day ten

Just when I was hoping winter was over and we would squeak out without much snow... We've had two snow storms in the last few days. I don't mind the snow so much but I don't love the treadmill. And when you HAVE to get runs in, sometimes that's the only way to do it!

I needed to get my long run in and didn't have a chance to do that this weekend. Saturday and Sunday were full - I worked at REI both days. I had planned to take some personal time from work this am to finally get my 6mi in, however it worked out that my office closed for the day today. Wahoo!

It was either get up early (after staying up late to watch the Superbowl) and run before the storm hits, or suck it up and run at the gym. I chose sleeping in and running at the gym. :)

So, before the storm got too bad, I headed off to Planet Fitness and hopped on a treadmill. I put on some good tunes and zoned in. And truth be told, it wasn't that bad. I ran 6.28mi in 60min. And now I don't feel too bad about being lazy the rest of the day!

Remember in the last post, I said I was going to hit the gym for 4-5mi on the treadmill? Yeah, well, I did (just over 4mi) and this picture is why. This was on my way home from the gym, along the lake. Lots of snow, lots of wind. It sure is pretty, but I don't have any desire to run in it! 

Here's the recap since the last post:

Day Seven: 4.1mi 

Day Eight: (does 8hrs working retail count as training?)

Day Nine: (how about working 6hrs + 2hrs of volunteering with 50 kids?)

Day Ten: 6.28mi

day seven

As of very early this morning, I've lived in the Boston area for 15 years! Time really flies when you're really having fun. I have loved living here (most of the time) and have built some amazing relationships. I'm close to two of my favorite things: beaches and mountains. There are lots of areas to run, bike, walk, etc. Moving here was one of the hardest and very best things I've ever done. And I'm so happy to still be here. I can't say I'll be here for 15 more years - but who knows?!

Here's a quick recap of the past few days of workouts:

Day Three: at home balance ball workout + 20min of yoga

Day Four: rest (and a 15hr work day)

Day Five: Tae Bo workout (found it on youtube - Billy Blanks has aged a bit...)

Day Six: 45 min kickboxing class (see pic) that kicked my butt and helped me get out a little aggression! ;) A friend teaches it and she was a great instructor. The first class is free, if any one out there wants to join me sometime. It's so fun to try new things.

Day Seven: I'll be heading to the gym for a treadmill workout tonight. Hopefully getting in 4-5mi, getting ready for a "long" run this weekend.

photo a day, round three

It's retreat week at work. That means that this weekend, 240 people are headed off to the north country (New Hampshire) for a weekend of connection - to each other, to their awesome leaders, and to God. It'll be a great weekend, no doubt. But getting ready for it makes for a busy couple of weeks leading up to it. It leaves me satisfyingly tired at the end of the day, like I really did something. All that to say, I totally slacked off on Sunday and Monday in regards to training, but in my defense I had very little (if any) extra time. So I was sufficiently rested after my long run - on the treadmill, ugh - from Saturday to get 6mi in today after work, also on the treadmill.

Oh, yeah. And I'm still doing the pictures...that's what you may have come here looking for. Here they are! January 19-27.

19. Breakfast - homemade granola and Greek yogurt, a break from the usual Shakeology.
20. To Do List - I didn't do my chores that day...in fact, I'm just today doing my laundry.
21. Blue - my busted Asics. I just really like the colors on these so I wear them for T25 and to work at REI.
22. Nice! - Hello, Planet Fitness in Reading. It's a bit nicer, and newer, than the one in Woburn. Membership, transfered.
23. Bedtime - Yeah, I worked all day at REI then ran 12mi on a treadmill. I deserved to go to bed as early as I wanted.
24. My Space - To afford the gear, gym membership, and race fees, I have a job. This is my office.
25. A Taste of Winter - So that's why I've been spending so much time at the gym...
26. Fun Stuff - I found a place that has Kentucky Bourbon Ale on tap. Mmmmm.
27. Something I Bought - I love buying dinner at Whole Foods hot bar. And I don't feel guilty about the expense because I used a gift card. Win/win.

