Each Day Is a Gift

39F cloudy, very light rain.  NEW month, new week, new day!!! :)  Ran to meet Karen and Amanda who only joins us on Mondays.  After Amanda peeled off (she only wants 3), Karen and I picked up the pace a bit.  After stopping outside Karen's house where we visited with Amanda and their neighbor (whom we're trying to talk into joining us in the future), my legs got stiffened up.  So I walked Amanda to her house then ran a mile home at mp.  (10:50, 10:00, 9:55, 9:26, 9:34, 9:18, 9:17)

Signed up for Ogden.  This will be my 8th Ogden, counting the DNF in 2012 where I re-fractured my foot.  I have not had good finishes at Ogden, other than the first year I ran it, and the year it rained and I ran slowly with Lowell, I have always cramped up the last 5K.  Thought may be not adequate recovery from Boston in those years.  But, even last year when I just returned from Australia and back to running, I ran the Half very slowly and still cramped up.  Ogden has not been kind to me!  Hoping this year will be different! :)

Will sign up for West Mountain as a training run (4 weeks out) if I can talk Karen into running it with me! :)

Had PD clinic lab this morning and afterwards had dimsum and checked out the Chinatown market in SLC with hubby. :) 

Didn't run until nearly 2pm.  55F cloudy breezy 6mph SSE.  Wore shorts, l/s top.  Ran on MCT via 810E west to rail trail which was opened.  Ran to south part by the new hospital where it was closed for road construction (mile 4).  Turned around and ran home the same route.  Wanted to do a tempo run.  First mile was very slow to warm up.  Once on the MCT with the wind on my back I was able to get in a good rhtymn.  My watch for some reason, has been showing pace as min.sec./km, instead of  min.sec/mile.  Anyhow I just go by effort (between 5:50-5:30/k).  Slight headwind on the return.

8 miles AP: 9:25. 

Mile 1:  10:52 (slow, sluggish warm up)

Mile 2:  9:49 (still slow)

Mile 3:  9:14

Mile 4:  8:51 (downhill)

Mile 5:  10:05 (uphill)

Mile 6:  9:14 (same route as mile 3 but with headwind)

Mile 7:  8:49 (same as mile 4, a min faster)

Mile 8:  8:36 (same as mile 1 with a bit tailwind)

Went to Family History Center in SLC with hubby in the morning.  Didn't get out for run until nearly 4pm.  54F cloudy calm.  8 slow recovery miles.  AP: 10:38

36F partly cloudy, calm.  Ran with Karen down 3rd West, up Rail Trail, traverse around construction site (mud/dirt frozen) and back on other end of rail trail onto MCT.  We talked about the different education systems (pre-college) in America and my own in HK.  Then we discussed our long runs/races schedule for the next couple months.

Going to the temple this afternoon.  Last 20 miler tomorrow.

Awaken every hour through the night, perhaps fretting over this long run.  Legs are definitely not fresh (with 30 total miles in the last consecutive 4 days).  Out of bed at 6:15am, 41F, cloudy, 5mphSSE.  Wore shorts, compression sleeve, l/s shirt and green Boston jacket that has zip off sleeves, and pockets to hold flask of water and Gu's.  Nearly full bright moon to the west.  Ran 2.25 miles before meeting Karen at her house.  Plan was to run east up to Alpine then south to AF/Highland for a 20 mile loop back to her house then a mile home to make 23 miles!

Beautiful morning, bright full moon to the west, sunrise illuminating the clouds in pink and orange to the east, snowcapped mountains against gorgeous crisp blue sky and bright white fluffy clouds.  We ran up north on Suncrest Dr. then traverse east to Alpine Park where we gu'ed and drank from the everflowing fountain (7+miles).  Then ran south to SR92 and east up to the mouth of AF Canyon.  Happiest surprise of the day was when Toby honked and stopped to talk with us on her way up AF Canyon where she would grab some vertical miles! :)  Just love that girl and so very proud of her! :)

After saying goodbye to Toby we continued on SR92 to the trail head by Canyon Rd.  The golf course trail was abruptly closed for some construction (possibly to bury some pipes).  We climbed up the hill side to find a more accessible spot to cross the construction site without success so we hiked back down and found a lower dirt pile to cross.  All the drinking fountains and bathrooms along the Cedar Hills trails were closed.  We got on the MCT and continue east to the parking lot/bathroom by Canyon Rd.  We gu'ed and drank (mile 15ish).  By now it was getting warm and I could tell I had not kept up with my hydration.  Karen shed her l/s shirt.  I tried taking the jacket off to tie around my waist but the water flask flapping bugged me so I zip the sleeves off and put them in the other pocket of my jacket (now a vest).  That works well especially when the wind started to pick up and my wet shirt didn't chill me!

