Strategy and Core

This past week has gone very well, and I'm feeling strong. But like a baseball team in early May, this isn't the time to peak. You want to peak closer to the big event. I'm trying to keep in mind that it's only the first day of the year and I'm supposed to be laying the foundation for what's ahead this year. Running 6 miles at an 8:40 pace sounds good now, but just like the marathon itself, I have to pace myself. In that vein, I thought of heading outside today for a run, but the wind chill was about 4 degrees and I decided to hit the treadmill instead of taxing my immune systems for a change. At the end of the day I'm not regretting that decision.

I've already started to wonder if the good runs this week were because of attitude or because of picking up the core workouts and adding a little yoga to the mix. This is the first time I've tried yoga and although I'm still getting used to the whole idea, I must say it seems to be helping out with my hips and back. The videos I've been using have some serious back stretching, and I'm seeing how inflexible I am at times. Sure, I'm almost 44 and set in my ways, but this time I'm talking about sitting on the floor with legs stretched to the sides and bending forward. I'm a little surprised at how little I can go with that stretch, especially since I used to be pretty flexible. That's why I'm doing these, though, and I plan on continuing. As I said after the race in December, I have to do something different to develop core and flexibility. It's a little early to be saying all the good results in the past week are because of the new exercises.