I Probably Should Make My Blog Public again

I had another little hiccup in my running this week.  On Friday I went to pick up my kids at the baby-sitter and Caleb was puking all over the place, so I didn't run.  And then Saturday I spent much of the day in the emergency room with Eli, who scared us all by having a seizure.  Luckily these seizures are common and are caused by a rapid increase in temperature, but I didn't know that when I was riding in the front seat of the ambulance, listening to the siren going and watching the odometer climb AND watching my baby convulsing in the back.  It was scary, but I am so thankful that this was not as bad as I first feared.

So at any rate, I was emotionally drained this weekend and I finally got up some motivation to run in the early afternoon.  I started off fast and maintained that for 3 miles.  Then all of a sudden, right around mile 3, I just wanted to quit.  I was slightly under 8 min. pace and I just wanted to start walking.  So I stopped to stretch and give myself a mental pep talk.

Part of the reason why I just wanted to quit was a silly reason:  I was wearing a skort that I bought on mega-sale at Kohl's.  And it was a little too big, which I didn't realize when I first put it on, but definitely realized when I was hitching it up all throughout my run, and when I had the wind at my back, I felt like my butt was hanging out.  And I was wearing the wrong kind of underpants because I didn't have anything else clean.  I hate being an overly emotional woman, which I certainly am.

So at any rate, while I was stretching (and self-conscious about that, too) I just wondered why I felt like I had to run 5 miles at an 8 minute pace.  And then I just decided to run the last two miles slowly, but I talked myself into at least doing them.  So the last 2 miles were averaged about a 9:10 pace.  I'm not going to say the run was a good one, but it was tolerable.

I know that part of my problem is now I have nothing on the horizon as far as racing is concerned.  I am hesitant to sign up for any summer races, or even to plan summer training (which I was all gung-ho about a few weeks ago) so that I can reach my goal of a fast 5K. 

But on the happy side, I'm done teaching for the year and all I have to do is show up to work and clean out my classroom and do some end-of-the-year paper work, which I'm putting off right now as I half-heartedly supervise my study hall.

Just an easy 4 miles.  I am less crabby today.  The run was uneventful and a little under 9 minute pace (the first 2 miles were at 9:10 pace, so I must have unknowingly picked up the pace a bit during the last 2 miles).

I'm just guessing at the fast/slow here, probably a bit more fast, but not 1/2 fast, I don't think.

I planned on doing intervals and then as my garage door was closing, I realized I wasn't wearing my watch, so I improvised.  I warmed up for 2 songs and then did one song fast, 1 song slow.  I'm not gonna lie, my ipod picked out what felt like some reeeeeeeally long songs for the fast parts.  The first one was Against the Wind by Bob Seger, and I was, appropriately enough, runnin' against the wind.  It was strong, according to the weather channel, about 18 MPH.  It was gearing up for a storm.

But anyway, the songs probably weren't as long as they felt.  I finished my run in a little over 40 minutes, I think, but I'm not positive since I just had a vague idea of what time it was before I left.

When I was done I lifted, which I haven't done in quite some time.  I'll have to check my blog for the last time (I think I almost always wrote when I lifted) so that I can try to figure out exactly why I stopped.  I think it was probably because I was running more to get ready for the 1/2 and then I never picked it back up again.

And then I fell asleep.  I think I'm getting sick.  I don't know exactly which day I'm going to take off from running this week. 

I just had time for a quick 3.  Run was fine, but short.

Woke up at 4:45 to get in this run.  Yuck.  But I have class tonight from 5-10.  I'm hoping the prof lets us go home early.

I left when it was dark and ran 4 easy miles at avg. 9:20 pace.  It started to drizzle part way through the run, but it was pretty warm (maybe 55 or 60) so it didn't matter much.  After 4 miles I decided to push the pace to see how close I could get to a 9 min average over 5 miles.  I did my last mile in 7:34, so I came in a little under 9 min. pace.  It felt good.

I have class tomorrow too, and I don't think I'll be able to run before it (we'll see though). 

May I complain about a non-running topic?

My mom is so interfering; it drives me crazy.  My sister's son is being baptized this weekend, and when she first planned it, she called me and I told her that it was graduation day.  She told me to go to graduation (she's not churchy--in fact, she literally said, "It's only a baptism.  Big deal."  I hope that changes) and I compromised.  I'm going to graduation and then I'm going to drive to Chicago afterward for the party at her house (and then I'm taking Monday off).  I wasn't planning on bringing the kids since I'd have to drive out of the way to pick them up.

So anyway, my mom can't bear to miss an opportunity to see the kids (even though I am spending the whole Memorial Day weekend with her in Michigan) so she told me that she is going to come down on Saturday to pick up the kids.  She didn't ask, just told me.

I know it's not that big of a deal since she's the one driving 4 hours round trip to do it, but it's annoying. I was actually looking forward to Monday when I wouldn't have the kids with me.

At any rate, my only consolation (I'm so spiteful) is that Eli is horrible during mass and she will have to deal with him.  And he's really really bad.  I told her she wouldn't even enjoy the baptism, but she didn't care.  She makes no sense. 

Oh, and the reason why I started this rant (I almost forgot) is that she will probably guilt me into not running, since she's going to be at my house when I get home from class tomorrow.  Maybe I better plan to run in the morning.  We'll see what time I get home tonight.