Patience; the new endurance sport.

I have a new international college basketball athlete boy living at home for 4-5 months. Cramps my style a little to use my work out room knowing I can't take off my shirt or fart too loud (TMI? Sorry, no one's reading my blog anyway). But he is tall to reach tall cupboards and can carry in all my groceries from Costco.  Plus he also plays forward and golee and will run drills with my girl before her Varsity soccer try outs, and BB drills w/ my son before Freshman BB try outs this summer.

On today's Elliptical Classic Film menu was a revisiting of The Deer Hunter; Sad and depressing as always. Interesting side note: Though I don't prefer blond men (they age badly and generally have bad skin unless tan), but Christopher Walkin is pretty good-looking before all the 'nam horror of the film begins. I forgot about that. Plus he won my heart in the 90's doing the best version of SNL's "The Continental".  I always will love Robert DeNiro, though I can't forgive him for Meet the Fockers, etAl.

 For future reference, this is how I convert to miles when I elliptical:  stride length is approximately 28 ¼ inches (2.356 feet). Therefore, it will take approximately 2241 strides to equal 1 mile. To convert the number of stride to miles, take the number of strides on the display and divide by 2241.

I worked out so hard and fast it made me dry heave. The good news is I can sneeze and cough without pain now. By next week I should be pretty much back to normal. It will be nice to run, the elliptical is killing me. If you work it right, it is HARD work.

I ended up going walk-jogging twice today. I wish I had time to do this everyday. It sounds insane to do two work outs a day, but it is so much more palatable to do two shorter work outs in the am and the pm than one big one. Got a big weekend coming lots of soccer and basketball coming my way. I'm gonna see Cath and her girls on Sunday! So excited to see my girlie . I haven't seen her since she kicked out 50 k on her birthday and I got to drag her down for about 12 k of it. I have missed running with her. We postulated that we have approximately 500 hours of talking to catch up (since that's roughly the number of hours we would have spent running together these past 2 years. We used to run for 4 hours on a Saturday, and then stand outside the house talking for another 20 minutes. Man I miss Road therapy, and I miss my running friends.

Ran the 4.5 temple loop slowly and carefully. My intestines feel firmly stitched back into my abdomen. though I can feel they have been reassigned a new location. That was a strange feeling. I pulled out the 100% dead Garmin and charged it to 23% it died at 3.1 miles reporting an AP of 10:18 which was faster than I thought I was going. I finished that up with relative ease and then walk jogged the dogs around the cemetery. My knees ached later in the day with the all-at-once miles and the rain.

Did a treadmill run. Skipped yesterday had a migraine so bad I could not see and it lasted until this morning. Thankfully I only get about 1-2 a year. And normally they only last a few hours. Felt like I was having a stroke. I felt good today, little sore around my belly button. I can't wait to get back to sit ups and push ups. Not quite there yet.

So excited to report splits! 9:47/10:34/10:05/10:53/11:12/10:15.

Progress! Betcha can't guess where the hills Were. So glad the sun decided to return! Glorious day, in spite of it not being Friday.

I did 4 10 m/m and 2 12 m/m while finishing Full Metal Jacket.  This was my 4th movie about the Vietnam War in the past 2 week. I think I'm done for now.  But Full Metal Jacket was important because after watching it in 1987, 3 of my best friends in San Diego joined the Marines. 

I didn't mean to run this far today, and certainly I wasn't feeling it (10:37 ap)  but I really, really wanted to go to the water fountain and be in the canyon.  It feels like summer already.  En route I found a bumper to either a ford Taurus or a Mercury Sable.  Those bumpers in good condition (depending on the year) can run $300 at a wrecking yard (because those cars are so common in Utah and the first thing to go is the bumper/headlight or a quarter panel).  I don't know how it got dis-attached or thrown into the field.  But my guess is it was stolen off someone's car and then abandoned.  It was a whole bumper in very good condition.  I was tempted to go back and get it myself.

10:14 ap I really should not have run so far yesterday, so I cut the miles down.  I was ramping up too fast.  I need a couple of weeks of 3-6's and then build from there.I ached a little, and was really tired the rest of the day.  Also my newly healing stitches had weird striation pain when I laid down at night.  Sebastian, one of my Chilean (basketball) sons just graduated from the University of Nebraska (on a scholarship my husband secured for him).  He made a side trip to Utah on his way from Nebraska to CA so I could meet his his girlfriend Leona ( who he will probably marry this year). I was so touched he brought her to meet me and wanted my approval.  He calls me Mama. He's been a good boy. He helped me a lot the summer he lived with us.  He never fails to remember me on mother's day and my birthday. Sebastian and Leona are absolutely the two most smokin' hot people I have ever seen together. They are going to make amazing children together.  He is 6' 3 and has the muscles of a moderately seasoned body builder.  Though his build is not ideal for basketball, he's got an 8 pack, biceps, and good calves.  He is perfectly proportioned and beautifully shaped. I notice these things because my father (a body builder himself) won many titles as he did the whole circuit from Mr. San Diego right on up to Mr. America in 1975-1977. So I spent a good deal of girlhood subjectively judging men's bodies; For better or worse that's the way it is. Sebastian's girl Leona is 6 feet tall.  Her mother is from Mexico, her Dad is black.  She lives in a part of Southern California that I am very familiar with (Imperial Valley, Brawley, Blythe). She is as willowy thin, but athletic and strong.  Her face is beautifully shaped and she has amazing hair and skin.  The best part is she is as sweet and Christian as she is good lookin.  They don't drink or smoke, and have for the most part kept each other out of trouble.  She finished up this year at Nebraska as well (volleyball scholarship). I am so proud of Sebastian.  Though Leona asked me if I was "going for a jog" when she saw me dressed for running.  Somehow the word "jog" cut me to the core.  I guess I'm a jogger now.

