Tempo?

Today was my tempo run.  I set my alarm to get up and get it done before my shift started at 10am.  I work out of Rock Springs, which is about 2000 feet higher then Salt Lake.  I haven't run at the Rock for a while so my foot could rest after the cortisone shot.  This morning I got my ass kicked!  First I forgot my pre-run supplement (No-Xplode - sounds bad ass eh?)  but I slurped down a dark chocolate almond milk and went on my way.  

I must say it didn't turn out like I imagined in my head.  I felt tired.  Granted I planned a 1 mile uphill at about mile two, but I'm trying to overcome my hill weakness.  I was a little slow, but I managed through it with an average 10:13 min/mile.  Did I ever mention I'm a slow runner?  I did mention I walk every 5 minutes for a minute.  I can manage an under 9 min mile doing it this way but apparently not today.  I was very proud of my full 5 minutes of uphill with great form and even decent speed. 

Most of the time I feel like it takes me at least 1 mile to just warm up.

Mile 1: 10:08

Mile 2: 10:07

Mile 3: 10:05 (one mile hill!)

Mile 4: 9:55

Mile 5: 9:25

Total time 53:07, calories 584 (woot WOOT) 5.2 miles

My max speed was 7:26!  The weather was a little hot but not too bad, sunny and beautiful.  That is one of the great things I love about coming up here in the summer.  It's usually a little cooler.  

According to my training I've put together my tempo runs should be 9:22 min/miles.  Heat and higher altitude??  I should have been able to do better.  But at least I did it!  Isn't that the way we have to think some days??

I didn't forget to ice and BioFreeze the heel!  I did forget to take a picture of it.    

Post icing with my work socks and sweats.  My uniform is laid out carefully so I can get in it within seconds and be on our way.  My favorite Crystal Light in an icy bottle of water, watching "Something About Mary".  My job doesn't suck.  Keep in mind that we can fly almost 24 hours straight also.  It's slow right now, but we can get a call any minute day or night.

My medic is asleep right over there:

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Blog on.................

Happy Birthday Austin

My oldest son is 24 years old!!  He is the one that paved the way for the rest of my kids teaching me about being a mom.  He came to me and his dad at 6 days old.  An adorable tiny bundle of joy that we adopted from a sweetheart of a young girl in Arizona.  Since the day we brought him home my life has never been the same.  I can't imagine life without him.  


Austin has grown into a wonderful hard working young man.  I miss him terribly when he is working in North Dakota but thrilled to death when he comes home every two weeks.


Happy Birthday SON!!  
I love you!  

 March 3, 2009 - on my wedding day

 The boys all at my house at the same time!

Daniel, Austin and Jake

This summer at work

The funniest partial famiy picture!  Austin, Matt, me, Daniel and Sami in the back.

Austin helped to coach his little brothers little league team.

Weird kids

Great brother!

Blog on...............

Dreadmill dreadful

I could never have a job where I had to sit.  Especially if I had to sit and listen to people talk.  Today I took a PALS renewal class - which is Pediatric Advanced Life Support.  I need a lot of cards in order to stay current with my job.  BLS, ACLS, NRP, PALS, ABLS and pass a really expensive test that proves that I can study which gives me the letters CCRN after the RN in my name.  

Point is, I was excited to take this class.  My last transport was pediatric and I wanted to sharpen my skills.  I love learning, I hate sitting.  It's quite a conundrum. Good news, I passed.  100% on my written test I might add. I was stumped on one of the mega codes (what 3 month old has a tension pneumo??) but was happy overall.  I didn't fall asleep either..thank you Starbucks. 

Stars were added to protect the unsuspecting.  That baby on the table, it's not real. It's a practice baby.

After my successful passage of PALS, I worked my way to the gym.  I should have got up early and ran, but I sure like to sleep in.  I don't mind hitting the treadmill on short run days.  It was a 3 mile day.  I run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute, etc.  Each 5 minutes I go a little faster.  Starting at around 9:15 min/miles and end up at 8ish min/miles.  After i finished I did my favorite assisted pull-up machine.  Either I'm weaker or fatter, today was difficult.  My goal is to be able to do pull-ups without assistance.  It's more of a wish, since I'm not working all that hard to accomplish.  Too many goals at once.

When I got home I showered and assumed the position.

Add a little massage with my roller and some biofreeze and it feels really good.

I was looking at my calendar and seeing when my next long run is and I realized that I had run 13 miles this week when I was suppose to only run 12!  Now what?  I'm ahead of the game.  Guess I'll just keep adding and actually have a long run of 16 miles before my next half.  My training is a mix of Jeff Galloway and other stuff I've found online.  I've bought a couple of training plans from Runners World and I just mix them up to work for me.  I'm really buying into the long slow run that takes your body farther then your race distance.  When I'm running my LSR I keep the pace down and I am thrilled and surprised at how far and how great I feel.  

