Cross-Country Skiing

It's nice to start back on my routine. As I started my run this morning, I was a little disappointed in myself for not having run for an entire week and I began thinking back over the last week and bemoaning the missed opportunities. However, I had to quickly tell myself that this line of thinking was just unfair; after all, I kept busy in other ways. I can't get stuck in the mindset that running is the only form of activity that counts.

While visiting my parents' in Vermont last summer, my Mom off-handedly mentioned that she would like to try cross-country skiing. I was immediately taken with the idea but it being May there was no snow (even in Vermont) so I had to squirrel away the idea for the coming winter. I arranged for my Mom, Dad, Mike and myself to take a beginner's cross-country ski lesson at the Stowe Mountain Resort the day after Christmas as a present for my Mom.

I've used Hal Higdon's training plans for all my running and he has several articles about cross-country skiing on his website, touting it as an excellent form of cross-training and a great substitute for running in the winter because it is non-impact and similar to running in terms of burning calories. I've been intrigued about this sport for quite some time and was excited to finally give it a try.

The day after Christmas, the four of us headed to Stowe, VT and the base of Mt. Mansfield. We purposely got to the Cross-Country Ski Lodge a bit early so that we could take our time getting our equipment, trying it on and putzing around in the practice yard next to the lodge. As we fumbled around with the skis attached to our feet, slipping on the snow that had been packed down and made slicker than fresh snow by the previous night's rain, we laughed at each other's mishaps and as predicted Mom was the first to fall.

Soon the instructors and another group had joined us out on the practice loop and our lesson had begun. It was easy enough to gain forward motion on the skis but the technique took some time. We practiced skiing without moving, without our poles and finally just dragging out poles along in order to get the correct opposite arm-opposite leg skiing motion. It's funny how putting poles in my hand made that motion so difficult to grasp at first; however, eventually we were all gliding along (if not smoothly and efficiently, we were at least moving forward).

Just as I was getting comfortable with the skis and the poles, the instructor threw in the hills! We had to snow-plow (or "pizza" if you follow South Park) on the way down to fight gravity and slow ourselves down and the herringbone on the way back up in order to get back to the top of the tiny hill. As we got the hang of it, we progressed to a longer hill and finally "graduated" to a steep hill.

I enjoyed the downhill work because you just had to get your legs in the snow-plow position and then hold them there until you got to the end, letting gravity do all the real work but was frustrated by the uphill because my skis were continually hitting each other in the back and getting tangled up. Oddly, this was the exact opposite from Mom, Dad and Mike. Each one struggled to stay upright, let alone, hold the snow-plow position with their skis on the downhill but patiently working their way through the uphill sections.

At the end of the lesson we asked our instructor to suggest an easy beginner trail that we might try since we still had the rental equipment for several more hours. We set off, at the instructor's suggestion, for the Peavey Trail. Evidently my idea of beginner is dramatically different than these people's idea of beginner because we spend more time struggling up the uphills and falling down the downhills (Note: I didn't fall on the downhills, everyone else did…I just couldn't maintain my balance on the flat bits!) than gliding along through the forest enjoying the scenery as I had imagined. This doesn't even take in to account the monstrous hill we had to climb along the power lines just to reach the beginning of the trail!

We made it approximately half to three-quarters of the way on the Peavey Trail as we planned before determining that it was best to turn back. The way back meant more falling for Mike as his legs got tired, some walking the ups and downs while skiing the few flats for Mom and Dad and me tearing it up…but still managing to fall while standing perfectly still waiting for everyone to catch up. We finally made it back to the lodge and ended our cross-country skiing adventure.

Ever since we finished the adventure, even as we complained about the parts we weren't good at all, the parts that caused some pain, I couldn't wait to try it again another day. I've been looking up placed in Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia that I could go and get another fix of cross-country skiing.

Merry Christmas Mom!

