Saturday, May 09, 2009

I suck at blogging

So, as you might have guessed, things are a little crazy around here.

I got back from San Francisco a week and a half ago, suffered from crazy jet lag/sleeping schedule readjustment (hello 4am!) and then spent all last weekend madly trying to write a conference abstract so that I can go gallivanting around Germany spend three days trapped on an island in the Baltic with a whole bunch of scientists in September.

(Note to LtK, take the job in Berlin! I have been to Paris way too many times (okay, twice). I know this is a tough problem to have, but all my friends keep moving to Paris and really I'd like to go other places in Europe before I return there).

I had to pull an all-nighter since I didn't get my hook for the abstract until 2:30pm. Which happened to be a half hour before I had to leave to go see these boys in MSP (and left a little bit sad I wasn't moving to NZ):

(This particular link is for Lisa)


So part of the reason I love science is that I actually do get excited about it. So I spent the drive up to MSP silently laying out my abstract while my friends chatted. We got back like at 2am and I got to work and busted it out. Stupid Germans and their being 7 time zones ahead meant that mofo had to be in by 10am.

So after that fun, I got ready to move to my new summer home at the lake.

We went up on Tuesday, are back for the weekend, but go up through June starting Monday.

Seriously people, I have the sweetest lakeside house EVAR. We have a spare bed. Come visit. Without meaning to be, I am up every morning as the sun is rising over the lake. This is going to be the dissertation writing retreat.

I'm living with the two other grad students, two 23 year old boys. After living with 23 boys for a month, this should be cake. We are currently in the disclosure phase of living with new people:

Me to J: You might as well just let me organize the kitchen instead of trying to be helpful, since I will reorganize anything you do because I am OCD like that.

M to me: I might as well tell you now. I swallow my toothpaste.

I only know this because we are both toothbrushing wanderers who stroll around the house while brushing our teeth, so yeah, I would notice.

Anyway...

Running.

I am trying to get back into the swing of things.

I am not signed up for anything so I have all the time in the world (well, except the Wild West Relay, but I'm captain so I get to pick which legs I run).

Taking six weeks off hurts.

The "Danielle doesn't have a spontaneous bone in her body so she either needs a training plan or a mathematical way to decide how far to run" plan goes as follows (it worked for National!):

During the week, I run short. The short runs are a distance a half mile farther than what I can run at a sub ten minute pace. I can do 1.5 miles now at that pace, so next week they will be 2 mile runs.

On the weekend, I run "long." This distance is twice the distance I can run at a sub ten minute pace. So, for the math incompetents out there, this means I ran three miles today. I do my long runs using heart rate and keep it in Zone 2 (146-156 for me).

I'm not going to lie. This week hurt. I got in four runs (for a total of 7 miles - ha!). My first run was the most painful mile ever. My lungs were searing, my legs hurt. It was not pretty. I PRed at a HM six weeks ago! What is this! At the lake, running will be easy, but boring. Given the location, there are two directions to go - north or south. One side of the road are fields. On the other is the lake (but hidden from site). There are no turns really. And it is exposed so my runs are going to have to be early morning.

Anyway, I might as well track my progress here, at least for my long runs:

Today: 3 miles (10:59 min/mile @ 154 avg HR)
Week: 7 miles

Running song of the day: Islands in the Stream (Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. Rock on!)

10 comments:

Lesser is More said...

Any plan is a start. I think the key to getting back into running after a break is frequency. It doesn't matter the distance as much as getting out there and running, whether it is 1 mile or 4. If you can get a week or 2 of consistent and frequent runs, you will notice the adaptation will happen much faster.

Unknown said...

Plans are good! (As is gallivanting in Germany.) I, too, need a plan or Nothing Good Happens.

Audrey said...

ooh, i think your plan is smart and wise. slow building and all of that. how does the PF feel after the break?

your lake house sounds PRETTY!!

ButterPeanut said...

Yes, I have to move to Berlin! My mother has already decided that we are running the Berlin Marry next year, so put that in your calendar.

Also, hilariously last night was my first time watching the Conchords! And I saw that song and thought, "Dang, I should have posted that on my Paris post."

Anyways,, where is this lakehouse? dang, I owe you an email...

k said...

lauren and i saw the conchords a couple of weeks ago in chicago... we've been walking around singing their songs and getting weird looks from people.

peter said...

Swallowing toothpaste--TMI. You didn't need to disclose you'd organize the kitchen, he would have found that out soon enough. The lake ought to benice to run around all spring, even if you can't see it (not even peeks?).

BrianFlash said...

I'm just glad you are excited about science! As a manufacturing engineer, I love talking about making stuff, so I think it is cool when someone else is excited about their job - particularly cool stuff like science.

Rainmaker said...

Swalling toothpaste? Can't you die from that?

Born To Endure said...

You are cool!!!!!

Nitmos said...

Rogers never gets enough credit as an entertainer. I could watch him - with my TV muted - rocking out that beard, tan, and face lift any time.