Back to the gym

The roads and sidewalks have been all slushy and slippery, which has kept me indoors for the past couple weeks no matter how much I've wanted to get out for a run or a ride.  I've also been craving heavy, carby, warm foods.  It's the wintery weather.  As a result, I feel like a squirrel trying to fatten up for hibernation.  I doubt I've actually gained any weight.  It's just that I feel sluggish and squishy, if you know what I mean.

So, the hubby went to a friend's house last night to play WarHammer, and I took the opportunity to go to the dreaded gym.  I rode 6 miles on the exercise bike, stretched, ran 3 miles on the treadmill and stretched some more.  It was a good hour of cardio during which I watched some news and most of an episode of "House."  The stories in that episode keep lingering in my memory today for some reason.  I also saw a commerical for the next season of American Idol, which apparently starts soon.  Ellen Degeneres is going to be a new judge.  I may have to add that to my list of guilty-gym-TV-watching pleasures this year.

I also got to try out my new pair of running shoes, which my mom bought for me this weekend during our birthday/Christmas shopping outing.  After the second mile, I started to feel a few places rubbing uncomforably.  I'll have to give them a few more miles of testing and then decide whether to take them back and try a different pair.  If I'm going to be training for races next summer, I want some shoes that fit right.  Blusters and lost toenails are a cool badge of accomplishment and all, but I've been there done that.  I don't need a repeat performance.

After my great workout, I went home and snacked on strawberry cobbler and roast beef (strange combination but that's what sounded good).  I probably ate all the calories that I'd just burned off all over again.  Oh well.  Welcome to gym season!