What Else?

A few years ago, I realized that as much as I loved to run, running on the treadmill for 4 dreary cold months, or outside in the dark coldness, did not do as much for my soul as I had come to expect from my runs.  And so, I started adding in a few other activities.

I started and completed P90x three times.  I still ran on top of the P90x and I found that this combination was an incredible full body workout.  I had toned arms for the first time in my entire life.  Even when I ran in college, the weight training we did was light and was mainly targeted to help us get stronger and faster for running.  P90x gave me a little bit of everything and I liked it.

But, the P90x program AND running was very time consuming.  Plus, I had to be up and ready to workout by 4am.  Plus, I started to have knee and leg pain that culminated in me having surgery on my knee a few months ago.

In the intermediate time period, before my knee diagnosis, I began backing off the running and backing off any P90x that worked my lower body and I started just doing the upper body strength workouts and yoga.  A yoga day is a part of the P90x program, but it is the same yoga workout every time.  To add some variety, and with the knowledge that I would never have the time to go to an actual yoga class, I started downloading yoga practice sessions from the Yoga Today website.  I love that they have weekly free classes.  I love that they are always adding new classes.  And I love the variety of practice types and levels.  My favorite instructor is Adi because her practices tend to be more athletic and strength based and less of me trying to twist myself into impossible poses.  She has a lot of practices that include core strength and specific practices for runners, or climbers or hikers.

And I found out that yoga did LOTS for my soul.  I also believe that it has helped lower my blood pressure and increased my flexibility and arm strength.  Last night, I did a yoga practice after a particularly stressful day and I could really feel the tension leaving my back and shoulders.  And my upward dog stretched out the stress in my chest and back and the twisting poses tightened my abs.  Now I can feel myself craving more.

I am slowly increasing my running times and distances.  I am probably taking it easier than I need to, but I am cautious and I want to make my sure that I respect my knees and and help them to give me many more years of running.  And what I have discovered over the last few years is that just as I enjoy running on different terrain and different trails and different routes, my body likes the variety of different workouts and different muscle use.

I am always looking for the time and opportunity to throw in an active adventure or two.  But, since my time seems to be limited, my current fitness goals are:

1. to continue increasing my running, three times a week still, for now. My thought, is that when I reach 30 minutes of running and my knee is not sore on my off days, I can start adding in short runs on those in between days.

2. to do upper body strength work twice a week

3. to do abdominal workouts 3 to 4 times a week.

4. to do at least one yoga practice a week.  Even though I prefer working out in the morning, my evening yoga last night was so very therapeutic, I may try to do a second yoga practice a week, in the evening, on a regular basis.

This still seems like a lot.  But, all these things are usually done by 5:45 am.  So, my final goal is to get enough sleep so that my 4am alarm makes me actually get out of bed.  Because, on the days that I do, my days start off on the right foot, and I feel centered and ready to begin the day.