Monday Musings

Hope you're all doing well - marathon training season has begun in earnest for many of us with spring races looming on the horizon.  Expect a lot of talk about that over the next 4 months.  Until I get some news-worthy runs in here's some of the random crap that's been floating around in my head lately.  Nothing conveys random like a list:

1. Snow.  It has finally started snowing in Vancouver, BC.  Yes, it's January.  Yes, we're "up North."  But you need to understand that I live in the little pocket of Canada that doesn't usually experience legitimate winters.  There's an ad on tv right now that has all sorts of "true Canadians love the cold" sentiments and I just can't identify.  Yes, I'll wash my laundry in cold water, but if I can stay inside with a book instead proving my worth by walking outside without a jacket I'll take it!

2. Sunday Run.  Speaking of snow - I had to run in it on Sunday.  Thankfully it wasn't actually snowing, but it was freaking cold (again, bear in mind it was cold for here).  I think it was about -5C/23F when we started.  The bonus to the clear skies was that the sun popped out at the end to warm me up a bit.  The problem with Vancouver snow is that it turns to slush fairly quickly.  It was warmish on Saturday so the snow got quite lumpy.  Which would have been fine had it not frozen over night.  I had to constantly check my footing on my run so I wouldn't slip and injure myself.  The roads were fairly clear so I ran on them when I could, but wasn't 100% comfortable running in the middle of the right hand lane.  Between the potential threats of slipping, turning an ankle, and getting hit by a car (always remember that you can react faster than they can when it's icy!) concentration was the key!  

3. Jillian Michaels/Yoga/Spin/Indoor Running.  Look!  4 bandwagons that I'm (probably hopefully) going to jump on.  My run on Sunday made me realize one thing.  I am weak.  I've proven that I'm stubborn mentally strong.  However, my legs are only good at moving forward.  My stability muscles are pretty darned weak.  My legs just ache from working to keep my footing.  It was like being on a balance board, but more dangerous.  Obvious targets will be glutes and hips as they've given me issues in the past.  But I need to work on overall cross-training too.  

My plan is to do one of the Jillian Michaels workouts at least once a week.  I think I'll be starting with 30 Day Shred, but picked a couple of other ones too.  Let me know if you have your favourites - keep in mind that I can't do anything "jumpy" like pylo since we're on the 2nd floor and my neighbours wouldn't appreciate it.  For yoga I went with Rodney Yee's Yoga Conditioning For Athletes.  It had decent reviews and I think I can convince Colin to do it with me.  He balked at me getting the one titled "Essential Yoga For Inflexible People."  I'd probably do this one on Mondays so I can stretch out after my Sunday long run.

Spin.  Ah, spin.  I've heard nothing but favourable things, but have yet to try it out myself.  I'm so intimidated by it!  Probably because I haven't been on a bike (of any sort) in over 15 years.  I know I can't fall over, but I hate being at the low end of the "suitable for all levels" description.  Yet here I am seriously considering it because a local studio - that some of my running friends go to - is having a deal.  60% off an unlimited month, which is so good that I'd want to buy it even if I wasn't interested in trying it out!  Their Thursday 7pm spin/yoga class would fit in really well with my schedule.  I still have a day to buy it so I need to stop waffling.

Lastly, there's an indoor track that's close by that I want to use to get in a 4th or 5th run per week.  I'm terrible at going out with Spud.  I'm terrible going out in inclement weather.  I don't run on my own at night in the dark.  I know that I need to step up and get in as many additional runs as possible so this would be a nice option to have.  The bonus, for me anyways, is that it's not a treadmill run.  I'm not sure how long the track is so I might end up feeling like a hamster, but I'll just have to keep telling myself that it's only 8km steady and it's a run I probably wouldn't have done otherwise.

4. Expanding Dinosaurs.  Santa brought Spud some dinosaurs in his stocking that grow when placed in water.  It took a couple of days, but it did get quite a bit bigger.  It's grossly slimy.  And starting to shrink.  Which is getting funnier by the day since it's ridiculously disproportionate.  

7. Cat Came Back. Spud has fallen in love with this Canadian National Film Board classic.  If that song doesn't get stuck in your head I don't know what will.  Please don't curse my name if you find yourself humming it during a run. 

8. Angel Food Cake.  I made one.  From scratch.  Not only because I have a ton of eggs to use up, but because Colin bought me this for Christmas.  Love.  It.