Cold and Damp

Another day of running lost to crappy weather on the Eastern seaboard. It's been spitting rain all day, and it's that cold, rawness that you get as spring sneaks in ever so closer...yet not close enough to give you a nice running day! Instead of running outside, I settled for another evening of elliptical training while watching some of the women's short program, ski cross, the end of Canada vs. Switzerland Mens Ice Hockey and the nordic ski competition. I also tried out a 15 minute total body "lifting" workout published in Self this month. There are 6-7 different exercises that you do, holding positions for these exercises in 10 second increments, then lowering further down into the position, until you hit 50 seconds, then you return to the start position in 10 second increments, until you hit a total of 90 seconds. I thought that it would be easier than it was. The muscles that I worked during each exercise were twitching by the end of the 90 seconds. (And I wasn't able to hold the push up for the whole 90 seconds...it was holding the position at the bottom that got me!!) I may not be running outside, but I'm working on doing my best at working out and strengthening indoors to hopefully curb some injuries and build up my stamina. We'll see if it works. More later!

Running in Milton, PA

This past weekend I went to visit my girlfriend, Jenny. She lives in Milton, PA, just over the Susquehanna River from Lewisburg, PA. A girlie weekend away was just the little break that I needed. Lots of scrapbooking, watching some good Olympic competition and eating some of Jenny's Broccoli Cheese Soup...mmmm. Jenny had suggested that I bring my running gear with me, and if I wanted to, we could run together. She is training for a 5K with her brother and sister-in-law the weekend after my half marathon. She says, "I'll run with you, but I probably won't be able to keep up." Well, she did fantastic! We ran 3.86 miles in 56 minutes. It was a nice (balmy) 42 degrees and sunny outside, the warmest run that I've had so far! Although the hills along Milton streets can be a bit intimidating, I felt that I had a strong workout for not being out running for almost a month! Uggg...the intimidation factor of running 13.1 miles in a little over 9 weeks and losing 4 weeks to snow and a respiratory infection makes me think that I've got my work cut out for me. If all goes well and the mixed precipitation doesn't shut us out, Jason and I are running again tomorrow. Gotta get in the miles!

Pilates

Tonight was a Pilates night. Joseph Pilates initially established the now popular exercises during World War I while interned in England as an "enemy alien." He had been teaching self defense classes at Scotland Yard prior to this time and then while interned, worked with bedridden patients, making them stronger by using springs and pulleys. After World War I Joe returned to Germany where his exercise techniques became popular with the dancing community. He emigrated to the United States in 1926 and settled in New York City, thus beginning the fitness studio and exercise techinques that would be performed by over 10 million Americans today.

Due to holidays, sickness and the inability to get myself to class on time because of running late at work, I haven't been to a Pilates class since December. Ugg. Pilates is 60 minutes of wonderful, yet hard, core work combined with flexibility to improve strength and posture, all in one. It's probably one of the best workouts that you will find that gives you the results that you are looking for, in the least amount of time. I've been taking Pilates since January of 2005. My aunt had taken Pilates for some years prior to that (yes, the same one that runs the 1/2 marathons!!) and gotten my mother and I interested in it. I joined a Pilates class to look better in my wedding dress, and here I am 5 years later still doing it.

I am excited that it will continue to strengthen my post-baby core, as well as provide some good cross training for this 1/2 marathon stuff. Check out the studio's website where I can be found most Wednesday nights:

www.PilatesMotion.com

Back into the game

I guess it's that time of year...one minute you are healthy, the next you are sick as a dog. Right now I'm working on the sick as a dog part. For just less than a week, I've had an upper respiratory infection from hell. Nose, throat and lungs all taking a toll. Needless to say, no running, or working out, for that matter. I got back onto the elliptical tonight for the first time since running last Saturday. (Yikes!) It felt good, and I'm surprised to say that while on the elliptical, I had no problems breathing. What the warning label should tell a sick person is that you will pay for it later with coughing, continuously running nose and a sore throat. Along with 35 minutes on the elliptical, I did several triceps exercises, several upper leg and calf exercises, and the plie and gran plie exercises recommended by Jenny a couple of weeks ago. I am happy to say that even with all of this, I've lost 3 lbs and 1/2 an inch since January 1st. I really had hoped for more, but I haven't been as serious as I should be about what I've been eating. That will be top priority on the list for February. Jason and I put a workout schedule together to follow for the next month, if that works, we'll modify it for next month and so on throughout this "season of training." As it snows outside tonight, I'm dreaming of warmer weather that will be nicer to my lungs and make me want to go outside more!