Runner's High...It Does Exist!!

OK, I don’t normally write about a typical workout, but yesterday was an exception and I wish I had been able to write it while I still had the “high” but unfortunately my computer at home was just being too slow, so I had to wait till today.

So with the weekend tied up being out of town Saturday and traveling back Sunday I knew there wouldn’t be time for a long run, but I had planned ahead for this week and it is a cut back week and I only cared about getting a 10-12 miler in for a long run. Yesterday I got up and decided instead of strength and running yesterday, I’d sleep a bit more and get a little bit faster run in the morning before the long easy in the afternoon…so I did 5 miles a 8:30 pace on the treadmill.

After work I was tired, I wanted a nap but wanted to go to bed early, I compromised and laid down for 15 minutes with my alarm set, it went off and I forced myself to dress, tights, light weight long sleeved wicking and Chicago jacket, MP3, Garmin (socks and shoes of course) and out the door. It was about 55 degrees, cloudy, some wind and a bit humid as there were storms coming in supposedly, it was sprinkling a little when I left so I put MP3 in my pocked and headed out…easy 9:15 or so pace for the first few miles, and worked on holding it back, up some hills, down some, one of my typical routes with a few changes…it was feeling really good…I got to the point where I was tacking on so I could do a shorter loop on the return, hit a park I run through where there were some teens out running and one kept screaming, loudly, very annoying, at least her friends were smart enough to tell her to stop as she was annoying others (smart friends) but thankfully I got away from them right away and was just enjoying the run. I hit mile 6 and a little into it, I ran out of the playlist I was listening to, stopped and walked long enough to change to some music and then was on again, I hit mile 7 in 8:50 even with that stop, mile 8 came in at 8:37, and that had a decent uphill on it (although some downhill too that evens it out) and mile 9 was an 8:05…what??? So even though this was to be an easy long run, typically shooting for a 9:30-9:45 pace, I just couldn’t hold back, it was feeling too good and I could've gone on forever and ever, one of those types of runs, and you don't get them that often, so I let it all out in the last mile and came in at 7:37!!! Wow, after 9 miles, with the last 4 getting progressively faster...Overall pace was 8:50…not too shabby, particularly with a good 17 miler on Sunday and then a good 5 miler in the morning as well. Oh, and did I mention the ran had come back a bit more regular in the last couple of miles...so I was running 2-2 1/2 miles in a light sprinkle, 55 or so plus humidity making it warmer...it was awesome!!

So what caused that run?? I’d really like to know as my eating wasn’t great yesterday, maybe it was Catholic guilt hitting me, I was horrible yesterday, I ate a piece of cake (co-workers birthday, cake from Byerly’s which has just the best cakes and no willpower when tempted that hard) even though I gave it up for lent…hmm…cake in the afternoon a little go lean crunch before leaving work, pasta for lunch…all added up to great fuel I guess!!

Oh, and final icing...weighed in today (I weigh on Monday and Friday to keep myself good over the weekend!!) and the scale finally moved!! I'm down 1.5 pounds!!)

Why???

Ah, h*ll week is over…OK, so it’s only Thursday, but see, I woke up Monday knowing that I would be at both jobs Monday and Tuesday till close and last night till 10, so knowing tonight I can go home after work and not to B&N is a happy thing!! OK, so I did bring it on myself, I picked up extra hours from a friend that needed someone to work on Tuesday night for her, but I wanted to help out since I could. This morning was again a struggle to get out of bed, the 5 hours of sleep on Monday and Tuesday each night was just not enough for a body that really demands as much as 9 hours a night. So I had every intention of getting up this morning and doing a good run and a strength session, but woke up exhausted, I almost decided to skip the morning entirely and just get my workout in this afternoon, but somehow convinced myself to get up and get a run in, I skipped the strength due to lack of time and instead did a little harder 5 mile tempo run at an 8:30 pace. It felt good and I’m glad I did get up. I plan to do 10-12 tonight, hopefully it won’t be raining like the threat (I mean forecast) says. Not that I don’t enjoy a run in the rain, but it’s still not quite at the temps I like to run in the rain, but oh well. I can run a semi covered path if it is coming down.

Not a whole lot else going on except I found out two bad things yesterday.

