Christina's Running Blog

I ran at the Olympic Oval and basically just covered the distance.  I've been out with strep for a week or so, so just taking it easy.

I met Miriam at Murray Park for a 5 miler.  It felt like a resistance workout since we ran through snow and dodged ice sheets on the road!

I did 300 meter repeats with Coach, Marie and Renae.  I only did two of them since I was experiencing some leg pain.

I slept all day since I'm working graveyards this week.  I went to a spin class in the evening that lasted about an hour.  I did some ab work and upper body weight lifting as well.

We did a series of 10 sprints and 10 hill repeats.  I did a spin class on Thursday night, and boy, do my legs ache!  It had been awhile since I had done one.

My exercise-induced asthma was making it difficult to run well this morning.  I even used an inhaler, but I was wheezing like crazy. It is so frustrating!!!

Miriam and I ran around Murray Park and through some neighborhoods.  I felt like I could breathe okay, better than on Saturday.  I like running in the morning since I go to work at noon on Mondays.

I woke up to a foot of snow!  I was pressed for time, so I did a pilates workout in my livingroom.  My abs will be hurting tomorrow!!!

I did some upper body work at the gym and then worked out on the elliptical trainer for 20 minutes.  I like to get some crosstraining in during the winter time.

Marie, Renae and I did 6 x 200m repeats at the Olympic Oval in Kearns.

1- 43 sec

2- 42 sec

3- 41 sec

4- 43 sec

5- 42 sec

6- 41 sec

This facility is mostly used by the speed skaters.  They show up around 8:00 in the morning to begin their training.  However, we notice that many of them congregate to the inside lane of the track to stretch, visit, read the newspaper, etc. They stand approx 15 feet away from the finish line.  We are constantly dodging them and running around them as we near the end of each repeat.  It is a little frustrating, since we are doing these for time, and I am so out of breath that I can't even yell "in-coming!".  I've come close to a collision a few times.

I woke up late, so I didn't get a chance to run. 

I went to the theater to watch "The Spirit of the Marathon."  It's a documentary about five different people training for the 2005 Chicago Marathon.  Very inspiring!

This morning, I did an upper body workout at the gym, then used the elliptical machine for 20 minutes.

Then I went to bed!  Graveyard shift is a challenge sometimes.

We met up at Ruth's Diner to run up Emigration Canyon.  I ran to the intersection at the bottom of Little Mountain.  Then I turned around and headed back to Ruth's Diner.  It has been awhile since I've run this many miles.  I stretched my legs afterwards.  They are still a little tender.

We talked about our upcoming race schedules, and training for the Wasatch Back Relay.  Our next race will be the Leprachaun Lope 5K in March.  That is always a fun one.  There is usually a speedwalker who enters, and he wears all green.  He walks at about a 9 1/2 min/mile pace!  He beats a lot of the runners who enter.

Afterwards, I went shopping at Kohl's since they had 80% sales on their clothing.  I was pretty tired from being up all night, but you can't beat such great deals!

I met Coach and Miriam at Sugarhouse Park.  We ran the park loop three times.  It was pretty windy, but manageable.  It's not until I got home that the storm hit!! It was a total white-out.

As I was driving to work later in the afternoon, I got in a car accident. :-(  Thank goodness no one was hurt.  The car that I wrecked with needs a new bumper now.  I got the citation, so I'll wait to see how much it is before I decide whether or not to go through the insurance.  Everyone--BE CAREFUL when driving in these hideous snow conditions!!!!

I did an upper body weight workout at the gym, then 20 minutes on the elliptical.  I didn't want to push too hard today, since tomorrow will be a speed workout.

I slept 9 1/2 hours last night....it was much needed!

I met Coach, Renae, and Marie at the Oval for 6 x 200 m sprints.

1- 42 seconds

2- 41 seconds

3- 40 seconds

4- 41 seconds

5- 40 seconds

6- 38 seconds

I didn't realize I had a 38 second interval in me after all of that. I had a tough time getting out of bed. I didn't fall asleep until 2 a.m. and I meet them at 7:30. But, I know if I don't wake up and work out with them, that I won't do it on my own.

I met Tracy and Jude (Coach's wife) for lunch at the Himilayan Kitchen for Jude's birthday. It is Indian food. It was excellent. I was pretty hungry after my run this morning.

I did an upper body workout and 20 minutes on the stair master.  Ouch!!!

Today was a pilates day.  I'm not very flexible, and pilates are painful right now, but hopefully in time I will get better at it.

I have been doing better with my eating habits.  I've been eating more fruits and vegetables and less sugar, which may be compatible with better running performance.  I was just happy I could wear a pair of pants today that I couldn't fit into a couple of weeks ago!!

I met with Coach's group for a 14.5 mile run in Draper.  We ran the Porter Rockwell trail loop twice.  We did a two mile tempo mile.  I run with some very fast and talented runners, so most of the run felt like a fast pace to me! ;-)

I watched the funeral on TV for President Hinckley.  It was amazing to see how he devoted his life to the gospel, and never seemed to wear down.  I wonder what I'll be like at age 97!  Will I still be running marathons?........ 

Coach, Miriam, and I ran 3 loops around Sugarhouse Park.  It was pretty snowy and icy, so we were very careful not to fall down!  

Coach talked about how pleased he is to see so many of us in his group improving.  I'm sure we'll see some PRs this year!

This morning we did 200 m repeats at the Oval.  Renae dropped out after the first one due to some pain in her quad.  Marie did 3 repeats, then had to hurry off to work. I ended up doing seven.  They were all around 40 seconds. 

The world cup training is going on at the Oval, so I saw skaters from Great Britain and France.  They really spread out over the running track, so it became increasingly difficult to do repeats while jumping over them and dodging them.

In the evening, I joined Craig, Dominique, Tracy C, Tracy H, Natalie, and Andrea for Hill Kills.  It was an enjoyable workout.  It got me energized to work my graveyard shift.

Today was a weight workout followed by 20 minutes on the elliptical machine.  I did the best I could, considering I had a tylenol p.m. "hangover".  I need it to sleep during the day, but it always makes me groggy.

Ran easy miles in Murray Park.  I am anticipating a hard running workout tomorrow, so I want to be fresh for that.

I went to see the U2 3D movie at Jordan Commons.  Amazing!  I felt like I was in the front row at a concert. 

Three loops around Sugarhouse Park with Coach and Miriam.  I avoid talking when we run up hills.  I am too out of breath!!

I did about an hour of weights then hit the elliptical for 20 minutes.  I've worked 11 days straight, so I'm pretty tired today.

It was a speed workout with Coach and Marie.  We did 4 x 200s.

1- 38 sec

2- 38 sec

3- 39 sec

4- 38 sec

This is by far the best speed workout I've had all year.  It's really exciting to see I'm getting stronger!

I ran two loops around Murray Park.  I pushed it on some of the hills.

Bountiful Hill Workout:   We ran from Coach's house to the bottom of the BIG hill (Eaglewood).  We ran up the hill to the golf course.  The others continued up the hill, past the golf course to Hidden Lake Dr.  I rode in the car for that part of it since my asthma was acting up.  I need to go to a doctor to get it checked out.  I have an inhaler, but it doesn't seem to be working.

All in all, it was a great workout!  I feel like I am getting stronger.  I am motivated to keep improving and challenge myself!

I met some friends for three loops around Sugarhouse Park.  Then I met Tracy C. and Jude for a 5 mile hike up City Creek. 

Now I'm at work. I'm pretty tired today.  I would LOVE to take a nap!

Happy President's Day!

Speedwork at the Oval with Coach and Renae.  6 x 200 m repeats.

1- 39 sec

2- 38 sec

3- 37 sec

4- 37 sec

5- 39 sec

6- 37 sec

This is by far my best speed workout yet!  I am usually above 40 sec, so this was a great accomplishment for me.

I did some core work at the gym today.  I was going to do some cardio, but my friend called me and needed a ride home from the airport.  She is a flight attendant and her husband was at work with their only car.

