I am watching the snow fall outside my window. The off season has officially begun.
Wasn’t it just July? I can’t complain. I put on some good mileage on my new Qashqai despite the weird weather patterns this summer. I slayed some good hikes and runs in new-to-me places this year.
My two races – Elk Valley and Lost Soul – went relatively well. I feel really strong. Overall it was a good season. My ankle finally healed and I went to some pretty cool places in the mountains.
Although it looks like the snow will come early this year, I am not done with the mountains just yet. I still hope to get in some good hikes/runs before it gets too cold.
Adding the element of surprise
I have got back into the strength training game. I’ve ramped up my sessions at GoodLife. My goal over the colder months is to focus on gaining more strength and to find that muscle definition hiding under my layers of body fat.
I like training at the gym. Sometimes it feels like a chore but I know consistency will bring me the results I want. My workouts are short and sweet because I generally go at lunch time. That’s fine because I am focused and ready to get down to business. Often I see people “hanging out” and chatting at the gym. Yesterday this chick was sitting on her boyfriend’s lap on one of the benches. Um … okay.
I have to tell you – I am pumped about the number of staircases in my new neighbourhood. Not only is climbing stairs is a great cardio workout but it does wonders for your glutes and hammies.
I take the stairs every day at work and now in my new place (four flights of stairs). The other night I did a short stair workout with burpees thrown in the mix. I loved getting my heart rate up there. My heart rate rarely gets in the fast zone when I am training for long distance races.
But now that my season is pretty much over, I want to flip the script on my training. I don’t want to lose all the gains that I made over the summer. It’s important to keep our muscles guessing so they will continue to grow. That’s what I loved about crossfit – the WODs were never the same. Such variety.
I can’t wait to get started.
What are you doing in the off season? What is your favourite way to stay active in the winter?