Today's Daily Dozen:

4.91 run (26 min. run/1 min. walk x 2 intervals)

Circuit Training @ lunch hour

Here are some other pictures from our Vermont trip:

Me, Mike and the Snow:

Snow Angel by Becki:

Deceptively Active

Today I head back to Virginia on the train, nearly bringing the Christmas season to a close. I've spent the last four days in Vermont at my parents' house for the Christmas holiday. Although I brought my running gear, I'll be honest and admit that I didn't have much hope of actually getting outside to run.

Tuesday and today, Saturday, I will be more slug than active healthy person since they are travel days and I spend more than 12 hours on the train. However, Wednesday through Friday I was deceptively active and even if I didn't run a step it couldn't have been much worse.

Tuesday night and Wednesday I went outside to play in the snow and watched everyone else shovel snow (I did jump in once and shovel some snow). The rest of the day Wednesday I spent introducing the WiiFit to my Mom who was curious about the type of "workout" you could actually get from a video game.

Thursday, Christmas Day, I went for 2.5 mile walk around the snow-covered town of Northfield with my family and took up a great deal of the rest of the day, playing Dance Dance Revolution (DDR). The box states, "It's a great CARDIO workout" and I'm not sure about the "great" part but it definitely beats sitting on my butt watching TV. Plus, it is fun and you don't even realize that your heartrate is increasing and that you're being active and healthy.

The best part of my Christmas vacation came on Friday. As a Christmas present to my Mom, I bought her and the rest of us, a beginner's Cross Country Skiing Lesson in Stowe, VT. I plan on writing more about that later but I will say it was a great way to spend the day and even ended in some (pleasantly) sore muscles.

All in all, the WiiFit was only OK, DDR was a definitely hit and the CCS was an amazing "real" workout and the most fun. I know I more than made up for any of this activity with the cookies and chocolate and Macaroni and Cheese and the Turkey Noodle Soup (Mmmmmm!) that was consumed during my Christmas vacation in VT but I feel good about the decided lack of laziness. I am just going to chalk this week up as a week of Cross Training!

Happy Christmas All!

Treadmill: (Re) Aquainted

A good night's sleep was not on the agenda for me last night. I tossed and turned most of the night and made the decision to skip my run in the morning and get an extra hour of sleep. Surprisingly, I didn't feel terrible this morning while I was getting ready for work so I threw some running clothes in my bag, thinking, if I felt like it I could make up the run during my lunch hour. I felt great about the decision (yes, I will break my inclination toward laziness) even if it didn't pan out.

However, running at lunch would mean running on the treadmill and it's been several months since I've run on the treadmill. When I'm running outside, it doesn't feel like exercise; it feels like a morning cup of tea - comfortable and familiar and an essential way to start my day off on the right foot. On the treadmill, it's different.

When I am running outside I hardly worry about my pace, time, distance or calories burned until I'm done and then I let myself think about those things. Outside, on the bike trails, I am more concerned with the sights and sounds around me, the temperature, the weather, and the way my body is responding as it warms up and I try to find my stride. On the trails, just the idea of being out in nature is enough to occupy my mind and sustain my body to get me through any run. Again, on the treadmill, it's different.

On the treadmill, I can't do anything but focus on time, pace, distance and even calories burned, no matter how many articles I've read about how these things, with the exception of time, can be wildly over- and under-stated on treadmill displays. Listening to music, reading and/or watching TV isn't enough to get me in the zone on a treadmill and I look forward to escaping in to my runs so it has been tough to embrace the treadmill. What's funny is that I started my running life almost solely on the treadmill. With the exception of my weekend long runs, training for my first marathon was done exclusively on a treadmill and then one day, a month after the marathon I got the idea to run home from work. Once I tried running home from work once a week, I started craving outdoor running more and more, always looking for other ways to incorporate it in to my routine.

Eventually, a year or so had gone by and one morning as I headed down to the gym for my morning treadmill run, I turned and went out the door instead. I was nervous on the darkened streets that day but as the sun came up over the office buildings, those nerves turned into excitement. I was giddy the rest of that day and from then on, I scorned the treadmill. I didn't want anything to do with it because it had never made me feel like those first early morning runs outside.