20 minutes on the Elliptical machine at the gym.

Emigration Canyon--always a humbling experience!!!

No workout today due to a doctor's appointment before work.  I did some pulmonary function testing--basically a lot of breathing into a little apparatus to check to see how much air you can get out of your lungs. 

Core and weight training with a 20 minute elliptical workout.

Speed workout at the Oval.  5 x 200 m.

1- 39 sec

2- 40 sec

3- 40 sec

4- 40 sec

5- 39 sec  (felt nauseated after this one!)

A 3 mile warmup, followed by hill repeats and 2 tempo miles.

1st tempo (slight downhill): 7:14

2nd tempo (slight uphill): 8:42

Arm workout followed by 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer.

12 miles in Emigration Canyon!  I just LOVE hills!

Spin class at the gym for an hour.  It's been awhile since I've done one--it wiped me out!

Upper body work and 20 minutes on the elliptical.

This is only the second time I have run this course.  The last time was in 2005.  My time then was a 2:02.  I wasn't sure what my expectations were for this race.  I told myself I'd be happy with a 1:55.  I didn't think I would run any faster than that.  So, I was pretty happy with my race effort!

It was a pretty cool morning.  We had to drop off our extra clothing pretty early on, so I was just in my shorts and singlet for quite awhile before the race started.

1-8:48

2-8:54

3-9:01

4-9:00

5-8:52--ran a conservative 5 miles.  I picked it up a bit after mile 7.

6-8:45

7-8:40

8-8:23

9-8:17

10-8:19

11-8:05--My asthma was very noticable.  Heavy wheezing from here until the end.

12-8:12

13.1-9:06

All in all, I am very pleased with my race efforts!

Coach, Miriam, and I did three loops around Sugarhouse Park.  My quads are a little beat up from the half-marathon, but it felt good to get the lactic acid moving!  Bill said he was very pleased with our race performances, and it's just the beginning of the season!  I am looking forward to a successful running year.

Core work followed by 20 minutes on the elliptical machine.  Then I had to hurry to get ready for work!

2 loops around Murray Park.  Still recovering from the Moab half!

Upper body work and 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer.

I met with my runamok friends at 6 a.m.  We did an eight mile warmup up City Creek canyon.  Coach likes us to run a few miles before a 5k.  It helps us to warm-up and to get our nerves under control.  The usual mentality is "If I run all these miles before a race, I won't do a very fast 5k."  So when it comes time to race, mentally you feel like you won't be able to race very fast, so you're more relaxed, and end up doing really well.

This is a PR for me for the course, and the second fastest 5k I've ever run. 

1-8:30 (uphill)

2-8:01  (first half of the mile was uphill)

3-6:51 (very fast downhill at the end--we ended in Memory Grove)

We all did really well.  Craig Green won the race overall.  He got a little gold statue of a runner.  It's a really fun race to start off the running season!

A nice morning St. Patrick's day run!  I normally meet with Miriam and Coach to do three loops around Sugarhouse Park.  Miriam has an infected foot and Coach is in New York for his father-in-law's funeral.  So, I ran four miles in Murray Park and then rushed off to work.

I did a core workout followed by a spin class at the gym.  The Tuesday morning instructor (Kim) always gives me a challenging workout!

I met Renae this morning at the Olympic Oval to do 6 x 200 meter repeats.  Since it's spring break, there were no speed skaters there to dodge on the track--so that was nice!

1-39 sec

2-38 sec

3-38 sec

4-36 sec

5-37 sec

6-36 sec

I've never done one in 36 seconds before, so I was pretty excited about that!!

Later on I went to the gym to do 20 minutes on the stairmaster--ouch!

I did some upper body work and some squats.  Then I did a spin class.  It was so tough!  We did some efficiency work, meaning we'd put more weight on one leg for some of the time.  I think I'm taking tomorrow off.  I have a feeling I'm going to be sore.  I also need to rest up for Saturday's big hill workout in Bountiful.

A Bountiful run always means a HILL workout, and that was exactly right.  We ran a 14 mile loop which included a 1.7 mile uphill segment.  It was a great feeling of accomplishment after we got to the top! 

For Dominique's birthday, Andrea brought some cupcakes for us to eat after the run.  I don't feel guilty eating stuff like that after such a great run!

I met Coach, Alicia, and Tracy Hansen for 3 loops around Sugarhouse Park.  I was still recovering from Saturday's run.  I also overdid it on my Easter candy consumption yesterday, so I wasn't feeling on top of my game.

Today was a core workout followed by 20 minutes on the ellpitical machine.  I would have like to have done a spin class, but I woke up too late.  I really enjoy sleeping in!

Speedwork at the Oval with Coach, Renae, and a guest appearance by Alicia!  She is on Spring Break right now.  We did 6 x 200 m repeats.

1- 39 sec

2- 36 sec

3- 36 sec

4- 37 sec

5- 40 sec

6- 36 sec

My throat really burned when we got done. 

That night, I met Andrea, Johnny, Murphy, T-1, T-4, T-2 (so many Tracys!), Walter, Natalie, and Jaxton for hill kills.  It was a beautiful night to go running! 

Upper body workout at the gym, followed by 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. 

Last night I really went overboard on my consumption of chocolate.  I don't know why--I wasn't even really hungry, but I just kept eating and eating.  I need to put a lock on the pantry door!

Spin class at the gym.  I don't think I gave it my best effort.  I've been pretty tired lately.  Maybe a sign of overtraining?  I have a tough workout lined up for tomorrow--intervals as well as hill kills.

Interval workout in Taylorsville.  We ran 6 x 400m intervals.  Then we did six hill kills!  I have a hard time waking up on Saturday mornings, but it's always worth it with the quality workouts we do!

I ran one loop around Murray Park.  I felt nauseated and tired today, so I decided not to run any more than that.  I worked out a lot last week, so I feel like I'm still recovering.

I did some squats and then a spin class at the gym.  The instructor really knows how to give an intense workout!

I met with Renae and Coach for speedwork (or I should say interval work).  The Pope came too--he is still resting his knee injury, so he ran a few warmup laps with us.  

We did 4 x 300 meter repeats. 

1- 62 seconds

2- 65 seconds

3- 66 seconds

4- 64 seconds

It was a nice workout.  I remember last year I was running them between 75 and 85 seconds, so it's great to see improvement! 

I did an upper body workout as well as 20 minutes on the stairmaster.  I think I'll take Friday off since we have a long run on Saturday.

I met with my runamok friends for a long run in Emigration Canyon.  Some went ahead and ran 22 miles, since they are training for Salt Lake or Boston.  We were pretty spread out, so we had water stashed along the way.

I ran with T-1 most of the way.  The last couple of miles were tough, so we sang U2's "Pride" to motivate us to the end!  We were singing at the top of our lungs, and I think a few people who were out running stared and wondered, but we felt so much better and were able to finish!

I had a guest pass to Lifetime Fitness, so I met with Coach, Alicia, Traci Morris, and Miriam for a squat/leg workout.  It is such a great gym! I have a membership to 24 hour fitness, but it doesn't have a lot of the equipment that this gym has. It has some really great squat machines and leg machines.

I met Coach and Miriam for 3 loops around Sugarhouse Park. It was snowing!  I thought spring was here, but at least the snow didn't last too long.  We talked about how fun the Ogden relays are going to be!

Today was a core and leg workout, followed by a spin class.  Kim is one tough instructor! She is going to run the Salt Lake Marathon in a couple of weeks.  I wonder if she'll take it easy on us next week since the marathon is so close.  Probably not!

I met Coach, Renae, and Alicia for interval work at the Olympic Oval.  Marie was going to meet us, but she had someone coming to her house to do some home remodeling.

We jogged 4 laps around the track, then did 4 50 meter sprints.  Then we did 6 x 300 meter intervals.

1- 66 sec

2- 66 sec

3- 66 sec

4- 66 sec

5- 68 sec

6- 65 sec

Afterwards, I went to the gym to do some core work.  I ran into my spin class instructor there.  She was teaching an aerobic class that also focused on weight training.  She convinced to give it a try.  Basically, we used a step to do some cardio, then worked all the major muscle groups.  I was pretty wiped out by the time we finished.

