Winter's Not So Bad

Today the kids didn't have school and Pete worked from home so I just got up at 7 and headed to the gym. Ok, so I didn't really get out of there until 7:30, but I was trying to hurry. In fact, I was in such a hurry, and so worried about waking the baby that I forgot my ipod and a towel. Did I just go home, though? No way!

Here is what my plan said to do today for running:

R: 60 minutes. 10 minute warm up, then do 20 second strides before returning to RPE 3 pace. Repeat strides every 5 minutes until the end of the workout.

I also left my plan in my bag - down in the locker room - so I had to go off of memory, and for some reason I thought it said to start doing strides after 40 minutes. I don't know where I got that from, now that I look at it, but that's what I did.

I don't know what the deal was today, but I just wasn't feeling it. Where were my endorphins today? I had to run down to use the restroom about half-way through. The track is on the third floor of the building, and I ran up all the stairs on my way back. This probably wasn't the smartest thing to do because my knee hurt for the rest of the time. This made me think of how my knee felt for most of the marathon and I was just not feeling excited to do it again. In fact, let me think, yep, I'm still not excited to do it again. It's just not as fun to run without music, so I'm blaming it on that.

I brought Hammer Gel and a water bottle this time so I drank those as I walked my last lap. I think it helped because I felt fine for the swim:

S: speed day
wu: 300 continuous. slowly increasing pace each 100
main: 20 x 50, odds at RPE 4, evens at RPE 9! (They put that exclamation point,  not me)
cd: 150 easy, hold form

This was a pretty nice workout because I got to swim as fast as I could for a lap, then take it easy, then go fast again and so on. My even laps were usually about 1:00 and my fast laps were about :50.

I used their built-in blow-dryer and my running pants legs to get dry - in case you were wondering how that worked out. It actually worked out surprisingly well. I never need to bring a towel again! (Oh come on, you know I'm kidding)

It was nice to go home and not have to go anywhere today, but I think the kids all got a little stir crazy and watched too many movies. Elle took a really long nap, and I had dinner in the crockpot (Orange-Apricot Pork Chops, so yummy!) before she even went to sleep. 

I used all that time to be lazy and read my book. If you're ever feeling like you're having a hard winter, just read Ordeal by Hunger: The Story of the Donner Party. Actually, don't read it if you get squeamish. I'm afraid some of the mental images are going to be in my mind for a while. But it is also such an amazing story of heroism and survival.  What some people went through to save those who were trapped is amazing. And talk about stir crazy - being shut in a little cabin, covered in snow all winter!

Anyway, I'm reading it because I just love history stuff... did you know that they came right through the Salt Lake Valley? They actually kind of made the road that the Mormon pioneers used to get here the following year, and I've actually ridden my bike on close to the same trail. Man, what a hard trip. We are so blessed to have cars and airplanes and sturdier clothes and easier to pack food and warm beds and.... My list could go on and on. I just peeked in on Elle, and I'm just so happy to see her tucked in all snug and content in her bed. We are surly blessed.