Chug-along-chica!

2 miles outside at night. 10:24 and 11:12

What a break!  It actually started raining on me during this run.  Somebody up there must love me (and not want me to die of heat stroke).  This is probably the first time I've seen it rain in the last 2-3 months.   I had to stop because of a blister on my ankle (this comes from running in soaked shoes) but I felt good enough to do more otherwise--actually I had planned on doing 3 tonight.  So I'll do 3 tomorrow, then a TEMPO 2 mile on Wednesday.  That'll be exciting.   Hopefully I'll be doing a 2 mile tempo every Wed. from now on.  Let's hope I can see progress. . . Maybe I should run this first one really slow, so that I'll be SURE to see progress.  Just kidding. 

I'm excited.

This was supposed to have been my run from yesterday.  It's been one loooooooooooong Tuesday, because *blush blush blush* I never went to sleep last night.  I stayed up ALL night reading this absolutely delicious book. 550 pages in one sitting.  Although this is probably the most irresponsible thing I've done all year, I am having a hard time summoning up remorse.  I really enjoyed reading all those hours by myself with no little boys climbing on me.  Best sleepless night ever. . . now if only there'd been bon-bons.  Just kidding!  Anyway, I didn't want to do my tempo run on absolutely zero sleep, so I'll do it tomorrow.  I'll be super happy if I am able to keep it around 9-9:15 pace for 2 miles.  Especially in this heat!  Let's take off a minute per mile for 100 degree weather, shall we?

2 miles tonight outside.  Felt rather sluggish (believe it or not!)  About 10:40 pace.

*Sniff sniff*  Feel free to chastise me.  Accountability, it's a killer!

Well, a number of good things to report today. 

First, I made up 2.5 hours towards my sleep debt last night.  That's good.  I read an article on sleep that says that your body accumulates a sleep debt over time, and it keeps track of the debt for a long time!  I should be able to make up for Tuesday's indiscretion in 2 or 3 more nights of increased sleep.  Just think about it: those of you who get by on 6 1/2  hours a night instead of 8 every night have about the same sleep debt as a person who stays up all night once a week. 

Second, I went to WW today, finally, and GOOD NEWS!  I haven't gained any weight (after 1 1/2 months of not going to meetings) so I didn't have to pay any extra dough, since I am technically at goal weight.  (I set it high so I could stop paying sooner--after you've been at goal 6 weeks, it's all free, unless you get 2 lbs. above goal weight.  I'd still like to loose a few more pounds.)

Third, I had a great run tonight.  Temp was 104.  Slight breeze.

Warm-up .67 miles at 11:20 pace.  2 mile tempo run at exactly 9:00 min. pace on average.  First mile at 8:49, second at 9:11.   Cool down .44 at 12:40 pace (this was the hardest part of the run, I wanted to stop so bad and just lay down on the pavement.)  HHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRAYYYYYY!!!!!  I'm so excited.  I had set my goal to try to beat 9:15 pace on average.  I had serious doubts as to whether I could do it.  There were several times in the run when I thought I should just stop and try again another night, but then I would look down at the garmin and I was going 8:20 or something, so I would just slow down a little bit--anything's better than stopping.  As I was finishing, I had no idea whether or not I met my goal.  I had to look at the garmin report.  I am stunned--at this temperature, with no competition, still trying to catch up on sleep.  YEA!  I hope I can beat this next week.

2 miles outside at 10:19 pace.    Felt a little brisk.

I ran 1.5 miles (10:25 pace) to go pick up my car from the oil change place around 1 pm.  I was intending to run another 1.5 in the evening, but it didn't happen. This was the first time I've run in the sun in a long time.  It was hot, but I also felt kinda shy because I was running along these really busy roads.  I hate it when people watch me run.  Left over stuff from high school, I guess.  I always feel like they are watching me and thinking that I am so slow!  But logically, it is much more likely that people are either thinking "man, I really need to start exercising again like this girl" or "what kind of crazy person would be running in the middle of the day in Mesa in July?"   They have a point there.