Fuel SMART,Train HARD, Run FAST.

6am: 6 miles on the blvd. My left toe has been bothering me. I think I have a bunion acting up. Aren't those exclusively just for old ladies? Kinda like gout for old men? Don't be offended if you feel old or have any of these conditions- but if you find yourself in this category then you are likely either old or decrepit. I'm finding symptoms of both today.

Last week I experimented running in my neutral shoes and I think it messed with me since I didn't ease into them more. I'll take Tuesday off and see what Wednesday brings. Nothing serious yet. I have a follow up appointment with the running clinic from last month. More info on how bad my form is to come. 

AM: Early run on the TM this morning that turned into 2.5 miles. I couldn't stop thinking of everything I had to do to get ready for our vacation this weekend. I should have left the house.

PM: Running appointment. Ran another mile on the TM. It turns out I have made a lot of improvement and have increased my flexibility and strength over the last month since my last visit. She watched me run for a few minutes (incorporating my new moves:) and told me I was looking near my ideal place. The only problem is that I was really trying hard for those few minutes. It is much harder to run that concentrated for any other run. It just takes a lot of practice. Hips tucked in and up, abs tights, shoulders back with arms and 90 degrees, slight lean forward, knees moving straight ahead of me, oh and watch those arms from swinging to far from the body! It's exhausting and maybe a bit overkill. Whatever. If it means I be less injury prone then  add 10 more concentrations. I'm grateful for her help and the opportunity to get evaluated anyway. I just keep thinking- it's so much easier to run chaotic natural.

Lame attempt to do a speed workout. I've been sick with. small cold this week buy it apparently had left me with no energy.

Plan A - 4x1 mile at 6:00 with equal rest.

That plan changed after I woke up to do 1 mile less. Then that plan chenged after my warmup to....

Plan B- 400,800,1600, 1600, 800, 400. That plan changed after finishing the first 800 with labored breathing and no energy. So today's workout...

Plan C - 400, 800 with warm up ad down. Core work.

PM- 2 hours of tennis. I'm getting worse despite my new tennis skirt.

House cleaning. That counts for something, both for and AM and PM workout. Nothing like having my mother in law stay for the week to remind me that I normally live like a pig. Crumbs everywhere. She's the best! She took off work for an entire week to watch our kids while we sit under the Hawaiian sun. Aloha!

5 miles walking and running.

Hakuna matata! Beautiful run this morning along the beach near volcanos. Ran up north to check out the island to a barricade blocking passage to a volcano. Watched the privilidged ride up on helicopters for tours. Ah, so cool.

Picked up the last two miles in 6:28 and 6:20. 7:15 AP for 8 miles total. Lots of walking and "Romancing the Volcano Lulau" tonight!

Sports Day! No meetings for Steve today so we took full advantage of the day.

We had breakfest on the beach with cats everywhere. Then I went to the bathroom and found a baby lizzard. Steve keeps teasing me that all the pics I have taken so far have been of animals that no one cares about:) lol! True, I went back through the pics and I have two lizzards, 8 cats, 2 squirrel types, a rooster and a chicken, a turtle, crabs, fish, and one of Steve. Ha!

Early jog around the village with a few stop and walk breaks then drove into Kona and saw all the triathletes training for the Ironman this weekend. 7.5 miles total. We also saw a prostitute offer samples of her services to several men while eating lunch. Very appetizing.

PM: Snorkeling on the beach and chasing waves intertwined with the triathletes who were training. I can't imagine competing in that water. I might have been the only tourist to think that was cool while the others might have felt they were in the way. Lots of huts with gear set up. Do you think Its ok to wear an Ironman shirt without competing in one? I wonder how hard it is to qualify compared with running in the USA's...I think that's what its called.

Easy 8 around the island, some walking breaks for sightseeing in there.

Day filled with walking and snorkeling. Great time!

Easy run and fun hike to a private black sand beach today. I'll have to add pictures later.

Is the 6 around the island.

Traveling day with 3 layovers and a red eye flight. I am a zombie.

I spent a lot of wasted hours at the gym this morning do not being able to sleep sleep. It turns out I'm still on Hawaii time, 4 hours earlier.

AM: 20 minutes on the elliptical, 20 minutes on the recumbent bike and a 5k at half marathon pace. Followed by lots of stretching, sitting, and watching TV while everyone else work hard around me.

