Motivated to Succeed

11:00 AM - I woke up late; I think my body telling me it needed a day to sleep in.  With all the running combined with working late and school work it's just getting hard to get a long run in.  Was absolutely frigid outside today so decided against going out there, though now as I write this it's starting to snow and actually looks nice out. 

Total Mileage: 5.25   Total Time:  38:02   Average Pace:  7:14/ Mile!

5:00 PM Today's weather was just plain miserable.  It was freezing rain from 2am to 8am this morning and at 6:30 my college still hadn't cancelled classes (as it only has once in the last five years) so I had to leave and make an hour and 20 minute commute to school.  I'm so close (12 days) to graduation, that it is just becoming a chore.  Plus with the other stuff on my mind, I am finding it really hard to concentrate on running on the treadmill day in and day out.  The roads are so iced over and as they only sand and don't salt, they will be for some time.  Now I remember why I want to move somewhere else! *sigh.  I felt fine, but just couldn't concentrate and still don't have access to a tv facing the treadmill so I stare at a blue wall for mile after mile.  Really depressed. I hate winter.

Total Mileage: only 4.75   Total Time: 32:41   Average Pace: 6:53

Why am I not happy with a 4.75 mile run @ 6:53 pace?  That's awesome for me, and yet I feel unchanged and that oompf I usually feel after the run is gone.  I need to make myself wake up early tomorrow and just try to go for a run outside for time (even if I have to run 9 minute mile pace or something).  I don't like this. Not one bit.

Getting ready to go on the treadmill for a quick run before work.  I ebayed the Forerunner 305 watch and found one for 100 bucks plus shipping and handling that ends tomorrow so hopefully I win it!  My mom said that if I do, she'll buy it for me for my Christmas present since she didn't have anything for me yet! :)!! Yay!

8:00 AM - Ran easy on the treadmill and took the advice and tried to rig up a laptop movie station.  It worked fairly well, though I think a fan blowing in my face would aid in both cooling me off as well as making me feel like I'm running outside. Might try that as well.

Total Mileage:  7.25   Total Time:  54:22   Average Pace:  7:30

5:00 PM - stopped by the hospital at 4 and Dad still wasn't in surgery yet despite a 1:00 time slot.  Mom had me pick up the boys pizza and then I came home to watch them as it looks like Mom won't be home until way later. 

Hopped on the treadmill to try and clear my mind.  Put in "Saint Ralph" and had a laugh at just how bogus that movie is, though I guess I learned that with anything a miracle might be possible.

Total Mileage:  6.8    Total Time:  51:00     Average Pace:  7:30 / mile

Does anyone know if you can get in trouble for marking the road with like a 4 inch spray paint line or number for every half mile/mile on a route? Or do they make like "temporary" spray paint or something?

Thanks to everyone for the prayers and support.  My mom just left to go to the hospital down in Albany (hour south of my house) to hopefully get the good news to bring my dad home.  He had surgery for his heart for a defribrilator because they think he has some kind of irregular heartbeat that's congenital.  He had a weak heart valve which they say will need to be repaired in a subsequent surgery sometime in the coming year :-, but the good news is that my dad gets to come home and rest today. Everything went really well and they say that the irregular heartbeat should be fixed.  My dad just disclosed the other night before going to the hospital that it wasnt a "sore achilles" that had kept him from running the last year, but the heart.  I'm just glad it's better now.

So I also updated my blogging to hopefully be more accurate.  Now it includes marathon and vo2 max miles, as opposed to just the easy/fast miles.  I think I need a refresher, because I know the terms but just not the exact qualifiers for each kind of entry.

As far as I know:

Marathon = +1:30 per mile or so from your 5k race pace?

Threshold = steady pace you could hold for an hour but not easy (+45 secs on 5k pace?)

V02 Max = ~90 to 95% maximum sustained effort?

8:00 AM - wanted to get in a run before work today (10am to 7pm :( yuck!).  And, as I have 5 finals next week, I really need to get cracking the books!  It's crazy that I'm graduating a week from Saturday!! Did 6.5 miles

First 4 miles - 30:00   7:30 pace  (this is now I think my "easy" pace) as I do a lot of miles per week at this level. 

