Hopping on the (Cross) Train

Somehow I managed to go over my weekday planned mileage this week (that's a first for me!), so in the interest of saving myself for the long run tomorrow (20-30 miles) I decided to forego my run today.  Not an easy choice since I feel good and would have loved a little run this morning :)  Time for a little change-up.

Instead, I suited up and headed down to the pool for the first time in a good long while!  I haven't done a lick of cross-training since starting my Leadville training...and easily since April, oops.

I dusted off my one-piece Speedo, circa 2004...this is the first time I've ever worn it.  I liked the one piece a lot better than the Speedo tankini I had been wearing, no yanking necessary :)  So I warmed up with some half-drowning laps of whatever would keep my head above water the most, then clipped on the Aquajogger and took to the deep end.  I like doing speedwork in the pool, makes me feel productive :)  Since I had limited time today, I just did 4x2 minutes of fast-as-I-could-move water running, back and forth across the deep end, then recover for one minute and let the HR drop below beating-out-of-my-chest.  Once I finished all that funness, I 'cooled' down (yea, I actually could feel myself breaking a sweat in the friggin' pool!) with some relaxed laps.

Twenty minutes in all.  Felt good moving in a different way, and I actually enjoyed being in the pool again! 

Remember back when I was on the DL and I promised I would keep up with the cross-training once I got back to running?  Funny how we sell our souls when we're injured, but are so quick to forget about it once we're back on the trail.  Baby steps.  Maybe I'll think about going over my mileage again next week so that I can take a 'rest' day at the end of the week and go for a little swim.  Who knows, it could happen; lightening has indeed struck twice before :-)

Crash, out.