A Little Life, A Little Work, A Little Running

Sorry my postings have been sparse lately.  It's not that we haven't been doing anything, just that I haven't had as much time to write.  I've put in two full weeks at work so far, and that really limits my Internet time.  What a bummer, huh?!

So what's new with us?  Well, not a whole heck of a lot, actually.  Jacob started Karate classes at the YMCA a few weeks ago, and that is going well.  He seems to really enjoy it, and I am very impressed with how laid back and nice everyone is.  The instructors and the other families are all very welcoming and friendly.  We have met some new friends, and I even met up with a few people I haven't seen for a very long time!

We went to my niece's 10th birthday party last night, which was fun.  I know it's cliche, but I can't believe how fast the kids grow.  She's such a beautiful, sweet and smart little girl - soon to be a young woman.  Happy Birthday, Brookie!

Work has been hectic, as is typical for this time of year, but manageable.  This is my second year as a supervisor, and while I still have a LOT to learn, I feel much more comfortable in my position this year than I did last July.  I feel like start-up is off to a much smoother start this year, and I believe that I am not out of line in surmising that the case managers would agree with me.  Those few days each week that I put in over the summer break paid off.  I think next year, I will probably work more than I did this summer, just to make sure I can tie up all the loose ends before we bring the case managers back.  Start-up will always have its stress, no matter how prepared we think we are.  Let's face it, we have 464 children across the entire county who we are registering for the start of classes.  Just the fact that we are working with people - some of whom are facing some unbelievable challenges, and all of whom have children - makes for some interesting situations, to say the least.  But this year has been running pretty smoothly so far.  We are busy, but we aren't fried.  Busy is good.  Fried...well, not so good.

Other than that, it's been the same old same old.  I have been running for almost two months now, and I haven't missed more than two days between runs yet.  Many weeks I run 3-4 days in a row then take a day or two off.  My progress is slow, but it's progress nonetheless.  My emotions tend to vacillate between encouragement and disappointment, but I try to focus more on the encouragement side than the disappointment.

What am I disappointed about?  Well, the speed of my progress, really.  I haven't been able to get past 2.5 miles without stopping for a walk break, which bums me out a little.  But truly, I think that given the heat, and my hip issues, 2.5 miles isn't so bad after all.  I am encouraged that I am running in 90 degree weather and not collapsing, and I am even more encouraged that my hip is holding out OK so far.  It's tender.  I feel it.  I especially feel it if I have been sitting for a long time (like on the computer at work), but it's also tolerable.  I whole-heartedly believe that the foam roller is largely responsible for my progress.  I roll religiously after each run.  It hurts like a son of a b****, but the pay off is worth the pain.  I bought an extra roller to keep at work, so when my hip feels tight in the middle of the day, I just close my door and roll a few minutes in my office.  So far, it seems to be doing the trick, and no one at work has commented on me crying out behind a closed door...kinda makes me wonder if they are hard at work and don't hear me, are afraid to ask, or if they already think I'm strange enough that it doesn't phase them?!

As for the heat, well, I've never been a hot weather runner.  Give me sub-zero temps with blistering wind chills, and I'll still head out, happy as a clam in mud.  But heat and humidity kill my mojo.  So, considering the heat and humidity wave that we've been having, I guess 2.5 miles isn't so bad after all.  This morning it was only 65 degrees when I hit the road and I did 3.20 miles without stopping, hills and all.  Still only at a 10 minute/mile pace, but I got the distance.  Like I said before, I am trying to focus on the progress, not the deficits.  It took me a long while to be able to run 10 miles straight at an 8:30 mile.  I can't expect to jump right  back to where I left off.  Indeed, pushing too hard to go far and fast right away will lead to inevitable injury and set me back even further.  So for today, I am thrilled with my 31 minute, 3.2 mile run.

I spent a good deal of time gathering some new tunes for my running playlist, and weeding out the old songs that I wasn't listening to anymore.  It got to the point that I was spending more time surfing through music on my iPod during runs than I was actually listening to music.  I purchased about 15 songs, which will hold me over for a while, but I am always up for suggestions for more songs.  So if you know of anything upbeat, new or old, please send me the titles!  Once my mileage gets up to where I want it to be, I will need much more than 15 songs on my playlist!

I'm also very impressed with my new kicks.  When I bought shoes earlier in the year, I actually had a sales person who knew what he was talking about.  I have the new Brooks Pure Cadence.  They are lightweight stability shoes.  They are awesome.  They're so comfortable.  It's like wearing socks with cushioning.  They're so lightweight I can hardly feel them on my feet, I can feel the road beneath me, and yet they still provide the stability that I need.  If you're a pronater, I recommend trying out a pair.  They're worth the cash!  I have the bright pink ones, and I've gotten a lot of comments about the color of my shoes.  Several people have asked if they were glow-in-the-dark (they're not).  I've joked that they are my safety shoes - drivers can't miss these shoes!  One day when I was running on my lunch break, the mailman I ran past said, "Whoa.  Pink shoes!"  Haha! They're definitely eye-catching!

And that's it in a nutshell.  Mom and I are headed out to the Martinsburg pool today with the boys.  They don't open until 12, so Andrew and I will only be there for about an hour, and Mom will stay with Jake so he can actually enjoy some swim time.  If you're going to be out in the area, look for me!