1. The PTO (purchased time off) that I thought I had, an extra 5 days of vacation time that I pre-buy each year so I have enough for all the trips I like to take didn’t make it into the system and there is nothing they can do about it, so the 5 days I was going to go spend on Maui with Leesa, that I really can’t afford but that’s a moot point, can no longer happen due to some mess up…I’m so bummed. I haven’t gotten to spend quality time with her in so long and was looking so forward to it, but with Disneyland and Marine Corp, I just don’t have enough time left to go…wishing I had skipped AZ now…sigh
   
2. Our new boss that is finally starting on April 11, now instead of sitting on the 6th floor right by us like he was supposed to, it has been decided that he’s going to sit on the 12th floor with the rest of legal, and my co-worker and I are still going to be on 6…so now anytime we need approvals and such, we will still have to trek to 12 and not only that but all of our files that we use probably more often than the attorneys do, are moving as well…so anytime I need to look through 20-30 files for something, I have to go up to 12 where there isn’t necessarily a space for it, and our great little space we got set up on 6 with a table and everything in the file area is going to now be empty…I sometimes wonder about those that are at high levels…what are they really thinking? The VP that made the decision (who for the record is a nice guy and I like him) had two people trying to talk him out of it, but he’s not budging on the having the manager sit up there (which is why the files will be up there)…ughh…I wanted to cry when I found that out.

The Battle Has Begun

It’s a good thing this week is a cutback week (I am on a cycle of 3 weeks hard, 1 week easy, that I will adjust if need be around vacations and such, but try to stick with and this week is back to easy) because I’m already exhausted and having trouble getting up. Sunday I even went to bed a bit earlier than usual, but I could not get out of bed when my alarm went off on Monday, got to the gym about 15 minutes later than normal so only got 3 miles of my planned 4 and 25 minutes of strength (I’d really like to be doing 30-40). Today was going to be 6-8 and as the snooze was being hit, I thought 10 more minutes, I’ll just run 6 this morning…had an easy 6 tempo, but it’s still not quite what I would’ve liked, I had wanted 7…tomorrow is strength again, but I might go lighter and try to get 5 miles in before the longer run on Thursday (10-12), no running Saturday and won’t have time for much on Sunday.

Being up till 12 last night and again tonight is just going to kill me (leave the house at 6/6:30 and don't get home till 11:45 pm), then 10 tomorrow…I have no motivation to work today either, that tiredness, OK, note to self, no more of two closes during the week! My day job is much more important than B&N (even if I like the discounts) and being tired at B&N is not a good thing as then I’m crabby at the customers…lose/lose all around (particularly when you get stupid people).

So all that other stuff aside, the thing I really need to work on is how I have GOT to do something about my weight. I’m stagnant, and have been for a very long time. I want to go down 10 pounds, had wanted to be there by my birthday, and that’s kind of a big order now, but I’m really, really going to try to at least get rid of 5 before then. I’m already on a track to try to do it…but I really need to be faithful to a plan, it’s the crap that is getting me. I’ve been keeping track of my food intake on Fitday and I know I take in too much. I'm averaging close to 2200 calories, which probably just about breaks even (some days have been as high as 2500) with what I need to maintain life with my workouts. Although all the running I’ve been doing might be counter-inducive to losing weight, body demanding more fuel, me eating…but I need to take some notes out of TriGal’s fight and get myself into a better relationship with food. Not eating just cause I’m bored, something sounds good or whatever. It means giving up a lot of things too. I’ve already given up cake and candy for Lent and so far I’ve done good on that, didn’t even use the “free Sundays” rule the few times I’ve been wanting something sweet, but it didn’t cancel all sweets. Cookies have become the substitute for any cake or candy that I might consider eating, so I think it’s time to dump the cookies too. Along with pop, although I will say I only have one of those a week typically (last week there were two) so that’s not a problem area. Drinking, OK, beer could be something I could cut out, but it’s not a huge part of my diet…last weekend was one of the worst (other than vacation) in a long time when I had 4 on Friday night and 5 on Saturday night…so need to be more accountable on things like that. Drinking counters the running anyway right?

Hmm…so here it is, no more cake and candy (already done for Lent), no more cookies, avoid the blueberry muffin that I’ve been eyeing (but have managed to stay away from for breakfast the last week) cause that will set off another bad run. Chips too…unless they are baked or reduced fat in some way (like Sun Chips), no more chips until I’ve lost 5 pounds! When I want salty, I have healthy microwave popcorn. Hmm…what else can I deprive myself of…

The Start of a Busy Week...

