Some cardio, some things I'll change, and some ugly xmas sweater.

This morning I decided not to leave my workout up to the whimsy of a coin-flip and decided that I would so some low-impact cardio.  I did Cathe's Low Impact Sweat again from her ICE series.

I don't know if I've mentioned this in a previous post about this workout because I am too lazy to go back and look, but this workout is really two workouts (not including the little bonus workouts she throws in on every disc in the series): two twenty-minute cardio workouts, one without a step and one with a step.  This morning was the first time I've ever actually done both workouts together, and it's my first time ever doing the second workout that involves the step.  It is also the first time I realized that I have been missing out by not doing that second workout--my heart rate was pretty high, the exercises were fun and interesting, and, you know, I got to use my step, which is always a good time.

You know what else is a good time?  Thinking about what the heck I'm going to do until my next marathon training cycle begins on January 1st, because random deciding every day just isn't my thing.  I'm also thinking about what I will change/continue to do during my next round of marathon training so I can better hit that 4:05 time goal:

1) Get my eating together.  What does this mean?  No more junk and no more "well, I'm training for a marathon so I can eat this little piece of junk" because, inevitably, that little piece of junk turns into a whole lot of little pieces.  It also means eating veggies twice a day on the regular whether I like it or not.  It's not like I was going crazy during the last 4 months, but I was slipping on the whole junk and veggies thing a little and I need to reign that back in.

2) Do more long runs without large dog.  While he is definitely going to be upset and my baseboards will pay dearly, breaking up my runs to drop him off at the house may not have been doing me any favors.  I need to get those long runs done in one shot.

3) Do ALL of those long runs at the right pace.  I plan on using the Run Less, Run Faster plan again, and this time I am going to do my best to do those long runs at the pace indicated in the plan.  I also plan on doing all five of those 20 milers this time--no excuses.

4) Keep on consistently getting those workouts done.  I do have to pat myself on the back for getting in almost all of my workouts--and I did every single tempo run on the schedule, which is something that hasn't happened in a long time.  I know it boosted my confidence greatly before race day.

5) Keep boring all of you with posts about my workouts and any other fitness-related thing that pops into my head.  You're welcome.

6) Keep posting dumb pictures of myself with cat trees and treadmills in the background.  Since I don't have one from this morning's workout, this picture of me in my ugly Christmas sweater will just have to tide you over.

To the learnings!

• Just because a workout is labeled "low impact" doesn't mean "easy."  If you don't believe me you can talk to my glutes right now.
• That second workout this morning was a seriously fun cardio workout on the step.  You should check it out.
• So it seems I'm going to be winging my workouts until January 1st.  Let's see if I actually let myself recover.
• Why yes, those are sleigh cats attached to Santa's sleigh on my sweater.

Tomorrow's workout: Maybe running.  Maybe not.  Who knows?  We'll see what my glutes want in the morning.