The alarm went off at 5:00 and I SO didn't want to get up.  I kept hitting the snooze justifying it by thinking I didn't really HAVE to be to work until 9:30...

So, I finally drug myself out of bed just before 6:00, got my crap together and headed out the door.  Luckily, traffic is good this time of year, so I was in the gym and working out 7:02.  Back Day, lovely back day!  I like back day as much as leg day.  Except of a lingering/nagging shoulder issue, working out my back always feels great.  I've been trying to take it easy because of my shoulder, but today I just got the urge to go for it!  And... my shoulder held up and I went up on every exercise! woo hoo!

Lat Pulldown: 6 x 125, 6 x 130, 6 x 135
V Bar Pulldown: 6 x 135 x 2
Cable Row: 6 x 135 x 2
Dumbbell Row: 6 x 55
Hanging Leg Raise: 6 reps x 2 sets
Cable Crunches: 10 x 110, 6 x 110

What really surprises me though is that I went back and checked my logs from when I was working out VERY consistently in 2006 - My high for Lat Pulldowns was 125 -- High for Cable Rows:  115.  Maybe all the swimming I was doing had some advantages?  Or maybe because the chiropractor fixed the popped rib/pinched nerve in my back/shoulder?  I donno.  I just know I'm happy to see some good numbers like that.

 Then it was over to the treadmill.  Same workout as Monday.  I did the first running interval and thought "Oh my god!  I don't know if I can do this!"  My legs felt like lead and I could tell that my heart rate was MUCH higher then last time because I was huffing and puffing after just 90 seconds!  But, I gutted it out and finished the whole thing.  Yes, there was times when I had to 'grab on' to the treadmill for a second or two but I didn't lower the incline and I didn't change the speed.  1.9 miles in 29 minutes.  No, I'm not setting any speed records, but the goal is incremental improvement.  I'm 100% sure that the hard leg workout yesterday and the lower carbs/calories had a lot to do with my struggle today.  But I'm also 100% that I'm a better person for having worked through it!

In other news, I've now joined two contests (other then my own) on Weight Loss Wars with the chance of winning almost $300 (so far) if I can have the greatest weight loss %.  That's got me in a happy motivated place right now.  I'm also thinking about setting myself up a monetary challenge on Stickk.  Can't decide if I want to make it short or long term though.  I'll have to think about that one.

Oh!  and I've been getting super excited while looking through the race calender for the year.  I want to do them ALL!  The one thing I know I'm not going to be able to do is the San Francisco Sharkfest Swim.  The thing fills up fast (as in, it's full up usually in January), and I'm just not going to have the $150 in the next few weeks.  But, some things I know are going to be on my schedule is the Central Valley Oli Tri (where I PRed a few years ago)  and the Bridge to Bridge Run.  Oh! and I'm also putting the Midnight Half Marathon on my schedule because running around at midnight just seems like an awesome way to do my first Half!