Sunday, November 30, 2008

Finally!

Early tomorrow morning, before the sun comes up, I will officially be off the injured list. It has been 4 weeks since I've had any pain in my right foot, 8 total weeks since I've run "for real" (I don't count the disastrous results of the Jonas Cattel Race), and tomorrow, I have a short 30 minute run, 2/1 run/walk.

Although I am excited to get back to running, I am also a bit nervous. I feel like I am starting over all over again. The week before the stress fracture in my foot, I had run 20 miles to prep for a marathon and now 2 months later I'm reduced to a 30 minute run where 10 of it will be a walk. By all accounts, the first run coming back from injury rarely goes well. How am I going to react if it goes badly? What if my foot doesn't hold up? What if I no longer have what it takes to be a runner?

I've been looking forward to tomorrow morning for weeks. I've imagined what tomorrow's run will feel like, how it'll make me feel, and I know I shouldn't have such high expectations but I just can't help it. It feels like the night before a big race!

I'm going to sleep tonight an injured runner with my fingers crossed that tomorrow morning's run will meet my expectations and put to rest my doubts and anxieties over my running.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Run For Your Life: Movie Review

Run For Your Life is a documentary about Fred Lebow and the beginnings of the New York City Marathon.

The movie focuses on Lebow's role as director of the NYCM and how his energies, ideas and tireless passion for running made the city's marathon in to the premiere running event that it is today. Regardless of his faults, it is hard to argue that the NYCM could have evolved into the mega-'thon that is today without him.

Watching the movie made me want to run New York. I've done two marathons - one medium-sized and one mega-'thon - and I enjoyed the medium-sized race far more. Having to arrive at the race hours ahead of time, wait 16 minutes after the gun just to cross the finish line, and fight people at water stations were not worth the "experience" of running the Marine Corp Marathon.

Despite an aversion to the large marathons, I began having visions of running through the five boroughs of New York City. Hitting the "Wall of Sound" as you run onto First Avenue at the 16th mile is supposed to be an amazing experience. Maybe I will run that one...just the one time.

The most inspiring part of the movie was the footage of Lebow running NYC at age 60, only 3 years after being diagnosed with brain cancer. It was the only time he ran "his" marathon. Lebow shows just what an amazing man and a wonderful character in the history of running and marathoning.

Beyond all the wrangling and hype of creating a major annual marathon, Lebow was passionate about getting other people passionate about running. And he succeeded! Watching Run For Your Life made me even more exciting about restarting my running on Monday.

Today's Daily Dozen:
1 hour Hill Intervals on the Treadmill
1+ hours Wii Fit - lots of the strength exercises

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving

One of the things I look forward to when I visit my in-laws is going for an early morning walk or run with my MIL, FIL and the dogs. Waking up before the sun we head out for a 2.5 mile round trip walk (and occassional run) along the road and through the fields. It is nice to catch up with them before the rest of the world wakes up.

This morning it was brisk but the wind chill was non-existent. It was a perfect morning for a walk.

The rest of the day I had too much turkey, too much stuffing, too much mashed potatoes, too many slices of dessert but it was worth it and knowing I had at least kicked it off with a good start regardless of the predictable backslide of the rest of the day. Happy Thanksgiving!

Today's Daily Dozen:
2.5 mile walk
1 hour Wii Fit
Today's Wii Fit Age - 34! (I'm getting better AND younger
Plan for tomorrow: I don't know, I'm hoping to finally shake this head cold but it'll undoubtably involve some video games.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

A New Toy

I woke up this morning with a stuffy nose, sinus pressure, a (very) slight fever and a very sore throat. Yesterday's plan for a hard hill interval workout went right out the window. Unfortunately, I couldn't get back to sleep after my alarm went off so I missed out on an extra hour of sleep.

I started to feel better as the day wore on but when I arrived home from work, Mike had a surprise waiting for me - Wii Fit! :-)

First things first, I did the Wii Fit test to find out my Wii Age for the day. Standing on the Balance Board, the game tested my Center of Balance (good - 51/49%), weighted me (126 and a little bit), and tested my balance (keeping the dot in the blue box - not as easy). ...And my Wii Age for today...40! Freakin' FORTY!! How rude?! Ha!

