Running back to where I used to be.

It became evident to me this week that my running has taken the backseat for far too long now. How did I know? Because I felt like this during my 3 mile run yesterday:


I haven't been running much at all the past couple of months and when I do, my attempts have been no more than 1-2 miles at a time, usually as a warm-up to another activity. That's better than nothing I suppose, but last year, I could bust out 4 or 5 miles at a time without feeling like I wanted to pass out and lie on the floor indefinitely (which is more or less what I ended up doing yesterday, post-3 miles).

It got me thinking about how I ran 10K on my birthday in March and how well I did at my first 5K race in April. Since then, my speed and endurance have gone to crap (by my own personal standards), but I'm ready to get back in the game.

I found an 8-week 10K training plan that looks like it'll guide me at just the right pace. I also found a 13-week plan, but I think the 8-week version is a better fit for me and my current fitness routine. I changed the start of the week to Sunday, making my rest day Thursday. I already tend to rest on Thursdays anyway and I figured it was best to make slight customizations where necessary, so I'm more likely to follow through and meet my goal.

Initially, my goal is primarily distance. Yes, down the road, I'd love to get back to running miles in the 9-minute range, but I've noticed that getting too caught up in speed sometimes sabotages my efforts and I give up all together. When I think back to the days when I first started running, distance always led to better speed eventually.

I don't have any specific plans for my cross-training; I'll just do whatever I feel like at the moment. Today, I did the Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout for a good mix of cardio and strength. I also foresee more Jari Love DVDs in the future as well, especially since I broke down and bought a 55 lbs. aerobic weight set:

I don't see myself going to the late-evening BodyPump class any time soon (even though I loved the preview class), but I've found that some of my Jari Love DVDs are the next best thing (particularly, Slim & Lean). She also uses this type of barbell, so it's perfect for taking my strength training to a new level.

Originally, I ordered the set on Friday and canceled it just a few minutes later, thinking I should wait. But after working out over the weekend, I found that my current variety of dumbbell weights are becoming easier to use. And my standard barbell set is too large, heavy and bulky for high-rep workouts, so yesterday, I went back to the site and re-ordered the 55 lbs set. It's a damn good price with cheap shipping and I'll obviously get a lot of use out of it, so no buyer's remorse for me. It's supposed to be delivered on Thursday, just in time for my weekend cross training! Pretty excited to do BodyPump-esque workouts in my living room. I also came across a couple of other Jari Love DVDs on Amazon where people said they make good BP alternatives, so I added them to my wish list. Hope to buy them both over the next few months. My wage decrease goes into effect this month, so I gotta be extra careful with my spending these days!

Out of the races and onto the tracks.

The title of this Rapture song is surprisingly appropriate for this Monday morning. Sigh. Such a great band. Finally added pretty much all of their songs onto my workout shuffle. Anywho.

I cannot tell a lie- I'm feeling pretty damn awesome this morning! My weekend do-over went well yesterday. Got all sorts of deals on the stuff I bought (2 tops on clearance at Burlington Coat Factory, 2 bras for $40 + a $10 coupon at Victoria's Secret and 2 tops, 2 tanks & a pair of jeans, all marked down, at Old Navy!), came home and watched 2001: A Space Odyssey with Doug and made an awesome dinner, featuring one of my favorite recipes from Epicurious, Turkey Zucchini Meatloaf (Thanks again Tina for sharing it all those months ago!):





Sooo good! The meatloaf turned out great. I roasted some asparagus in the oven and Doug whipped up his awesome mashed potatoes. Pretty stoked about the leftovers for lunch today! Also, not pictured are the lemon squares I made. I'm not much of a baker (probably a good thing), but every once in a while I branch out and buy a mix that requires no more than 2-3 additional ingredients, heh.

Woke up early this morning and decided to try yet another new Jari Love DVD:



And, once again, I'm a fan. It's definitely similar to her other strength training DVD I tried last week, but I still enjoyed it. It's all about high-reps and muscle fatigue. Killer.

Lots of lower body work (squats, lunges) and of course, tons of upper body work (shoulder/chest presses, tricep dips and extensions, bicep/hammer curls, push-ups). And, as typical with her workouts, she closes with an abs circuit, which I actually did this time and didn't skip!

Part of what makes this DVD so tough is the crapload of pulsing reps that you do with every move. I broke into a pretty big sweat in the beginning (courtesy of the lower body exercises) and continued to feel the burn (especially in my shoulders!) throughout the upper body workout. Each circuit is about 5 minutes and I think there were about 15 (!!!) circuits total.

One thing I liked about this DVD that I haven't seen in any of the others is the break in between circuits where there are detailed explanations about the upcoming moves. There's a [hot] dude showing you proper form from different angles, as well as alternative moves for beginners. Plus, the breaks gave me enough time to change out my dumbbells and/or set up my aerobic step. I'm really glad I got that thing. Jari uses it in pretty much every DVD, so it's really paying for itself. Anywho, although the breaks add extra time to the workout (was about 65+ minutes), I was really glad they were incorporated. Since this wasn't a cardio-based workout, I wasn't too concerned with keeping my heart rate up super-high, every single second.

I'm glad I got up earlier and gave myself enough time to do the abs circuit and the full cooldown. I usually end up rushing through those parts or skipping them completely, but no rushing today. The cooldown was really relaxing and just left me feeling calm, strong and happy. I love you, Jari!

After a good workout, I refueled with a quick but filling breakfast:



3 Minute Oatmeal [Cranberry] Cookie and a hard-boiled egg. I forgot how much I love hard-boiled eggs. This breakfast left me feeling so good that I think I might repeat it tomorrow.

That's all for now- I've got a busy morning ahead of me. No lunch pics today since they're just leftovers from last night's dinner. Dinner post possibly later tonight, once I figure out what we're having!