To find my Mojo

I am officially starting my blogs.  This past couple of months have been very difficult for me.  For some reason I have not been running well at all.  I have decided to try and get over the mental slump I have been in.  I dread my runs...I don't get enjoyment out of them at all.  Why run if you can't enjoy it.  My solution....I will run...but not to worry about the time.  I am simply trying to get my distances in and hope the time eventually come down.   I think I will try and fit some weight training to build my core and legs.

I decided to make this a fun run.  I ran up provo canyon with my mom (she rode her bike).  It was very enjoyable to see how well she did. She was nervous, but rode the whole way without any problem. 

I was able to finish the  16.5 mile.  I was tired, but at leaset I  didn't dread the entire run.

Warm up - 40 minute tempo run and then cool down.  I felt OK, wish I could had held the pace longer.  I never really got up to my marathon pace....but hopefully it will come soon.

Seven miles on the treadmill.  Did a 4 mile hill workout...OUCH...  I still am not feeling as strong as I would like, but hopefully with time it will come.

Dang...no run today..  It was one of those days at work that by the time it was done I didn't want to do anything.  I had people asking me questions all day and they varied from...."could you do CPR on this baby bird I found" to "My neighbor leaves his garbage cans outside, can you fix that"....I was emotionally tired.

Ran five miles and then rode the stationary bike for another 3.  Work day was a little better than yesterday.

7 Slooooooooow miles.  I wish I could speed up a some.  I wanted to do more, but forgot today I couldn't go to work late.  They changed the payroll date and I had to get payroll out to everyone....kind of funny....people don't like to wait for payroll...go figure!

OK....I was suppose to run 12 miles at MP.  With that said, lets decided if I accomplished my task.   If I want to run a 3:50 marathon I need to be around a 8:45 per mile.  If I look at that, then none of my miles were at MP.  However, here is the debate;  I did run this training run at "someone's" MP, therefore can I say I accomplished my task.  My training schedule never specified "Who's" marathon pace I must run.

If didn't feel as strong as I would have liked on the run.  I did find some new GU type stuff that I really like and I was able to eat the whole package throughout the run...YEA for me.  When I finished I didn't feel completly depleated like before.  However, I still couldn't get my breathing down and couldn't push the pace like would have liked.  This run, with standards from past years, was quite slow.  I wish I could figure out what is going on.

6 miles with strides.  It is so hard to run on a holiday.  It took everything I had to convince myself to run.  I can't say it was easy, but it is done!

7 miles with 3 mile hill workout. 

5 miles with 3 mile at MP.  I was able to run the 3 miles at MP, but had to stop after each mile to rest.  Hope this pace can start feeling better to me.

5 Dreadmill miles.....

OK, I set out to run 11....None of my runs feel good.  I wish just one felt like I could go forever.  It seems that I have to force myself to complete every run.  It is a complete battle during the whole run...my mind & body wants to quit and turn around, but my will wants to keep going.  As you can tell...the mind won the last two miles.

Running with Kathie tomorrow..hope things go better.

9.5 miles running with Kathie and 3.5 walking.  Actually, I felt good about the 9.5 because Kathie pushed me harder than I would have run by myself.  I hope kathie's leg starts to feel better

OK....I have to admit I love the show the Bachelorette.  I had to work until 8:00 yesterday (thus no running) and I missed the final show.  Thank goodness for DVR's.  I decided to watch the 3 hour show and run.  With being able to skip the commercials...it was about  2 hours of show.  I quit running at 10.5 and rode the bike until the end of the show.

I put the treadmill on a 1% incline and a 6.2 speed.  Slow, but I haven't been running well.  It was a very easy comfortable run...I haven't been able to say that for a long time.  It might have been all the love in the air and I was so caught up in the show.....I just couldn't feel the pain.  Anyway, it was good to finally feel good after a run!!!!

Ran out of time to run.  2 miles is better than none

Treadmill miles

hill workout

Set out  to do a 20  miler.  McKenna and I slept at my mom's house and got up at 4:00 to meet Kathie at the Jordan river Trail.  McKenna rode grandma's bike with us.  It was real fun to have her there.  First  mile Kathie was running a little faster than I wanted, talked her into slowing down and we found our comfortable pace of 9:20 per mile.  I felt good about this time because I had been struggling the past few months.

