Ah, the Holidays.....visions of sugar plums dancing their way right to my waist.....
Last week was rough...okay, the last TWO weeks were rough!
With record snow falls in Seattle, getting around town, let alone getting out to exercise, was hard! And then there's the sugar.....what else am I going to do while finishing up my Christmas projects but gorge on cookies and chocolate! I was OUT OF CONTROL!!!!
I did manage to get on the treadmill twice last week--in between trying to get to work and getting home for Christmas. And I did do a fair amount of walking, so all was not lost, but it is time to get back on the band wagon.
...I'm back to tracking my food and exercise this week. It feels good to feel a little more in control.
My workouts have been fun over the last few days. I'm not following any particular training structure....more of a.....let's get to the gym and just see what happens kind of a thing.
Monday I ran 4 miles on my lunch break--I did some speed play--went fast when I felt like going fast; went slow when I wanted to go slow. I'm also building some strength training back into my routine--did some arm work yesterday (very sore today), and did a couple miles on the treadmill, and a little bit on this pretty cool stairclimer thing-a-majiggy. It was kind of a combo between a stairclimer and a treadmill....sort of....I definitely felt it in my thighs. Took the dog for a walk in the evening.
Today....probably a slow jog on the treadmill....we'll see what happens.
Running club has been on hold for the last couple of weeks (weather/ holidays). It will be great to resume next weekend. We've had some great runs. The last one we did was a trail run at Camp Long....very fun!!! Looking forward to more group runs!
Off to Orcas Island tomorrow for 3 days--hoping to get some running in there (or hiking at Mt. Constitution at the very least!). Happy New Year to all--All best for 2009!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Running with a new purpose
You know how these things go....I let the blog fall off the radar for awhile, but such is the ebb and flow of things in life. I think this particular ebb was part of a more relaxed focus on my "training", and it sort of become a natural bi-product of that new approach.
I ran the Seattle 1/2 marathon Thanksgiving weekend. It was a fantastic experience. The course was tough--lots of hills. But it was so beautiful. It was the first large event I've done. More than 12,000 runners. It was quite a feeling looking ahead and behind--thousands of feet pounding the pavement--the largest rhythm band I've ever been a part of. Clip-clop; clip-clip-clop clop clop clop clip.
Of course, I overdressed. The weather was great. Unusually warm, and the mist from the fog provided good relief from the warmth of my many layers. I did lose my hat along the way.
I had to climb a barrier to get to the starting line.
The streets of Downtown belonged to us.
Two guys running with a stereo blaring Reggae.
Seeing thousands of people ahead and behind as we ran up the ramp past Safeco field.
Running through the I-90 tunnel.
Spectator-lined streets.
Lake WA Blvd is beautiful.
A killer hill at mile 7.5 (Madison Ave).
Running through the Arboretum--winding, winding up then back downtown.
Hey, look, there's my office and my favorite coffee spot.
Tired. One mile to go. Downhill hurts my hip.
Hey look, there's Cory's office.
Finishing in the stadium.
Mom, Ben, and Cory waiting at the finish line.
Food, glorious food!!
I'm embracing this new relaxed training. It's time to for a new mental training--to get back to the root of why I have come to love running: Finding the simple things that inspire during each outing. Like taking in all the beautiful holiday lights; enjoying the crisp clean winter air; not holding oneself to certain paces or distances; but to go out with the idea of discovery.
I have plans for resuming the other more structured, goal-oriented training in the coming year. (2009 goals: Light at the End of the Tunnell marathon; Return to Pacific Crest and run the 1/2 marathon; NYC marathon w/ Mariah).
But for now, I want to enjoy the peace of the season.
I ran the Seattle 1/2 marathon Thanksgiving weekend. It was a fantastic experience. The course was tough--lots of hills. But it was so beautiful. It was the first large event I've done. More than 12,000 runners. It was quite a feeling looking ahead and behind--thousands of feet pounding the pavement--the largest rhythm band I've ever been a part of. Clip-clop; clip-clip-clop clop clop clop clip.
Of course, I overdressed. The weather was great. Unusually warm, and the mist from the fog provided good relief from the warmth of my many layers. I did lose my hat along the way.
I had to climb a barrier to get to the starting line.
The streets of Downtown belonged to us.
Two guys running with a stereo blaring Reggae.
Seeing thousands of people ahead and behind as we ran up the ramp past Safeco field.
Running through the I-90 tunnel.
Spectator-lined streets.
Lake WA Blvd is beautiful.
A killer hill at mile 7.5 (Madison Ave).
Running through the Arboretum--winding, winding up then back downtown.
Hey, look, there's my office and my favorite coffee spot.
Tired. One mile to go. Downhill hurts my hip.
Hey look, there's Cory's office.
Finishing in the stadium.
Mom, Ben, and Cory waiting at the finish line.
Food, glorious food!!
I'm embracing this new relaxed training. It's time to for a new mental training--to get back to the root of why I have come to love running: Finding the simple things that inspire during each outing. Like taking in all the beautiful holiday lights; enjoying the crisp clean winter air; not holding oneself to certain paces or distances; but to go out with the idea of discovery.
I have plans for resuming the other more structured, goal-oriented training in the coming year. (2009 goals: Light at the End of the Tunnell marathon; Return to Pacific Crest and run the 1/2 marathon; NYC marathon w/ Mariah).
But for now, I want to enjoy the peace of the season.
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