Mom is supposed to get out of the hospital Friday, which is very good news, and I am not nearly as nervous about her homecoming as I was. I do worry about her emotional reaction. Every time I go into their house, I feel shocked, sad, and something else, I'm not sure what. It is still hard for me to believe he's gone, that he's not there, that he won't be coming back. But though I worry about her emotional reaction, I am not as concerned as I was about her physicality. Tuesday afternoon she was able to stand easily and walk herself, using her walker of course, to the bathroom. Amazing. I have a resounding respect for physical therapists. I have now seen them twice do this for Mom, seen them take her from nothing back to standing, walking, and more.
Work has been crazy. I have had to stay all afternoon for registration, even though it is an established fact that students don't register until the week before and the week that classes resume. Besides registration, when you add in my night classes, I have been here ten plus hours per day. This is ruining my credit, my physical health, and my emotional well-being. My bills aren't paid, my lawn in not mowed, and my swimming is rusting out once again. The only way I have been able to run is to do it when I would be sleeping. Seriously, I feel like I am becoming dangerous, like I might snap and shoot a road sign or something. But relief is on the way. Next week I am off. Yeehaaa!
Monday I ran 4.51 miles but missed lifting weights because I couldn't work it in. In fact, I did the running after my night class. Actually, I am enjoying my late night running. I feel totally anonymous out there in the dark with very little car traffic, and the run doubles as some alone time which I have always needed in copious doses. My mind doesn't idle as much as it used to, however, as I am constantly thinking of Dad often chuckling out loud when I remember something he did, something that has made the list of Do Not Forget moments. I have a lot of those.
Tuesday I went out for a mid-long run and ran it multi-paced fashion. After a slow 2.6 miles and inserted 3 X 1 mile at a 9:30 pace with a .2 mile shuffle between. Then I finished the run with a mile and a half of easy tipping along. In short, I got in 7.55 miles with three miles of almost tempo pace. I'm thinking a 9:30 would be a nice pace to try to hold for a marathon. If I did, it would in fact be a PR for me which currently stands at 4:11 set at St Jude in 2008. I haven't run an official marathon in since that year. I hope to do the Mississippi River this February. Last year I did the half and am hoping to beat Randy Beets in the full.
I made it to DSU, Tuesday, where the Mad swimming Scientist had us swim
2,050
6 X 150 as 50 easy, 50 kick on back, 50 fast
2 X 100 easy
12 X 50 @ 1:30 as 2 fast, 1 drill, 1 fast, 3 X through
400 easy
700 pull with small paddles
Total: 4,850 yards = 4,432.9 meters.
Wednesday I worked again all day and into the night. We watched Unforgiven in Film as Lit and it was a big hit with the students, especially the resurrection scene. After class I shuffled 4.12 miles. Since I did pace work the day before, and since it is dark out when I run now, I felt comfortable shuffling as slow as needed in order to get in some volume and recover at the same time. Right now that means I just tipped around at slower than an 11:00 pace but that's OK. It's work, it's gentle, and I do need some safe miles to achieve the goals I've set for myself.
One of those goals was The Great Noxapater Journey Run which I had hoped to do this weekend and into next week. With Mother just getting out of the hospital, however, and with the amount of care she will need still undetermined, it is most likely not going to happen. I may try for an intermediary run, something shorter, maybe to the in-laws' and back. This would only have me gone two days instead of four and also I would be much closer to home if I need to abandon the run. Since I'm not as fit as I wanted to be, a two day journey run would be a good trainer for Noxapater which I still hope to do maybe during the Christmas break. With the next break coming up in only a few weeks, I don't really feel like I'm sacrificing anything by not tackling Noxapater now. The chief problem with waiting, however, is the weather. The later we get into the year, the colder it is likely to be which requires more clothing and makes staying dry a necessity.
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