Keep Calm and Run On

So. Furious. I met with the BYU girls to run today. We met on the east side of Jordanelle and ran along a trail there. It was a rolling hill, rocky trail and I wasn't too happy about it because I had already done 2 trail runs and my chest was really congested. Anywho, it was awesome to run with the girls and catch up on life. 4.75 miles in, I rolled my ankle realllll good. It hurt so bad immediately and it was swollen and fat right away. I told them to go on (I was turning soon anyways) and it hurt so bad! I did a few circles with it trying to keep it from stiffening up and knew it would be a long journey back to the cars. I started running so I wouldn't have to walk for 2 hours. I was limping along, slow, climbing stupid hills and so furious. This was supposed to be my turning point week, great mileage, good workouts and knees and hips feeling better. And then I sprain my ankle. After hobbling along for 3.75, I walked the last mile (it was all uphill and my ankle was really hurting by then) I got back, took off my shoe and it was sooo swollen and hurt. I think it's worse than last fall's sprain and the same ankle. I spent the day on the couch, with ice and keeping it elevated. I used crutches to get around and took ibuprofen to help. It is quite huge. Another adventure in the books I guess. 

PS also annoyed that I am a mile short for the week. But I had let that go during my last 17 minute walk mile. 

Met at Sugarhouse Park and Bill taped my ankle really well. I started jogging a road lap and it was hard. I was limping pretty bad and my ankle killed. By the end of the lap I was running better and went ahead and ran cemetery run. I only did 6 more and decided that was enough. I have kept it elevated, icing alot and wrapped at night. It it still really swollen. My cold is getting worse. 

Today was hard. We met at Cottonwood Complex. I did 4 miles before to get my ankle moving and warmed up- it is still swollen and tender. We did usual warm up then strides. Running on the grass was awful for my ankle as I don't have any stability with it so I stayed and did laps around the softball diamonds until they did a cool down. I was really congested today and my lungs super inflamed and hurting. 

Did a second run and lungs were bad. 

AM we met at Sunnyside and did Shriners. My cold was really bad today- cough especially and still lungs inflamed and hurting. I went the short way out and coughed the entired time. The way back was a little better and I added on to hit 9.

PM Second run with Bill. I almost puked from coughing so hard but made it through. 

Today was the bike and run at Jeremy Ranch. I just ran 5 out and back. I felt okay the way out- lungs still hurt and coughing but an improvement from yesterday. But was tired the way back. My right quad was really tight and tired and just body tired. 

Today happened to be the day of Puke hill trail run. It was wet and rainy but still beautiful. I wish I wouldn've been able to run better. I half rolled my ankle again 2 miles in and it hurt the rest of the time. I was half limping, running careful not to do it again and the downhill the last 1.5 about killed my knees and ankle. It sucked. 

After a long crappy week of enduring lots of almost unbearable runs, today was more redeeming. Ran a long run on rail trail in Park City. My ankle hurt more this morning and it took me 2 miles to be running normal and no pain with it. After about 3 miles, we got rolling and ran about 7 minute pace the rest of the run. I was really tired (whole body tired) the last few miles but it was the first run in a long time I could open up and run. I am really happy to get in a solid long run! 

AM met at Sugarhouse and ran to Tanner Park. We did hill repeats on the big dirt hill leading down into the trails. I had little speed to go quick but tried to work on form and push with people. Finished with 13.5

PM Ran 4.5 more for a solid start to the week! 

A.M. met early to do a 3 mile tempo along Wasatch Dr. We went 1.5 out then turned around. It took me a while to get into the rhythm of a quicker pace but it felt good to push hard, breathe hard and be able to open up and run. The last .5 was up a giant hill to the finish. I was dreading it but had a good strong mind and attacked the hill and finished really well. We were even on our times on the way out and back. Ran cool down to 8 and my hip flexor was tight and knee hurting. 

PM ran 4 more and my knee hurt the entire time. Not sure what it is but worried for the pain it brings already. 

Today was awful. My knee was killing on the warm up and it was the worst knee pain I have had (and that is saying something after this summer of training) I tried to start the workout and only made it through 3 400's at a much slower pace and decided it wasn't worth the pain. I couldn't run through it and felt so sad and discouraged again. Every time I start feeling better and feel like I have reached a turning point, something other minor injury or pain comes up. I was able to go to BYU to meet with the trainer and it is just the IT band causing all the pain and inflammation again. That was a relief it wasn't worse, but I am still mad it is still lingering. I got it rubbed out then ran 4 on the alter g at 90% and it hurt the whole time. 