After I left the gym, I went to Emerald Smoothie and bought a low-carb chocolate/peanut butter/banana smoothie.  It was just what I needed to pick me up again!

Core workout, followed by upper arm workout.  Did 20 minutes on the elliptical machine.  Then I hurried and got ready for work.  I ate a subway sandwich while I was driving to work, but I spilled mustard all over my jacket.  I was pretty bummed.  I think mustard stains, so I'll need to figure out how to get it out.  I should wake up earlier so I don't need to rush so much, but I am recovering from a long day yesterday.  I worked from 5 a.m to 2 p.m., then had to go back from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.  It was truly a very long day!

17 of us met for Coach's Kearns workout: Bill, Craig, Walter, Alicia, Miriam, Scott, Jason, Esther, Marie, Jennifer, T-1, T-2, T-4, Andrea, Johnny, Murphy, Renae and myself.  Renae was our sag wagon driver, but was able to run with us on our interval repeats.

We met at the Smith's on 4700 S and approx 40th west.  We did a 3 mile warmup, followed by 10 sprints in a church parking lot.  Then the real fun began!  We did 6 repeats around the block in a neighborhood (approx 650 meters).  Then we ran to another neighborhood and did 6 more repeats of 350 meters.  The last challenge was 6 hill repeats (about 200 meters).

We ran back to Smiths with a downhill tempo mile.  I clocked mine at a 6:45 pace.

It was definitely an intense workout, but it's so rewarding to see each other improve and get stronger as the season progresses!  It was so much fun to be with my friends and endure the challenges together.

Tonight we're going to Murphy's house (aka Andrea and Johnny's house) for a Boston Send-off barbeque to wish our Boston-bound runners off for a great race!

Normally I run Monday mornings, but I'm still tired from Saturday's run.  I went to the gym and did core and leg work, then 20 minutes on the stair master.

An upper arm workout at the gym followed by an easy 20 minutes on the elliptical.  I'm saving my energy for the Salt Lake half on Saturday.

It was such great weather for a race--not too hot and there was some wind--which was nice when it was blowing in the direction I was running.

I must admit my expectations were a little high going into the race.  I heard it was a fast course, so I was thinking fast as in Provo River fast.  However, it was more challenging than I realized.

1- 9:02   I ran with Andrea and Alicia.  Due to their being 10,000+ runners, we did some weaving in-between people.

2- 8:50

3- 8:41   Andrea and Alicia ran ahead at this point.

4- 7:54   This was the downhill stretch on 2100 S.

5- 8:17   I saw Andrea and Alicia when they made it through the turn-around point.

6- 8:28

7- 8:11   It was starting to feel hot and I was running out of gas.

8- 8:16  

9- 8:20  I ran by John with Salt Lake Fit.  I couldn't really hold a conversation since I was breathing too hard.

10- 8:53  Liberty Park.  I really felt like I didn't have much left in me at this point.

11- 8:34

12- 9:10  I had the "Rocky" theme in my head.  I wanted the race to be done!

13.1- 9:43  I did a little push at the end.

All in all, it was a good race.  I was a little disappointed with my time, since I wanted to be under 1:50, and my Moab Half was also a 1:52, but I need to consider the amount of people that were there and it wasn't as fast of a course that I expected.

It was fun meeting up with Coach, Jude, T-2, T-1, Andrea, Alicia, Marie, Miriam, and Johnny afterwards.  Esther ran her first marathon today--a 3:18!  She got first place in her age division.  She hit the wall at mile 20.  Amazing performance!

Core and leg workout followed by 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer.  My legs finally are feeling better after the half-marathon.  That wind was pretty brutal on Saturday.  I've been fighting with allergies ever since!

I met Coach and Marie at the Olympic Oval.  We did a one mile warmup.  We planned on doing some 200 m intervals, but we got on the topic of our race performance at the Salt Lake Half Marathon.  Coach decided that we should just run some more easy laps while he talked to us about race strategy and race performance.  He felt that a mental workout today was more important than our speed effort.  Some important points he brought up:

-Leave the watch at home.  Too many times in a race, we focus on our expected times and our splits.  Doing this makes us more tense and therefore, we're preventing our bodies from performing at optimum levels since we're so focused on the pace that's on our watch.

-Do focused workouts.  If you are doing a speed workout, focus on doing the best sprints you can.  If you're doing a hill workout, work hard on the hills.  Don't be so consumed with total mileage covered for the day.

-Don't beat yourself up.  Both Marie and I commented that we weren't happy with our race performance on Saturday.  Marie said it really affected her mood and was grouchy with her family.  Coach told us that we need to reward and celebrate our success--we both finished in the top percentiles in our age group.  There is no need to be negative--it will only harm and discourage us in the end.

-The week before a race, focus on the effort you've put into your workouts.  The race is the time to put our efforts to the test.  If you're focused in your workouts, you'll be focused in your race. 

-Relax.  Don't tense up in a race situation.  Your body will naturally do what its always done.  You've been here before. 

Coach offers some very valuable information.  I need to hear it repeatedly--I think for my next race (Ogden Relay) I'll not wear a watch.  I've never done that before! 

Coach commented that many of us in our group out-perform him in workouts, but when it comes to races, he outperforms us.  He wants us all to learn how to race more effectively, since that's where the rewards are.

Afternoon:  My friend Sadie and I ran a couple of miles in the park with her dog Benny.  She has done one marathon.  She signed up for St. George this year.  I hope she gets in!

Evening:  I did hill kills with Tracy, Johnny, Andrea, Murphy, and Jaxton.  Beautiful weather! 

I did some core and upper body work at the gym.  Then I met Dori for a four mile run.  We were going to run outside, but it was snowing!  So, we ran on the treadmill instead.  I'm surprised I lasted 4 miles on a treadmill since I've never really liked treadmill running.

I met my friends at the Smith's parking lot at 7 a.m.  I live a couple of miles away, so I ran there instead of drove (I guess I'm trying to be more "green")! 

We ran on the parkway for a mile and then did a tempo mile back to the parking lot.  We did 8 sprints and 7 intervals during our run.

Afterwards, we walked over to Elite Massage of Utah which Terrilee Rydalch owns.  She and Coach did a stretching seminar for us.  They emphasized the importance of stretching every day.  Coach gave us all slant boards, mats, and chairs so we have no excuse not to stretch!

Tracy C. drove me home.  I was pretty beat and did not feeling like running two more miles.  We also stopped at the Health Fair at TOSH and got some pulmonary testing done.  The doctor there told me I have hyperactive lungs.  He was impressed with Tracy's results.  He told her with lungs like hers, she's capable of a 3:30 marathon!

Three loops around Sugarhouse Park with Coach and Miriam.  It was difficult getting out of bed this morning!  My cats were laying on me and did not want me to get up. 

I did some stretches after the run.  Coach says do them at least once a day, no excuses!

I ran 4 miles on the treadmill.  Then I did a core and leg workout.  It was hot inside the gym today!

I met Coach and Marie at the Oval.  We did a one mile warmup and 8 x 200 m repeats.  We didn't time them.

I went to the gym to workout on the elliptical machine and to do my stretches.

City Creek Canyon run--it snowed!!!!  I felt like singing Christmas carols while running in the canyon!

Core workout, followed by arm workout, then a spin class with Michelle as the instructor.  I'm glad I worked out so hard today, since it was my friend's graduation from the U.  We went to Canella's for lunch and then the Braza Grill for dinner.  I consumed a lot of meat! 

Got out of bed at 6:15 this morning. :-P   I met my loco buddies in Draper.  I had a nice chat with several of my friends along the way. 

