Each Day Is a Gift

Haha, way to get some sleep. :) Especially if you're going to be cold, you gotta have good snow, right??

Yikes, SCARY guy!!!! Ugh.

PS - what's Myrtle?

I'm picky about my snow too!!

Nice run today with friends.

Sounds fun minus the stalker. Scary!

Scary stalker! We are taking the kids skiing for the first time on Friday. I hope we all survive!

Creepy!! hope the police are strict with following up!! be careful!!

Scary stuff. I'm glad you guys had the mind to notice and take down the plate number. I probably wouldn't notice and then just write it off. I'm a little naive that way.

We go up to Brighton and the snow looks a little deeper up there. You don't have to be picky about the snow when you're sitting in the warm lodge just watching :)

Brooke ~ myrtle is a set of exercise to strengthen the hip girdle. The coach calls it myrtle because it rhymes with girdle. I got it from a link posted by Andrea on her blog couple weeks ago. It isn't too hard, takes only a few minutes and quite effective!

YIKES! That is creepy! Glad you got 8 in. I am picky about my snow too! :)

I bookmarked the myrtle exercises - I'm very excited to start those! What are CSE exercises? You are full of awesome information!

Toby ~ CSE = core strength/stability exercise. i do the ones in Pete Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning. It is a series of 6 exercises that you do in a circuit. that is do one set of the first exercise. then move immediately to the 2nd exercise and so on. when you have completed the 6th exercise, return to the 1st exercise to start a second circuit. Here's a brief description of the 6 exercises:

1. Abdominal crunch (20 reps per set, I've been doing 30)

2. leg push away (20 reps, again I do 30) - lie on the floor with your knees and hips bent at 90 degrees so that your thighs are vertical and feet off the ground. Place hands on hips. Contract lower abdominal muscles and push lower back toward the floor. While holding this lower abdominal contraction, make sure you breath normally. Slowly lower one foot until the heel touches the floor. Return to the start position and repeat with the opposite leg.

3. Staff (6 reps of 5 seconds each per set) startin push up position, with your hands shoulder width apart. Lower your body until your elbows are next to your rib cage. Hold this position for 5 seconds then push your body back up to the start position.

4. Standing knee hold (12 reps of 5 seconds) stand with feet shoulder width apart and arms by sides. Lift one foot off the floor and pull knee up toward chest. Hold this position for 5 seconds then repeat with the other leg.

5. Back extension (12 reps of 2 sec.) lie face down on the floor, do superman by lifting your chest and shoulders off the floor, eyes should be looking at the floor to keep neck in allignment with your spine.

6. Side planks (I do 1 min each side, sometimes also add the front plank)

CSE should generally be done 3x a week year round. Hope this helps.

thanks for clarification Smooth!! btw are the standing knee holds actually held up by your arms or are you trying to balance the leg up there? and is superman done with arms in front of you or arms at your side (sorry I remember Superman flying both ways ; D) Ummmm the hardest one there, I think is the one that starts in push up positions. I do my pushups with my elbows extending outward but with them at my side I am RIDICULOUSLY weak!! do you know why this would be? I am broad shouldered as well.

Julie ~ Sorry I missed this and didn't answer your questions.

Yep, the hardest one for me also is *staff* where you start out in push up position and lower your body till the elbows are next to rib cage and hold for 5 seconds. My arms are weak sauce but I find it easier on the wrists compare to regular push ups. It builds upper body strength, improves coordination between upper body and core muscles to keep shoulders and hips in optimal position to maintain running speed. It is amazing how little we think of our arms as power drive for leg speed.

The superman is done with arms straight out in front of you. This also stretches out the arms after doing staff. This is supposed to strengthen lower back and increase ability to maintain good running posture when fatigued.

The standing knee hold is done with arms pulling the knee up toward your chest while holding this for 5 seconds, I count the seconds by rotating the foot of the leg being held up, this stretches the ankle muscles. The standing ankle muscles are strengthened. This improves single-leg balance, helps reduce wasted motion in running form and increases stride length. The glutes of the leg with the knee pulled also gets some stretching and stabilization.