Sunday, February 3, 2013

January review: February anew

It is baffling to me that the first month of the year is gone! Where is time going? What baffles me even more is that I actually did more in January than I expected. Taking a few weeks off between December and January didn't hinder my comeback this winter, if anything it helped. A few weeks to let the body rest and regroup is very important and is key to burnout and injury prevention. I did the same thing last year (last year I actually was burned out by the end of the fall though... 2 fulls, a few halves and some other races over the course of 3 months will do that....who knew?), I took December and part of January off and my body thanked me, but last year was much harder to build back up. Maybe it's because I am stronger overall than I was last year but maybe it has to do with the environment I was in, I'll touch more on that later.

January Review by the Numbers 
Running 
Miles: 71.9
Average pace: 8:01

Cycling
Miles: 153.7
Average speed: 18.5 mph

Fitness workouts(weights, abs, etc.)
#:14
Time: 371 minutes

Cross training(cross trainer & elliptical)
Miles: 23.9
Time: 2 hrs 45 min

January total miles: 249.5
January total time: 26.83 hours

2013 goals
Running miles: 4.79% of goal completed
Cycling miles: 5.34% of goal completed

January at a glance
I am happy with the results of January, it was a busy month in life and with getting back into workout mode after a few weeks off. Getting back to the gym this year was much easier after last years break. It helps when you have a great support system and are surrounded by people who encourage you and help you get to where you want to be. My main support system in my life at this time last year was not an athlete, and didn't support my running or fitness goals. Therefore I didn't have the support to get back into things after time off, as they would have preferred I didn't get back into it. This year is so different. Having someone to encourage you, support you, and acknowledge hard work and accomplishments makes a huge difference. The first few times back at the gym were hard, considering the solid performances I had in the fall, to come back and feel so far from that was mentally and physically challenging. But it is like riding a bike, some time focusing on myself and what I needed to do to get to where I wanted to be did the trick. For the record, I didn't start working out again in January because it was a New Years resolution, it just works out the last few years that my last big race (marathon) falls in mid November therefore December becomes the rest and recovery month.  Not that I am putting down those who start working out in January for resolutions. I just simply feel that if you want to change something, there is no point in waiting until the new year, make the changes when you know it needs to be done, not when it's convenient or when society deems it tradition. Mentally this month had its shares of ups and downs but getting back into the swing of things really helped me, I am much happier when I am working out regularly and in training. Official training for marathon number 5 (Cleveland marathon) started a few days ago and I have never been happier to be back on a plan and on track for my goals.

February Goals at a glance
This month is going be so incredibly busy, but I need to keep focus on training at the same time. We have 5 days in Florida, 3 days in Vermont, a move to prepare for (Co-habitation with my fiance officially begins 3/1!!), I also have another baby shower to throw for my sister, and oh yeah hold down 2 jobs...when I figure out what sleep is, I will let you know. This month will really test my ability to plan, stay on schedule, and train despite a hectic schedule.

Goals by the numbers for February
Run Miles: 130 miles
Bike Miles: 200 miles
Fitness workouts: 16
Cross training/Elliptical: 3 hours total

Here goes a crazy month, let's see what it brings:)



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