I haven't done much running since the Shamrock Shuffle at the end of March. I attribute all this to injuring my IT band, having a pole dropped subsequently dropped onto my foot after I healed, and then a huge surge of interest in weight training.

You all know I've been lifting all winter. With the new routine devised by my trainer, and four lifting sessions per week, I'm stronger than I've ever been. I'm seriously considering taking pictures of my arms for you. I'm not sure what clicked - and it wasn't the new muscle definition as that's only a recent development - but I've gotten really into strength training.

But I've always defined myself as a runner. Not a fast runner - though it's true I've gotten faster by no real effort on my part, other than I've just been at this a while - or a competitive runner - though it's true I'm always looking to lap someone out there - but a runner nonetheless. After discovering for myself last year the joys of running outside, running indoors on a treadmill was the worst experience ever. Completely took the joy out of the one thing that brought me the most joy.

And I'll tell you that me and my fancy running gear were ready to run outdoors this winter had Chicago not been hit with one of the worst winters we have ever had. I've lived here all my life. I don't remember it ever being that cold or icy or snowy.

All this is to say that I'm out of the habit of running. I'm thankful I was able to find something else to occupy my workout time with - again, for real, I'm actually strong for the first time in my life - but it's warming up again and it's time to get back to running. The thing is, I don't want to abandon my weight training whatsoever. In fact, we're adding on a fifth day of training. All that plus an hour of hard cardio kickboxing mixed in there and it doesn't leave a lot of time or energy for running.

Running has always been my main form of exercise and I've always approached it as such. It just happened to make me happy, too. but now my focus has shifted, and my exercise is in the gym, lifting weights and grunting up a stupidly high incline, sweating buckets. So now I suppose I need to view running as less of a measure of exercise, and more something I do on the side a few times a week. And for as much as I love lifting now, I really don't want to lose the running ability.

How do you balance all of this you athletes out there? I know this means that my ability to run long distances may be compromised - though let's be honest, I've never been interested in more than six miles at a click anyway - but does that matter?

This week I'm going to make myself get out there at least three times to get back in the swing of things, even if it's at a slow pace.

In other news, I went in on Friday for more thyroid testing. When I hear something, you'll hear too.

Posted by Erin at 09:55 AM | filed under: Training