Slowing down

I'm still here, slogging away.  I am 3 weeks from being done with school, and believe me, I am soooooo ready!  I was really stressed and struggling a lot for the end of July and beginning of August.  My post from August 13, Decisions, really explains what was happening.  Sometime just after I posted that I decided that my current job is a one time only thing, if I leave I won't get that opportunity again.  My internship likes me, they've assured me I would be hired there, so if I didn't stay, I could come back.  I've been very open and honest with my supervisor about it, and he said that he will welcome me back if I choose to sometime in the future.  So I decided to stay with my current job.  They found a clinical supervisor for me (someone who can oversee my hours to get licensed) and assure me that they will provide me with a mental health counseling position in order to get those hours.  Now I'm three weeks away.  

I will go back to full-time which that alone will increase my pay.  I got a raise in January of this year but immediately cut my hours to be able to do a second (non-paid) job.  But I have been promised another raise with my increased responsibilities.  I am definitely excited about better/more pay.  And going down to one job will be soooo nice.  And I will be done with work by 430pm, no more working until 7 a couple nights a week.  Have I mentioned I am really happy to be done with school?

I will be the first person in my entire family with a master's degree.  My Mom was an RN, but when she became an RN all that was needed was two year degree.  I am the only one of my sisters that even has a 4 year degree, and now I will have a master's.  I'm not bragging, but am really proud of myself.  

I am still running, today was day 1057.  I am about a month and a half away from 3 years of running at least 1 mile a day.  A few weeks ago I decided to concentrate on my heartrate instead of my pace.  I'm not truly doing heart rate running which means I should be running at a 136 heart rate (180-my age which is 44).  I guess I'm doing more of a 80/20 type training. I am currently trying to keep my heart rate at 140, but I'm doing one workout a week of high intensity running.  This means that most of my running has been closer or higher to 10 min/mile pace.  Which, honestly, isn't much slower than previously, but I quit putting pressure on myself.  I have found myself enjoying my runs a lot more.  It also means that I've been more motivated to go run.  

Last week I decided rather than pushing myself to run hard for 3 miles once a week (that 20% where I'm supposed to push myself), I'll start running hills again.  So I ran hill repeats the last two Saturdays and a long, slow run on Sundays.  Hills suck and my butt hurts.  Last week I ran 8 miles which was my  longest run since April 2020 (my last 8 mile run).  Today I ran 9 miles, my longest run since July 2019 (my last 9 mile run).  

Me legs hurt and my butt hurts, but I feel great.