slowed us down a bit. Did lunges, squats, and pushups after the run. Great start to a day

Didn't get out on the bike until around 3pm and it was already over 100 out. I didn't make it the 40-50 miles I wanted. Way too hot to go that far with only one water bottle. Average pace 17mph

Rode for about an hour then swan for 35 min. Good day. Not much to say about it. 

After a few days of being totally lazy I got out for a run at my parent's house in CA. Went 10.75 miles out by the lake. Stopped in the middle to stretch for a while. Nice run.

Did mile repeats this morning. Went to three tracks before I could find one that was open that wasn't doing construction so I got a later start than I wanted. The Saint George sun is HOT!

Swam the distance of my next tri. 1.2 miles is a long time to be in the pool but I was glad to know that I could handle the distance. 

Rode a long way today. This is the second farthest I have ever gone. It went surprisingly well. No bike problems and I had enough water- those were the two things I was most worried about.

Watched a movie and rode spin bikes with my hubby after a sleep in. Good Saturday!

For the second time ever in my life, I got up before work and worked out! I love when I have some determination. Its so hard when I know I have a 12 hours shift ahead to want to work out before but I know I'm too tired when I get home. Got the gym a little after 5am and swam a mile before work. Yeah!

Ran on the treadmill and watched a movie. I hate the treadmill but I hate the heat too so I had to do it. It felt good. I had my back adjusted yesterday so I wanted to see if it helped my hip and my hip didn't hurt at all on the run. The doctor said my right leg was about 1 1/2 inches longer than my left so he did some major adjustments. I'm so glad it helped!

Due to the heat in Saint George, I have been doing most of my exercise inside. I did a brick today to prepare for my 1/2 ironman. I rode two hours on the bike trainer while watching Eagle Eye and then ran 5 miles on the treadmill while watching the first Harry Potter movie. I miss being outside but I'm a whimp and can't handle the heat. Tomorrow I will grin and bear it and go outside.

Started running at 5:30 this morning and it was still 82 degrees! I'm sure everyone is sick of me complaining about the heat but its hot. I had a a good run though. Nice and easy 14 miles.

I was at the lake with my family this weekend and we found a little cove to swim in. I'm not exactly sure of the distance, just guessing based on how long it took me. 

Rode the bike with Ryan and watched a movie. Taking it easy this week. Not feeling too hot. 

Spin class inside today. Pretty tough one. 

Ran with a new group this morning. It was really fun to have a group of people pushing me. Did 9.5 averaged a little under 10/mile and that includes running up Foremaster Hill!

Did the Gunlock/Veyo loop today for the first time with Meri. It was a butt kicker! The hills never seemed to end. It is part of the ironman course next year so at least I live close enough that I can practice many many more times before next may. We only averaged about 14.5 mph with all the climbing! The weather was beautful, for once not too hot. 

After accidentally turning the alarm off this morning, I decided to swim. It was overall a good swim. Got in 1.2 miles in the time I was shooting for. Hopefully, tomorrow I can be more successful getting up while its still dark out so I can go for a run before work. 

Ran a long 20 miles this morning. All in all a pretty good run. Of course, I would have been happy if it was 10 degrees cooler but that was not an option. Walked a lot after about mile 12 but still kept a pretty good overall average. Park City Marathon here I come!

Took yesterday off since I was still sore from Saturday. I had a great run with my new group this morning. Its so fun watching the sun come up. We kept a good pace and its always nice to have your workout done at 6:30 am and have the rest of the day to yourself. 

We did the ironman gunlock loop again. It went WAY better this time. We increased our speed by 1 mph. The snickers bar halfway through is my new favorite thing. Great ride. I tried carbo-boom in my water bottles this time. I loved the flavors and it seemed to give me good energy. I'll have to try it again. I'm much more confident for my half ironman next weekend now. I'm off to celebrate my 1 year wedding anniversary so I don't know how much I'll do until we get home on monday. 

Happy Anniversary to me! For the first time ever in our one year marriage, Ryan ran with me. It was a beautiful day in San Diego and we went for a little 4 mile run by the water. It was a perfect way to start the day. Thank you Ryan!

Went to the gym this morning and rode the bike. Then my friend Dina invited me to Zumba! I'm normally a pretty boring person who sticks to my 3 events because I don't have much time to do more than swim bike or run. It was a lot of fun and totally out of my comfort zone. We had a great time. 

I did a little mini tri to get ready from the big race tomorrow. Nothing big, just easy stuff to keep my legs loose. felt good

What a race! We waited for 30 min for the wind to die down on the water and it never did so they let us swim with white caps on the lake, I couldn't take one breath without getting pounded with waves. We only did half the swim because of the weather. Then the storm really hit on the bike and we were up against 40 mph winds, hail, and rain. By the run the weather was perfect but I used all my energy battling the elements on the bike. Not my best day. I was SO glad it was over. I think if the weather would have been nice, I would have loved it. It was a nice course and everyone was great. At least now I can say I'm a half an ironman!

I wanted to get my legs moving but didn't want to overdo anything because of the race last weekend and Park City Marathon this weekend. So, I just run/walked and the treadmill for a couple of miles after work. 

Went out for an easy SLOW 3 miles this morning. Didn't want to go too hard and hurt my knee so I just took it easy.

This was a really fun marathon. I was worried about it being cold in Park City but it was actually pretty hot. The race is about 19 miles uphill then you get to run downhill. Aside from the gradual uphill, it was really nice. It was very beautiful and they give a very cool finishers medal. I took it easy, as you can tell by my time, and just tried to enjoy myself and not hurt my knee. It started hurting at mile 3 but I just pushed through. All in all, I thought it was a great race, very well done, and a good time. I'm glad I did it. Only one more to go for the grand slam!

Bad news- I had one of the Drs at work take a look at my hurt knee and he said there is a possibily I could have a tear so I need to NOT run for 10 days and then have him recheck it then. So, I will only be swimming, stretching, and doing yoga for 10 days. Bummer!

I wanted to go run with my group tomorrow so I took a chance with my knee and ran really slow on the treadmill. My knee was sore after but I did ok. Looks like I'm going to try and run in the am.

This morning I ran with my group. Ran is a loose term because after about 2 miles I couldn't run too well. Luckily, I run with a PA and Physical Therapist so I'm going into their office this morning to get a brace and an MRI before I see the ortho dr on Thursday. These knees problems are not fun!