Drop 13

An early morning wake up (2:45am) and a 30 min drive to the bus was the beginning of my day yesterday. 

Mom and dad picked me up and we drove down to the shops below Big Cottonwood Canyon. Mom and I got on the 4th bus up. We walked up and down the street a couple of times once we arrived at the start. The weather was nice and cool. We were thankful we brought our jackets. 

The sun came out and it was time to line up to run. My stomach was aching from nerves. I just had to keep trying to ignore it. 

Mom was going to start at the end of the pack since she was expecting to finish around 3 hours. I wanted to stay in front of the 2.20 pacer. I wasn't sure if I could do it, but I knew I didn't want to run with a pacer and throw myself off. 

I started down the canyon feeling good. The first few miles were a little downhill and some level and then we hit the big steep hills. My lungs and heart were feeling great. I was sticking with a good pace, but my calves and thighs were feeling it around mile 6. The steep downhill mixed with the slanted road pulled on my muscles hard. 

Adam called around mile 8 and told me not to start walking. I was feeling good and had no intentions of walking. 

I kept up the pace and got out the canyon around mile 11.5. I LOVE that the race had that much in the canyon. It made the last couple miles MUCH easier. 

We got out of the canyon and on to the trail. I liked going on the trail except the drop that went under the road. It was short and super steep so your legs just screamed from going down the canyon earlier. 

I hit 13 miles and saw my dad. 

It was good to see his smiling face. I knew the finish was right there, so I picked up the pace and finished hard. 

I finished in 2.14.52! Not bad for not training very well the past few months. 

After getting a drink and my medal I went back up and met with my dad. 

He's such a great dad. He waited right there on the rock for my mom to finish. He walked up a little bit to meet up with her. 

She finished in 3.01!! Way to go ma! She got 2nd in her age group and even got a new PR! She's such a great example. 

Today my body is ACHING. Haha! Every muscle was used yesterday and I can feel it today. I even chafed under my armpits. 

New Year's Revolution Run

I set my alarm last night for 7 this morning. I figured it would give me plenty of time to get to the Oval on time to start the race at 8. I woke up around 6:30, but went back to sleep. I woke up around 7:45 when the sun was shining through the window. Oh no!! It turns out I set my alarm for Saturday NOT Friday!! I got dressed and headed out the door as fast as I could. 

I ended up getting to the race about 15 min late, but that's the great this about this one. You can run as much or as little as you want and you can start any time with in their 5 hour limit. 

I normally run a half marathon each time I do this race, but this year I'm trying to be smart with my miles and I thought it'd be good to just stick with hitting my 10,000 steps. Which is close to 5 miles. 

My great friend Shelley was there and I stuck with her 90% of the time. She's such a great example of being positive. I 

 I ended up running 15 or 16 laps. I lost count. Haha! But I hit my 10,000 plus some. 

I love that this race is a great start to the new year. My goal for 2016 is to post every day I run. I want to figure out my hashimotos and I want to still be able to incorporate running into my routine. I have a few races planned for this year and I want to do the best I can. 

Provo City Half

I was a little nervous about this race the couple days leading up to it. I was nervous that it would be like the Salt Lake Half and I hate the feeling of crashing, especially at mile 6. I was so tempted to not run this one. I was also having problems with my levothyroxine meds and had to get off of them. I was having major full body fatigue and horrible brain fog. A couple days of getting off the meds, I switched to Synthroid and I feel a LOT better. I feel back to where I was before the medication, but not 100% yet. 

Anyway, I knew I couldn't back out, my momma was running it and I didn't want to bail on her! She has been training so hard for this. I get all my determination from her. :) 

My momma and me before the race started. I love that woman! :) 

The race start was beautiful, as always. It's always so nice up the Provo canyon. The weather wasn't too bad. It was chilly up there, but not as bad as last year, that's for sure. Mom and I brought our race blankets with us and it kept us warm. I met up with a few of my running friends. I knew the awesome Susette would be pacing the 2.10 group and my plan was to stick with her for a little bit and then pass her up and not let her get in front of me. 

I said goodbye to my mom and the race started, I stayed with Susette until about mile 3 and then left her behind when we were weaving through people on the trail. I was feeling good. My mind was pretty clear compared to Salt Lake City Half. My muscles were feeling good. The miles ticked away and I was still feeling good around mile 6. I kept telling myself the goal was to stay under 10 minute miles and I was doing a pretty good job at that. Around mile 8 I took a GU just to be safe. I didn't want to crash. 

Mile 10 came and that's when it started getting hard. I don't know if it was the sugar from the GU or what, but I was starting to crash and was doing a walk/run. Around mile 11.5 I hear Susette, "Cathy!!! Don't let me pass you!!!" I turned around to see her while I was walking and picked up the pace. I booked it for about a quarter of a mile before I started feeling it again. I could see the finish line, it was only a mile or so away by this point. Susette caught up to me and wouldn't let me fall behind. I fell behind at one point around mile 12.5 and she says, "You'll get 2.08 if you finish now!" So, I took every bit of energy I had and booked it at a 6 minute pace for the last .10 of the race. Sure enough, I  finished at 2.08.45! 