OK, just a little write up maybe for just myself…the next 3 days are going to be H*LL though!! This morning was tough getting up, I was tired even though I went to bed at 9 last night, early for a Sunday since I normally watch Gray’s Anatomy, but since it was a rerun, I went to sleep…was out the door 15 minutes later than normal (6:15 vs. my always hoped for 6 am leaving), I jumped on the treadmill for an easy 3, and it wasn’t so easy till about 1.5 in. I averaged about a 9:10 pace for it, but my knees were really sore and took time to loosen up from yesterdays run, good thing it’s an “easy” week this week, I think I’m going to need that. I got my strength training in too, even though suddenly the fitness center is getting busy at my time…it used to be there was just one older guy on the elliptical that left about 7, another girl that walks on the t-mill till about 7 and myself and another girl that workout till about 7 and then strength train (she does everyday, me it’s just 3 days a week) and one other guy that comes in later and walks and does a little strength, but now lately a few other have been around and it disrupts things!! Particularly when another girl shows up to shower and get ready the same time me and the other person does (I should find out her name!!) which has happened to us a few times…ther are only two sinks and two sets of outlets for drying hair and such.

So, tonight and tomorrow night I’m going to be working from 5-11:30 (besides the 7:30/8 to 4/4:30 that I work during the day. Then Wednesday I work 5-10. Normally I don’t work two closes in a row, and normally not 3 days a week anymore, but I took a shift for someone (kind of need the extra money and it’s good to help people out if you can cause who knows when you might need it yourself). I’m looking forward to Thursday already though, that will be a longer run of 10-12 miles, but only working the one job, then for the weekend I will be going out of town to Madison and Milwaukee…Can you say road trip/girls weekend?? Should be fun, I can use the get away and I know my friend, much as she loves her son, is looking forward to a kid free weekend!!

My First Post

OK, so no, if everyone else jumped off a bride, I would not be close to follow, but so many people I know are starting blogs and I like the idea, I've tried to journal, on paper and other spots on-line, we'll see how this one goes.

Today seemed like a perfect day to start it because it was a great day. I was out kind of late last night, went to a comedy show with friends, and then we ended up renting a movie (if you haven't seen Waiting, definitely worth the rental, defintiely teaches you to NEVER be a be-atch to the waiter/waitress and NEVER send food back!!), it's like Office Space for the waiters and waitresses of the world.

Anyway, so back to my day, I was up late, got out of bed around 9, made the ritual Sunday morning call to the parents, not a long one today as they were going for breakfast. Then I had my own breakfast around 10 (scrambled eggs with cheese, toast some juice and water and a banana a little later) I had the banana just before I went out to run, filled up my fuel belt, one of water and 2 of gatorade (unfortunately I'm missing the cap to one of them, I think my dishwasher ate it), put 2 clif shots and some cash (thought to do that for once) in my pockets and headed out the door.

It was probably around 11:20 or so when I left and I was planning 17 miles. I decided I would run over the rolling hills from home and head toward Lake Harriet, listening to John Sandford's Silent Prey while I was running. I was feeling great, didn't take anything to drink till mile 6, didn't feel a need for any gel, hit the lake and made my loop around it, after my first 3 miles just under 10 minutes I was hitting paces right around 9:10-9:15, with an accidental 8:55 in there around mile 9...It was nice enough that there were a lot of people out, which was good and bad, lots of cute dogs, but way too many people walking slowly and taking up the whole path that made it hard to maneuver sometimes.

I finished my loop and headed back toward home, was right near home with just a mile left, I thought about adding a few more miles, it was just feeling so easy and great, but I decided to go ahead and finish the run at 17, my pace was around 9:24, which is on par for what I'd like to be hitting...9:15-9:45 is my range for long runs...I'm a bit sore, got home, soaked in the tub, had my slim fast and am about to ice my knee that has been bothering me for a while, I've been ignoring it, but think I should try to do something this week, it's also a fall back week so hopefully I'll get some recovery going. I have 52 miles on the week, good interval run, good tempo run and very great long run...

Now I'm going to make something to eat and veg on the couch. Not nearly enough downtime this weekend, but at least I may have found a roommate to move in in April, means Maui is a real possibility...more on that later!!