Graduation Day

Today was my daughter's graduation. The last one so now we will be without our children. I really will miss her but I am also looking forward to seeing her continue to blossom into a wonderful young woman.

I know it won't really hit me until she leaves for college, but this morning as I rose to go to the club run at Redbud, I found myself feeling a little down. I had a hard time getting motivated. I am of course feeling old, overweight, depressed, and lonely. I think these things are normal when your last child is going off. All of a sudden you feel like an old woman (or man).

Of course the run made me feel better, worked out the kinks, and the rest of the day has been such a blessing with all of our family here with us to celebrate her right of passage.

It occurs to me that, for me anyway, running is so much more than just a way to stay healthy, or thin, or in shape, it is a way to release the tension, the stress, the fear that seems to hit me from time to time. The days that I don't run are remarkably different from the days I do run. My attitude is better, my outlook brighter. It really does feel better to get out and do something.

Speed Runs

Today I did 800 repeats. The weather was good, not much wind, not too humid, not too hot. I like it a bit cooler but all in all it wasn't too bad. So why was that first 800 so difficult? I thought I would drop dead. Then when I looked at my time it was 15 seconds faster than my pace is supposed to be! NO WONDER.

Then I was able to let myself slow down just enough to do the others on pace. What this tells me is that the 100 repeats are working in my favor and helping me to do my 800 repeats faster without realizing what is happening.

I hope this will translate to faster in other distances. I know it is supposed to do so, but sometimes I just find it hard to believe until it happens.

Rest day again tomorrow...YEA.

100 Repeats after Hills

Yesterday's Memorial Day run was so much fun. Well the running part was tough on those hills, but the socializing was a blast!

Eating too much and food that is not in my normal diet, along with Mimosas and beer is not smart when the next day is a hard run day. Once again I've learned a lesson.

However, I got up early and went to Cooper and did my 100 repeats. The wind was a little bit of a factor although not too bad today, the humidity kills me as usual. Add to that the heaviness of my legs from running up and down hill yesterday and the difference in diet and well...all this things used to not bother me so much. Now it seems to make me feel a little sluggish.

Even with all of that I hit my pace in every 100, it just seemed to take more effort today than last week. I am proud of myself for at least getting up and getting it done!

Tomorrow is a day of rest, YEA...

I've been looking at routes in Granbury and Stephenville. You know it's hilly there! So all of my runs will include hills. I'm excited about this, it should make me stronger if my knee will just hold up!

Memorial Day Club Run

WOW. There is so much to say about this morning. I think I can sum it up with three points.

1. Challenging course
2. Great time with friends
3. Great food and drink

Windy, hilly, hot. That was the course. Fun but challenging.

Friends to run with, friends to eat with, friends to drink with. I am really going to miss these people :(

Food, well what can I say? Maria and Chris put on a great party and the food that they made and everyone brought was scrumptious! Just what we needed after a run like that.

You know it's so hard not to get caught up in trying to run "hard" all the time, but again today I was reminded of how fun it is to fellowship with good friends and fellow runners. And in a pretty setting, with it's own pool :) (Thanks Maria)

Enjoy each other fellow runners, that is what you will remember in the end.

Runing with Friends

Today was our club running day. Saturdays are sometimes hard for me. I know that I need to go slow on Saturdays. With two speed days I get tired easy and so Saturday is really a recovery run.

I always find myself wanting to do more than I should. Today was no different.

Then I find myself running with friends and we chat, talk about everything under the sun, enjoy each others company, catch up on each others lives and I realize...running is not just about how far, how long, or how fast. It's about seeing those people you miss seeing during the week and having a great converstion that couldn't be had if you were running faster.

During the week I run alone a lot depending upon what Terry feels like doing, sometimes he would rather go to the YMCA later in the day and work out. That's cool. I enjoy running alone. Those runs are faster, speed days are of course much faster and I enjoy them and feel good after such a hard workout. But when Saturday comes I find myself thoroughly excited to spend time with good friends.

I see others, pushing themselves on what should be a slower relaxed day, I wonder how their week goes. I used to think that every run I had to run hard, I missed out on so much with that mentality. And I am actually getting faster without running hard every run. The body just needs it's rest. Especially at over 40. I'm ok with that.

All of this to say to you the reader; Save some runs for enjoyment and visiting with friends. You actually burn more fat going slower :) always a plus, and this time will come to an end someday and then you will be sorry you didn't let those runs linger.

Humidity - Friend or Foe?

800 repeats today. Not so windy although not so windy is 17 mph. I think it's so funny how on weather.com if the wind is blowing 20 mph or stronger they say it's going to be windy and they have the word windy in the forecast in italics; windy. If it's predicted to be under 20 mph they don't have windy on that day. Listen folks 17 mph is STILL windy.

However, it is better than the 23 to 33 yesterday. For that I am thankful. However, in it's place was 84% humidity. What's up with that? We have very few lakes, no real rivers, we are nowhere near an ocean. Why is it so HUMID? Sorry for shouting. Humidity is tough on me, trying to run a good pace is very hard when I feel like I am breathing under water.

So how did the 800 repeats go then? Did I quit, did I toss my banana, did I drop dead from overheating? No, I still ran them on pace. YEA! It was very difficult and thank goodness I didn't have to do more. I've not had a really tough workout like that in a while. I really had to do the self talk business to get finished. But finish I did and now I am happy to have them out of the way until next week when perhaps the wind and humidity will be less and my body will be happier :).

It occurs to me that I don't like running in the wind nor the humidity nor the heat. I really should move somewhere still and dry and cool. Looks like that isn't going to happen. Every day when I check the weather I also check in Granbury/Stephenville, just to see if it's a lot more humid, hot, or windy there than Abilene. So far each day is about the same. Good to know it's not going to get worse!

Tomorrow is the club run, easy 6 with some walk breaks in preparation for next week. I'm looking forward to visiting with club members I've been missing!

Humidity and all, club runs are awesome!

Wind Anyone?

Windy...so windy...I did not do my 800 repeats today. I woke up, I was really tired, heard the wind, went back to sleep.

Tomorrow I will conquer the track...in the wind I suspect.

Sigh...