Gimme a Break, Gimme a Break

No, I'm not talking about Kit Kat bars : ) Since CIM I've taken a much-needed break from running. I have run a few times, each time a bit better than the last. I can tell that I've lost a little bit of fitness from doing such light cardio these past few weeks, but I'm sure I can get it back quickly. My legs have felt surprisingly good, which I'm attributing to the break and cross-training I've been doing over the last few weeks. I've been going to hot yoga at least once a week and can already see improvements in my practice and increased flexibility. I also broke out my good 'ol No More Trouble Zones dvd for a butt-kicking reunion with Jillian Michaels. I got my coworker, Crystal, hooked on it so at least I have a partner to curse aloud and suffer through the workouts with me : )

she sort of scares me

Besides working out, I also celebrated my 23rd birthday last Thursday. A few Fleet Feet friends of mine went out for a delicious Spanish dinner complete with gourmet cupcakes for dessert : ) I also got a few gifts to spruce up my bike: a speed/cadence sensor from my mom, and a sweet light from my dad. And as a bonus birthday present, I found out the day before that I got in to the Way Too Cool 50k! I'm pretty excited since this solidifies my training/racing plans up until AR 50 in April.

FF girls all dressed up!

polaroid shot at dinner

23

And so, looking forward. I registered for my first race of 2011, a Resolution Run 10 Miler up in Auburn on New Year's Day which I'll be doing with Crystal. I certainly won't be racing it, I'm just hoping I'll actually be able to run 10 miles without them being completely miserable. I'm looking forward to starting the year off with a good run, though. I've also posted my (tentative) race schedule in the right sidebar. So far it's definitely much shorter of a schedule than this past year, but I'm taking on much bigger challenges. I'll officially be starting my training for Cool and AR 50 in January with some help and advice from my coworker (and very-seasoned ultra runner) Diane. This will mean a lot more trails and a lot more time on my feet. I'm also really hoping to keep up with yoga and Jillian at least once a week as the flexibility, balance, and core strength will all be extremely beneficial for trail running and ultras.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas Eve!!