I Probably Should Make My Blog Public again

I got in a run.  It was steamy today.  Almost 90.  I took it easy.

I then did 20 min. of yoga.  I taught this morning and I have a class tonight, so I'm glad my not waking up this morning didn't ruin my chances to work out.

I did 3 miles tempo (8:15 pace avg) and then I did an interrupted run for the next 2 miles--ran hard 5 minutes and then did a set of crunches and oblique crunches before running another hard 5 minutes.  I ended up doing 3 faster sections (so 4 sets of ab work) before cooling down.  On my cool down I didn't much pay attention to pace, but it was at a moderate pace.

Average pace:  8:09 (I stopped my watch on the interruptions).

My stomach was icky all day.  

Finally, after dinner I decided that I needed to earn a shower.  I went running basically around the block (a mile to a certain point and then backwards along the same route) so that I would never be too far away from the house in case I needed to go to the bathroom (TMI?).  When I finished 2 miles I thought just 2 was a waste of time, so I went out on one more loop.  I finished just in time.

I really hate this fast/slow set up that I chose when I started this blog.  I never know how to define fast, but I look at it as not slow.

I ran to Walmart and back the same way.  Mile 4 was mostly uphill and mile 5 was mostly downhill.  I averaged 9 min pace for the first 7 miles and then ran 1 mile at 8:15 pace just to push it a little.  My ipod was not cooperating and was spitting out slow song after slow song.  Then, just as I finished, a Prince song came on.  Poop.

Then I lifted.

 Okay, I should have probably blogged about this before so if it happens again I will know that it is just something that happens, but (sorry for the rant)

All through the winter I was pretty steady at 148 (give or take a pound).  About a month ago (right when I had my concussion) my weight shot up to about 152.  I thought it was because I didn't run that week.  Then the next week I thought it was because I was getting my period.  Then the next week I thought it was because I started lifting right after my concussion.  And now I just don't know what it is, but it sure is pissing me off.  I'm at 151 today.  Does anyone else gain weight when it starts getting hot out?  Nothing else has changed--except I'm running a little more.  BUT I AM EATING THE SAME AS I ALWAYS DO!! 

Okay.  Now I feel better.  I'm pretty sure this is a pattern (which is why I'm blogging about it, so I can make sure next year) so I'll just have to get over it.  But really, who wants to be fatter in the summer than in the winter?

An easy 4 miles.  The first .4 and the last .4 were really slow because I jogged with a kid in the jogging stroller and a kid on a bike.  And don't think that kid on the bike was fast.  He was complaining because I was running ahead of him and he got frustrated because he couldn't keep up.  On the way back he was a little better because I told him that I'd wait for him at each corner.

When I was running myself (after I dropped the kids off at SIL's) I ran nice and easy.  The last 1/2 mile I started off racing a girl on a scooter (no eye contact was made, but she brought it, so it was on.  I creamed her) and then kept up the fast pace till I got back to SIL's.

Guessing on the fast miles.  I did a ladder.  started with 4 min hard (after a small warm up) and then went down to 1 and back up.  It was ridiculously hot.  I can't even believe that the computer says it was only 76 degrees.  It felt like it was 90.  Humidity was at 49%, though, and it was sunny.  After the first 2 hard portions I walked a bit of each of my recovery times.  Then I stopped at the house after 4 miles to hydrate.  I carried my water with me the rest of the way.  My cool down was the last 1.5 miles.  My average pace was just slightly over 9 minutes, which is pretty impressive considering how hot it felt AND considering I walked a bit throughout the run.

I accidentally set my alarm for 4:30 instead of 5:30.  I groggily turned the alarm off, so I punished myself by running in the afternoon in hot, windy, humid, and sunny conditions (81 degrees, wind in gusts of 18-24 mph, 70% humidity).  I wanted to do some tempo running once I ran a couple miles, but I just couldn't get my pace where I wanted it.

First 2.1 miles averaged 8:45 pace (but the first 1.1 miles were more like 9-9:15 pace).  Then in my tempo portion, I ran 7:09 and 7:37.  Both too fast (I was shooting for just under 8).  I don't know why I had such trouble hitting the pace because both felt too fast.  Like, they felt really bad.

Then I cooled down (but I really didn't cool down--it was icky) at 9:15 pace.

