That Girl Runs

Winter! Is! Almost! Over!!!

I couldn’t believe my luck when I woke up in March yesterday morning! To a blue and sunny sky none-the-less! MARCH! The month we welcome spring and celebrate David’s birthday on the first day of the new season! I cannot wait!

February wasn’t bad, I admit. We were hit with a few major rain storms which always lead to flooding in this part of the country, but we were also blessed with days when the temperatures actually reached the upper 70s which translates to 80s in our yard. Not warm enough to get into the pool yet, but definitely warm enough to enjoy the first outdoor BBQ of the season and bring a big smile to my face.

After the last couple of months filled with road trips up to Northern California and Santa Barbara, we spent the entire February in the desert and got to know our neighbors better. When we first bought our house here 4 1/2 years ago we bought into Phase I of our development. Surrounding us were mostly empty houses and construction fields. There were Shelley and Pam right next door, Charlie and Alice, and Debra across the street but no one else, except in the older part of the complex. Add to that the fact that Debra spent most of her time in San Diego where she worked, Pam and Shelley are snow birds, Charlie and Alice and elderly and very frail, and David and I only came every other week, and our original home developer went belly up and stopped finishing the existing homes and building the rest.

Since our social schedule was pretty much packed when we were in Santa Barbara we always looked forward to just hanging out the moment we got to the desert every other Thursday, with no scheduled activities and no real plans for the weekends. All that changed of course when we moved down here full time. Just by the virtual fact that we now lived here year round we got to know people. I at my group classes at the gym (Hi Larry!) and through my political campaign work (Hello Barbara!) and David through his consulting. And then, then we got neighbors!!! A new builder came in who finished the existing empty homes and people flocked to our neighborhood! And I have to say that the wait was well worth it because we have the best neighbors ever! EVER!!! Unfortunately no runners, but I can live without that since their awesomeness makes up for my loneliness on the road and trails. Over the past few months we have truly became a small community in which doors are always open for a drink at sunset, impromptu dinners, and a helping hand if needed. It is something I always envisioned when I moved into a gated community but had been disappointing until last fall.

I cannot wait for summer!

Changes have also emerged in my exercise routine thanks to Isabel, one of the trainers at my gym who gave a sample Spinning Class when my Yoga class was canceled last Saturday! It took it and got hooked! I took Spinning many years ago when I was training for the Tahoe Century but not since and had forgotten how much I enjoy it and what great exercise it is. Since it takes a lot of cardio work for me to break into a sweat I always look for that routine that brings the sweat best out of me. There is no better feeling! So I went back last night and I suspect that will be a regular class I will take from now on. Look for it in next month’s stats. But for now, here are the numbers for February:

• Shortest run: 5.3 miles
• Longest run: 8.5 miles
• Average speed: 7:25 min/miles
• Strength & Endurance: 4 hours
• Weight Training: 2 hours
• Yoga: 3 hours
• Bike: 4 miles
• Spinning: 50 minutes

Today’s Running Tip: Spinning can be beneficial to runners!

If you are getting bored with your running routine and want to mix it up a bit, Spinning is a great cross training exercise, especially if you do not own a proper bike. Your legs will get a break from the high impact of running but you will still exercise your legs and glutes. Some people report that they finally got over calf and achilles pain by taking a break from running and go Spinning instead.