catherine's running efforts

I was kind of dreading the run this morning because I was so tired on Saturday, but it went fine and I was really glad I did it. Sometimes I forget that I like running. 

Today we finished the Baltimore part of the trip (every time we passed Eutaw street I thought of Nan), and from tonight until Thursday night we're nearby Philadelphia. It's kind of depressing that the trip's only half over; I feel like I've been gone for forever. 

We don't have interviews until later this afternoon, so I slept in a little bit and then went down to the less-nice "fitness center" (really a treadmill and elliptical and two bikes and a TV in a regular hotel room) for my five miles. I really did think about going outside, especially since Valley Forge is four miles away and I thought it would make a nice out-and-back, but it was 32 degrees and all I had was shorts and a little jacket. Maybe I would have gone if I had remembered my hat and gloves. Maybe not. Anyway, 8:34 for all, and mile 4 was with the incline set at 2.0. 

Three more nights!

Long day. 3 in the morning, 2 in the evening. 

Tired from today and yesterday. Could only muster up enough energy/desire for 1 mile. But home tomorrow!

I thought I'd go out for five in the morning and five in the afternoon to make up for being too tired to run after I got home yesterday, but I think I'm just going to stick with with the six I did this morning (8:34 for all) and not beat myself up about getting so wiped out from the trip. I'm *so* glad I'm back. 

I had today off to make up for having to work through last weekend, so I did 1.5 in the morning to the end of Big, and then 3.5 before picking Eric up from school in the evening. It was a great day - I got a lot done around the house and felt pretty productive even though I didn't do any "work" work. And now there are only four days until the weekend. 

I was reminded yesterday that if I wait until I get home after 6:00 or 7:00 I'll be too tired to go to the gym, so I dragged myself out of bed this morning for a quick 3 miles in the Cardio Cinema (The Notebook) before Eric drove me to the bus, with hopes for 2 or 3 more before Eric and I try a spin class this evening (maybe too optimistic, but we'll see). 8:34 for the first 2.25, then 8:00 for the last .75ish, and the incline set at 1.0 for the last 1.5. 

PM: One mile before the spin class (8:00), and one mile after (8:34). You know the sign at the door that says no saving seats? Yeah, that's not true. But Eric and I got the last two bikes when we showed up 10 minutes early (also like the sign said), so who cares if we didn't get to sit next to each other? (I do.) Anyway, the first half of the class was probably the hardest workout I've had in a lot of years. For the second half, I either stopped trying as hard or it got easier. I decided that running + spin class every day would probably give me the body I want. And I decided that right now I don't want it that much. :) But Eric and I are thinking that maybe we'll try the class once a week. 

I accidentally slept through my 6:15 alarm and so didn't wake up until Eric came home from the gym at about 6:45. I was going to drive anyway, so no big deal there, but then I decided that I wanted to drive Eric to school so I didn't have time to make it to the gym. Yes, it's true - I ran outside. It was kind of invigorating. My Garmin didn't pick up the satellites the whole time I was out, though, so I just tried to go at an easy but not too slow pace (ended up being about 8:37). Hopefully I'll have enough energy when I come home to get three more miles at the gym. 

Eric's parents are in town so we had dinner with them last night after work. We didn't get home until 8:30, so (surprise, surprise) I didn't make it to the gym to finish my miles. But I'm working from Provo today, so I had a nice, relaxing time at the gym this morning before a 10:00 phone meeting. Now I'm holed up in the BYU office (in the library) with Tigger on my lap (I snuck him in in a backpack) eating cheese and crackers and listening to people talk about stuff that I hope I'll be interested in by the time my part in the project rolls around. 

I woke up feeling like I wanted to go running for the first time in several days, so I decided to take advantage of the feeling even though it's Sunday. Plus, Eric came with me, so really it was family time. Three miles before we had to get ready for church. 8:17, 7:41, 7:39. 

This week I'm trying a new schedule where I go to the gym at a reasonable morning time (6ish) and get to work later (9ish) and get to spend more time with Eric in the morning. I don't love having to drive the hour each way to/from Salt Lake, but it definitely feels more relaxed. It's a bummer that it's dark by the time I'm driving home, though. Stupid daylight shifting time. 8:34 for the 5 miles on the treadmill to the end of some Adam Sandler movie I'd never seen.

At the Cardio Cinema to the end of The Shadow. It's nice to get there for the last chunk of a movie. 8:34 for all except for 0.5 at 6:58 and 0.25 at 6:00.

I wish we were going to be in an area where there is a Turkey Trot for Thanksgiving. We're going to St. George, and the nearest one I can find is in Toquerville. And it's not a 5k, and it's on a trail. There's one on the 20th there, and one on the 25th in Orem...too bad we'll miss both. I'm excited for the Beat the New Year one, though. If I can stay up that late.

Slower today; just 9:13 for all to the end of Angels and Demons (great treadmill movie). After that was The Twin Towers. I haven't ever made it through an entire Lord of the Rings movie, and after this morning's few minutes I'm still not ready to try again. 

I slept in with Eric this morning, so in the afternoon I took a break from work and ran up through Memory Grove. I was a little overdressed and I didn't want to get too sweaty, so I went pretty slow. It still counts for fat-burning, though, right? 

I had heard that it was going to be in the 60s today, so I went over to Melody's to run her 4-mile loop with her. She's awesome. I know she talks about getting slower, but seriously I hope that someday I can be in as good of shape as she seems to be in right now. I guess that's what happens when you work at something consistently for years. Anyway, the temperature was perfect (I got kind of warm in my jacket and pants), the conversation was fun, and the pace was a little faster than if I would have been by myself but not uncomfortable (8:12 for all). 

I was looking forward to today because I knew I only had to do 4 miles to get 30 for the week. But I just wasn't feeling it as the day went on, and I ran into some GI problems once I got to the gym. Still better than the last two weeks, though, and hopefully next week will be even better. 

At the American Fork gym after signing our new lease. Yay for moving again. But really, yay for only having ~34 more days of living under the loud stupids. 

Nothing at all. Slept until I had to go to work, then slept after we watched a movie together after we arrived in St. George. 

Two miles on the treadmill, three miles with Tigger on the bike path to Eric's grandma's house.

On the treadmill at the hotel. 

On the treadmill at the hotel. 

On the treadmill at the gym with Eric. 

On the treadmill at the gym with Eric, 8:34 for all. Everything he said about this morning was true. I'm thinking about writing a letter. 

Eric had suggested that I stay in bed since I didn't get to sleep right away last night, but I knew that if I didn't go in the morning I wouldn't want to go after work. I had a little less time at the gym because I had to defrost my window and take a bathroom break, but I was still glad to get in 3 miles (pretty much 8:34 for all) before going home to get ready and catch the bus.

PM: I realized on the way home that I had 97 miles for the month, so I thought about doing the Homecoming 5K course to get to 100. But it was super cold and slickery and dark outside, so I went to the gym instead. The first mile was very slow at a 5% incline, and the last two miles were flat at 8:34.