Links I Love Wednesday #3

An interesting take about the dynamics of the workplace.

Gymless strength training! I'm always on the lookout for these suggestions since I cancelled my gym membership.

Always more yoga! Here are some good post-run poses for runners.

He ran 365 days straight!

We are not obligated to be attractive!

I've been getting blisters lately. :(

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Things have been a-OK since my last post, having been more or less on, if you know what I mean. Eating's been pretty good, and I had a nice 1-mile run at a 14:38 pace this morning combined with a slightly longer walk following that – it's technically a cross-training day on my schedule, but since I am now doing the running streak, I need to fit in at least a mile every day. I liked that shorter distance, actually – because I know that it's totally doable I can push myself a little more than usual. I'll try and keep the one-milers quicker if I can, certainly under 15 minutes.

I also did a little bit of yoga on lunch break today. I found myself dragging a bit in the mid-afternoon, so I slipped downstairs to my "sanctuary", which is just a large room that doesn't get any use and that I got permission to exercise in last winter. These days I mainly go when I want to decompress a little, and as weird as it sounds I'll just actually lay right down on the floor and close my eyes for a few minutes. Sometimes, like today, I want/need to stretch or meditate. With the lights off, it's a dark, cool room and it really is a little bit of a godsend. Anyway, so today I spent about 15 minutes in and out of various easy poses: cat and cow; mountain into forward fold, happy baby, reclined bound angel, savasana... and I tried an inversion with my legs up against the wall and my back on the floor. I feel so lucky to have a space like that at work!

Tomorrow my plan is to get in a two-mile run in the morning, do some more yoga on lunch, and then, after work I have the Pub Run I mentioned yesterday! I'm really looking forward to that – the challenge of three miles, the fun of running with friends, and relaxing afterward with a drink and some yummy food! Hopefully my burgeoning blisters won't cause me too much trouble. At least I know what things I can do that will help. Fingers crossed.

In other sporting news, I've been eyeing my bicycle, which has been living in the garage for years now. The tires need pumping and I'd like to get her a check-up, but I want to get her out really soon so that I truly have a good alternative for cross-training on my non-running days. Payday is coming, so hopefully in the next week or so I can get that taken care of.

I'm also looking into tennis lessons! My boyfriend grew up playing and loves it. I love it, too, but I am really bad at it, so in the past when we have tried to play together, it's been more about chasing wayward balls than actually completing a match. So recently when he expressed interest in getting back into it (and him getting into shape, too!), I jumped at his idea to take actual lessons. Right now I am just doing research, but I hope to start doing that in the next month or two. Exciting!

Finally... hiking. We started hiking last fall and have been looking forward to the spring/summer season, but fate has been working against us between busy schedules, weather, and our middle-aged bodies not always co-operating (last weekend was a prime example of the latter). However, we still plan to do more of that starting, like, yesterday!

It's so much fun being active and trying new things. Sure, I'm looking forward to more superficial things like being able to wear more cute clothes as I lose weight, but I think the thing I like the most about this whole thing is all the stuff I get to do! I'm loving the new, nearly-athletic version of myself these days.