Running/Training Log (3/21

Running/Training Log (3/21 - 3/27)

Since this is my blog and I can write what I want to (even if it isn't about money), and because I'm signed up for several running events this year (including a long-distance stage race that I may be completely unqualified for), I've decided to log my training on a weekly basis.

Last week was relatively high mileage for me:

Monday, 3/21: 5 mile run

Tuesday, 3/22: 2 mile walk with weighted pack (explained below); strength training

Wednesday, 3/23: 5 mile run

Thursday, 3/24: 5 mile run

Friday, 3/25: 3 mile walk with weighted pack

Saturday, 3/26: 14 mile long run (after which I devoured an enormous veggie calzone)

Sunday, 3/27: 4.5 mile walk with weighted pack

Total miles: 38.5

This week's top songs on the running playlist:

Sia - The Greatest
GAYLE - abcdefu
Alicia Keyes & Nicki Minaj - Girl on Fire
M.I.A. - Paper Planes
Weezer - Beverly Hills
House of Pain - Jump Around
9 to 5 - Dolly Parton
It's Tricky - Run DMC

As part of crosstraining/strength training, I like to take walks while wearing a weighted pack. This serves several purposes:

First, I enjoy walking, so it's fun.

Second, it's a highly effective supplement to running because it improves endurance (especially if you tackle a few hills) while also building strength. It works, trust me!

Third, it feels easier than running, but it is still an excellent workout. There are days when I don't want to run; this is a good alternative.

Last week I tossed a chunky biology textbook and a 10-pound weight in my pack, which wasn't an unpleasant amount of baggage but definitely increased my heart rate, especially when moving uphill.

On another note, on weekdays, I typically run after work, but I want to get in the habit of running in the morning because I have more energy and just feel fresher once I'm out on the road or trail. However, I am not a morning person and getting out of bed at 6 AM is a struggle.

Comments

So After Five Years, THIS Happened:

Something big happened earlier in October and I wanted to share it here, especially for those who've stuck around since the summer of 2017 when we started this journey : That right there is our student loan balance. Let's take a closer look: And please note that it is now ZEROOOOOOOOOOOOO. (Okay, actually -$1.02, and Mohela says they will be sending us a refund check for that amount. Whatever will we DO with our newfound fortune) That's right. The student loan that has clung to us like an ultra-persistent leech for the past 20 years is gone. What's more, we are finally, FINALLY [[[Drum rolllllllllllll]]] DEBT FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Here's a graph of our debt payoff in the context of big life events such as medical emergencies, job changes (including my Big Quit back in April 2019 ), and a global pandemic. The x-axis represents month/year (with June and December shown). The y-axis represents total debt in thousands of dollars: Five years, people! FIVE! That's a

June Wasn't A Good Month.

The mountain vacation I'd been planning and looking forward to for months and months was a total bust. The hotel -- which has received rave reviews in the past -- turned out to be a dump with paper-thin walls, a broken mirror, holes in the ceiling, and dead bugs in random places. The forest was closed due to fire restrictions, so we couldn't hike; even if it had been open, it rained the entire time. We came home three days early. The hotel refunded $250 of the $1400 we paid when we reserved our suite. I'm still coming to terms with the fact that we threw >$1K down the drain. I went to see my doctor, whom I have known for more than five years, about irregular bleeding that was freaking me out. She spoke with me for 30 seconds and then dumped me on her trainee, a dude who looked to be approximately 25 years old. He asked me some questions about my period and then ordered some blood tests; this would have been okay (albeit better as a telehealth visit) except that neither

Work: Caring Less Until They Let Me Care More

I've been at my current company for more than 1.5 years. It's a record for me. In the past, I've lasted a year on average before calling it quits for one reason or another (documented extensively in my posts tagged as "work"). My current job isn't exactly a passion of mine. I took it because it was the only thing I could get at the end of 2020, when the job market was still in pretty rough shape thanks to the pandemic. It's dull. Most of the time I feel like Helly in the show Severance as she slouches at her computer and drops numbers into bins for eight hours a day for reasons unbeknownst to anyone but the powers that be. I made it through my first year at my company as an underpaid customer service rep mostly because I had a supportive boss and collaborative teammates. Last December, after a frustrating negotiation in which it was made clear to me that I am a mere cog in the giant company wheel, I was promoted to a new (but still tedious) role with a

The $76K Project: Reboot

Search This Blog