Is it spring already?

I am getting confused and I think Mother nature is as well.  We were out all weekend in our light spring wind breakers and t-shirts!  I can't believe this nice reprieve we are having here in Kansas.  I am LOVING it!  Andrew and I had a pizza date on a patio and then a trip to the zoo yesterday post my long run.

We had a 50 minute non stop run on tap followed by 20 minutes of 4 x 1 (four minute run, one minute walk) with 5 minutes of warm up and cool down.  I never get tired of running on this road for some odd reason.  It looks pretty boring but what you can't see is the airport (and favorite port a pottie:) on one side and the fields of snow geese on the other.  Every season boasts something to look at whether it be wild life, crops or both.  I love living in a small town with nice rural roads for running.  No traffic, scenery, and little to no hills make it ideal.  I also like to come out here for some speed work because it is flat as a pan cake and there are no spectators save the wild life and they typically don't care what I am up to. 

I can tell my bio mechanics have changed and are staying changed thanks to the new aches and pains I have.  On top of some sore hammies, my ankle continues to not be happy but I am icing, stretching and resting when I need to.  It actually excites me to have regular runner pains finally!

After my long run and our pizza date, we headed to our little local zoo.  It's a cheap way to spend time and let little red run off some steam.  He is now beginning to really like looking at the animals and the chimps are his favorite.  

Birds at the zoo have always loved andrew and I am not sure why.  Maybe because little kids usually feed them?  This black swan kept coming right up to him on the other side of the fence in a very non threatening, non demanding way.  Maybe it is the red hair?  

Our little zoo has great hills and walkways, which are perfect for tiring 2 year olds out.  I highly recommend it if you have a little that needs to burn off some steam!

In the end, I got stuck in the van letting him take a nice long nap, but it was worth it.  I got to prop my feet up and catch up on some reading while he napped away.  I had my first week back in a routine and all of my runs felt great.  Especially my speed work, which was a nice fartlek ladder mixed in with about 5 miles of running.  Honestly, it kicked my booty, but sometimes those work outs make you feel the best.  I kept at it, tried my hardest, and while I didn't achieve my goal pace for all parts of the ladder, I was pretty darn close.  I had to feel good about my level of effort.  I have to say, I am really digging these new works out that Coach Jenny is giving me.  I typically dread the pace runs and tempos runs and while I know they are coming, having some new stuff sprinkled in helps bring th love back to speed.  Coach Jenny has been sending me my plan week to week, since my travels and my propensity to get sick thanks to having a little around.  I have always been one of those who only looks at the week at hand even when given more than that at a time anyway.  Coach Jenny just gave me a few weeks to look over yesterday but I still don't like to look too far ahead.  I like the element of surprise.  

I also like stickers.  We have officially hit the I like sticker phase.  I luckily stupidly found a Thomas book that also had a page of stickers in it. Thomas stickers are very high value stickers (not the ones I have currently all over my hand, those came out of a happy meal).  I am using this knowledge to my advantage:)   Have a great week!!!!