I am so thankful for Susette and her pacing abilities. She is the BEST pacer out there and an even more amazing friend. 

You can see Susette behind me in the yellow shirt. 

I hung around with my dad for a little bit and then we walked about 2 miles up and caught up with my momma. She did great! She finished in 3.31. Not bad at all! Way to go momma! I love being able to do races with my mom. 

After the race we went to Cafe Rio and headed home. I felt really good during this race. My mind was clear and my body was feeling good. I didn't feel the full body fatigue like I did last time and I really think it's because of the different meds. 

My next race is the Utah Valley Half. I'll be running it with my 2 brothers, my mom, and my sister. It'll be a great race! 

Salt Lake City Half Marathon

The alarm went off at 4 AM. 

I got dressed, woke up Becca, and we headed downtown to meet up with Sonja and AJ. It was fun talking and walking around downtown so early. We parked about 4 or 5 blocks away, got down to the TRAX and saw Sonja. We were just about to get on the train when we realized we left Sonja's packet down at the car. Ugh! We walked all the way back to the car and got it, but decided to drive up closer to find a parking spot. We found the perfect spot about 2 blocks from the starting line. 

We caught the TRAX and headed up to the start. I've never done a race before that uses corrals and this one was doing it for the first time this year. I kinda liked it!

 Before the race we did a half mile warm up around the track at the U. It was a nice track with a great view. I try to warm up a little before each race and it was really nice to be able to run around this track instead of the roads/sidewalks like I normally do. 

Becca, Sonja, and I before the race. These ladies are the best. I just love running with them. :) 

The race started and Becca and I were in the E corral. We went to the back of the corral, which was nice because we didn't have to deal with a lot of pushing through people. The race started and I felt great. I was averaging a 9:30 pace for the first 6 miles. At mile 4.5 I took a couple chomps and got some water at the aid station. I felt like I needed to take something so I didn't crash. 

Around mile 6.5 I started slowing down. I took a GU at the aid station and got some water. My body was aching all over. It was a feeling I never really felt before. Kind of like every muscle in my body all the way to the top of my head and to the tips of my fingers ached. And it wasn't like a painful ache, but more of a completely drained ache. I slowed my pace and tried to take it easy. Around mile 7.5 there is a nasty half mile hill and I walked it. I knew I'd totally be burned out if I pushed up it instead of walking it. 

Mile 8-10 I tried to get out of my head, I walked 2 or 3 two minute breaks and then kept running. At mile 10 I kept saying to myself, "Forget all the other miles... This is just a 5k. You can do a 5k. It's just a lap around the lake. You can do this..." It really helped to stop thinking about my body aching and to slow down my pace to something comfortable. 

There was a group of drummers around liberty park that were amazing! It made me think of when we lived in Okinawa. That really helped get me moving. Even though my pace was slower those last 3 miles, they were comfortable and I felt pretty strong. 

Becca ran with me for the first 4 miles and then fell behind. She caught back up with me when I was walking at mile 8. We ran together some and around mile 11, she fell back again. I kept going. I wasn't going to let myself walk those last 3.3 miles. 

Can I just say...if you're planning a race, please, please, please measure your race correctly. People running a half and a full marathon do NOT want to run extra. I know it sounds funny cause we're already running, but it's tough mentally. Plus, it throws off our times. 

All in all it was a good race. It was tough, but good. My body ached like crazy when I crossed the line. My lower back ached the most. It's been aching a lot for the past 2 months or so. Maybe it's from picking up my pace and tight hamstrings. Maybe it's from the Hashimoto's. I don't know. I'm hoping it's the tight hamstrings. 

The medal was pretty cool. It even doubles as a belt buckle. :) 

We had a great time! I love it! Next race is Provo Half in May. I'm hoping that since it's a canyon run it'll be a breeze. I'd love to beat this half's time. We'll see if I can do that. :) 

My journey with Hashimoto's

I went in for a annual physical last week. They did the normal stuff... checked my weight, height, blood pressure, blood work, etc. A couple days later I get an email saying my blood work results are in. I don't think much of it cause I've never had any problems with anything physically. I've always been the boring patient with nothing to report. I check the results and see

"thyroid is showing low (when the TSH is higher like this is showing, the thyroid is actually low). We need to repeat this and a few other thyroid tests to be sure it is actually low". 

Ok, That's weird... I've never had any problems with blood work before. Everything always come back normal. So, I call them back and see what I need to do to get retested. I go back in and get my blood drawn. Of course while I'm waiting the next few days for results I'm googling everything about low thyroid and what that means. The first few things I read point to Hashimoto's. 

Hashimoto's can be explained HERE and, well, it makes a lot of sense and explains a lot of why I'm tired all the time and lately I've been feeling like I'm about to get sick, but nothing happens. I get the sore tired muscles like I'm sick. I thought it was just the time of year, but no... it was my body. A year or so ago I went in to my OB to get my thyroid levels checked because I was feeling tired and he said it looked normal. 

 We were headed out of town and it just kept nagging at me. I wanted to know what the other results said! 

