I’m only a few weeks out from my next training cycle so it’s time to start getting my body into a regular schedule. These next 5 weeks I’ll be ramping up my running and figuring out the best way to cross train to stay injury free this year. Most importantly, I’ll be using DailyMile and this blog to help me me accountable and on track. I’m almost certain that this time frame will be harder than the actual training cycle because I’ll be traveling the entire time. Between five different states and three different time zones, working out will be a challenge, but if I want to run sub 2:00 this year, I’ve got to stick to my plan and not back down.

The first full week of January was a great starting point. New classes were starting at the gym and with other people making resolutions, you can’t help but have a little extra motivation. This quarter I’ll be taking two classes, I was hoping for more, but classes are limited in the evening. Body Fusion is a new class at the rec this year, and I was excited to try it. It starts with a half hour of lifting, ab work and squats and the second half of the class is 30 minutes of yoga. This class couldn’t be more perfect for me because lifting was something I desperately needed help with. Following it up with a half hour of yoga was great to unwind and let me body relax again. The second class I’ll be taking will be Yoga again. Unfortunately because of the water issues this week, the rec center was closed Thursday, so that meant the only way to get some yoga in was a DVD that I had at home.

Monday: Body Fusion Class – 30 minutes of lifting/abs/squats & 30 minutes of yoga

Tuesday: 3 Miles

Wednesday: 2 Miles

Thursday: Yoga – 30 Minutes at home

Friday: Off

Saturday: 3 Miles

Sunday: 7 Miles

Total Miles: 15 Miles

This week I completely fell in love with running again. It’s taken a long time, but I finally reached the point where I look forward to every run again. I’m no longer looking for excuses, but rather keep pushing myself further. There have been points where I thought I was ready to come back, but now I’m ready to get out there and run as much as I can. I even made the decision on my fall race, but more on that later.

Tuesday was my first run on back on the track in a long time. I also started going straight from work, which helps combat the couch keeping me captive all night. Most of the machines were taken and the track was pretty busy, but I will gladly choose the track over the treadmill any day. I was a little tight still from Monday’s class, but nothing a few stretches couldn’t get rid of. I followed Tuesday’s run with a short run on Wednesday. My legs were extremely tight, so I kept it short, but gave it all I had, finishing in 16:29. I’m no where near what I used to be able to run, but I’m hoping these runs over the next couple weeks are the slowest I run all year.

Saturday I had to take advantage of the perfect weather, so I made sure to get a few miles in. I already had plans to get a long run in on Sunday, so I kept it short and managed to get in a little over three miles. The sidewalks were mostly clear, with a few exceptions, and I was able to explore some new streets in a nearby neighborhood. I’ve been fortunate enough to move to a location that allows me to run from neighborhood to neighborhood so the amount of routes I can take just keeps growing.

I finished up the weekend with my first long run of the year. I ran with Crystal, a fellow MCRR member and we headed out on a nearby trail. Footing wasn’t the best, as part of the trail still had some ice on it, but it was so nice to explore a new path and not have to run alone. With the trail and part of my neighborhood we ended up covering seven miles. I felt great and it was the perfect confidence booster to keep me on the right track. I’m thrilled with how much I was able to accomplish this week and hope that it continues to get better from here on out!

Did you start fresh in the beginning of January? Would you rather run on the treadmill or indoor track?