Goin for a world record....

Of doing nothing that is :)  Yes, I admit, my running and exercise has been sporadic at best.  This needs to change.  My moods, my disposition and my general sanity seem to ride on the amount of exercise I do.  Too little, never a good thing.  Well trip planning does kick one into high gear especially when the trip involves a bikini and a beach.  So that's it, my motivation.  This past week, I committed to eating right and I have to say, I did pretty darn good.  Now it's time to step it up a notch and get back to working out.  Oh, and one additional motivator...I await my fate of the NYC Marathon lotto - by April, I need to be in top shape to undertake the training for a Nov marathon should I be selected....we wait and see and in the meantime, I gotta get my butt to the gym!  Coffee's first though!

Reunited...and it feels so good....

By chance this was an "off" day from running, I might have just  inadvertently re-ignited my love for weight training.  Upper body and core today - no legs to make sure I"m ready for tomorrow's speed workout....and I found I let it go -just had fun with it and remembered what I loved about lifting weights.  I have to say its been a very long time since I actually looked forward to lifting weights and I miss it. 

I began lifting in University and I trained with the big guys - pushing myself beyond what I ever thought was possible.  I liked it because the workouts were similar to what I had experienced as a gymnast.  Having alot of guy friends who were football and basketball players came in handy for sure.  They taught me alot about training.  Several years after I was still lifting but not nearly to the level I had been in school.  Then it seems things just faded off, perhaps I got bored or just needed to try something new.  There is a simple satisfaction with knowing you can push your limits and watch your muscles react with strength and agility. 

I hope this is start of something beautiful!!! :)

And so it begins.....

I would have to say I've always considered myself an athlete.  I started off in dance, moved to competitive gymnastics, and when I retired from the sport at the tender age of 18, I needed another outlet...and so began my love affair with running.  Like many relationships, running and I have had our ups and downs.   There are times when nothing else will calm me, relieve my stress or make me feel as good.  There are days when it’s all I want....and then there are the days when I can’t even be bothered to lace up my sneakers!  Of course, being the “athlete” and a true Gemini (aka bored easily) I dabble with other things – yoga, weight training, spinning and of course, dance! 

Running, it would seem, remains my staple.  I can say to my credit I have completed a marathon, several ½ marathons, a triathlon, and a series of 5 and 10km races.  My competitive nature will never allow me to just run for the sake of running.  I am, after all, a very competitive person, continually pushing myself to reach new heights.  People ask why....why do you run and push yourself to such extremes.  Well that’s an easy answer.....because I can!  So it was no surprise when I decided to sign up for a speed training program at my local Running Room store.  This week marked the start, and if our mile repeats were any indication, this is going to be one heck of a ride! 

Pushing myself to the limit, that’s what I enjoy – in work, in play, makes no difference.  I may have morphed from a competitive athlete to a weekend warrior but make no mistake about it....I am a warrior!  Oh and the reference to “red”...my red hair of course!