track fan

1:53:13.  Did a long hilly loop in the mountains around my house (52:50/51:00 + 9:22 on some trails) - the last loop was much harder than it looks, not only is the last 20` seriously uphill but a storm is blowing through and it was into a pretty strong headwind ... I was really glad to get to the house!  As a way to describe the difficulty of this last bit, it is a road that is winding up into the mountains where I live, it starts at 45mph at the bottom and then because of the switchbacks as it climbs it slows down to 15mph in front of my house ... it is not really a straight uphill climb, but more of a incline with hills.  Very good training ... but can be challenging mentally.  

I felt much better today, I guess I had not eaten enough on Friday, and it meant that I did not have enough energy yesterday, because I ate much better yesterday (very well in fact) I felt pretty good today.  Dean really was over the top yesterday with his eating -- he ate a huge piece of pecan pie his Mom had sent us (a cute little 6" thing), some fudge, and a big dinner. We never (seriously never) eat things like that so I was pretty surprised watching him - but he still looks like a skinny runner even after being injured for a year now so he deserves to let loose every few years ;-).

I hope you are all having a wonderful day after Christmas.  After a morning of depression trying to list all of the work I lost and have to try to make up this week (not to mention the pain of getting a new drivers license - made worse by the fact that the one I lost was a Utah license so I have to spend all day taking the written and drivers test to get an Arizona license, since I don't have an out-of-state to exchange), I am resigned to working a doubly full week next week so I can recreate 2 weeks worth of paper-writing and programming.   

AM: (11.5, 1:36:38). 32:47wu+strides/29:50cd. 6 x 800 @ 5K effort w/400 recovery.  

3:22, 3:22, 3:24, 3:23, 3:22, 3:24 (2:29 average recovery).  Better than two weeks ago, average was very similar (1 sec faster) but these were much more consistent.  Not any easier though.  I almost didn't do this workout there were some very fast people on the track and I was embarrassed to be out there going so slow ... but I just sucked it up and tried to stay out of their way.  I mean these people were fast -- there was a young woman (wearing an Auburn track and field jersey) running 47 sec 350s and a guy (her boyfriend) running 1/4s.

Pretty tired today, couldn't sleep last night because I was worried about all things I lost from work ... I have a lot to do and I really don't know how I am going to finish it all.

PM: 4 miles easy.

Happy Tuesday bloggers. 

I am conflicted.  I think the person who stole my stuff is listing my phone on Craigslist and I am sorely tempted to try to get it (and maybe my work???) back.  But, I am also afraid to do that ... but they keep listing the phone every day.  It is a rare phone (google nexus one) and I really believe it is my phone ... I could catch them too, because I have the charger and all the accessories.   errrrrrr ... what to do? 

1:04:23.  Recovery run up the mountain ... tons of hunters today ... I did not see them, but I saw their trucks and a hiker (bushwacker) said he came up on some of them and he could see a whole bunch more from their vantage point.  Perfect weather for running, 45F and cloudy.  A big storm is coming though - blizzard conditions up on Mt Lemmon and snow down to 3000ft (our house maybe) ...going to be in the 20s tonight.  I LOVE this stuff (in small doses).  

Happy Hump Day bloggers! 

AM: (9.5 miles, 1:17:50).  Thirds progression run - 28 mins easy then 25` medium-easy and 25` medium-hard ... the last "third" was much harder because it was uphill into a serious headwind.   Sleety-snowy mess -- not the nice puffy snow, but cold, hard, wet, pellet snow.  I was freezing the first 2 miles but then was ok the rest of the way ... glad it is done, but I needed a very hot shower.

PM: 4 miles easy.

Yesterday was my last of  my "errands" to get my "stuff" -- I spent 4.5 hours yesterday at OfficeMax trying to get some of my data off of a old broken hard drive so I can start all over from 3 months ago with respect to 2 of my papers ... I also "replaced" my phone - actually I got a newer model of the phone I  used to have and then Dean and I switched phones, he wanted a lower profile phone to put in his pocket and I like the full keyboard he had on his.  Now I need to spend the next four days working like crazy as the deadlines have not moved just the amount of time I have to finish and REDO stuff has.  

Have a happy day bloggers!! 

1:03:54.  My legs were tired today, I couldn't believe that I made it to the top of the mountain in exactly 33 mins (which means 30:54 back).  I felt like I was really running slow, but apparently I wasn't any slower than usual.  It was in the 20s here last night, but warmed up to 35 by the time I left for my run ... spitting snow again, but not the wet yucky kind today, I little "nicer" (though not the good puffy kind).  

Happy New Years eve bloggers!!!  Enjoy the last of 2010! 

AM: (8 miles, 1:10:07).  Beautiful New Years Day!  38 and sunny ... shorts and gloves, what could be more perfect than that?  I went by my friends Big Boy and CoCo (horses), fed them some carrots and talked to their owner a little -- caught a big break on the way home, 20 mins of a tailwind ... lovely!  

PM: easy 4.  

I am going to splurge and run on the flats tomorrow ...

Back to the salt mine, I am freaked out about my deadlines.

Have a wonderful day bloggers!