7+ miles.

I started out my day by doing 30 minutes of Pilates this morning.  It occurred to me recently that I've kind of been slacking in my consistency in doing either Yoga or Pilates a few days a week.  I am starting to notice the difference in my body from not doing it and I need to fix that.  After I finished with the Pilates, I got on the treadmill and did a 7 mile run, with some walking at the beginning and end for warm up and cool down.

3 miles plus...

This morning I started out with 10 minutes of Pilates to warm up, then I got on the elliptical and did a circuit workout, alternating 5 minutes on the elliptical with 2 minutes of strength training or calisthenics, for a total time of 50 minutes.  After that, I got on the treadmill and did a 3 mile run.  I also have planned to do lots of walking on the treadmill today while I continue reading my book, but I won't get to that until I get some other things done first.  Besides needing to run to the store for a few more Christmas related items, I generally like to do a "toy/kids stuff" purge and re-organization leading up to Christmas.  That way their rooms and closets don't become a black hole on Christmas day.  :)  That's what's on my agenda for today.

Still alive...

Apparently I've missed blogging for a few days.  ;)

That doesn't mean I haven't been getting in my workouts, though.  I did take a rest day on Sunday, after our long run on Saturday.  My recovery has been really good, though, so I didn't feel like I needed to rest too much.  Yesterday I did a decent cross-training workout, starting with 90 minutes on the elliptical and then doing about 15 minutes of upper body strength training.  Today, I didn't have much time in the morning, but I did get in 40 minutes on the elliptical before my husband and I headed out to finish our Christmas shopping...mission (almost) accomplished.  This evening, once the household was settled down for the night, I was also able to do about an hour of walking on the treadmill while I started reading book three in the Hunger Games series.  Tomorrow I plan to do some running while watching the Biggest Loser season finale that airs on regular TV tonight!

The coldest 15.5 mile run...ever!

I was so optimistic for a good run today, the forecast called for sun and high temps in the mid-30's.  My husband and I waited a bit, instead of our usual early morning start, and headed out around 8:30.  Though it still felt cold, it seemed like it was going to be tolerable.  Until we met the wind, which pretty much lasted from about mile 3 until the end of our run.  We even altered our original course plan, we had hoped to do 16 miles today and instead we cut it short by about a 1/2 mile.  We had dressed (we thought) warm enough, but nothing could have prepared us for the wind chill.  Luckily, I was wearing my Under Armour jacket which has one of those cowl necks that you can pull up around your face and over your nose.  It saved me, I'm sure of it.  My husband, on the other hand, looks like he may have gotten a little frost bite on his cheeks. :(  At some point I think I heard him say, "I am never running outside again all winter!"

On the bright side, other than the cold, I felt great.  I mean, my legs and body were fully cooperative today and I even felt I had more in me by the time we got home.  That makes me happy.  I honestly think that the many hours I have logged in the past few weeks of just walking on the treadmill have really helped me with my long run endurance.  And considering how today's run went, I think I see a lot more treadmill in my future.

11 mile walk.

I've been at it reading the second book in the Hunger Games series, so after I did 40 minutes on the elliptical this morning, I got on the treadmill and started walking.  Eleven miles later and I've only got about a chapter to go.  I like walking because I feel like I could do it forever.  Tomorrow I might do a simple workout in the morning, if I have time before cub scouts, but I mostly want to use tomorrow as a rest and recovery day.  On Saturday morning my husband and I plan to attempt a nice, long run - the first outdoor run for me in over a week and a half.  The temperatures are supposed to be more mild (reaching the 30's), so it should be a great day for a run.

5 miles.

I did a little more running today, since my leg is feeling a bit better.  But first, I started out my workout by doing 30 minutes on the elliptical and about 15 minutes worth of strength training exercises.  Then I got on the treadmill and did a 5 mile run.  When I finished with that, I slowed to a walk and did another 30 minutes of walking.

3 miles and other stuff.

I completely forgot about blogging yesterday.  Until today, I've actually been taking a bit of a rest from running. I have an injury with one of my hamstrings.  I'm not sure how I did it exactly, and it's actually probably more of an overuse injury than anything.  It feels like a rubber band stretched to it's absolute limit from the left, back of my knee all the way up to the top of my glute.  I can't stretch it out and when I run, it feels like it could snap.  I've even been feeling painful spasms in that area when I'm not working out at all, so I have just been doing what I can.

Yesterday I spent an hour on the elliptical, then walked on the treadmill at a medium pace for another hour.  Today, I started out doing 10 minutes of Pilates to warm up, then I got on the elliptical and did a circuit: 5 minutes on the elliptical, then running up and down the stairs for about 2 minutes, 5 minutes on the elliptical then 2 minutes of step-ups using hand weights, 5 minutes on the elliptical then 50 sit-ups.  I repeated that whole sequence 2 times.  After that, I did attempt some running on the treadmill.  I kept it pretty easy, only going up to about 5mph.  I did that for almost 3 miles, then I walked for another 30 minutes.

Dedication, Determination, Inspiration...

Love the new shirt from Everyday Endurance, thanks to the gift card giveaway at Runningonstilts.blogspot.com!

12 miles...walking.

A couple of days ago I picked up the copy of "The Hunger Games" that we had laying around the house that my 11 year old just finished reading.  I'm a little slow on this one, since I'm sure I'm the last person on earth to read this book.  Of course, once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down.  So, yesterday and today's workout consisted of walking on the treadmill as I read the book.  Yesterday I did 8 miles, and today I completed 12 miles, as well as the book.  On my 12 miles today, I put the incline up just a little, to make the walking a little better workout.  I had planned to do a long run outside today, but I slept in and even when I got up, just before 8 this morning, it was still extremely cold outside and I just decided to stick with the treadmill.  I definitely am feeling like it's time for me to revisit the idea of coming up with a concrete training schedule of some kind.

Oh, some of the things I ordered using my gift card to Everyday Endurance arrived in the mail today!  Maybe later I can sport a new shirt for a photo...

XT workout.

A lackluster morning.  My energy level is a little on the low side.  I still got in an okay workout, doing an hour on the elliptical followed by half an hour on the treadmill.  I set the treadmill at a pretty steep incline and put on my 5 pound ankle weights and used my hand weights while I "hiked" uphill.  I had planned on doing an hour on the treadmill as well, but after 30 minutes I felt like taking a nap instead.  I don't know if the nap will happen today, but hopefully my energy level will pick up.  Tonight...my childrens' school Christmas program!