Workout update

I have been spending the last few weeks running a sort of "maintenance" fitness routine. This is the first time that I have actually gotten back out running consistently after recovering from a marathon. I'd considered a couple of options for what to do now that the big race was over; one was just to do some more base building. Lots of long slow miles. But that just sounded really boring and too similar to what I had been doing. So it was really a very easy and natural decision to go with my initial idea which was to spice things up with a "routine of variety". An oxymoron if ever there was one.

Trouble is most of my running would have to be lumped together on my three days off, Friday thru Sunday. Ten hour days make it tough to add a run on either end of my time at work and that is especially true in the evenings when there is usually some type of commitment to the boys in addition to making and eating dinner. Plus most of the time I'm too stinking tired anyway. So Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the days I can count on to run.

I had read somewhere, likely Runnersworld, that if you only had three days to run each week a combination of hills, speed and distance was the best use of your time. Sounded good to me. I especially liked the part of incorporating a weekly speed workout into the mix. In my early running days a few years back, speedwork was my staple. That's pretty much all I did, I think because that's all I knew how to do. Any distance was a totally foreign idea.

The rest of the weekly just kinda fell into place after that. Work offers a 45 minute spin class twice a week during my lunch hour (15 minutes to shower up) and so it made sense to take advantage of that opportunity. The classes are short but intense and I like the idea of cross training and doing something "no impact" while not race training. So Tuesday and Thursday I can get my workout in during the day - which is sweet. The only drawback has been staying consistent with it. Between my work conflicts and the instructors, I probably only attend half the scheduled sessions. I need to work on my end and try to do a better job scheduling around the class but that might be tough. As the days get longer it may be easier to go for a short evening run on days I was not able to spin.

That leaves me with Monday and Wednesday as rest days with the possibility of some easy runs when the chance comes up and I feel the need. But days off are a good thing too.

I've been looking at some races coming up. If I actually sign up for one I would need to give up on the current plan and adjust to race training. Not sure what distance that would be. Ran into Justin today and he mentioned wanting to do the Newport Marathon in June. that would be ambitious. Randy and I had talked about during the Helvetia Half since he has never done it. And I would really like to do that Bridges to Brew, just because it finishes with an ice cold chewy Hefeweizen. So those are some good possibilities. Until then, I'll just keep with my little plan.