I Live in Iowa: Week 76

This week started like any other. Church Sunday morning, a little under 15 miles on Sunday, work Monday morning, but as life happens it got bored and decided to throw a few twists and turns my way. This week I'll go chronological instead of work, running, coaching, etc.

Monday I worked on a project at work, the load at the moment being relatively light. Ran Monday afternoon, and after my run I get a text "... 6 miles tonight around 7..." which is how a 4 PM and 7 PM double happen. (That is to say I ran an hour at 4 PM then after two hours off I ran an hour and 20 minutes at 7 PM.) After running 17 miles that evening all I could do was eat some biryani and fall asleep.

By the time Wednesday rolled around things were picking up. A morning workout followed by acquiring another project at work equals a nice busy day. Then my afternoon run was rather difficult. We did a workout including a three mile tempo, short hills, and a hard mile. Every week the athletes I work with seem to get faster. I mean that is the point, but their progress seems faster than I would expect. I should also mention Wednesday was the first time that I had to fill up my front right tire with air. I am pretty sure I went to bed around 8:45 PM.

Thursday started at 5 AM with the top three runners in town, M, N and I all running together for the first time. It is exciting because between the three of us we clean up at most of the local races but really do not train together, until now. This is just one small, three people small, example of a group being stronger than the sum of it's parts. Engineering was requested of me on yet another project, so the light schedule that I had was quickly evaporating, which is for the better. Also, Thursday was the second time I had to fill up my front right tire with air.

Friday, after another quick morning run I went to work and the hammer of a significant project dropped, or really it is going to drop tomorrow on my desk. A project I have been working on and off for ten months is getting back to me. On the one hand, I was hoping we were done, but since it looks like we are not, and I care, I am energized to attack the problem again! After work while running with a friend and co-worker I heard a story of despair, resilience, and purpose while on a run. Most stories that we tell take a few minute, this one consumed a half hour, at least. Probably 40 minutes of the 44 minute run. In summary, getting your jaw wired shut is not fun.

Saturday I did something I have not done before, go to yoga class. A shop opened up just around the corner from my apartment and I was recommended to go try it out. It was pretty fun. My hamstrings are so tight! Then I went for a nice 18 mile run on Heritage Trail seeing some of the college kids from one of the other schools in town out there at the same time. It is always nice to recognize and know the others out and about. That left me with 100.5 miles for the week. My first time over 100 miles since May. I spent a good portion of the afternoon simply trying to eat enough to recover from my run. After some of my longer runs my body does not want to eat. I have to force myself to eat. Well, I have to force myself to eat in the one hour post exercise ideal eating window, about two hours later I am often ravenous. My other afternoon activity was buying a new set of tired for my 289,100 mile van. It took several hundred dollars and over two hours. Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of the 1 cm long cracks that were in my old tires, specifically my front right tire. My new tires have such deep tread and are so smooth! I am so blessed. Seriously, the luxuries that I (we) enjoy in this country in this decade are superfluous.

I finished the week off with some pizza and friends. For the first time I tried coconut iced tea at the local coffee shop Monks, wow! It's not often a tea really tastes distinct and good, but coconut tea does.

I hope that your week was a blessing and fulfilling for you. By the way, the leaves around Dubuque are changing colors now and for about the next two weeks, they probably are in your neck of the woods too. I recommend getting out and taking a walk in the woods sometime soon because the leaves changing colors is really a unique and beautiful time of year.