I've been plugging away at the gym, mostly running and swimming. I had a really fast (treadmill) run on Saturday that leads me to believe either a) my treadmill is calibrated differently from the ones at the gym and makes it seem like I am going faster and/or burning more calories at the same programmed pace/time, or b) I have increased my fitness and endurance already. I suspect it's both (i.e., 7.0 on the treadmill at home is still faster than 6.6 on the treadmill at home). My basic regime is (reluctant) weightlifting a few days a week, a class here and there (yoga or spinning), running 4-6 miles most days (long runs excepted), and swimming 30-50 laps pretty much every time I'm at the gym. This means my hair always smells vaguely of chlorine and I'm constantly doing laundry.

Anyway, I feel faster, or like my heart rate is lower when I'm running at the same, or a faster pace. I also feel like by going to the gym even when I don't want to, and sticking to my schedule (swimming 50 laps when I want to quit at 30, running 6 miles when 4 feels like enough), I've made a habit or practice of working out. I write out what I'm going to do and I follow through. It's not as fun as running outside, but there's still a certain sense of achievement (and SportsCenter on loop is its own kind of bliss), and certainly some tangible improvement in fitness. My weight even seems to be down a few pounds. I think it will be really exciting to see how I feel when I can get out on the roads again!

Ordered Brain Training for Runners, which employs some analogous theories to Chi Running (I had skimmed it when I had it from the library, but had to return it before I got much use out of it) and The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Running. The latter is part of a series (some thirty sport-specific guides in print, which made me a little leery) and features a somewhat silly-looking demonstrator, but I like the concision of the text and plans and the ease with which I can follow the plans. Also, I only have to do four exercises on a given day.