Thursday, December 8, 2011

In the in-between phase

I am at an in-between phrase right now with a couple of things:
I turned in my last big paper a week ago.  It was a big relief to have it done - it was the last major project I had to do this semester as a student.  And on Wednesday, I attended my last two classes ever.  It was a weird feeling.  I went straight on from undergrad to grad school, so, I have been going to classes continuously, well, for 20 years if you want to stretch it all the way back to elementary school.  And finishing coursework means I am ready for the next step of researching and writing my dissertation proposal.  I enjoyed my last classes - definitely ended on a positive note.
But it certainly puts me in an in-between phase.  I've started to do some reading for the next step, but that work really won't take off until January.  I still have some TA responsibilities and grading to do this semester, but my time as a traditional student is over.  How strange!
And with the Philadelphia half ending my official racing season and training, I am at an in-between stage with running too.  I am doing an 8k race on Sunday (Jingle All the Way - 4th year in a row), but I've certainly lightened up my training.  I'll be meeting with my trainer, Sarah, on Monday to discuss plans for the spring.  But any sort of formal schedule won't kick in until January, so now, the plan is just to run (and train) happy:
Monday: 2000 meter swim + weights
Tuesday: race-week track workout.  I really like this one, because it is not terribly long, but it gets your legs going and reminds you of your speed (and that most of the paces are faster than race pace).  1.5 mile warm up, 6 x 150 meter strides, 1 x 1200 (5:09), 500m jog, 2 x 800 (3:18), 400m jog in between, 4 x 400 (92, 90, 91, 89), 2.5 mile cooldown = 9 miles (normally, the warm up and cooldown are 2.5 miles, but I shortened it a little this time.
Wednesday: 6.4 mile run in the rain - there are few things more exhilarating than a run through inclement weather.
Thursday: No school - Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  6.8 mile run downtown, including a loop around the Capitol.  I don't always do my runs around the central part of the city, but had some extra time on my hands, and decided to just enjoy a beautiful sunny day in our nation's capital.
Friday: 7.2 mile run - another sunny day (and the beginning of the week was gray and rainy, so this was definitely a treat) in DC.
While I am definitely someone who enjoys a schedule, it is also fun to live a slightly less-regimented life!

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