Wednesday, November 25, 2015

When the Bears Sleep

This is the season of rest. The season when my husband and I take a break from our backpacking adventures and recover. The season of rest, not only because the weather is cold and hunters roam our trails, but because we don't have the equipment to brave the snows and freezing temperatures.

I only started backpacking a few years ago, and there was no need to invest in the heavier (and more expensive) gear required for winter backpacking. There isn't really need now, but I'm starting to consider it, because the outdoors are calling me.

Maybe it's because I missed my solo trip, or maybe I'm just growing in my backpacking skills, but I have this itch inside. I ride my bike to work, bundled up and wind-proofed, inhaling the sharpness of the freezing air, and I don't want to arrive at my office. Sitting in a desk chair, heater under my desk, toilet facilities and potable water available at my whim... I'm not saying it's not a nice situation. It's a pretty good one, but I want to be outside.

I want to throw myself against the elements and discover my limits. I don't want to hibernate anymore when the bears sleep, fattened from their fall forage. I feel a call to spend the winter blazing new trails through the snow and learning how to make igloos. I'm itching to go outside and explore the seasons that are not summer. I want to meet them, and for them to meet me, to see if, like summer, we could be friends.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Pull Ups: Not Forgotten

After taking a hiatus from exercise in September, I'm back on track with my pull up plan. But I'm doing things a little differently. Instead of going for the heaviest weight I can possibly curl, I've started with a lighter weight and higher reps. There really isn't a good reason for this, other than I wanted to try something different. It seemed like my initial work with the plan wasn't yielding positive results of the kind I wanted.

I mean, I didn't feel like I was increasing my back strength. I know that using solely my arms to lift my body weight isn't the way to go, so I figured that by focusing more on form and high reps, I could build up those back muscles. Also, instead of doing the laying down pull up moves that I had added, I'm going chair assisted pull ups at home. It is a truly makeshift setup, but it lets me work on strength every day.

I've consistently had issues with how to do the barbell assisted pull up at my gym. Again, I'm not sure why, but adapting that move as my strength increases has just irritated me. I've landed at using my heels to provide the assistance, but I can only go so high with the bar. So now I'm doing single heel assists. Only time will tell if this modifications and adjustments will pay off.

The one piece of advice I hate for pull ups is to lose weight. Sure, losing weight means less weight to lift, but weight loss can also involve losing muscle mass. The balance is difficult. My hiatus did coincide with some weight loss, and that's part of the reason I went to lower weights. Since I've increased my aerobic activity by adding more running and continued three days a week of pull up workout plus one day a week of Cross Fit, I've continued to lose weight, though more slowly than when I was sick.

And sure, I like losing weight while gaining strength, but I don't want to go overboard. Unhealthy weight loss is not worth it, even for my pull up goal.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Lessons from Run Club

Last week was the first meeting of Run Club completely in the dark. Our group of four women ran along the Greenbelt, armored with headlamps and numbers. We came across a few other intrepid runners, but no other females braving the dark and the cold. My pace was pushed, but I welcome that. The only way I'll get faster is by going faster.

There were, however, a few other lessons that I'll need to take forward for next time.


  1. Running has made my pants bigger. This may be due to a stretching factor, but no matter the reason, pants falling down is both inconvenient and cold. 
  2. Keeping a cell phone in a lightweight jacket pocket causes the jacket to unzip itself. This also results in additional chill factor. 
  3. For reasons unknown, my shirt slid up while my pants slid down, leaving a large slice of my tummy completely without protection from the cold. 
  4. It's harder to listen to people talking when you're running as fast as you can to keep up with them. 
  5. No one gets left behind at Run Club. 
The initial hesitance that I had with joining this running group was mostly due to speed. I can run comfortably around an 11 minute mile pace, and, after a warm up, I can get closer to those 10's. At my first two meetings, I was able to keep up with some of the faster runners and I felt good. The last time I found myself running with people who'd rather be doing 9's or 6's. I know that I held them back from doing their preferred pace, but no one complained about it. 

Sure, I'd like it if a few more people going my pace showed up, but I'm not worried about getting left behind or slowing other people down. The point of the run isn't to go fast or go crazy. It's to get out, even in this weather, even at this time of year, and move our bodies in good company. 

Long live Run Club. 

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Back into Running Form

When I had a layoff from running in August and September, I despaired about ever getting back to a decent speed. It took so long for me to get comfortable at a 10 minute mile pace, and even over the summer when I was running I felt like I had lost it.

But it turns out that running more improves my running more. I've gone from a maybe once a week run to a three to four times a week run, focusing on different types of running. I've got a 4 mile run that includes a steep, hilly section. I've got a 2 mile quickie run. A 5 mile long run that I'm thinking about extending to 6 - I just need to map out a good route that adds a mile to my existing loop. And any of those runs can be modified by the addition of the 20 pound weight vest.

And then there's the Run Club, which lets me run with other runners and forces me to expand my lung capacity by talking and running at the same time. Running with that group has already shown dividends. I recorded a sub-10 minute mile on my 5 mile loop last Sunday after only two meetings, and I'm totally willing to attribute that to running with people who are faster than me.

But even though they are faster, I'm not comparing myself to them. I'm not competing. I'm trying to better myself, yes, but the goal isn't some vague kind of winning. The goal is to improve myself and discover exactly what the best me can do.