THOU SHALT BE A COMEBACK

8:32 AP.  88 degrees.  59% humidity.  No worries, it was a great run.  Why you say?  Because I was reunited with my running friend EDDY!!!  Coming back from injury as well, we are both well enough to run together.  

Too busy to run yesterday.  4 in this hot humid morning at 7:59 AP.  Ran easy except for a few surges of 10K pace.  I'm doing a 10K tomorrow morning.  Should be hot and humid, and big.  The River Run kicks off our Wichita riverfest and is usually at least several thousand in the 10K.

Yuck.  Jogged one mile to the starting line, passing a bank sign that said 81 degrees.  Lined up, by mile 2 had pretty much given up.  I felt terrible.  I just tried to keep moving at a steady pace and called it good.  One mile jog to cool down.  I ran this nearly 3 minutes faster last year.  I was also in shape and 14 flippin pounds skinnier.  I am trying to be patient.  In my fantasy world, I would come back from injury to former level of fitness quickly but it isn't working that way.  Back to base mileage and working on that weight.  I'm determined now, what a reality check.  Walked right by the post-race food, ate small portions at lunch, drank lots of water.  I'm serious about it this time.  Oh yeah, and no more beer after the kids go to bed at night.  

8:36 AP.  82 degrees. 49% humidity.  I ran shirtless and carrying my water bottle.  Psycho Wyco is coming.  Off to enjoy my carnation instant breakfast and lots of water, along with my iron and vitamin D supplement.  10 pounds by PW.   I'm doing it.

2:15 pm.  100 degrees.  8:40 pace.  Brutal.

Hill work at the downtown Y over lunch. Warmed up 2 miles slow 8:41 to 8:34 pace.  Ran uphill at 12% grade for two miles.  I had to stop and power walk a few times to re-group a bit, then set the mill at -2% and ran 2.1 miles starting at 6:49 pace and working down to 5:52 pace.  cooled down .9 easy to make 7 miles.  Nice, sweaty workout.

9:12 AP.

pm. 1 mile with Nick, 1 mile with Ian, 10 minutes abs

8:43 AP.  Early morning recovery run.  By 5am it was 79 degrees and 52% humidity.  I plodded along at a gentle 9:30 sleep-run pace until the last few miles when I had to get it going on to get home on time.

pm. 1 with Nick. 1 with Ian. .25 with Vanessa

day off tomorrow.

16.9 miles in one hour on the recumbent bike at the Y.  Yeah yeah it's may day off but I need to burn some calories so I did.

I won't be running until late tonight but I'm just going to post that I dared to weigh this morning after a week of determined discipline.  113, down from 118.  Only 5 pounds from decent, only 9 pounds from ideal race weight.  Yes!!!

update: there won't be any running at all today.  my sister is pre-eclamptic and they are taking baby Maya at 35 weeks today.  Getting in the car and driving to Houston shortly. 

8:28 AP.  Hermann park across the street from the hospital.  It was hot hot hot and a little miserable but I found the fountains and every 1.5 miles or so looped through and plowed through a crowd of four-year-olds to get wet.  My tiny niece is 4 lb 15 oz but healthy! 

8:12 AP.  A little cooler running at 8am but humid.  Off to go preemie clothes and diaper shopping to clothe Maya! 

Quick morning run before heading home.  Today I felt decent on a run for the first time all week so did 10 x 1 minute pickups at 6:22-6:35 pace with one minute jogs.

Strength workout on the mill.  2 mile warm-up at 8:34 pace.  2 miles at 12% incline at 12:00 pace although I took 2 brief power hiking breaks and slowed it to 15:00 pace for those.  3 miles at -2% at 6:40 pace, then 1 mile cool down starting at 8:34 pace but speeding it up somewhat.

8:49 AP overall.  Sweatfest.  Highlight of the workout: running friend walking by remarks that I appear to have lost some weight.  Thanks!

am:  6.22 @7:47 AP, starting at 9:00 pace and ending up under 7.  It was in the 60s this morning so I felt frisky.  Hoping for a run at a true recovery pace later on today.  Surprisingly, I am not sore from yesterday.

pm:  5 at 9:29 AP. first 3 with David, who decided to start running again!!!

lunch:  6 on the tready at 8:22 AP next to Adam, last .4 at 6:30 pace or faster to "race" to the end because we are dorks.  2 miles upstairs on the indoor track with April about 7:00 pace.

pm.  1 mile with Nick, 1 with Ian, .2 with Vanessa, 2 by myself

8:01 AP.  From the downtown Y along the river.  Felt good!  But, the story of the day, I got to meet fellow blogger Tracy and family!  We hooked up at dinner(which was good), quickly confiscated steak knives from the kids before a sword fight ensued, had a good laugh over internet friendship, and things clicked from there out.  The kids were all getting along and it was a good time. We hit a local playground and then topped the evening off with ice cream.  Unfortunately, Kansas decided to show off some thunderstorm action and we went driving straight into some nasty hail and wind and I know Tracy and family got hit in town.  We drove through most of it but ended up pulling under an overpass for about 10 minutes after the radio started talking about an area of rotation nearby and the second set of hail was starting to hit the windshield.  After that it was just rain getting home and then we popped out of all the storms and made it safe.  

