Incommunicado

I don't even know if that's how you spell that, but I'll let it stand.

So, it's been what, a week or so since I posted last? Too long and that's more a product of being busy than slacking off. Work has generally been hit and miss, but I've been working steadily on some long term projects that have taken up more time than I thought, and I've gotten a few other items of more urgency added to my plate as well.

Plus, we spent a long weekend in the Midwest with the in-laws, so I really didn't have any opportunity to write anything from Thursday night through Monday. And I failed to pack my motivation to run, so you'll notice a nice four day gap in my training there as well.

Nothing very mind-blowing to report on the running front. I'm still mostly on track with my training for the half marathon and have a 7 miler planned for this Sunday, even though we'll be in DC for a wedding for the weekend. I'll post that route and elevation on Monday after we get back. I'm hoping I won't get off track with this run like I did with my run back in July. I'll be running mostly on Rock Creek Park Trail, so it'll be more difficult to go off the path this time around.

I have made good strides with my cross training, however. I started going to yoga classes at our nearby studio. My wife has gone for more than a year and has really liked it. Plus, she got me a free one-month membership for $15 (they normally want $99 a month!) to try it out, so I thought, why not? I can go to unlimited classes until September 15 and have gone to three thus far. And I have to admit that I really like it. It's pretty difficult for me, mainly because I'm about as flexible as a piece of steel. But also because I've never done (practiced?) yoga before. But, I've stuck to the beginners courses and have improved each time.

The challenge of the stretches and poses, mixed with the focus on relaxation of your mind and body appeal to me, I guess. At this point, of course, I'm just trying to make it through the class without falling over like an oaf, but I think as one practices more, you go beyond trying to physically do it and begin to focus on the mental aspects of yoga. Certainly, your improved strength and flexibility play a part in that as well.

As it stands, I sweat more in yoga class than I do while running (unless it's exceptionally hot out when I'm running, which is rare)! In fact, the only time I've sweat more was when I played squash in prep school and college. I went to a class last night and was dripping, literally, by like 20 minutes in. I weighed myself before and after class and found that I lost 3 pounds in 75 minutes! And this was not a "hot yoga" class! But, I drank a liter of water afterwards and felt really fine. Fine enough to head out for an easy run this morning.

I'm going to try to go twice per week until my month trial expires. After that, I plan on going at least once per week to the community classes they offer. The community classes are taught by the same instructors, but they're much cheaper. So, a monthly membership is $99, which is pretty high. We already spend $70 per month on the gym (that's for each of us...they don't have a family membership option, to my chagrin). Spending another $200 a month is a lot to ask, even though we both very much enjoy yoga. If you pay per class, it's $16. The community classes, however, are a cool $6 (cash only), which is much more reasonable. We can each go once per week and spend about $50 a month, which is a bargain.

Ideally, I'd like to go twice per week, but the community class schedule doesn't really fit my schedule wherein I could attend two classes per week, and I can find other things to use that ~$25 per month on anyway. So, I'm going to look into getting some sort of DVD program.

So, we'll see how it goes. I'll give it a few more weeks before I make any final pronouncements about yoga's ability to relax my muscles and mind and improve my flexibility, although I have felt great after all three classes. Even after the first class, which was painful and made me sore the next day, I felt good and slept like a baby.

Embryonic Cross Training Routine

Now that I've gotten my running legs back, somewhat, I need to add cross training to my weekly routine. In the past, this has been a weak spot for me, as it's much easier to classify a rest day as a day to sit on one's ass, rather than as a day to do some activity that's not running. I'm certain this has put a ceiling on my fitness in the past and this time around, I'd like to fix that.

But, I also know that going to gym and lifting some weights and riding the stationary bike won't cut it, either. For one thing, I don't know what the hell I'm doing when it comes to weight training. And I don't want to pay for a personal trainer. So, the strength training will be a relatively smaller proportion of the routine than it might be were I not aiming for endurance over building lots of muscle. Secondly, I like variety and get bored in the gym easily. Doing the same routine twice or three times per week for years at a time is not for me. Thirdly, I'm not flexible at all and so my cross training must integrate some activity that improves that deficiency to further help me avoid injury over the longer term.

So, I think I am going to try a series of activities on my non-running days and we'll see how it goes. First, spinning classes. I don't own a road bike and frankly, riding a bike in Baltimore is a terrifying prospect. Spinning classes are free at my gym and can burn serious calories while building endurance over time.

Next: basic strength training exercises like some light free weights, push ups, core work, etc.

Next: a consistent stretching routine for running and non-running days. Admittedly, I have no concrete idea as to what this will entail. But it sounds pretty great, right?

Finally: yoga. A. has gone to hot yoga classes off and on for a few years now and she likes it a lot. Our local studio offers community classes weekly for beginners at $6 a pop, so that sounds like a good place to start. Once a week is perfectly fine.

We'll see how this goes for the next few weeks and adjust as necessary.