A blog about ultrarunning, Ironman and hiking 4,000 footers
Now I can obsess about my low heart rate.
I love my new Forerunner 35 GPS watch. Since this week is a recovery week, I seriously only have to run two miles tomorrow. I can test out the new watch.
Any other runners out there with a low resting heart rate?
For my Saturday long run I always create a new playlist. This Saturday I added some new songs I haven’t heard in a long time from the Dixie Chicks to Trisha Yearwood.
The one song I added but didn’t really know was Born Free from Kid Rock. I have some of his songs on other playlists like Cowboy and Wasting Time but I added Born Free not really remembering what the song was about but curiously remembered when the new CD came out – oh so many years ago.
As I’m running up the big Carter Hill Born Free plays and now, a few days later, I remember every word as my heart is pounding and the wind is whipping in my face.
Calm facing danger
Lost, like an unknown stranger
Grateful for my time with no regrets.Close to my destination
Tired, frail and aching
Waitin’ patiently for the sun to setAnd when its done believe that
Kid Rock, Born Free
I will yell it from that mountain high
I think a lot about my life while I’m running for hours in my home state of New Hampshire. So many songs remind me of my time out west, chasing dreams and living the life west of the Continental Divide in the high peaks of Colorado and the deserts of Arizona. I lived out west for almost 15 years and it was my dream. Now, as I get older and I’m back east, I’m trying to find out new dreams and figuring out how to make my life extraordinary. Songs like this remind me to not give up, and make me feel so lucky that I can still go find my dreams because we are born free. We are free – don’t take it for granted. Seriously, there is still so much to do, achieve, dream and be. Songs like this remind me of that.
This week I did every run on the training plan. It’s not the official plan since the Official 25 Week Leadville 100 Run training plan doesn’t start for 3 weeks but I’m getting the disciplined training down.
After running twice on the treadmill this week due to icy road and trail conditions it was great to run outside on Saturday and Sunday despite the frigid temperatures that forced me to wear a balaclava.
The treadmill is just so boring.
This week I did three weight room training sessions for the first time. This is week 4 of weight training and I started slowly with two times a week. I do feel stronger and pushups are much easier. I’m gradually adding different options and getting advice from the trainers.
I’ve been thinking that I may plan a trip to Colorado in June for the Leadville Marathon in addition to going out in July to hike Pike’s Peak with my Colorado friends. It would be good altitude training for the August 100 miler.
The next few weeks of running look like this:
Each run during the week has a purpose:
Tuesday: Hills
Wednesday: Speed Work/Temp
Thursday: Recovery Run
I do have a little issue with my low resting heart rate and low blood pressure again. I am monitoring it and salting all my food. I just need to stay healthy and get stronger; I can do this!
I watched the final season of The Office the last week. I think this show is so hilarious and yet filled with serious moments that made me cry. The last episode, which aired May 2013 still makes me laugh out loud and alternatively weep.
Here are the great quotes from The Office:
Laugh:
Jim played one final prank on Dwight, telling him he had to step down as his best man. That’s when Michael stepped in.
“I can’t believe you came,” said Dwight.
“That’s what she said,” said Michael.
Laugh:
“Do you find that your life feels pointless now that nobody’s actually filming you anymore?”
Toby: “Yes.”
Laugh:
Michael: “I feel like all my kids grew up and then they married each other. It’s every parent’s dream.”
Cry:
Pam: “It’d be great if people saw this documentary and learned from my mistakes. Not that I’m a tragic person. I’m really happy now. But…it would just…just make my heart soar if someone out there saw this and she said to herself ‘be strong, trust yourself, love yourself. Conquer your fears. Just go after what you want and act fast, because life just isn’t that long.’”
Cry:
Andy: “I spent so much of my time here at Dunder Mifflin thinking about my old pals, my college a cappella group. The weird thing is now, I’m exactly where I wanna be. I got my dream job at Cornell and I’m still just thinking about my old pals. Only now they’re the ones I made here. I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them. Someone should write a song about that.”
Laugh:
Kevin: If there is one thing that I have learned through this whole experience, it’s that if you film anybody long enough, they’re going to do something stupid. It’s only human natural.
Jim: Hey, and if you’re ever in Austin…
Dwight: Woah. Right. For what, the art? The music? The incredible nightlife? No thank you. But if you’re ever in the area, you’ll always have a place to stay…in my barn.
Jim: I sold paper at this company for 12 years. My job was to speak to clients on the phone about quantities and types of copier paper. Even if I didn’t love every minute of it, everything I have, I owe to this job. This stupid…wonderful…boring…amazing job.
Pam: I thought it was weird when you picked us to make a documentary. But all in all…I think an ordinary paper company like Dunder Mifflin was a great subject for a documentary. There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kind of the point?