This morning when my phone blared that it was 4:00 am, I wanted to chuck it across the room and smash it into the wall. I’ve spent most of the past week dealing with what I am praying is not the flu (because woops – I forgot to get a flu shot this year). After 15 minutes of debate, I remembered that I have new cycling gear to wear to class and got out of bed. Yep, new clothes can do that. Plus, the endorphins from exercise would probably make me feel better if I went.
The first thing I noticed about my new Pearl Izumi cycling capris is that wearing them basically makes you feel like you have an entire phone book in your crotch. I imagine this is something like what my grandma went through once a month back in the day with the belt and the… nevermind. 
However, as soon as I got on my bike, I was ready to throw my Lucy cycling shorts away. These capris are the BOMB. I couldn’t even feel the sometimes-all-too-friendly-up-in-there saddle.
I’m not gonna lie – it was a little awkward when another woman walked in on me taking that picture.
Class was grueling. I was hoping it was going to be our usual Friday instructor, who is motivating in a laid back kind of way but instead, it was our Monday instructor who is pretty intense. She likes to get off the bike and walk around and look at everyone. Then she calls you out individually and stares you down until she is satisfied with your intensity level. When you’re battling some nasty virus, she’s definitely not your friend. Evil eye and all, I got through it.
Since my foot has been declared healed, I’ve given myself permission to start reading through my favorite running blogs again and check out everyone’s marathon training plans. I’m not there with creating my own just yet, though I have decided to come up with a new one and chuck the one I wrote up based on Hal Higdon’s schedule a few months ago. I enjoy going to Les Mills RPM a few times a week and I’ve made some pretty cool friends in that class so I want to make sure that it remains in my workout schedule. I also feel like some non-impact cross training would be beneficial and along with spinning, I want to make sure I have some yoga in the mix. Running tends to make me incredibly tight and I think yoga will help with recovery a lot. Still, before I make any decisions, I’m sitting on my hands until I can run a couple of miles and feel good. I don’t have a lot of time, but I have enough.
Some Link Love:
Which brings me to a few blog posts I read this week that I’d like to share! The first one resonated with me because she writes that she made the decision to start training for her and not trying to do what other people are doing. That hit home because I myself tend to feel anxious reading about other people’s training plans for running races and wanting to do more just because they are. That’s not a good practice so I really appreciated this post:
http://www.fromcouchtoironwoman.com/2013/01/marathon-training-plan-changes
Also, 8 tips for new runners from Laura at Mommy Run Fast was a good reminder because post injury, you kind of feel like a new runner (well, I do in my head – I’ve got a little bit of anxiety about hitting the trails again):
http://www.mommyrunfast.com/8-tips-for-new-runners/
Tina Reale wrote a really cool overview about how different vitamins affect you which is great info!
http://www.tinareale.com/3190/pledge-to-celebrate-health/
Granted this is from last week, I really love Erica’s realness talking about not being able to make it through a workout class. If you haven’t discovered her blog yet, check her out.
http://www.balancingself.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-longest-class-ever.html
Also, my friend J’Wana is starting a challenge group for Brazil Butt Lift. She’s awesome – she’s a single mom who still manages to get her workouts in and to me, that is inspiration right there.
http://www.massagemomfitness.blogspot.com/2013/01/turning-heads-in-2013-brazil-butt-lift.html
How about you? Do you tend to feel like you need to step it up/change it up when you read other people’s training plans?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Hahaha I can totally imagine how awkward that was when someone walked in on you taking that picture!! I also love the phonebook-in-the-crotch comment, you’re hilarious!!
Yes, I’d say I’m definitely motivated by others’ training plans, but I’ve never gone too crazy about it. I have my hands full just competing with myself.
PS I tried to follow the first link in your link love and it didn’t work.
Have a great weekend!
Ack! Thank you for letting me know! I will fix that.
That is hilarious – the belt comment and the picture – what a funny day for you (from my perspective!). I am not a runner – straight line running is just not that fun to me, so maybe it’s common among runners training for a specific distance, but I’ve never read anyone else’s plan… I did try to do Lindsey Tarpley’s (former US Women’s National Soccer Team player) training plan that was on Nike+, however, it was mostly running – so that didn’t last!
Thanks so much for the link love! Hope you are able to ease back into running smoothly. I love RPM spin too!
Thank you for including me in this post! I’m glad that the post I wrote resonated with you. It can be so hard to stop and think about what is best for you (even I do that as I wrote) but in the end we know what is best for our bodies and our minds.