Continuing with the cross training...

I had every intention of getting in 4-5 miles over lunch and then hitting the yoga class at the gym tonight. Well, it was for very good reason that the lunchtime run was shelved, or rather it wasn't shelved but I had zero breathing space in the schedule to accomplish it. I'm actually fairly excited about the why of it. If you have an interest in foreign policy, tune in to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee mark up tomorrow afternoon.

So the best daytime intentions aside, I needed to maximize very limited time this evening since I not only wanted to get in the yoga class, but also need to pack to leave the country again on Friday (I'm already behind in this regard. If you know me, you know I have a very detailed packing plan for every trip and the bag is usually ready to go several days ahead of time in case the schedule gets messed up). I made it to yoga.  I already feel more bendy.  It was more of a gentle yoga class, which I need for stress and recovering from Monday night's tough class, but still contained a series of more challenging balance poses and an abs series. With the bikini season around the corner I can use all the abs help I can get. After all, while I'm no heifer, I'm definitely not the chick of 7 years ago with 10% body fat. Come June you'll be able to tell if I've stuck to pushing a greater number of abs exercises into my routine...that is also assuming I'm still not blazing white and you're are blinded by my skin tone so can't see whether my middle is toned...on second thought...:)

I ended the night with a brief jog on the treadmill just to tick off a couple more miles and get my heart rate up.  Don't get excited, it really was nothing to jump up and down over, but it was movement.  I hope to get in 7ish miles tomorrow so that at least I hit the monthly goal before getting on a plane Friday morning, because if my next location doesn't believe in air conditioned fitness centers like the Emirates, then the next week is guaranteed to be less than inspired.  Trust me though, I've already started working on a back up plan.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  2.52
Time:  22:01 (average pace of 8:44 per mile)
Location:  24 Hour Fitness treamills and group ex room
Feeling:  I'm glad I won't be back to yoga for a week and a half, the wrist needs a break...still hurts pretty bad

Plyowhoa...

I know athletes should cross train - mix it up to maximize. Problem is, I'm basically a one-trick pony that dabbles elsewhere. I do like yoga, I do like kayaking, I'm a pretty decent swimmer, occasionally I try something else and I definitely skimp in regular strength training, but I only tend to find consistency in running. That's why I'm going to try to readjust myself a little and get back on the yoga mat a couple times a week (gets that strength training without having to drag myself into the weight room) and maybe toss in some other activities here and there.

Tonight I hit up the yogalates/plyo/ab attack/arm weights class - better known as mind/body bootcamp, at the gym. I used to be a regular in this class, but then Mondays became crazy town and I just could not get back to Annapolis in time. I remember why I love to hate the class now. Erica is one tough cookie. Aside from my wrist still killing me (yeah, that's an embarassing foray back into strength training that I'll save for another day...or never) so having to be very deliberate about moving through that joint, I am fairly certain my abs will join the screaming tomorrow. God bless it running 10 miles is easier than an hour in that room. All that said, it feels great to move the body in that way and hopefully I can get it to pay off for me again.

I also could not totally take the day off from running since I am going to lose at least one, if not more days, this week. Now, granted, I can't really call a couple miles on the treadmill before having to hit the mat for bootcamp a real run. But hey, the miles add up in the end and if all I can accomplish in the time I have is two miles, then its two I may not otherwise have added to the total this year so no complaining. Anyway, I'm looking forward to a nice session with the pavement tomorrow. Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles: 2.01
Time: 16:54 (average pace of 8:24 per mile)
Location: 24 Hour Fitness Treadmill Zone and Group X Classroom
Feeling: Good tonight, I expect to remember muscles I've ignored by Wednesday

Oh the joy...

It's been a while since I was stuck on the treadmill. It should have been an even longer time. This morning was really nice out, even the afternoon was nice. Late afternoon? Not so nice. Rain, rain, rain. So stuck on the treadmill, treadmill, treadmill.

Luckily the plan was a quick four miles, so I didn't lose a lot of miles or have to spend so much time on the dreadmill that I was bored. It's also nice that the treadmills have satellite tv on the screens. I was able to take in half an old episode of Law and Order, them caught the top of the hour on CNN, which was all about today's storms. My thoughts go out to the families across the midwest impacted by the tornadoes today. I hope there is a rainbow at the end of this series of storms.

Well, that's about all she wrote today. Plan for tomorrow is a wine tasting up in Harford County, followed by a 5-6 mile jog. You should definitely check in for the write up on that one! Happy trails!

Stats -
Miles: 4.0
Time: 34:12 (average pace of 8:33 per mile)
Location: Smack dab in the middle of the dreadmills at 24 Hour Fitness
Feeling: Still a little tight and cranky in the left hamstring...hopefully just a few more days of this.

Flurries, flurries everywhere...

I love to run in the snow...assuming my gym bag contains the right clothes for the task at hand. Today my bag did not. This morning weather.com assured me that the temp would be about 42 with no precipitation around 2pm today, so I packed a long sleeve shirt and running skirt. The temp never got about 35 and there was certainly a good deal of very pretty white precipitation falling from the sky. So while cheering the snow, I inwardly groaned that the treadmill was in my future.

I give myself credit. I'm leaving town tomorrow for a few days and need to pack, plus I am generating a chest cold, so it would have been really easy once I got home to just hunker down, pack, light a fire and enjoy the first real snowfall of the year. Instead I went to the gym, put in some time on the treadmill and then pushed some weights around. It wasn't too bad except that it was a bit more difficult to breathe - and therefore hit a good pace - due to the cough and congestion, bit I'm glad I went anyway.

Stats -
Miles: 3.51
Time: Roughly 31 minutes (average 8:49 minutes per mile) I think
Location: treadmill at 24 Hour Fitness....fifth one in
Feeling: Ehhh, after all I was on a treadmill and I have a chest cold, but I ran anyway