An easy run to the track (2.25) and then one fast mile on the track (7:25) that felt incredibly comfortable and then the rest was nice and easy.

Going out I knew I just wanted a slow run, but I wasn't sure the distance.  It was a lot hotter than last night; it was 81 degrees with a humidity of 59% when I started, but humidity climbed to 65% and temp dropped a couple degrees by the time I finished.  So I just went by what I could do.  I did my usual 6.25 mile route, and felt okay, so I added a mile before coming back home.  Average pace:  just over 9 min.

My back is bothering me lately (probably a combo of increased mileage and picking up Eli) so after 4 miles I stopped to stretch out my back.  I was laying flat on my back and a car stopped and asked me if I was okay.  That was sweet, but also kinda embarrassing.

I had a lot to think about on this run.  First and foremost was that I forgot to let my SIL's dog out on Monday, and even though I apologized profusely and he didn't have an accident, my SIL is really mad.  My husband thinks I should apologize again.  Then when I was thinking about how guilty I feel about forgetting in the first place, I realized I was going slower, so I thought about the info I am covering in the classes I'm taking.  They are all about leadership style and whatnot.  Interesting.  I had to take a whole bunch of quizzes to figure out my leadership style, and apparently I believe people are mostly lazy and a leader has to threaten them to make them do work (I don't actually believe that).  But at least the quizzes make me think.

Remember when my principal (in not these exact words) told me he would never hire me as dean?  Well today he brought me in his office and told me that they weren't hiring a new dean for next year, but they were keeping the position as a possibility and I should hurry up and finish my degree, and then asked, "You understand what I'm telling you?"  Talk about mixed signals.

A nice run on a nice evening.  It was rather windy, but a lot cooler than it's been recently.  

The track is on my 4 mile route, so I started the route and stopped after a bit less than 2 miles at the track.  I stretched well, concentrating mostly on working the kinks out of my lower back.  It feels a little better, but it still sore.  So are my hips, so I made sure to stretch my hip flexors and ITB better than I have been later.

Then I did 400 intervals for 3 miles (6x400 fast with another 400 after each effort).  I was shooting for 1:49 on each.  My times were 1:40, 1:49, 1:50, 1:48, 1:44, 1:45.  After I finished my 3 miles on the track I went the rest of my route home.  It is gearing up to storm, so it was getting windier towards the end of the run.  It felt good, even though it made me slower.

2 miles with a crabby kid on a bike and another in the jogging stroller.  We stopped at a couple parks along the way.  It was not much of a run.

As soon as I started my warm up, I threw all expectations for this race out the window.  I have never run this trail before and I ran my warm up with a school parent.  I had already done a bit on my own, but we ran 2 miles along the trail. 

You know that a race is going to be interesting when the explanations of the trail along certain miles call them "butt kickers" (except they used the other term).  I knew from running along the first mile of the trail that it was rough.

I started off too slow--I was running with a school friend and I didn't know her pace.  After about 1/2 mile I said my goodbyes and sped up a little bit.  But even at a good effort, the trail kept my pace in check.  Lots of rough terrain, mud, hills, etc.  But it was a great time.  The trails were narrow, but I was still able to do a lot of passing and was only passed twice.

The last 1.5 miles was flat and open, so I was able to go faster.  At the end I kicked it because I had just passed a couple of women and I didn't want to be overtaken by anyone.  It was a good workout and now that I know the conditions a bit better, I'll have expectations for next year.

Just an easy 4 miles.  My knees must've taken a beating yesterday on all the hills.  Today I could feel it in my left knee particularly, even on just slight rises.  Other than that, the run was pleasant.  It is cooling off a little tonight.

I've also decided that my body is just used to night running.  I'm going to be changing up this week because my husband's last day is tomorrow.  So we'll see how long it takes me to adjust OR how long it takes me just to go back to my preferred nights.

Ideally I would have liked to run a few more miles, but this was a bonus run.  I wasn't sure I was even going to get in a run, but my hubby just went to work until about 10:30.  I was able to get in 5 miles before my niece, nephew and SIL came over.

Not sure really how many miles I did, but it was close enough to 7.  

