Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy birthday, Dad! 

For Dad's birthday, he witnessed the ground-breaking on a college facility that he was instrumental in bringing to our small town in Nebraska.  Dad is running the county's community college presence out of a small office tucked away in the public library and he begs and borrows classroom facilities where ever he can get them.  This new facility is Dad's legacy to the community.  Although the credit for it will go to those who raised the money, he was the one who sold the college on the need for it and laid all the groundwork. If all goes as planned, he will manage the new facility for a few months after it opens next year and then he'll retire and move to Ohio.  The timing of his retirement is not set in stone, so I hope he'll get some time in the new office since he has worked so hard to make it happen.

I did a tough run today.  Though I would normally lay off running the day after a fast 5K, I had the time and the weather was perfect for a "long" run this evening.  I ran 5.5 miles in an hour.  My miles were 10:51, 11:04, 10:46, 10:24, and 11:13.  I did the distance with a 3 minute run and 1 minute walk pattern throughout until the last few minutes which I walked as a cool down. 

Since I've been running while the kids are at swim team practice, I've been running at OSU quite a bit.  When the weather is bad, that's great to be at OSU because I use the 1/8 mile track in RPAC and am quite cozy while my suburb friends are fighting the rain or running on treadmills.  However, when it is nice, I'm often uninspired when forced to run on campus.  It's just too city-like and full of people and cars and such.  So today I decided to do a longer run and set out on the Olentangy Trail through the Tuttle Park, Clinton and Northmoor areas.  I just did a simple out-and-back plan:  I ran 27 minutes away from RPAC on the trail and then ran back to campus and around the stadium to finish up a full hour of running. 

Val was beginning her post-swimming dryland workout when I returned, so I headed over to RPAC to do a few weights.  I benched the bar (which isn't 40 lbs as I previously asserted, but 45lbs.) 10 times and did 3 sets.  I also did some obliques and curls before cleaning up and picking up Val. 

I haven't eaten well lately, especially today, and it caught up with me.  I wasn't feeling great after the workout and Val took care of me when I got home.  I picked up some comfort food (broccoli cheese soup from Panera) which helped some.  Then a little later Val surprised me with a glass of hot chocolate and told me to put my feet up and read.  She takes good care of me.

The bottom of my feet were sore during the last mile or so - and are sore even now as I walk around in my socks at home.  I guess I'm unaccustomed to 5 miles.  I think I'll go take my daughter's advice.