Truth is, running is an ever evolving learning process.

PS.  Yes, I love my new Saucony socks I found at TJMAXX and actually bought 9 pairs of them AND yes, if you look closely I have a bunch of race pictures on my mantel.  Trying to inspire the family!  

Blog on..............

Audrey 3 update

We have fruit!


Our errant magic pumpkin plant is finally growing fruit.  I think it actually slowed down the plant part too.  We have it stringing across the top of our patio now, thinking it would go all the way across and down the other side, but we will see.  


See HERE.

Little big bigger then a baseball.

This is the concerning one.   Just as you walk out the front door - tada!!  

It would make all the sense in the world to cut it down, but why?  Who else has a pumpkin growing from the ceiling on their porch?

This is the view as you walk out the door.  Last night my husband slung a net around it while it was small to prevent any cracks in the stem.  That is a bungie cord that I snapped onto our porch hooks and the vine is growing around it.  I had no idea pumpkin plants were this tenacious.  

I'm really hoping that one day that pumpkin does NOT knock on the door and yell, "FEED ME"!

Blog on.............

Pioneer Day

It's a big day here in Utah.  Truthfully I have always thought it was our states birthday but today I hear it has something to do with the Mormons finding the valley.  I would "google" it, but it just doesn't matter!  As a kid my dad would take me down to the parade site and we would camp overnight in the station wagon to save seats along the route.  One year when he did this, my dog died while we were gone and he told me at dinner.  I tried really hard not to cry.  Great memory eh?


Most of the time though we would just get up early, drive downtown for the pancake breakfast and then walk through the floats really fast as they are getting ready for the parade.   Then we would rush home in time to watch the parade on TV and sleep off all those carbs.  


I forgot it was a holiday until yesterday.  I signed up to work the ICU, but they didn't need me.   My husband has to work, he works from home most of the time, but his office is based out of California. So I took a long nap and snacked on cashews and fruit.  Maybe it was the long run, but I was super tired and slept hard on the couch. I had dreams of birds, cancer, Law & Order and although I wasn't nauseated, I marched through the anti-emetics available IV through my head.  


My Mat Core Connect class didn't get cancelled which I was thrilled about!  It was a great class and I actually felt like I could do the moves with some form.  My core is getting stronger.  Plus when my long legs are doing all these fancy core moves with my lower back on the Bosu - I kinda feel like a dancer.  Well, just kinda.   My hammy's are "insanely tight" says an orthopedic surgeon.  I stretch them out a lot but lets face it.  My genetic pool doesn't reach for the ground too much.  We are always getting things off the high shelf for short people.  (badambum!)


Ice Ice Baby!!!


Yep - every night I ice, massage and bio-freeze my heel.  Today it was feeling pretty darn good for day two after long run.  I'll run a quick 3 miles before my work class tomorrow, so hopefully it will be ready to go.  I'm going to win this battle! 

My dog Zoe keeps looking at me.  I don't know if it's because of the fireworks outside or she thinks I'm a dork.  Probably a dork.  

Quads don't fail me now!

This morning I actually got up at 5am, made coffee and prepared for a long run.  I like to get up in time to have something to eat and a few sips of coffee before I go.  I headed out at 6am while it was still cool but not too hot.  Right away I could tell my quads were still very fatigued.  I stretched them a couple of times but they had a sort of soreness throughout the entire run.  About mile 10  my foot started to ache just a tad but it didn't hurt to the point of affecting my form so I kept on.  I stopped once to pee at a gas station and refill water (guess I'm paranoid I'll pee my pants again) but felt great through most of the run!  The gas station is at about mile 7 and its a perfect time to refill and empty - if needs be.  The route I've been doing my long runs has some ups and downs but at mile 7 I have a nice 1.5 mile incline.  Not too steep but right in the middle of my run. I tried to keep my form sharp and pump my arms more. I also concentrated on a push off/lift.  I don't know how to describe it but when I start getting over 6-7 miles I can start shuffling a little.  If I concentrate on a little push off and pumping my arms I feel less tired and lighter on my feet.  After about mile 8.5 it's mostly downhill.  As you can tell from my lap paces. Of course, starting out slow gives me the energy to run a little faster in the end and never feel completely exhausted.  I ate chomps at mile 4 and 8.  I try to have a nice walk at the end to cool down.  I was pretty darn sore.   My shins and quads feel tight and my feet just ache.  I made it home, immediately made a recovery shake, mixed a NUUN and grabbed my ice for my foot.  I knew once I sat down it would be at least 30 minutes before I stood up.


Before I left I ate a banana and one dark chocolate almond milk carton. 
Delish.