I had to get to work fast.  I plan to work out again this evening and add at least another 3 and try to do some push ups--see how that feels.  I'm coming up on 4 weeks post op!

I ran up the Goliath hill, around the Provo temple and back. It was basically the same 10k route of the Pioneer Day race. my legs Actually got and now they are sore. That hasn't happened in a whole. I won 2nd place in my AD that year averaging 8:13 m/m. Today, I averaged 11 m/m up those hills :(. It's only been 5 years! Wow, a lot has happened in 5 years. It's been a tough road.

9:44/9:49/10:08/10:12/10:01/10:19/8:38.

I'm actually pretty proud of these splits. They include some pretty significant uphill. Yesterday's run was terrible. In spite of eating well(so I thought) I was terribly hypoglycemic afterwards, took my blood sugar and it was 54, which is pretty bad. Today, after running even, it's 82-- which for me is a great number. I have tried everything, but plain old oatmeal raises and sustains my blood sugar more than barley, rice, wheat bread or cereal. I never really loved oatmeal, but it's getting to be like medicine, so I take it.

I just wanted to run forever today, it rained and rained...I'm a fan. Then the sun came out and the trail was fresh. The green! Everything so green. I felt bad for the Ogden Marathoners though. I've run 2 marathons in the pouring rain. It wasn't as fun as a fun run on a Saturday morning. However, I came home thrashed and had to a walk up the hills to get home.

Almost the last week of school, and I am counting down the hours. If I can get my kid to become a competent driver, my entire life will change for the better.

I'm just doing what I can this week. I have been out the door by 6 am and not home again until after 8 or 9 pm.

Had plans to go to San Diego this weekend for Memorial Day until I realized the kids have 3 days of school left after the Memorial Day weekend. I need to take a few extra days down there foe business, so it will have to wait until next weekend. The weather for running has been spectacular. Though I'm not running big miles, it's been delightfully cool. The world is green everything (save my roses) has bloomed. But the best flowers are yet to show. I love my roses and wait in eager anticipation for their arrival.

10:19/9:53/10:20/10:33/10:28/9:08/9:48/10:09/10:37/10:53. aP 10:12

Today's run was brought to you by: snakes, the triceps of male cyclists and Yasso Frozen Greek yougurt.

AP 10:17.  I ran 'fast' twice every other 1/8th mile.  It wasn't very effective in terms of the AP.  But I have to get back to sprinting a few times a  run each week. I just want to get back to easy 9:30s! I ran down a hill last week where I ran a 7:11 mile in 2010 during my Boston Marathon training.  I can't believe I'm struggling for 9:00's now. I try to focus on the fact that it is so great to be outside and in the canyon these mid -spring days. I'm finding some joy in Spring now that we are rounding the corner to summer.  Spring can be such a frenimy.  Sweet and perfect one second, stabbing you in the back the next.  It's not my favorite. But my garden is growing the roses soon to bloom. Every once and a while I get a whiff of sweet flowers in the air.  I love that. 

Just a quick, short fast jog and down Timpview Drive.  I've decided that distance running (particularly keeping a marathon traning schedule) and raising teenagers is incompatible. You need to sleep in order to run properly; and if you have teenagers approaching summertime, you better not sleep too deeply, lest you (and they) miss midnight curfew or you don't hear the click of the door closing behind them late into the night after you already said they could NOT go to someone's midnight sweet sixteen birthday bash.  I have not had a good night's sleep in 2 weeks and I am terrified of whats in store for the summer--particularly for my son.  This is the summer I have two full blown teenagers whose instincts are driving them to hunt and gather, take risks, find mates, and stay up till the break of dawn.  It is happening.  Both have committed to cross country training at 7 a.m. My son has lots of good friends running so I am keeping my fingers crossed he develops the discipline to sleep early and get up to run.  The testosterone has hit and he's developing his broad shoulders and lean muscles.  I'm sure the next two summers are going to keep me awake. Praying and praying for wholesome, physical sporting activities to monopolize most of his time and energy. Heaven help me.

Today the running gods wanted me to run without my Garmin. It was 0% charged and dead as a piece of plastic--which was good news in a way.  I needed time away from it.  I am sick of my abysmal splits/AP and the feeling I will trip or fall down if I run any faster than a 9:00 m/m (look out Granny's a comin'). Monday's run (although getting my distance back), the run was just depressingly hard. I was beat, maybe from running 10 on Saturday (before I'm properly conditioned). But today, I did what I call my "favorite loop" without my Garmin;  and I FELT GREAT.  I never needed to slow down, catch my breath or walk.  My legs felt strong, nothing hurt and my blood sugar was still 72 when I returned.  The cool rainy days have allowed me to run in the mid morning.  I have loved the lusciousness of this rain.  Yesterday was delicious.

Ran my favorite loop but cut off the first uphill .3 on Timpview and did two times around Vintage park. i walked up the lovers lane hill and still managed an Ap 10:08. Chilly this afternoon!