Wall

I'm afraid I'm hitting a wall! I'm trying to peel myself off this chair so I can run a measily 2 mile recovery run. But somehow...sleep...seems so much more attractive.

just two miles. about twenty minutes. Twenty minutes towards my fast approaching goal of 1/2 marathon.

I can do this. I mean...if I can run 8 miles, I can definitely run 2!

(sorry....sometimes I need to write silly things like this to make me realize how ridiculous I'm being about putting things off.)

New PR!

There are multiple times for yesterday's race.

The time posted online says 26:12.
The time posted on the board at the race said 26:11.

I thought I saw 26:09 when I came through the finish.

My intent was to start my watch when I crossed over the starting point, but because this race wasn't super organized, I'm not sure if I started my watch at the right point (there was no "START" banner. Instead there was an orange cone with a sign that said "start" at the side of the road). At the end of the race, I thought I stopped my watch, but had looked down at it after turning in my tag/number and the watch was still running at 26:20. The race obviously didn't provide chips and I didn't start at the very front of the pack. So there's not telling what the true time is.

BUT. Holy crap, I ran a 5k @ 26:12 or 26:11! My first mile was at 8:20!!

The race was all up and down hills. It was one of the toughest courses I've ran for a 5k and I can't get over how much I've improved over the past few weeks. And I haven't even been working on speed!! Just distance/endurance....

Some things that may have helped with time:
1. the weather. it was high 60s and NO WIND. That's almost unheard of here in this area. Usually I'm running in 30-50 degree weather with winds ranging anywhere from 8-20mph gusts. (I hate the high wind gusts. but I'd rather run a long run outside in the wind than inside on a treadmill)
2. the hills. Yeah running up was a pain, but running down hill had to help a bit, I'm sure.
3. After mile 2, I was running near a person who apparently had a team of trainers throughout the course! Every 1/2 mile or so someone would be yell at her to step it up, to keep it steady, to pass the girl in the green shorts, etc.

There was a free beer at the end. Along with greasy pizza (I passed) and delicious warm pretzels. No water bottles though. Instead, there were two people pouring water into tiny cups. (seriously, what was up with that??)

A fun, good way to start off the 5k season. I can't wait to run some more!!!

Overall placement: 195 out of 650+ runners & walkersDivision placement: 10th out of 69

First...

5K of the season is TODAY!

High is in the mid to upper 60s today...I haven't ran in anything above 50 degrees since fall, so this run might be tough for that reason. Oh, and there's that small matter of something called hills. ug.

But it's sunny out, blue skies, not a cloud in the sky. I'll have to wear shorts. (eeks!) Which is a perfect segue into today's race day strategy: start at the front of the pack, blind all those runners with my super white-out colored legs, and win! haha, right. probably more like middle to end of the pack for me :)

Although it doesn't matter because I hear there's a free beer for runners at the end. First place, last place, I'm just happy to go!

Of course I'm wearing this shirt. Except mine's in white. I'm liking the berry color better. Wish me luck!

tired

so tired. so tired I can't even write fun sentences to give updates...obviously work started. work, plus my study class = little sleep. I only worked an 8 hour shift, but I feel like so tired, so incompetent that I just want to sleep.

But instead
I will
get off my ass
and go for a run.

To clear my head.
and prep for the 1/2 marathon that
I'm unsure how I'll manage
to train for, now that
I'm working.
and studying.

Apologies for not commenting on fellow bloggers pages! I'm still reading through my feeder...although half the time I"m so tired I skim. One day soon I will return :)

More soon..

Very Difficult

I've been out of school, sitting on the couch for two weeks now and am begining to go CRAZY!

I really haven't been sitting on the couch (although I am now)...I've been studying for boards, going to my board review course (paid for by the hospital!), and even spent one very relaxing weekend up in the Green Mountains.

So about this blog title. My school of nu.rsing just this year started using the N*L*N to help students prep for boards. I finally figured out how to change the testing settings (it was giving me two chances to get the right answer!) and here's part of today's test results:

Total Points Raw Score % Score
Difficulty Level »Very Easy 3 2 66%
Difficulty Level »Easy 12 6 50%
Difficulty Level »Moderate 25 16 64%
Difficulty Level »Difficult 9 9 100%
Difficulty Level » Very Difficult 1 1 100%

Do you think answering all of the difficult and very difficult questions correctly was a fluke? If I had 25 difficult questions, would I have missed more? How exactly should I study for my exam? Unfortunately, when I reviewed the questions, the difficulty level was not included in the correct answer rational.

Fingers crossed that I keep better at answering these questions and pass!

Last Days

Today was the last official day of class....

Tomorrow is the last night of clinical...

Thursday is the last clinical conference....

and scariest of all....

FRIDAY IS GRADUATION!

Cracking the Whip

The hardest thing about finishing school is somehow losing all will power to tie the loose ends and just finish.

With graduation only a week away (Did you see that? ONE WEEK), I have four assignments to complete.

Four assignments to complete and submit via email between now and Sunday.

And I've sat in front of the computer tonight and nearly finished one of them and half heatedly started the second.

Oh....someone needs to get in me into gear....