Feeling a Little Apathetic

It’s been a few days since I posted because I’ve either been busy or I just forgot to write anything up.  Let’s play catch up, shall we?

My last post was Monday...last week.  I had just run a 15K training run (that’s 9.3 miles, folks).  Well, Tuesday, I woke up and my quads were incredible S-O-R-E.  Going up and down stairs was a serious chore for me.  I had to go to the gun range for work on Tuesday before reporting in for my shift to qualify (yes, I carry a gun for work).  Long story short on that, I failed and now I’m not allowed to carry my gun in uniform.  Boo!  I have to go back at the end of May and try again.  Until then, I need to get to the range on my own time and practice, practice, practice shooting my gun to make sure I get a score of 75% accuracy or better.  Yea, I’m not a great shot.  If you’re standing next to the person I’m trying to shoot, or more accurately, squatting down on their right hand side, you’re in trouble.  Funny, but not funny, you know?  Anyway, I get to work and I’m assigned to work a sit-down position.  Great, because not only were my quads sore, but I had just bought brand new orthotic-type arch supports for my work boots and they were a little “pokey” on my arches…and, technically, you’re only supposed to wear them for an hour the first day and then you can add an hour each subsequent day until you’ve worked up to a full day of wearing them.  Yea, I’m one of those dumb people that doesn’t necessarily follow instructions like they should.  Anyway, I didn’t run Tuesday as I was extremely tired when the alarm went off.  I was only planning on a 3-miler anyway, so no big loss.  And I obviously needed the sleep more than the run.  That 15K the day before really took it out of me.  Plus, still on the tail end of the allergies turned sinus infection turned strep-like sore throat turned generic upper respiratory infection. 

Wednesday, I got up on time and headed out for my morning run.  I was originally going to do that rescheduled 7 mile run, but Tuesday I was thinking maybe I’d only do 5.  But, then I settled on doing a 10K (6.2 miles in case you didn’t already know that).  My quads were even more sore on Wednesday than they were on Tuesday.  I get to work and oh joy I’m assigned to work a stand up all 8 hours position.  Of course!  But, by the end of the day, my feet hurt so bad from the new inserts that I no longer cared about how badly my legs (specifically my quads) hurt.  It’s the simple things, right? 

Thursday, I had scheduled “run?”…I didn’t run.  I woke up after hitting snooze a few times and went about the business of paying the bills I had to pay in person ON payday.  I was pleasantly surprised when I went to use the ATM at my bank and they were open!  A while back they had changed their opening time to 11am which is incredibly inconvenient for me.  Well, they apparently got a butt-load of complaints regarding this change in business hours and changed back to opening at 10am…YAY!  So, I went ahead and got the money order for my car payment yesterday instead of waiting until tomorrow or Sunday or sometime next week to get it.  Which meant I could mail it off on the way home tonight.  YAY again. 

I worked a double (16 hour) shift Thursday so all I did Friday morning was sleep for a few hours before having to be back at work this afternoon.  Tomorrow, run #3 for the week…even though I originally wanted to do 4 runs this week to make up for only doing 2 last week.  I was planning on an 8K (that’s 5 miles) for Saturday.  Did you notice the theme in this week’s run distances?  15K…10K…8K.  Yep, it’s a race distances week for me.  So I would've had a total of 20.5 for this week.  Wow.  I haven’t run those numbers since late last summer/early last fall…before my impromptu hiatus from all exercise due to my PTS acting up.  But, alas, it did not happen.  Saturday morning rolled around and i wasn't feeling like getting out of bed, so I changed plans from an 8K to a 5K...then from a 5K to just sleeping in.  Ugh.  I have got to stop this!  I don't know why i'm so apathetic lately!!! 

I guess I’ll list what I want to do as far as exercise thisweek…so, here we go:

• Sunday – 10 to 10.5 mile run

• Monday – 2 to 3 mile run

• Tuesday – rest or gym (lower body)

• Wednesday – rest or gym (lower body)

• Thursday – sleep only

• Friday – run (3 or 4 miles)

• Saturday – gym (upper body)

I didn't do that long run yesterday, I did it this morning.  10.1 miles.

That was my last true long run and now I start the taper for my next half marathon…the Biggest Loser Half on the 30^th.  The 23^rd I won’t run because I’ll be at the renaissance festival again, so long run on Tuesday the 24^th…but I work that day, so only like 5 miles (maybe a 10K again?) probably…since it’s also a tapered long run, don’t want it too long.  I’ll be running races 3 Sundays in a row (half marathon, 10K, 10 miles)…so my weekday runs will be kept to no longer than 3 miles for those 3 weeks.  But, really, there will be some 2 and 2.5-ers just because I will be stressing out my legs once a week at race pace for THREE WEEKS IN A ROW!  That’s a lot to ask of a body.  I’ve never run more than two races in a month and the one time I did that, there was 2 or 3 weeks in between the two races.  I’ve never run 2 races 2 weeks in a row…let alone 3!  

Oh, and since I ran yesterday's run today, I will run today's run either tomorrow or Wednesday...or maybe just do 2 miles each day?  I dunno.  We'll see what I feel like.

I’ve been mostly good about sticking to my Lent abstination (I think I just made that word up, but you know what I’m saying) from eating unplanned food.  Yesterday I didn’t plan right for my double shift and had to stop at Subway for a sandwich.  Then, when I arrived at the second shift location, they were having a going away party for one of the officers and I was offered pizza and cake and cookies and, I’m sad to say, but I partook of the offered food.  Oh well.  I don’t feel guilty about it.  I am a little disappointed in myself for not sticking to my “promise” yet again.  But, I, once again, plan to go back to doing my best to stick to it.

I'm sorry I've been hit or miss with posting the last few weeks...I've just been so apathetic lately and I don't know why.  I guess maybe the whole allergies turned sinus infection turned strep-like throat turned possible general upper respiratory infection played a role.  I'm just hoping I can get out of this funk soon.

Anyway, good news, with this morning's 10.1 mile run done in 1:52:56 and with it feeling HARD, I have no doubts I can hit my goal of running the Austin 10/20 in 1:55:00 or faster as that is 10 miles.