Big Things

I know you all are probably wondering why this blog was so inactive at the end of 2010 and I am now able to share it with you:

In approximately three weeks, I will be starting a new career!  This was a tough decision to make and, like with all change, it was a scary, exciting decision.  The thing about this new position - which will eventually be that of a financial advisor once I am licensed - is that it comes with a fair amount of risk. 

I am not a person who likes risk.  But at this point in my life, I have decided to take it on, to see what I am made of, so to speak.

I have no idea what kind of hours I am looking at and I think it will be interesting for you all to see me find a new fitness routine to work its way around my new job...or maybe more amusing than interesting.

Until all that amusement begins, here what you have missed (and its not much!):

Monday: 30 minutes on the elliptical
Tuesday: 40 minutes weight training
Wednesday: 3 miles (including 15 minutes of speed work) on the treadmill

Today's plan is 10 minutes warm up on the treadmill, followed by 45 minutes of weight lifting.
Friday: Victoria's power yoga class
Saturday: 8 mile run (some of them with Meri and maybe Chrissy)
Sunday: Weight lifting

Bring It On

I would like to thank "Bring It On: In It To Win It" for getting me through an 8 Mile treadmill run that went well enough to finally get me to register for the Old Fashioned 10 Miler.  Without you, mildly entertaining afternoon movie, I may not have sucked it up through almost ONE HOUR AND 28 MINUTES of treadmill time on a Sunday afternoon.

Here is how it went down.

It snowed this weekend and it took Meri and I at least a half hour Saturday morning to decide if we were actually going to wriggle into winter running clothes and hit the snowy, icy deathtrap that was our running route.  Here is the deal - If you are talking about going for a run for over 10 minutes, you are already awake...you might as well go.  So we did.  And it was tough.

I had forgotten how hard it is to run in the snow.  We stuck to the sidewalks and did two back and forths totalling 5 miles.  This meant slogging through fresh snow then slipping and turning ankles on packed down icy snow.  The plan was, at the end of the 5 Miles, I was supposed to do another 3 to complete an 8 Mile long run.

No way Jose.  My hips were screaming and I had turned my ankle more than once.  I was done.

And so the Sunday conundrum set in.  I had to get in a long run this weekend...but I also had to lift weights.  And it was supposed to snow again.  By Saturday night I had resigned myself to 6 miles on the treadmill and 45 minutes of weight lifting for the next morning.

Sunday morning I slept in, had a great oatmeal breakfast, hung out with Bill, then headed to the gym.  I got on the treadmill dreading my 6 miles and starting jogging.  Then I looked up - Cheerleaders!  Some cute guy with no shirt on!  Wait...they are dancing!  TBS, here I come!!! 

Miles 1-5 flew.  At the start of mile 6, I started making big running plans.  I would finish up mile 6, then put in a serious speed effort and make it through the last 2 miles.  Yup, I was going to conquer 8 miles of treadmill hell!  I pumped up the speed by .3 for mile 7 then attacked mile 8 with 5 minutes of sprinting followed by an easy run effort to finish it off.

Barely believing I had pulled off the run, I refilled my water bottle and hit the weights.  Upper body only - I was not looking for punishment.

And I sincerely have to thank Bring It On and TBS for that run.  Treadmill running is mentally tough.  Breaking through that run reminded me that yes, I am a runner.

Bring It On Ten Miler!