Big Steps, Small Steps, At Times, No Steps

It was such a gorgeous day today, would have been absolutely perfect for a nice run outside after I finished all  my little errands.  But I ran yesterday at the gym...and the foot is a little sore.

One of the things I said I was doing at the beginning of 2012 in preparation for getting myself ready to run  my first full marathon was to cut back on my weekly runs to one or two and focus on cardio, cross, and strength-training for a while, and I've been doing that.  In fact, I didn't run at all this past weekend.  So with the weather as gorgeous as it was today, I was craving a run!

What do I do?  Should I?  Shouldn't I?  I reached out to other runners and got the answer I needed to hear...don't do it.  Give it a rest.  Give it time for the soreness to go away.  Bummer.  But I know it's good solid advice, and as much as I really wanted to take advantage of the weather and go for a run, I did not.

Instead, we took the dog out to the dog park to play for a while.  Once we got home, I threw my gym clothes on and snuck in a 35-minute elliptical workout before starting dinner.  My plan didn't end there.  After dinner, my old friends, the hula hoops came out.  Been a while, and I enjoyed it.

Tomorrow I have an appointment at the gym for orientation on the weight circuit equipment.  Also a very long time since I worked on the equipment and have no clue where I should set the machines.  I am looking forward to it.  I'm going to take my running gear with me, and depending on how I feel, I might decide to run home after, about 3.75 miles.

So here we go, another step in the right direction.  Strength training.  Anybody have an input on this, strength training with weights for distance running?  I know I've got a lot of work to do, but I also know it's not about "bulking up".  It's about strengthening, and that I definitely need work with.  So is it more reps, lighter weights?  I have bookmarked a couple articles on this topic, but haven't yet had a chance to read them.