(G): As you all know, and likely wish to stop hearing about, I am training hard these days. I start to feel like I am making real progress and then I go out for a run with the hubs and, like always, I am looking at two elbows and a butt. Yes, that’s right, I am trailing behind.

How is it that I train regularly and religiously and yet I cannot keep up with him? While he does train it’s never a rigid, clockwork process like mine. So what’s the deal?

I thought this weekend I would finally reach a new milestone. John is not a fan of back-to-back hard days on the weekend. Some of that is due to the amount of recovery time we need as we age and John also isn’t as interested in destroying himself weekly as I am. As you can see, one of us is sane and the other is …

But this weekend, I thought, would be different in that John was going to do interval training Saturday and then a long endurance run on Sunday. I am used to this sort of training so I was almost sure I would show up strong. But no, as Sunday’s three-and-a-half-hour run dragged on I was still bringing up the rear. Finally, in the last 30 minutes of the run I had to have a little talk with myself and decide I was going to finish all out.

I ran hard even though it nearly killed me but I was still running BEHIND John. It’s not like I want to run in front of him, or beat anyone for that matter, but it would be nice to be able to keep up and yet, I can’t. I guess after all these years I should just get used to it but sometimes, like right now, it’s a little deflating that after all this hard work I am still not quite measuring up where I want to be.

I know, let this be the worst thing to happen, right?

All told, it was a great week of training. That’s not to imply that I skimped on any suffering. It just means I made it through and was able to finish all my planned training days. That always feels like accomplishment and I collected just over 50 miles for the week. That makes for a good seven days.

But what made training the best was all the pups we came across on the trail. Here are some highlights:

(L):  I am finding these torture reports difficult to write each week as I am not actually training for an event.  I am just training for life.  This week, my training for life program or TFL consisted of weights, walking, yoga and some new back exercises.  I have gotten into a groove with the weight training, which means it’s probably time to switch it up and do some new exercises.  I have been incorporating the exercise ball on my weight days to work my hamstrings.  This very unflattering photo really doesn’t do justice to how much I hate this particular exercise.  Trying to get my backside in the air, balance on the ball and then contract my hamstrings is ugly.  I just keep thinking that eventually I am going to have beautiful hamstrings… or a torn ACL from falling off the ball.

I have still been getting my walking in at least 3-4 times/week, which feels good.  I just would like a little warmer weather.  I left town for a few days last week and apparently there was warm weather while I was gone.  Unfortunately, I took the cold weather with me on my travels so I continued my cloudy, cold streak.  I have to say, I am ready for some sunny, warm weather.

I boarded the yoga bus again and I don’t know why I fell off in the first place.  It feels so good and my body is always happy after a 40-minute stretch in the right direction.  Speaking of stretching my hubby has introduced me to something I had never heard of before:  Egoscue.  It’s basically a series of stretches to improve your posture, which in turn alleviates back pain.  I have only done a few of the exercises, but my favorite is lying on my back with my feet and legs on the sofa.  This is my kind of exercise!

Last week, I told you I had started a detox to jumpstart my metabolism.  It went okay, but not perfectly.  I had a difficult time sticking to it while I was traveling.  I decided since I had a couple off days I would continue it through this week.  Basically, I replace two meals with smoothies, drink tons of water, and eliminate gluten, sugar and alcohol from my diet.  There is more to it obviously, but these are the big three for me.  Having two smoothies each day feels like a plus to me.  In fact, if my family would agree to a smoothie for dinner I think I would go for it.  Now if I could just have some chocolate and a glass of wine with my dinner smoothie this detox would be the best thing that ever happened to me.

Sunshine & Sarcasm,

Lowi & G