A.M. Ran 8 by myself. Knee pain was more manageable than yesterday but still pretty bad. It killed to lift my right knee so I wasn't able to open up my stride and run too well.

P.M. Knee was better but I felt pretty darn tired. 4 more. 

Flagpole run from Sunnyside. Knees were better and only my hip hurt the last 2.5 when we were adding miles at the park. 

I met Angie this morning and we ran Jordan River trail. We did 7 then I came home and ran 6 more. I felt pretty tired by the end and grateful to hit 75 even with the bad IT this week. IT didn't hurt until my last 4 miles and it was mainly in my hip/glute. 

Today was a workout like I have never done before. We did a lap warm up at Sugarhouse Park then ran laps around while doing 30 sets of 1 minute on, 1 minutes off. That is a long fartlek! It was nice that each one was short but it felt like an eternity because there were so many reps. I felt similar to how I felt in the 10K. Start feeling really good, two miles in your legs are getting heavy, 4 miles in your body is exhausted but you've come this far you have to finish! I ended up running 8.75 miles and averaged 6:57 pace for the hour. The 2 mile cool down was rough and my legs are exhausted. 

PM I ran 6 more. 

AM- we ran on the zoo trail. My knees were hurting really bad today and I was going slow. It was a long run. 

PM- ran 5 more at Murray Park. Ran slow so hopefully I have recovered enough today! 

AM- met at Wheeler Farm. Did usual warm up and strides then ran 2x2 mile tempo on the dirt track. I wanted to average 6:30's and ran a 12:58 and 13:00. It wasn't too bad

PM- ran 4.5 more. 

We started at Sunnyside, ran Shriners to fire house then down city creek and back on South Temple. I always like this run but coming up South Temple was brutal. My legs are tired and sore. News on the run made the run more entertaining though! 

Met at Liberty early and did 3.5. Then we did a lap warm up, 2 laps firemen and 1 lap cooldown. 

Ran along Wasatch Blvd to Bill's house. We had to add a little over 2 miles up Big Cottonwood which was more uphill than I expected. I started feeling pretty good but 4 miles in, my body was exhausted. I had jello legs and had to push hard to keep going I was so tired. This is my first week at 80 and it wasn't too bad!! Yay for new mileage weeks! 

Happy first day of XC camp! I always love starting the season off with team bonding with a week in Park City. Ran 8 this morning along Carterville and 5 in Park City along rail trail.

Threshold day. We warmed up 3 miles along rail trail before beginning the 2.9 mile threshold. First mile, I was in the middle of a pack of most of the girls. We hit 6:10 and I felt really good and knew I needed to pick it up. Ash made a move to break the group and a few of us followed. After we moved and picked up the pace then it started to get hard. By the second mile we had caught 2 girls ahead of us and kept moving. Laura, Emma and I surged again and broke away from the rest of the group and finished in a group of 3 with a 17:34. We averaged 6:04. I did a 5 mile cool down and felt pretty tired and dead during those miles.

Second run I ran 5 miles.

AM- we ran along some cool new trails by Park City High School. I took it nice and easy as I was tired and my legs heavy and tired. Ran 8. PM Ran 4 more

Recovery run on dirt trail. I was tired and took it easy. 

AM- we had our 5 mile tempo on Jeremy Ranch road today. We ran 2 miles warm up then began. I told myself to relax and take it easy the first mile. I ran 6:23 then 6:26. My legs felt really good and strong. I moved with Carrie and the next mile was 6:10. We had caught some girls who were stringing out. I decided 6:10 was enough of a tempo and maintained that pace. It was hard but not as bad as I thought it would be. I finished with a 30:58, average pace of 6:16. That is the fastest I have ever run a tempo here at BYU.

PM- ran 4 

Long run to end the week. We ran an out and back on Rail Trail starting just before Coalville and all the way out to Echo Lake. I was feeling awful the whole way out then when we turned I started feeling a lot better. But mile 10 to 13 felt uphill and I was so done. I felt really sick after and so tired but happy to have a solid week of training.

AM- ran 5 miles before class

PM- happy first day of school workout! We ran our 3x1600 workout. The track was still being painted so we ran on the intramural fields and coach told us to run 6:00 pace. First one 5:59. Second one- same. Coach then told us we could go faster on the last one. Everyone wanted to push the pace the whole workout so we did. I hit 2:50 the first 800 and moved well the last half and came in with Ash and Alyssa with a 5:38. I had to run 7 miles cool down and didn't get done until late.