I’m working out again.

I was working out a year ago and doing well, running between 15-20 miles per week, when I stopped.  So many things happened last summer – we moved, I got a new job – that my workout routine got sidetracked.  It took me a whole year to recover and start again, but this time it feels better.  I feel better.  Instead of focusing solely on running I am adding other things to the mix, like pilates, yoga (the sweaty kind) and weights.  These things have been making a big difference in the way I feel and my attitude towards working out.  It’s actually fun again.

The other thing I started about a month ago is track workouts.  Every Tuesday night Rene and I go to Birmingham High School and do track workouts with a coach and 30 other people (more or less, depending on who shows up).  The stadium lights are on and it feels like those Friday night football games in high school, except that there aren’t any cheerleaders or pectators in the stands.  Instead there’s people like me, schlepping to Birmingham High after a day of work, hoping for a good workout and a little companionship.  There’s a wide variety of ages and levels, from young to old and super fast to super slow, so there’s no pressure to keep up with anyone.  Everyone runs their own pace.  Despite this I am nervous every time I show up for these workouts.  It’s probably from memories of competing in track and cross-country in high school and college.  I was never the fastest runner on the team but I always helped my team score points.  For me there is always pressure to push my times down, and it comes from me.  I think this pressure is a good thing – it doesn’t guarantee that every workout will be great but it does give me motivation to push myself at the track.

Last night I ran very well.  I ran with the second group and stayed in the mix throughout the workout (five repeats of 1000M), cutting my times down with each lap and finishing strong.  Workouts like these make me focus on the right things – maintaining my running form, staying relaxed, focusing on the finish line – instead of the things that clutter my head and make running difficult.  Sometimes when I run my mind plays tricks on me, making me think about a situation that can’t be resolved or having an annoying song stuck in my head.  The most annoying song I have ever come across is Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head, which was the soundtrack of every Junior High PE class (I am so NOT kidding).  Everyday, without fail, that song would play itself in my head when we ran.   Just thinking about that song makes me shudder (I fear it will get stuck in my head again).

The only down side to all this activity is that I am physically exhausted most days, hence the lack of posts.  It is hard to compose a post after working out in the morning (or night) and having a full-time job.  Working out gives me more energy during the day but kicks my butt at night.  Most of the time I zone out on the couch and fall asleep with Sadie on my lap.  I am even starting to take naps on weekends, which is rare for me.  I’m hoping that like my workouts, my posts will find a rhythm again, and I can transform this little space on the internets into something better.