Not letting that deter me, I tried out a bunch of the yoga and strength moves. I wasn't really looking for a workout but was curious about what the game had to offer. The moves were fun and definitely working my body and muscles but I can see how easy it would be to cheat the game. However, the Balance and Aerobic games were the most fun.

I really enjoyed the Hula Hoop games (I am awesome at it!) and the ski jump game. I'm bad at the agility/balance game like the soccer header game and the roll-y-ball game. Really BAD! Ha!

Still, it's a fun game and it'll be one more thing to do instead of just sit in front of the TV in the evening after work.

Today's Daily Dozen:
1 hour of Wii Fit

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

A good day for a walk

Outside? Inside? Outside? Inside?

I get an hour for lunch at work and I hate to waste it by surfing the internet the entire time (which is what I did at my last job with my 30 minute break). Lately, I've been eating lunch at my desk around noon and not actually taking my break until 2. I've been trying to take advantage of the gym in the office building; however, today wasn't a scheduled strength training day. When I pack my work bag this morning, I threw in some gym clothes, just in case.

All morning I was having an inner debate - should I stay inside and go to the gym or take a walk outside? On the one hand, the gym would probably provide a better workout but I was only going to do light cardio and I could just as easily do that outside, right? When it came down to it, I decided to brave the cold and wind and took a walk. As I headed down 7th Street toward the National Mall, I decided to head toward the Smithsonian American History Museum (SAHM). It has recently reopened after a 2 year internal renovation and, although I didn't have to time to check out the changes inside, I was curious to see what had changed on the outside.

I walked down to Independence Ave. and turned right, walking past the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, shaking my head and remembering the triceratops that used to sit outside the museum but was removed for safety reasons, looking across the Mall toward the the merry-go-round and the red Smithsonian Castle, and gazing off in the distance toward the Washington Monument as Marine One flew in for a landing, or at least, one of the helicopters that could have potentially been Marine One. I walked along with the large schoolg groups and the families who were braving the cold to see the Nation's Capital.

I finally got to the American History Museum, and as I circled the building, there weren't too many differences to make note of from the outside. I hope to make it inside one of these weekends soon to see all changes. It is my favorite museum in DC and I'm glad it is available again.

Unlike my path to the SAHM was direct - down 7th, right on Independence - I took a meandering path back to the office. I let the lights and walk/don't walk signs lead me back and along the way, I realized just how much history is within such a small space. I passed by the FBI, Department of Commerce, and EPA buildings, the Ronald Reagan Center for International Development, the National Theatre, Ford's Theater and the house Lincoln died in, the Spy Museum, and several other museums.

Although I never broke a sweat and it was colder and windier than I would have preferred, it was a lunch hour well spent even though it wasn't in the gym.

Today's daily dozen:
30 mins. recumbent bike
10 mins. stretching
10 mins. elliptical
1 hour walk
It was a good XT day but tomorrow, I work: Hill Intervals to the Max - 12% incline at a 4.0 pace with 2-3 minutes walk in between.

Monday, November 24, 2008

When I Grow Up, I Want to be an Old Woman

I found an article on a local Honolulu TV station's website about a 90-year old woman who is training to racewalk the Honolulu Marathon in December.

Marathoner, 90, Trains For Record

Gladys 'Glady-ator' Burrill To Racewalk Her 5th Marathon

Thousands of runners are training for the Honolulu Marathon, which is in three weeks.

KITV's Dick Allgire met a 90-year-old great-grandmother who is training to set a world record.

Gladys Burrill is in training for her fifth Honolulu Marathon.

In 2003 Burrill saw the fireworks at the start of the marathon from her lanai, and thought: "How exciting! I should do that."

So she trained in racewalking and now she's going for a record.

"Well, I plan to break the world record for women between 90 and 94 years of age," she said.

She hopes to finish the marathon in eight hours and 30 minutes.

