Off-Season Training

It's been a long off-season, or at least that's what I consider it, as I've been without a coach or a specific training plan since Ironman Lake Placid in July.

I still exercise most days, with three days of weights, three runs, and the occasional bike ride.

I was about to blog about "excuses" and the reason why we might stop exercising, with the premise of suggesting that we all get off our collective tuchus, stop coming up with reasons why we shouldn't break a sweat, and just get it done.  But then Tuesday morning came -- I woke up, ate breakfast, drank my pre-workout green tea, watched the news to hear that it was 38 degrees outside, and then went upstairs and crawled back into bed for another hour and a half.  I guess we all have our moments of inertia, and that was mine.

My running has consisted of three runs per week.  Tuesday is a tempo run, Thursday is a hill run either on my own or by doing hill repeats with my triathlon girl friends, and Saturday is a long run.  Yesterday's run was twelve miles.

Today I ran the Walk of Ages 5K.  At the start, a man in front of me tripped, and I in turn tripped over him scraping up my left knee.  But, we both got up and ran the race.  In spite of the rough beginning, I finished third place woman overall (first and second place were teenagers!) and first place woman ages 30-39.  My friend Miriam took first place in her age group 25-29.

Miriam and I and our gold medals!!!

Right now, I'm enjoying myself.  While I am training for a half marathon in January, I am maintaining my fitness and not pushing myself too hard.