I started to bonk in the 17th mile.  Now Karen was doing the talking while I listened and tried to ignore the pain on my feet.  We stopped at the bathroom south of Lone Peak HS to drink.  The next 2-3 miles were painful.  It was also getting very windy.  We stopped at Mitch Hollow Park bathroom and when I reached for the sink to get some water I got very light headed and dizzy.  So I put my head down and got my heart rate to settle a bit, gu'ed and drank.  I was so depleted that I had forgotten to restart my watch from the last stop.  After running Karen home (her watch read 20 miles), I ran home (which is almost a mile from her house) to make 23ish miles.  That last mile was a crawling 11:15-12:00 pace with a stiff headwind.  Feet and shins were hurting very bad. 

Got in the house and could not find any recovery drink so I mixed a pack of instant breakfast with milk and gulped that down in seconds.  I was so dehydrated I think I drank less than 18oz of water and 3 Gu.  For breakfast I had 6 oz OJ and a yogurt.  This 23 miler zapped me like a marathon except I had lots of stops; and my left foot arch and shin and heel are killing me!  So glad for a 3 weeks taper and hopefully I will recover.  No fun getting old and slow!

41 breezy partly sunny.  Feet/heels and shins still don't feel right so wear the Inspire (wonder if last weeks 53 miles all in the Altra Torin was what did me in).  Karen and Amanda ran to get me.  I could barely keep up.  AP: 10:28. 

Stretch and foam roll.

36 F sunny, very breezy.  Ran with Karen east to MCT.  I told Karen to do some half mile repeats for her speedwork today.  After 2 miles warm up, she'd run 0.5 mile fast then turn and run back to me for .25 mi recovery and repeat 4Xs.  The first 3 was all with headwind.  The last repeat was at the turn around at 1500W bathroom with a tailwind.  She did awesome.  Her first mile split was 8:17 and progressively faster.  2 miles cool down to her home.  It was fun to watch her run fast even though I cannot run anything near sub-9 these days if my life depends on it, sigh!  I ran another mile home, 8 miles AP: 9:42. 

It's been couple years since I've done any core stability stuff so here's babystep!

Did 3 circuits of the following core ST:

Abdominal crunch 20 reps

Leg pushaway 20 reps

Push up  20 reps

Standing knee hold 12 reps

Back extension (superman) 12 reps

Side and front planks 3 reps of 10 sec.

Myrtle:

Clamshells 8 reps

Lateral leg raises 15 reps

Donkey kicks 8 reps

Donkey whips 8 reps

Fire hydrant 8 reps

Knee circle forward 5 reps

Knee circle backward 5 reps

Hurdle trail leg forward 5 reps

Hurdle trail leg backward 5 reps

Lateral leg swing 5 reps

Linear leg swing 10 reps

Linear leg swing knee bent 10 reps

Stretch and foam roll

34F (feels like 30) sunny blue sky.  Wendy is back from TX, yay!  Karen, Wendy and I ran conversational miles.  My heels and legs are bugging, so I was extra sluggish.  I just feel like a tired old lady mentally and physically.  So grateful for dear friends getting me out the door every morning.  AP: 10:22. 

My feet/heels are still bugging.  Wendy and I walked to meet Karen but totally missed her so we walked home. 

Myrtle.

3 circuits of Pfitz. core ST.

Hubby and I walked all over the RV outdoor show all afternoon and evening.  My feet were killing!

Decided to not run med. long with Karen this morning since I went to bed real late last night and feet were still bugging.  I think I have PF. 

Went to RV outdoor show again.  Then we went to Market Street Grill for Valentine's dinner.

Wendy was so kind to run slow with me this morning.  We ran east on MCT.  Around the mile 4 drinking fountain/pavillion, we saw a gal ducking/hiding on the slope side of the trail.  When I asked if she was OK.  She replied in a hush tone pointing to a boquet of roses and some padels lying on the trail: "There's going to be a proposal."  Ah! We saw a couple running towards us in the distant; so we stood and stretched at the table/pavillion close to the boquet and waited in anticipation.  It was so sweet to watch the happy surprised look on the girl's face as her running partner picked up the boquet and knelt down to propose to her.  A group of walkers and runners also turned to look and we all clapped and cheered!  :) :) :)  The gal came out from hiding and started to take pictures.  She had also decorated the bridge over the tunnel with balloons and valentines and a sign with the couples' names!  Love is definitely in the air as we saw many couples, young and old, walking hand in hand on the trail. 