Gladys is nicknamed the Glady-ator."

Oh, it is exhilarating, even though back about a mile you get kind of weary, when the finish line gets in sight it's so exciting," she said.

Burrill has been a pilot, she's climbed Mount Hood and has 22 great-grandchildren. Her advice?"

It's important to be athletic -- exercise and doing something, walking is the best.

Your attitude -- think positive and sometimes it might be hard to think positive, but you just do it."

That's not a bad athletic slogan. She'll do it beginning at 5 a.m. Dec 14 when runners line up on Ala Moana Boulevard for the Honolulu Marathon.


How truly awesome is this woman?

Whenever I spot an gray-haired lady running I always feel encouraged and oddly envious. Part of me is running now, in order to be that old lady who is still running and racing when I'm 90. I only hope to be active for the next 63 years and maybe one day I'll challenge the record I hope she sets next month.

Last year, during my first trail race - a Half Marathon put on by the VHTRC - I went out too fast, not knowing the hills that awaited me during the second half of the race. As I trudged up the endlessly steep hills, I tucked in behind a gray-haired woman who I very lovingly began to refer to as "Old Gray." I would guess that she was in her late 60s and slow and steady she ran up those hills.

At first, I ran after her because I couldn't let someone with gray hair beat me. However, as she pulled me along (yes, I give her most of the credit) I gained more respect for her and her strength. Rather than run after her because of my pride, my motivation for keeping up with her changed to inspiration. She was a strong woman and it felt like I would somehow disappoint her if I let her slip away. I chased after her for close to 5 miles.

About 2 miles from the finish line she pulled off to the side to encourage someone she knew who was still running the "out" part of the out-and-back section of the course. Without a word or any acknowledgement, I slipped by her and went on to a strong finish and a time much faster than I should have run.

I owe that race to "Old Gray" and I'm inspired by what she represents as an active woman regardless of her age (or hair color). I've seen her at other races once or twice and I saw her at the same trail race this year. She continues to run and when I see her I silently whisper, "Thank you."

So here's to "Old Gray" and the Glady-ator: They aren't striving for a life lived in motion, they are living their lives in motion. I'm going to try to catch them, if I can.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Hike: Catoctin Mountain Trails

In the past, I've always wimped out and hung up my hiking shoes when winter arrived and let the trails hibernate until spring (and warmer/nicer weather). I've been missing out for some years now! A trail is a whole new experience when it is blanketed in snow!

Yesterday, we decided to head up to Thurmont, MD to check out the trails on Catoctin Mountain. Mike went to school nearby at Mount St. Mary's University and he wanted to go back to the area to check out the hiking. We had decided to hike the 8.5 loop that hits all of the highlights within in the national park.

As we got closer and closer to Thurmont we noticed there was snow on the ground and cars. We were supposed to get some snow flurries on Friday and I believe it did flurry for a little while in the afternoon but down in DC it didn't amount to anything. Evidently, this was not the case further north!

We parked at the Catoctin Mountain Visitors Center and grabbed a map from inside. The Visitors Center was a surprisingly nice building, with some exhibits, restrooms, maps and a wonderful fireplace complete with roaring fire. After talking to the park ranger, we decided to hike the loop counter-clockwise and hit the more strenuous uphills first. I started the GPS and we headed off for the trails just after noon.

The first section of the loop is on Cunningham Falls Nature Trail (1.2 miles). We were quickly emersed in the forest, crunching snow and dead leaves under our feet, following the footprints of earlier hikers. Without blazes or other trail postings, these footprints were the our only guide along the trail. One of the things that struck me as we first started our hike was how different the mountain trails were compared to the trails along the Potomac River we hiked last weekend. The Billy Goat Trails were marked by the bright yellows and greens of leaves still clinging to the trees, and autumn. As we hiked Catoctin Mountain very few leaves were still hanging on to the branches and the few that were, were brown and appeared frail and brittle, as if they were using all their strength to avoid falling to the bright white snow below. The differences were visually striking.

