I Probably Should Make My Blog Public again

A nice easy run before I had to go buy shoes for graduation because my feet are too disgusting for open toed shoes and I somehow didn't realize this before today.  Well, not really, I just didn't have time with class this weekend.  

I don't remember my pace or anything.  I feel like my average was somewhere around 9 min/mile.

My mom did guilt me into not running, but we did walk all over the place on Sat. to go to the park.  I was going to run and meet them there, but my mom is not too familiar with my neighborhood.  Only problem?  She walks really, really slow, so she pushed the stroller while I kept up with the kid on the bike.

I enjoyed this workout, even if it was on a treadmill.  I did an interval workout.

Warmed up for 7 min, then did 4/3/2/1/1/2/3/4 hard with equal time at easy pace, then after the last 4 min hard I cooled down for a little over 7 min (mostly because I wanted to end up with a normal number for mileage.

For the hard parts, I got progressively harder as I went from 4 to 1, starting at 8 min pace and then going 7:47, 7:35, 7:03 pace on the hard parts.  Then as I climbed back up, I started at 6:40 pace and went progressively easier, but the second hard parts were faster than the first (by 10-15 seconds per mile, so not much faster). 

The reason I did it this way is because I want to train my mind to realize that I can go a lot faster when I'm tired if I just push myself.  This is what I want to work on for the time being, even if it's only to get faster in a 5K.

Then I ruined my workout by eating lunch at McDonalds.  I took the day off today.  I hate McDonalds, but I was unfamiliar with the area I was in when I went to meet my sister and my kids were starving.

Whenever I eat fast food I go someplace like Subway or Jimmy John's.  I never know what to order at McDonalds because just about everything on their menu disgusts me.  I DO though, like those fruit and yogurt parfaits, but I didn't think that was substantial enough for lunch.  Oh, and I also like McFlurries :)  I settled for chicken selects, but forgot they came with fries and of course I didn't want to waste them once they were in my car.  Ha ha.

A nice easy run around town.  I picked up the kids at Julie's (SIL) after I was done so I needed a new route, since her house is along my usual route, but not far enough away.  So I ran to Veteran's Parkway and then up to 136 and along the edge of Indian Acres.  That way I got some uphill, which I don't normally get in my run.

It was beautiful today.  Almost 80 and sunny with a brisk breeze.  It was obviously warm in the sun and when I was running west, I was annoyed because I had the sun and the breeze in my face.  It wasn't too bad, though. 

I started to do an interval workout at 2:00 in 85 degrees.  I warmed up 5 minutes and then did 2 min fast/2 min recovery until I got to 3 miles (cumulative) and realized that I was feeling poopy.  I didn't drink much today and it was hot.  So I decided just to finish at a slower pace.  I averaged 8:45 pace for the whole thing, but my last 2 miles were 9:30 avg.

And then I felt like crap until dinner. 

Revising plans for the rest of the week.  No run tomorrow, since I'd have to run at the same time as today.  Run early Friday and then Sat. run when I get to Michigan (maybe evening, depending on the temp).  I haven't run 6 days a week in quite some time and I'd really like to this week.  Plus I'd like to get over 30 miles this week so I can do more building mileage.   

I doubt I'll do more than 5 miles in Mich, since my whole family will be there and will try, in their evil way, to get me to skip running.  Luckily my husband has become quite good at helping me create opportunities to run!

I also found a race for June that I forgot about.  It's a 7.1 mile trail run.  I was looking at the results from last year, and there aren't that many women that run it.  I'm going to sign up sometime tomorrow--who knows?  Maybe I could be one of the fastest women.

These were tempo miles, not fast miles.  I went for a run this beautiful morning.  Started at 5:05 and the sun was already coming up--it was perfectly light when I was done.  65 degrees with a light, but pleasant breeze.  Perfect for a run.

While I was running I was thinking of two things:

First, I had a conversation with my principal yesterday.  I'm working on my degree in admin, and I made a comment about how he should make me dean and let me teach one class--AP English.  About 1/2 hour later he looked mad and asked me, "Why would I let one of my best teachers be dean and only teach one class?  Right now I know you impact every one of the seniors who walk across our stage at graduation.  You wouldn't be able to have that kind of impact as dean."  And I argued that I would be able to impact all 400 students.  Then he told me that he wouldn't take a strong teacher and make her admin, but he would take a weaker teacher and do the same.  I can't remember his exact words, but that was the gist.

So that tells me two disturbing things.  One, I will never be an administrator at our school as long as he is there.  Two, our school rewards the weak and punishes the strong.  I was irritated, but I will wait him out--he won't last long.

I was also thinking about a conversation that I overheard when I was at my niece's informal graduation party.  She goes to the public high school in our town.  The kids were talking about a crabby teacher who just had a baby and then the conversation shifted to how many girls were pregnant in their graduating class.  The thing that bothered me about this conversation was not the fact that girls are pregnant--I'm not naive--but that the kids at her house were so nonchalant about it.  I'm not saying I want to go back to the days when pregnant teens are hidden away with some relative, or worse, when they are forced by the boyfriend and the parents to get abortions, but could we have a little indignation?  A little less acceptance?

So those are my thoughts for today.

5 miles at 8:40 pace.  It was a nice run at my sister's place in Michigan.  I ran out of the subdivision a mile and then back in, once around the subdivision, and then back out of the subdivision a mile and back.  It wasn't too hot because I ran closer to dusk.