Magic Treadmill, make me FASTER!

Treadmill today: Warm up about 1/2 hour (Cut me some slack, I'm menstral!), intervals at 7.5 mph on 3% grade for 20 minutes, intervals 8 mph on 3% for 20 minutes. I think the intervals on the first set are only like 1 1/2 minutes long, and the intervals on the second set are about 2 or 2 1/2 minutes. By the end of that set I was totally maxed out. I'm trying to work up to doing faster intervals than what I will be running in the marathon so that when I'm running in the marathon my speed will seem slow compared to what I'm used to. I hope by the end of next week I can do these intervals at 9 mph.

P.S. I weighed myself today and even though I have dropped a pant size this past couple of months, I haven't lost ANY weight!

Hilton Treadmill, Vegas

We spent Friday and Saturday in Vegas and stayed at the Hilton. I was lucky enough to be one of the first to get to the workout room because every machine became occupied very quickly. The first treadmill I tried, I couldn't get to work so naturally jumped on the one right next to it. But that meant that every time some other poor soul came in thinking they nabbed the last treadmill, I had to tell them it was broken and not to waste the next five minutes of their lives trying to get it to turn on. I think I had to take out my head phones 20 times and tell somebody. I didn't do it once just to see if anyone else around me would take the job, but no one else seemed to think it was necessary and just let them figure it out. Lame!
If I want to finish the marathon in 3:30, I have to run an average of 7.5 MPH. I set the treadmill at that on a 3% grade. (If the treadmill is at 0% grade it's not like running on a road. It's like running on a slight downhill, right? Well, that's what the books say. Actually it varies from 1% to 3% grade being more equal to running on a road.) It was difficult, but I could do it. Just barely. I only have one month till the marathon and the books say that at this point I should be focusing on speed work instead of milage. WAAAHHH! I'm going to try and do just that. But, that means nothing to blog about. I might be quiet till the end of July. Keep your fingers crossed for a 3:30, or somewhere near that!! If I fail miserably there's always St. George in October.

First 20 miler

OK, it was really only 19.6 miles. I rounded up. Here's the checklist for a long run with Beautiful Girl. (Are all you regular readers noticing how I coordinate the song of the day with what the post might be about? There is no end to my creativity or the effort I will put into every post to ensure it's entertaining to read. Those of you that only check in once a week are missing the full effect of the right song playing with each post. I recommend a reevaluation of your blogging priorities.)


Cell phone, check. Garmin, check. Shuffle, check. GU, check. Water, check. Diaper/wipes, check. Crackers for Beautiful Girl, check. Binkie with string, check. Sunscreen, check. Camera, check check check....


...And of course, Beautiful!


I wanted to show you the cute little bunnies that are hopping all over the trail in the mornings. It makes me feel like Snow White while I'm running. Except they don't follow me or bring things I need like ribbons and hair accessories. Maybe if I were to start singing...


What do follow me though are horse flies! Maybe because I wear my hair in a pony tail? Those bites hurt so dang bad. No one else I talk to that uses this trail has a problem with horse flies. For some reason bugs like me alot. Now this is where you say, "You just have to run faster so they can't catch you." Yes, thank you.

PS, On the road home I passed a really intense looking runner and he clapped for me. I didn't feel bugged by it this time. I thought it was very sweet. (See post "7.5 miles at Rebel Stadium.")

Hills Anyone?

It was so beautiful right as the sun was coming up!

My plan was a long run starting at the church at Snow Canyon Parkway, along the jogging path on the highway to The Ledges, down Snow Canyon, and back up Snow Canyon Parkway.  I wasn't sure how long this was going to be and I declined Ron's suggestion to ask Natalie, who probably knows, because I'm too proud, because she's a better runner than me, even though it was ME that got HER into running 10 years and five kids ago.  I've got my Garmin.  It will be an adventure to just get out there and see how far it is myself.  I knew this was going to be hilly...  but OMG...
I can run up that pushing the BOB.... I can run up this pushing the BOB...  Yea, there's no way I can run up this pushing the BOB...
4.6 miles out the path turned to gravel.  I didn't want to put Sallie through the jarring bumps. (even though she's got suspention on her sweet ride, it's not pleasant to go over gravel.) So at that point I canned my original plan and turned back.

And back down the hills...
My running partner....  windblown, weatherbeaten, but happy and beautiful as ever!!

