Bleh.

On top of the past couple of less than fun days, we get an almost-cold rain & some serious drearies.   Thanks a lot, weather.

I did get out and run this morning, another relatively short one at a bit over 5 miles.  I've enjoyed this step-back week, despite the cold Tuesday and the rain today.  I guess if the weather were feeling really spiteful, it would have been around freezing and raining both days (in which case, I might have bagged it, although I do find the hardest part of running on real shit weather days to be getting one's ass out the door, not the run itself).  Whatever, I have some extra time and energy on my hands this afternoon and may try a DVD I picked up called Power Systems ICE, or something close to that.  I'm guessing the "power systems" part refers to the fact that the cardio component is all higher impact plyo-type stuff, and the ICE has something to do with core.  It's only a 30 minute DVD, which frankly was a big selling point for me because I don't need to add anything of significant length to my day.  I like plyometrics and I like creative core work, which was another selling point for this DVD; I've gotten pretty bored with the core work I know and need something fresh.


Jeez - just erased a bunch of ramblings.  I don't know what's with me today.  My schedule is off - normally I have A&P today but the professor is at a conference so she canceled lecture, and I've already completed the assigned lab.  I got home very early and spent some time studying for next week's lab practical instead, and now I'm just at loose ends.  I wish it were a nice day; I've gotten rained on a few times and I'm disinclined to go back out before I have to, but I don't have a ton of stuff to do here.  I guess it's a rare luxury, to actually be a bit bored for a change.  Anyway, my random thoughts:

- 'Tis eating season, and I'm happy to be going into it at a happy weight, with a good base diet and no questions about what I'm doing for exercise for quite some time.

- Signed up for A&P II for next semester and have been debating taking Abnormal Psych.  I don't need it to apply to grad school, but it looks interesting to me - however, I haven't quite brought myself to part with the bux for something that really isn't necessary.  If I don't decide to do it soon, though, the decision will be made for me by virtue of the class filling up.

- I need a haircut so badly it's not even funny.  I'm trying to hold out for two more weeks so I don't need a bangs touch-up (trim) between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Wish me luck.  I was about ready to shave my head this morning.

- There is a guy in A&P who has apparently taken a shine to me.  He's about 25, and thinks the world of himself.  I wore a sweatshirt to class that had our dojo logo on it (nothing ostentatious, just a name tag sized thing on the breast) and he started asking me about classes, etc.  He wants to train at a place where there's Real Fighting (of course) so I told him about Sensei J, etc.  When I told Sensei J about it, he absolutely cracked up and informed me that I was this kid's Mysterious Older (but not that much older) Woman.  Go, me.

- On that note my sparring does seem to be continuously improving, although I still tend to over-intellectualize the process, and thinking is generally not something you want to get frozen by when limbs are flying.  I'm sure I'll unlearn this over time, and have to be patient with myself for now.

- And, I'm generally liking what I've been doing for weights, now that I'm a couple of weeks into my plan and the dust has settled. 

- Am having a big HMMM as I've been re-reading Maximum Strength; I had been planning to continue running through the program and possibly even do a few trail runs over the winter, but he suggests very little cardio (particularly compared to what I've been doing) for my somatotype.  I'm wondering if that will drive me crazy.  I do understand why doing significant amounts of cardio is completely counter to the program's aims, and since this is really all about truly seeing what I can do in terms of adding strength I should probably just do exactly. what. he. says.  I also realize he's not my mother, I won't get arrested for not following the program exactly, and so on...  Guess I have to pick my priority, eh?

All right, time to try this Power Ice thing.