Am I turning into...gasp...a morning person?

Yet another morning begun with exercise! We met for an 8:15 tennis game (thanks, Sharon) which I followed up with a good run. Robert did drop me off and I did the 4+ mile run home with about quarter of a mile done at the walk. This time I avoided the hairy Harding Avenue but cutting through to our trail system and coming up that way. That was a much better way to go - beautiful, shaded, and I think the varied terrain is good for my legs.

I'm anxious to try the Country Club - Arrington - Luster's Gate - Plank - Arrington loop and see if I can handle the hills any better now.

I can't imagine running without the iPod now. LOVE it!

..in my powerlifting days - squatting 265# in the 132# class

Still on track

OK, so the weight has plateau-ed. Not surprising, and it's not deterring me. Got up and got to the gym at 6:30 AM (AM!!). It was tough to get moving and I swear gravity was a little on the high side - closer to 10 m/s^2? The whole workout, including 20 of the loooooongest minutes ever on the eliptical, took me about 70 minutes. It's interesting how you can make a set harder or easier depending on speed, range of motion, whether you accelerate in there or just go really steady. I'm trying to focus on the slow steady burn with good form, but that's tough to do on leg extensions and leg curls. They just never feel quite "pure" - it's too easy to throw in a few other muscle groups for good measure. Ahhhh....nothing like the killer burn of a good powerlifting squat.

I had a tennis lesson today too and felt surprisingly pretty good...relative to my own skill set that is. I tried to chill a little on the deep shots - just get there, take my time, and boom - accelerate up and over with a firm grip. When I rush and get panicky it all starts to fall apart. The kids had a lesson before me and I took advantage of the time to get a really good stretch in. Hmmm... wonder if that helped too?

Tomorrow Sharon, Gail and I are hitting at 8:15. My plan then is to get Robert to drop me off at the courts and then after tennis I will jog the 5 miles home. Hopefully I can stash my racquet somewhere then.

One question - after tennis and sweating a small gusher of sweat, I could not quench my thirst despite cup after cup after cup of water. I finally got a Gatorade which seemed a waste of 150 calories, but it seemed to do the trick. Are there other thirst-quenching options out there?

I did it!

This morning I took off from the house determined to run/walk for one hour. I covered precisely 5 miles, I know this because I just retraced it with the car. Of that, I jogged precisely the first 4 miles and walked/avoided being run over for the last mile. I ran from the house to Plank Drive and back. The Luster's Gate part is great - gently sloping, wide bike lane, but pretty flat. The stretch on Harding is pretty hairy with bends and no shoulder. There I mostly focused on staying alive. I'm actually rather happy about this. I don't think I've ever run four miles. Sad, I know!!

I saw a whole "herd" of big, black vulture looking things that were perched along the guardrail, waiting for me to keel over I think. It was also fun on the way back when a cute bay horse at the Jaasma's saw me and trotted alongside the fence as I went!

The outside of my right ankle has a bothersome spot that I'm hoping is just growing pains as I get into this fitness routine. I don't want to find out it's the shoes....

Very fun tennis night

The highlight of the day was definitely tennis. Between the dismal weather all day and the fact that it's the jam-packed last week of school around here, the ladies did not turn out for WTA tennis. I almost didn't either as I lapsed into a coma-like nap around 4:30. I got up around 6, saw the tennis email reminder and that one of the new summer assistants would be there, and made a snap decision to go. Had Robert fussed, I never would have, but he gave me the go-ahead. I left without even eating the spaghetti he had made. It was great, I ran around alot, and having two experienced players to my inexperience pushed me to try a little harder. I need to carry that with me regardless of who else is on the court. (note to self: those darned overheads...just get over it and get those under control...stop wasting time flubbing those!!)

Michelle, I liked your comment on the last post that getting sleep and being rested is key to maintaining motivation and staying on track. I think you are absolutely right.

Today's report: cardio - eliptical and tennis to a degree; strength - did the prescribed upper body workout and enjoyed (in a sick sort of way) the 100 reps of the core stuff with the medicine ball; stretching - check; food - good, but I caved and had five of those chocolate Newman-Os cookies...sometimes a girl's just gotta get that chocolate thing in. I certainly didn't need five...but the will was weak.

Things feel good and I'm planning on a nice run tomorrow afternoon. I'm thinking I'll take the dog and try out the cross-country course at VT or head to Pandapas Pond. I'd like to push and do a solid hour of maybe 60% running/40% walking.

I haven't weighed myself in days...I'm feeling bloat-y and don't want to see what the scale says quite yet.

Up too late

My sleeping patterns -- well -- lack a pattern. Last night I went to bed at 9 pm, now it's almost 1 am. Just too much to do, I guess.

Tennis: 90 min clinic and it was just two of us so I got my heart rate up a few times!

Food: on track

That's it. Too tired to say much else. Tomorrow it's to the gym then tennis in the evening!