Monday; Feb. 21: An early morning commute to Salt Lake and then flying all day made for a day off.
Tuesday; Feb. 22: Arriving in Spokane late allowed me to sleep in and then get to the hotel gym for a weight lifting session of biceps, triceps, and abs. With limited time and a new hotel, I opted to jump on the ellipitical for an easy 5 miler. These days some of the nicer hotels have the fancy treadmills/ellipiticals have the TV screens attached right to the machine! (Seems we can't do without our media stimulation!) Tuning into the Today Show, Meredith Vieira had a few guests who were discussing the issues that women face when it comes to self body images. The claim is that through a study (? ), researchers have determined that many/most women have at least 13 negative thoughts about their bodies each day! And of course, many women have many more than 13 negative thoughts. Who knew? But then again, all of us girls can probably relate to this theory and most likely know of other women who have spoken/thought negative things about how they look. Personally, I am usually bashing my thighs and wishing my stomach was flatter....another friend of mine is not so happy that she is a size 38DD up top.....(ouchy when running!!) So, how do we eliminate/reduce these negative thoughts that cannot possibly be healthy mentally and often limit us from improving our self image? Well, "the study" and some common sense answers: 1. Exercise was/is at the top of the list. The physical as well as the mental benefits almost always yield a more positive self image. Also, as our bodies get healthier it is often easier to keep up the exercise. 2. Focus on your good features....maybe you have great hair, great arms, legs.. 3. Realize genetics play a certain role in how our bodies form and how we look....I will NEVER be tall or have really long legs....I also realize that natural thiness just doesn't happen in my family..being short and a bit round comes from both sides of the family. Work with what you are dealt. I know to be thin, I have to work at it...exercise and watch my diet. 4. Lastly, when you are having those negative thoughts, tell yourself to STOP having the thoughts....retrain your head to think positive thoughts about yourself. So, when I am bashing my thighs, I should tell myself that those tree trunks have carried the rest of me up Pikes Peak, across 50 mile races, through 100 mile weeks, and up an 8% grade while trotting.
Wednesday; Feb. 23: A very short night in Chicago and it was back to Minneapolis and Spokane again. Being one of those afternoon workouts and a blizzard outside forced our whole crew to end up in the hotel gym, along with the college wrestling teams! We all managed to get a decent workout accomplished and my own effort of weight lifting (shoulders, chest, abs) and 6 fast/hard miles on the ellipitical was a "standard, non descript, git 'er done" ordeal. This work week is definitely the one to take it easy with the running/weight lifting. We have a 455am van in the morning for a 6am departure!!! OUCH!!! Oddly enough, the flight will most likely be full. Where are you all going???
Thursday;Feb. 24: Waking up to a complete blizzard in Spokane this morning! While my head/body would like to have spent a few hours trotting along the river, Delta Airlines had other plans....with a 7am departure, it was off to work at 530am! OUch! Oh, we didn't depart til about 930am, but that was because Fifi (the Airbus 320) doesn't like the cold or snow and she is not a morning girl. So, we spent a couple of extra hours on the ground fixing her issues and finally getting deiced enough so we could actually see out of the cockpit. Finally on our way, I get a schedule change that sends me to Boston, arriving around 6pm and too late for any version of running or weight lifting. Luckily, this week was going to be an easy one.
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/feb/24/one-foot-snow-covers-region/
"No Problem, I don't need to see outside since I have an instrument rating."
Friday; Feb. 25: Another early morning departure with a 6am van from downtown Boston. Pouring down rain and about 35 degrees would have made an outdoor run a bit "interesting," but with a full morning of flying and then commuting home, it was to be another off day from running. Yes, sometimes even life and work gets in the way of running!
Saturday; Feb. 26: It was the typical first day home after a 5 trip. A slow slog fest of only 5 miles with Traysen; however, it was great to get out in the woods with him and get some mountain fresh air.
Sunday; Feb. 27: . Up and at 'em quite early today. In the gym by 5am for weight lifting of abs, legs, and chest and then out the door at 6am. The ole bones felt like Secretariat, the race horse. The story goes that it took him several strides to get his legs going and find his rhythm. Once the rhythm was found, he could run better than any other horse on the track. Well, I have never run better than any other "horse" on the track, but after warming up a bit, the ole legs can carry me plenty far and sometimes no too slow. Today's effort produced a nice 9 miler in about 1:45, running the dirt roads/trails near my house. Saw these two while out and about ......very lucky to see these guys almost every morning....
I think we interrupted their date! Oooppss..sorry...just passin' through....
Summary: Well, the easy week of running has come and is thankfully gone. The bones feel a bit rested, a few aches have disappeared or at least diminished and the spirit is renewed for some serious running in the coming weeks. Even though the total miles this week was 25, I am able to accept the "off" week and get right back to hard training next week. This is one one of those times where "life" gets in the way of running and for some folks it could be the beginning of a downward spiral into no running or exercise. That is where keeping the big picture in mind comes to the rescue; realizing that there will be times when "life" gets the better of our exercise efforts and the key is to stay consistent over time and return to a normal or some version of a workout schedule as quick as possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment