January workout highlights

Workouts: Month in review

13 runs for 61 miles

4 yoga classes

3 BodyPump class

3 pilates classes

2 gymnastics classes

2 home workouts

6 off days 

January highlights

The month started off a little slow with me in holiday mode—but with some double workouts in, I'm definitely back to gym rat status. I'm doing the same classes that I like. I haven't tried any new classes, but a few highlights for the month.

• Signing up for races Will race in 2017. At least twice as much as 2016 ;) 

I know I'm doing 6.6 miles in the Chick-Fil-A half in April and a trail race March 19 I have a bunch of others I'm thinking about including a 10k in February. 

• Completing the Lululemon Strava challenge for a free Swiftly shirtsleeve (and guacamole!)

• Increasing my weight in Bodypump. Woot! 

• Increasing my distance! I have been gradually increasing the distance I run. This time last year I was running 3-4 miles. I don't see a run over 4 miles until July. I've increased from 4 to 5 and change. I finally got to 6 miles this month and can do a 10k. Which is awesome.

(Running longer distances = blood blisters on my feet. I'm between shoes. Retiring old and breaking in new) 

Blood blisters

Just leave them if they're under a callus. They're fine.

• Finally running at Sandy Creek Park. I should make a list of area trails to try.

• Also, I was pretty good with meal prep. Definitely makes a difference!

Goals for next month: 

1) Mileage up to 7 miles

2)  Run better at Sandy Creek (less walking! less falling) 

3) Try a new trail if the weather (maybe make a list of trails in the area to try. Can you tell I love lists?)

4) Stay healthy! 

Workouts this week: week of Jan. 22

Sunday: BodyPump
Sunday is usually BodyPump + yoga. But I was tired today and didn't even want to go to BodyPump. So I went to BodyPump and skipped yoga. I was tired.

Also meal prep: sheet pan chicken and veggies

Monday: OFF
Much needed off day. My legs were tired so I did a tint bit of exercise bike on the easiest setting, just to get some of the lactic acid out of my legs.

Trail sign. Still got lost ;) 

Sträva leaderboard. Woot! 

Tuesday: Run at Bot Garden
It was 60 and pretty outside. I was going to run at the IM Fields, but I went to the botanical garden because I had a work errand to do there. My plan was to run the white trail to the orange trail, for a 4 mile loop. (I usually run orange to part of white and double back). Somehow I got turned around and ended up where I started. (This has happened to me before). So then I ran my regular route for a total of 4.4 miles. Slow miles. Those hills KILLED me. Maybe I should go walk the trail a few times so I know where to turn? I feel like the arrows point forward but mean go right. It's confusing.

Wednesday: Gymnastics
Gymnastics. I worked on handstand forward roll. My back handspring was a mess. Maybe I should move on to a different skill?

Trail run: longest run

Thursday: long run
The weather is getting colder—and isn't quite as springlike. It was on the cold side, but I decided to get one more outdoor run in before the weather went back to winter.

I drove over to the trails—and had to wait through three light cycle to turn into the parking lot because cars kept blocking the turn. It was so annoying. I honked a lot. But I finally got parked.

I prefer to run when it's 60 or above, but it was about 58 so I decided to try it. And if I died I'd go to the indoor track, which is across the street. (I've got asthma and the cold triggers my asthma attacks.)

I think I dressed right for the run: My usual crops (I hate leggings), a long sleeve run (brand new long sleeve swiftly from Lululemon), a neck warmer (to keep my airwaves warm), and a hat.

This Lululemon Swiftly long sleeve is the best!

The first mile was pretty cold. I almost quit. But it got better. I never got warm enough to shed the long sleeve, like I have on some runs. The shirt had thumbholes and went over most of my hands, which really helped. When I got warmer, I'd roll the sleeves up to my wrists, but I alternated with the shirt over and off my palms for most of the last half of the run.

That first mile I would have told you I was just trying to get three miles in. But then I decided to get five in. And then I wondered if I could do 6. I haven't done 6 yet. I've done 5.7, so I know I could.

I should add that I had this run going on both my Apple Watch and the Strava app on my phone. And at some point my Apple Watch dinged like I had completed a goal. Which it usually does when I'm done. I didn't think anything of it. And then I look down at my wrist to see how close to 6 miles I am. And the watch isn't even in workout mode. It turned itself off at 4.97. Ugh!  Thankfully I had the app going on my iPhone, (because the Strava app for Apple watch didn't want to work that day), but it was timing a segment, so it was showing 10 minutes and change, instead of my 40-50 minute running time. After some swiping I saw I was at 5.8 and I had some trail left. So I got to 6. And then doubled back to get .2 more miles in, so I can say I did a 10k. I stopped and took pictures of the sunset and ran the .2 mile back to the top of the trail for 6.47 total miles. (It's interesting that it shows as 6.47 in Strava, so it doesn't round.) But that's the longest I've been on. Wahoo! I could definitely do a 10k race. (Since I did 10 kilometers running trails and hills.)