Those 9 miles of hills took me an hour and a half!  I came home and got on the treadmill for another two or three (miles, not hours) just because I am a proud masochist.  At that point, Noah smacked his head on the hearth and started gushing blood.  So glad we've got a bunch of doctors in the neighborhood.  Thanks, John.  (No stitches necessary for now, although it's still bleeding under the steri-strip.  That's what you get when you call the radiologist for help with a bleeding head.)

I hate you, Apple!!

My computer broke last Thursday for the third time. Last time I lost all my photos. This time it won't even turn on, so I'm betting I lost even more than that. I am so dependent on my gadgets now that I have a panic attack when they aren't working. My Garmin and my ipods all charge on my computer, I pay bills by my computer, of course I keep in touch with all of you through my computer. Last night before Ron handed over his laptop I said, "So now this won't work, this won't work, this won't work and so my life is pretty much over." To which he said, "Um, could we please not be so fatalistic?" Oh, ok. Proper perspective back. But I got a laptop out of it until mine is fixed.

I spent the last few days in SLC with Chi2. Did I get out and enjoy running in the green lush SLC spring? No, I rode the stationary bike one day and the treadmill the next! The bike was so hard because I haven't done anything but run since Sarah was born and we stopped the gym membership. How about "Buildings and Mountains" by Republic Tigers in honor of SLC. SLC is such a great mix of the city and nature.

Today I got started too late and it was already in the 90s when I was starting to run, so I stayed on the treadmill. It was scheduled to be a long run.  I'm just sure I went went farther that it said I did!!!

13 mile tempo

I'm not going to tell you what tempo it was.  I'm slow.  But I was going at a pace that I could stand for that distance and just barely.  I'm so proud of myself!  And hamstring was fine, didn't need GU.  I've been stretching alot when I'm just home.  I'm sure that's helping me lengthen my stride and pick up the pace.  

Something about running with Sallie Allie in front of me helps me push myself more.  It makes me feel like I'm not only doing this run for me.  She looks back at me occasionally and we have these conversations with our eyes.  I feel like she's telling me I can go faster for her.  She says that before she nods off to sleepy land.

No signs of the groper that's been reported to be hanging out on my stretch of jogging path.

(Groper)

Why do some girls have all the luck?  Maybe I intimidate him with all the crap a run with.  I've got wires and straps and beeping things all over me, along with the stroller and all the bottles and baby stuff that comes with it.  I told Ron that he has to grope me if I come home having not run into the groper.  But I get home and he's not here either!!  Ppffth!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          (Groper)

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A DEPRESSING POST. DO NOT CALL 911. I'M OKAY, I PROMISE.

Saturday Funk....

I read a book Thursday night that's put me in a really dark mood.  I'm sure the author would feel bad to hear that.  I think it's meant to be more hopeful and inspiring.  It is a true story written by a man who's wife kills herself when she's 7 months pregnant with their first child.  Her parents were both mentally ill and she started to feel the symptoms of her parents' schizophrenia and/or manic depression coming on.  Her husband feels guilt that it happened because he ignored the promptings of the spirit 3 times urging him to go home.  Why is this on my "running posts only" blog?  Well, that story is mostly about his returning to dating life and falling in love again with a girl that has just won the Ogden Marathon.  (This is where my heart starts pounding and I decide to finish the dang book instead of going to bed at midnight.)  He starts running with her in the mornings while she's training for the St. George.  When they start becoming more serious about each other, she confesses to him that she struggles with depression, and the running endorphin rush helps her cope with it.  I totally understand that.  I'm not a great runner, but I do love how it makes me feel.  As I've thought more about that I realized something else.  I use it for more than just the endorphin rush now.  I use it to escape life.  I get on a run or on the treadmill and I hide.  If my kids are busy doing other things and Ron doesn't need me, I justify myself in just staying there longer than I should so that I don't have to join the world and act happy.  Running is an acceptable pass time to those around me, but it serves the same function for me as staying in bed all day.  I even get praised for my neglect of my home and family.  People say I've got great determination and I'm inspiring.   Ha Ha!  Anyway, one thing that I came away with from reading this book, is how this man (his name's Abel, about my age, remarried to the marathon girl and has three kids) was able to take what he had just gone through and say to himself, "I don't know.  I might have been able to save her but that's not what happened.  I don't know why she did it.  I don't know what the next life is going to bring exactly.  But I refuse to be miserable.  I will enjoy my life."  It baffles me that I can't do that ...and my life is perfect!  Nobody sick, perfect children, my husband loves me (I think), no hurricanes or earthquakes or war in St. George this year, my husband still has build jobs even though most people involved in real estate are losing their shirts.  I am showered with rediculously enormous blessings daily and I can't enjoy them.  Seriously, all the negative I have to think about it totally imagined.  I got on the treadmill this morning and it was one of those days where Ron is out of town, Sarah fell asleep, Noah and Joshy entertained doing something, Ryan gone.  I could just stay here for hours with my music, pretending I'm a rockstar 