I met Coach and Miriam for three loops around Sugarhouse Park.  We talked about the Wasatch Back relay, and how we'd like to run the route over Memorial Day weekend.  It was a pretty warm day.  Coach laughed and said, "If it were September, we'd be complaining that it's too cold!"  It's all a matter of perspective.  Coach doesn't warm up very easily.  He said when he ran on Saturday (which was a fairly warm day), he could never get warm.  He had two layers of thermals plus two jackets on.  I joked and said if there was a way I could transfer some of my body fat onto him, I'd do it in a heartbeat!

We did some stretches at the park after our run.

I went to the gym for core work and leg work.  Then I did a step aerobics class.  I haven't done one of those for a few years!  It was pretty fun.

I met Marie at the Olympic Oval for speedwork.  Coach couldn't make it since he got manditoried at work.  We did a warm-up mile, 4 x 50m pickups, and 6 x 200m repeats.

I then met Dori at Wheeler Farm and ran 4 miles with her.  It was great weather.  There were a lot of ducks and geese wandering the trails.  We got hissed at by a goose and he started chasing us!  That got my heart pumping.  We somehow made it without getting attacked.

I am still pretty sore from that step aerobics workout yesterday.  I can feel it in my upper calves. Yowch!!

I wanted to get some hills in today, so I ran in Emigration canyon. It was perfect weather. I actually saw Walter by Ruth's Diner. He was pouring concrete at a house being built up the canyon.

I went to Paradise Bakery and got a sandwich, salad, and chocolate chip cookie afterwards. I just love their cookies!

Today was a core and upper body workout, followed by 20 minutes on the elliptical machine.

I got sunburned during my run yesterday.  I don't have a habit of wearing sun screen yet since the weather has been so crazy here. It snowed last week, so sunscreen wasn't on my mind.  It is pretty painful, though.  I burn easily!

18 of us today!  We met at the Smith's in Kearns.  We did about a mile warmup, followed by Indian File on the canal road.  I have never done that before.  Basically, we ran in a line, and the person in the back of the line would sprint to the front, and so on.  It was a really fun to shout everyone's name as they sprinted to the front!

We ran about another mile and then did six intervals in a neighborhood.  They were a little under 800 meters.  Those got my attention!  Then we ran to another neighborhood and did six more intervals, approx 300 meters each.  Those got my throat burning!

Of course, the workout would not be complete without a mile tempo, which we did on 2700 W.  Then we ran back to the Smiths and were happy to have completed another high quality workout!

Alisa and Amber came out today for the first time.  Alisa is a friend of Maggie's, and Amber works with Marie's husband.  They are going to be a part of the all-womens team for the WBR.

I was amazed at how much energy Andrea had!  She was shouting and encouraging everyone even up until the end of the run, while everyone else was worn out!  I asked Johnny what she had for breakfast, and he said, "Nothing really.  That's just Andrea!"

Cortney (Alicia's husband) sagged for us.  I talked with both of them about the upcoming football season, and we got really excited for it to start, which isn't until August!  We are BYU fans, and I lamented the fact that I get season tickets, but I work on all the days of the home games except for the Wyoming game.  I will need to trade some days, especially since UCLA plays in Provo this year.

After the run, I met my friend Alan (Hildisvini on the blog) for breakfast.  He did the Race for the Cure with Laurie Pope (also on the blog).  He didn't realize how big of a race it was!  I think he wanted to get a faster time, but with 17,000 runners/walkers, it's difficult to run your best, due to weaving in and out of people.

I really wanted to take a nap afterwards, but had to come to work!!!!!

I met Coach and Miriam for three loops around Sugarhouse Park.  Monday mornings I usually find myself dragging out of bed. Bill had a cold and had slept 18 hours.  When we met today, he said, "You look like how I feel."  He managed two loops and Miriam and I finished up the third.

I ran the first leg of the Runamok Divas team.  I did a warmup run before the race with Bill, Natalie, and Johnny.  I felt a little tight.

As soon as I started the race, I had shin splints, which were very painful!  This definitely affected the quality of my race.   My legs hurt with every step I took.  They lasted for about 5 miles.  It was pretty discouraging. 

At mile seven, I handed off to Traci Hansen.  Then Johnny, Natalie, Esther and I jogged to the 13 mile mark where Bill's car was parked for a ride to the finish line.

I couldn't hang around after the race since I had a wedding to go to for a good friend of mine.  It was a good, long day.  I ended up wearing two-inch heels for 12 hours straight.  I was sore from the race, so it was a challenge to walk around and dance at the reception!!

I did a core workout today at the gym followed by 15 minutes on the elliptical machine.  I usually run with Bill and Miriam on Mondays, but my legs are still pretty trashed from the relay on Saturday.

This heat makes me just want to lay around all day!  I guess I had a blond moment yesterday.  It was hot in my house, and I just thought it was because it's been really warm outside.  I finally decided to check my thermostat.  It said it was 85 degrees!!!  Then I looked closer and saw that the switch for the heater was on instead of the AC.  I wondered why the visit from my home teachers was so short.  They were probably roasting to death!

I ran three easy loops around Murray Park.  I was worried it would be too hot, but surprisingly it was manageable.  A lot of moms and their children were at the park enjoying the outdoors.

I met Bill, Marie and Renae at the Oval.  It's good to have Renae back running with us.  She's been involved in quilt shows.  She won best of show for her quilt!!

We did a mile warmup, stretched, 4 x 50m sprints, and 4 x 200 m repeats.

I went to the gym for core and upper arm work, then 20 minutes on the elliptical machine.

I wanted to do a run outside today, but chickened out due to the rain.  So, I went to the gym instead.  I lasted two miles on the treadmill, then switched over to a stationary bike for 45 minutes.  Something about a treadmill makes me a little crazy to do anything longer than two miles.

Gym workout: core, legs, and elliptical machine.  Then I had to rush off to work!  I need to wake up earlier so I'm not always in such a hurry.  I just really like sleeping-in as long as possible.

I met the Runamoks in Draper for some easy, long miles.  It was pretty cool, and we had a head wind a lot of the time.  It sure does beat the heat, though.

It was a nice run.  I felt pretty good.  I actually don't feel like I ran much at all, which is probably a good sign!

My running friends met at 6:00 a.m. to run to the top of City Creek and back.  Since I work late nights, I decided to sleep in and run on my own later.  On Saturday I sacrificed sleep to run early, and consequently had a rough night at work.  My coworker told me I kept losing my balance and running into walls......he may have been exaggerating.  Needless to say, sleep is a high priority for me.

I ended up getting up at 7:00.  I wanted to sleep longer, but my kitties had other plans for me.  They get really active whenever I sleep, so they decided it was play time and attacked my pillow and my hair.  Then they gave me an innocent look as if they were saying, "Oh, did we disturb you?"

I drove to Ruth's Diner and ran up Emigration Canyon and back.  It was sprinkling most of the time.  My last three miles, the rain was coming down pretty hard.  A woman drove up to me and asked if I wanted a ride.  I noticed she had already picked up another runner.  I was almost done, so I thanked her and went on my way. 

I felt really good for the whole run, maybe because I didn't push as hard as I usually do with my friends--they are super fast!

Core and leg workout followed by 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer.

Track workout with Bill and Marie.  One mile warmup, 4 x 50 m sprints, then 4 x 200 m intervals. 

I did a City Creek run today.  I went late enough in the day that I avoided the thunderstorm.  I maybe only saw two runners and one biker there the whole time. 

On the way back down, I did three tempo miles.

1- 7:33 (from mile marker three to two)

2- 7:10 (from mile marker one to the gate)

3- 6:18 (memory grove)

I'm getting excited for the summer games in a couple of weeks!

I ran three loops around Wheeler Farm with Dori. Thankfully, no goose chased us today.  It was fun taking it easy and chatting.  I forgot to bring sunscreen, but the run was mostly shaded.  I burn easily!

Our group met up at the Capital for run to the zoo and back.  It was a tough run for me today.  I came home and took a 2 1/2 hour nap, which felt great!

Core workout followed by 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer.   I wanted to do a spin class at the gym, but slept-in instead.  I work late tonight, so I will choose sleeping late over meeting my friends for a track workout early tomorrow morning.  I hope I have the motivation to do it by myself later on in the day. 

