Still rising

...I'm sitting in my apartment with not much left to do. Other than review what I am going to be teaching tomorrow, I've basically finished all the work that I had on my to do list.* I'm at the point where I have ran twenty two days in a row. I've done three workouts this week and was able to raise my mileage to almost 54 miles.

*There is also the fact that I can't find my umbrella. Like seriously where did it go? I have no idea!

There has been some slight pain in my left IT band, but nothing that has caused me any concerns. Or anything that would prompt me to take a day off. In fact it really comes and goes. There are some lingering pains when I sit down for to long. Or there are some pains after I wake up. I've felt that this week has been a return back to the schedule that I was keeping until the middle of December. Then I got sick and didn't run for a week. Then I was in Charlotte for two weeks. Then I ran for about three days in DC and then I got hurt, and it was a long comeback to just run two miles.

Now I am back to maybe what I would say is 80%. There was a feeling in the middle of January, where I threw up my hands (figuratively) and declared that the 2013 race season was over. I did the 8k (or closer 10k) race and felt like things were getting back to respectability. With the two track workouts I did, I think the feeling of being in shape is slowing on the way up.

The workout I did on Tuesday was 8 x 400 and 10 x 200. I averaged 77 for the 400s and 37 for the 200s. I totally felt wiped out from this workout. I haven't had that feeling in a loooong time. But it was a good feeling. The workout I did on Thursday was 10 x 400 and 12 x 400. I got off to a rocky start with two 82's to start off the 400s, that is why the average was 78 and for the 200s it was 37. Take out the slow times when I was getting my legs under me, I average 77. Then on Saturday I did a nice steady state run on Beach Drive, which going out is a deceptive uphill. Add the wind and it wasn't that pleasant going out 4.5 and then on the way back it wasn't so bad. I averaged 6:34 for 9 miles and ran under an hour, which is something that I wanted to do. I'm pleased that the effort is starting to pay off.

Next week I'll toe the line for the George Washington Birthday Classic 10k. My goal is a rather humble one of running under 35 minutes and a top 15 finish. The upcoming week is rather unusual. I get to go to New Jersey on Thursday to observe a school in Newark. The fun part is that I get to board a train at 4am to get to Newark!

On the professional front, I basically have an unofficial contract renewed at my school. It wont formally be offered until late March, but after going over my mid year evaluation it will soon be a formality. I had the meeting for my mid year on Friday after school. I was in the mind to do some sort of celebrating, but that ain't me. It never really was me and I really don't have it in me to be something or someone that I am not. I just go about my business and do the things that please me. Whether that's playing video games, reading, or doing some work. I do the things that satisfy myself.  I ended up working for most of Saturday and Sunday morning.

Maybe I'll blog more often. Maybe I'll get more spam comments.

A work in progress

You know what you never hear about?

A troll that lives on top of a bridge, and who is always happy!

You always hear about a troll that lives under a bridge, and who is unhappy.

Well let me tell you something-

I know of a troll that lives on top of a bridge, and who is always happy.

His name is Fabrice. He lives on top of the bridge that sits on top of Connecticut Avenue.

He likes the Seattle SuperSonics, the complete series of Two Guys, A Girl, and a Pizza Place on DVD, and calls cheese fromage.

Fabrice was an unusual troll.

He did not like to complain.

He did not like to push others.

He did not like to scream.

Instead he liked to smile.

He liked to share the bridge with others.

He made sure everyone was able to drive safely on the bridge.

There were other trolls, trolls who lived underneath bridges, who were always unhappy.

They would see Fabrice.

"HEY WHY DO YOU ACT LIKE THAT" is how the other trolls talked. They did not talk, they yelled.

Fabrice would politely wait then responded to them "I act like this because it makes me happy. And I want to do anything that makes me happy".

The other trolls would yell, spit, scream, and cry in ways to distract Fabrice.

But no matter how hard they tried, they could not make Fabrice unhappy.

He was truly the first (and only) troll that lived on top of a bridge and was happy.

Illustrations: done in stick figure (maybe?possibly?perhaps?)