PLANS, PLANS, and MORE PLANS!

So, what is the best way to make sure that work won't interfere with your running schedule? CALL OUT SICK! Ha. Okay, not exactly the best plan of action, but it did work for me in a bind on Tuesday. I SO needed a break (like y'all couldn't tell--ha) . . . apparently this happens when you work for four weeks straight without a real day off. So yeah, I decided to make Tuesday an Irish Cream personal day. I slept until around 4 p.m. (with a couple hour-long awake-breaks to answer emails and watch The Tyra Banks Show--again, why do I admit these things?!) I then got up, did a little research on grad school, ate "lunch," read some of the Jillian Michaels "Making The Cut" book (fyi, this seems like an awesome plan for anyone who wants to work his/her butt off for 30 days and seriously tone up), watched my tivo'd Ugly Betty episode, and finally made my way outside to run around 6:00 p.m. Considering I am now on the "take it easy or you might die" training plan, I set out with absolutely no time/distance goals whatsoever. It was a beautiful day out, and I just wanted to enjoy myself and try to regain that love for running that's been hiding somewhere behind my long work days and sleep deprivation!

I ran Garmin-less, and tried to force myself to move as SLOWLY and effortlessly as possible. I'm not going to lie, running was still difficult, and I definitely could still feel some crazy exhaustion in play. But I think the run did manage to bring back some of that "loving feeling" I'd been missing. Thus, it accomplished its intended purpose, and I won't dare complain! I ended up covering somewhere between 5 and 6 miles total (but with several walking breaks mixed in between). I'm figuring that in all, I probably ran somewhere between 4 and 4.5 miles. I headed back to my apartment after my run, took a hot shower, and caught American Idol live for--I think--the first time EVER! Wilson brought me home some delicious sushi, which I promptly devoured while we watched the end of the Rangers' game (UGH). Then I went to bed around 11:00, and fell asleep IMMEDIATELY. Um, tired much? I think that might be a record for the least number of hours spent awake in one day (while not in a coma)!

In other news, you all will be glad to know that I followed your wonderful advice and SAID NO to my horrible employers last night. I did wait until 9:30 to do it, but still . . . better late than never, right? I had met with No. 1 A-hole earlier in the day, and he'd asked me to finish a project up by the end of the day (let's call it "Project A"). Well, later on, an even more pressing project came up that he wanted me to work on (let's get REALLY creative and call it "Project B"). What would the old Irish have done? She would have finished up "Project B," and then stayed at work all night attempting to still finish up "Project A." But who am I? I am NEW IRISH! New Irish finished up "Project B," then started to work on "Project A" (okay, so maybe I shouldn't have even done THAT much) . . . but she eventually decided, "you know what? I'm not going to stay here all night! I mean, the man himself pulled me off of "Project A" . . . he should understand if I can't finish it!" So I sent him an email stating that "Project B" had taken longer than expected, and that I would have "Project A" for him by mid-day the next day. While I didn't quite have enough energy to get to the gym, I did do some nice core work at home AND still managed to get to bed at a decent time! I think I could get used to this "leaving work before 11:00 p.m." thing!

Along with the new me, I've also come up with a corresponding new work plan. This plan involves leaving by--at the latest--8:00 p.m. EVERY night unless there is a real, pressing deadline I'm working with. Besides emergencies, I will contact the attorneys I work with and let them know that I will have the project(s) for them at whatever time I think is reasonable. If any of them want to fight me about it, I will fight. I'm sick of being taken advantage of all the time. So yes. This is my new work plan.

I also have a brand spankin' new plan for the half-marathon I'm supposed to be running in 4 weeks (yikes!) That plan is--GASP!--to just have fun with it. I'm dropping myself down to Hal's Beginner schedule for the remainder of the month, and I am not going to let myself get all worked up about time goals and such. Had I possessed the time and energy to train properly, I know I could have nailed my goal of sub-2 hours. However, that's simply not the case. Thus, I'm going to focus on taking things easy, but still getting my miles in . . . no more speed training, tempo runs, etc.--just easy-peasy running. Hell, you might as well call it "jogging." Ultimately, I'm going to try to just have fun in South Bend come May 31. My girls will be there running various distances as well, and I don't want to allow myself turn into Ms. Grump because I missed an unfeasible time goal. Besides, it's my first half-marathon, I will--by default--earn myself a PR! That's enough to be proud of, if you ask me :)

So there you have it . . . my new plans for life (at least for the next month). I already feel much better about life and, shockingly, even my job. More later . . .