I had XC conditioning today at 7.  I got to the meeting place 1/2 hour early to get in a couple miles before.  It was raining and I was wondering what the turnout was going to be.  Ran 2 miles in the rain.  I felt stiff on the first, but my second felt better and was faster by about 30 secs.

I came back to the meeting place with 10 minutes to spare and started worrying that no one was going to show.  But kids (and my assistant) started showing up within 5 minutes.  We had two groups, a fast one and a slow one.  I let my assistant take the fast group.  The slow group was a little slower than me.

Ran Kaufman route and went a little more than 2x around the lake.  We then went up to the entrance by the stoplight instead of heading straight in and took advantage of the downhill by the softball fields.  It was approximately 5 miles.  By the time we were actually in Parkland, the group had splintered and I was running with Clare.  She said she felt like she wanted to throw up, but still stayed with me.  I think she'll be a decent runner this year. 

By the way, I just want to highlight the fact that it was raining this whole run.  It was pretty cool, but the rain wasn't ridiculously hard.  Just constant.

Too lazy to map this run.  I'm just guessing on the distance based on the time I was out and the effort I was putting into this.  It was an easy pace in perfect running weather.  I got off to a late start because of area thunderstorms and then I was told I had an hour--no more--to run.  I was a minute over :)  

Weather was perfect.  It was dripping a bit, but not really raining, and it was nice and cool.  I wore a new sports bra that I got from Target.  I wasn't sure about it, but it was comfortable to run in.

You'll be happy to know, dear blog community, that when I weighed myself at my mom's house, I was 148.2.  I haven't been gaining weight mysteriously.  My scale at home was just conspiring against me.  Suddenly I feel skinny--I'm still 148 after eating Flat Top on Tuesday night (love the food, hate the price, but it was my birthday dinner) and eating Papa Murphy's pizza yesterday.  I'm now going to throw out my scale when I get home, or at the very least give it a stern talking to.

My mom wasn't happy to hear the news, as she has been gaining weight according to her own scale and she was hoping it was wrong.

When it wasn't raining, it was over 90 degrees...

Yesterday's rain meant my husband had to finish his work starting early this morning, so I did a night run.  I tried to wait as late as possible so it was a little cooler today.  We hit 90 again today, but it was cooling off when I started running at 7.  

82 degrees and 84% humidity.

Note to self:  If you seriously want to run in the morning, get out earlier.  It is no cooler at 9 in the morning than it is be at 3 in the afternoon.  And if you do dawdle, do yourself a favor and run in the evening.

I ran at 6:30.  It was 82, but felt like 89, according to the weather channel (83% humidity).  Supposedly it's supposed to be over 100 today.

Note to self:  it isn't much cooler at 6 than it is at 9. You're better running in the evenings, unless you want to get up at 4:30 and be done before the sun rises.

It was icky.

I waited until the last possible moment to run today.  The heat advisory expired at 7 p.m. and I waited an hour before starting.  The first 3 miles were slow, but once the sun went down it was actually pretty nice and I was able to run a bit faster.  I even got in one more mile than I had planned to do.  

The only bad thing was that I couldn't fall asleep then, which would normally be a huge problem, but I had plans to run starting at 6:30 the next morning.

Started at 6:30 and did 2.4 or 2.5 before the kids came.  Don't know which but I'm logging it as 2.4.  Then I ran 5 with a group of girls with the last 10 minutes at a moderate pace.

It was MUCH cooler today than it was Tuesday, but still humid.

Run was split up a bit.  I got to the park early, ran 2  miles by myself, ran 1 mile with another kid, and then ran 3 ish with one of my slower girls.  Then I ran about 1/2 mile back to my car.  

Class today and family is gone.  I don't know why I didn't go longer than 4 miles, but I enjoyed the easy run.

I got off to a late start today because I let my hubby go to the farm since he was with the kids all weekend.  It was almost dark when I started and I really wasn't in the mood.  I ran an easy 1, a hard one and alternated only for 4 miles.  It was perfect running weather.  The heat wave has broken, at least for the time being.

Ran with some of the girls.  Did a fartlek, even though I'm logging all this as slow.  It was a good workout.  I didn't get there early to get in a few miles because I pressed the snooze.

Now I'm in St. Louis with a friend.  I'm not sure I'll run today, but I might try to squeeze in at least a couple miles tonight.  We'll see.