Legs. What can I say? They make our sport. Not only running. This would include swimming and cycling -- all three "legs," if you will, of a triathlon. As runners, we must come to terms with training our legs regularly. Today was a leg day for me at the Y. The goal was very simple. The best legs are the strongest legs and the freshest legs. I am a big fan of isolation leg exercises. First you work your calves, then your hamstrings, then your quads and thighs.
These exercises are absolutely critical for building leg strength from the ground up so to speak. These are legs that will have to carry me across many more finish lines and, Lord willing, to the top of another mountain in the Swiss Alps. They have to be strong to do that. Many of you know that I have another triathlon next weekend. I'll need strong legs for that as well. I'm also going to be using my legs a lot for the next few days in Virginia Beach as I surf, swim, bike, and run on the famous boardwalk there. Ah, the boardwalk. I've now done the Virginia Beach Marathon three times and I can tell you that there is nothing like running on the boardwalk there along the beach.
Speaking of my trip to the beach, today I loaded up on snacks.
In case you were wondering, everything you see here is calorie free, sugar free, gluten free, and taste free. Kidding. I think sometimes it's a good idea to mix pain and pleasure, don't you? So in the midst of all kinds of activities this week I do plan to indulge in some of my favorite snacks that I rarely touch otherwise. I'll also be taking along a lot of brain food, including books by John Stott, Michael Green, James Packer, and C. S. Lewis. Those men were amazing writers and brilliant thinkers. Their books both inform and inspire. I know books are getting a little archaic these days, but I still believe there's a lot of inspiration and motivation we can glean from them to keep running toward our goals on the roads and trails and in life.
Onward and upward to the rest of this year and to a year of being active on this earth. Let's go!