So pretty proud of my run. Running my longest distance. I think I'm more proud of myself for running in the cold. (I abhor the cold). My iPhone later said the temperature was 55 degrees. I totally loved my new Lululemon shirt. 

Sunset runs mean seeing pretty light

Friday: pilates
Lunch pilates since I don't have time for 5:30 p.m. yoga.

Selfie fail: Selfie with a stray ear bud.
After running indoors Saturday

Saturday: Speed work at the track
It was back to January weather so I did some speed work at the indoor track. I love/hate speed work. I love running fast. But I hate it because it's hard. It's repetitive. I'm only running against myself. I didn't do speed work for months, because I'd rather run trails. But it's cold and I'm running on the indoor track, so I guess I will. I looked up the Hal Higdon 15k training plan. He suggested 4 x 800 repeats at 5k pace today.

Two miles seemed a little low to me, so I ended up doing 6 x 800s for a total of three miles and then three extra laps so my Apple Watch would finally register that I'd run 3 miles (it's off by a 1/10th. I know I need to recalibrate.) I pretty consistently ran 7:30 pace. Which I'm not usually that consistent.

Splits (which it adds about two seconds of lag every time I pause it. So if I stop on :34, it will start again at :36 or :37. Which is annoying.
3:45, 7:32, 11:17, 15:03, 19:01, 22:45. So #5 was my slow split. I was off by 15 seconds. So about 4 seconds a lap. (200 meter track). I'll take it. And It would be AWESOME to run 23 or under in a 5k. Maybe one day?

Also, I've pretty much had it with my Apple Watch. It doesn't track distances right (and I can't correct it), doesn't count calories right. I'm looking into getting a Garmin.

Workouts this week: Jan. 15

Workouts this week: Jan. 15

Sunday: BodyPump + Yoga
First double workout of 2017. I did an hour of BodyPump followed by an hour of yoga. I haven't done this combo in over a month, so I died in yoga. I'm not usually that dead. Usually I always go for the hardest option. In this class, I just went straight to downward dog a lot.
Still, I like taking the time to stretch after lifting.

Monday: Run at the IM Fields
I had the day off workout and it was 61 degrees out, so I did a trail run. (5.72 miles in Strava, 5.1 on my Apple watch)
8:24 pace.

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday: Gymnastics
Went back to gymnastics for the first time in a while. Worked on the usual: Handstand forward roll and back handspring. I might have accidentally whacked a coach in the face. Oops. I think he was fine.

(Ran a mile before gymnastics. Since I was early and need every mile I can for the challenge. There's a .7 mile walking track that I thought would work. Only it wasn't lit. I had to use the flashlight feature on my phone. Not my best idea to run in the dark. But got my mile in.)

Thursday: Run + Yoga
Usually I'd run after work, but there was a free class at Lululemon that I really wanted to go to (the last one was SO good) so I ran on my lunch break. I probably only have time to run 30 miles, but I usually want to run more. I did 3.66 miles in 30 minutes. (I thought I ran closer to 4.)

After work, there was yoga at Lululemon. It was yoga for runners. And it was a more intensive than I'd anticipated. I'd wanted an easy, stretching class given all the miles I'd put in lately. But this class kicked my butt. There were no breaks. It was fast and intense. It would sub this for a workout. Not in addition to running. And I got two free class cards. (For when I'm not as tired).

Friday: Lunch pilates
I had tickets to see college gymnastics so I couldn't really make yoga. So I went to lunch pilates instead.

Foggy morning run. It poured all morning—
starting right after my run.

Saturday
I had to get the last 4 miles for that Lululemon challenge in. I got up early and got my run in before 9 a.m. (which is my favorite. To get my run in first thing. But it's usually too cold to do this in winter). It started pouring almost as soon as I was done with my run. My legs were super heavy. Mile 3 was awful. And then I started feeling better.

Put I did it 25 miles in two weeks. More on the challenge in a separate post.

Workouts this week: Week of Jan. 8

I'm back to taking classes at the gym again. Hooray! Classes started back Monday and I'm so happy about that.

I LOVE classes. 💗Someone please tell me what to do in fitness classes. Let me turn my brain off and just do. It's what I need. Since I'm always overthinking things and tend to be rather tightly wound. I love an hour where my only worries are—can I actually do three more reps, can I increase my weight or should I take the harder option? I like the class dynamic. It pushes me. Makes me think twice about skipping a rep or putting down my weight (because I don't want to be the only one.)