It's good to see Krash Man and Marie Mullen blogging again!!  Krash Man has had a knee injury but can start running now. 

Track workout at the Olympic Oval.  Mile warmup followed by 4 x 50m pickups.  Speedwork consisted of 6 x 200m repeats and 2 x 400m repeats.  I like having the Oval as an option since it's raining cats and dogs today!

I've been struggling with insomnia for a few days.  I only got 4 hours of sleep last night, so I decided since I was up, I'd go for a long run today.  I ran in City Creek canyon, and I called it 13 easy miles since I felt like I was running slower than a snail!  I was exhausted and somehow managed to get one foot in front of the other.  I almost made it to the top, but there was police tape stretched across the road with a sign that said "Caution:  Do not cross line.  Bear Trap present.  Do not disturb."  So, I happily turned around and ran back down.

Tonight I am going hiking with Hildisvini, Tracy1, Sadie and her mom.  I think we may go up to Dog Lake from the Big Cottonwood Canyon side.  It's about 2 1/2 miles from the trailhead--not too long, but steep in some places.  A couple of years ago Hildisvini, Tracy1, her husband, two dogs, and I hiked there from Millcreek, but it poured rain the whole time!  We were soaked to the bone.

Sadie is going to bring me some herbal tea to see if it will help me relax and take a nap!

Brighton Loops Workout

I met with Coach's group at Sam's Club in Murray.  Then we carpooled to the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon and parked at Brighton Ski Resort.  Before we started driving, Tracy Atkinson said he was concerned it was going to snow and be a bad drive.  I laughed and said, "It's June!  It won't snow.  Look, I'm even wearing shorts."

Well......as we got closer to the resort, it started snowing, and not just little flurries.  It pretty much felt like a day in December.  The only thing missing was my skis.

So, everyone was bundled up pretty well (except for me in my summer shorts!) and luckily Bill had an extra hat stashed in his truck that he let me borrow. 

This was an interval workout.  One loop is .75 of a mile.  We warmed up by running two loops, then ran six loops with a push, then cooled down with two more loops.

After the workout was over, I still felt like I had some adrenaline in me, so I went to the gym and rode the stationary bike for an hour.  Now I think I deserve a nap!

Core/leg workout followed by 20 min on the Stairmaster.  I haven't done that for awhile, so it pretty much wiped me out!

I was going to meet Coach Bill, Miriam, and T-4 at City Creek early this morning, but I was unable to fall asleep until 2:30 a.m.   So, I opted to sleep in and I ran three loops around Murray Park on my own.

Core and arm workout followed by 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer.

Then I headed off to book club with my mom.  I'm glad I worked out, because we ate lunch and there were a lot of Marie Calendar pies for dessert!  That's my weakness!!

I love the Cedar City course!  It is a PR for me!  I registered in the Clydesdale division (female 39 and under) and got 1st place overall--breaking the course record in that category!!! 

I was able to meet a couple of the bloggers--WildBull and Dustin.  There was quite a few bloggers in attendance.

Splits:

1- 7:31

2- 7:08

3- 7:21

4- 7:23

5- 7:21

6- 7:15

.2- 1:30   Coach yelled at me to push it to the end.  I felt like puking.  I was glad to cross the finish line.

I guess technically it's a 5K PR as well.  My best 5k is 22:59, but both halves of this race I ran in 22:45, so that's a double bonus!

Coach did great.  He ran a 37:40, and his third year in a row getting gold in his age group.  Marie on the blog did a PR as well: 44:33.  We are all very happy with how we raced today!  This is when all that hard work and training we do throughout the year really pays off.

Another PR for me!  I wasn't sure how I'd do after running the 10k yesterday.  My legs were a little stiff, but seemed to be fine during the race. 

1- 7:09

2- 7:01

3- 6:54

.1- 0:45  

Coach was there pushing me to kick it in at the end.  I had a good sprint, thanks to all those 200m repeats we do!

I ran three loops around Murray Park before work.  I can definitely tell it's summer now--pretty warm this morning!

Core and leg workout followed by 20 min on the elliptical trainer.  It was really hot in the gym!

Core and upper body workout today.  I did level 14 fat burn on the stairmaster.....20 minutes seemed to take forever!  I was glad to get it done.

I read in my email that people who have participated in the Wasatch Back Relay for all five years get a free jacket!!  I'm pretty excited about that.

I was on team Runamoks this year.  We had six men and six women.  We were a coed-submasters team.  It was a lot of fun--good company, good running, and no sleep!  I felt pretty strong on all of my legs.  I was runner #4 in Van 1. 

We were paced pretty evenly with our all-female team, the Run Amok Divas.  It was fun running with them and visiting with all the other teams along the course. 

I went to bed very early Saturday night--it felt great to sleep!

I went on a leisurely bike ride on the Parkway to get the lactic acid in my legs flowing.  I'm still getting used to a bike--I'm not in my comfort zone yet.  A friend at church does triathalons and told me about some bike routes that are nice that don't have much traffic.

Spin class at the gym.  I'm still recovering from the WBR.  I think I'm almost caught up on sleep!

Nice easy run in City Creek this morning.  I started at the lower gate and went to the top and back.  I haven't been using my inhaler since I have an appointment at TOSH tomorrow to get my asthma checked out.  They want me to be off medication for a few days before the appt.

I had a doctor appointment at TOSH today.  It was to help me find out the severity of my asthma.  I got my pulmonary function tested (pft) without use of an inhaler. Then I ran outside for about a mile and got tested again.  Then I took a couple of puffs of albuterol and had the pft fifteen minutes later.

Dr. Testa said that I had some hyperactivity in my lungs.  He said that my allergies may be a trigger for asthma, so he wants me to take Singulair along with a bronchio-dilator before a hard workout.  I told him that the group I run with is pretty intense, so their easy workout is a hard workout for me!

Speed workout at the Olympic Oval today.  Bill and Miriam were there.  We were going to do a 3 lap warmup, but Bill got talking about the Wasatch Back relay, so when I thought we were done with the warmup, he kept saying, "One more lap."  It turned out to be a 7 lap warmup.  He really had a lot to say about it!  He is so proud of both of our teams.

We did 4 x 50m sprints and 4 x 200m sprints.  Jude was there cheering us on.  She was actually there for a work conference! 

After the workout, I asked Bill where our run was going to be this Saturday.  He said we were meeting in Kearns (that put some fear in my heart--our Kearns workouts consist of several intervals, sprints, hills, and tempo miles!).  He noticed my scared expression and told me not to worry, that he was going to scale it down a bit.  It has been such an intense June with all of our hard work and race efforts. 

I told Bill I've been a little down since the WBR.  He told me I am suffering from a "euphoria hangover."  He said with all the great races I've had, it's normal to come back down and feel tired and worn out.

I went to the gym a little later on for a spin class.  Tonight at work there is going to be a dutch oven-style dinner, so I'm excited about that!

Upper body workout at the gym followed by 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer.  I took it easy today.  I'm getting fatigued from all of the workouts.

Our Coach emailed us a schedule of our Saturday workouts leading up to St. George.  On one of the Saturdays, he has us scheduled to run Ragnar!!!  We will conquer that beast!

The group met in Kearns today for a 10-miler.  There were 15 of us:  Coach, myself, Jennifer, Marie, T-4, Craig, Jason, Scott, Natles, Stevie, Miriam, Alicia, Andrea, Johnny, and Murphy.  We warmed up about a mile then did Indian File down the canal road.  It was fun and got me breathing hard!  Then we ran three tempo miles.  The first one was slightly downhill--6:55.  The second one was slightly uphill--8:05.  The last one was slightly downhill--7:10. 

It was a nice, low-intensity run.  I told Coach I hoped it wouldn't be too tough of workout, since I am feeling worn-out.  I said, "I'm not just feeling sore from a workout last week, I am feeling the whole month of June right now!" 

We had a nice time talking about the WBR and getting ready for our upcoming races.

