New week, new changes

Monday was a good cardio day! I went to my TEAM workout where we did a lot more running this time. I did all the intervals at 5.0mph; it was more challenging but I did it. W00t! I was able to clock 3.1 miles during the workout so I am feeling good about the 5K coming up on the 22nd. I think The Penguin is going to be running it too; I hope to meet him!

Then I went to work and stopped by the cafeteria to get some protein after my hour drive from LifeTime. One of the workers said she was going to start walking during her break. So I asked if I could join her to get in a daily walk at work. She agreed. So we walked outside around our warehouse building. Not a long walk to be sure but it was .6 of a mile at a good pace. I'll take it! And, because we do it at 11am, it is good to raise the metabolism right before lunch time.

On the way home, I stopped by Dick's Sporting Goods and picked up a couple of tech shirts, some running socks, and a patella strap for my right knee. Variety is always a good thing (and it doesn't hurt to look good when you're running in the neighborhood).

On Tuesday, I had a Strength Training session with Jordan. He changed it up on me! He added four 3-minute runs along with the lifting and core exercises. This kept the heart rate up and made for a solid workout. I wished he'd told me that he was going to do this because I did not bring my running shoes/footpod with me. Oh well, I will know better next time. I restocked on Omega-3 and Vitamin supplements today -- my stock was getting low.

Jordan and I are going to be on a team competing in a 12-week Calorie Challenge, where the team that burns the most calories can win some decent prizes. We have a group of six on the team and we each have to burn at least 25,000 calories during the 12-weeks. Shouldn't be a problem for me cuz I burn a minimum of 2,800 calories each week already.

LaShon and I did our 11am walk again this morning. I was late (11:05am) so she started without me. So I had to run about 100 yards to catch up to her. That got the heart movin! Another workmate asked me to join another walk at 12:15pm. So I am going to go grab something to eat right now so I have some fuel for this next walk. I have no idea how long the walk is going to be so I might have to track it on my iPhone.

Warning: Running can become habit-forming

Today I made up for missing my cardio on Friday by running for an hour. It was raining so I decided just to go into the club and use the treadmill. Just for a change of pace, I brought my iPad and bluetooth headphones along and watched Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan while I did my interval training. Yes, it was awesome!

My workout distance was 3.6 miles and I ran 2 miles of that in 25:20. That is a pretty good pace for me. The other 1.6 miles was a combination of my 'walk' intervals and my warm up/cool down segments. I am pretty happy with it. I am on track for a new PR in the 5K on May 22nd.

Had a strange equipment issue though, At one point, my watch stopped receiving signal from the heart monitor. But after about 30 seconds, it was back. Not sure about that. I think I will replace the battery in the monitor and see what nappens on Monday. Can't afford that kinda of hiccup when I am trying so hard to manage my zones.

After stretching and showering, I had a protein shake and went to run errands. While at the Jewel, I ran into a good friend of mine from church. Mark says to me, "We ought to run together on Saturday mornings." I was like "Seriously? That is when I do my outdoor runs. I'd love to!" So starting next Saturday, I will have a running buddy for my 5:00am run (I like to run before my 7am Weight Watchers meeting). I am really excited about this. He is an elite runner (he knows I am a beginning runner) so I am looking forward to learning from him. But mostly, it is just more fun to run with someone rather than always running alone.

It's funny. Six months ago, I would have never thought I would be doing all this running, walking, and exercising. But especially the running part. Now, I am beginning to look forward to my workouts, and I have to take care not to overdo it. Beware! Running can be habit-forming (good thing it is 'good for your health')!