What Month is This??

January 4, 2012. The sun is shining. People are running OUTSIDE, in SHORTS!!! What month is this???

After work today I was so, so tempted to just forget Cardio RX, and take off outside and just run. No plan in mind, just run somewhere and soak up the sun. (Trust the program, trust the program) But.....I am trying to stick to the Race RX Cardio program. I really want to give it a shot, give it my all, and see what the outcome will be. So, off to the dreary gym I went. Did a little bit of a warm-up on the bike, then moved over to the treadmill, so I could tackle today's challenge. Today's workout was #7 of level 5. (I know you are thinking, "Well what the crap does that tell me.") Remember, there are FOUR different heart rate zones. Today I jumped from zone 2 (159-66 bpm) to zone 4 (177-86 bpm) every other minute. Basically it meant I ran at 5.9 mph for 1 minute, then jumped to 7.2 mph the next minute.
I really had to push myself to get my heart rate up to zone 4 today. Even at running 7.2 mph it took about 30 seconds or more to get my heart rate up. I will have to adjust the incline up more to see if I can get it in the zone quicker. I had it at .5 and 1.0 at various times today. Looking at this through positive eyes, my heart must be getting stronger if I have to push myself harder.

The adult strength training tonight was a killer. In fact, a couple of the guys in the am class almost got their names written on the floor, for all to see!(If you throw up, you write your name on the floor) I was not able to complete the "pike set", just ran out of time. Maybe 1/3 of us were able to complete that. My hamstrings and gluts are so stinking sore from Monday!! Using muscles that have not been used in certain ways is a real killer. (Trust in the training. Have faith in the process.)

On a side note, I am trying this 21 day kick start program. Eating Vegan for 3 weeks. It is supposed to give me more energy......mmmmmm......not feeling it. So far, so good. I have been really focused on not eating any animal products. This includes my all time favorite, MILK, no cheese, no yogurt, no butter, no cottage cheese, no ice cream, no mashed potatoes made w/canned milk, you get the picture. I am not missing "meat" as sometimes meat just gags me! I knew I would miss the other stuff though.

So what have I been eating? Well, rice with salsa and mexi vegies; homemade apple/strawbery sauce;
fruit smoothies w/protein powder (this is whey protein, but "I gots to have me some protein!"); couscous salad w/raw vegies & rice vinegar w/cumin for the dressing;
bagels; english muffins w/strawberry jam; juice; homemade granola (this has butter in it); water; chips; pears; banana nut muffins; I made a roasted red pepper & carrot soup w/almond milk that was ok; soy yogurt which I just could NOT gag down....YUCK OLA! I am trying to go totally vegan, but as you can see, there are somethings that just, well, squeak in. I'll report on how this is going in 3 weeks.

My two dogs, on the other hand, are on a different kind of diet. I came home today, to find that they had ransacked my church bag. They were in Candy Cane Heaven, along with tic-tacs, and 2 pieces of "coal." Now Chloe has minty fresh breath!



I love to go running. It's a way for me to stay centered, to lose the stress of the world around me, and to just be present. I recommend it to everyone, especially if you're looking for a way to find peace and focus in your life.

Leo Babauta, The Zen of Running, and 10 Ways to Make It Work for You, zenhabits.net