Feet/heels felt okay going slow and wearing the Inspire.  I think last week's 53 miles all in Altra was not a smart thing.

Went to RV outdoor show again with hubby.  Saw MarkO and his wife Christi at the expo.  It's been a LONG time since we've seen each other.  It was SO good to see them and catch up a bit.

Feet felt a bit better so I thought I'd wear the Altra Torin.  Ran to Karen's to meet her and her 12 yo daughter, Grace and her friend Keylee, and Amanda.  We missed each other as they ran to my house and I ran to Karen's, we passed on different streets.  I turned back towards home and met them halfway from my street.  Six of us ran up on the MCT and when the girls reached 3 miles they headed home while Amanda, Karen and I continued on for a bit more.  It was very windy going north and I nearly went in an asthma attack. 

Myrtle 10 reps.

4 circuits of Pfitzinger's core ST.

By evening my feet, heels and ankles (particularly the left) were really bugging.  Iced and massaged out the plantafacia. 
 

27F sunny slight breeze.  Ran with Karen and Wendy west on MCT.  After a brief stop at the 1500W bathroom for drink, I told Karen to do couple of hill repeats on the hill west to the freeway while Wendy and I jogged up the hill slowly.  Karen ran up the hill powerfully then back down and up again and caught us.  She did awesome! :)

After I got home, had breakfast and showered, walked 2 miles with hubby in the old Altra (that was a mistake, the shoes not hubby).   Feet/heels/ankles were hurting bad.  Iced and massaged, took 2 ibupofen after we got home.  Stinks to have PF this close to marathon! :(
 

No running today.  Feet still bugs.  Hubby's check up with cardiologist, Dr. Miner today.  His blood pressure has been low (barely 100/70s) so dr. dropped all but one blood pressure meds, Metropolo XL, a beta-blocker to prevent heart failure.  His b/p used to be 160s/80s (as high as 180s/90s) and was on 4 different b/p meds.  So this is good improvement.  Will probably need to have a stress test and echocardiogram as part of transplant screening.

Happy Chinese New Year of the Lamb.

No running today.  Dr. visit with nephrologist at PD clinic.  Hubby's lab work from two weeks ago came back within range (renal pt. has a specific goal range, which are not the same as the general population).  So we are happy that his peritoneal dialysis is doing its job giving him 15% of renal function.  He is feeling so much better now compare to a few months ago. 

37F (feels like 30F), cloudy with intermitten rain, windy.  Karen ran 4 miles before meeting me for her 12 miler.  We ran east on MCT.  Turned around west into a fierce headwind and rain.  Glad I wore a jacket and gloves, not so for Karen whose hands were frozen.  I had to walk all the uphills when my breathing became labored (darn asthma). 

Stretch and ice my feet rolling on frozen water bottles. 
 

37F partly cloudy.  I was running on the sidewalk about 0.25 mile into the run, I encountered a mutt which started barking so I ran into the road out of his way.  But he started coming after me and nibbed at my heels so I turned to fend him off.  In an attempt to kick him as I turned, I fell and busted my left knee and right elbow.  Should've stayed home cause the run was super slow (AP: 11:23) with sore knee and achy PF. 

Walked a mile with hubby.  He jogged between telephone poles 4 times.  So proud of him.  Stretch and rolled on ice bottle.   Left foot really hurts.  I seriously don't know if I can run the marathon a week from today...sigh! :(

Feet still hurt.  No running. 
 

Slow jog on the TM for 4 miles.  Feet were ok during the jog, but hurt afterward and really kills by end of the day. :(

Karen brought over a boot that keeps my foot flexed while sleeping.  I also rolled on ice bottles and massaged the heck out of the feet.  Really worry about what to do on Sat.
 

Flew into Houston around 11am.  Temp was same as in Utah 38F but felt colder with the humidity.  Larissa had me roll my feet on this little green ball that has bumps on it called "Rubz".  Aaaah! Hurt so GOOD!!! :)  We spent the day going to various grandkids' activities:  Lex's school music program and cub scout pack meeting.  We decided not to go to Jade's track meet which is 30 min drive and finishes at 10pm cause we didn't want to sit in the freezing cold.  We did go pick her up at her school after the meet was over. 

