Too Long

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have written!  Nearly every day, I write a post in my head, but it never seems to get completed.  So now I sit with thousands of thoughts clamoring to be heard. 

First, running,  It is often the first thought on my mind.  I am back at training.  I did my first track workout on the 18th.  I chose 8 x 400 with 200 recovery.  I don't know why I chose that, but I thought they were short enough that I could maintain focus and get it over quickly.  The plan was to take it pretty easy and run about an 8:20 pace for all repeats.  That didn't work too well.  The first was an even 2:00 (8:00).  Well, I thought, I did that now I couldn't do any slower...And low and behold, I did nearly that!  I lost that focus on the 5th and ended up with a 2:01, but all others were 1:52-59 (7:28-7:56).  I finished knowing I could run more, but would start to sacrifice my form before long.  I let it be what is was a near perfect workout and a HUGE confidence builder! 

My other runs have been going well, too.  This week I managed a 4 mile tempo at 8:29.  My current 5k PR is at 8:30.  Even my easy runs are speeding back up.  I can hold a conversation below 10:00s again.  Weekly mileage is building slowly and soon will be back to the 30-35 that I like.  I finally added 2 races to my calendar--a 5k in April and a 10k on Memorial Day.  I can't race often so these are two where I think I can PR.  The one on Memorial Day is tough with a huge large gigantic hill mountain at mile 3.  My current PR is from this course three years ago.  That was my last time I raced that distance.  Time to change that! 

Running is really coming together for me right now.  My weight is coming down slowly and my speed is starting to return from the long sickly winter.  The best part is that I am loving getting out there even in the rain.  Of course, I love that the sun is starting to peak through the more and more.  Spring brings the desire to run farther and faster.  My plan is to continue to increase my long runs back to around 14 miles and maintain 1-2 other hard workouts a week--intervals, tempos, fartleks, etc.  I heart running!

On another hand, I am doing something I have not done since high school.  I started to read the Bible through this year using a droid application from YouVersion.  It has several different reading plans.  I chose to read chronologically.  So, even though I am currently in I Samuel, there are Psalms interspersed according to when David wrote them. In high school, I used the King James version.  (Don't get me started!)  This time I am reading the New Living Translation.  Wow!  It is bringing it all to life!  I get so involved in the reading sometimes that I read multiple days.  The stories I heard as a kid are coming back in full color.  It is exciting! 

Lastly, my younger sister lives on 19 acres not far from me.  She is loving the farm life including her goats.  Spring is the time for new life!  Last week I headed over to see her new kids of the four legged kind.  Oh my goodness, they are soooooo cute!  The first was a single birth.  Snowflake had a difficult time and M and her husband had to pull the kid as both became very stressed.  Stormy seems like an appropriate name.  He was a big boy at nearly 10 pounds!  He loved running around and playing.  His mom was pretty nervous and stuck close to him.  Butterfly was bred to a Nigerian Dwarf.  Her twin girls, Marigold and Lavender, were 4.5 pounds and adorable.  At just a few days, they were climbing on a log and trying to knock each other off.  I ended up with muddy jeans as Stormy kept trying to jump up on me.  Goats do love to climb! 

I finished the visit reading my niece's writing assignments and offering suggestions and corrections.  I really enjoy being able to help her with her creative writing.  Her mom had me select a book for her to read and write her first book report.  I chose The Quilt by T. Davis Bunn.  It has been been a few years since I read it, but it is a great book.  It will be short and easy for her first.  Then we will move on to some others maybe Silas Marner by George Elliot. 

Some photos to make you smile!



M with Stormy

My niece with Marigold and Lavender

 

The twins are seriously adorable



Stormy frolics under Snowflakes watchful eye.

T with Butterfly and her girls

Stormy loves to chase my nephew around the trees.