It's been a bit of a lonely week. I ran/cross-trained alone each day because Danna has been nursing an injury and under doctor's orders not to run on certain days. (And she took Suzy with her to the elliptical machine so I didn't have her either.) She went back to Dr. Toronto (Sports Medicine), who is awesome by the way. He diagnosed her with "periostisis" (a bad shin injury!) and told her she was wearing the wrong shoes. What is amazing to me is that Dr. Toronto first of all agreed to skip his lunch to see her, and even read every page of her running log word for word!!! 
We made a crazy trip to Salt Lake Running Company to get her some new ones. I got a new running belt which doesn't leak! It's fabulous. The SLRC is a great place to buy shoes, fyi. They do this whole assessment on you, and also give great running advice. All the employees are pretty much famous runners (the guy that helped me plans to break the St. George Marathon record this time, and the one who helped Danna was recruited from out of state to coach the runners at Westminister!).
I went running Thursday night at about 9 pm and it was still pretty hot! I did 4 miles on the High School track. This seems to be becoming a Thursday night tradition. After our Wednesday morning runs (this week it was 7 miles! Before work!) I am wiped, and can't drag my bum out of bed the next morning. It's amazing how the little things provide a distraction on a tough run. For example:
Laps 1 & 2: The wind started blowing hard and the track sprinkler system turned on and I got a little annoyed, and became a little cold...
Laps 3 & 4: The sprinklers started feeling good!
Laps 5 & 6: The sprinklers became necessary and I missed them when I ran on the other end of the track.
Laps 7 & 8: The sprinklers turned off! Aaa! I turned up my ipod and was glad the wind was still blowing at least.
Laps 9 & 10: A new set of sprinklers were turned on, and I veered to the edge of the track on every lap to get misted. :)
Laps 11 & 12: I began counting and re-counting the laps I had done and would have to do, thinking I must have counted wrong and constantly wondering if I was really on lap 13...I wasn't.
Laps 13 & 14: I started wondering if the track wasn't really 1/2 mile in circumference, and if I had really run 8 miles. Wishful thinking. I planned all the things I was going to write in this blog entry. Yes, my faithful readers- I was thinking of you. (Actually, I think a lot about what I'll blog whenever I'm running. I have some clever/genius ideas, but then when I actually go to blog, I draw a blank!
Laps 15 & 16: I kicked the speed up a notch and knocked 2 minutes off my mile! And then I ran through the sprinklers! So refreshing. Here I am after the run:
But for me, the loneliest thing of all is always the dreaded cross training. We are supposed to do cross training once a week, for at least 45 minutes. No one knows more than Matt how much I hate it. I whine and whine and put it off. I don't have a lot of great options. We've got the LAME equipment in our condo's clubhouse. The only usable option is the stationary bike with only one (easy) setting. Note that it is VERY hot in this room with no A/C. I could go for a walk I guess, or a bike ride, but they seem too easy and I feel I am not really cross training (and my bike has problems). I don't like the pool, so that's out.Here are some pix of me leaving for, or coming back from a cross training session:
See how unhappy I look about the whole X training thing? Even though I'm done! (But look how much skinnier my legs are getting!! Sweet!)
After this photo was taken, I wouldn't actually leave. This is when Matt pushed me out the door- for reals. I think he even locked it. I thanked him later. Much later.
I decided to do "walking" for my XT, so I walked to Danna's (not a long walk!!), and she indulged my laziness. We drank raspberry lemonade, and swung on the hammock while we talked to Adam. Then I walked home. What a workout!
And we did a lot of laughing. Here we are discussing the chihuahua that tried to bite me.
I make funny joke!
For yesterday's long/adventure run, Danna and Suzie agreed to drive up and join me in Park City. I scoped out a trail called "The Rail Trail," which was a toughie! It was a gradual downhill slope for the first 5 miles, and uphill for the last 5! I was struggling, I tell you. I was so glad to be done, and poor Suzy had to run an extra 6 miles without us, so as usual, Danna and I iced and stretched and chatted.
Friends, Danna needs your prayers. Her shin injury is really a concern and she may have to modify her training a lot to be able to run the race. Will you pray for her to heal from her injury and to be able to run without problems? (As a side note, maybe you should also pray for her not to be a reckless rebel and run too much despite the pain, and despite my yelling at her about it!)
Well, there are a few people/objects that I need to thank this week for helping me get through the training. First of all, the Backstreet Boys and their Black and Blue album. Thanks for singing me through those tough miles, Boys! Natasha Bedingfield and her inspiring songs, Jeff and Hal- my coaches, Matt, my hubs, for literally pushing me out the door or forcing me to go to bed on several occasions! Danna, for always providing a cooler full of ice, a bag of towels and wet wipes, and a darn good time (that "darn good time" part goes for Suzy too!), and my cute student for starting the first therapy session without me on Wednesday mornings, and for every person on the Parkway who says, "Go girl!" or "Have a good run," or even the traditional, "Morning!" It's really amazing how much it helps. (By the way, I realized the habit of lifting a few fingers in a wave, and saying "Morning," has become so automatic for me I can't even stop myself. While running around the track, I realized I kept doing it to the same people lap after lap. I think they felt awkward after the second time, and frankly so did I.)
More pix from the aftermath of last week's long run:
This is my Smoked Salmon Benedict. Yum!!
I'm really excited to eat it. I'm also excited to be so sweaty and salty in a public place.
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