PM: Met up with Allie to go over the course for the haunted half on Saturday. it seems like it's going to be mostly downhill, but there are several miles that are certainly up. It makes me nervous pacing the 130 group now. If anyone would like to come help pace, or meet me on any part of the course to make sure I'm doing okay, you would be a saint. I'm sure I'm overthinking it. 5 miles at 7:35 AP Downhill and I was breathing harder then I should have. What?

The best part was when I went over to Allie's after the run, she offered me Gatorade. since I didn't want that much, I asked for a cup to drink it in. She proceeds to look through several cupboard in the kitchen while climbing on top of cupboards to retrieve some brand new cups (still wraped) likely from her wedding. Meanwhile, I see a bunch of "cups" in her cupboard and tell her one of those would be fine. "Oh you mean a mug?" apparently in the Moore household, mugs and cups are completely different. I learned a lot that night. She has a darling house and a stores worth of brand new running shoes to go with it. I've never seen anything like it before.

I drank Gatorade in a mug.

First night of real sleep in a week. I've been averaging 4-5 a night from jet lag I suppose. It also doesn't help that I have been anxious about this race on Saturday.I just don't want to disapoint any of the other runners. I really, really wish it was ALL downhill. Those middle 2  hill miles are making me crazy, AHH! Anyway, I did a confidence boost workout today. Nothing special or fast by any means, but a reminder I can run at goal pace for Saturday.

1 mile warm up then a 5k. Spilts at 6:49 with 1% incline (1:30ish pace), 6:15  with 0 incline(PR hm pace), then eased back to a 6:45. I set up the split time deliberatly to make the last mile not feel too hard compared to the others. I felt fine, esecially knowing I will be going down hill. One thing that topped it off today was when I realized that I have not ran 13 miles since Hobble Creek, if my memory is correct. I don't even dare check. Oh boy. Bring on the down hill!

I signed up for Ogden Marathon lottery yesterday and the Just Cuz Half on November 3rd. Good to have something to look forward to.

60 mins of cross training at the gym. 4x 200 pick ups at pace. Feeling good. Lots of stretching too.

I'm writing this with my phone, so ignore the auto text. Oh, and the grammar police should take the day off, Burt.

Okay, my time is either 1:29:48, 1:31:01, or 1:31:48. I'm so confused! Here's what happened.

Today I was the 1:30 pacer for The Haunted Half. I was so nervous going into this race since lacking quality workouts. I knew I could do it, but I wanted to have fun and talk to others. I kept picturing all of the things I would say and how we would gut it out together in this epic group of people about to PR! Well, that was a delusion.

We line up to the start and I raise my sign. Everyone looks at me and walks away. I look at all the other pacers who already have groups forming around them..and they're already laughing and giving tips! I raise my sign higher. Surely no one can see it. I start soliciting to those around me and accusing them of running my pace, "Soooo, you're running 1:30?" They responded with either glares, frightened looks or looks of dismay and then preceded to moved ahead or behind me. Then I get excited! A youngish Guy in his 20's, along with his buddy approach me. I stand up a little taller and try to look seasoned and fast:) He asks, "Are you really going to try and run 1:30?" I respond (beyond excited, lol!) " YES! Are you guys going to join me?" They both laugh and he says, "okay, good luck with that." Off they go. Oh brother, I was in Jr. High again, doubting myself. Then someone asks if I'm a Pacer for my costume (even though I am clearly a cat with ears, whiskers and all.) After explaining that sime if us were pacers, for some reason, I dont think she believed it. Well, its go time!

The gun goes off as the headless horseman throws a pumkin right in front of us. I thought that was a strange place to throw it. Oh well, no one slip or trip.

Miles 1-3 (6:23, 6:42, 6:39) I was grateful for Andy who gave us all pace bands. I planned to follow it with a little bit of time banked for the end so I could guarantee exact timing. A kid ran up to me in the first mile and spoke of his plans to stick with me. I notice his breathing is pretty labored already as he tells me that he never trains for these races. In fact, the last half he did, he stayed with the 1:30 pacer till mile 8 when he hyperextended his leg. I stop to tie my shoe at 1.5 into the race. He stops to wait with me. I urge him to go on and he does. I catch back up quickly and he starts walking. I never saw him again.

Miles 4-6 (6:36, 6:37, 6:41) I'm feeling very relaxed and it actually feels effortless. I'm shocked. Alone, with a girl and a guy about 300 meters ahead. She's in second. 10k at 40:58. 24 seconds in the bank already. Just where I wanted to be for the next section of hill work.

