Week #8

Monday & Tuesday - Rest


Planned on resting on Monday after the super long run on Sunday. Monday night went to Roths to study for my Small Animal Nursing exam and had a tall mocha. Big mistake. Not even close to being tired at 10 PM. Fell asleep around 11 and had a nightmare (or is it a night terror if it is right after I fell asleep?). This usually happens when I have caffeine after 8 PM. Could not fall back asleep. The people outside leaving the bar did not help. Was just about asleep and Kara woke up crying. She is either getting over a virus or teething or both and not sleeping as well. Thankfully she just needs her pacifier again and she's good to go back to sleep. Heard Derek kicking the wall in his sleep. Finally fell asleep around 1. Set the alarm and never turned it on so did not get up to run on Tuesday. Oh well. Another day of rest does not set me back too much.


Wednesday - Ran 4 miles


I went to bed by 10 but woke up really tired. Kara woke up just once at 3:30 AM and took her pacifier. Power and running felt like way too much for me this morning. I skipped Power and slept until 6:15 and then ran 4 miles. I did my three mile run and then added a mile by running to the end of the street and back. I did not feel terrible. Once I started running I felt OK. It was not my greatest run, but not my worst either.


Thursday - Ran 7 miles


Was pretty impressed I woke up refreshed and ready to run. I managed to get out the door around 5:55 AM. My plan was to get home by 7. It was more like 7:10. I was having digestion problems again around Mile #3 and had to stop at the Circle K and use the bathroom. I was glad to find this would be a good stopping point on future runs as the bathroom is in the back and it is clean. I liked the route I chose because it was in well lit areas and I saw several runners along the way. I did not have to run on Kuebler at all...just cross it twice. I felt good most of the run and strong at the end. Our morning was super crazy with getting ready for MOPS, school, and the field trip. The drop off/pick-off was crazy. I am glad we don't do this everyday or even every week. This is one the reasons I did not committ to coffee break or a lot of extra playdates this year.


Friday - Ran 4 miles


I wanted to do some hills so I ran Liberty to Mildred to Lone Oak to Arlene and looped around Wendy Kroger Park and then back home. The hills are pretty manageable. The Lone Oak hill is massive and I ran down it. I was worried about hurting my knees, but I think they are OK. It was a good run and I tried to pick up the pace a little bit in certain parts. The weather was great. I love this warm 70/80 weather. This is what fall is supposed to be like here! Unfortunately it is not supposed to last. It was a nice break running in the late afternoon too. I like the morning, but I also like sleeping a little later too.


Saturday - Cross Train - Eliptical 15 minutes, Bike 15 minutes


I have been a class dropout lately and have not gone to Power or Ride. I am trying not to be too hard on myself because I am a very busy person. The fact I am getting all my running in is an accomplishment for me in and of itself. I have been overwhelmed with the kids this week and my hormones are off balance again. I have had that "crazy" feeling all week and so irritable. So don't want to go the medication route. It's not depression and it's not anxiety...I feel like it is purely weird hormones.


Anyway I went to the Courthouse and worked out with the other five people that were in the gym on a Saturday late afternoon. The gym was dead. I did the eliptical for 15 minutes and the bike for 15 minutes. I pushed myself harder this time. It was a nice break from running and was happy with my workout.

Sunday - Ran 15 miles

Woo hoo! So strong today. I am loving these Sunday afternoons! The rain held off too and it was in the high 60's/low 70's. Perfect. Did the same route as last week, but I ran around Sumpter Park and stopped their as a second water bottle filler station. I also took two things of gu (had one at Commerical and Wiltsey and the second on Liberty by all those "K" streets when I had about two miles left). That seemed to help too. Instead of running my last two miles around the Denno's neighborhood I just kept going down Liberty and turned on Browning ending on Lone Oak.

And I was so strong on the uphills...even the massive hill on Shiloh and the one Landeu. I did not stop to walk at all. I only took brief walking breaks like less than a minute mostly to drink or take the gu.

I had a big breakfast, grazed the rest of the morning, and drank a full water bottle. That really seemed to help. I woke up with stomach problems and was ticked. Not again! Thankfully it was very, very minor and cleared up by 10 AM. Absolutely no stomach problems at all on my run. My left ankle started to hurt a little bit as well as my right knee around Mile #10 or #11 so I need to keep an eye on that. Nothing that seems overly serious.

Getting excited for Sacramento. This coming week is another Kick Back week.