Every winter, I make a decision that during the running off-season I'm going to focus on strength training, something I sorely neglect every other time of year.

I've been semi-successful with my lifting goals in the past. In fact, last year I was meeting with a personal trainer and my friend Emily and I were lifting twice a week during our lunch breaks at work.

I was always pretty excited when I was able to bump up my weights and after a few regular sessions, I was creeping up from 10 lbs. to 15 lbs. and even 25 lbs. for some things. Three cheers for not using wimpy weights!


But then the break up happened and I fell off the workout wagon hard. I eventually got my running mojo back, but I haven't picked up a weight since.


Until last night.

I was out running with a friend and he mentioned he was planning to hit the gym for a lifting session afterward and asked if I was interested in joining.

I have a policy that I don't say no to workouts if I'm invited by other people.

So that's how I found myself in a gym last night lifting weights again.

We did a pretty solid upper body workout and I'm happy to report, I was still able to use pretty heavy weights:

• 10 lbs. for overhead press
• 15 lbs. for bicep curls
• 25 lbs. for rows

Oh and I can still hold a plank for a solid minute!


The workout was fun and it made me miss my regular lifting sessions that I was doing so religiously last year. Maybe it's time to find some room in my training plan to work them back in.