Month: February 2013

I got my speed intervals in before work today!

Well, I’m taking the morning off because I have a doctor’s appointment, and I took advantage of the extra pre-appointment time to run in the daylight. BY MYSELF.

This is my post-run look of independence and rain-soaked-ness.

I haven’t done real speed intervals for, uhhh, the entire month of February, so these 800s felt difficult and a smidge slow today:

3:55
3:49
3:53
3:56

But not bad! Just motivation to get back into doing them more.

My appointment this morning is something that I’ve been meaning to do for a while… and that feels long overdue, and kind of scary: I’m getting a full-body skin check for any abnormal moles, etc.

I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the sun, particularly while traveling and running, and only became super-vigilant with sunscreen in the past few years. I’m also kind of a mole-y person in general (just look at my face, yo), so it’ll be nice to find out what’s normal and what’s not from a professional.

Hopefully I’ll have good news to share afterward. And, if not good, then hopefully not terrible.

What? You don’t have a man in black following you on your nighttime runs?

That’s a shame. I would let you borrow mine, but I’ve got him pretty booked up until Daylight Saving Time kicks in.

Aaron accompanied me by bicycle on my five-mile run on Monday and my three-mile run tonight, since “not getting murdered” is pretty high-pri right now, along with “trying to PR in my upcoming half-marathon.”

It’s quite a selfless demonstration of love by Aaron. I run just a little faster than 6 mph, and he’s used to smashing at around 19 mph, so he is just freezing and probably bored on his bike during our little outings.

He never complains, though. I already agreed to marry the guy, so I think he’s now just banking gold stars for the long haul. Wise.

Monday: 5 miles at half-marathon goal pace.

I don’t know what happened in the last mile. Didn’t feel like I ran that slowly, but there it is. I probably ran too fast throughout the whole run and was just tired by the end.

Tonight: 3 miles, easy.

Legs = super-tired by the end of this. I usually do this easy run on Thursdays, but Aaron and I have plans tomorrow night, so I moved my Wednesday run to Thursday, and whatever. You know. I’m trying to get alllllll the miles in this week.

I also picked up a set of weights tonight for the first time in weeks. The 15 pounders did me in after three rounds of bicep curls, hammer curls, military presses, chest presses, and bent-over rows. It felt good!

Now I have the tireds. 9:45 bedtime? Mmmm, OK!

Well, hello. I disappeared for a few days this week, right after I proclaimed that I’d be sticking to my training plan all hardcore-like up until the half-marathon on March 9.

My mom developed a complication while recovering from her surgery (not super-serious, but uncomfortable and a nuisance), so I spent Wednesday through Friday taking her to the hospital each day and bouncing from doctor to doctor to work on making things right.

I will never hesitate for a second to help my mom out with anything, but man, it is mentally exhausting to spend so much time at the hospital, and I’m not even the patient.

It’s tough to keep appointments and information straight, juggle endless paperwork, take notes on medical mumbo-jumbo, and, most of all, see how tough and draining it is for my mom.

This is not me complaining. These are just statements. I will never, ever, ever complain about helping my mom!

Anyway, by the time we got home each day, it was just easier to relax in comfy clothes and be on my work laptop until long after dark trying to catch up on work stuff.

(By the way, I am extremely grateful to my employer because I’m able to work remotely and my bosses are very understanding and allow me to take whatever time I need to help my mom. Huge blessing, right thurr.)

I did do a 5-mile tempo run on the treadmill early Thursday morning (yay!), but I missed an easy 3-mile run and two strength-training sessions. I’m a bit disappointed, but in the scheme of things, those missed workouts are so incredibly small and irrelevant.

What IS relevant: Aside from the minor-ish complication in my mom’s recovery, there was nothing but GREAT NEWS for her from her doctors! My hope is that in six months, this will all just be a memory.

On to today’s long run: 12 miles, baby.

I should not do my long runs this fast. I know this.

I did a 6-mile out-and-back on the East Lake Sammamish Trail again (aka the route of my upcoming half-marathon), and discovered that my right hip does not enjoy running on gravel for so long. That’s nice.

There was a delightful headwind for the last 6 miles and I got really tired during mile 10 (the slowest, as you can see), but it was a great exercise in pushing through physical exhaustion and mental fatigue.

Oh, you want to stop running, legs? I don’t care. WERK.

I took a chocolate Clif Shot at miles 5 and 9.5, and boy, did I need them. They were sent straight from heaven, I tell ya.

Aaaaanyway. Who’s excited for the Oscars on Sunday? And The Bachelor on Monday?? Me me me!