The Return of the "Double Double" and the new Plan

Joy here...Well, as my last post intimates, change is in the air.  Those of us living in the northern hemisphere must batten down the proverbial hatches and get good and ready for autumn and then winter, which will blow autumn to bits long before anyone is ready for it.

The Man amidst the snow during our first Ottawa winter.

Each year we try to come up with strategies to get through the winter without turning into big, fat, lazy potatoes.  It's hard.  First, the body wants to store extra fat in order to stay warm, so we find that our metabolism slows and anything and everything we eat turns to a little extra layer.  Second, it's dark basically all the time, which takes its toll on our moods and motivation.  Third, it's damn cold.  Anytime we want to head outside, we've got to brace ourselves for the shock to the lungs.  Fourth, there's snow everywhere, which means that not only do we have to bundle up against the cold, but we've also got to wear boots so that we can trundle through the white stuff...which then leaves salty/sandy puddles of water to ruin our floors wherever we leave our boots upon reentering the house.  (And don't even get me started on shovelling...).

Anyway, to make a long rant short, you can tell that we're not looking forward to the approach of the "w" season.

But instead of sitting back and complaining and curling into our sleepingbags for months on end, we try to put some things in place so that we can make it through the winter, despite the lethargy that coats us like ice.  Last year I took spinning; we tried bouldering and climbing; I ran outside to prepare for my 30km race in March; we started strength training...and we generally tried to keep a positive attitude.

Well, as this transition is breathing down our throats, we've already started putting some of our plans into practice.  I started spinning classes again, and we resumed our strength training with The Trainer.  So yesterday (Thursday) was my first "double double" workout in a long while.  My spinning class was crazily intense and had me sweating and my legs screaming for 60mins. straight.  Then I hobbled home and showered and ate, only to get ready for an intense circuit training session with The Trainer, where she said that I made the most funny faces that I've ever made at any session.  My legs were still screaming.

As fall and winter approach, here's what my workout week is sort of going to look like (I think), as I try to be a little more scheduled:
SUNDAYS - a long bike ride (indoors in my basement with SK and The Man when the weather gets too crappy to ride outside)
MONDAYS - rest day
TUESDAYS - a bike ride with some kind of drills
WEDNESDAYS - run day
THURSDAYS - a double double spinning & training day
FRIDAY - a run day
SATURDAY - a run day.

As with Nomi's and my usual approach, with the runs, I'll try to add 10 minutes to my weekly long run.  As well, I'll plan to take every fourth week easy.  Along the way, I'll probably put a little more structure into that plan and clarify some training goals and objectives and all that.  Right now, I just feel like I want to have a plan, so that when Old Man Winter blows his way into town, I'm not caught out scared and unprepared.

The best defence is a good offence, right!!!?

Over and out,
Joy