Turn your rut into a groove.

pm--5 Green Valley Loop. Chill run in the gloaming. RHR--49.

I read an angsty young-adult novel over the weekend--You Don't Know Me by David Klass. The voice was charismatic and the story engaging. I don't read books like this often, but it was a nice detour. 

pm--6.5 4x 5-min. intervals @ 8k pace. The on section starts at 1 minute and increases by a minute each interval w/ the rest shrinking. I did this at the SC Rugby ground. I'm loving the grass for its strengthening and softening qualities. 

I'm not sure why I'm running in the 97-degree afternoon--actually, I have a tough time waking up when no one is counting on me--but it definitely calluses me for difficult workouts in the future. Surprisingly, I didn't have an elapsed time, so I had to work off distance. I was nearly right on w/ .75 for each 5-minute section. Good work today. RHR--49. 

am--8 Ivins out-and-back via the SC Parkway. I got up. Yay! My legs feel a little beat from yesterday still gave a little push at the end. I'll probably take a small break until xc practice starts on Monday to see if I can heal up my heel. RHR--51. 

pm--2k on the erg w/ progressive splits (2:15-2:05) and stroke rate (24-28). No run for a few days. RHR--49.

I scratched another book off the list and finished Children of the Mind and the Ender Quartet by Orson Scott Card.

One of my old mission buddies recommended Ender's Game eons ago. It took me a while to finally give it a chance. Sure glad I did. Card builds fascinating worlds and has an interesting mind when it comes to diplomacy and power.

Interesting side note, I finished Ender's Game for the 2nd time on the eve of the PVXC girls becoming state champs. There is a real me-against-the-world perspective in that book. If you have any room in your heart for sci-fi, Orson Scott Card is up there with Frank Herbert in my mind.

pm--Erged for 15 minutes (3.4k). Went from 2:20 to 2:00 with a stroke rate of 24 to 30.

pm--8x :30 on and :30 rest on the erg. Most of these I was pulling sub-1:50 w/ a high stroke rate. I can't wait to run w/ the xc kiddos on Monday.