Spring on the Horizon

I took the girls to the Ponds this morning. It's looking less winter-like but not quite spring.

I finally got some prints made from the Badwater photos. I've been intending to do a scrapbook or photo album but never got around to it. Now that I have a little more free time I will work on that project.

Sunday I did a fifteen mile out & back from the stadium, over the hills on Centenn-ial Drive and over Bingham Hill Road. A cold headwind froze me on the return trip, but I didn't feel bad at all. I ran every step and felt less like a snail by the end than I expected to. Saturday I felt exhausted, after two days of work. I couldn't motivate myself for anything.

Last week I finished studying for my certifica-tion exam for work and dragged my butt up to Cheyenne to take the test. I passed, and I'm glad to have it behind me. The past month I spent a lot of time studying and I hate sitting on my butt for long periods of time.

It's ironic though, that I often wonder these days what a desk job would feel like. After running my butt off for thankless 13 hour days, keeping endless details and lists in my head and trying to satisfy everyone, never taking a real break, not eating or drinking or peeing enough, and feeling wiped out after just two back-to-back days, and dreading having to work that third day later in the week, I can see now why so many nurses burnout or leave the bedside so quickly.

The system is set up for it to be an insane job, I really think that human beings were not designed for carrying so many details in their heads for so many hours at this relentless pace. Young people can probably do this for a while longer, but given that the average age of nurses in the U.S. is 45, I think some things need to be changed. But nurses have been saying that forever and it never does change.

I need to make a change for me, for my health and sanity, like spring, change is on the horizon.

A Taste of Spring

Today was warm and windy. Almost 60 degrees. Early this morning I took the Buffaloes for their run at Riverbend Ponds. It feels like spring. The ice is melting and the light looks brighter, the days are getting noticeably longer.












I took advantage of the day to go up to Horsetooth and run the hills on Centennial Drive. I did 10 miles at a snail's pace with a killer headwind from the north, but I enjoyed the run. I love my North Face jacket from Across the Years. It's perfect for cold days when you don't want to overdress. It wicks moisture better than anything else I own. It's nice to feel the air and sunlight on my legs, I wore shorts. I froze going north in the exposed sections of the road, but I was comfortable most of the way.











Yesterday I got a massage from Cindy and I was so tight in my upper back. I had a stressful two days at work. I could feel my whole body releasing knots as she worked on me. Even my face was tight. I've been doing more weight training over the past few weeks. I'm up to 30 miles of running this week with 10 as my longest run. I'll need to pick up the mileage over the next few weeks.


I'm working on my race plans for the year, trying to stay focused on what I need to do right now. I'm eating better, but haven't dropped any weight. I'm not putting in the mileage or intensity at this point to expect it to help any. I feel like I'm dragging this big lead weight up the hills. Ten pounds lighter would make a huge difference.

A front is moving in, that's why we have all the wind. I'm working this weekend, and the weather isn't supposed to be great. Next week I've got a busy schedule for personal business, like going to the accountant for our taxes, etc. I'm trying to get things done early so I can focus on being outside as much as possible!

TGIF! Announcing OFITG!

It's February and the days are getting longer, and it's only about a month before we change the clocks back to Daylight Savings Time again!

I started the month with a 5K run at the Fort Collins Running Club's Tortoise & Hare race. I had a good run. Ran 23:31, exactly 30 seconds faster than last year. I'll take anything that's an improvement at this point. We had a great turnout, 22 people ran, and there was a group of young runners from the Latino Running Club who participated.

I missed the breakfast afterwards as I needed to get home and get things done. This is my crunch week at work, and I don't have a lot of time in between work days to get all the little chores and errands done, plus my workouts, so I had to skip out of socializing. I try not to do that, but this week is a bad schedule.

February is when training really starts for the year, in my opinion. All of the new years resolution delusions have melted into reality and you can smell spring in the air. People are talking race plans and training runs, and you have to start organizing your schedule for any races you plan on doing in the next few months.

I've picked up the intensity of my weight training, I'm on the bike most days at least for a good spin, and I did my first double digit mileage run since Across the Years yesterday. I'm working on losing the ten pounds I put on by training slow and eating too much bad stuff last year.

Speaking of Daylight Savings Time, I've partially decided on my birthday run, and it will be on March 8th, the day we turn the clocks ahead. No official time or distance yet but I do have a name for the event. I'm calling it One Foot in The Grave (OFITG)and it will start and finish at Grandview Cemetery. I don't know what time it will start or how far I'll go, I might have to leave those details for the day of the run. I'm guessing I can drag myself out of bed and be at the cemetery by 8:00. It will be no longer than 45 miles, 45 Km, or 45 laps around some of the cemetery's many loops.

Afterwards we will go to the Rio for food and margaritas, and celebrate my entry into my new age group. I don't have a name for my new age group yet though. I'm leaving the geezer lite age group behind. Any ideas for my new age group, 45-49?