Getting back to Boston

Decided to start training for CIM tonight, using the Hudson masters plan, at least for now. First workout was 6 easy. Actually set the Garmin to show HR, which I'v never done before, and tried to keep it in the 130s. For the most part, I succeeded, and the AHR was 138. At this level of fitness and temperature (mid-80s at the start), 130s equaled ~10:00 pace, and that's what I ran. Turned out to be a lot better run than yesterday's 5, maybe because I kept the pace slower, even though it was a lot warmer tonight than at 8 a.m. yesterday.

Day off tomorrow, except for core work, than an easy run on Tuesday. Hopefully I also get some word on start date of the job tomorrow; I'm getting antsy/bored/depressed as well as broke.

Stilll not planning to run tonight, as the schedule calls for core work, but wanted to get some stuff off my chest, so to speak.

Yesterday was a bad day for me psychologically, as bad as I've had in a while. Tyler has been staying with his mom for several days, and I'm not really sure if or when he's coming back. I think his presence has been a crutch for me, and without him I have to face some issues. I can't blame him for wanting some time with  his mom; I'm surprised that he hasn't spent more time down there this summer.  He came back for an hour or so yesterday, but only to pick up some things, and I took that hard. So here I was this weekend, alone, bored, depressed, too broke to do anything, no focus to my life, and I was really miserable.

I know I have to get used to being without Tyler, because he'll be back in school in five weeks anyway, and I'll be moving to Fort Smith at some point. The job will start soon; with any luck, next week, if not on the 1st. I go to Phoenix on the 26th anyway, so I'll have that. And it just so happened that yesterday marked 20 weeks to CIM, so the start of my 20-week training gives me something to focus on other than my plight. I really do feel a lot better about things this morning than I did over the weekend. And if I get word that I can start work next week, so much the better; that will ease a lot of other worries. Hopefully I can get together with Pam and her attorney this week and get the divorce agreement settled, which will take another load off my mind.

I think, though, a lot of my improved mood has to do with starting training last night. I now have a goal, a distraction, something to focus on. The job isn't a goal; I know it's going to happen, I'm just impatient for it to start. Now I have the goal of Sacramento. I still have to get through the summer heat, starting the job, the trip to AZ, finding a place to live and moving, and training will have to be fit in around those things, but I can handle that.

Day 3 of the plan. Four easy miles with hill sprints, which I did today on the hill on Fleming going up into the park. Again watched my HR which was lower than Sunday night, even though I was running a little faster. Probably because it was about 10 degrees cooler today than Sunday night, but also could be because I was well-rested and much less stressed out. Mebbe a little of both. I'll continue to watch and compare that.

Did my core work yesterday. Except for a little torture session called "staff," which is holding the pushup position with your elbow bent alongide the torso and chest just off the ground, nothing I hadn't done before. Staff killed my deltoids, which I don't think is what it's designed to work, but I could be wrong.

I'm doing a little online coaching for an RWOL forumite named Janie, who IIRC is getting back into running after time off to have a baby. Not sure why she needs help, since she's run a sub-1:30 half and I believe has run Boston before. She had hired a coach but fired him because he wasn't giving her the feedback she wanted. I told her I'd help, and it'd be worth what she pays for it -- nothing. She's also planning to run CIM, so I'll get a chance to see firsthand if my coaching did any good.

Fartlek run this morning, 6 X 30 seconds at what was supposed to be 10K-3K pace out of a 5-mile run. I think actually I went a little faster than that. Paces for the surges were 6:23, 5:56, 6:39, 5:56, 6:03, 5:43. Totaled a half-mile for the six surges, so that tells you it was right at a 6:00 average. My VDOT numbers would suggest about a 6:42 pace for 3K. Then I came home and took a good long nap. Feeling pretty good right now. I might even do a double this afternoon.

No double on Thursday. No run on Friday either. So I got up at dawn today and did 6, up Stultz and Robbins to Wagon Wheel, then back down Silent Grove. The pump station was particularly pungent. The early start meant I had shade, even though there were zero clouds, so that was good, and it was in the high 70s. I didn't have a whole lot of energy (shoulda had those Pop-tarts), but I persisted and wound up with a 9:44 average. AHR was 140, pretty close to goal. I'd call it on OK run, not great. I don't think there are any great runs in July.

Trying to decide my schedule for next week, what with the trip to Arizona. I'll plan to get back on Hudson's schedule tomorrow and do 7. Probably a short run Monday morning before going to the airport. Have some free time Tuesday, so I'll run along the canal in Phoenix at dawn. Might skip Wednesday due to early start of class, or maybe run on the dreadmill in the evening, then run Thursday night after I get back. I'm porbably too OCD to stick with the three-day Hudson schedule, even as the mileage for the three starts to build. I feel like I need more mileage than that, although I'll plan for more rest days than I have done in prior cycles.