(This is what I'd look like.  Oh, and I can sing and dance in these fantasies too.)

and not think about how empty and worthless I feel.  But then I thought about Abel being able (Abel being able??!!)  to really enjoy his life and just making the decision not to dwell on the negative.  When the choice came for me after an hour of running to keep going till my legs just couldn't take it anymore or one of my kids demanded it, or get off and attempt to join life,  I got off.  I'm not going to lie and say I feel happy today.  But I'm going to go through the motions until I can figure out a way to just not worry about stuff I don't understand and can't control.  Conjuring up happy Shannon will be a longer process.  And I'm not going to use running as a way to escape anymore.  Maybe.  Sometimes.  Well, today I won't.  (It's still better than that Zoloft that almost got me killed behind the wheel.)

Whew... It's a good thing this is an "invites only" blog.  Know that there are only 5 people I have invited to read my blog and I feel safe writing this here because I think you're people that won't freak out on me or share any of this with anyone.  Breathe in, breathe out.  Tomorrow's a new day, a new run.  Yeay life!

Jacob Lake memories...

                               "There are stars in the southern sky

                                  southward as you go.

                           There is moonlight and moss in the trees

                               down the seven bridges road...."
                                     Waterslide day-off.  Cute suit, Chi!!!

I was remembering yesterday how much fun it was to run at Jacob Lake through the forest... ALONE! How crazy were we to do that!? Dodging bullets and arrows from the deer hunters, side stepping the rangers with their blow torches doing controlled burns on both sides of the path. Good times. I don't think I would dare to do that today, just the alone part of it. I have such great memories of that though. I remember that my first run while I was there was with you, Sarah, and I almost passed out and threw up from the altitude. I remember saying, "I really, really do run! I promise." And you were like, "Uh, yea. Let's just sit down on this rock for a bit. Are you going to throw up?"

                     Shhhh..... Sarah sleeping

      Shopping in Page!  How cute is Sarah's suit, and how cute is LISA?!

Hey, Sarah.... remember, "We could totally die doing this." "Yea, but what a rush, huh?!" Here's to Jacob Lake!!! Chi, thanks for taking me with you to AZ that summer. That was all your idea and the best time of my life. I hope our next girls trip can be there.

Our bunk, and my bunkmate!  Diggn' those pants.  Look at my huge stack of Yanni tapes!

   And of course, Tom.  Look how kissable those lips are!  Is it just me or does he look just a little bit like Lansing!!  As Chi says,  A girl does have her type.  Hey, is Keri checking out Sarah's boobs?

I did the same 17 mile run today that I did last week, but this time a little faster. I didn't have the BOB today (thanks, Ron!) so I was able to test out the water-bottle-with-nifty-hand-strap that supposably makes it easier to carry. It was better than putting it on a belt, for sure, but not perfect. The strap is a little too loose, so I still had to grip the bottle too much to hang on to it. I might have to try a different kind. I could fit my cel phone in the little pocket that's on it, along with one GU, then I had to fit two GUs in my running shorts pocket. I really needed one more GU on that run. I'm hoping my body is getting more efficient at burning stored glycogen and fat so that I don't need to eat so much of that stuff while I'm running. Maybe I needed more just because I was going a little faster today. My hamstring's still bugging me a little. Not so much that I had to stop or slow down a ton, but I'm not going to be able to work on speed at all except on these tempo runs unless I stop alltogether and just start over, which I'm not ready to do this year. Maybe for next year!

"Sarah, Sarah quite contrara..."

