Sunday, January 21, 2007

Life in Forward Motion

so Garmin and me have seen each other twice this week and it's going well mostly due to the fact that we ask so little of each other.

if Garmin is right my BART trail run is 3.6 miles ...about what i thought. the richmond marina loop from my house is over 14 miles...i was way off on this, i thought it was between 8-10 miles. we got off to a sketchy start when Garmin failed to notice the first mile or so and i had to restart it. this is were it's wise for me to not get hung-up on the numbers because despite this marvel of technology...it's got two strikes against it:

1. me
2. it's only technology.

today's 13 plus mile mostly flat run boosted my confidence for my upcoming race. around mile 7 i felt pretty good and loose. by mile 8 the hot spot on my right arch started to bug me and i began to tense up abit.
a few times my right arm felt that weird tingling like a pinched nerve or something. only once or twice did i notice any shin pain or side stiches. i gued a total of 3 times and had water and gatorade left in both flasks by the end of the run. when i got home and had a look a small blister had begun to form but after a shower and rest it seemed to go away on it's own.

this is week 6 of the novice training plan i've been casually following and today should've only been a 10k. next sunday a 10 miler is on the schedule but we'll be in Mendocino celebrating our 7th wedding anniversay and a shorter run seems more likely.

the richmond marina urban trail run is mostly concrete with sandy trails on either side. i didn't like the feel of the sand wearing the asics plus i've been running on the harder stuff to get conditioned to it.

had i actually trained properly for this race mile 10 was where i was supposed to go into "race pace". the training sessions leading up to todays run well...don't look so good on paper. i'm just glad i hung on to finish. my legs had taken a pounding and by mile 12.7 i circled my neighborhood, determined to run the full 13.0
13.1 could kiss my tired ass...today.

conditions: low 60s, sunny blue skies, mild cross winds
distance: 13.03
time:02:32:53
best pace: 10:33

please send good vibes for these exact conditions on 2/4th.
because i'm not above bailing on lesser conditions.
i'm serious.

on a less wimpy note. i'm meeting Reba, my personal trainer at
All in One Fitness tomorrow at 5 pm for our first session. we'll meet again on weds at 3 pm. i paid for an 8 week start-up package and it wasn't cheap..but according to my demographic, i deserve it. plus my lazy butt got way soft this past couple months and i want to give personal training another try now that i've got a better base to build on. i was a bit wary of them (personal trainers) before but this studio seems different (better be for the money). so we'll see.

anger management is coming to and end...2 more meetings...remember the bad attitude guy i mentioned that first meeting? he's turned out to be an alright guy. class attendance dwindled during the holidays and there's only 6-7 of us left out of the original 18. it's been a good starting off point. i listened and learned. i'm far from done however. doubt i ever will be.

i've made a decision to request a transfer to the walnut creek facility. my boss won't like it but i don't think she'll be too surprised. i've gotten into the groove there and because it's a larger facility i have a greater pool of patients to draw from thus eliminating the need to travel as much to get my hours. i know there are no guarantees there never is in my industry the case load fluctuates everywhere...the advantage in w.c. is that it's a larger facility and has both rehab and sub-acute units. doesn't hurt that it's 5 important miles closer to berkeley.

i'm a little uneasy about breaking the news to my boss, understandable i suppose. but i've listened to my instincts on this and while the census will eventually go up again in concord i've been contemplating a change from there for awhile. a nicer larger facility, more patients with better rehab potential. i've examined the negatives...my new boss is tougher about time off, the culture is a bit "highbrow" in this building and there are still difficult patients that stay on caseload for too long but the pros and cons have been scrutinized carefully and i want to make the change.

personal training, anger management, new work place, and a half marathon on the horizon. who is this person i appear intent on becoming?