That leads me to today. Since I didn't have room for cold weather gear in my work bag this morning, I either skip my run or run on the treadmill. In the end, the run is always going to win out so I decided to stay focused on the act of running instead of the means by which I would be taking that run. I won't lie and say it was my favorite run. My body isn't used to treadmill running anymore but it was still another successful run. One more run that I had run yesterday.

Today's Daily Dozen:
3.45 mile run (18 mins. run/1 min. walk x 2 intervals) @ lunch hour

Hike: Prince William State Park - Attempt 1

Some times this just don't work out the way they're supposed to work.

We woke up this morning to an overcast day that slowly got sunnier. I did about 45 minutes of WiiFit as I waited for Mike to wake up; mostly the strength training exercises and then 10 minutes of boxing. We planned on hiking today and it was just a matter of choosing where to hike. I was really looking forward to getting outside because the sun was finally shining after so many days of overcast and rain.

We decided to check out the trails at the Prince William State Park, intending to take several different trails to make a loop around the park. Excited about the hike, I got my backpack ready, studied the trail map and ate a good breakfast.

Prince William State Park is about 30 minutes south of DC, down 95 South and as we got closer to the park, the clouds got blacker and thicker. Before too long, small rain droplets began collecting on the windshield and as we pulled off on the exit for the park the drops got bigger. We were a little concerned about the rain but pressed on because we didn't want to be frightened off the hike because of a little rain. However, by the time we got to the visitor center parking lot and got out of the car we noticed that although the rain wasn't heavy it was steady and even worse, it appeared to be hailing!!

As much as I wanted to hike today, I wasn't interested in getting hit with tiny ice pellets so we waved the white flag and promised that we would come back another day. The part that stings is that as we drove back home, the further north we got, the more the sun came out. By the time we pulled in to the garage, it was a bright sunny day. It would have been perfect for a day of hiking. Too bad!!

Denying My Laziness

Most of the time I am a morning runner. If running isn't the first thing I do when I wake up, there is only a 50/50 chance I'll have the motivation to run mid-day or even less likely, in the evening.

Running just wasn't going to happen this morning so I vegged out in front of the TV and then we walked to breakfast and the mall so I could get a haircut. I knew I should run but I also know how easy it is for me to find an excuse not get out and hit the roads. I've been trying to break my occasional lazy streak and what better day than today to put my efforts to the test.

After some procrastination, I figured the first step would be to get dressed for running and once I was dressed I would just have to get out for a run. The trick worked; within 10 minutes of getting ready for running, I was running. Three and four tenths of a mile later, another successful run was in the books and I am proud of myself for not wasting the day.

I feel like indulging my lazy desires for the rest of the day but at least I won't feel so bad about it now.

Tomorrow will be a welcomed rest day!

Today's Daily Dozen:
3.39 miles run (16 min. run/1 min. walk x 2 intervals)
(Maybe) Wii Fit later

Confessions of a Runner

I admit it. I may have over done it...a bit... this morning. I've been feeling good about my running lately and rather than follow the just over 4-mile loop I should have taken for a planned 42-minute run (13 min. run/1 min. walk x 3 intervals), I chose to take a five-mile loop.

I thought to myself, "I'm feeling good. Just go for it. What's the worst that can happen?" Don't answer that...I know that answer and I should know better but good running feels so good. It’s like a drug; I'm constantly looking for ways to extend the high or new ways to reach the high. I rationalized the longer loop thinking that if I wasn't feeling it, I could just walk the last mile and at least it would guarantee more exercise. If I am honest, even as formed the rationalization in my head I knew there was no way I would be walking that last mile, I had zero intention of ever walking that last mile.