Gym workout today.  Core, legs and elliptical machine.  I hope I can wake up in time tomorrow for a city creek run.  I just love my bed too much.

I ran in the neighborhoods of Murray today.  I didn't get up in time to run City Creek with my friends :0( , but at least I got some running in!

I did a hike up to Grandeur Peak today.  I guess I'll log my miles as running miles (speedwalk up the mountain, with a trail run back down).  It was gorgeous up there.  There were a lot of hikers out and about.  I just wanted to do something different to shake up the routine.

I think my trail shoes are too small, since I feel like I'm going to lose a toenail.  Running is not a glamourous sport at times! 

Upper arm/core workout at the gym, followed by the elliptical trainer.  My legs are sore from my hike yesterday!  I need to get the lactic acid flowing.

I ran the Centerville 5k fun run with Tracy1, Hildisvini, and my friend Cami.  It was great to run back in my hometown and see people I haven't seen in years.  Afterwards, we had pancakes and eggs in the park!  Now I am at work.......hospitals don't close on holidays!

I decided to take the opportunity to sleep-in today.  It felt wonderful!  I don't remember the last time I slept-in on a Saturday morning.  My running friends met at 6 a.m. to hike Mt Olympus. 

I ran on my own today, around 9 a.m.  I went up City Creek (started from the lower gate to the top and back).  I feel like I did it at a pretty good pace, considering I still have lactic acid buildup in my legs from Wednesday's hike.  There were lots and lots of bikers riding today.  Some of them I played leap-frog with.  Quite a few shouted out encouraging words to me.  All in all, it has been a good day so far!

Crosstraining at the gym:  core work and elliptical trainer.

Tomorrow, I really don't want to slack off like I have other Tuesday mornings.  I really need to get up to meet my friends at City Creek.  I just need to keep telling myself I can take a nap later!!

Yay---I woke up in time to run City Creek with my friends!!!  Initially, it was just Miriam and I who started together.  We saw Johnny, Andrea, and Murphy on their way back down.  We also saw Alicia and her sister Vanessa on their way back down.  They joined me and Miriam for the rest of the run.  It was a great run--I still wheeze even after using albuterol, but it was nice and cool and shady.

Gym workout--upper body work and elliptical trainer.  I have speedwork scheduled tomorrow, but my coach hurt his back and some of the others are injured or spending time with family, so I may just do something on my own when I wake up.

I woke up late, and it was pretty warm outside, so I went up to Brighton to run where it was cooler.  I did five loops and then did some hiking on some trails by Silver Lake.  I needed to try out my new trail shoes.  They fit much better that my old ones!

I did core work and then a spin class.  I am a little sore from my hiking yesterday.

I met my running friends at Ruth's Diner for a run up Emigration Canyon.  It was tough--a lot of inclines, but I felt pretty strong, so was happy about that.  The next thing on my list of things to do is to take a nap!  I can't wait.

Upper body workout and ellipitical training.  I am still sore from our 18 miler on Saturday.  What an awesome run it was!

A nice run today up City Creek with Coach, Scott, Alicia, and Miriam.  I was struggling to keep their pace, so when we got to the water treatment plant, I told them to go ahead and I'd meet them at the top!

I did a workout in the evening instead of the morning today.  I did a spin class and some core work.  My left knee is feeling a little tender.

In the morning, I hiked to Dog Lake from the Big Cottonwood Canyon side.  It was a beautiful morning.  I saw a few hikers and bikers along the way, and lots of dogs at the lake.

I went to lunch with my mom and some friends at a chinese place in Bountiful. It was fun catching up with old friends who I don't get to see very often.

In the evening, Tracy1 and I rode our bikes along the Jordan River Parkway.  We invited Marie to come, but she had plans to swim in the Jordanelle Reservoir to prepare for her triathlon next weekend! I'm new to biking, but it was a pretty leisurely ride.  After the ride, I think she took Jaxton out on a run.  He's been feeling lonely that Howard (her bassett hound) passed away on Monday. 

I woke up at six am because I was so hungry!  I ate a couple of pancakes then went to the gym for an upper body workout and elliptical training.  My glutes are sore from my bike ride/hike yesterday!  Tracy pushed me--I couldn't catch her! :)

The day started out by waking up at 4:30 in the morning, which is not my favorite time of day.  But, it was well worth it for the workout Coach had planned for us.  We met up at Brighton ski resort.  The original plan was to drive down Guardman's Pass until we reached the bottom of "You Gotta Be Kidding Me". We were then going to run that leg, plus Ragnar.

However, on the way down, the brakes in the van overheated, so we pulled over at about a mile into Ragnar.  From there, we ran back to the ski resort.  It was a very steep run.  It gave me more appreciation for those who ran it during the Wasatch Back when it was hot and dusty from all the traffic.

On the way up Ragnar, I needed to stop in at "nature's restroom."  When I emerged from the bushes, I noticed I had stickers all over me and welts all up and down my legs from being scratched by shrubbery.  The joys of the outdoors!

When we got to the ski resort, Coach had us do six interval loops (3/4 mile each) while he and some others went back to get the van.  I did five loops total.  Then we drove to Renae's house and she made breakfast for everyone!

I got home around 10:45 and was pooped.  I felt like I just ran the WBR.  I took a shower and a three hour nap. Now I am working a ten hour shift and get off at 1 a.m.  A long day in store, but I feel good getting in such a great run.

I struggled through my run today at Murray Park. Very hot and humid. I hope it's not like that for the Des News 10k on Saturday!

Did some upperbody work and elliptical training. I got it done early since I need to get my dishwasher fixed. The technician said he'd be here anywhere from 8 a.m. to noon. So....had to workout before 8:00.

The day started out by waking up at 4 a.m. I carpooled with my friend Traci Hansen to the start of the race. I decided to run to her house to get in some warm-up miles. I thought it was only three miles to her house, but it was really a little over five. I thought I left in plenty of time to get there, but I was a little late since I miscalculated by two miles.

The race itself was great. The weather was perfect and I kept a good pace. I was pleased with my time.

I met Jody and Paula from the blog! It was fun talking with them and finally meeting people who I feel like I know already!

I talked with Hildisvini after the race. He did a PR today. He pushed pretty hard, so he was walking a little funny after the race. One of the race volunteers asked if he needed a medical tent. He sheepishly said no, he was fine, but a little sore. He also had to go into work!

Smeagol did a great time, too. He's been training really hard for this 10k.

After the run, I watched the Kenyans come in. Then I ran 1 1/2 miles to Miriam's house for breakfast. Scott makes some mean omelets--I would love to hire him to be my personal chef! :)

Great run in Kearns.  Indian file and three tempo miles.  It was fun running with my pals.

Weight training at the gym today.  I was going to do some cardio, but I ran into my old trainer and talked with him for awhile.  The last time I saw him was over a year ago.  He is back working at the gym.  He wants to meet with me this week to do some intense weight lifting.  It makes me a little nervous--I remember how hard his lifting sessions were and I have some anxiety just thinking about it!

"Whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger."

Today was a City Creek run with Bill, Scott, Miriam, and Alicia. I feel like I'm in pretty good shape, but for some reason when I run with them, I feel like I haven't run a day in my life! As they jog leisurely up the canyon, chatting amongst themselves, telling stories, I am huffing and puffing and sound like I need a lung transplant. They are a tough bunch to keep up with! I ran with them to the treatment plant, then went my own pace up to the top. A pretty good accomplishment today. When I run it alone, I run it around two hours. Today we did it in 1:50, which is about a minute per mile faster than what I normally do. I think all this training will pay off in future races.

Scott has been rating our runs lately using a "ding dong" scale.  Today's run was worth at least five ding dongs.  These are just hypothetical ding dongs--I don't actually consume them after every run!!

 I'm contemplating riding my bike up City Creek on Thursday. That will be a different perspective of the canyon for sure.

I met with my trainer at the gym, but he had something come up so he couldn't work me out today.  So, I went to a spin class and did some core work. 

I wanted to bike City Creek canyon tomorrow, but due to the wild fires, I don't think that's an option right now.

