This morning when I looked out the window it was hard not to notice the blanket of white stuff… but let me tell you it turned out to be a great day.

How can one go wrong starting the day out with a killer hill workout?

Yesterday I did some yoga meltdown. You better believe I am sticking to my challenge. It went much better than the first time and I actually really enjoyed it. It’s definitely a good workout and I am looking forward to doing it again and then at some point graduating myself on to level two. Here’s hoping.

So back to the hill workout…

2.9km warm-up
9 x aprx. 320-400m
2.9km cool down

failed attempt at trying to get a picture of the hill.. just doesn't do it justice.

It was HARD and it HURT but I LOVED it!! To be honest, my calfs and glutes were burning during the warm-up but I didn’t let that stop me. Plus, it was my own fault for working muscles that I don’t always work, the day before a hill workout.

When I was pumping my arms I was thinking about all those rolling hills in the last 10km on the Around the Bay course. It’s workouts like these that really help on race day. I love hill workouts. I love pushing myself to the point where my legs are burning so bad I want to scream. It feels so good. Does that make me crazy?

I don’t think so… the endorphin rush is so worth it and what an awesome feeling of accomplishment afterwards.

Doing it with a supportive group of runners makes it that much more enjoyable. There was grunting and moaning and lots of encouragement to go around.

One thing that made a big difference during this workout is that I didn’t use my watch at all. It was so nice to not be worrying about time. I was just running, pushing myself and enjoying the moment. I even said to one of my running buddies how nice it was to not use a watch. For some, sometimes it can really do more damage than good; stressing about time and worrying about bettering that time for the second, third (and so on) interval, and can really interfere with a good workout. What do you think? I believe it’s necessary and beneficial to use a watch at times, although other times it’s nice to just leave it at home. You may surprise yourself!

Last night I made a nice dinner for GMan. Yes, that’s a big deal… I know.

Chicken Parmesan anyone? Really, what can go wrong with pasta, mushrooms, chicken and of course loads of cheese? In my books, nothing! It was my first time making it and I’m glad it was a success. I got two thumbs up from GMan, so I was happy.

I like to play Suzie-homemaker sometimes… please note the ‘sometimes’. Sorry GMan.

Have you ever experienced “runners high”?
~ I think every time I cross the finish line at a race, I have felt it. Even on good training days like today.

What’s your favorite main dish?
~ I love love love plain ol’ spaghetti with tomato sauce and mushrooms.