Back to work(out)

Hi girls

I've been absent for quite a while but we're back on (the) track. This is the third day we've gone running after the nearly two-month intermission and it feels nice. I've found out that it's much nicer to run in the cooler weather than in the awfully hot weather we had in the summer. I'm getting there, although little by little. As usual when we're starting, we walk one mile and then we run one more mile. The first day we ran the mile in 9:45 minutes, I think, the second day we forgot the watch, and today our mark improved (9:00). We've been going every two days, but I hope we'll start making it daily, maybe resting one day a week. The plan is continuing running a mile until next Monday that we'll increase to two miles. I'll keep you girls posted.

Update . . .

So, I swam last Wednesday (1,200 yds - 4 x 50 in there) and I ran on Thursday (3.5 miles, thought I should do more . . . but didn't). Then the baby got sick on Friday, then there was the weekend and now I'm sick so I doubt I'll workout until after Christmas. Feeling like crap. Over and out.

frigid

As my hand almost froze solid while I was pumping gas this morning, I wondered how on earth I would endure a run. We're now at 5 degrees (with the windchill factor). It isn't snowing but it's really freakin' cold. I deliberated for a while and wondered if it would really be so wrong if I just sat in my lab and ate cookies. Finally, I decided it was too cold to run without a hat so I vowed to find a good hat that will cover my ears in future runs but, today, I just went for a walk (with my super warm winter coat - my face almost totally covered by the hood).

1.5 mile walk (about 25 minutes). I stupidly did not wear long underwear today so my legs were pretty cold by the time I was done.

snow, snow, snow

It isn't very cold today (24 degrees) but it is snowing (a wet snow that won't stick much) and a little bit windy. I didn't want to leave my desk. Did NOT want to. But, I did.

3.5 miles (give or take), up to the nature preserve and back down to campus via the trail on the eastern edge - had to alter my course to avoid the goose nation - then 3 laps on the track. I didn't feel particularly great until I got on the track (which was covered in a light but stable coat of snow). I could have run longer but I needed to get back.

I have to give up all grandiose notions of training and just focus on getting my butt out there everyday (or almost everyday). I'll run tomorrow and definitely swim on Wednesday.

cold cold cold

12/9/10 - 5 miles at 20 degrees fahrenheit. No wind, no snow, not so bad.
12/10/10 - 3.4 miles at 27 degrees fahrenheit. Wind, snow, not so fun.

the runs

12/6/10 - About 3.5 miles, including a mile or so in the nature preserve. It was beautiful with all the snow, and best of all I didn't sprain my ankle on the slippery, snowy trail.

12/7/10 - About 5 miles (two brains followed by tooling around on the track and near by campus paths). When I looked at the track from a distance I thought it had been plowed and that surprised me. But when I got there I realized that it was not plowed but windswept (snowy in some places, bare in others). Windswept from WIND. You'd of thought I'd find somewhere else run, but no. Got some pain in my right knee in the last 100 yds or so of the run.

back in the pool

I really didn't feel like it. Was working on the "I have a headache" excuse. (Of course, I no longer actually need to convince my mother or the school nurse that I am too infirm to function - but I still work up the excuse). But hubbie urged me to go ahead and do it - as we'd probably be enjoying junk food tonight. So, I did. Here's the workout:

800yd warm up (slower than usual - like 17 minutes)
25 yd fly (for fun)
25 yd breast stroke (to recover from fun)
10 x 50 yd - the first two were like 45 s with 25 s rests. The next 8 were 50 s with 15 s rests (as per my swimming cousin-in-law's suggestion).
250yd cool down
Total = 1,600 yds

My hands were hurting a little. I ignored them and hoped the pain would go away.

run run run run

I didn't swim yesterday because of work stuff but I'm back on the horse (or sneaker as it were) today.

5 miles (including Murray Hill Road - the .5 mile hill)

My motto these days is "make that extra little push" so, when I got back to campus instead of just going back the way I came, I completed the campus loop (adding about a mile). 5 miles. Not bad. I'm tired. It was pretty cold (I kept my fleece jacket on the whole time).