I had a day off, so I decided to go for a hike in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It is so beautiful up there. I started at the Mill D trailhead. I hiked past Desolation Lake to the Wasatch Crest trail. A lot of bikers out! I'm guessing it was around 15 miles of hiking. It took me about five hours. It was a great way to spend a day off!

I met with the trainer for a core/arm workout at the gym.  It was great talking with him again.  However, I am not signing up to do any more sessions.  I think I like working out on my own!

We met at the Capitol today for an out-and-back course to the This Is The Place Monument. Nothing too difficult today, just a nice run with good conversation.

I gave Scott a scare this morning. He got out of his car, looking like he didn't sleep much through out the night. He groggily asked, "How far are we running today?" With my very best poker face, I said, "We're going to be running 28 miles." The look on his face was priceless. He looked devastated, like he was going to go back to his car and drive off. I said, "Scott, I am just joking. I think it's 13 or 14 miles." A look of relief washed over his face. He said, "You are a very kind person, and I just never thought you'd be capable of pulling off a lie. You totally got me!" We laughed about it throughout the run.

Today was our last run with Alicia and Cortney. :-( They are moving to California today. I will really miss her, especially during football season. We had some great football chats on our long runs. I think they'll come back every now and again and run with us. We had bagels to wish them well.

AM: I rode my bike to work today.  Very hot outside!  I took a shower when I got to work. 

PM: I rode home from work. Much nicer at night--no traffic and it's cool!

A nice, easy run in Murray Park. Brutally hot, since I woke up late, but it was over with quickly.

I biked to the gym in Sandy this morning.  I'm still getting used to a bike, so I hit a pothole in the road and crashed into a cement wall.....I have some nice road rash on my leg, but nothing too serious.  I also almost got hit by a big truck making a right hand turn...he wasn't paying attention. He missed me by a second. Another car was stopped at a red light and was watching the whole thing.  The people in the car threw their hands over their faces because they thought I was going to get hit.  So......I'm not dead yet, but there's always risk on a bike.  It doesn't help that I'm so accident prone.....

When I got to the gym, I did some upper body and core work.  Then I rode to work.

 PM:  I rode home from work and was more careful this time!  I made it home in one piece.

I ran in City Creek this morning.  I had only run about a half mile when I saw Alisa running as well.  She was a gal we recruited on the Runamok Divas Wasatch Back team.  I don't know her well, but we decided to run to the top together.

It was great having her there--it made the run go by so much faster.  She told me how she just loved meeting Coach Bill and was so impressed with how selfless and giving he is.  She tells everyone about him and the influence he's had in her life!

We also talked a lot about spiritual things--we've both had a lot of similar life experiences and perspectives on life.  We both have seen the hand of God in our lives so many times.  I am so grateful she was there this morning and that I got a chance to get to know her better.  I hope she can come out to some of our group runs.  She's a little intimidated right now since we're right in the middle of some intense training, but I told her after the marathon is over, we tone it down a bit. :) 

Some of my coworkers are really getting into running.  One of them mentioned to me the other day that she gets that runners high.  Her husband loves it because then she's in a really good mood and just loves everyone and doesn't care if the kids are fighting or messing up the house.  It's funny how that high can affect us so much.

Rami wishes he could run but he has some issues with his feet--some sort of neuropathy.  So, he just spends his time watching Arabic soap operas.  They actually have a lot more drama than our soap operas--he almost got me hooked!  But not enough to miss a run!

My friend Emily and I went to a spin class at the rec center.  Then we jogged a mile around the cemetery.  She was having a bad day, so I figured a run would get her endorphins high and get her in a good mood.  We went swimming afterwards to cool off.

Provo Half is this weekend.  I am excited to run it, but not excited to wake up early!  I will miss Tracy 1--we usually sing U2 songs during a run to keep our minds off of the pain!  She will be at Bear Lake relaxing and living it up on the beach!

Beautiful day for a race.  I wasn't sure what to expect since the course had been changed so many times.  I talked with Curt Catmull last night and he said he measured the course about six different times to make sure it was accurate.

I stayed the night with Miriam's parents in Orem. We met Hildisvini at the packet pickup and ate at Subway. This morning I woke up at 3 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep.  We met up with the runamoks to get on the bus to head up to the canyon.  I sat by Tracy A and Luke on the bus.  Tracy told me some funny stories about his step-father-in-law and had me laughing the whole way up.

As was expected, there was some disorganization at the beginning.  I wanted to do some warm-up sprints, but a man kept yelling at us to stay on the side of the road since busses were coming.  No one quite knew where the start was, but  we saw Curt in his pickup truck shoot the gun off, so we figured out approximately where it was.

My splits are as follows:

1- 8:24

2- 7:59  Renae caught up to me and we ran about 4 miles together.  We talked about how weird it was that Tracy1 wasn't with us!  She opted out of the race today.

3- 8:04 

4- 7:59

5- 8:12

6- 8:03

7- 7:32  I felt pretty much "in the zone" from this point on.  My breathing was comfortable and my legs were on cruise control.

8- 7:10

9- 8:24

10- 7:27

11- 7:42

12- 8:00

13.1- 8:09   Coach was near the finish line and yelled "200 meters left--SPRINT!!"  I took off as fast as I could.  It was actually about 400 meters left.  I saw him after the race and said, "You lied to me--it wasn't 200 meters!"  He smiled and said, "I know, but I got you to run faster."

It was a PR for me today.  We were all very pleased with our times.  We call Miriam "MIR" (most improved runner) since she is knocking the socks off of all of us.  So many of my friends were there and I loved chatting with them and enjoying their success.  It always gives me such a high to run with them and share in this experience. 

I feel like I have a hold on the half-marathon distance pretty well.  It's the marathon that I feel like I haven't quite gotten the jist of it yet. 

A run up City Creek today before work.  I am fighting a cold, so I did it at a slower pace.

Had to go into work for a couple of hours, so I biked to and from work.

It smells like marathon season--since we're increasing our mileage now on Saturdays!

We had a great run today in Kearns. Our crew consisted of Coach, Craig, Andrea, Johnny, Murphy, Jasro, T2, T4, Marie, Jennifer, Renae, Natles, and Scott.  T1 did her run yesterday, since she was unable to come today.  T2 said he was having T1 withdrawls--he really enjoys seeing her at runs and texting her all the time about how nervous he is before a race! 

We met at the Smiths and carpooled to Copperton High School for six downhill tempo miles.  I clocked my miles at 7:26, 7:18, 7:26, 6:49, 7:16, and 6:47.  I took some sudafed this morning to clear my sinuses and I think it gave me a boost!  Maybe an unfair advantage, but since we're not in the Olympics, I don't think a little extra drug-induced high is such a bad thing ;-)

We then took it easy for the last 11 miles.  Coach stressed the importance of consuming gu before and during runs.  He said a lot of women hesitate to take it since it can be high in calories, but it is essential for stamina in long runs.  Speaking mostly to the women about weight loss, he said, "Now is the time to put your scales away and just focus on getting enough fuel for marathon training."  Less calories equals loss of muscle mass, which is not conducive to strong running performance.  When Coach was in college, he consumed 7800 calories a day, and still had a hard time keeping weight on.  Good advice from Coach.  I don't run enough miles to consume that many calories, but I like the thought of eating more.

All in all, it was a great run.  I ask myself how I got to be so lucky to train with such a wonderful Coach and the best running pals a person could ask for.

I biked to and from work this afternoon.  My legs are a little tender from yesterday's run.

Upper body and core workout followed by 20 minutes on the ellipitical trainer.  I woke up late because I stayed up until 2 a.m. watching the Olympics and making apricot freezer jam.  I should have just gone to bed since the jam did not turn out well at all!  I must not have followed the recipe exactly.

I ran with Coach and Miriam up to the treatment plant in City Creek.  Miriam kept going to the top.  She is sagging the run this weekend so she wants to get more mileage in this week. 

