I like running, but I love me some cross-training, too. Why? Let us count the ways, gentle (or not so gentle) readers:
1) I get to ride to nowhere on my precious spin bike, which I love more by the day and perhaps even the hour. I have found that my legs are fresher (i.e., not tight, sore, and begging for mercy for 3 miles) and more ready for the abusive runs that I must do on the training plan in the My Run Plan app.
2) I get to secretly (not so secretly now, I guess) wear knee-high compression socks all day at work so my legs feel one step closer to fabulous by the end of the day.
But these Ragnar socks are fabulous all by
themselves.
3) Because cross-training, or getting up off my ass and working out as I used to call it before all the running lingo entered my life, is what helped me not look like this anymore.
WANTED: More cross-training. And good eating habits.
4) Back selfies after repeatedly lifting heavy things. And lots of them.
5) This picture has nothing to do with cross-training. Just wanted to show everyone I do exist in normal human clothing for most of the day even if this human isn't all that normal.
Even the cat can sense my abnormality.
Post is over. Read the learnings and clean up after yourself before you leave:
The bike is fast becoming a fave piece of equipment I wish I had invested money in purchasing sooner.
Don't tell my treadmill I just said that; it has jealous tendencies.
When you can't sit down properly and it's been 3 days since that long run that destroyed you, compression socks underneath your work pants it is.
Do people really lift weights for other reasons besides back selfies? Really? Huh.
While I do wear real clothes, the world would be a better place if I could wear running clothes to work. Truly it would.
Tomorrow's workout: Another "REALLY, TRAINING PLAN?!?" 13 mile threshold workout. Buh.
Where have I been lately? Oh...just doing a few things.
Some running with large dog out in the country...and taking bad selfies with him. Or trying to, anyway.
So much country nothingness.
He must think the camera is in the ground.
Either this run is blessed by the heavens or an alien
spaceship is about to land.
Large dog goes DERP
I also did some outdoor biking...
FYI: that's me.
At least my bike knows how to look at the
camera...unlike large dog.
...and some indoor biking because 20 mph winds and I'm a wimp.
NOW we know how female cat maintains her girlish figure.
Never bike indoors without proper supervision.
This is just so you know I actually was on the bike. At least
for this picture.
I even attended some graduations. None of them mine.
Look, Ma, no workout clothes!
But mostly I have been pondering why workout clothing manufacturers insist on finding ways to make you look naked...even if it's behind your back.
Not naked on the front...
Kinda naked on the back.
Less pictures, more learnings:
I've been pretty darn busy with work this week. I promise my stupid posts will be back up on the regular soon.
While I wish I could have ridden my bike outside today, it was way better being able to watch TV instead of internally whining about the wind for 21 miles.
I'm just not understanding all this nakedness. I'm glad only the farm fields have to see mine.
Tomorrow's workout: Easy run, kids, because it's race week!
Small win #1: Actually getting up on time (3:45 AM) and slamming out my easy 3-miler even though I didn't get home until almost 10:30 PM. Even the dogs were impressed, as you can see.
Woot woot!
Small win #2: Hubbs snapping a sneaky pic of me dressed like a real person just so you realize I don't walk around in running gear 24/7. Plus super happy small bonus dog.
Small win #3: I had a flying pig on the back of my leg while running.
Small win #4: Carrots triumphed over delicious junk this afternoon. Yay carrots!
So much learning from just a few pictures:
Everyone deserves a woot woot for getting out there and getting the run done.
Hubbs didn't get my awesome shoes in the pic of me dressed in normal clothes, which is a damn shame because they are super awesome maroon suede high heels.
Instead of my cool high heels, you'll have to settle for the flying pig logo on my tights.
Ever seen a grown woman angrily eat carrots while wildly eyeing a plate of cookies? Some of my so-workers did today.
Tomorrow's workout: Probably some Cathe Boot Camp just to let the soreness wear off in my upper body that's still there from all that weight lifting this week.
It's Thursday, people, and that means I have to get up an hour earlier than normal to get to work super early (it's a regular Thursday thing). Since "an hour earlier" means "3 AM," I wisely schedule a short 3 mile run as a workout on Thursdays. I got the large dog in his running duds and away we went into the darkness.
Too cool to look at the camera.
Now, I get a lot of questions about running with large dog so I put together this helpful FAQ for everyone, because we all know how helpful my FAQs are. (Clarification: They're not.)
Did you have to teach your dog to run with you or did he just, you know, run with you?
I had to teach him how to behave on a leash first. And by "behave" I mean "walking without having to sniff every piece of gravel and blade of grass while pulling as hard as he can on the leash, almost tearing my arm out of its socket." After he learned how to behave, we went for longer and longer walks. And then that progressed to slow runs, and, then, you know, to faster and longer runs.
Why did you want to run with your dog, anyway?
Because I like my drywall and baseboards where they are instead of in his stomach. Also, the cats don't like being covered in slobber, either.
Does running wear your dog out, then?
Let's just say that after a run, the cats' heads are safe for about 10 minutes. Then they better take cover.
Does running with a dog affect your pace at all?
Large dog runs like a complete rookie every single time--he starts out too fast and then, just when you need him to pull you through the last few miles of that 10 mile tempo, he bails on you and finally starts running beside you.
Also, him yanking me into ditches for no reason and trying to chase cars by yanking you in the opposite direction does tend to slow your pace.
Does it ever bother you to run with a dog?
Well, besides the aforementioned ditch-yanking and car-chasing, he also constantly turns around to check to see if I'm still behind him.
"Still there? Good."........"Still there? Good.".........."Still there? Good."........ times 3,000,000.
Buh.
Do you take him to races?
Yes. And everyone cheers him on when they first see him coming. But then, when they see me attached to him, start half heartedly rooting for me as an afterthought.
Do the cats ever thank you for taking him running and saving their heads?
No. Because they are cats. They punish me for the head-eating by touching me with their claws on my face at 2:30 AM.
After the run, small dog kept photobombing my post-run selfie and the phone kept taking pictures as I tried to shoo him out of the selfie area.
I think he just couldn't keep himself away from my running outfit. I have to admit it was pretty much a train wreck; you just can't look away from something that looks that bad. But when it's 3:45 AM and you're getting dressed for a run, making sure your clothes coordinate isn't exactly a priority.
Large dog, however, thought my prioritization skills when dressing for work worked out nicely.
Nice outfit. Now for some cat heads.
This is proof I don't exist entirely in running clothes. Although that sure would be nice.
From this post we have learned:
I still suck at writing FAQs.
That is one of the best night running selfies I've ever taken.
I think large dog thinks we're training for an obstacle course race with all that ditch-yanking and car chasing.
Cats. They never appreciate anything you do for them.
Those boots make my feet look huge. Because they are, I guess (9.5).
Tomorrow's workout: My last tempo on the training schedule! And of course it's at the fastest tempo pace of the plan!
