Getting back to Boston

Good news on the job front! Contacted this afternoon by two recruiters within 15 minutes. One job in Little Rock with clinical/risk management duties, which sounds intriguing but might be boring as heck, and one as a hospitalist in Fort Smith. They're calling me tomorrow morning for a phone interview for the LR job, and I've already done some preliminary paperwork for the other one. Keeping appendages crossed. If this comes through quickly, I might even come out ahead financially, but I'm not gonna get that lucky. Settle for no eviction notices or disconnected utilities at this point.

Anyway, that lifted my mood considerably. Felt up to a fartlek run tonight to mark National Running Day. Did 6.82 with five 2-minute surges at roughly I pace on Daniels. Tough, especially given that it's still 82 degrees and humid, but did it without too much problem. Teenager went running past me just as I started the fourth rep; darn near caught him.

Nice and slow tonight around JBH. Legs not too bad after hard fartlek last night, but it did take a full two miles tonight to really get loose. Maybe I'm adjusting to the heat a little better, or maybe it was just 3-4 degrees cooler tonight, but I seemed to handle it better. Still don't like it, but got through it better.

Two job interviews today by phone. Both seemed to go well. May get full interviews out of both. I hope so. Not sure which one I'd take if I had to choose. Of course, I don't know what one of them would pay. The other one, I know.

Midnight Beast tonight. Took Tyler to the regional at Baum (we won), came home, decided to go run. Started around 11:40, maybe later. Had planned to go 6-7, ended up making it into a Beast. A fairly slow (beast (9:44 avg.), but a Beast nonetheless. Managed not to walk despite the fact the temp was still near 80. As I type this at 1:30 a.m., it's still 74. All in all, a pretty good run considering. Only four runs this week, totaling almost 29 miles.I've got to get a little more diligent, or learn to tolerate the heat better, or both. Not having the distraction of unemployment/job hunting wouldn't hurt either.

Easy run tonight; actually turned into kind of a progression run as I worked out the kinks from last night's midnight 10. Worked down to 8:42 for the last full mile, 9:32 averaqge overall. It was 3-4 degrees cooler tonight, and I could tell the difference. A couple was sitting in the dark on a park bench the whole time, which was sort of unnerving. I need to get more consistent in my training and get the strength back in my legs, so an easy 10 doesn't hurt as much as last night's did. Also mowed most of the back yard this afternoon, which I dunno if it made the legs better or worse. Didn't seem to make much difference, actuall; hurt before, hurt after.

Intervals at FHS. Got there early before the Fleet Feet crew (just in case Scott decided to show up; rather not deal with him right now). Warmed up for six laps, streched, then did 6 X 40 at a smidge under 5K pace. HRM showed I was in the 160s, which may not be true I pace, but is close enough. It was 90 degrees, but on the black track around a fake grass field, I bet it was more like 110. My cheeks felt like I'd been scorched. But I thought the intervals went pretty well given my lack of recent speed work and sporadic training in general.

Easy 5 at JBH, before I go for my interview tomorrow.

Up at dawn today to go to Fort Smith for interview. Get back, go run with the Fleet Feet wackos (who suddenly doubled in quantity this week to everyone's surprise), come home to find my Iron Pig runnerup medal finally arrived, two months after the fact.

First, the interview. Went well. I think an offer will be forthcoming. Not totally sold on the job, but in the absence of other options... Nice group of people, which helps.  I think the docs will be supportive, unless a few situations I've found myself in. Still waiting to hear from the people in San Antonio about the LR job, so maybe there will be an option. Not thrilled about commuting for a couple of months either. That might force me to do something sooner than I had planned.

Run was tough. It poured on me on the way home, and apparently also rained in Fayetteville, so it was very humid, although not quite as warm as it has been. The FF gang runs faster than I normally do, and trying to keep up was difficult. Can't say I succeeded, but even with a douple of short Galloway intervals, I averaged 9:14. The running part was well under 9:00. I wish I knew why my legs feel so dead. Probably dehydration, poor sleep, so-so nutrition -- or all of the above plus a couple of other factors I'm missing.

