Cross Training

I know it's a little unusual for me to post outside of my training schedule, but I just wanted to add a little update. First off, I decided that I should supplement my running with some strength training, so on my off days I'll be working on the 100 push-ups challenge (http://hundredpushups.com/index.html)). I've actually decided to double my fun and include a self-devised 100 crunches challenge too (OK so it's not self-devised, I just substituted crunch for push-up). Either way it will be a valuable start to my strength training and will help shore up my weak core muscles.

I also caved and got some new running shoes. It's not that I was against new running shoes, I just didn't want to walk into the store to be faced by an assistant looking at me as if to say, "Oh please, you can't run; you're too fat!" I bit the bullet though, and met her withering stare with a few well-judged questions about over-pronation and asked her to discuss the relative merits of motion-control shoes over those with more cushioning. Thankfully she knew her stuff, but she eased off on the whole fat persecution thing. So now I'm the proud owner of a shiny new pair of Brooks "Beasts". Just in case you don't know, they're the perfect shoe for fat over-pronators like me. Damn shoe store assistants and their petty ways. I love them though. The shoes...not the assistants...although they're pretty trim. The assistants, not the shoes. Enough!

Week five begins tomorrow...