Larissa's friend/neighbor, Beth, let me borrow her "foot flex boot" to sleep with at night that helps keep the calf/achilles flexed/stretched.  We also foam rolled, stretched and Rubzed a lot while preparing for dinner.  So proud of Larissa's doing a good job with hydration and carb intake.  We tried to go to bed early but not with her kids' activities.  She and Brandon faithfully have family scriptures reading every night! :)
 

After the grandkids were off to school (baby Jett stayed home cause Brandon has the day off), Larissa and I went out for a test run.  We ran a mile then back in the house to change to another pair of shoes to help decide what to wear for tomorrow's marathon.  I decided to wear long sleeve shirt and capri with compression sleeve.  Larissa has a flip belt for me to hold my phone, gels and inhaler. 

I KT-taped my feet for the PFs.  Beth came over and the three of us went to the Expo.  I was impressed with how nicely organzied the Expo is.  It is about half the size of the St. George Expo but with variety of running pertinent offerings.  The Expo was two days long and they had symposiums/clinics going on both days.  I bought some bondiheadbands, a pair of socks, Gus and got some freebies (cliff bars, coconut water, hat, etc.)  I love that the Expo is inside the Marriott Hotel's cushy carpet floor.

Then we went to the mall for lunch.  I had baked potato and grilled chicken snack wraps at Wendy's.  Then we went shopping at Athleta.  Larissa bought me a running tank top.  :)  The running skirts, capris, and tops look so much cuter on her than me! :)

We went to Luke's post football celebration pizza party.  Larissa and I didn't dare eat the food there so she cooked us spaghetti for dinner.  After getting our race gear ready and stewed over which pair of shoes to wear, we finally retired to bed around 11pm. with the alarm set to wake up at 4am. 
 

LOVED loved loved this race and the whole weekend spending time with my daughter and her husband and grandkids!  I ran the entire 26.37 miles with a smile on my face!  My heart was filled with joy and gratitude!  I am so proud of my daughter, Larissa, running her very first marathon with an awesome time of 3:53.  She has trained hard and smart; getting up super early as a mother of 4 children and working part time. :) :) :) :) :)

Took a Tylenol PM last night and got about 4 hours sleep.  Ate a banana with an Aleeve upon waking at 4am.  Larissa's friend, Beth, picked us up at 5am.  It was raining lightly in Kingwood.  The five of us (Beth and Betty running the Half, Whitney, Larissa and I running the Full) got to the start in the Woodlands with an hour to spare.   My plan was if my feet hurt after sitting in the car (like they've been doing the last few weeks), I would switch to the Half and run with Beth (and pace her to her goal of 2:15).  Don't know if it was the excitement or adrenalin or cold temp (38F that feels like 32), there was zero pain in my feet when I got out of the car.  So I decided to stick with the Full. 

The staging of the Start (also the Finish) is amazingly organized in a beautiful park in the middle of a cosmopotitan township with the Marriott Hotel and Mall close by.  We parked right by the path leading into the Park and found a row of portapotties with no lines.  Met up with some of Larissa's friends and took pictures.  Then we shed our jackets and drop off our gear bags and went for a second trip to the PoP.  By now the lines were long so we headed over to the starting corrals knowing there would be more PoPs.  We thought we'd cut diagonally across the park to the start but quickly found out they had everyone staying on the path/sidewalk and walking clockwise around the block to the corrals.  By the time we reached corral A where Larissa was seeded, there was no time for her to use the PoP.  So I wished her luck and I went to the PoP before entering my corral B.  Corral A closed at 6:40 and B closed at 7:00.  

I got in the very back of the corral and visited with a first-timer, Matt.  His wife and 3 month old baby were standing on the other side of the barricade.  We chatted as I did some simple leg swings to warm up.  I gave my space-blanket and hand sanitizer to his wife.  Soon, the National Anthem was played and the race started.  I hung in the very back with the wounded and injuried, the Maniacs and First-timers, the partyers, geezers and geezerettes! :) :) :)  Saw a girl with a sign on her back that read: "I have rheumatoid arthritis.  This is a BIG step for me."  I ran up to her and started to talk with her.  Her name is Vanessa from Porta Rico.  I recalled the scripture passage that Larissa received from her friend, Allie, the day before and repeated it to Vanessa:  "I have fought a good fight.  I have finished the course.  I have kept the faith."  I told her to have faith that God will be with her every step of the way.  I encouraged her to catch up to the 6:00 pace group gradually.   It took about half a mile to cath up to the 6:00 pace group.  I could tell her breathing became a bit labored.  I gave her a hug and we bid each other good luck and I left her with Maria who was speaking Spanish to us.