Got the job offer today. Looks OK; trying to get a couple of things clarified. Unless something changes drastically, I'll take it. That's a load off my mind.

Went for a run at dusk. Found JBH to be chock full of softball players. Big tournament, lookes like maybe 12-year-old girls. Big hot-pink trailers to haul team gear. I saw at least four different states represented. I'm dodging cars, softballs, bicycles, players, spectators and who knows what else to get my 4.3 in, but I got it done.

Sparks has a fitness center. I may have to take advantage of that, particularly for the rest of the summer.

Really didn't feel like running this morning. Stayed up until; 2 a.m., didn't sleep well, up at 8, felt exhausted, weak, blah, whatever. Decided to try to run anyway before it got any hotter than it already is (which is 84 with HI of 90 at 9:45). Lot of walking. Considered bailing out, but managed to finish the Shiloh loop. On the way back, made two-minute bargains with myself "just run two more minutes," then reset at the end of two minutes. That lasted 18 minutes, or Shiloh to the swere plant. I think the smell is what got me there. But got through 6.2 when I really didn't want to do any.

Tonight was what Pfitz would call a GA run -- a little faster than easy, but not really pushing the pace. Felt much better than yesterday; decent sleep and 12 degrees cooler might have had something to do with that, and then it started raining late in the run, which I liked even better. Then did hill sprints X 8. Only really went what I thought was decently fast on two of the eight, but whatever. Haven't done them in quite a while anyway. Total of 5.75, less than half a mile less than yesterday, but much, much less trauma.

Speaking of trauma, accepted the job today. Not sure yet when work and paychecks will begin, but nice to have that worry alleviated.

Reps at FHS tonight -- 3 X 800 at 10K pace (Ron said something else, which sounded faster than I wanted to run, so I did my own workout). Too darn hot; would have been nice to do it yesterday when it was 10 degrees cooler and overcast, but I got through. Also had nice talk with Scott out there, who offered his help and support. Main thing is, got out and ran.

Progression run tonight. Once the glute loosened up a little, I felt pretty good, and the afternoon rain knocked the temp down about 10 degrees, so I let the progression go. The last 0.7 was at roughly MP, not GMP but what I actually ran at Memphis. Wound up running 5.3 in 48 minutes.

T's in Oklahoma visiting his roommate today, so I've been solo. Didn't leave the house until the run, but got some things accomplished. Employer got my paperwork; they're going to set up my trip to Phoenix for training at some point in the  near future (I hope I get paid for that).

It's abig load off my mind to have the job situation settled. I'm still really strapped financially, of course, and the marital situation is no better, but at least there is foreseeable income. Maybe I'll luck out and UI will come through.

Good hard 6-miler tonight. Most of it was at sub-9 pace, some was at MP or below. Extremely humid, not much breeze. Taking off my shirt helped very, very little. Couldn't fight off the walkmonster for a brief stretch on Stutlz, but then ran the last three-plus. Used the old two-minute bargain trick again for the last two miles, and it worked. I was afraid I'd turned my ankle on Silent Grove; not sure exactly how I misstepped, but it stung for a while. Seems  OK now, although that may not be the case tomorrow. Also my first 5-day running streak since the NYC trip, which was five weeks ago now. Seems like five years.

Would have been an easy 5 miles, except for the wall of humidity and the wall of bugs. I felt like insects were bouncing off me every 15 feet. I don't think I've ever had an experience quite like that, even in mosquito-infested Arkadelphia. But then mosquitoes aren't as dense as these critters that were bouncing off me. Anyway. routine run, took 48 minutes.

Did a Beast tonight. Or it did me. Power went out at the house at 8 p.m.. When it wasn't back on an hour later, started my run even though I wasn't quite recovered from dinner. GI did OK, but hydration was major issue even thought it was relatively cool and breezy. Thunderstorms skirted the area, which brought temps down and breeze up, but I was still having hard time. Had to stop twice to get water and kept cottonmouth the whole way. But I got through.

Father's Day tomorrow. Somehow I don't think it will be too festive for me. But I could be wrong. Just some recognition would suffice; a card would be wonderful.

