OH, Lee, it's contagious.
OK,
Wed: 2 short swim sessions
Thurs: 40 min swim, then 1 mile sock to track, then some weights, then on to the next thing (chicken pot pie!)
I've started driving with a cushion, then a dryer ball on the right side of my tailbone (ok my right butt cheek). Seems to be helping a LOT. Weird problems, weird solutions? Still hurts to run, but not as much. Lee, I don't know where you heard the bad temps for only one more week. The 10 day forecast still looks the same same same same same same same...............................................
What I hate about this winter is that, as a person who normally needs to be outside every day, even in winter, even just to walk, I no longer even LIKE being outdoors. I haven't even wanted to be outside in weeks. BLECH to this winter. Taking all the fun out of everything.
Well, I've been out of the Midwest for the majority of my adult life, but I simply cannot remember a winter like this. (Edit: OK, just looked it up, this is the coldest winter since 81-82, and apparently the 70s had a lot of cold winters, so my memory has been distorted by the more recent hyper hiber-reasonableness.) Last week when it got up to around freezing I had to remind myself that this is what a normal winter feels like. I think our average temp in January is supposed to be 19F. This year most days in December and January have been in the single digits or worse. I was chatting with the Discovery Club (after-school program) director yesterday, and she was complaining about how hard it's been to deal with the kids' pent-up energy. Normally they go outside to play for at least an hour when it's 20F or above, but this year they've been cooped up inside most of the time.
This was in this morning's paper:
http://www.startribune.com/nation/244046161.html?page=all&prepage=2&c=y#continue
I don't know about Michigan, but the accuweather forecast is for a slight warm-up today and tomorrow, then three more days of bitter cold, but then close to freezing on Wednesday, and even 40s the following week! I'm going to try to get in a little bare running tomorrow afternoon in the fairgrounds, either back-n-forths on Underwood or short loops near the parking lot/bus stop, but hopefully by next week sometime I'll be able to bare it all pretty regularly again on out-n-backs.
Nonetheless, I can't get over how great the Sockwa G4s are. They really make shod running bearable. In fact, I don't mind running in them at all. I don't really notice I have them on. I love how I can feel every crevice and bump of the compacted snow with just a slight chill (with socks on) or slight numbness (without socks). The perfect winter shoe!
Anyway, yesterday run-commutes and then Squats. I used to hate back squats, now I love 'em. And those overhead squats are killer for your obliques! Today I'll do my MINT and rows and then tomorrow dips and other pec/tricep stuff, along with my third proper run of the week. I'm really back in the groove. I love feeling a little sore every day. I think next week I'll start trying to do my maxes again. Right now I have a tremendous urge to get my squat and deadlift maxes up into the 1.5BW range. I notice the strength work while running. I feel so much stronger and smoother and solid (how I look running is another story). I've also figured out how to stretch out my hammies on a window sill with my sit-stand desk in standing position. So I get a leg up on my work a couple of times a day. Having the hammies nice and loose really helps me keep my energy-flow going while sitting. Also just standing periodically really helps.
Hopefully, by the end of next week, I'll be ready for my first long run in ages.