The Cunningham Falls Nature Trail took us over MD 77 into Cunningham Falls Park (.4 miles) and lead us to Maryland's largest cascading waterfall. Honestly, the falls seemed a little underwhelming - really, that is the state's largest cascading waterfall, OK. Perhaps it is more impressive at another time aIt was a nice little waterfall and was obviously the main attraction in this area. We saw several hiking groups and families headed to the waterfall.

Afterwards, we backtracked to the state park and headed up Hog Rock Nature Trail toward Hog Rock Vista (1 mile). This section of the trail was much steeper than the previous trail but it fun. I love hiking hills and this section of the trail proved to be a surprising challenge. It was a deceptively long ascent and got mylegs, lungs and heart pumping. The crunch of the snow as we huffed and puffed our way to the level trail at the top was a wonderfully physical experience. And the views at the top, were worth the effort.

After stopping for a few minutes to survey rtThurmont off in the distance (and to catch our breath), we continued on Hog Rock Nature Trail toward Blue Ridge Summit Nature Trail crossing the Hog Rock Parking area (.7 miles). This section of the trail was more rolling than the previous two trails with short ups and downs. We quickly made it to Blue Ridge Summit Vista and has similar views on the other side of the mountain; however, we didn't linger at this spot.

Being unprepared for the amount of snow on the trails, our shoes were starting to get a little wet and we made the decision to cut our hike short and head back toward the Visitors Center, just over a mile and a half away. The trail was flatter for approximately a half mile and Mike took off on a run. Naturely, I had to give chase. This was my first time, however brief it happened to be, running on snow-covered trails and it was marvelous. The thrilling crunch of the snow underfoot combined with the heightened awareness of the terrain (rocks and leaves and roots), as I leapt over rocks and avoided slippery patches was a good deal of fun. I couldn't help but smile as I ran down the trail. It didn't last long but it was a highlight of the hike for me.

As we got closer to the end of the trail, the downhill section began and it was more or less downhill for the rest of the hike. Although my shoes were wet and my toes were just starting to feel the cold, I was a little sad to see the hike come to an end. We ended up hiking just under 6 miles (5 of actual trail and about another mile of backtracking and meandering) in roughly 2.5 hours. I can't wait to go back to the mountain and see what the other trails have in store for us.

We finished off our Saturday adventure with a quick swing through the Mount St. Mary's campus and then headed north toward Gettysburg for some lunch. I mentioned to Mike, "I love that you love to hike" and I do because these experiences are so much more rewarding when they are shared. I am looking forward to our next hike. Today? Maybe. Next weekend? Definitely!

Yoga

It's no secret - I'm not a fan of rest days and Friday is my "complete" rest day. However, I despise the feeling of guilt I get for being a slug the entire day. I understand that my body needs a break but I don't believe that has been total inactivity.

With that in mind, I had the idea to designate Fridays as Yoga days. There are two specific benefits to doing a Yoga DVD before work on Friday. First, I am able to quell that (irrational, I know!) sense of guilt, as previously suggested Additionally, yoga is all about stretching the muscles, which is something I don't always do as well as I should after a run, workout or activity.

I decided on a new Yoga DVD - Crunch, Joy of Yoga - and I wasn't very satisfied with it. The instruction wasn't as clear and I was usually in a position that I couldn't see the TV so I was constantly breaking the poses to look up/over/around. However, I do like two of their other Yoga workouts - Fat Burning Yoga and Candlelight Yoga.

Regardless, the stretching and focus on breathing was a very satisfying way to still get active while still being mindfull of rest and recovery. The lunges, especiallly, feel good after days of hill intervals on the treadmill and strength training.

I can't say I'll ever be a yoga-devotee but once a week it'll be good to focus on something other than mileage, calories burned and/or counting reps and sets.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Strength Training = Strength, Who Knew

The act of running doesn't necessarily make me feel strong - I feel free, I feel happy and I feel like I am making a difference in my health - but a sense of strength doesn't enter in to it until I have finished a run and I have time to reflect on the distance I've covered. The same goes for hiking and biking; I don't feel strong until I've accomplished something. I've come to realize that I exercise mostly for the feeling I get afterwards.

