A "Crappy" Workout

This morning's workout: 8:00am - 3 miles and core strength training

Left the house and was met with the most beautiful summer-like morning I'd ever seen. It was still early enough that Comm Ave was shaded and a perfect running temperature. No watch this morning - the goal was to feel good, not go fast. I ran an easy first mile, picked up the pace just a teeny bit on the second mile and held it as I started the first half of my third going over the Mass Ave bridge. There was just enough wind that it was cooling, a crew team out on the Charles and the bridge was dotted with runners here and there. I crossed the bridge, touched my turnaround pole, made an about face and did strides on the way back, lightpole to lightpole. Today I tried to focus on running with my legs, not my arms, and to keep my upper body relaxed. BIG improvement. My legs felt like they were turning over at a speed like cartoon characters do - when their upper bodies are visible, but their legs look like blurry circles. This morning, for whatever reason, it was easy. Cake, I tell you!

I hit my doorstep, got in a little stretch and decided it was just too beautiful outside to do my core workout on a yoga mat in my apartment. So I sauntered over to the grassy area that runs the length of Comm, found a clean little patch of grass in the sun that was just slightly damp with the morning dew and cranked out my workout. 3 sets of:

12 pushups
30 second planks, face down
30 second planks, left and right sides
15 bicycle situps (elbow to opposite knee)
15 leg lifts

This, too, felt easy and the 12 pushups is an improvement. I usually do ten. Each set felt stronger than the one before and, as it turns out, with each set I did I was shifting to the right ever so slightly. I was noticing that the grass was still cold and a little damp, no matter how long I'd been on it. Bonus! Cool, refreshing earthy goodness.

As I finished my third set of planks and lowered myself down from my left side, I caught a whiff of what smelled like pot. "Whoah, someone's having a little wake and bake VERY early" I thought to myself. I sat up and looked around, trying to see if someone had walked by, or if there was a window open. As I did that the scent became more pronounced. Less like pot. More like... yeah, you know how this story ends.

Turns out when I came out of my last set of left side planks, my left calf landed in a huge square foot of smeared dog diarrhea that wasn't noticeable before then. We've all stepped in dog mess before and been completely disgusted. Just imagine laying in it. Yeah. Good Morning!

I've scrubbed my leg with Dial soap twice now and I STILL feel dirty. And I can assure you, dear reader, this will be the last time I work out on the grass. I hope that dog did the same thing on its owners carpet when it got home.