Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The World's Oldest College Student is on Spring Break

The world's oldest college student is on spring break so you know what that means!!!!!! I got to go to Tuesday night running group!!!!!  I've sooooooo missed Tuesday night running group this semester.  I had to give it up due to my afternoon shift clinicals on Tuesdays. 
We meet up at the very cool local running store for an informal run.  It was really fun because one of the running store employees who qualified for and ran the Olympic marathon trial last month ran with us! 
We ran 4.1 miles.  When I got home and uploaded my run on Garmin.com I see that I ran a 9:48 pace!  Sadly, that's fast for me these days.  It was a great evening for a run in February in southeast Michigan, 38 degrees!  It was fun to run with the old gang again and I can't wait until I am a regular groupie again!!  I will be back on April 24th!!

Runner Nerd
happy to run with friends

Sunday, February 26, 2012

High Mileage Week

I ran the highest mileage this week since - I don't know when!  I ran a grand total of 16 miles!!  Yep, SIXTEEN!!!  Hard to believe that I used to run 25-30 miles per week.  Yesterday was my long run - 6 miles!  I haven't run 6 miles at one time since the 10K on Thanksgiving. 
I am running a 10K on May 12 and I hope to have a decent time.  It took me 1 hour and 3 minutes to run 6 miles yesterday so right now I'm thinking my goal is going to have to be anything under 1 hour.  Maybe I could go for 55 minutes but I have a long way to go for that. 
I guess that's what I have to give up to be the world's oldest college student!!  Actually, it's keeping up a 4.0 GPA that nessecitates giving up weekly mileage.  Just over 9 months to go!!  It won't come soon enough. 
This week is spring break.  I want to know when I'm going to get a break.  I have so much work to do.  I have a test on the first day back next week.  I have a research project for one of my classes.  I have a presentation for clinical to work on.  I have a case study to finish.  I will get to go to Tuesday night running group this week!!!  I'm sooooo excited!  I miss Tuesday night running group more than anything.  I miss my friends!  This is the first time since going back to school that it has interefered with running group. 

Well, I'm heading to bed and am going to read a "real" book (not textbook) before going to sleep!!!  I can do that because I don't have to get up and go to school and take any exams tomorrow! 

Runner Nerd
on no break spring break

Friday, February 10, 2012

My Life at the Moment

My Place in this World by Michael W Smith
I hadn't heard this song in a long time.  Today a friend posted or shared, or whatever it's called, a link to a Michael W Smith song on Facebook and I saw this on the side of the page where it shows songs by the same artist.  This is my life at the moment; I am "roaming through the night searching for my place in this world".  I feel like "the wind is moving but I am standing still".  I am a "life of pages waiting to be filled". 
I hope that I am well on my way to finding my place in this world.  I am still 10 months away from graduating and it won't come soon enough.  Then, I hope to find my place in this world again. 

My Place in This World
(Michael W. Smith)
The wind is moving but I am standing still
A life of pages waiting to be filled
A heart that 's hopeful, a head that's full of dreams
But this becoming is harder than it seems
Feels like I'm looking for a reason
roaming through the night to find my place in this world
my place in this world, not a lot to lean on
I need your light to help me find my place in this world
My place in this world
If there are millions down on their knees
Among the many can you still hear me?
Hear me asking, where do I belong?
Is there a vision that I can call my own
Show me, I'm looking for a reason
Roaming through the night to find my place in this world
my place in this world, not a lot to lean on
I need your light to help me find my place in this world
My place in this world


Runner Nerd
world's oldest college student

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Look! A cow running past the house!

I was in my usual spot in the public Library with my textbooks all afternoon living the nerd part of my life.  When the library closed at 5, I set out to live the runner part of my life for a short time.  I was fully looking forward to this since it is now completely light out at 5 pm.  It was a really nice sunny day today and the temp at 5 was in the 30s - unseasonably "warm" for February in southeast Michigan.  I changed my clothes in my car, thanks to the miracle of tinted windows, fired up Garmy, and was off on my mini-adventure!  My route took me through the cemetary, where I said hi to my ancestors as I ran past their graves!  (yes, I really do say, "Hi great great Uncle Adam and Aunt Mary" as I run past; that's normal, isn't it?)  I continued on through some neighborhood streets toward a trail that takes me through the woods and through the campus of the hospital.  As I was running past a house just before the entrance to the trail I heard, "MOOOOOOOOOOOO"!  OMG, somebody was mooing at me - as in calling me a cow!!!!  They did it 3 times, I think.  I could not see the person, they were either in the garage or around the corner of the house.  I did see people as I was running toward the house so they must have hid when they decided to moo!!  I admit that I have gained some pounds since I've become a full time college student and my mileage has dropped from 25-30 miles to 10-12 miles per week but I sure didn't think I was in the cow category yet!!  I wasn't wearing black and white; I was wearing pink!  I thought the rest of the world was watching the Super Bowl this afternoon!  The rest of my run was uneventful.  I ran 5 miles which is about as far as I can run these days.  It was a really great run in the sunshine.  I am still waiting for weather suitable for the miracle shirt but I'm not complaining! 
A beautiful day for a run in February and a new funny running story to tell; what more could one ask for!! 
What better motivation to get onself back into shape than being moo'd at while running!!! 

Runner Nerd
mistaken for a cow