Strength Training, however, is the exception. I actually feel a sense of strength while lifing weights or doing body-weight exercises (push-ups, chin-ups, squats, lunges, etc.). When I eke out those last couple reps, I feel empowered. Even though my muscles are taxed, in those moments of strength training I feel like I could accomplish any feat.

I could run a 24 hour race. I could compete in an Ironman and give the world's strongest Strong Man a run for his money. I can get that fit, toned body I want. I can eat healthy - all the time, make all the right decisions. I can come back from injury a stronger runner. I can lead the long, active life I envision. It all seems possible as I lift those weights for one more bicep curl or push myself for one more lunge.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Billy Goat Lite

Having slept in on Saturday for an oddly long time (10 hours, wow!) and then spending the entire day traveling to and from a wedding (Congrats to the Bride and Groom), I wasn't able to get in any sort of exercise and was resolved to making up for it on Sunday.

The day was forecast as a cold, mostly cloudy and windy day but there were promises of occassional breakthroughs of sunshine. Since my foot cannot handle the Billy Goat Trail we normally hike, I decided to check out the other two trails that make up the Billy Goat Trail system off the C&O Canal Towpath in Virginia. We loaded up the camel-baks and headed off around 10 in the morning.

The Billy Goat Trail A, the trail we normally hike, is 1.7 miles of rock scrambling with a few flat packed-dirt sections thrown in to give you a break. For this area, it is a very strenuous trail and is a great deal of fun. However, it is only one of three, there are also Billy Goat Trail B and Billy Goat Trail C, trails that make up the Billy Goat Trail "system." The B and C trails are described as the opposite of A - mostly dirt-packed trails with occasional rocks and one or two spots to scramble - and I wanted to see what they were all about.

As we headed off down the towpath towards B, the wind was whipping and I pulled my jacket out of my backpack; it was going to be colder than I thought. We turned onto B and were immediately surrounded by the woods between the Potomac River and the Towpath. The path was completely covered in the bright leaves that had recently fallen from the trees and the crunchy dead ones that had fallen a while ago. There is something nastalgic about stomping and kicking my way down a forest path littered with leaves and with the smell of nature (like dirt, only good).

A strong wind would frequently kick up reminding me that winter was no longer just approaching; it was about to kick down fall's door but it felt good to be out there as fall, and those final bright yellow leaves, hung on for just a little longer. I was between the seasons, when nature just keeps us guessing.

Both trails take you down to the Potomac River and then follow along the river for over a mile before turning back toward the towpath. Along the scrambling was held to a minimum, the occasional spots were fun. However, the reasons for experiencing these two trails are for the views of the Potomac.

The rock islands dotting the river and the spots of rough water along this stretch of the river always surprise me because I normally see the Potomac as it seems to meander past DC; it almost lingers. Billy Goat Trails B and C provide the views of the river's other personality and don't distract me with strenuous hiking. These two trails provide an opportunity to enjoy being out there for the sake of being out there - enjoying the sights, sounds, smells and feel of being out in nature hiking.
The sun poked out from behind the clouds a few times, just enough to provide some warmth, and once we were moving the cold didn't seem as biting or intimidating. The few scrambles provided some heartrate-raising opportunities and ensured we wouldn't be bored. We met a handful of people along the trails we weren't discouraged by the weather or the temperature.

As we finished Billy Goat C, we took the towpath back to the car almost 2 miles. All in all we walked/hiked 5.9 miles in 2 hours 10 minutes. By the time we got back to the car, I was starving and I couldn't help but feel like I had earned lunch. It may not have been the most strenuous or the longest hike I've undertaken but it was incredibly satisfying.

Rest - the Necessary Evil

I despise rest days! That's all I can think as I sit here, with my achy body and lack of energy. I don't feel like this on the days I get in a workout in the morning. I just feel blah! I know, I know. A rest day is supposed to be a good thing but that doesn't mean it feels good to me. I sit here and I ache and I imagine my muscles deteriorating, slowing melting away.

