Spinning - Body Sculpting And A Free Pass

Usually Brenda and I don't talk about our weekeday runs unless something comes up and we aren't going to make it, otherwise we just take it for granted that we will be there.
Yesterday afternoon after several of our running partners started dropping out for the Monday night run Brenda asked me if I just wanted to take a rest day, she said she didn't mind running on the dreadmill.
I had a free pass I could skip the run and just snuggle up on my warm couch... woo hoo!!!!!

It was tempting but I didn't even let myself think about it, I immediately responded that I wanted to run. Since Michele wasn't going to be running and I knew she was having company over I asked Brenda if she minded just coming to my house. She thought it was a good plan so we decided to meet about 5:30, she was getting off work early and we wanted to get an early start so we could run in daylight as long as possible.
Heather had been contemplating just going to the gym and running on the treadmill but I think Brenda and I had convinced her to run with us...she doesn't like the cold and wind but she decided to tough it out and run outside.

Of course the one day that Brenda gets to leave work early is the day that I had a hard time leaving on time. I really could have stayed another 30 minutes. Once I get the hang of the new accounting system at work I will be fine but right now I feel like am constantly running behind.

Brenda was actually a little early and I had just gotten home so she hung out in my messy house while I got dressed. Soon after that Heather joined us and we headed out. I have to say I had forgotten how nice it is to just run from your own house!!

We usually run 6 miles on Monday but Brenda and I had already decided that 4 would be plenty. We both had back to back long runs over the weekend and we have a pretty intense workout planned for our Tuesday Night Flyer's clinic.
We both said in several e-mail, it will just be a easy fun run!!! Yeah well you know what they say about good intentions! LOL
It did start off at a pretty comfortable pace, of course the first couple of miles are always the hardest for me so I kind of felt like I was struggling off and on the whole run. We ran North on 1st street to Fred's and then turned around, on the way back we added on by running through a couple of neighborhoods. A couple of times I told the girls they were killing me... but they just laughed at me!!! Although this route doesn't have as many inclines as Blooming Ridge/Krooked Kreek it isn't exactly flat and adding on the neighborhoods gave us two extra inclines. Actually even more I almost forgot that we ended up having to run my neighborhood twice and it has a good incline as well.
After the run we walked around the neighborhood to cool down, on the second loop we dropped Heather off. Brenda and I chatted for just a minute or two when we got back to my house and then said our good-bye's. When I looked at the clock I was pretty excited to see that it was just 6:30. It was so nice to get in a good run and be done so early!!
I walked in the house changed clothes and sat down for just a second when all of a sudden I thought I heard rain. Yep I walked outside and it was POURING down. I started laughing to myself and thought i have got to call Brenda. Turns out she was also calling me. LOL We both spoke at the same time.. IT is POURING!! How lucky were we????? It was perfect timing. If it had been our normal Monday night run we probably would have been caught in that rain about 1/2 way through and far away from Michele's house!!!
4 miles
39:15
9:48 avg pace
1-9:54
2-9:59
3-9:59
4-9:22
It wasn't easy but I was thrilled to be able to run under a 10:00 avg.. I really didn't think I had it in me.

I have started a new cross training schedule with Andrea. I am going to do a 1/2 spinning 1/2 body sculpting class on Monday and Thursday's during my lunch hour. I am going to drop the Wednesday 5am class I had been doing. I think this schedule is going to work out great. I enjoy spinning but I was really getting burned out on getting up at 4:15 am 4 days a week. I think the extra hours of sleep have really helped me with my endurance. I think a lot of times we get so caught up in our training that we forget how important rest is... we need it to repair all damage we are doing to our bodies with our intense schedules. It makes me wonder if maybe it wasn't the spinning that was affecting my Tuesday night runs but instead maybe it was the lact of sleep.
I am also doing strength training workouts on my own at home. I hadn't been very faithful at getting them done, but hopefully this will change now.
Between my workout at home on Sunday and my class with Andrea yesterday I am very sore... it hurts to even breathe!!