New Routine

Time for a new weight-lifting workout from Muscle and Fitness! I went to the gym today and tried it out (with lighter weights) so I'll be ready to start on Monday. I went to "tone and sculpt" on Tuesday, and I need to work on the toning ... or the sculpting ... or both! to keep up! 

Who's in?! It's good to have a challenge over the holidays, so you don't want to eat as much - or so you burn more calories and you can eat more! 

I have two new "crustless" pie recipes to try. One pumpkin and one pumpkin/pecan. That, with sweet potato casserole, and fig-stuffed turkey should get us through Thanksgiving without missing traditional stuffing! I also have four new spatulas, because the first two apparently weren't made for stovetop cooking (how do you scramble eggs then???) and a new pan, so I'm ready to go!
Here's Chico outside. Hopefully one more marathon raking session and we'll be done with the leaves this year. He isn't very helpfull beyond peeing on the piles before we pick them up. Ew.

Yesterday, I ran 5 miles, and all my miles were under 11:00 minute (while I was running. The program adjusted a little after I got back and gave me 11:02 for mile 4, but I'm ignoring it. My average was 10:50). I'm hoping to get some PRs in the holday races (Thanksgiving day and "jingle jog").

I was really happy with my times, and had a great run. Depending on what I do at the gym, my legs are tired, so I've been having a lot of meh runs lately, but this one felt great from start to finish. Well, mentally. My arms were sore from tone and sculpt, but you don't run with your arms, right?

The whole time I was just thinking that sometimes you feel like you can distill all your hard work into one moment. Usually it's a race, since your progress is being measured, but if you can see your times improve on a run, or you just hit that runner's high just right, sometimes that works too. I know I'm still not "athletic" (unless you count mini golf!!), but I am a runner! I'm not trying to hit 100 miles this month for the first time in a while -- April is the only time this year I didn't make it, and I have notes that I was "sick" in my log. Instead I'm going to run a mile to warm up before lifting, do the cardio classes at the gym, and try to run on "off" days, hopefully three times a week--we'll see how it works out, especially in week 3! I still need to chart it so I'll have an idea what I'm supposed to be doing!