Strength Training and Running For Fun

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The Stowe Quiet Path

Monday brought an unusually long and grueling workday so I missed my lunchtime run.  By the time I got out I was really itching for some relief so I took Toby to The Stowe Quiet Path for an evening jaunt.  With sunny skies and mild temps I couldn’t be happier that I did!

I’ve been working on speed for the past several weeks and have stuck to a routine on the Mad River Path.  It had been months since I ran in Stowe and I decided to just run for fun and not focus on the Fartlek routine I’d been working on.  The path is beautiful this time of year with mature corn fields surrounded by views of the green mountains.  It made the run organic and gave me plenty of things to take my mind off the work.

I did notice that my stamina is not what it was when I finished Couch-2-5K.  By the end of those nine weeks I was running three miles at a time regularly.  Since then I’ve been doing a 1.6 mile routine that’s mixed between sprinting and walking so I haven’t done much continuous running.  I did notice that my speed work payed off, as my natural stride is wider, I stand taller and I definitely moved faster comfortably.  Unfortunately, I did get tired easier and in the last third of the run I really had to give myself a pep talk to keep going.

My reward was cooling off in the river, though honestly the river that runs through the Quiet Path has nothing on the Mad River.  Still, it was a refreshing end to the workout and by the time I left my head was definitely wiped clean of the long day at work.

My foot is still not 100% and I’ve cut my running down to 1-2 days per week.  To compensate, I’ve begun strength training again and am happy to report that the Vibram’s are great during a workout on my new (free!) Bowflex.  I was able to use my normal Joyce Vedral workout techniques adapted for the Bowflex and got a killer workout in.  I’m curious to see how the balance of strength training and running will create changes in my body and my mood.

How about you?  How do you balance your workouts during the week?

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