Procrastination Station

Felt like I got nothing done today. I kept getting sidetracked with other activities. I wanted to get up early so I could hit the gym before class... I ended up getting up early, but I did my laundry instead. I didn't get any miles in but I was able to stock my gym locker with a couple extra sets of workout gear.
Plan B, hit the road as soon as I get back from school.
When I got home I was starving so I made myself a late lunch. Ever since I started training, I have been hungry constantly. I couldn't run right after that either.
Digesting takes time and I am not a big fan of throwing up so I decided to wait a bit. Then I remembered that my dog needed a bath. He really did. He was pretty stinky. Giving my fluffy white dog a bath is always rewarding. He's always good, he loves the blow-dryer and when he's finished he prances around the house showing off how handsome he is. So cute.

Blue is gleaming after a bath.

It still took me about an hour to get going after that. I think that swapping out Sunday's run for Saturday, then not running on Monday either, really messed up my motivation. I left home at 5:30 and it was still sunny and not too cold.
Today was another set of hill repeats (could be part of my reason for procrastination). It's a step-back week so it wasn't as intense as last week. I made my warm-up run a little longer on the way because I wanted to tackle this hill with gusto. I actually ended up improving my time per lap by over a minute. Each loop is .66 mileswith about a third of the distance being a giant hill in Maple Bluff overlooking Lake Mendota. I did 4 loops at an average of 8:34 min/mile. That's faster than I normally go but I really pushed it today. I can definitely feel it in my calves right now. After my post workout shower I rubbed out my sore muscles with some tiger balm and donned my knee high, super cozy, socks. It is heaven.

Like I said before, this week is a step-back week with my longest run being only eight miles. My weekday runs have not decreased in distance though (bummer). Most days I'll be running 4-5 miles. I have talked to a few of my running buddies recently and I think I may have company soon. The warm weather has done what I couldn't in convincing them that it's better outdoors. Having people to run with is great for my motivation.

On the schedule for this week (week 8):

Tuesday - Hill repeats 4 miles I did around 5.
Wednesday - 5 miles (treadmill)
Thursday - 4 miles easy
Friday - 4 miles medium effort
Saturday - 5 miles easy (prep for long run)
Sunday - 8 miles
Monday - Rest

Bike commuting to work and school has helped me build muscle and endurance. It has been so helpful in the recovery process, I sometimes forget that I ever had knee problems. They say cross-training is good for you; it is.

Enough. Top priority right now, sleep.