Monthly Archives: November 2011

It’s a blustery “raw” (as described in the forecast), cold day – just the type that keeps me from missing running.  Never a big fan of the treadmill, it’s always running outside that has been the big draw for me.  However, the weather around here from about now through April is not the kind that draws me out.  I had no problem today pounding out an hour on the eliptical while watching random bits flying around our backyard.

Coming up on a full month without a run and I found that swimming is a good substitute.  Of course, I find that if it appears I may not get a chance to swim I get antsy, and have already taken to setting the alarm early on Saturdays since lap swim ends at 10am.  It does start up again at 1, but if the day gets away from me and the swim doesn’t happen, it’s just like the old days when I couldn’t get my run in.  In short, I seem to have replaced one addiction with another so I’m not quite sure if I’d made any progress in controlling my mental state without the influence of a cardio workout.  I have, however, made great progress in the fading of my swimsuit.

You would think being a marathon runner my legs would be in somewhat decent shape.  At least, that’s what I had been telling myself each time I flipped past a suggested workout routine in a magazine.  I’d might go so far as to rip out the pages and set them aside. but to actually preform the routine?  No way.  I’d just run an extra mile if I felt the need for something extra.

Since I’ve got another 11 1/2 months to go until I can run a few extra miles I decided the other day to do one of the routines I had collected.  Now, two days later I still feel it.   (I’m blaming it on the lunges!)  Yesterday I couldn’t walk without muscles yelling in angst, today is slightly better.  Fortunately I don’t need to get a long run in.

Swim today: 6200 yards.  Long run day has become long swim day.

Today I dropped the car off to be serviced. Back when I was a runner, I would leave the car and run the 4.8 miles home, so today I planned to walk the route instead. While I did keep a somewhat fast pace, I couldn’t help but notice the time as the rain went from “drizzle” to “downpour”. Sure enough, if I’d have been running, I would have been home by then. At least when you walk it’s a lot easier to carry an umbrella!

It was only a few weeks ago during a long run that I though it would be lovely to simply WALK on a nice sunny day – figure if I walk fast enough & far enough I’d feel just as good as after a long run. NOPE. I went for about 6 miles, but within an hour was getting antsy and needed to get in a hard 4200 yard swim (lots of butterfly!) before I could feel relaxed for the day. I really needed it since we had dinner a great restaurant and felt I needed to “earn” it first.
Jeff, of course, had no such issue. He’s taken on the position of “runner’ in the family and did the Hot Chocolate 15k!

I’m blaming it on the neighbor’s kid.  He was the one who got a head start on the way to school, prompting Sam to chase him down for the entire 1/2 mile.  I got about 6 steps into racing with Sam when I realized what I was doing and skidded to a halt.  Secure in the knowledge that our crossing guard would stop Sam and have him wait at the corner I put my speed walking skills (not much there) into gear and did the best I could.  Needless to say, we never caught the neighbor.

3000 yard swim today.  I’m still in “rest” mode, at least until the blisters clear off the feet.

Seeing as it’s only been about 72 hours since my last marathon, this “year without running” plan is going great!  No cheating yet.  Of course, no real exercise at all yet, unless trick-or-treating counts.