In the next mile or so I passed the 5:45, 5:30, 5:15, 5:00 and 4:45 pace groups.  It was cold enough that my feet were numb.  Finally warmed up by mile 3 so I tossed the fleece jacket Larissa gave me on the mile 3 marker but kept the gloves (which I was glad as the temp got colder later on with wind and rain).  Around mile 5 I came upon a Veteran, a one leg emputee, on wheelchair and a flag and sign that read: "This is in honor of our veterans!"  I took his picture from behind and front and jogged alongside him and chatted a bit.  I just loved the Texans' warm and kind hospitality. :)

The aid stations were spaced every 1.5 mile apart.  I walked and took sips of gatorade at every aid station.  I Gu'ed around mile 7, 12, 17, 21.  The course was one big loop on concrete road that is lined with trees around the fairly new developed neighborhoods.  There was very little traffic with cops at every intersection and entrances of every neighborhood/village.  Course is flat with some gentle rollers in the middle miles.  Absolutely love the many funny signs and cheering fans along the course.  Some of the fans would reappear every 5Ks.  :) :) :)  This race has all the amenities of big city race but with hometown feel.  I had to stop three times to readjust my shoelaces around mile 8 when the 4:45 pace group passed by.  I decided to just hang with them. 

The 4:45 pace leader was 49 yo Jonathan, shirtless, wearing a gold chain, shorts and green compression socks.  There were about 10-15 runners in the group during the early miles.  By the half point, the group twindled down to about 6: couple of ladies wearing identical downfeather vests, a large fella wearing grey sweat shirts and pants and perspiring profusely, a medium built fella with a "Kona" green short sleeve top over white long sleeve shirt and an assortments of overly dressed (to me) runners.  They all seemed to know each other from having done training runs together at a local running club.  Safe to say that I was probably the oldest gal and only Utahn in the group.

From the Half on, Jonathan would stop to use the PoP at every aid station and caught back up to us about half mile later.  I finally asked him what the pace was for 4:45.  He said something about 10:53.  My watch was pretty much stucked at 6:42 per kilometer.  There was a hairpin turn at around mile 15.  Jonathan would cheer on the runners from the opposite side but he hardly gave us any words of encouragement or funny stories.  There was a bit of headwind so I ran back and ducked behind Kona guy.  He didn't mind and humored me with something about his emitting odor! 

I was having a lot of fun, with no pain or aches to speak of.  I high-fived all the little kids, told a few running jokes.  Jonathan eventually designated me to be his co-pacer when he had to dash off to the PoPs at every aid station.  He simply told the group to keep going and stay with "Ms Pocatello" as I was wearing a bright green Pocatello Marathon shirt.  The mile 19 aid staion was staffed by a group of missionaries from the Houston Mission.  So of course, I had to run back to chat with them and took pictures with the sister missionaries.  That was a nice rest and then I sped back up to catch the group and told them all about Mormon missionaries! :)

Around mile 24, my shins started to get wormlike cramps which was more annoying than pain.  By now there were only about 3 or 4 runners still hanging on.  I decided to skip the last aid station and picked up the pace a bit for a faster finish passing many walkers and dawdlers!  After crossing an overpass/bridge, the last stretch had a few turns around some shops then onto stoney pathway alongside a beautiful waterway.  When I finally saw the finish arch, I kicked it up, and crossed the finish with a huge smile on my face as the clock ticked 4:45:1... (I felt I was successful in my first non-official pacing duty).  My official chip time is 4:43:31, ran the first half in 2:22:29 and second half in 2:21:02. 

Larissa and Beth watched me run in.  They both did awesome! :) :)  My grandkids and their dad were enjoying the finish line festives.  I was impressed with how much food they gave away. I loaded up platefuls of Chic-fil-A sandwitches, chicken fingers with yummy sauce, breakfast burritos of eggs n cheese and bacon n eggs, packages of mini-muffins, mandarin oranges, banana, apples, bottles of chocolate milk and yogurt smoothies...gotta feed my hungry grandkids who were playing in those huge inflated playground and jumphouse!  I even got a 10 min massage, a first ever in all the races I've done!  Marathon #54 in the book, 6 more to go! :) :) :)  So grateful to be able to finish this one with no issues!