Rationally, I know this isn't happening and I've read plenty of articles about the microscoptic muscle tears that need to be rested in order to rebuild stronger than before, but that doesn't mean my imagination doesn't run wild when I'm not physically running wild.

Recovery days are meant to rejuvinating. This is the time when my body takes a need break to allow me to continue pushing it for another level but then, how come I feel like such a sloth? I slept in this morning, I ate a healthy breakfast chock full of protein, I'm drinking water, I'm grazing to maintain a steady stream of healthy nutrition - how come I feel like crap?

Is it psychosomatic? All I can think about is the walk I am going to take over my lunch break and how much better I'll feel afterwards. Is this what muscles feel like while they're healing and repairing? Saturday morning runs, lately early morning gym workouts, are often the best run/workout of the week.

I prefer to think of it as withdraw. Running, exercise, activity, my body in motion is a drug and I always want more, more, more. This one day a week I force myself to "Just Say No" to that high and my body reacts and craves it.

With this injury I haven't felt right for a while and maybe this explains why. I'm suffering from a sort of withdraw from running habit, I've found different activities that promise the same results but they've just been disappointing and I still crave running. Even when I am running, once a week I go through a self-imposed ban. Maybe that's actually what keeps me coming back for me. Maybe that's why I wake up early on Saturday to get my fix when the rest of the people my age are sleeping off their Friday night. Maybe that's why I all I think about is that first run post-injury.

But for now and once a week, I'll heed the advice of the experts and cut myself off -- rest is good, repeat, rest is good...and Saturday morning is even better.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

An Injured Runner

I am currently recovering from an injury that has prevented me from running. I *believe* I have a stress fracture in one of the outside bones on my right foot due to overtraining for a marathon and this injury has stopped me from running (with the exception of one foolish incident) for over a month.

The reason I say "believe" is because I have not had this confirmed by a doctor, mostly because rest has relieved the pain and it is my understanding that there really isn't much a doctor can do for a stress fracture other than prescribe rest.

I felt a sharp pain in my right foot while running the Army Ten Miler (ATM) in early October, still finished the race but ended up hobbling and limping for the next three days. I wasn't sure what had happened but I knew that resting it was the only thing that was alleviating the pain - drugs and ice had no effect. At first, I told myself that I would be up and running in no time, after all, I had another ten mile race and a marathon planned. As the days went by, it became evident that I would have to nix the marathon plans but I still foolishly attempted the ten mile race (family bragging rights were at stake so I had to give it shot). I only made it 4 miles through that race before the pain became sharp and I dropped out (my only DNF so far - bummer). I keep telling myself that I planned it smart but the DNF still stings.

However, three weeks from the race and I've had zero pain, ache or discomfort in my foot for three straight days now. I am very much encouraged by this improvement but I have publicly vowed that I will not be running for the entire month of November. Yet, my outlook on running has certainly improved and I'm starting to come up with a running plan/schedule for building my running back up so I can run the National Half Marathon in March.

If I can just hold myself to the self-imposed running ban, I know I'll be back to running and happy to be doing something I love. In the mean time, the treadmill incline button and the free weights have become the best friends I am using the make my formal best friend, running, jealous. Think its working?

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Lunchtime Workout

I started working at a new job recently and one of the aspects of the job that I like is that the building has a gym. While the gym isn't "Health Club" sized or filled with the latest and greatest equipment it has everything I need to workout and then some.

I've decided to take advantage of the work gym three times a week - Monday, Wednesday and Friday - and use the time to focus on strength training. All too often I have the intention to get in a lower, upper and/or core workout after a run or cross-training (anything other than running) but I end up either rushing through it, cutting it short or simply running out of time and skipping it altogether. My lunchtime workout will be focused on getting a stronger body so that when I do get back in to running, I'll be one mean, lean running machine!

