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March 25, 2005
Winding Down a Hectic Month
Aaaahhhhh, a breath of relief and relaxation. I can’t believe I just slept the day away, but it felt soooo good. I haven’t had a day off work since the end of February, and I think all the extra sleep was my body and mind’s way of resetting itself. I got home last night around 10:30 - went to bed around midnight - woke for breakfast at 8 –went back to bed – and, woke up only 10 minutes ago. Wow, that’s almost 13 hours of sleep!
We ended the military exercise yesterday morning since our counterparts in Korea had already closed up shop many hours earlier. Following several hours of after action report discussions, the big bosses cut us loose. Today, all of the Marines from New Orleans were taken up to DC for a tour, but since I’m from the area, I’ve taken the day to catch up on sleep and errands. One of my most enjoyable, at the same time dreaded, experiences was briefing the three-star general, Colonel, and other senior officers daily because I got to practice my public speaking skills. I'm no great orator, and the first day I used tons of medical acronyms and spoke a mile a minute because I was extremely nervous (on the verge of throwing up), but it got better as the week went on.
During the last two weeks at Quantico, I was happy to be able to run most days. Running kept me sane. It just took extra motivation to get on the road either super early or late, depending if I was working the day or night shift. My co-workers thought I was crazy, but I compared it to having a daily smoke. Terrible analogy, I know, but the only one I could come up with at the time.
Since my latest entry last Thursday, here’s the running recap:
Friday, March 18
I didn’t get to run with the guys from the All-Marine team. There was a base-wide power outage and by the time I got to the gym at exactly 5, they had decided on an alternate training site. I had to go back to the barracks to grab my headlamp…it was pitch black outside. I ran for almost 9 miles at a medium-fast pace because I was way underdressed and needed to keep warm. Both of my hamstrings tightened up due to the cold, but I still managed okay.
Sunday, March 20
This turned into a 5-mile run-walk session. I started out too fast, and my legs were still tired from Friday’s effort. On a positive note, my left hamstring didn’t bother me and the weather was gorgeous.
Monday, March 21
Only 3.5 miles today. My time clock was off kilter from switching from day to night shift and back, not to mention that I still had remnants of lunch in my belly. I was very tired and my breathing was labored, so I called it a day early and decided to lift arms and bike hard for 45 minutes afterward.
Tuesday, March 22
I did just under 8 miles with 23 minutes at tempo pace. It was hard to be consistent because it was so dark out and I was being extra careful about my footing on the uneven roads/sidewalks. Since I hadn't done any good speed work or races in the past few months, I was uncertain of my current tempo pace. It used to be a 7-minute pace, but I want to target it more accurately so I can resume regular weekly tempo and track workouts without burning out my legs for Saturday long runs. Next week I think I'm going to test out 7:05 or 7:10 miles to see what my legs feel like post-workout.
Wednesday, March 23
After I got off my last shift, I celebrated in true runner's style by going for a hard run with one of the Corporals. I wanted to go an easy 6-8 miles, but when he asked if I wanted to run to the front gate, I was like "Sure, why not?”, at the same time thinking "I don't know if I can keep this up!" It ended up being about 12 miles in 1:28, and I think we both equally hammered each other into the ground. Cpl K., a very tall Marine with a naturally long and fast stride, set a quick pace from the outset. It was just a touch out of my "comfort zone" but I felt great and continued to pick up the pace after the turn around. It had rained a lot earlier in the day and Cpl K. stepped in nearly every puddle we encountered, which provided great entertainment. I massaged my quads with a tennis ball and had cereal for dinner before calling it a night.
Thursday, March 24
My legs were so sore after yesterday’s run that it was difficult to move any faster than a snail’s pace. I did an easy 2 miles to the Barber Gym, lifted and did core exercises for an hour, and ran back to the barracks. I had plans to meet my fellow medical team members for dinner at 8, so I had to cut it short.
That brings me today, having done no exercise or anything else productive for that matter. I have to tell myself that it’s okay since I’m such a “go, go, go”, “do, do, do” person who finds it hard to relax – it drives R. up the wall every now and again. I have a massage appointment at 4:30, and I just may go swimming after that.
Becky’s in town this weekend, and I can’t wait to run with her again! Have a Happy Easter everyone!
Posted by Leilani at March 25, 2005 03:21 PM
Comments
Wow, what busy days you've been having! I wanted to say hi since I'm the new blogger and I also live in DC so hopefully we'll meet at some point ;) Have a great weekend!
Posted by: Nanda at March 25, 2005 04:32 PM