8:10 AP.  First super long run since the injury.  It felt pretty great!  Met up with Eddy at the GoRun store, ran to Sedgwick County Park, ran 3 outer loops and saw a ton of GoRun people so lots of waving and hollering, and ran back to the store.  I practiced carrying my water bottle the whole time and it felt pretty comfortable in my right hand the whole time... balances out the Garmin on my left.  Legs held up fine, I think Psycho Wyco will be okay.  Having water always available made the heat and humidity much more tolerable!

9:00 AP.  4:30 am, and it was already 83 degrees, 53% humidity, and 30mph south wind.  Love Kansas, really.  Ran easy and hopefully my legs will be fresh for some incline/decline work tomorrow.

lunchtime:  on the mill at the Y

1 mile warm up 8:34

2 miles up 12:00 pace on 12% grade--ran the whole way, no power hike breaks at 4mph for the first time

4.25 miles down -2%, 6:40, 6:40, 6:31, 6:18, .25 5:56, actually the last .5 miles I increased to 5:56 pace, then .75 slow cool down.

Felt GOOD.  Today was one of those days where everything was easy.

8:30 AP.  93 degrees.  I ran with the water bottle--it helped and I must be getting used to the heat because I took the kids to the track so they could play in the "sandbox" while I ran laps on the track and I never felt overheated or miserable.  Ran easy while the kids buried each other--had to stop once to take Vanessa for a potty break behind the bleachers.  I'm glad nobody drove by right then.  I am going back to EMS and have to take the physical tomorrow. The lifting requirements are pretty tough so I hope I am still strong.

8:06 AP.  I had to take the physical and Arcon today to get back to my EMS job...I miss the ambulance that much. I am going to work EMS part time and nursing part time but probably eventually go full time EMS, part time nursing.  Anywho, the Arcon is a strength and lifting test and the standards are very difficult to pass for a petite female and I won't know for a few days.  I did bust a gut and try hard because that is the only way.  The EMS requirements are the highest...higher than law enforcement, construction, machinists, everyone.  Afterwards I was all sweaty and went for a run.  I meant to only go 8 miles but missed my bridge and had to run further to the next one and cross over the river. Did my traditional one block sprint at the end to the Y at 4:34 pace.

8:39 AP.  Hot lunch run, but as long as I run with a water bottle I'm getting pretty comfortable with it.  Ran very gently from the downtown Y and spent some time on the grass and trails in Oak Park. My back and butt muscles are sore from the test yesterday, but overextending myself is, unfortunately, the only way to meet standards.  Deadlifting 200 is not easy at 5'1" and 110, nor is consecutively adding weight to a box and putting it on the floor and then on a shelf over your head again and again, adding 10 pounds each time.  Minimum to pass is to heave it onto the shelf at 50 pounds of weight 4 times in rapid succession without your heart rate going over 150.  That's almost have my body weight.  Yes, I weighed in at 110 today and I am happy about it!!! I am feeling fitter and lighter and it is easier to run fast.  6 more pounds to go as long as I feel good and strong.

8:11 AP.  78 degrees, 20mph south wind, 71% humidity.  I'm on call this weekend and have to carry my work phone, and can't stray far from my car, but I rarely get calls between 5:30am and 7:30 am, sooooo, I got up at 4:30, drank half a cup of coffee, and I was off running loops near my house.  I awkwardly toted my palm pilot/work phone, headlamp, pen, paper, and water bottle.  I should've ate something because I was running on fumes and felt dead-legged.  I just told myself to run as slow as I needed and get it done.  It's done. Phew. 

8:05 AP. It was very humid, but only 80 degrees and overcast, so much cooler then it has been and it felt good.  Ran nice and easy from the downtown Y along the river and back.  Today my one block sprint was 4:12 pace per Garmin.

6:57 AP.  Treadmill at the downtown Y over lunch.  Rolling hills workout. 1 mile warm-up 8:34.  1 mile UP 4% grade 7:30.  2 miles DOWN -2% grade 6:31, 6:27, 1 mile UP 4% grade 7:30. 2.5 miles DOWN 6:27, 6:18, 6:18, flattened out to 0% and ran 6:35 pace 1.13 miles until the treadmill shut down at the one hour mark.  Felt totally awesome and strong throughout, completely under control aerobically.

8:58 AP.  Out of bed at 4:15 for some coffee and a leisurely recovery run.  I am making my trip to the bank and not burning the check, as Sasha would say.  No aches or pains from yesterday's workout.  Thinking about a 4 mile race on  Monday in lieu of the weekly hill workout.  Thoughts?

8:13 AP.  4:30am.  79 degrees, 63% humidity.  Had to get it done early before another crazy day at work.