I didn’t really mean for it to happen. Sunday morning, I got up like I do any other Sunday morning that I didn’t drink too much wine the night before (oh wait, I did… damn you Solera and Andrew Bird! Good thing Sish and I are early-birds and were in bed by 11pm. No joke).
Oh, well. So, Dirty and I went out for coffee and the Sunday paper, which we do together a lot of Sunday mornings – she reads the sports section, I do start the crossword.
And yes, that’s what we call her. Her name’s really Allison, but she’s the fieriest dirty redhead you’ll ever meet, so Dirty Red it’s been for longer than I’ve known her.
We came home and I decided to make waffles, which the roommates were happy to help put away. I did a decent job in bright pink ink on the crossword (the regular one, not the NYT. I’m smart, but not that smart on Sunday mornings…), and then Allison suggested we head over to Lake Nokomis to rollerblade.
Lake Nokomis, in its place in the Grand Rounds Scenic Byways
I hadn’t rollerbladed in at least a couple of years, but it’s like riding a bike, right (Nic, don’t kill me for that one, ok)? I mean, it’s not going to get me as winded as running, but would be way more active than walking.
Wanting to incorporate some cardio into my now fairly regular yoga training, I was all over it. We grabbed our iPods, blades, and headed out.
My first mistake was wearing the just-because-they’re-newer-than-mine-doesn’t-mean-they’re-better-than-mine rollerblades my sister handed up to me last summer. Then again, other things that happened more recently than those skates include: Backstreet Boys, my highschool graduation, and the Atlanta Summer Games. I have had my rollerblades since I was 12 years old in 1995. They are the only pair I’ve ever owned or ever wanted to own. (Yes, the wheels have been replaced and rotated, but the skates? Hey, they’re vintage, right?)
Anyway, I should’ve stuck with what worked. We made it around the 3ish miles around the lake; I fell once (I blame the hand-me-up rollerblades that didn’t fit properly, but I’m sure all the passersby didn’t care and enjoyed that just the same).
No matter how “in shape” I felt because of how well I can hold my balance in eagle pose or how many seconds I can stay in side plank, I got my ass handed to me around the lake that day.
On Monday, I walked around Lake Harriet with another friend. I think this probably helped reduce some of the potential soreness, and I’ve been told this is 3.2 miles, so we did a 5k. Nice.
Tuesday night, Dirt and I biked from our place in SW Minneapolis up to catch the trails that run alongside Minnehaha Parkway, went east to Lake Nokomis, stopped at a friends’ house for water and an air-pump, and then came back. All in all it was about 13 miles (Dad, aren’t you proud?! ), and used muscles I definitely don’t even think about blading or walking. OUCH. I anticipate soreness.
I guess I’m cross-training now, right? All I need now is to run and swim and I’m all set. And actually I might. Well, run at least. I made it through my Lent challenge, and have been reading about Nilsa doing something similar. She’s either giving something up or adding a new good habit to her life every month. One thing at a time because small changes are easier to manage. I’d been thinking of continuing this in my life and adding/subtracting things that would benefit me more in the long run.
I think I just decided cardio, and the good thing is, I’ve already started! Since the Pescatarian Experiement ended on Easter, and I went rollerblading on Easter – that’s starting my month. I want to commit to something reasonable, so I was thinking that I’d make the commitment to something 3x/week for at least 20 minutes. That’s what they always tell you is the minimum right? Well, it’s 60 minutes more each week than I was doing before, so we’ll start with that!
Tips and tricks to making running more fun? I know Nicole swears by books on tape instead of music, though my running playlist has always been a mix of Black Eyed Peas and The Ramones because the beats are consistently upbeat through the WHOLE albums.
What’s on your workout playlist?
