July 25, 2008 (Jog 3.2 Miles and Real Work)

So, this week has been a challenge for all of us at work physically. I am sure that most of my soreness this week came from moving books, furniture and filing cabinets because of the painting. I felt as sore this week as I did when I first started this craziness. This week had highs and lows. Either because of the blood pressure meds or extra workouts at work or the fact that I hadn't done the trail for a week to allow my toes to heal my average per mile on the trail was 15.5 min/mile, but I still jogged every other song for 4 miles and only ran the hills for two miles. I did discover why God gives us toenails. It's so that is you hit a root with your toe while you are jogging you don't say, "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women" when you aren't even catholic. It took that many words before I was sure that I wouldn't say something I wouldn't want my child to say. "Owe" just wouldn't have covered it. But my toes are doing better, no bleeding at the moment. I was disappointed that my time was slower though.

The cool thing is that even though I worked out at work, I worked out outside of work. I was not able to push myself as hard as I usually do because I was sore form work. Yesterday morning I decided to see if I could jog a mile on the flat pavement around my circle because it looked like rain and I didn't want to get stuck in it on the trail and I was going to meet with Marcella at 5. Well, I have measured that one trip around my circle is .8 miles; I don't know where one mile ends. I jogged (very slowly, about the same speed of fast walking) one time around. I was surprised because that was three times what I usually jog without walking. I wanted to jog one mile though so I kept going. I couldn't make up my mind where one mile ended so I decided to try to make it around again making it 1.6 miles. I made it! I was stoked and decided to try and make it an even 2 miles. I couldn't decide where that would be, so I went around again, making it 2.4 miles. I didn't stop jogging for 3.2 miles, then I cooled down with walking one lap, making it an even 4 miles. I don't have OCD, but I come close. (It's probably the math teacher in me.) I won't be able to do that on the trail because of the hills and my knees can't do the pavement often, so that might be the last time I can do that for a while.

Well, remember, I only wanted to jog one mile because I knew I was meeting with Marcella at 5 that evening. A sane person would have called Marcella and rescheduled, but I felt bad about doing that so I met with her any ways. I was too embarrassed to tell her what I had done that morning when I knew I would need my strength later, but told her what we were doing at work. She likes working my legs because that's what women have the most issues with. She had me stepping on a step the height of a bench. My knees and ankles were clicking loudly. (Everything is louder when you're stiffer.) She asked, "What is clicking? Does it hurt?" I said, "No, I'm just getting old. You'll be that old one day." She laughed and said, "Sooner than I think, I'm sure." We talk a lot and she has been inspired into trying to become a Spanish teacher this year so she can have more normal hours and be with her family. If she passes her English test she wants to trade services in exchange for math help for the math test. That's kind of cool. I really hope she pulls it off. Any ways, at the end of the sessions she always helps me stretch and loosen up. This time she popped my shoulder when trying to stretch my triceps and it startled her because she thought she had dislocated it. Once again I assured her that I'm fine....just getting old.

Just another note about sweat and how stupid I can be. Both the Noland Trail adventure and jogging my neighborhood resulted in me being sweaty enough that I couldn't have been wetter if I had fallen into the river. I should not be worried about getting caught in the rain. Also, I am going to have to cover my car seats with a towel because when I came to work after the doing trail, my pants were actually damp. It kind of defeats taking a shower between the trail and work if you sit in your own sweat on the way to work. As Chrissie would say, "Ewwwwww."

Today I am very sore and am going to take a day of rest more than likely unless I feel guilty about what I know that I'm going to eat tonight at the baseball game. lol