Daily Chatter

Showing posts with label cross training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cross training. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

The Glass Half Full

...or Empty?
 
Which way do you see it? 

I look at last week's miles and I am kicking myself for not getting my Sunday evening run in. 
Don't worry.  The streak is at day 898.  I ran Sunday morning. 
 How do I know I didn't do it? 
 Well if I had I would have hit my 80+ miles for the week.
 
Does it matter when it comes to how I'll do/feel in my upcoming races? 
Mostly likely not. But like maybe many of you, I can let the numbers begin to mean more than they actually do.

It won't matter in the middle of my next race if I ran 77 or 82 miles this week but what will matter is whether or not I have conditioned my body enough to be able to handle the challenge.  That conditioning is created in part by "time on my feet" or simply running.  Often running a lot.  But it is also created by strengthening my body and my mind to want to complete the challenge of whatever race I am running. 

With that in mind I have been increasing my weekly mileage to condition my mind and body to be so familiar with a 10 mile run that running 30 or 50 will physically be less demanding.  Those increased weeks have also helped me mentally be able to continue running when, say I have had to run some of those long runs on a less than exciting treadmill. 

But what you might not know is that I have also been doing a bit of cross training.  I know it's a shocker!  I rarely talk about it and I don't log it on Daily Mile.  Mostly because I need to be accountable to myself before I start adding the stress, pressure, responsibility of being accountable to a wider audience.  But it all started with telling myself that every time I run I will cross train immediately after for the same number of minutes as the number of miles I ran.  Make sense?  Say last week when I got in a great 12 mile run on the TM then I hoped off, lifted and did core work for at least 12 minutes.  This morning I got in a quick 4 miles and then came back and did at least 4 minutes of cross training.  When I first started "making" myself do this there were a lot of days when I only did the exact number of minutes I had to but I did them.  Today I was happy to have a little extra workout to look forward to when I had to keep the miles low.  I can't really see a difference in my shape yet but during the Mega I could feel the difference a more powerful upper body created in being able to power up those extreme inclines. 

My glass, whether it's half empty or half full is definitely filled with a sweeter drink with my love of higher miles.  When my schedule or body tell me that I need to step back and lower that mileage, I won't see the glass as emptying only being filled with a different kind of sweetness. 

I raise my glass to 5 more sleeps and some seriously fit looking Fire on the Mountain Trail 50k race photos!

Need a little help seeing your glass as half full?  Don't forget to sign up for the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge.  Make sure to let Amanda at RuntotheFinish know that Shelly sent you!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

3 Things Thursday

Day 346 ~ Third Run of the Day

Yesterday must have felt like Thursday because I went for 3 runs.  My morning wake up 3 miles, 2.5 miles on the treadmill and then 6.5 outside in the gale force winds.  It was during that third run that I crossed over 1000 miles for 2011.  I think it's time for a new pair of shoes!

I have been stuck in that "What's Next" zone since floating back down to reality now that my A goal for 2011 was accomplished.  You know that little 50 miler that I ran.  Sorry but I will be talking about it until I do my next one.  Since my B goal for this year is to increase my overall conditioning and reshape a body that needs to do more for me, I am still working out an achievable schedule to allow for family, work, running and cross training.  While I have BIG plans coming that require a new level of fitness, I still have the need to get back out there in the woods and maybe chip away at a few more course PRs so I have already registered for the Fire on the Mountain Trail 50k October 30th.  Yeah, I was the first to register. 
Does that mean I should train to be the first to finish it?

Besides running three times yesterday the day also marked the start of a new running "season." 
It was the Return of the Biking Sherpa!
Oh how I have missed her company on the roads.
If I could just get her on the trails too!
She never lets me slack.  She is always good for a great story or three.
She helps those miles fly by and never breaks a sweat.
Thanks Biking Sherpa for a very challenging windy run last night
and for the many more to come!

The Return of Biking Sherpa

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Legs Love Lunges Challenge

aka I'm Brave Enough to Take Photos of My Legs Challenge
and actually post them!



This was to be the side view but LBM would not get out of the way.



Okay that's a little better.

I have only done ONE day of lunges.  I need 3 in the week.  Of course anyone who has been reading along for very long knows that since my attempt at P90X while running 50 miles a week resulted in the family flu bout, I have been hard pressed to do any actual cross training without the aid of a good Challenge.   So I am hoping that since a Challenge has been leveled my competetive nature will keep me on track. 

We were headed to VA for the weekend
(anyone in the area drop me a note if you want to get together for a run)
 so I only got a rainy 3.5 miles in the morning but since it was Friday the 13th an easy run close to home was probably a safe idea.

Thanks again to Amanda, I followed that up with lunges up and down the road. 
The farmers didn't know what to think.

Friday a.m. run Day # 96 ~ 3.5 / 28:37

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Five for Friday


1.  Where have I been all week? 
Oh on the road running my legs off.  Nope.  Not quite they are still there.
I have gotten up every morning this work week and ran.  Just tomorrow to make it 5 for 5.
AND
I have run every evening, too.
Can anyone say tired legs?!

2.  The photo is me near the top of my steepest 3 stage hill on a route I run regularly.  You can only see to the bend in the road.  The hill continues down through another turn which is it's steepest section and then to the bottom.  Due to the wind through my area, I usually choose to run this route going up this hill.  That way the wind is more to my back than my face.

3.  In other news, LBM is sick.  Hubbs may be taking him to the doctor for me tomorrow.  He is running a fever.  Poor little guy.  I don't know how the night will go.

4.  Hubbs is having some employment issues.  I know that he has options BUT with just closing on another house, I am nervous and stressing a bit.  Probably another reason why I am running a bit much with no rest.  or am I just using that as a good excuse to get my miles in?!?!? 

5.  I need so serious suggestions on how to get myself to cross train!  I know that I should.  I know that it will help me lose some weight but "shaking" things up.  I know that I will be a better runner for doing it.  BUT how do I make myself give up miles to get it in?  Or how do I find an extra 30+ minutes every few days to create a habit? 




3 Changes Challenges

May3rd through 5th - Monday, Tuesday &; Wednesday

1. h2o/non-caffeinated - ++64 oz. each day - Success

2. Destress - I've been praying every day!(+)  Hubbs has MAJOR employment issues!  We just closed on a new house! (-) - Needs improvement (I typed that but honestly, I am really trying to remember that we will be okay.  I know that there is always a reason for these challenges.  God has a plan.)

3. Xtrain - Lots more stretching.  Situps becoming a near daily habit and push ups are getting there but...- Needs Improvement (I stink at cross training!)