As I walked to warm-up/wake up in the chilly morning, I was thankful that the rain had paused and that the temperature wasn't colder (mid-30s). The wind wasn't blowing so once I got started it was a surprisingly comfortable run temperature-wise. I took off running and got into the groove, working out the little aches and pains that pop up but go away just as quickly, assessing my body as it woke up and I found my stride, and I completely ignored the turn I should have taken to make a four-mile loop, stubbornly, sticking to the idea that I needed to go for five. Five miles was my usual easy run before I was injured.

I felt great, my running felt effortless and the intervals were now long enough that I could forget the clock and get lost in my run, which is what I did and almost ran right through the first walking break. By the end of the third interval, I will also admit that my legs were feeling a little tired, in a good way, in the way legs are supposed to feel after a great run. If I had ended the run there, as prescribed by my schedule, it would have been a successful run; nothing to be ashamed of in the distance or pace. I should have felt satisfied...

Then I had to face the reality that I was still a mile from home and I probably shouldn't have been. After a final walk break, my legs were feeling better so I took off running but gave myself permission to walk if I needed to. Long story, short, I made it back to the apartment running the entire rest of the way and I felt good.

In fact, I still feel good about the run a few hours later. My legs are feeling strong and powerful and I'm enthusiastic about the upcoming months and training. I feel like I'm back! Finally! Of course, I could do an extra mile, no big deal. What's five miles when I was going to run just over 4 anyway?

However, this is exactly the line of thinking that got me an overuse injury. I've got to learn from those training mistakes and not make them again. Testing out my abilities and stretching my limits is fine as long as it doesn't become my training norm. Now that I had my ill-disciplined fun this morning, I've got to be extra vigilant that I don't let myself get too carried away with how things are progressing. Friday, I promise, will be the scheduled 3 miles, nice and easy...that's it.

Race Anticipation

There is a certain amount of anticipation and excitement that precedes and follows a race registration. I have found this to be especially true for races in the DC Metro area because they are so high profile. Last year, the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler filled up its online registration numbers in 4 hours! Ten thousand runners signed up within four hours of the online registration opening. Incredible!

At 7:50 this morning, I logged on to the race's website and completed my registration for the 2009 race and I'm looking forward to running it with a friend, Katie. I run alone 99% of the time and it is usually early morning so I feel like I have the trails and roads to myself. I could go anywhere and discover anything while I'm out on my daily adventures. I love the solitude and treasure being alone with my thoughts.

However, I tend to get lonely during races. Being in a crowd of thousands of runners without someone to run with makes me lonely but being on a nearly deserted bike trail is soothing. I look forward to running races with someone else but I have so few people in my life who run so those races are always something I look forward to with a sense of eagerness.

One of my favorite races was a 5K I did last December in Dover, DE with my in-laws. My MIL had run a 44 minute 5K the previous summer and was looking to break her time so my FIL and I paced her through it. It was so much to run the race with them and I was so excited for her when she crossed the finish line in 38 minutes!! It was my first 5K and that 38 minute PR stood for several months. I am prouder of those 38 minutes than I am of my current "actual" PR of 26 minutes.

Katie is aiming for a 90 minute 10 miler in April and I hope to be able to pace her to her goal. (Fingers crossed that my pace really has increased and that I won't actually be holding her back!)

Today's Daily Dozen:
Circuit Training in the gym

• Warm up walking briskly for 3 minutes.
• Walk easy at a slight incline for 12 minutes
• Perform one set of lunges - 15 on each leg
• 15-20 push ups (full or modified on your knees)
• Walk at a comfortably hard effort level & high incline for 3 minutes
• Perform one set of Overhead Press & Squat - 15 repetitions
• Perform one set of 20 Lateral Step-Up with Kick on each leg
• Walk at a comfortably hard effort level & high incline for 3 minute
• Perform One Arm Row (or Lat Pull/Row Machine) 8-12 reps
• Perform one set of Running Planks* - 15 on each side
• Run 15 minutes at a comfortably hard effort level

2.5 mile walk on the treadmill @ lunch hour