Last day of spring is the hottest day of the year so far. It was 95 or 96 here (HI 100+), 101 or so in Bryant and Camden. Obviously, I waited until dark to run, not that it was that much cooler. Says it's 80 now, HI of 84. That had to have dropped a few degrees in the 40 minutes it took for my 4.2.

Intervals today at FHS; 10 X 200 at something approximating 1500m pace. That is, if it weren't too darn hot to run 1500 at any kind of speed. I thought I was going to pass out a couple of times. Just about maxed out the HR, too, although I'm not entirely sure if that was real HR or the belt bouncing around on my chest a bit. Cut down on the warmup/cooldown because of the heat. It was at least 95, HI had to be over 100, plus the black track and the artificial turf on the infield.

Progression run tonight. It was 86 degrees when I started just before 9 p.m. and darn near that warm when I finished 58 minutes later, and I don't think much evaporation at all happened in between. What few threads I was wearing were completely dripping soaked. In spite, plugged through 6.12, and had enough left to push the pace on the homeward leg at marathon pace or so. Spent most of the run thinking about the soccer game, which the US won in injury time on a fastbreak goal by Landon Donovan. Anyone who says soccer is boring after that just wasn't paying attention or can't appreciate a nailbiter in any sport. Anyway, we're on to the knockout stages and I'm on to finish up my credentialing paperwork in the morning and get it off to Apogee. Hope they can handle the rest very quickly.

Mini-tornado outside the Fleet Feet about 30 minutes before I arrived for tonight's run. Knocked a big limb off the tree outside, almost threw it through the window. Left 100% humidity behind, I'll guarantee you that. Turns out there were two runs tonight -- the regular 6 p.m. run, and a "chug run", run a mile, drink a beer, run another mile, drink another beer. Which sounded really good, but it probably would have put me under the table. Plus I'd already suffered through 4.26, I wasn't gonna run another 3 even for beer.

Nice and humid; nice and slow. Just get the miles in.

Weather gave me a break tonight; it's low-70s and drizzly instead of 86 and humid like its been for the past month. So I left on a 10-miler just after 9 p.m. Decided to do 11 laps of the park so it would be easy rto bail out and head home if the weather got too bad. I saw plenty of lightning off in the distance, and it rained the whole time, but it was never too close, so kept going. Managed to do the 10 in sub-9:00 pace, which is not bad for me given my current fitness level (and also suggests how much the heat has been slowing me down). Took just an hour and a half to finish.

Easy 5 with hill sprints at the end. Did 10 seconds X 8 on Silent Grove instead of 8 X 8 on Cimmaron this time. Not sure it made that much difference; maybe slightly steeper on SG, but not much, and there was much more traffic consideration. But it was worth a try. Run went well. Legs felt good after 10 last night. I think I went over 900 miles for the year today. I fully expect to do a lot more than that in the second half of 2010, job permitting, since I hopefully will be training for a December marathon.

Hard progression run tonight. Took last night off due to emotional turmoil; the divorce papers arrived in yesterday's mail. Talked to attorney and to Pam today and feel a little better, plus there's light at the end of the tunnel occupationally. They called and asked if I wanted to start Aug. 1, thinking I might be wanting to wait. I said "can't we start a little quicker than that," and she said she thought we could but would check.

Anyway, got out running at a moderate pace, like 9:20-isj, then put the hammer down the last mile and a half, playing one of my silly games -- trying to run a mile and a half in less than 14 minutes so as to finish under an hour. Turned out I ran a mile and a half in 11 and change and finish 6.41 in 57:59. So I won that silly little game.

Ran 133 this month, slightly more than May, less than April. If I'm gonna do 20 weeks for Sacramento, that would start July 18, but I hope I'm starting something else then -- a job. But we'll see how the job and the weather go, and adjust the start of training accordingly. Going to Bryant tomorrow; hope to get in a track workout there to replace the one I skipped last night, plus I'm planning to meet the Crackheads Saturday morning at the Capitol. No Firecracker 5K for me this year.