Thoughts on my mind... Things in my life...

A few of the thoughts on my mind - a few of the things going on in my life...

1. The Soldier Field 10 Mile is THIS Saturday!  I've had a couple of weeks of solid training runs so I'm feeling pretty good about it.  I'm most nervous about navigating my way around Chicago on race day - I'll most likely take a taxi from our hotel to the stadium to keep things simple. 
   
   
2. Apparently, the shirts for the Soldier Field 10 Mile are hideous - huge blow-up on Facebook about it.  I suppose it's hard to pick a design that appeals to 17,500 people.
   
   
3. PRAISE GOD!  I did not end up in a wave of runners that need to be lined up by 6:40 AM.  Nope, I don't have to be lined up until 7:10 - 10 minutes after the official start of the race.  This gives you an idea of how long it takes to get 17,500 people off and running!
   
   
4. I just bought the cutest shirt at Old Navy! 
   
   
   
   And mine is even cuter than the one pictured above because it's - get this - ORANGE check instead of red. I know, you can hardly wait to see it. 
   
   
5. I also bought 6 pairs of flip flops at Old Navy.  What can I say, I'm a sucker for a $2.50 shoe.
   
   
6. My sister and I took my mom to see Chonda Pierce last weekend.  Chonda is beyond funny but also has a very unexpected, quite tragic, yet inspiring life story.  Another reminder that yes, we all have trouble in this life - and you never know what the person next to you might be going through - so be nice to them.
   
   
7. YouVersion released The Bible App for the Nook - I'm beyond happy about this.  If The Bible App is available on your device you should definitely check it out.  Love The Bible App - simply love it.
   
   
8. I still don't know if I passed the test I took 2 1/2 weeks ago.  It's not uncommon for it to take 4 weeks or more to get your results.  When people ask how the test was and if I passed I tell them "I have received no indication that I didn't pass."  I'm considering ignoring the email that reveals my results when it arrives and sticking with this response for the remainder of my career.
   
   
9. Speaking of my career, in June I will celebrate my 15th anniversary with my employer.  Isn't that crazy?  There are very few things in my life that I have done for 15 consecutive years.  Going to school is the only thing that come to mind.
   
   
10. 800 miles is a lot of miles.  You may remember that I set a goal to run 800 miles this year.  I have had to re-read the post that I announced this goal in to confirm the number of miles several times.  I keep thinking "maybe it was 600 miles..."  Nope, the goal is 800 miles.  Eight.Hundred.Miles.  Guess I'll keep running!

It's been a long time

It's been a long time since I have posted!  I think it's interesting when bloggers warn their readers that they wont be posting for a week or even a few days.  Do blog readers really get worried when bloggers don't post for a few days?  What exactly do they think may have happened - and why on earth do they think it's any of their business?  I really don't get it.  Maybe if I was an uber-blogger with thousands of followers I would feel obligated to let you know when I was taking a break.  As it is I'm not sure I'm even at the tens of readers stage so I'll just continue to come and go as I please thankyouverymuch.

So anyway - how about a running update?

I am currently two weeks out from a 10 Mile race.  This will be my first "destination race" and I'm really looking forward to it.  I'll be running the Soldier Field 10 Mile in Chicago on May 26th.  To make things a bit more interesting I just came off of a three week hiatus from running.  Back in April I had a brief but painful calf injury that eliminated my ability to run for just over a week.  Immediately following the injury I became fully consumed with studying for an exam I would be taking a week later.  I was literally studying every.waking.moment.  The exam was this past Monday and it took me a good four days to return to normal life after my self-imposed sequestering. 

Prior to my hiatus I was running about 20 miles a week including a long run of 8-9 miles on the weekend.  This past Friday I opened my door and started out on my favorite little 4 mile route.  3 miles in I was dying and stopped to walk for a half mile.  Not what I was hoping for but probably not an unexpected result after such a long break.  The good news is that I was dying from lack of cardio-vascular endurance (and let's face it - maybe being a bit wimpy) rather than any physical pain.  I had planned to rest on Saturday but it was sooooo beautiful outside I couldn't help myself and I ended up running the same 4 mile route - only this time I actually ran the entire distance.  Baby steps.  The plan from here on out is to continue to baby step my way to 10 miles in the next two weeks.  I don't have a very solid direction other than to listen to my body and avoid injury at all costs.  I'm hoping some sort of muscle memory will kick in and I'll be able to up my mileage pretty quickly.  If not, well - let's not cross that bridge unless we have to.

On a related but different note - as a result of my latest injury I visited with a physical therapist who (once again) diagnosed me as weak - specifically weak in the hips and core.  She prescribed several stretches and exercises that I can do at home but also suggested that I take pilates classes.  I found a place close to my work that offers classes over the lunch hour and I'm going to give it a try (though probably not until after the 10 Mile race for various reasons).  I'm quite excited to try something new and to see what kind of results it offers.  I'll keep you posted.  

Oh - check out my sidebar - I just passed the 200 mile mark!  Only 400 miles left to reach my goal - did I really just say only 400 miles? 

Keep breathing... and running!