Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Nerd Extraordinaire

My glamorous, enviable weekend of studying for this HUGE midterm paid off!  I got a 98% on the exam!!
YAY me!! 
I remain...
Runner Nerd!!
emphasis on Nerd

Sunday, February 20, 2011

A weekend to write home (or blog) about!

Oh, I have such an exciting and glamorous life!!  My weekends are filled with one exciting social event after another! HA HA! 
Saturday I spent the afternoon (2-5pm) in the Chelsea Public Library and closed the place down!  I was the last one to leave!  I then moved myself and all my books, papers, pen, pencil, highlighters, index cards, calculator, laptop and the backpack that hauls it all down the road to Wendy's.  I bought a large iced tea, thus making me a customer, thus allowing me to use the wireless internet and a booth.  (it was a mini booth.)  I continued studying for 3 more hours.  It was nearly 9pm when I left.  I had to stop at the grocery store to get my poor starving cat some food.  (no, my cat wasn't starving but I emptied the bag that morning.)  The Library in Chelsea is a good place to study.  The 2nd floor has tables with a lamp in the middle and electric outlets and computer outlets on the top of the tables.  They have wireless internet so I've never used the internet outlet but they are there, you never know, the wireless routher might not be working someday.  It's usually reasonably quiet in there.  Yesterday the second floor was overrun with noisy little kids.  They were running around.  I can usually block things out but it's hard to miss when they bump into your chair or bang something on the table.  One little guy kept unplugging his headphones so the music of his little game would be audible to everyone around.  I don't miss having little kids at all.
Today I set out to go to the college library but on my way there it started snowing and not just flurries, it was really snowing.  I had a couple stops to make first then decided instead of going all the way out to the college I'd just study at Panera since it is on the north side of town and I live north of town and the college is on the south edge of the county and way south of town.  It snowed the whole time I was there and then began raining.  I could see I94 from Panera and every time I looked out the window the cars were going slower and slower.  When I left Panera after 3 hours of studying my car had a coating of ice.  There better not be a snow day tomorrow.  I am so ready for this test!!!!!! 
So, you see my weekend was filled with all the excitement one could ask for.  I just know you are jealous!!

Well, I'm going to go over a few things again then go to bed; it just doesn't get more exciting than this!!  There are snowmobiles driving by the house in the road! 

Runner Nerd
all studied out

Friday, February 18, 2011

Muddy Shoes!


The sign of a successful run!
My running shoes are a muddy mess and I couldn't be happier!!!!  I love muddy running shoes! 
After work I ran my very most favoritest route.  I haven't been to this trail in forever.  Most of it is not cleared in the winter and with all the snow we've had I knew it would be impossible to run on.  Now that most of the snow is melted I decided it's time to get back there.  I knew the woods would be muddy.  The trail along the headrace still had a lot of slushy snow but other than that it felt great to run with good footing.  I ran really good (for me lately) other than the trail with snow and through the muddy woods.  I almost fell in the woods, I started sliding in the mud going downhill.  I stepped off the side of the trail and grabbed a tree branch to stop!  I saw a lot of other people out running!  I saw several people in shorts but with long sleeve shirts and one dude was wearing long pants but a short sleeve shirt but nobody in shorts and short sleeves.  I guess it's not quite that warm yet!!!  (just an observation I made!)  As I ran along the river I was thinking ahead to when all the baby duckies will be there!!  I can't wait; I love the baby duckies in the spring when they are still tiny and following their mommies around. 

I wish I was that excited about the test I have on Monday.  I had to work today and was not too happy about it.  Some of my classmates were getting together in the library to study this afternoon and I was not able to go because of work.  I really would have liked to have studied with others because there is so much confusing material in this unit.  It's so complicated.  BUT....if I hadn't have worked I wouldn't have been in Ann Arbor and would not have went running in Bandemer Park, I probably wouldn't have went running at all so I guess my run is one good thing that came from having to work.

I saw this today:

motorcycle in February















 A motorcycle!  I didn't think it was that warm but I guess if we runners are silly enough to go running when the temperature is below zero in deep snow then motorcycle riders can ride in the 40s! 

Well, I guess I better get back to homework.  I got to do it all today: work, run and homework!

Runner Nerd


Wednesday, February 16, 2011

No hat or gloves!

No hat or gloves and only 1 layer!!  Is it Spring now?? 
I ran 5 miles after class and managed to keep all the miles well under 10 minutes!!  My last mile was 9:12!!  I was surprised at that! 
On my way home I saw 54 degrees on a sign.  It was sunny too.  There is still a lot of snow along the sides of the trail.  It's starting to melt but there was a lot piled up. 
I could not believe how much dog poo was on the paved trail right on the pavement. EWWWWWWWW
I saw 3 people running in shorts!  I was overdressed but I packed my run gear this morning before going to school and didn't know that it was going to get that warm.  For the first time in a long time my Garmin was sitting on my wrist in contact with my skin and not over 3 layers of sleeves.  I was able to buckle it in the 6th hole instead of barely being able to get the little peg in the 1st hole. 
So this was an exciting day for Runner Nerd!!!!  I just hope that warmer weather is here to stay!
Runner Nerd

Monday, February 14, 2011

Nerd Status Redeemed!

After the shock of my 88% test grade I have redeemed myself!  I had a test in the other class last week and got that grade today.  I got 102%!!!  There were 3 extra credit problems which I got right, thus the 102%.  I missed 1 question on a 50 question test so I really got a 98.  I can live with that but if she wants to give extra credit I'm not going to argue!!  Now, if I could only make a comeback like that in my running!  I ran 3 miles this morning and I could not get moving.  It took me 32 minutes, 35 seconds to run 3.2 miles so over a 10 minute pace.  After the bitter cold we've had, this morning's 39 degrees felt almost warm!  I ran in 1 less layer. 
Well, I must get back to homework.  It's going to be hard to top the 102%! 

Runner Nerd

Friday, February 11, 2011

A First for Runner Nerd (not one she ever wanted to see)

College is getting harder.  I have also been working a lot the last few weeks.  Last week and the week before I worked more hours than I have in quite a while.  It really made it hard to study the way I usually do.  I have had 2 tests now that I felt very unprepared going into.  I got an 88 on one of the tests.  I've NEVER had a grade that low before.  I was shocked.  It was a really hard test and as soon as I started I knew I wasn't prepared.  I've had to make the difficult decision to quit my job a couple of months before I had planned.  I knew that I would not be able to work when I have to start hospital clinicals next semester because  I will have 2 full days of clinicals and 2 full days of classes. 

It has been bitter cold here.  Last night during the Thursday night group run I was actually wondering what I was doing.  My face was so cold.  But....when we finished up it was still a tiny bit light out!!!!  The last couple weeks it has still be a little light out when we started but last night was the most light we've seen on a Thursday night run in a long time!  Does this possibly mean that spring is on it's way??????  It won't come soon enough for me.  Today I also got to go for a run.  I don't even know when the last time I ran 2 days in a row.  I hope to be able to get more running in once I am not working.  I will have to soon if I am going to have a decent half marathon in May.  It wasn't as cold today but it was still bitter cold.  It just isn't fun in this weather but I can't stand the thought of running on a treadmill either.  I ran so slow today; my body just wouldn't go any faster and it was difficult.  I was running on cleared paved paths so I can't say that it was from the deep snow or bad footing. 

Well, it's time to go turn on my heated matress pad and get ready to crawl into a warm bed and read my new Runner's World (March issue).  Maybe reading about people running will help me to feel like doing it again. 

Runner Nerd
bad grade nerd and slow runner