Circuitry [Entered 10/27]

Monday morning, we had thought we were going to do an easy 5-7 miles on the trail with some balance exercises. When we got to RunTex, though, we found out that circuit training was on the schedule. Okay. Different than I had planned, but as long as I took it a little bit easy, it would serve the same post-race recovery purposes.

Amy, Colleen, Jennifer and some others were there, and we had some fun chatting about the race on the way over. I really needed an easy warmup this morning, so it was no problem at all letting some of the more eager Gazelles go ahead and run fast(er) to Austin High School. Drills, and then it was time to get going. Bernard and Kenny were there to administer the workout at first. I decided to take the 400's pretty casually, and focus on the stretching aspects of the various circuit exercises. I was just trying to adapt the workout to my own particular needs this morning. I wasn't all that sore, but my quads were slightly tight, and my left foot arch was a little sore after all the concrete yesterday.

I ended up doing 3 circuits and had started the fourth circuit (gotten as far as the step-ups), when Gilbert showed up and we went over to do extra fun stuff. My 400's got a little quicker each time, but they felt really easy. The extra stuff was lots of hopping and bounding, the starter position drill (I made it through all 60 seconds for the first time), and then a new core thing where we alternated arching our backs and pressing them into the ground while holding a leg or two above us. I still can't straighten my legs totally when doing those sorts of exercises, but I did okay on them today.

That was it. We decided to run back the short way, and had more conversation on the way back. It was a pretty casual workout day, but I think it served its purpose. For the day, 5.4 miles. 400's were 2:20 (nice and easy), 2:07, 2:06, 2:05. Nothing blazing fast, but they helped loosen my legs.

Full stretching afterwards, and that was the day.