A Day Off!

Really feeling pretty good about myself right now.

First, I had a pretty good interim review at work yesterday.  I've made progress, everyone recognizes that, I need to keep going, but "good job" all around, and I've sorta been taken off my performance plan and placed back under a Director, rather than receiving the personal attention of the VP.  Which I'm kind of ambivalent about.  I mean, it shows a certain amount of faith in me, and I seem to get along with the Director in question pretty well.  But it's change, and I liked working with and reporting to Maryann.  She's firm but fair and has taught me a lot, and it granted me a certain ... power?  clout?  prestige?  that I don't think I have now and I'm not sure how that's going to change things.  In my head at least, there was always the - if you don't play nice, it'll come out in his one on one with the veep....  We'll have to see.

Today, though, I have a 5010 Stakeholder meeting.  Have to polish up the presentation, but I'm excited I get to tell the higher ups how much progress the team has made.

On the tri side:
- Wednesday was swim and run, and I went for the swim and skipped the run.  The swim was much easier.  I need to do 12 lengths of the pool for the August, and for now I'm concentrating on getting through 3 sets of 4 with a breather in between each set.  First set was pretty easy, and then I took a long break.  Second set wasn't bad, followed by a shorter break.  The third set I did three and then had to stand up in the pool for a few seconds before going on the last leg, which was pretty pathetic and I nearly drowned myself - but I got it done.

I decided to skip the run - meeting Joe for Wednesday night baseball, and my knees weren't feeling great after my Tuesday 15 minute run, and save myself to do the rest of this weeks runs.

- Thursday I went out while Beth was icing a cake.  New orthotics in my shoes, I was on to Week 4 in the Couch to 5K program.  When I looked at it on the iPhone, I remembered this week in the program well.  This was a big ramp up from the previous week.  Week 3 was  two sets of 1.5 minute run, break, then 3 minute run.  And when I ran outside last week - I couldn't do my 3 minute runs; I had to stop and walk in the middle.  Week 4 starts at 3 minutes, a 1.5 minute walk, and then a 5 minute run.  Whew.

I took Beth's advice and took it slow - which I think was my problem the previous week.  Was really gratified when the little voice said "You have 1 minute to go" on my first run.  Timing was spot on so I wasn't running up the entire hill in the little park - just the last third or so.  By the way, the view of the sky and Baltimore from the top of the hill in the little park is amazing.  Done it twice now and the sunsets are just spectacular. 

I made it through the five minute, had a nice 2.5 minute walk, then back to the 3 and 5.  Made it through everything with a little bit of a kick at the end of the 5.  Again - I was slow as shit, and it was prolly more of a jog than a run.  But I made it through in sped up motion the whole allotted time.  I was also outside (which I really suck at), it was sorta hot (but not really uncomfortable until I stopped), and I had no water, so.....

Didn't do the strength portion, though.  Had I gone to the gym I would have done the little set of chest press, leg extensions, abdominals, and lower back.  But I wasn't at the gym.  Prolly throw it in this weekend.

Anyways, today's a day off.  Which my knees are thankful for.  I have a run on Saturday which I'll likely do at the gym, and then a bike and swim on Sunday - which I'm going to try to do early when the pool's not crowded.

And then - since Beth is away this weekend - I might try to root my iPhone and finish up the script!  And clean the house and back slab.