7-10 (6:59, 7:38, 7:23) Three miles of hills. I was so glad I wansn't racing because my breathing was starting to go south. It was good no one was around because I wouldn't make any sense. I see my family cheering and my husband asks if I'm "on." I give him the thumbs up cause I've now got 51 seconds in the bank. I pass the second place girl and encourage her to go with me. I lie and tell her the hills are almost done. She leapfrogs with me and eventually falls back. Now I'm in second and the first girl is 10 seconds ahead. I want to pass her but hold back. I eventually draw her into me by mile 10. And she's a man. First girl isn't in sight. But second slips away to a girl speeding past.

12-13.1 (6:35, 6:50, 1:55) Okay, this is where it gets interesting. At mile 12 you turn into Memory Grove. I missed the turn was chased down. I added another. 10 to my distance. It's okay because it's time to put on the breaks and get my exact time. I creep up to the finish and see 1:27 on the clock. What!? My watch says 1:28:34. I turn around and try to draw other runners in. A few guys come in. I don't want to finish early because I know I'm in third and that just isn't fair. I start running in slow motion and performing leprechaun kicks to show off and waste time. I see no girls in sight so I decide to cross inbetween clocks. "official clock" read 1:29:48 and mine read 1:31:01. Surely somewhere in there I have hit my goal time.

I walk up to the timing guy and tell him there is about a 2 min discrepancy (or less? He tells me their timing is off anyway. So I'm not sure what that means.

Results come out and I get a trophy for third overall, with a time of 1:31:48! Figure that one, I can't. Guess I shouldn't have started 3 seconds back from the start.:) Sorry Walter. Hopefully Ill get it right next time.

I had a great time. It felt controlled like a tempo, just what I wanted today! Thanks for your support this last week while I acted like a DQ, that's short for drama queen around here. She's been here before.

Sore left toe from some bunion issues. I have a half on the 3rd so went to the Podiatrist to get a sketch of the future. Surgery someday but for today a cortizone shot right through the joint. The Doc pulled on my toe to open up the joint to inject the steroid. Brcause of pressure built up from inflamation, the medicine sucked right back into the syringe twice. Ouch! I tried to act really cool so I only cringed when he turned his head to talk to the Med student in the room. Not a big deal. Cross training for a few days till it settles down. I took a good painkiller before bed because I'm a baby:)

Elliptical for a hour. Five miles total with planks and PT stretches for 30 mins. Three mins of planks killed me.

90 mins at gym. 5.5 on elliptical. 15x30 hard with 30 sec slow alternating on level 10. Stretching and planks afterwards.

I bought new shoes yesterday Nike Zoom something or other. They feel like boats. I got a Half size larger in wide to accomidate the bunion. They look like a joke but feel like a dream. Huh, never thought I'd buy Nike again.

90 mins of cross training, elliptical, arch glider, stetching and abs.

6 in the Boulevard with the girls. first run in a week and my breathing was labored. Still planning to run Just Cuz Half this Saturday.

8 miles down Main. I decided running in the dark without my watch is fun. You always feel fast in the dark, and nothing will tell you different:)

Happy Halloween!

We like Halloween around here. I prep all year for the trick or treaters. I collect junk and toys throughout the year from the kids, then we place toys mixed with treats in a large box on the porch while we are out. The box is usually almost empty from either lots of kids, or one punk kid. We aren't known for much, but we are known as the house with toys on Halloween! Collecting DI and McDonald's quality toys is a child's dream and a parents nightmare. I feel sorry for the parents, whose child took the large stuffed animal to haul around. Yes, we also had weapons and other annoying noise makers that didn't make the cut here in the Summers home.

This is the one time of year I turn into a Nazi on Halloween night. I'm not talking about my costume, but rather my mentality. We start around 5:30 and go till 8:30. If you cry or pout, you are left behind. We run house to house. If you can't keep up, you miss out.

Everyone has assignments; "The Ringer" (Unrelentless ringing and knocking), "The Guardian" (cars, lights), "The Judge"( when to give up and when to keep ringing the bell), "The Compass", and the "Candyman" for inspection. Everyone wants to be the "Candyman" and no one wants to be the "Guardian." By the end of the night when everyone gets tired, Steve and I naturally assume all the assignments anyway. Steve never takes it very serious, he stops and talks to every one. Sometimes he slows us down but we let him come anyway:)

When we get home, we sort through the candy and the kids sell part of it to me. from there I either eat it, donate it, or throw it out. Halloween Is the best!

Three hours of walking and running- some would call that three hours of interval work!