Mile 10 we both was feeling the miles, but still felt very strong.  It was at mile 13 that we both started to feel the miles.  We decided to bag the run at mile 14 and try to do our 20 mile run next weekend.  

It has been so nice to run with Kathie again.

Side note:  McKenna had fun, but said it did start to get boring.  She is such a good cheerleader.  She was telling me the whole time how good I was doing.  I think she wants to make sure nothing gets in the way of our DisneyWorld trip. 

Hill Work out

Treadmill run

Haven't been feeling to good.  Just trying to get some miles in

wanted to get at least 8, but my energy level isn't there

didn't run, hoping to be well by saturday

met with Kathie and ran 6 miles.  thought I was going to die.  At one point I sat down on the path and didn't think I could go any farther.

Once Smooth and the gang showed up I really didn't want to get too far away from the car.  I didn't know how things would go.  I decided to run by myself 2 miles at a time.  I found a reallly flat course and I would run out 1 mile and then run back.  Take a break at the car and then do it again.  I was able to do this for another 10 miles.  If at mile two you told me I was going to be able to run 16 miles would have laughed. 

Right now I am feeling better, hopefully I can start some good training next week

Tried to run but was still feeling sick from Saturday.  Decided it would be better to take the day off

Four miles on the treadmill.  It seemed as soon as I tried to pick up speed I would start to cough.  took it slow to finish the miles

Feeling a little better.  Was able to push the pace a little. 

8 miles on the treadmill.  Last night was the first night I was able to sleep without coughing all night.  Decided I should be able to run a little longer.  Wanted to stay on the treadmill incase I couldn't go as far as I wanted

Would like to go about 10 to 11 tomorrow.  we will see.

I  was real nervous about this race.  I didn't know what to expect.  With being sick the last week, I didn't even know how to race.  I decided I wanted to run as hard as I could for the first 7 miles and then hold on for the last 6.  I ran the first 6.5 with an average pace of 8:34.  I felt real good about that, but then the wheels fell off.  I had Kathie in my sights up to that point and then I hit a huge wall and could never get over it.

My next goal was to finish with an average pace of 8:45; I missed that goal around mile 8.  Time to set a new goal of average pace of 9:00.  I really thought I was going to make this goal but with 2 miles left I had nothing left.  At this point I just wanted to pass the finish line.  I missed my goal and finished with an anverage pace of 9:05. 

Not for sure how I feel about this race....wasn't a real confidence booster for SGM.  I don't think I could have gone another 13.1.  I have 1 month of training left.....I better get ready for 26.2!!!!

Treadmill hills

Easy outside miles

4 treadmill

6 Easy

Ran 10 with Kathie.  She wanted to do 15, but I was done after 10.  The last 5 were all uphill and I did not want to run another step of hills. 

While on the run with Kathie I mentioned that I need to do more road miles and less treadmill miles.  What a start this week....Treadmill miles again.  It seems I have a hard time getting outside.

treadmill....

YEA!!!! road miles.  I told myself I didn't care how hot it was, or what was going on at home was going on the road.  Felt pretty good. Not real fast, but faster than I have been running

I was so hoping for a good run today.  McKenna had a dance convention on Friday and Saturday.  I decided not to stay over and sleep at my moms.  We got up at 5:00 and was out the door at 5:30.  I took the first mile slow (It  also has a good up hill) ran it around 10:20.  I knew I would need to pick up the pace at some point.  I was hoping to do this run in about a 9:30 pace.  I kept picking up my pace and by the end of the run I had an average pace of 9:32.  I was also very pleased because I had a kick at the end and felt I could have gone a lot farther.  Most my runs this year usually had me struggling to finish.

This run has given me confidence that maybe St. George wont be as bad as I thought it would be.  At least I know I can finish.

As a side note.....my mom was able to ride her bike up a hill that she usually has to walk up....I was so proud of her!!!

Hill Workout

treadmill workout

treadmill

So I got up and ran 14 miles while my mom rode her bike.  It felt really good.  I don't know how fast I was going because my watch decided not to work.  Anyway, it felt very comfortable.

I then met Cristy and 3 other girls in Heber to do a 6 mile mud run.  I had never done this before and didn't know what to expect.  It was so much fun.  We really didn't run all that much, but I am sore today.  I think the effort going through the mud was a good workout.

I feel I am ready for SGM.  I don't know what time I am shooting for, I think I will just  run what feels good.