A NEW PAGE ON THE CALENDAR TO FILL.

Yes, a new month, a clean slate. After being encouraged by last month's accomplishments, I am looking at the new month as new challenges. I'm not sure what yet, other than to improve my 5k time, extend my running distance, and hopefully get my bike before the end of the month.

I was really undecided what to do today, since I feel like I can now do more in the way of workouts, meaning I could probably start doing two-a-days on some days, or just upping the intensity on some things. I had even thought about running outside again today. Ha! Another snowy day here, and this time we got hit harder than the lakeshore. Probably about 3-4 inches of the fluffy stuff, and its still coming down hard. No, I'm not running on that slippery stuff, even if most of the sidewalks downtown are heated. Maybe I should do a longer easy bike and a run. Or weights, bike, and run.

In the end, I resorted to my planned workout--weights and speed run. On the weights, I have backed off some on some exercises, and am just maintaining on others. For example, anything that involves biceps, I have to really back off. Why? Because it messes up my rotator cuff, and after last week of having a sore arm, collarbone, and neck, I decided to go back to the original advice after PT and get comfortable with a lighter weight before moving on. For some odd reason, the muscles in the front of my shoulder are more affected by the injury to the back of the shoulder, so to avoid future and ongoing problems, I will back off on bicep weights. And no chest presses either. Same problem. I did, however, progress to pushups--15--bent knee. I never could do the other kind anyway. This doesn't bother me. Go figure. Always a trial and error it seems.

The speed run is really starting to progress too. I have gone from not being able to do anything more than an 11+ min. mile to now being able to start under 11 min. miles, build to 10:30, and then mix in at least 5 minutes under 10 min. miles. I think I can also work on this by doing tempo runs, something I used to do but seemed to have forgotten over these past few years. I used to do them all the time, and I know it is one of the keys to faster and stronger running for me. So maybe that should be a goal for the month--to progress to tempo runs on my midweek run. Its hard to do that outside, in the dark and cold, so I'm not sure yet how much I want to run on the treadmill for this, but I may be forced to.

Other than that, I am hoping to do another 5k on Feb. 10, and have already signed up for another indoor tri on Feb. 18. Between those weeks, I have to build my running distance. And this week it just may be 10k or more on the treadmill, since it is predicted to continue snowing over the next few days. I really don't mind the cold as much as the wet, sloppy roads. I really hate getting my shoes all soggy when its this cold. Not that my feet get cold much when running, its just that it ruins your shoes and your feet feel so much heavier the whole run.

Everybody have a good day!