That's Noah's personalized version of "Mary, Mary, quite contrary."  She's becoming a little stinker while I'm trying to run.  She's happy if she's in the BOB, but I've had to stick to the treadmill this week because I'm shuttling my boys to and from basketball camps all morning.   She should be crawling but hasn't seemed to figure it out yet.  (Joshy never crawled and the pediatrician said that it looks like it has something to do with their hips being overly flexible), so I sit her down with a bunch of toys and turn on cartoons (I know, I know.  Just shut it.) but since she really wants to be moving around she will only stay happy there for 10 minutes, maybe.  Then I have to give her a change of scenery, so I move her to a different room with a brother and some different toys.  She'll stay happy there for another 10 minutes, then I have to get off again to move her somewhere else.  My hour-long run turns into a very choppy 2 hour-long run that never really even gets me warmed up!  One more day of basketball camp, then I can hit the pavement, or the track for a long run Friday.

Sarah's still easier than any of my other kids when I've been trying to run.  My first, Ryan screamed the whole time he was in the jogger, and screamed every minute he was sitting in a car seat while I was on a treadmill.  Then with 2 kids or 3 kids they were too little to leave alone and I couldn't imagine having run with a double stroller in the city.  I think that was when I was going to the gym with a nursery.  Needless to say, I was never in shape at any time in between having my first and up to about a year before having my last.   WHEW, so glad it's my time again!   Can I hear an, "Amen" from all my mommy friends?!

Treadmill love

I know I'm strange.  I love the treadmill, probably for the same reason I love the track.  I love my music and dreaming I'm a rockstar while I'm running.  (I don't know if I mentioned that in my next life I play the guitar?)  I can't pretend I'm a rockstar while I'm running on a road because I have to concentrate on not getting hit by cars or worried about what I look like to everyone driving past me.  The time just passes with me playing the guitar on stage while I've actually been running hard without even realizing it.  My treadmill is getting close to needing a new tread.  It doesn't sound like it feels good, but like a good old dog, it's still happily working hard for me.  Ferraby Lionheart was on the playlist today.  "Crack in Time" was my favorite song.  The lyrics are so great.  I think I might actually be able to play that one on the guitar.  It doesn't sound complicated.  I think I'll look for the sheet music!

Don't burn out... don't burn out.. .don't burn out!!

I'm starting to get to that phase where I wonder why I'm doing this.  That means I'm over training - not in the physical sense, but I'm getting mentally consumed and it's becoming not fun, and when it becomes not fun I stop getting anything positive from it, and once that happens, I quit doing it all together.  I'm going to back off a little and go back a few steps.  I can't delve into the "training schedules" everyone says I have to follow or I won't ever reach my goals.  I just can't do it.  If I wake up in the morning knowing I HAVE to do speed work when I really feel like doing a long run, I'm going to start to hate marathoning.  And I LOVE marathoning!  I don't ever want to stop.  I guess it may take me 10 more years to reach my goal doing it my way, but at least I know I'll still be doing it.

Meet Daisy

Our little friend that lives in the hose pot.

I just rested and stretched alot today while reading "Advanced Marathoning" by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas.  My new hero is John Keston, pg. 47.  Read about him!

Me 'n the treadmill for 50 minutes

stretch...   stretch...  stretch

I wanted to rest today, but I was browsing around itunes looking for the old song "Sarah, Sarah... storms are brewn' in your eyes...." (I never found it btw so if anyone out there knows who sang it and can help me out) so that I could play it for my son, who is always irritated when I sing it to my daughter, Sarah, and when I typed in "Sarah" it came up with Eskimo Joe's "Sarah,"  (now my new favorite song.)  So, I couldn't rest because I bought the whole album and I had to jog just a little so that I could test the tunes' runability.  Thumbs up for Eskimo Joe!  I came across a great guitarist, Leo Kottke (because listeners that bought Eskimo Joe also bought Leo Kottke.)  The jury's still out on whether I can run with him.  I didn't get past Eskimo Joe this time, but I'm a sucker for instrumental guitar music.

Note to self: Stay away from elite runners' websites.  It makes you depressed.  It's okay that you will never run fast.  It's just great that you run.

6 miles...

Ouch... Ouch.... Ouch....  

                   The view from the top of my street today!

But it was such a beautiful day after all the rain yesterday.  It was crystal clear, rare for this windy, dusty part of the west.  I forgot my camera - that won't happen again.  The picture is from after I got home from the run, so the lighting wasn't quite as perfect as the hour before.  Lots of the little rabbits hopping around on the trail.  Mornings like these even when I'm in alot of pain remind me why I love to run.

There's no way I'm going to be able to get the speed work in that I would need to in order to do as well as I want July 24th.  I am going to have to take it alot more easy and maybe just use the 24th of July marathon as a practice for St. George in October.  I'm pushing too hard and starting to feel injuries.  My left hamstring was killing me today.  I don't know why because my hamstrings usually only give me problems when I work on speed, which I haven't.  I might have to get out that gym pass and get on a bike or some other non impact apparatus for a while.  Sounds depressing.

