Dancing in the Dark

On a couple of evenings a week, if one of my neighbors look out their back windows they might notice some strange activity coming from my backyard. If they look closely enough they just might see some silhouettes bouncing off the side of my house. And if they look even closer they will see someone bending and stretching and hopping across the grass. These shadows are a result of my current challenge: finding opportunities to exercise. I'm still running on the weekends. And during the first couple of weeks of November I have been fortunate enough to get in at least one weekday run, yet the past 10 days have been a struggle.

Part of the problem is that I picked up a middle school coaching job at the end of October. Before last basketball season I retired as my school's varsity girls basketball coach. After coaching at the high school level for 21 years and the last 14 as a varsity coach, I was ready for something else in my life. I haven't missed it much, and yet not having that extra money has been an adjustment for our family. Last year my athletic director needed some help for the boys middle school team. Being a good team player and knowing that we could use the money for the holidays, my wife and I figured I should coach. I enjoyed it. Low stress. Good pay. And the six-week season ends before Christmas. And now I am back for a second year.

This year however the coaching challenges my training schedule. So to compensate for my lack of time during the week, I am moving to the darkness of my backyard a couple of times a week. I have a series of stretches and sport-specific muscle building exercises I use. I am using a training video I found on the American Birkebeiner website. It's good stuff. And most importantly, the exercises can be completed in the darkness of night in about 30-45 minutes. Although these exercises don't help my cardiovascular much, they still keep me strong, and focused, and motivated.

There are two different videos that I dedicate most of my time, but the one I am including here is my favorite. Although my backyard does not have a hill, I still find these to be effective exercises on the flats. And obviously these exercises work well on the hills of Elver Park.

So as I work my way through the last few weeks of the basketball season I will continue to dedicate a bit of time every week to a little dancing in the dark.

Tonight I'll be dancing beneath a moon three days shy of full.

November Nuances

I can't blame the weather. Yesterday in the upper Midwest the temperature was close to 70. I can't blame daylight saving times. Running in the dark is not completely foreign to me...in fact sometimes it is kind of fun. I can't blame my daughter's tonsillectomy. She has regained her health and her energy and her zest for life. But for whatever reason, November training sessions are proving to be a challenge. I'm still getting them done, but now more than ever I need to prod myself out the door.

It appears I have hit a wall. I need snow. I need the cold. I know that sounds a bit crazy. And the rest of my family is protesting my own desires. But I'm ready to slap on the skis and kick my way around Elver. I'm ready for the stillness and serenity of snow covered cross-country ski trails. I am anxious to see what kind of fitness level I have reached. I remember clearly how difficult the hills were last January and February, but now that I have nine months of hill-training behind me, I want to see what kind of core I have built up.

November is kind of the tweener month. Unless one is a hard core cyclist, biking appears past its prime season. Running is still doable, but instead of wooded trails, too much of my running is on the streets. Swimming is out of the question as our membership is with an outdoor pool. Yesterday however, because of the warmer weather and the recent dry spell, I was able to get into Elver. It felt good. Ezra was psyched and we saw no one. The trees are now barren and the fallen leaves cover the trails. The late afternoon light keeps the woods in a prolonged glow, and the directional signs on the ski trails have replaced the disc golf signs. All signs point towards the ski season. Towards winter recreation!

And so I wait. I still run. I still lift weights. I have replaced my biking with sport-specific exercises. I now retreat to the darkness and lunge my way across the backyard. I hop in place. I work on getting low and exploding into an upright position. The fear of the Birkie's length keeps me motivated. Yet still, my psyche screams for snow.