Being sore means you're doing something right

Yesterday:
176.8
28:14, 1000 meter swim

You know you're getting your money's worth out of your gym when you are too sore and tired to blog about it!

Tuesday's "boot camp" class left me with a healthy soreness in my legs, glutes and abs, but not as severely as I had feared.  So we took the family swimming so I could take advantage of the hot tub at the Norman YMCA to help loosed back up. 

After a short soak to soften the stiff muscles I lucked out and was able to find a lane all to myself!  The one downside to the Norman YMCA is that the popularity of its pool can mean a wait time to even get to share a lane. 

I was having a great swim, hardly feeling stiff. I turned at the end of a lap and freaked out when I touched flesh!  I had been underwater and checking the lap time on my watch and had not noticed that another swimmer had put their legs in the water on side of the lane.  I'm not sure if it was more startling or embarrassing.

I had a good swim and was happy with how well I did, finishing 2:18 faster than last time I swam that far, especially in light of the intensity of the previous 2 workouts.

By the time I made it home I was worn out.  I laid down on the couch and didn't get back up until Seth finally sent me to bed at 7:30.  I was so tired that I had my kid bring me my fitness journal so I record my time, and there was no way I was walking all the way over to the computer to blog about it.

Today I am extra sore in my legs.  In fact, I think it might be a good idea to call for a rest day (gasp!).  Definitely would be a good night to use the foam roller and stretch.

Rest days, not my forte

175.3

I blame the buttered popcorn, Dr Pepper, and roasted pecans at the movie theater yesterday.  Or it could be the 2 slices of my mom's delicious key lime pie.  Yes folks, this is the real reason why I still need to lose 30 pounds.

While I might take back the second slice of pie, or the refills on the popcorn and soda, I wouldn't skip them forever.  I enjoy food.  I have been making (mostly) healthier meal choices, the food journal is helping a little with that.  But food is fuel, and a part of many social rituals (like popcorn when your dad takes you to watch a super hero movie), and I refuse to give it up in the extreme manner some do.  This is okay, because I want to get stronger, not just skinnier, and that requires lots of exercise which in turn needs calories.   Of course I could use some improvement in the quality of those calories...

So today my assigned exercise is: nothing.  I'm actual ahead on my goal for the week (Sunday's run and weights didn't get listed on here) with 249 of 300 minutes of exercise already completed.  So I am doing the hardest part of my training- rest!  Sounds silly, I am really really bad at resting.  Already I have tried to go running since I got home from work, and Seth has had to tell me no.  Its easy to ignore rest, but it is very important because your body needs a chance to heal and catch up with the training.

Tomorrow I work a later shift, so hopefully I will be able to run in the cool of the morning.  I think I will work on some speed work, although speed is relative and I am most definitely a slow runner.  Oh well, back to resting with the only thing that I will sit still for: a good book!