Last 2.5 miles - 17:15   6:54 pace (would these now be "threshhold" miles? or marathon?  I know I'm supposedly gunning for ~3 hours in the next marathon, which I think is about this pace, correct? I felt so relaxed running them, but since I have never tried holding that pace for a super long time, I don't know how that would work?)

Total Mileage:  6.5 miles    Total Time:  47:15

7:00 PM - Got home from work finally and got to see my dad.  He looks good and feels alright. He's going to go sleep for a bit more after not getting much rest, understandably yesterday.  Did an easy 2.25 miles and have since adjusted miles for the day based on Michelle's comments.  Really had to struggle hard to hold back.  It's unbelievable to believe that 8:00minute pace feels unbearably slow!  I need to get more consistent in training and schedule it out so I know what I am going to be running each day and at what speed.  I want to set a record or something for the biggest PR possible for the marathon!

Total Evening Mileage: 2.25   Total Time:  18:00   Pace:  8:00 / mile

8:00 AM - Decided to get in a nice run before working on final exam prep.  Plus, since I work 4pm to 12:30 tonight I know it was my only time to get a run in.  Started off easy, with 3.5 miles at about 8:00-8:15 pace.  Trying hard to stay relaxed, though it just felt too slow and my legs were complaining, so I picked up the pace.  Still overall relaxed and comfortable. Ended up doing the last three I believe around 7:25-7:30 pace.  Felt really good and no soreness.  I think today is day number 12 in a row and body still feels great!

Overall Mileage:  6.5    Overall Time:  50:22   Overall Pace:  7:45/mile

1:00 PM - Study break.  Finished one final exam today and decided to go for a quick "easy" run.  Tried hard to hold back and did 2.75 in 21:45; average of 7:54/mile.

Overall Mileage:   2.75   Overall Time:  21:45   Overall Pace:  7:54/mile

9:30 AM - So worked until 12-something last night, came home and crashed.  Had a very scary dream - the second night in a row! I don't know what's wrong with me! Thursday night had a dream about the mob trying to take out a hit on me, and last night had a dream that someone was trying to kill me with carbon dioxide pumping it into the house. Very disconcerting to say the least. I know I'm stressed out and that I miss my Emmy, but can't I please just have dreams of like Olive Garden's never ending pasta bowl or something?! sheesh!  Okay now time to destress and go for a run.  Will be just under 50 miles this week and had like 51 last week so this is getting good! I'm finally prepared to commit to get in shape!

Had a nice run.  Did 4.25 miles easy @ 7:30-7:40 pace, as well as 2.25 miles a little faster (hopefully goal marathon pace) 6:40-7:00.  Felt really great!

Total Mileage: 6.5 miles   Total Time: 47:08    Average Pace: 7:15

Just finished my second of five finals.  These two were take home though.  So I got my Criminal Justice and American Religious History finals out of the way (after ~19 typed pages later!).  Then did my Women in American History take home portion of the final (~9 typed pages).  So I am taking a break and looking at my log and see dang was so close to 50 miles this week.  So how to fix that problem?  MAKE it 50 miles.  Time to hop on the treadmill quick!   I am so looking forward to next Friday.  Only six days until I get to see my sweetie.  She's so absolutely amazing :)  It's so hard for me to concentrate right now during finals week because I know I'm so close to graduation, and also I know that I am so close to being able to wrap my arms around my cutie and finally be happy!!! :-D

4:30 PM - was looking at the mileage for the week and the 48 was bothering me. So I hit the treadmill for another easy 2.  Nice and relaxed.  Did 2 miles in 15:18, or 7:39 per mile :-D! Woot!  I really hope I get to get that long run in tomorrow.

TOMORROW'S GOAL:  Follow the loop from house, down Parkis Mills to Hermance - back roads Grennell and Armer, come out at Rock City Falls, and come back with five and a half miles gradual uphill with total elevation gain last 5.5 of 430 feet.  Total course loop is 13.61 miles.  So will hit the Half and then cruise it on back home the last half mile.  Let's hope the weather allows me to get out there!