Monday, January 27, 2014

And all that jazz

WYIRUN... Being back on the roads on sunny days. While it may not last for long, just altering running surfaces creates a whole newness to the sport.

I like to pack my day chalk full. A full day makes me more productive and helps me achieve what I intend for the day while consistently making use of all my time. On the same token, I end the week in exhaustion. I have the desire to reign back, to feel 'productive' while taking a nap and  to take time to relax while not constantly 'on-the-go.'

Working at boarding school is a vocation. You don't work 9-5 p.m. but are part of a greater program achieving greater goals for the school rather than just your own. You work nights in study halls, roaming campus and being available 24/7 via cell phone. There is a balance though and living on-campus with students, eating community dinners, and being part of the students lives helps the cause.

Thursday, January 23rd:
4:25 a.m. Up and at 'em with no hesitation knowing that this is the time. I meander down to the school gym with my head lamp in hand. I complete a core routine, Spin Easy for 30 min. and then jump on the treadmill for my 8 Miles Easy.
6:53 a.m. Stretch for second, but run over to the main building to grab the paperwork to check students in for breakfast.
7:00 a.m. I get breakfast for myself as fast as possible so I don't have to speak to anyone with low blood sugar and only one student has made it in.
7:30 a.m. The masses arrive trying to make check-in just before the clock strikes 7:30 a.m. They have all made it in the nick of time.
7:45 a.m. I wrap up breakfast and head into the office. Oops. No shower.
8:00 a.m. Run over to the gym and jump into the cramped shower on campus and quickly change into yesterday's outfit (it was easy. I even debated it for a 3rd day in a row, decided against that).
8:15 a.m. To the grind I go. It's e-mails and loose ends in the morning. Phone calls, answering voicemails, setting up various events and getting our database all dialed down.
11:50 a.m. It couldn't have come sooner, but lunch has arrived. The chef has a fabulous spread and I get a few slices of slow roasted pork on a colorful salad. Co-workers gather round the tables at the right of the dining hall and hash out the mornings events. We get cake to celebrate all of the January birthdays.

The crew

12:30 p.m. Back to the office. I am up and down and in and out all day long. The seniors give short presentations on their ventures to come in Tanzania and teach us about the religions and cultures in the country.
3 p.m. I fade slowly. I get to make the decision. I either re-gain focus or sort of struggle for the rest of the day. The best days are when I can re-gain focus and get back at it, but we aren't all perfect.
5 p.m. I change into my workout clothes which I have brought from home and walk over the gym for run #2 which is an easy 40 min. and finishes just in time to take some more effort to stretch and make it to community dinner.
6 p.m. Thursdays are an all school community dinner where some of  the students are servers and the chefs go above and beyond to create a cultural experience with food. The sushi platters among us are incredible.


Adam and I get to converse with two junior boys, a sophmore and senior girl as well as another teacher. It brings you back to the trials and tribulations of high school.
6:45 p.m. Time to clean up. As the person on-duty, I have checked everyone in and ask our crew leader how I can have a hand in helping to clean the kitchen which happens every night with a different group of students.
7:00 p.m. Study hall begins and I make sure everyone is present and then roam campus to check on the rest of the student body to ensure they are doing their homework.
9:00 p.m. Back to the dorms go the students and I go back to my apartment. I quickly pack some snacks for the next day. Prepare my water bottle and clothes for the morning and hop into bed.
9:15 a.m. Hopefully fast asleep cramming every last minute of a REM cycle I can until the alarm goes off.

Woohey. It's a long day. This is not everyday but pretty close, so it is no wonder that I like the weekend to nap, to nap a lot (and, like I said before, a lot of the schedule is my doing and effort to keep up running, which I don't intend on giving up). But with this schedule, I also need to be conscious of not forgetting to take some chances and not cling to my routine, which I so easily do. We do get vacations which help vary the timing of the calendar. But here is to a week of a MountainFilm tour in town, Dancing with the Stars Steamboat, and continuing the skiing pattern!

Workouts:
1/14: It has been treadmill galore over here. I have been dabbling in some speedier workouts trying to increase this threshold level at elevation. I am still trying to figure out if the treadmill makes it easier or harder; whatever the case, it takes a lot of mental games to finish a workout. 12.5 Miles ~ w/u, 6 x 1 Mile @ 6:40 with 60 sec. Rest, cool down. 
1/16: Cutdown Run, 11.3~ w/u, 7:20, 10, 00 6:50, 40, c/d. I must have been tired, but this pushed me. This workout always does, no matter how much anticipation or optimism I have going in.
1/18: Master's swim, 5200 yard with fast sets at the end. 
1/22: Alternating Tempo: Workouts gets harder as weeks accumulate. 13.25~ w/u, (7:10,6:50) x 3, c/d
1/25: Can't miss my Masters. It was with three clubs swimmers in high school in 5 degree weather. We swam 5400 yd. and wore ourselves out!
1/26: Long Run, 14.5 Miles on the marathon route. The beauty of running the marathon in town is that I can train on the route. I started a little past the half way mark and ran the last three as a fast finish in 7:04 (uphill), 6:50, 6:47. After last week outside when the long run tore my legs apart, I was pleasantly surprised with the ease of this run.

It's official. I am signed up for the hometown marathon here in Steamboat. I want to keep the journey going to make it there healthy and motivated.
Olympian Send-off

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