Still here!

Some of my favorite bloggers are doing a November challenge where they write every single day. That gives me lots to read, which I love, but it's not something that works for me. Why? Because I only write at the intersection of two conditions: 1) time to write, and 2) something to say. (Oh, and sometimes when Tim or Stacy bug me about not writing! :))

Well, today I'm writing because I don't want to mop my floors just yet. Yep, it's writing as as form of procrastination, but I do have the time to write, and I do have something to say.

I've decided that I like being in half-marathon shape, and I plan to train to stay that way. So my plan is to run a long-ish run every weekend, following this pattern: 13, 8, 11, 9. Two weeks ago I ran 13, and last weekend it was 8. Friday I ran 11, and next weekend it will be 9. Running is hard, but that's part of why it's so effective. (Incidentally, in a semi-related note, I'm wearing my size 2 pants and they fit with ease -- hooray!) (No, I will not be wearing them when I clean my floors!)

I have a client whose neck and upper back are chronically in spasm these days, and cause her pain and headaches. So we're not training the upper body at all. And I'm concerned about having her even hold weights when working her lower body, but I think I've found a solution -- dive weights! YEARS ago, I got certified in scuba diving, and in order to combat your body's buoyancy, you have to wear a weight belt. Well, I started thinking about that, and today I went out and bought a dive weight belt and some weight pouches. My hope is that this will enable her to do some weighted lower body exercises.

Again, thinking back, I have personal experience with working around injuries. When I was 27, I tore my ACL while skiing (it was only my 3rd time on skis!). At that time, I was doing exercise tapes by a company called The Firm (the tapes are still great, incidentally). So while I couldn't bend my knee or straighten it completely, I did what I could do, which was to do upper body weights. And then when I dislocated my shoulder several years back, it was all lower body, baby, and let me tell you, when you can only do lower body stuff, it shows in a very good way!

Next subject -- I have a new favorite 4 mile run. Yesterday I did it as as recovery run at a 9:07 pace and burned 633 calories (it's quite hilly!). For any locals who are interested, you start at my house and run to the trail. You do the upper trail, then the lower trail, go across Park into Whitney Oaks. Take the steep hill trail by the golf course to the top, then turn left on Park. Turn right on Crest and head back to the start -- that's 4 miles. My new goal is to do it at a sub-9:00 per mile pace, which will be tough because the hills, they are not gentle or easy!

Today's plan -- mop floors, kettlebell workout, church tonight (we go on Saturday nights, and this week there's a great speaker talking about the Lord's Prayer -- he gave the first part of a 3 part series last night, and it was THAT GOOD that I want to hear more tonight).