Road Warrior Training Success!

I know oh so many people travel for work and stick to a training plan at the same time, so the fact that I’ve managed it for a couple of weeks now isn’t some groundbreaking accomplishment in the grand scheme of things.  And when you consider my mileage, it’s definitely not groundbreaking.  For me though, what I’ve done this week is.  For some reason the whole “literal” in Literal B goes out the window when it comes to training plans + work stress + travel.  The fact that I’ve gotten away with skipping workouts in the past for a week at a time probably doesn’t help.  But not so this year (or ok, at least this 2 weeks).  I’ve gotten realistic, forgiving of myself when it just can’t happen, and determined to make this training cycle count.  (Also, my previous goals may not have been stretches if I got away with so much time off.  That changes this year too.)

Last night, that meant four boring miles on the treadmill.  But I did it, and got caught up on celebrity         gossip courtesy of Access Hollywood while I was at it.  Win-win.

Today was a different story.  It was a gorgeous day and I was determined to run outside, but very unsure as to where that might happen.  A 40 minute tempo was on the schedule, but I had skipped a 6 x 400 workout last week because of freezing temperatures and was dying to get back on the track.  It’s been awhile, and I missed the soothing horror of the oval.  It hurts, but I love completing a prescribed workout and the satisfaction of hitting my goals every 400 meters.  Work’s been tough and ambiguous lately.  I needed some concrete success.

Enter the Google.

Search #1: local college.  Beautiful baseball and softball complexes.  Recently updated gym.  No track.

Search #2: Local High School.  I drove in and first saw the tennis courts to the left.  Tennis team in what must be early season workouts on a gorgeous unusually warm day.  Major nostalgia from this once mediocre junior tennis player.  I drove around the beautiful school hunting for the track – this place was nice, no way they didn’t have one, and finally found it tucked behind the baseball fields.  Girls lacrosse practice was still going on (a recent phenomenon in the south – I barely knew what the sport was in high school) and there were some kids milling around the track. I hesitated.  Would someone kick me off?  I quickly decided all of this work would not go to waste and got out there.  After all, I apparently look 22 so maybe I could be mistaken for a high schooler?  (As a side note, one day I know I’ll appreciate this, but right now I hate it – trying to get hospital executives to take you seriously when instead they want to ask you about the job market for recent grads because their son is about to graduate?  Not cool when you’re 31 and 10 years into your “career” rather than someone who has just gone through that torture.)  Anyway.  I got the job done.  6 x 400, all right around 1:30.  Except for the last, which was about 6 seconds slower after almost getting to the point of nausea at the end of #5.  Hurts so good.

Two weekday workouts in unfamiliar places.  WIN!

In other news, I set up a Chicago Marathon countdown using this cool countdown app.  That’s right, Chicago Marathon it is.  T, hear that?  PLEASE try not to schedule any hockey games the weekend of October 13^th, ok?  248 days, friends.  This is happening!

Here we go! In 8 months…