Marathon Hopes Dashed and Life Update in General...

Warning. This will be a long one. First and foremost since this is a running and weight loss page, this is the update in that area. On July 14th I was running an 8 mile and about 5 miles into the run the ITBS came back full force and led me to give up on my marathon hopes for this year. I can still run 3-4 miles pain free but that is about it. I took a week off and now I am back to running 3-4 miles several days a week. It was a great disappointment for me but it was a long 3 mile walk back to my car in pain so I know I made the right decision. I am looking to sign up for a few 5k runs in the next month to help curb the running bug which has been really bad lately!

On to the next area of life. Graduate school. I got my Master's paper finished and submitted to the school for graduation. My oral exam has been set up for August 10th and after that I should be officially graduated. I get to walk in the ceremony in October since I will not be running in the marathon this year (they are on the same day). For the most part all is well in that area!

Finally, I got offered and accepted my first Master's level therapy job last week! I will be working with developmentally disabled sex offenders in St. Paul! I am very excited about it but of course not all is welll in that area. Here is the timeline. I had my interview last Monday and it went very well and the only stipulation was if I could get out of my internship 3 weeks early to start the job (I initially agreed to stay at my internship until the end of August). I called the director of my internship that Monday evening to explain my situation and ask if there was anything we could do to come to a satisfactory compromise. Throughout the week in the meantime I talked with many people that they thought I should take the job because there was no gurantee that another one will come around in the next several months plus it is relevant to what I want to be doing with my career.

Well Friday comes and I have to decide on the job by the end of the day and I still had not heard from the director of my internship. I decide I can't put it off any longer call the director and put in a 3 week notice of termination and accept the job! I have 3 Mondays I will be there and then start August 13. Late that afternoon I get a call from the director that we wants me to set up a meeting with the school and he wished he could have been included in the decision making process!!! I figure he does not have much leverage and I will not be calling the school to set up a meeting. I need 700 hours for the school and by the time I am done in three weeks I will be at 1050 hours. The contract also outlined the position to be 30-35 hours per week and I have done 40+ each week. In the end it all evens out but he just needs to be an inflexible pain in the ass. (Doesn't help I am going to his direct competitor either! :)

That is all that has been new with me lately! We are having our engagement party today and I start the new job tomorrow! Busy month for me!!!

I would walk 500 miles...eh I mean run?

Well just noticed a neat fact today. It was exactly a year ago when I bought my first pair of running shoes and started training for my first race. Since then I have logged 506 miles and ran in 6 different races! I was able to eclipse the 500 mile mark today on my anniversary of running! My goal for the next year is 800 miles which averages to be around 16 miles a week. Overall it has gone fairly well. Mild shin splints and IT Band friction have sidelined me for about a month total but I have done well bouncing back and getting on the road.

Speaking of getting on the road, I went 7 miles for my long run today outside with no pain! To top it, I went shirtless a good portion of the run which I wouldn't have done in March! Things are looking up and I am leaving for vacation tomorrow morning to Rhode Island. Yes. I am bringing the running shoes and am planning to get a few miles logged across the country! Good mood can't you tell! Peace.