Coach ran with me back down to the gate.  This cold is still hanging on, so I had to stop a few times and hack up some guck from my lungs (kinda gross).  Bill said "Don't be shy--just get it all out when you need to." 

All in all, it was a nice run.  It was fun spending time with them. Bill is having a great running year.  He has had four first place spots in races this year.  He is very pleased with how well he is doing.

No exercise for me today. My throat is very sore and lymph nodes are tender, so I went to the Instacare this morning. It turns out I have strep throat, so I got on antibiotics right away.  It hurts to swallow.  I am on a liquid diet today--solid food doesn't go down too well.

Core and upper body workout, followed by 20 min on the elliptical machine.  I'm eating lots of carbs today to get ready for my 22 miler tomorrow.

A nice run in Emigration Canyon today.  We were small in number, but we pretty much stuck together.  Coach, Andrea, Johnny, Jasro, Miriam, T2, Scott, Natles, and John (our sag driver) all came out.  This was Johnny's longest run so far.  He looked strong at the end.

As always, we had really fun and interesting conversations.  Scott told stories of digging graves in Alaska.  Andrea and I at one point talked about feminine hygiene products (this made Bill surge ahead of the group to avoid that topic).  Scott also mentioned that he subscribes to the Men's Health magazine.  He told us they have really good recipes. We gave him a hard time since we figured he read it for the relationship advice.  He did comment that there was an article in there that said the first thing a woman notices when she goes into a man's home is how clean the bathroom is.  

We all ran very well today--Coach was very pleased with all of our efforts.  We do have runners with some issues--Scott had calf cramping, Natles had some pain in her legs, and Jasro has problems with both achilles.  The marathon is six weeks out, so hopefully we can all keep our injuries to a minimum and burn up the course!

Gym workout today--I am so glad I am feeling better finally.

Coach, Scott and I ran to lower rotary in City Creek this morning.  It was a pretty good clip the whole way. Scott was entertaining us with stories about his college days. 

Coach says he has a great workout planned for Saturday--it sounds like it will be tough.  I told him I may not make it since my cats have a hair appointment that morning.  Then Scott said, "Oh yeah, and I need to help her with her cats, so I'm out as well."  Coach didn't buy it, so I guess we're committed!

Core workout at the gym.  My legs are sore from yesterday's City Creek run!

Coach and I ran at the Olympic Oval this morning.  We jogged a mile, did 4 x 50 meter sprints, and 4 x 200m sprints.  I had a nice time chatting with him.  He loves how everyone in our group is improving so much.

There were several speedskaters at the Oval from all over the world: Norway, Finland, Japan, and Canada.  Bill said, "I notice you run a little faster when passing those cute blond Norwegian men."  Well, I guess that's one way to get me to PR. ;0)

Tonight I biked with Tracy and Marie on the Jordan River Parkway.  It was a beautiful evening.  We stopped at Emerald Smoothie to get our favorite drink:  the chocolate peanut butter with banana!

I went to the gym this morning. I planned on doing an upper body workout and core workout with some cardio on the elliptical. I ended up only doing some situps since I ran into an old friend. We talked for over an hour and then I realized I was going to be late to work! So, not much working out today, but I had so much fun catching up with my friend!

Eleven of us today for a Brighton Loops workout: Coach, Craig, Scott, Natles, Andrea, Jeremy, T1, T2, Renae, Miriam, and myself.  We did 16 loops, which were each 3/4 of a mile.  It was a very tough workout!  My legs felt like they were dragging lead weights toward the end.

I will say I actually beat Craig's time--well, time in the porta-potty, that is.  That's the only way I would ever be faster than him!  I would need to be an olympic runner to ever catch him!

T2 made me laugh, as always.  He told stories of Aunt Gert and Aunt Marge, who are as tall as they are wide.  He told me in St. George he's going to wear a bathrobe at the start and put curlers in his hair.  He can be pretty silly and I'm always smiling when he's around. 

I'm glad I made it to this workout.  Coach was very happy with all of our efforts.  Scott and I were going to take my cats to the spa for a hair appointment, but we decided to come to the workout instead!  ha ha......

T1 and Renae were twins with their matching singlets--pretty chic!  I'm always on the lookout for cute running clothes.

Fifteen of us showed up for the Labor Day City Creek run: Coach, Tracy1, Tracy 2, Scott, Marie, Miriam, Craig, Renae, Jennifer, Andrea, Johnny, Murphy, Esther, Rachel, and myself.

Tracy 1 and I met with Coach at 5:15 a.m. to get in three miles. We then met up with the group at 6:00 for 14 more. It was a great day for a run. It sprinkled a little bit, buy by far the best running weather we've had in a long time.

Afterwards we went to "The Other Place" restaurant for omelets and pancakes. It was a great way to spend Labor Day!

Core and upper body workout at the gym.  My legs are sore from our run Saturday and yesterday.  I can't believe the marathon will be here so soon!

I rode my bike on the parkway and got a flat tire.  I asked another biker if I could borrow his pump.  He couldn't figure out how to use it, so a couple of more bikers came along and helped me out.  I need to go get a new tire and a tune up.

A group of us met at Kearns for a tempo workout.  We carpooled up to the road by Copperton.  Coach had us do 3 x 2 mile tempos.  I made it a mile and a half on the first tempo and had to stop since I had shin splints.  I skipped the rest of the tempos and ran a slow pace back to Kearns.

Scott told me about the Shepherd's Pie he is going to make for dinner tonight.  I asked him where he lived since I may be in the area.  He laughed and told me he'd email me the recipe.  I get so hungry while I run that food is a popular topic of conversation.

I plan on taking it easy next week.  My legs are pretty tight and I'm nursing my left knee--I don't want it to be worse before St. George.

Today's the first time I ran in a couple of weeks.  I ran at the track at Murray High.  The cross country team was their doing 200 m repeats.  I just ran a steady pace.  My right knee hurt the whole time, but it doesn't hurt to walk on it anymore.  It will get better, but it's so hard to be patient!

I ran with Coach today on the Jordan River Parkway.  It was nice to see him again, especially since I've taken off so much time from running.  My knee didn't hurt too bad, but I was getting shin splints.  I think it may be due to my new running shoes.  I'm getting a cortisone shot tomorrow in my knee to reduce the swelling even more.  I'm hoping to have a good marathon on Saturday.

Before the marathon, I had visions of writing a race report that started out as "I finally qualified for Boston!"  However, after seeing my finishing time, you can tell that did not happen. But, I'm happy to have finished yet another grueling 26.2.  

I always love coming to St. George for the marathon.  Just being with friends and getting away from the pressures of every day life is very enjoyable for me.  This was my sixth St. George marathon, and it was definitely the coldest and rainiest one as well.  I never thought I'd need a poncho for the whole race.

Before the race started, I met Kim from the blog!  I recognized her from her cute pictures she posts.  It was her first marathon.  She looked good when I saw her afterwards!

I started out with Tracy 1.  She looked strong and we split up around mile 3.  She went on to do her best marathon--a 3:43!  She has trained very well all year long. I ran a lot of the race with Jasro.  He started out with Johnny.  I guess Johnny was having problems with his shorts--they kept falling off!  So, he took care of that and Jasro went on ahead.  

My legs cramped up pretty bad around mile 14.  Oh boy, that meant 12 more miles of running with leg pain.  I gave the best I could from that point on.  Around mile 20 or 21, Jasro ran by and said, "This is what we wait all year long for."  I grunted pretty loud.  What a thought!  I trained all year for this race and felt pretty lousy.  Yet I look forward to it every year and keep coming back for more!

At mile 25, Renae came up behind me and said,  "One more mile!"  She gave me the encouragement I needed to finish. 

It felt great to be done.  I was drenched and couldn't wait to take a shower and put dry clothes on.  My friend Sadie got picked up by the ambulance at mile 13.  She had hypothermia.  My running coach had hypothermia as well.  Crazy for St. George!

I feel better now after a hot bath and a hot meal.  Now a nap is in order!!!!

I am so proud of all my running buddies.  They are the best friends to run with.  We all feel blessed to run and run with such amazing people!