Today was my first time using my lunch hour to get in a workout. I warmed up with an easy walk on the treadmill for 5 miles, about .27 miles and then grabbed an exercise ball for a good core workout. I found this core workout in a Runner's World article about two moms, and old friends, who were chronicling their efforts to train for the San Fransisco Women's Marathon. It is a series of 8 exercises - 6 incorporate the ball:

Squats (ball against the wall)
Push ups (feet balancing on ball - tougher than it sounds)
Lunges (back leg on ball, a great balance challenge - alternate legs)
Plank (no ball)
Tricep Dips (no ball)
Crunch (on ball)
Back Extension (on ball)
Twisting Crunch (on ball)

I do 2 sets of 15 reps with about 30 secs of rest in between (I am up to a 30 sec. hold on the plank). My goal is to work up to 3 sets of 15 but, until now, I've never had the time to dedicate to really focusing on strength training. The trick to this core workout is to actively engage the core with each exercise and really concentrate on the core. If I do that, I get a good workout and I can usually feel it the next day.

Since I had about 10 minutes left until I had to get cleaned up and head back to work, I hopped on the Stair Climber (a machine no longer available in my apartment gym) and ended the lunchtime work out with a nice little sweat.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Back on the Bike

The weather forecast for today was Sunny with a high of 55 degrees, in other words it was a perfect, crisp autumn day.

Taking full advantage of the day, I hopped on my bike (and hopping on my bike entailed spending 10 minutes pumping air into both tires since I haven't ridden my bike since last spring) and headed out. I picked up the Martha Custis Bike Trail just off N. Quincy Street and headed west until I hit the junction with the Mount Vernon Trail and stopped off at Roosevelt Island.

I parked my bike and took off on the trails, which were blanketed in yellow leaves; the visual effect was stunning. As I walked the 1.5 mile perimeter, I savored the experience of being outdoors and finally being able to do something active after a month of non-running. I'll admit I had to fight the urge to take off ,to hear the crunch of the leaves under foot and to feel the cool air in my lungs.

I will also admit that I took my time on the trail, going so far as to even stop to say "hi" to Giant Teddy, because the bike trail heading back home has some monster uphills. My legs started out this morning a little sore from the lower body strength training yesterday and my muscles were really feeling it on the ride home!

All in all, I ended up doing 8.8 miles round trip - 1.5 walking and 6.3 biking. It felt good to get out the bike again and I loved the walk around Roosevelt Island. Even if I didn't do anything else for the rest of the day, the day wasn't wasted.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Early Morning, Empty Gym

It's early on a Saturday morning. I always wake up early on Saturdays, which means I almost always have the gym to myself on the weekends.

Since I'm healing from what I suspect is a stress fracture in my right foot caused by overtraining for a fall marathon, I've been hitting the gym in my apartment building lately to use the treadmill (walking only BUT lots of inclines), the free weights and occasionally the recumbent bike. Being injured and not being able to do what I love to do -- running -- has forced me to reintroduce myself to opportunities of a gym.

This morning with the gym to myself I hopped on the treadmill, turned up the music on my Shuffle, opened the latest edition of Runner's World, and sang along as I upped the incline for an hour long powerwalk (occasionally increasing the incline and speed to get my heart rate up and the sweat going). These early morning Saturday treadmill sessions in the gym have provided me with the opportunity to perfect the fine art of treadmill dancing, something I could never do when I am out running. I look at it as a way to work the arms as well as legs.

Towards the end of the hour another Saturday morning early-riser showed up to the gym and that put an end to the dancing and singing. Somewhat sheepishly, I finished off my powerwalk, cooled down, and hit the weights for full body strength training workout, I call Broccolis (well, really, BROCCLS but its close enough -- Bench press, Row, Overhead pull, Curl, Crunch, Lunge, Squat. I guess I need find another "O" and an "I" exercise). Preferring free weights to the machines, I hammered out the upper body work but struggled with the lunges and squats. Taking off a month from running and weights severly impacted my fitness.

Happy, energized and a bit smelly I returned home...just in time to see Mike off for some Billy Goat Trail Rock Scrambling. I am bummed I can't join him but I think my foot might be able to handle it next weekend! However, I'm thrilled to have once again had a whole gym to myself for a little while early on a Saturday morning. It's a great way to greet the day!
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