Up next - muscles?

Yeah, well, maybe. 

As usual, I've spent probably an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out where to go next, so to speak, in terms of training.  I so totally enjoyed the trail run that I definitely want to do a spring trail run, a 15K held in late April.  This one is supposed to be a bit more challenging, in terms of hills/terrain, than the race I just finished.  What this last race told me is that my current mileage for this distance is fine, and that I could use more hill and technical work.  I also don't think I have to go crazy in that direction just yet, since I have nearly five months to prep.  So, for now, the plan is to keep the same basic running schedule, with an eye to finding some new hill challenges and incorporating more of them into the program come late winter/spring.  And as I think about it, my winter running program will be in part dependent on the weather, so I guess to a large extent I'll take what I can get - but those are my basic intentions.

Soooo, that left me really wondering what kind of weight program to do.  This past week I did a video as an entire workout, first time I've done that in quite a while.  It was fun and for a brief time I was thinking that what I might do is lift Monday and Friday and leave Wednesday as a "do whatever" day - video, kettlebell, gym, run, or even (gasp!) rest.  But - meh.  Somehow that sounds disjointed and ultimately unsatisfying.  Plus, if the weather this winter turns to crap, as it did early and often last year, I'll have my share of days where I have to figure out some alternative workout anyway, so it seems like as good a time as any to focus on weights. 

So I played (a lot, I confess) with the workout plans in the Dos Remedios book, and ultimately decided to do a three day a week, total body hypertrophy program.  Why hypertrophy?  Curiosity, mostly, plus I haven't done a hypertrophy oriented program since I was working with Jan years ago.  I don't really expect significant muscle gains in 12 weeks - between the running and my relative training age, I'd be lucky to put on a pound of muscle in that time - but it would be interesting if I were wrong about that, and even if I'm not, it's still a significant enough change in overall protocol that it'll be fresh.  I did a test run of what has become my "B" workout on Friday, and it was a nice step up in workload; I found it very pleasantly tiring without being deadly.  (But I'm glad I don't want to do anything with my running workload right now!)

I am also rethinking the first of the two ultras I'd been planning for next year.  I took a second look at it and realized the course is a 2.5 mile loop - meaning I'd have to do it 12 times during the race (plus an extra mile on a dirt road).  Um.... not really appealing.  What I may do instead is a trail half marathon (known as the Half Wit Half - the course is reputed to be challenging) that happens a week later, and do the other ultra as planned.  Makes for a nice progression. 

Heh.  I'm getting way ahead of myself, I suppose - but it's good to be healthy and feel strong and able to take on these challenges.