I'm on my own again for the next couple of days.  Ron's in Vegas on "business."  I might decide to surprise him in his "business meeting" tonight.  Anyone want to watch my boys tonight? 

17 miles on the Virgin River path

I Woke up at 6:00 am to overcast skies.  I had to take "Willow" today because Ron's going to the gym at 7:00, then to business meetings.  I debated whether I should risk getting out there with her and have to get home in the rain.  The forecast is not usually very precise for this area.  There's lots of wives tales about how you can tell if it's going to actually rain or not on a cloudy day.  (My MIL says that if the clouds come in from the "saddle" in the west mountains then it will rain, but it never rains if  they come in even a couple miles from that saddle.  Yeeaaah, right.  People like my FIL that grew up in farming communities with no doctors (or weathermen) grew up AS doctors, weathermen, veterinarians, general contractors and basically specialists of all kinds because they had nobody else to depend on.  Their bits of wisdom are so charming, but annoying at the same time because they absolutely cannot be told differently than what they think they "know."  My FIL has mastered the grumpy old man's "BAHHH!"  It's hilarious.)  Anyhoo...  these clouds had come from no obvious direction, they're just covering everything, and the forecast said no rain till this afternoon, so I decided to risk it.

(This is my view from the back of the B.O.B.  I'nt she precious?)

I took the path under River Road going East first.  I wanted to see exactly how long the Garmin says this section of path is.  It's 2.5 miles, so this added 5 miles to my usual 12 mile out-and-back I usually do.  Perfect.  There's lots of fun things to look at on this path.  Old rotting farm equipment, and even this rusty deathtrap swingset in case "Willow" and I want to ever take a break.  I am so impressed with the environmental photography I see on other running blogs, like Bryan's that I decided to give it a try.  How's this?  It stayed overcast and cool the whole time.  "Willow" was sucking on my flask of Hammer Gel, which I guess she didn't like because she kept throwing it out of the stroller.  I didn't notice right away one time and had to run back for it, stinker.  She threw a toy out once and I didn't notice, but a nice biker did and he brought it back to us.  I've decided I like running with the B.O.B. better than without.  I can put an entire buffet in that basket.  I carry sunscreen, diapers, GUs, water bottles, a few toys...  When I run without her I have to either carry the bottle or put it on a belt, both of which bring problems on longer runs.

Colin Hay was on the playlist today.  (I mention this for my brother.)  Colin always brings back great memories of being about 8 years old and listening to Mark's Men At Work, Business As Usual album (on vinyl, of course) while playing Intelevision Dungeons and Dragons.  Colin still has the greatest voice.

I think it was good to take a nice slow but long run in trying to recover from those hills on Monday, as opposed to just resting today.  It loosened me up alot, and I don't feel as sore anymore.  Now I've gotten the long run in this week and can rest/stretch tomorrow, maybe be ready for intervals Friday.  I really wanted to be able to work on speed alot more than I have been.  If I want to finish fast and not just finish this time I have to pick up the pace somehow.  Maybe I need to listen to less Colin Hay and more Kanye West.  I think I run faster when I'm listening to the clean version of "Stronger."   I know, still gross.

I've come home to bigger messes than I did today.  Today it was just Lucky Charms all over the floor and my 5-y-o trying to cut three frozen cookies apart with a butter knife.  Breakfast at the Jensen's when no parents are home.   We'll have a talk about the knives.

7.5 miles at Rebel Stadium

I woke up this morning so sore from the hills yesterday that my options were to go to the gym and get on a bike, or take it nice and easy at a track.  (A side note on tendonitis in all it's forms...  My dad turned me on to DMSO a few years ago when I had developed bad achilles tendonitis.  It clears it up within a few days even while you're still running on it.  It looks like aloe vera and sold in health food stores.  Please, nobody tell me it causes cancer.  I totally depend on it.)  Ron offered to keep "Willow" at home, so I opted for the track.  I tried Pineview HS first, gates locked? (What's that about!?)  Then headed to Dixie State stadium, soon to be U of U Southern Utah Campus.  I actually really like running at a track.  I always have music and the time passes without me realizing it.  I just kind of zone out.  There were a couple of women from my sorority, the Mommy's With Joggers.  One of them also had a three-ish year old, not in a stroller that was working his tail off trying to get her to take him home.  I felt for her.  Whenever I'm running with the jogger people always say things to me like, "Way to go, Mommy, keep it up!"  or "Wow, I'm so impressed you're doing this with a baby!"  And I always feel a little patronized and insulted by it.  Like I'm handicapped and at the Special Olympics.  Why wouldn't I be running when I have a baby with me?!  But today I felt a little different about it watching those women.  I actually almost said something I usually get bugged by, like "Keep it up!"  I decided to just give her an encouraging smile instead.

