6 days a week?

For the last few years, I've been a pretty consistent 4-5 days of the week runner.  I enjoy having at least two full rest days, and I prefer that sort of flexibility with my schedule to accommodate life.  I only started adding the 5th day in when training for Fargo, and decided on it for my current Sioux Falls half training as well.  However, with where my weekly mileage is it is sometimes daunting to look at your schedule and realize that your shortest run for the week is 6-7 miles.  I remember when that was still my long run!

Last week, I had a really crappy run on Monday, taking my 5 miler to 1.5 miles.  I didn't want to skimp on my weekly mileage, so I made up the miles with a short 3.5 mile recovery run on Sunday.  And I kind of loved it.  Yeah, I ended up running 6 days, but man it's so much easier to get yourself outside for a short little run.  For now I'm keeping my schedule as is, but any weeks that allow for a short recovery run on Sunday I am going to utilize.  Normally my first run post-long run is a 5-7 miler, and you know how trashy your legs feel after a long run.  Why not just suffer for a couple miles instead??  GENIUS!

This strategy came in super handy this week when I only had about 45 minutes to run and shower before I had to volunteer at the library.  Plus the heat index was 98* so I couldn't fathom running further than a short few.  So I knocked out 3 of my 6 miles on the schedule, and intend to do the remaining 3 Sunday as my shake out run.

Speaking of insane heat index, Monday I had a small sliver of time to run before a doctor's appointment.  Sadly that time to run was at 11:15am.  And it was hovering around 90*.  The air was so thick with humidity, I felt like I was gasping for air.  I was sweating so badly, I finally had to take my heart rate monitor off and carry it in my hand because it kept sliding down my sweaty ribcage.  I was hurting so bad, that I ended up walking for a couple of minutes during the final mile to get my heart rate down and attempt to cool myself.

Stupid me hadn't eaten any breakfast, hadn't drank any water, and didn't bother to throw on my white running hat.  Oh hai death march.  A cold cold shower has never felt so good.

Book Nerds Unite

If you haven't "friended" me on goodreads and you're a book nerd like me, you should be ashamed.  Seriously.  Stomp really hard with your right foot on your left food (or vice versa).  You deserve it.

One of my favorite "me-time" activities is to go to Barnes and Noble, order a yummy Starbucks 16 oz. skim caramel sauce latte or 16 oz. skim pumpkin spice latte (yes, 16 oz., I will not conform to your asinine sizes Starbucks!  But I will drink your delicious lattes....), and browse the shelves for new books to read.

When I first started this practice, it was pre-digital age.  Ok, not really but pre-full-on-digital age.  I would walk around the store with a little scrap of paper and a pen, jotting down the book titles and authors that I wanted to read.  I'd check out my library's catalog later to place holds on the books I wanted.

From this point, I moved on to the cell phone.  I would save text message drafts with title and author information.  Once I'd procured the book, I'd erase the title from my text messages.  If you find old cell phones strewn about my apartment, I guarantee there will be a few messages with random books I could never find at my library to read.

Enter now.  I've been on goodreads since 2007, but just started to really utilize it over the last year.  Since I'm sooooooooooo tech savvy, and now have a smart phone (yayzies!) naturally I had to download the goodreads app.  Usually I just use it to update my page number when I get done reading on my lunch break, but the other night I started to look at the other functions available.  My world was turned upside down when I discovered that it had a BARCODE SCANNER.

ZOMG!  This now makes my book searching and ever growing "to-read" list so much easier (and fun!  Yes, I'm a nerd).

I have a goal of reading one book a week for 2011.  As of right now, I'm a few books ahead of my goal, but I'm concerned that my "for fun" reading will slide back dramatically once school starts up.  In the meantime, feel free to recommend some books that I have to add to my to-read list just in case I can squeeze in a few minutes of nerdery. :)

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This weekend I got up at insane o'clock (for me) 5:15am to get ready for my 12 mile long run.  The last time I got up that early to run it was for Fargoooooooo.  My alarm still has Sub 4 as it's title.  Le sigh.  Since our bike trail is under construction I did a 4 mile hillier route that looped back to my place and then a 8 mile out and back on the trail.  Thank God I looped back at my apartment.  My shirt was sopping wet after 4 miles, so I kindly bid it adieu.  I had some weird stomach pains randomly during the run, but other than that it was a great day for a run.  It was insanely warm and humid, and at one point I thought we were going to have a massive storm, but I survived. 

I did 12 miles in 1:55:12 for a pace of 9:36.

When I got home I ditched my sopping wet clothes for some dry ones while I stretched and I started to hear a leak in my bathroom.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrreat.  I stomped in there to see what the problem was, and then laughed/was appalled when I realized it was actually my running shorts dripping sweat in to the tub.  Hawt.

Sparklefarts is BACK + Harrison's SoDak Visit

My apologies that the ol’ blog has gotten all sorts of boring since Fargo. To be honest I’ve been in a little bit a lot of bit of a slump. Every time I go out for a run I’m keeping a close “eye” on yet another body part that’s causing me concern…. Hip, knee, IT band, shin, ugggggggggh. My running is boring ergo my blogging is boring.


However, last night we may have turned a corner of sorts. It was raining and thundering as I was wrapping up my evening of work. On my drive home the rain stopped. Jeri: 1 The air was still crazy thick, so I was thankful it was only an “easy paced” run. After icing my shin Wednesday night post-run and Thursday morning, it seemed to be…. Fine. Ok then.

I took off for my run and had no shin pain. Whoo! To be safe, I concentrated like craaaaaaazy on my form. A ways down the bike path I realized I wasn’t having any hip or knee pain either. Hmmm…. And I wasn’t sucking air like normal in the humid conditions.

Sidenote: I have never seen weather like this, so it’s worth noting. The rain had stopped, as I mentioned before, but there was a thick mist from the ground until about 6-8’ in the air. It looked (and felt) like it was raining from the ground up. It. Was. Crazy.

I checked my pace and was shocked at my pace that felt so easy…. Oh hai failed marathon pace! And I was even more shocked when my heart rate was staying low. It was a completely effortless yet strong run and was exactly what I needed as I’m starting my bttw training for my fall half marathons.

I did 5 miles in 45:38 for a pace of 9:09. I did 4x100 pick ups in the final mile at 6:56, 7:00, 6:45, 6:01.

Average HR 156

Glittler/unicorn/sparklefart runs.......... great to have you back!

And this is about 100 years old by now, but on Father’s Day I got to see my adorable little nephew who lives down in Texas. Boohoo. Here are some great photos of our day together.

 

Harrison and Aunt Jeri at the falls.

Cute even when he's being a turd.  Dare I say he gets that from his auntie? ;)

So I was named after my dad (Jerry) and Harrison was named after my dad's dad (Earl Harrison). Neato eh?

Family band practice at the Pavilion science center.

I refused to let him win.... at anything.... all day... Probably paybacks from his dad never letting me win growing up.

If I can't figure out the origami, how is a kid supposed to?!?!?

Butterfly house. H made a new friend.

Can we discuss how tired I look in this pic?  Wow... long day with a 4 year old... you win kid.

And more exciting news:  I just found out on Tuesday that in November Harrison's going to have a little seeeeeeeeeeeeeeester.  YAYZIES!