Monday: PM 1:04:00
It's negative ten degrees outside and I decided the indoor bike trainer was the best option for the day. Actually, it's something I'm planning to push myself to do twice a week (probably Mondays and Thursdays). Cross training is important when trying to stay injury free, improving overall muscle strength and especially to keep from getting over worked and bored. I actually have a lot more cycling background than running, so for me it's a no brainer to cycle for cross training, rather than something like swim or using an elliptical. My goal it to get about 2-5 hours of cross training in per week, but it'll stay closer to 2-3 h/w until I'm able to get outside for longer bike rides...cycling in the winter is not my cup of tea.
Tuesday: PM 1:05:00
Cold weather (I know, terrible excuse) and another night of getting home after dark has brought be back to the treadmill. Actually this works out well because it should be the only night this week there is any potential for having to use it. My run felt good, other than staring at the wall for an hour. For the second time in the last two weeks, I had to deal with very rude people at the gym who insist on turning the TV to face the weight area (this is a small gym at my condominium complex, two tread mills, two stationary bikes and some weight equipment). Not that I think I should be obligated to having the TV for my own use, but they could at least take the TV off mute or turn it so we can both see it? Last week a guy actually turned the TV off when he left, leaving me on the treadmill in silence. O well, at least I love running and don't really need to distract myself from what I'm doing.
Wednesday: PM 1:00:00
Back outside today for some very much needed trail running. The weather warmed up to around 26 degrees with little to no wind, so it was beautiful running weather. The area I run in follows a small river through a gorge, with all sorts of water falls and streams leading into it. The extremely cold temperatures the past few days made for a very scenic (and frozen) run. I focused today on hill work, running in and our of the gorge repeatedly. I only did about 6-8 repeats, mostly because my lower legs felt a little fatigued (the pain I was feeling reminded me of previous stress fractures, which is a very uncomfortable feeling). With cycling night tomorrow and a short running day on Friday, I should be all rested up for a big weekend of running!
Thursday: PM 1:15:00
I was back on the treadmill today, but not because the weather was poor. I re-joined the fitness center by my house with my GF, in hopes I do a little more cross training and core workouts. Actually, I think it will be nice for us to workout together. She's very active, as she owns a dance studio; however she hardly gets any opportunities to spend time working out for herself. As for my run, it went okay. I'm certainly feeling the impact of a 40+ mile week on my knees though. Other than that, big gyms are hot and aren't all that great for hour long run.
Friday: OFF
I totally had every intent in the world to do some time on the bike trainer, but it never happened. I wasn't to worried about it though, with the big weekend of running I have in front of me.
Saturday: AM 2:20:00
My long run today actually went really well, weather included. I did an out and back run on the bike path to give my legs a little rest from the trails. It felt really good to run on a flat surface without the annoyance of ice and snow. The second half of my run was great since I ended up running and shooting the shit with a local runner. As it turns out, he's very connected in the local running scene and may be someone I'll end up doing some longer runs with. Having people to run with is always nice.
Sunday: PM 1:20:00
Well, today was the moment of truth. I'll admit, I was worried before my run that I'd be okay to get any miles in at all. My pinky toes both have blisters and my knees feel every mile they did the last week. The first few minutes were a little questionable, but my legs quickly loosened up and felt awesome. I got a good hour in of slow, but solid running. Running fast wasn't really even an option, as the trails were incredibly muddy. I did manage to tweak my right knee, causing me to cut the run a little short. After realizing it wasn't worth trying to push it, I decided to just walk the last ten minutes back to my car and call it a day. Hopefully a little ice will fix everything. All in all, great week of running!
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