Training: Completing the Circuits

A Bosu and weights are at the heart of circuit training.

Ever since the end of Team in Training season, I’ve been suffering from a lack of purpose in my workouts. Sure, I’ve been doing things, but the level of effort has been purely half-assed and lacking a plan.

This past week I finally started circuit training with a new trainer. Her sessions are intense and incorporate everything from cardio to strength, agility and balance, all things that will ultimately help me with my running, and probably life in general.

The most surprising thing about the circuit training is this: for the amount of work that I’m doing, for the number of unused muscles that are being awakened at each session, I have surprisingly little soreness afterward. That’s not to say that I don’t feel like my muscles have worked; believe me, I do. But during my first session, I was completely convinced that I wouldn’t be able to stand up from a seated position the next day. Imagine my surprise to discover that I could.

What I can’t seem to figure out is whether I’m in better shape than I thought (it sure doesn’t seem that way during the circuits), or if I recover faster than I had expected.

Either way, there’s no doubt that these kinds of workouts work me harder than I would work myself (oh, most definitely!) and will strengthen my body and get me into better shape for Team in Training season in the summer. I think back to last year, coming off the broken foot, and how weak my body was even months later. This year, I’ll be starting with a better base and when I add in what I learned at the UCSF RunSafe clinic on Wednesday, I should be in a much stronger position overall. (More information about the RunSafe experience is coming tomorrow.)

Are you changing your routine to get stronger? Do you suffer from Halfassed Workout Syndrome when left to your own devices?

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2 Responses

  1. Oh yes, I’m a definite HWS sufferer. I am also an HSW enabler for my running buddy when we go to the gym together (as she is for me). I see the people doing circuits with the trainers and I know I should feel motivated, but I generally just feel really, really relieved to not be doing it.

  2. Alisa says:

    I think that we would have a great time doing halfassed workouts together!

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