Can You Say Cold?

Oh my gosh – we have had cold and wind and a bit of snow and precious little sun. Granted, it is worse in other parts of the country, so I really shouldn’t complain. Instead, these are the things that I like about winter…

• A fire in the fireplace – is there anything more cozy?
• A warm, down-filled blanket
• Homemade chili
• Scarves!
• Fresh baked cookies
• Catching up on movies

One thing I’m not such a fan of is the treadmill. Dread-mill. Ugh. But at least for this week I’ve been diligent. I find that if I entertain myself I can do better so I’ve come up with two workouts that I tolerate pretty well:

Workout 1: 8 to 10 minute warm up then 3 sets of 3 x 3 repeats. 3 minutes at a fast clip, 3 minutes slow and repeat 3 or 4 times. End with an 8 to 10 minute cool down.

Workout 2: 8 to 10 minute warm up then hill repeats. 2 minutes at a pretty sharp incline (5 to 7 range); 2 minutes slow run or fast walk and repeat for 4 or 5 times. End with an 8 to 10 minute cool down. (I did this one yesterday and woke up in the middle of the night when the snow plow went by; I jumped and the back of both of my legs cramped up. Ouch!)

I’ve also taken advantage of the rest of the gym a bit more this week and have been doing more strength and core work. If I can remain diligent throughout the spring I may be able to reach my goal of a faster half-marathon.