TGIF

I have never been so glad for a Friday. It's a gorgeous day and I am happy that I was able to play tennis last night and have a lesson this morning without my tennis elbow interfering too much. The chiropractor strongly suggested a band for it and I will admit it helps. This issue demands much the same type of attention as the IT bands - stretching, massage, ice. I've been slacking on my stretching and when I saw the massage therapist Wednesday she said my left IT band was as bad as its been, so I have to get back on that. It's interesting but the speedwork on Monday definitely worked things differently. My shins were sore and IT bands took a good hit. This is all part of the learning process for me.

What a day

This is not entirely related to unblobbing, but the day seems to warrant this kind of reflection.

The less fabulous parts of the day:

• Witnessed a historic drop in the stock market. Ouch. But we are in for the long haul and not losing sleep over it.
  
• Our bank was bought - annoying. Husband says we should invest in companies that make bank signs and letterhead. They will clearly profit.
  
• Got a letter from the old bank saying our credit card info, along with a zillion others, may have been compromised so we will be getting new cards.
• Said goodbye to Dumpling (horse) who went back home after living with us (well, across the street) for the past 18 months. She will be missed, but kids have moved on to other interests.
• Returned overpriced vented rain jacket to running store and found out I could only get store credit. Oops.
  
• Grading poor exams - lots of bad writing, weak arguments, lack of evidence. It's difficult to grade such lame efforts.

More fabulous parts of the day:

• Gorgeous, sunny, temperate fall day.
• Had fun doing speed work on the track followed by a comprehensive leg workout that left no doubt that I had worked hard!
  
• Spent considerable time completing many work-related to-dos for all three of my jobs! Got a date for the conference. Scheduled Honor System speakers. Finished grading for SES. Etc, etc.
  
• Hugs from our brilliant and amazing kids. Laughs from hardworking husband. Love from the fuzzy cats and dog.

Training Notes

I did my 8 mile "rain run" on Saturday and enjoyed it quite a bit more than I expected to in the gentle rain and 60 degree temperatures. There were a number of stalwart runners out there! Felt sore and tired for the day only, but back in good working order today. Maybe I am recovering more quickly now?

Tomorrow is my first go at "speed work" which includes 2 min intervals of running at 5K race pace with 1 min recovery intervals. Because I don't have a good sense of pacing yet, I had to figure out how to convert that to something meaningful. And being an engineer, I can't resist looking at these numbers in a variety of units! My running book shows how pacing changes from one race length to another, so I worked backward from an estimated 1:49 half marathon pace to figure out I *should*, in theory, be able to do a 5K in just under 24 minutes. So it appears that I need to crank out quarter mile intervals in just under 2 minutes.


Weight is holding steady at just under 130 lbs.

Back to clean eating...tomorrow!

Been a slacker and tonight was an ES class reunion at my house with much yummy food. I ate WAY too much fun food. Was it worth it? No, not entirely! Back on the straight and narrow tomorrow. I've been heading toward overall slack-ness and I am not prepared to regain anything I've lost.

This weekend I am heading to a wedding. My goal is to drink a lot of water and eat only small amounts of things that are smart choices. I do not want to have to report back on gluttonous behavior...like tonight!!

So weak minded!!!

Do the work

"Do the work, Leave the rest to God."

I had a rough run today. I ran from Shultz parking lot, then followed essentially the 5K Homecoming course I am running on October 5 -- up the Huckleberry to Country Club, down Airport, over on Gracelyn and Eaken, up Preston, down Draper, and over on Clay. About two miles in I just felt sluggish and tired and walked briefly up Country Club. I think I started too fast and I started to turn negative. So I slowed it down and eventually was rewarded by the steady downhill of Draper. I got my 32 minutes in, but it was not light, free, nor joyful. I realized that I was thinking/worrying about the 5K - could I run it as a faster sprinty kind of race? Could I pace myself properly and have a strong showing? Could I top what I did in Danville?

I guess I am kind of competitive in what I thought was a hidden and covert way, but my mom laughed at me and told me I could not be more overtly competitive. OK, so maybe I am, but it's in a REALISTIC sort of way. I don't have delusions, or at least I don't think I do, about what is possible and what is hardly possible. I do recognize that I am not exactly teeming with athletic ability, but I do have a solid work ethic. I tend to put boundaries about what I think is possible for me. Who am I to do that?

So what to do with all these thoughts? While I was home to shower before returning to campus, I had the newest issue of Runner's World open to an article about a Christian marathon runner named Ryan Hall who came in 10th at the Olympics (also American record holder for the half - 59:43). It said that his dad used to tell him, "Do the work, Leave the rest to God." I ran that through my mind, over and over. I am in this for the long haul. The races just organize my running. If I do the work, the rest will be...it just will be whatever it is meant to be. Only God knows what is possible and it's not for me to set boundaries.

So, I will do the work. I will do the work when it's light and easy. And I will do the work when it's hard and uncomfortable. Regardless of what I am dealt for the day's run, I will infuse it with positive joy knowing each run is exactly what it is meant to be.

I want my testimony to be my work, my diligence, and my attitude in times of reward and times of trial. The outcome is immaterial.