Monday morning blues

The Monday morning blues now take on new meaning for me in my post collegiate days, instead of the thought of going to class I am struggling to find the motivation to get out the door for my run. Now that I take every Sunday off from running I find it is getting harder with each new week to bounce break from my lazy Sunday ritual, which mainly consists of grazing through the cabinets for spare scraps of food while watching the bears lose. If you had asked me a couple of weeks ago what my favorite part of the day had been I would have said without a pause, "my run of course!" Now that may still be the case once I break the cycle of laziness and actually start my first run of the week but until that happens I am content to sit here and tell you all just how lazy you can actually be and still be considered a professional athlete (not sure what just happened to my font but I don't know how to fix it, so deal with it!)

In other news this is actually quite an exciting time, as the miles continue to build up and up (shooting for 50 this week) and the weather cools off I find myself in the midst of signing my official contract with nike, (I know what you are thinking, and yes, it does take that long to sign the official contract) receiving my first pay day, picking up my diploma in a couple of hours, my Fall shipment of shoes should be coming any day now, and preparing for Mammoth, which is now just over a month away. Exciting times for someone who makes a living sitting on their butt. Today also marks my first massage since my return to running over 5 weeks ago, this sounds like a lot of fun, but trust me, it's not. running massages are different from the massages portrayed in movies. There are no ocean sounds, no dim lights, and I certainly will not be so relaxed that i fall off into a deep peaceful sleep. It will go something like this, Robin (my massage therapist) will inevitably find every tight/sore/aching muscle in my body and beat them into submission. Along the way there will be lots of leg hair being pulled out, and me breaking into terror sweats on the table. I usually leave these "massages" feeling a little emasculated, very tired, and despite all the pain inflicted during the massage, phenomenal! Well folks, its time to pour a hot bath and get my muscles warming up for the run! Until next time.....

Is it Fall yet?!

This week started very much like most other weeks in Arkansas around this time of year, temperatures in the mid 90's with no rain and no wind, well that all changed on Wednesday. I woke up Wednesday morning mentally prepared for another run in the scorching heat, but to my surprise it was barely 50 degrees outside and as gloomy as I have ever seen here in Fayetteville this time of year. It was more than a little uncomfortable having the temperature drop 40 degrees over night, now add in zero sunlight and lots of wind and you have yourself a rather unpleasant run! This continued to be the norm for the rest of the week. Yesterday was a planned easy run so I didn't mind the torrential downpour that lasted for about half of my run, it was actually quite calming. I have never been a big fan of running in the rain but all that has changed now that Nike provides me with killer rain gear. I have four different ultra light rain jackets that are perfect for days in the 50's, 60's and even 70 degree range. With my amazing rain jacket and hat I was in 7th heaven as the rain poured down, killing off the wind, and finally giving the skies a reason to look so gloomy. I wasn't the only runner out on the cross course that day, but I was the only one not huddled under a tree ( bad idea for future reference) trying to wait out the storm.

Today is my day off and I am making the most of it! I slept in until 9, sad, I know, but that is great for me, at which point I made my healthy yet delicious breakfast of oatmeal with brown sugar and a piping hot cup of coffee. After a mid morning shower I washed some dishes, folded laundry, wrote out my dinner menu for the week, and just finished grocery shopping. Now all that remains is a sauna session later followed up with some dinner. Now that I am done with school and don't dread Mondays, Sunday is by far my favorite day of the week, once again sad, I know, but I'm not the party animal I once was and I rather like the calming feeling of a day spent doing chores around the apartment, and not to mention the day off from running!

Holding steady.

Having the day off on Sunday definitely recharged the batteries and rested the aching legs. I'm not running that much but it still takes a toll to run 40 miles in a week, even when you are used to running two times that. The run today was a really great run, the weather is beautiful, the cross course was peaceful, and the run felt really smooth, and I'm still not entirely used to running pain free so that is still really exciting. I have a great loop, well actually two loops and a final mile loop at the cross course that covers right around 6.6 miles. This distance is perfect for right now and running on the grass feels great compared to the bike bath. I am holding steady right around 40-45 miles per week for the next couple of weeks and focusing more on my breathing and body. I have no races in the near future so I can really focus on building up slowly, this will not only keep me healthy but also fresh for future races. My new motto "less is more," obviously not an original idea but a great one nonetheless, is the basis for my fall training. Rather than really hammering away on a daily basis I am going to try to reign in the daily runs and instead focus on key runs that maybe only come once every couple weeks. I do have to keep some secrets now that my running is my business so I can't spill all the beans but overall daily training will take a backseat to very select workouts and races in the future. I am trying to think of something to say at the end of each entry and this is my first idea, let me know what you think. "A run a day keeps the aging away."

Week Two Overview

This week was the start of my third week back to training, and so far it had been a smooth transition back into running. As always there are aches and pains, such is life for a runner, but for the most part training is progressing ahead of schedule. Last week consisted of mainly four and five mile runs around 6:30 pace at the trails, but yesterday Rachel and I ventured out the the bike bath at lake Fayetteville, where I ran as Rachel biked by my side, to my surprise the trail was actually quite beautiful. I had run there before but it had been a serious run, yesterday was more like a scenic run, taking in the sites and sounds of the trail. Granted it was a hard bike trail, the path winds around the lake through some beautiful pine forests and a disc golf course. It was Labor Day yesterday so the trail was packed with bikers, joggers, walkers and everything else imaginable. And the cherry on top, the weather was perfect, sunny and 70's with a light breeze, it doesn't get better than that in Arkansas. I got so caught up in the scenery and beautiful weather that I had run almost seven miles at nearly six minute pace without hardly noticing. Having rachel there next to me on the bike certainly helped big time. I logged 30 miles last week, and so far this week I am on pace to hit right around 40 miles. One thing that I am very excited about is my most recent purchase! I bought the first season of Mad Men on dvd and am very much looking forward to what will surely become one of my favorite shows. Now, on that note, kind of, I went to go see Apollo 18 with Rachel and another couple a few nights ago, SPOILER ALERT: It stunk. Save your money, or go see Harry Potter again, either way it is a win win for you. Well I made a list of things to do today and now I am off to clean my car! Chao!

Labor Day weekend!

The week is beginning to wind down into what appears to be a great weekend! Not that I am a huge football fan but The Razorbacks will be kicking off their 2011 season, both the mens and women's cross country teams will be starting their long seasons on Friday night, and it's a long weekend! As most of you know, last night the men's track and field team was at the Chancellors house yesterday for some good eats and an award ceremony. It was my fifth trip to the chancellors house in the last three years, and sadly enough my last. For a brief moment last night I had almost completely forgotten that I was no longer a teammate, no longer in college, and no longer a piece of the puzzle that I had been trying to perfect for the last five years. Today seems a bit lonelier than most after coming to the realization that my time here in Arkansas, like this week, is winding down. I will see less and less of the people who have made my life into what it is today, as I become more and more aware of the path I have chosen for my life, and the solidarity that this path demands at times. Ok, enough is enough, and I have an appointment with the chiropractor! Enjoy the weekend, and go hogs!!!