Bounding around: German and Plyometrics

I passed! I got the following email in German,

Sie haben die Prüfung bestanden!
Ich wünsche Ihnen einen schönen Sommer (ohne unregelmäßige Verben).

(You have passed the exam! I wish you a beautiful summer (without any irregular verbs)).

What relief! Again, all of the tension in my shoulders is gone! My friends/family have been giving me grief, saying "Of course you would," but I still had some doubts, just like I did about sub 3:30. It's a pass/no pass class, and it means all of my language requirements for graduate school are complete (I'll still probably take some Italian down the road). Another checkmark en route to the PhD! All I have left for the semester is a seminar paper due Saturday, which is fine - it is a paper on "my witch" - Alice Kyteler - the one accused of killing 3 of her 4 husbands, and then maiming the fourth. You'd think I'd be really dark and twisty for reading stuff like that all of the time, but that isn't quite the case.

My running is getting back into a regular routine.

Sunday: 6 miles - furthest run since Boston

Monday - 6000 meters rowing

Tuesday - 2 mile AM run, 15 minutes of plyometrics, 6 mile run in the evening - total of 8 miles

Wednesday-5 mile run in the rain

Thursday-5 mile sunny run!

Friday - Will row 6000 meters, plyometrics

We'll see what happens over the weekend!

I read this really interesting article on plyometrics. Now, I know the benefits - they can increasing running power and efficiency - I just haven't really done them. But on Tuesday, I needed a mini study break, and this did the trick!

Warm up with 3 minutes of walking lunges, deep squats, and jumping jacks to prepare your legs for maximal-effort jumping.

Jump as high as you can off both feet. Repeat 20 times.

Rest 1 minute.

Assume a split stance (one foot a half-step ahead of the other), bend down, and jump as high as you can. In midair, reverse the positions of your legs and land in the new stance. Continue jumping and alternating your leg positions until you’ve competed 20 total jumps.

Rest 1 minute.

Stand on your right foot with your left knee bent and your left foot elevated. Bend down and jump as high as you can. Land on the same foot. Complete 10 total jumps and then do 10 more off the left foot.

I also added in some high knees, butt kicks, and some grapevines. It got my heart going, and I felt sore the next day! I am going to try to do this twice a week. We'll see what happens!