Missed the previous photo-a-day collections? Find the first one here, and the second one here.

cold. too cold.

I'm not sure where your line is but I'd have to say mine is around 10deg. And that's with no windchill. If there's a windchill colder than that, I am not going to run outside, no way. Perhaps others enjoy proving how tough they are by running outside in that kind of weather, but I'm comfortable enough to say that I'm a big ol' wimp.  

This morning I woke up to -7deg temperatures. NEGATIVE seven. I had six miles on my plate for the day and there was absolutely no question I was going to the gym. I spent about 10min outside yesterday (in similar temperatures) shoveling and cleaning off my car and was frozen to the bone - running tights are not made for negative temperatures. 

We're supposed to have some weird weather this week - 45deg on Monday?! - so I hope to get a few runs outside but for days like yesterday and today I am thankful for the gym and for at home workouts - shout out to my T25 people!

What's the coldest you feel comfortable going for a run or whatever outside?

mixing things up

It has been SO cold.  So cold that I have been trying to come up with other workouts or just getting to the gym so that I don't have to run outside in the wind and freezing, freeeeezing temps.  I'll be the first to admit that I'm not tough when it comes to being cold.  I'm a giant wimp.

All that being said, I still had a 15mi run looming over me on Saturday.  A friend was going to join me for 5mi of it, but as we started out, getting just .25mi down the street...we just couldn't do it!  The wind was cutting through my layers and felt like pins and needles on my cheeks.  We decided to just go to the gym.  It was not a hard decision.

So how does one tackle 15mi at the gym and stay sane?  Well, for me it included 5.9mi on a treadmill (with my friend on a mill next to me), 4.22mi on an elliptical, and another 5mi on a treadmill.  I know that miles on an elliptical don't count as much as on a 'mill....but really I just couldn't stay on a treadmill for 2.5hrs.  I couldn't!  I feel good about getting the miles in, even if I did so in a round-about way.

Yesterday, I absolutely wanted to get outside so I bundled up and took off for a walk around the lake.  I was rewarded with a gorgeous sunset!  Have I mentioned lately how much I love where I live?!  :)

Today, I was going to head to the gym.....buuuuuuut, it was snowing....and I really just wanted to go home and watch Downton Abbey.  But before I rewarded myself with the latest episode I got to work on the Jillian Michaels yoga video again.  (I didn't get too far before my roommate came home...so I paused it and decided to just make dinner instead, haha!)  While watching our favorite Monday night dating show (yes, okay, I watch the Bachelor...don't judge me!), I used my balance ball for an over all arms/legs/core workout.

It's been kinda fun to mix things up once in a while.  I can get so stuck on just running miles and miles that I forget what it feels like to do other kinds of workouts and how good I feel afterward.  I suppose this is me convincing myself to mix things up more often...  :)

one hour

I cannot be the only one to notice that, depending on what the activity, an hour can either drag on forEVER or it can seem like 5min.  It's an interesting phenomenon.  This thought became apparent to me last night after I spent (a little less than) an hour on the treadmill then watched an hour of Downton Abbey.  Bet you can guess which felt like which...

Here are some hour-long things that seem to last forever:

• 4pm-5pm on a work day - especially on a Friday
• 60min on a treadmill (we've established this already)
• the last push on a looooong road trip - I just want to be home already!
• time spent in a lecture on a subject of no interest to me
• on a date with someone you don't really care for (not that this has ever happened to me...)
• watching a slow-moving movie
• sitting in traffic

How about some hour-long things that go by too quickly:

• coffee date with a good friend
• 6mi run outside on a nice day
• an episode of Downton Abbey
• time spent in a good book
• a work meeting with really fun co-workers
•  an awesome worship service
• getting a massage (or so I've heard...I've never actually had one.)

Do any of these resonate with you?  Is there something I've missed?  Don't be afraid to comment!  :)

flashback friday - european vacation #3

My poor cousin...  Here is a picture from our lunch stop in Titisee, Ger.  It's a town and lake located in the Black Forest.  While in a tourist shop, Carly and I tried on traditional hats - I'm wearing the ladies hat, she has on the mens version.  Lovely, right?!  This was still only the second day of the trip...we've got a long way to go. 

