7 Miles - Lake Nokomis

Is it possible I didn't make it to Lake Nokomis at all during the month of June?!?  Answer: apparently so.  That means I've found lots of new places and I've been avoiding a known flooded area. 

Run: Today I did head out for a 7-ish mile 'run' around Lake Nokomis.  I use the r-word loosely since it was 84* at the time of the run and I had my heart rate monitor to control my pace.  I went pretty slow. I toyed with run/walking but I really haven't liked doing that much this season, so I just kept an eye on my heart rate and kept it nice and slow.  Different from most other recent workouts, I did carry a bottle of water and also a gu which I wound up eating around mile 4.

The highlights of the run itself were probably the egret that I keep seeing.  Today he was along the north shore of the lake eating out of the little flood-pools that have formed there.  A close second was the two blue herons on Lake Hiawatha.  I snapped a pic of one sitting out in the middle of the lake on a log (bonus if you can actually see him in this picture) but I wasn't fast enough on the draw when the pair started flying over the lake.  It was a sight to see.

Finisher: The finisher today nearly did finish me.  I did a "14" of backwards lunges (one on each leg = 1 rep) and standing leg raises (one on each leg = 1 rep).  The 14 means: 13 lunges + 1 leg raise is 14; then 12 lunges + 2 leg raises, all the way to 1 + 13.  It was not easy.  That may have been the highest heart rate of my entire workout.  After the finisher, I jumped in my pool to cool off.  Sweet relief.

Stretch: I am back to foam rolling.  I finally just ordered a second foam roller from Amazon so I can do some of my favorite rolling techniques in peace.  I love to foam roll my hip flexors, and this video utterly changed my life and helped me get a good roll out.  I also like to hit my adductors but for obvious reasons I never do this one at the gym.  For something even less appropriate, here's a second instructional video on adductors.