A couple football players doing drills in the off season on the turf.  Very graceful at 250 lbs.  I love how they do everything half-way.  You know what I mean?  The squat is sort of more like a "bend-my-knees-a-little."  The stretching is my favorite.  The speedy grapevine thing is fun to watch.  I used to do that in dance although it looked a little different.  I don't mean to sound like I'm making fun.  Anyone who knows me knows I love football.  I appreciate that they're staying on top of their game during the summer!  I almost yelled, "Keep it up!"  (No, not really.)

There were also a couple 50-something men that looked very serious about this run and helping each other get back in shape.  They brought an entire cooler full of something.  They stretched for about 20 minutes, then  they started off running, which turned into a jog, which turned into a brisk walk...   Do people like that get insulted to hear, "Keep it up!" too?

So, about 7.25 miles in an hour.  Not horrible for a very sore day.

Here goes...

I'm having to combine my build and peak phases of training because I couldn't run at all while I was pregnant or the month after.  Since I was working out while pregnant doing other non-impact things, I thought I could start off running faster than I really could.  Needless to say I overdid it and had to completely start over.  HATE that.  So now I'm short on time and not much cross-training happening.  Just running 6 days a week  and trying to stay injury-free.  St. George has great trails to run on all around town, so we've been taking advantage of those, great for when my boys want to hop on their bikes and go with me.  That makes me feel a little less neglectful.  It could count as quality time right?  Even though I have my headphones on most of the time and I keep saying, "No, can't stop.... sorry... see ya....  No, can't help ya catch a lizzard....    sorry you're tired...   gotta go...   No,  I don't want to ride your bike home while you push the stroller."  I can't understand how an 8-year-old gets tired on a 12 mile path that's perfectly flat.  He actually got off his bike and pushed the stroller for about a half a mile and thought that was much easier.  (I actually did ride his bike for that half-mile.  Sadly, it fits me pretty well.)  Luckily we didn't see the pants-less man this time.  I don't think Noah will ever forget that.  Remind me to tell that story on a day when I have nothing else to write.

So, that was last Tuesday-ish.  I really wanted to make that my long run day since I had Sarah well-fed and sleeping in the B.O.B, but Noah Couldn't make it further.  So, after 12 miles we went home and I got on the treadmill for the last 4.  I really don't want to do any more miles on the treadmill.  I need to get my shins ready for pavement.  They're usually my problem, if I have a problem during a marathon.

The next marathon I'm running in the Deseret News/Pioneer Day in SLC, July 24th.  It's the first marathon I ever did in 1996 and on my mom's birthday, so it's kind of special to me.  I should be able to do this one in close to my goal time since the course has been changed to alot more downhill.  IF I can train for downhill.  The only place I can think of to run downhill is Snow Canyon State Park.  Shins, quads, knees....   and I've got a stroller.   But that's just what I did today and Ryan came along on his bike.  

We decided to start at the top and run down and back.  That would make 8 miles.  I hadn't done hills on the road yet, so I wasn't too sure how we'd do.  I had to put the break on the stroller a little where it's really steep at the top.  Going back up, I had to walk the last mile and a half.  Too steep to run up with the B.O.B.  That's my next milestone for training...  run up the whole thing with Sarah in her stroller.  I'll let you know when that happens.  Ryan had been walking his bike, but at that point he said he couldn't do it anymore, so I finished by myself and took the car to pick him up.  I think he still had fun.  I love that kid so much.  He is such a sweetheart.   When I got home my legs were jello and my bum has never been so sore.  That was good to do something different.  I'd like to do the path that runs along the highway up to the start of of Snow Canyon.  I have to find out how far that is.  Maybe it could me my long run tomorrow  ...TBA...

PS,  I got a massage today, and when she pushed on my forearms I about screamed.  I hadn't noticed they were tight from gripping the stroller.  I kinda have buff forearms!  Sweet!   Thanks Sarah.