I remember not enjoying the food too much on this trip.  It was usually some indistinguishable kind of meat (typically in sausage form) and lots of potatoes and rice.  We didn't typically have many vegetable options - perhaps some peas or green beans thrown in at the end of the buffet line.  Here at our stop in Titisee, I remember getting the option that was most familiar (again, some kind of sausage).  I was not much for getting outside of the box when it came to food.  I liked what I liked and that's what I liked.  I'm better about that now, but it's still easy to default to my favorites. 

Totally unrelated to Flashback Fridays, I wanted to let you know what was going on with my training (because that's really why you read the blog on Fridays...).  I've been totally slacking these past few weeks trying to give my right hip a break.  It's really been sore and I'm not sure why - no I haven't gone to the doctor...  But there has been no pain the past couple days so I'm hoping it was nothing serious.  Famous last words.  Tomorrow, is HM # 9 - wow!  I can't believe we're almost done!!  To mix things up, and because I'll be at a retreat and a bit nervous about running 13.1mi in a place I'm not familiar with, I'm going to attempt to run the whole thing on a treadmill.  What?!  I know, I'm not sure how this idea came to me...but I thought it would be interesting to do something different.  I'll let you know how it goes!  After this we only have Feb, March, April (a FULL!), and May (just to cap it off).  I'm so excited that it's almost over!  :)

it wasn't horrible

We are in the midst of a cold snap of weather here in the Northeast.  It was 7 degrees when I got in my car this morning.  The highs only reach into the low twenties.  Depending on where you're reading this, either it's not cold or its deathly cold - it's relative.  To me, it FAH-reezing.  And not the weather to prove any mettle I may have by running outside in.

Despite it being Jan 2nd and the thought of the gym packed with resolutioners, that's just where I went after work last night.  I haven't been to the gym in probably 8-10months...because we all know how much I enjoy going to the gym.  (Sarcasm.)  When I arrived, I was pleased to see the parking lot surprisingly emptier than I'd anticipated.  There was plenty of cardio equipment available.  Where were the hoards of people resolving to get into shape this year?  Not at the Woburn Planet Fitness...

I hopped on a treadmill for 30min, then because I can't bring myself to stay on that any longer, I jumped on an elliptical for another 30min.  I thought about doing a bit of strength training since I had no where else to be...but I really wanted to go home.  Maybe I'll resolve to do strength training in 2014...but who am I kidding?  This might be the year I really do try yoga.

As much as I dislike going to the gym, last night was a pleasant experience.  I liked mixing it up and doing a couple different workouts.  If the weather this winter keeps going like this (or - horror of horrors - we get more snow) I'll be back at the gym to mix up my workouts sooner than I think!

what winter storm?

Wednesday night the Northeast was hit with yet another storm.  This one was a nasty Noreaster bringing high winds, rain, snow, and sleet.  It was not pretty.  Waking up yesterday morning to a few inches of snow and lashing sleet on my window wasn't my ideal beginning to November.

snowy, wet, windy, chilly morning

Before it really got going, I got right to it after work.  I quickly changed into my winter gear and headed out for a loop around Lake Q.  I was nervous about two things, the weather and my legs, so I decided to go the opposite way I normally do.  I wanted to get a bit of the pretty side in case I needed to cut the run short and head home.  Fortunately, my legs held out.  So did the weather!

Halfway around the lake, the tiny snowflakes stopped falling and I was simply battling the wind.  But by the time I got home, the wind had picked up and snow had begun falling in earnest.

Now, I knew the storm was coming so I was prepared to go to the gym after work but the thought of that was incredibly unpleasant, as usual.  I was pleased that the weather held out just long enough for me to get 5mi in before it got really bad.  I also felt pretty BA running outside in the dark in a Noreaster - just me and the three other runners I saw out there.  (Don't worry...you know I wore my safety-first ultra cool reflective vest!)

Do you run through wind, snow, rain, and sleet?  Or do you hit the treadmill?