Sweat Session

I ran 2.5 miles on a treadmill in 30 minutes. (This is a combination of running and 2 minutes warm up and 2 minutes cool down walking). Not too fast. Then, I switched to the eliptical trainer to do a 15 minute hill workout. At this point, my out of shape legs were getting tired. The old Sarah would have plowed trough another 30 -45 minutes of cardio, but since I am trying to be reasonable and gradual I decided it was time for abs. V-ups, crunches, side sit ups, bikers, pendulums - quite a little routine. It burns because it is working. :) I even had a healthy lunch - quinoa and sweet potatoes with brewers yeast....and a brownie (which I made from scratch so it can't be too bad, right?).

So I am starting this whole thing out as around at pushing a size 6 (on a good day, I am in a 4). There is a killer pair of jeans in the back of my closet that I need to be into by May for my own sanity). Wish me luck.

Running Again

For those of you that know me from way back when, I am a runner at heart. I was running competitively even before middle school...which might be hard for some to understand. I stopped competing in high school, but kept running. And kept running. And kept running. I had periods in my life where I would be on a running vacation, but I always went back. The weight gain was a little annoying! Sadly, many months have been lost to injury or illness: mono, four months of repeated strep and staph infections followed by tonsilectomy, stress fractures in both feet (yes it is important to buy good shoes often), broken ankle, torn peroneal, turf toe, and general soreness. I have had more injuries from running than from skiing (sounds odd it a way), but I still miss being a runner. Right now, I am a "recreational and gym bound" jogger, which is a little depressing. This year, I have agreed to run the Klondike Road Relay (Skagway to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory with a relay team) and am slowly being convinced to run the Mayor's Half Marathon this June with my girlfriends. I woke up this morning with a thought. "There are going to be people that are faster than me." That is when it happened. The old Sarah kicked in.....

My sister is going to read this and think "There she goes again". She is all too familiar with the inevitable overtraining that occurs and the resulting injuries that make me depressed. This time, I will be careful. I will take it slow. I will try to blog about the gradual training method as proof. The Mayor's Half is not until June. I have the time to be gradual and relaxed. Off to the gym...