Shaking it up!

With my latest half marathon behind me, and my next one (ahem) 5 months away, I am ready to shake up my workout routine a bit - okay, a lot - and see what kinds of results I can get.  I've learned that the best way to move past a plateau or see a change in myself is to change what I do.  So, I plan to do a little experimenting and hopefully have lots of fun, sweat and laughs (not necessarily at my expense) along the way.

Right now, my weekly routine looks something like this:
Monday - yoga / run
Tuesday - Zumba
Wednesday - strength / run
Thursday - Zumba
Friday - strength
Saturday - long run
Sunday - rest (usually involves a walk; sometimes I do my long run on Sunday & rest/walk on Saturday.)

My strength workouts consist of Cybex machines, free weights, squats, lunges (sometimes), and a core routine that varies but usually includes some combination of planks, crunches, situps and the medicine ball.

I don't want to give up yoga and I don't want to give up Zumba.  I can give up some of the miles in my running, but I don't want to lose too much momentum and have to start at square one for half marathon training.  I'm thinking about perhaps incorporating an interval type workout into one of my weekly runs, where at various "stations" I'd stop to do pushups, mountain climbers, burpees, planks, etc.  That fun routine always incites lots of comments and looks of sheer horror from joggers and walkers along the route.  I could also turn one of my weekly runs into a trail run; in fact, one of my fitness goals for the year is to spend more time in the woods, and honestly, trail running uses some different muscles (not to mention mental agility!) that road running doesn't, so I'd likely see some results from it.

What I REALLY want to explore is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), like the Tabata method, CrossFit, Blast 900, etc.  I keep hearing and reading that interval training involving fast, powerful bursts of energy with very brief recovery periods is the golden ticket to burning fat.  I am also dying to try TRX at the Y and Barre Sculpt at Dance Stop to see if I can gain more definition in my muscles. Oh, and Piloxing...I almost forgot how much I loved the trial class I did late last year!  A pilates/kickboxing combo?  Does it get any better than that??

If time and money were no object, I'd join all the local studios and take classes every day.  Fortunately, there are free trial classes available for most everything, and even more fortunately, I have the Hot Mama's Definitive Guide to High Powered, Fat Burning, Muscle Sculpting Workouts from my friend Stacey.  (The title is my brainchild - you can thank me later, Stace.) Time to print those pages out, maybe invest in a Gymboss & hit the gym! 

Seriously, though, it's high time for me to get creative and put together a new weekly routine that will have me ready for pool season in approximately 2 months.  Any suggestions or advice you may have, bring it - I love to learn from the best.  Happy HIIT-ing!

Friends in low places...and high places, and slow places, and fast places

Tonight I had the pleasure of experiencing a candlelit yoga class.  It was absolutely magical, and I wish it could've lasted all night long.  Some of the magic carried over to the fabulous wine and cheese reception after class (a Friday night that includes yoga and wine?  Sign me up!) where I talked to some dear friends, friends I've made through running and yoga.  As I was driving home, I found myself thinking about all the friendships I've made over the past year with like-minded people who devote as much time as I do, and in many cases, much more, to living an active lifestyle.  Getting to know somebody who has the same passions is such a thrill for me - I eat it up.  Getting to know someone while experiencing that thrill together - maybe during a run, at the gym or after a yoga class, is even more fun.  And, I have a feeling that some of the friendships I've made that are just beginning to blossom and grow may be some of the deepest friendships I'll have throughout my lifetime.  At least I hope so.  It's good to have friends who are a positive influence on your life, and who motivate you, inspire you and push you.  It's nice to have someone to talk to about all the things nobody else wants to hear about.  And, it's nice to commiserate with someone who "gets it" when you need a shoulder to lean on (sometimes physically)!

What's that famous quote, the one that goes something like "people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime?"  Right now is my season of healthy, active, positive living, and I plan to carry it over into the rest of my lifetime.  I'll need a lot of help from my friends to do it, so I hope you're all on board - you know who you are - because it's gonna be one helluva ride.