Run 13 miles 10:35 min/miles average


Pace:
Mile 1 - 11:42
Mile 2 - 10:37
Mile 3 - 10:57
Mile 4 - 11:06
Mile 5 - 10:21
Mile 6 - 10:44
Mile 7 - 10:59
Mile 8 - 11:16
Mile 9 - 9:46
Mile 10 - 9:57
Mile 11 - 9:29
Mile 12 - 10:44
Mile 13 - 10:01

On my way out - ohhh.....cloudy.

Ready to go. I have no idea why my chin looks bright red or it looks misty behind me.  Neither one is accurate - but hey - not a lot of people look awesome at 6 am on their way out to run.  I forgot I had my sunglasses on my head until mile 6.  oops.

Legs are done - and my feet are killing!

Ahhhhh....delicious icy NUUN and icy foot.  

Of course I had a 90 minute massage a little while later and then a nap.  What a great day!

Blog on.................

Blog or Life change

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately.  A lot of running blogs.  I am always craving more information and finding people that have the same struggles that I do.  Although there doesn't seem to be many blogs about the challenges of a middle aged woman with kids of legal age, a blossoming career and the struggles of keeping the peri-menopausal body and mind under control.  Plus, I love running.  I love reading all things running.  I also love blogging about my daily life. I can look back and see how things were and what I've learned.  It's the best journal out there.  Once in a while my husband will peruse my posts. Imagine it's like reading my mind at times.  Magic. 

I'd like to re-name the blog.  Let's face it.  It's more about me then my crew.  Although I love my family dearly and they warrant mention on here occasionally, they are a busy crowd.  I can be home for three days straight and see the two kids that live here for a total of an hour each.  I just don't know what to re-name it.  I guess I could call it "middle aged woman in peri-menopausal crisis that runs....and flies".  

I understand that I have mentioned menopause twice, well now three, times in two paragraphs. If you have to ask, you don't understand.  Mother nature is very angry.  No one warns you either.  You just wake up morning after morning thinking, "you've GOT to be kidding me"!!   Don't ever say I didn't warn you.

RUNNING!

I love running.  Around March I got all sassy and thought I could run without my inserts.  I had new shoes and was sure I could do some short treadmill workouts.  I thought it would strengthen my foot.  I was wrong.  I was so wrong.  Welcome back plantar fasciitis!  I missed you (NOT).  I took one year off running and limped for over 2 years fixing my last round with it.  I immediately went to my favorite podiatrist, who was the only one that fixed it.  Not physical therapy or anything else, only the custom inserts and strict instructions to wear only good solid shoes.  (Yeah!  new running shoes!)  My podiatrist, who has very little personality and even less sense of humor, laughed at me!  Yes, laughed!  He readjusted my inserts, giggled again and then told me I know what to do and to do it.  I have written about the shot of cortisone I endured about 3 weeks ago but besides that I have committed to a super serious regime of plantar healing.  Massage, ice, elevation and bio freeze.  Everyday my friends.  Everyday.  So far it's working pretty good.  Nothing wrong with sitting around with your feet elevated.  

On that subject (not really) I bought a new paddle brush from Aveda and I love it, love it, love it.  Sometimes I just brush my hair to brush it.  Plus I get to count and admire my grey hair that needs a touch up.  

Speaking of getting old.   I am blessed to have the red neck (teehee) of a high school student straight out of the back seat covered in hickeys.  Poikiloderma is the name.  My only treatment, because I am cheap, is bleaching cream and lots of sunscreen.  Because of this my face washing steps have quadrupled.  Soap, toner, lotion, sunscreen, bleach cream and occasionally some retinol cream to ninja block some wrinkles.

It's not a rumor, I love Saucony brand running shoes.  I have 5 pairs right now.  That may not seem like a lot BUT I have only been running in them for about 8 months. I was an Asics girl before and even briefly cheated with New Balance and Brooks, but now I've settled down and made a commitment. Yes, yes, it's love.  

I did buy Daniel some shoes.  He has some awful feet!  They are as flat as Fred Flintstones, horrible pronation along with collapsing ankles.  It hurts to watch him walk barefoot.  I've taken him to an orthopedic surgeon twice!  Only thing to do is get sensible shoes.  Daniel is 17.  He hasn't seen a sensible shoe since he was a toddler.  Big skate shoes whose laces are never tied is what he prefers.  Finally, after complaining for the 100th time that his feet hurt and for the 100th time me telling him he has to wear good shoes and inserts he is coming around.  He promised to wear these lovely size 13 Nike's.  Recommended by the running shoe guy and on sale for only 88 bucks.  Daniel better wear them!

Today was a rest day.  Thank god too!!  After speed work on Friday I thought I would survive a Pilates Reformer Jump class.  Holy Hannah did my quads burn.  From about jump 3, they started burning.  Then I told my instructor she was short.  Pain doesn't bring out the best in me.  I made it through but I cancelled a regular Reformer class this morning.  I have a long run (13 miles) tomorrow early AM and I would like to not die.  I am eating cashews and popcorn though...you know, to carb load.  

Blog on............