We get to Oregon and I see that the results are in. 

"this indicates that your body has created antibodies to your thyroid which is why your thyroid is currently on the low side. This indicates your thyroid is slightly low. We should start on low dose replacement,as this may get worse due to the antibodies your body is making against thyroid. We will call in prescription."

Ok, well... I'm in Oregon, a few states away... do I wait until I get home or do I call the Doctor now and find out what this is and what I need to do? He hasn't called me and I'm really wondering. So, I call him up and get the nurse. Ugh... CALL ME BACK!!! I wait and I wait and finally they call me. The doc doesn't sound concerned, says it's Hashimoto's, and makes it sound like I can wait until I get back, but I don't want to wait for the meds. I might as well start them now. I want to have energy again. Yeah, I've been running and training and I feel alright when I do that, but after I'm SOOO drained and before I run it takes everything in me to get out the door and run. 

Well, he ends up sending my prescription to a Target in Oregon and I start my meds right away. The whole time I'm in Oregon I'm noticing every little ache, every tired muscle, every lack of interest in things and I have to tell myself to knock it off. I've lived with this for heaven knows how long and just because I know what it is now doesn't mean that I should let myself become defined by it. 

Jason and Derrick gave me a blessing after I got the official diagnosis and that always helps. It also helped that the friends we were staying, the wife, Missy has something similar and takes the same meds. So, it was really nice to talk to someone about it all. She said the meds would start kicking in around 2 weeks. I can't wait until that happens so I can see if the meds help. 

Another thing that was interesting was how many people came out saying they have thyroid problems when I said I had mine. Why does no one talk about it? Is it that normal? A couple of my cousins have thyroid problems, my aunt, both of my grandmas... I never knew...

So, this is the beginning of my Hashimoto's journey. I'm interested to see how it effects my running and weight loss.

Riverton half

Oh, Riverton.... Such a good race, my first race, but also a pain in the butt race. There are 2 nasty hills on this course. The first at mile 7 and the second at mile 10.5. 

I got to the race about 45 minutes early and NO one was there. The only people were those setting up.

I waited around and ran a little until I found my friend Catherine and then met up with Rendi and London. Rendi was pacing the 2:20 time and London was doing the 2:30. My goal was to stay in front of them the whole time. 

The race started and I kept telling myself that I needed to take it easy the first half so I could push it the second half. The first 4 miles weren't bad. I felt nice and strong then around mile 4.25 we turned and were facing a nasty head wind. I knew I could keep going how I was going even with the headwind, but it was really starting to wear me out and I knew the first big hill was coming up at mile 7. I was determined to run up every hill. 

I saw mile 7 and that big hill. There was this lady with a double stroller who was pushing 2 kids. She tripped me up around mile 3 with the stroller and then I caught up with her at 7. I felt for her having to push the stroller up that hill. It was NOT going to be fun. I pushed up that hill and didn't look up until I reached the top. Hills are tough and I know that I can bust through them if I just don't look. Hahaha! 

You can see the nasty hills and when I stopped to walk for a minute. 

Around mile 8.5 I could feel myself starting to crash so I took a GU that I brought with me and stopped at the aid station and got some Gatorade and water. I was still having a bit of a hard time until this one guy, I don't know who he is, caught up to me at the aid station and stuck with me until the end. I'd walk a little before a hill and then run up it and he'd walk the hills and run after. We cheered each other on to keep going. 

I knew when we got to Redwood road that we were really close. 1.10 miles to go.... or so I thought. After Redwood we used to turn down the main road to the park and be done, but noooooo.... This year they added on some more turns. You run right back that main road, see the finish, and still have to keep going. I ended up going .17 over because of that dumb turn. Talk about getting in your head. I kept wanting to stop, but we were so close and the guy kept saying not to quit. We finally turned onto that main road and I just started booking it. I finished that last .27 fast and strong. 

I was so done and so happy to be out of that headwind. I finished in 2.18.31. (2.17.06 at 13.1) I did good and met my goal of staying in front of Rendi and London and getting a new course PR. I even shaved 30 minutes off last year's time. AND I'm 25 lbs less and a lot stronger. :)

My next race is Salt Lake Half, I'm excited to see how that one goes. One thing for sure is I'm going to drink more. I think I got dehydrated this race. 

Intervals: 3 miles at an 8:48 pace

Today on my training plan I had 10-20 min warm up 3 x 1600 (1 min RI) 10 min cool down. I was really nervous about this run. I've never hit an 8 minute mile unless it was down a canyon or that one time I tried to do it at the lake. At the lake I got it done in 8:51 and that was in July of last year. Today, I was aiming to get each 1600/mile done in 8:48. I didn't know if I could do that 3 times in a row!

Well, the warm up mile was 10:32. Tempo mile 1 was 8:29! Then mile 2 was 8:32 and mile 3 was 8:32!!!! I stopped once for a 5 second breather halfway through mile 2 and 3. But still! How awesome! I am feeling so much stronger. I was hitting that pace without feeling like I was killing myself. I LOVE that I am feeling faster and stronger.