This weekend I hit Zorinsky Lake to log some miles.  It’s been a little while and I was craving the wind in my face and the burn in my lungs.  My time is so limited between my full time, my teaching schedule at the Y and 24 Hour, work travel and a few side projects I have going that it is really hard for me to fit in much more.

So, this weekend, I made it a priority to get some running in.  And it was FABULOUS.

Saturday was COLD and so very windy.   Windy enough that I walked a .20 stretch before starting my run.   There is a tall portion at Zorinsky that has zero tree blockage.  I used that stretch as my warm up walk, but, once off that stretch it was go-time.

 

Most of the trail is blocked by trees so the wind wasn’t too bad.   There were definitely spots along the 3.8 path that had some serious cross winds, but I kept a steady-ish pace and kept on pushing, ending with a fairly even pace.

 

You can tell where the .20 mile stretch of walking was.  Right there between the green and red dot.  🙂  Holy wind and burning slow legs.  NO need to log that!

I just love running Zorinsky.  I’ve neglected it a lot this year, opting for the Papio/Keystone Trails instead.  Sometimes you just need a change of scenery, but I am definitely going to give a little more love to the lake again in the next few weeks.   Winter will be here too soon.

 

Sunday I headed back out for another run.  Apparantly my body loves the 9.16 min per mile pace, because I hit it again.  This time I did brave the wind on the top stretch and logged 4.23 miles.   The wind wasn’t nearly as bad today – thankfully!

 

I wore my HRM this time around to keep track of my heart rate and total calories burned.  I originally bought the Polar to track the amount of calories I’d burn while exercising.  Now I also use it to track my heart rate.  Keeping your heart rate up is important, but as a fitness instructor, I use it to make sure I don’t get it too high (don’t think the class wants me passing out) and I also track how long it takes for my heart rate to get back down to the normal range.

From my stats – I’ve got a good healthy ticker that recovers in no time!   Check that off the health charts!

 

Side Note:  Monday Motivation

Today is the first day of an online accountability group I am facilitating.  I will be holding a lot of conversations on proper nutrition, hosting fitness challenges, providing motivation, sharing success stories, etc.  I have a group of 19 INCREDIBLE women involved.   Technically, this is Week 0.  I use this week to lay ground rules, do some prep work, and get the group ready to rock and roll.  This is my 7th group I have facilitated over the course of two years and I am excited to be doing it again.   If YOU are interested in joining, it isn’t too late.  Message me via email (harleysandheels@yahoo.com) by 9pm!

 

Cheers!