Branching Out

I've gotten a good rhythm going when it comes to weight lifting. I know lots of exercises. I understand about focusing on arms or legs or core, and I know how to mix it up. I can do long workouts and short workouts. I can try out new things. Most importantly, I like it. I have fun lifting weights, watching myself get stronger, mastering new exercises.

But cardio has fallen by the wayside. Lifting all the time leaves me sore all the time, which I definitely don't like. Besides which, cardio is good for you and variety is the spice of life. So I'm trying to reincorporate some other things into my routine.

Last Friday, I decided to give running another go. I haven't attempted to run at all since I hurt my knee over a year ago. But the bike hurts my butt and the elliptical makes my toes go numb and jacking up the incline on the treadmill is only going to get me so far. So I put on an episode of Gilmore Girls and gave myself permission to just do intervals for as long as I could before resorting to walking for the rest of the episode.

All in all it wasn't so bad. I managed to travel about 2.7 miles in 43 minutes. Not spectacular, but better than if I'm just walking. On Monday I tried again, but it was way harder. I could only do 4 intervals (minute jogging, minute walking) before my calves started screaming at me. Whether that's because I haven't run in so long or because I did a bunch of calf raises on Saturday is difficult to say. I bumped up the incline and walked instead, to give my calves a bit of a break.

I also decided that while I was trying (or retrying) new (okay, technically old) things, I would give yoga another go. There was a class at my gym on Sunday morning that I could make it to, so I went.

It was awful. The class was way above my level (and all the beginning classes are at 6 in the morning which is why I didn't go to them). The first ten minutes or so was fine, because it was just breathing and stretching. Then we spent ten minutes on our hands and knees, and that's not something I can do, apparently. My knees were hurting so bad from the pressure that I was near tears. Then, because I wasn't paying proper attention, I did something that caused my old back injury to flare up. I left, walked stiffly to my car, drove painfully home, and spent the next two and a half hours laying very still on my couch.

So. No more yoga.

I think that's okay though. If I can make the running work (and I will get better. Slowly but surely.) and intersperse my lifting with that, well that will be fine.