Think I'm finally getting the hang of it ~ literally. :)

I wouldn't mind having a back that looks like this...

This is a wide grip pull-up and that's the kind I do...with the help of a spotter. :)

And if I keep working on my pull-ups like I have been, maybe it will happen for me someday.  Today I did my back and bicep workout.  I still think this is my favorite workout of the week.  Initially it was one of the hardest routines for me because of my lack of muscle in those areas.  Now I'm increasing my weights every week.  It also doesn't hurt that whenever I do my pull-ups, someone in the weight room (either my spotter or someone watching me) tells me my back is starting to look awesome.  I wouldn't know because I can't see it, but I think I'm going to have to have Chris take my picture when I do my first one completely on my own so I can post it with my progress pictures.

After I finished with weights this morning, I did 45 minutes on a stair machine for my cardio.  I'm "allowed" to do a short run on Wednesdays, but my legs are always so sore and tired at this point in the week that I feel like it's more beneficial for me to do a less stressful form of cardio.  Besides, tomorrow I have Muscle Fusion X and a leg workout and I don't like going into those with too much fatigue already set-in.

Lately I've been doing a lot of thinking about my workout schedule the past couple of months and the effect it has had on my identity and self-perception.  From the time I started training for marathons (about 3 years ago) I have always felt so good about the amount of miles on the road that I logged each week.  At my peak I was logging upwards of 50 miles a week.  My new and current goals and this workout schedule have affected my running "confidence" in a way, because I feel like I am devoting so much less time to my favorite pastime.  I have to keep reminding myself that cutting back on my mileage is crucial to my success in reaching my goal of leaning out and adding muscle.  While I feel more fit and stronger with each passing week as I continue with my current training plan, I sometimes worry that things will be tough for me when I return to marathon training in preparation for my May marathon.  Not only do I worry that I will have difficulty getting back to my previous level of endurance, I also worry that I will lose all the muscle gains I am making right now when I start to add back in tons more hours of cardio.  Misty (my PT) assures me that by the time I get to that point, I will have transformed my body enough that the muscle will stay and my fitness level will remain high.  So then my only worry will be trying to eat enough to maintain.  It's always a balancing act.

Anyway, for now I am going to try to relax and let my worries go.  I am having a great time building muscle and I feel (physically and mentally) the best I've ever felt in my life, so I guess it would be silly to stop doing what I'm doing. :)