Also, it was free week at the student gym. So you can take the fitness classes for free. Which means the classes are EXTRA crowded and full of newbies. I already bought a pass, and just took the classes I already took. But free week is just crazy busy and you have to get to the classes extra early (and are filled with people who aren't in shape, don't know what they're doing, which is fine. It's the unmotivated people who don't try that bug me the most.)

Sunday: Indoor run with PRs
Back to the indoor track again. It's super busy with all the New Year's people. But there are also fast people at the track. I got behind a fast guy and let him set the pace.

First mile: 7:15. Which ties my PR for a mile time! I felt strong. I think my previous PR's also come from January or this time of year, since I'm stuck doing speed work at the track. I get faster! :)

Mile 2: 15:03. Which is MY BEST TWO MILE time since I left high school. I REALLY wanted to break 15. I guess I have something to work towards.
(Small water break, catch breath break here. One lap, so 2 minutes)

Mile 3: 23:12 Which is freaking AWESOME. (The fast guy must have been running 6-8 miles because he was still going. He lapped me at some point. But I am so happy with my FAST times!)

Also my Apple Watch is stupid. I had to run 3 extra laps to get it to 3 miles. I should recalibrate it. But I know how much it's off by and it's always off by 1/8th of a mile.

Monday: Bodypump
It's been a month since I've done weights. I wasn't expecting it to be pleasant. And it wasn't that bad until one and two days after the class.

First, BodyPump is a really popular class. (Which I don't get. If I'm going to be honest, I don't actually like lifting weights. I do it because I should. I probably should more than one day a week actually, but that's all I have time for. I like the instructors. I like the format—except the lunges, I hate them.) I got there at 20 minutes until the class started. I was Number 24 on the sign in list. So I got in. I was expecting Petey to teach the class, but apparently she's teaching boxing and a blonde named Sarah was teaching the class. She had a South Jersey accent. Apparently she had a baby 7 months ago (and still looked strong, thin and fabulous.) It was a good class. My forearms were sore when I left. But the next two days, my quads were really sore.

Tuesday: Indoor track
More running today. I needed to run. I didn't want to mess with Free Week classes. (I saw about 20 girls get turned away from a very full zumba class). It's madness. There are huge crowds outside all of the rooms.
First mile: 7:29
Second mile: 15:17
Third mile: 23:05, with no breaks. So this was a pretty consistent run for me. (My first mile is always the fastest. So 7:29, 7:48, 7:48) I felt strong. I would LOVE to run a 10k at this pace.

I should note that this was without breaks. I like to take a break after two miles (16 laps) because the running gets so repetitive. I didn't take a break this time.

Wednesday: OFF
I usually go to gymnastics, but was feeling sick so I skipped. I was feeling tired. From weights on Monday and my asthma flared up in the afternoon. I took an hourlong nap at home instead. I think it was the right call.

Thursday Run
The weather was absolutely glorious today. It finally turned warm after two weeks of gross cold weather (that forced me to run inside.) I've had it on my calendar to run outside for a week (since the forecast said it would be warm.) So I may or may not have ducked out early to get 5 miles in before the sunset. I got 5.5 miles in and enjoyed 70 degree weather. The run was slower than I thought—especially with all the speedwork at the track. But I'll take an outside run.

Then I showered really fast and met a friend for dinner. (I got home before 9. Which made for a 13-hour day).

I did my crown braid for dinner. Since that or a hat is the only way to have decent hair after running.

Friday: Yoga
I finally got a yoga class in. My first one in more than a month. And it was free week, so the class was packed. I think there were 52 people in the studio. The instructor plus 51. There were 10 people in the first three rows of the class and 11 people in the back two rows. It was so packed we were doing our sun salutations with arms forward because you couldn't put your arms out to the side.

I thought it was funny that a group of sorority girls sat their stuff down in the very front—where the teacher sits. Wow. Someone told them to move.

Also, at about three minutes after the class started a group of three people opened the door like they were going to come in. They looked around and saw there was no room at all, giggled loudly and left. It's free week. There was no monitor outside the class. You can't show up late to a popular class and expect to sneak in.

Saturday: 4.5 miles at IM Fields

Great first mile and a strong first three.

And then I died. I had to walk some in mile four, but finished 4.5 miles.

I'm cool with walking. I've done 17+ miles this week. My legs were tired. Every run is different.

I actually almost ran a local 5k on Saturday, but it would have been $30, so I decided to save the money and find cheaper races for later this year. (And oddly enough, my body just quit after 3 miles like I had been doing a 5k. Haha.)

Times
Apple Watch, Strava
7:36, 7:32
8:26, 8:14  (which may be my record for this uphill mile. It's a steep hill that always kills me)
8:34, 8:05
9:21, 9:12   (this is the mile I walked some.)
8:27, 8:44
8:28 average pace, 324 active calories, 388 total calories/ 8:22 average pace, 549 calories
The calorie count is the biggest difference. Both apps know my height and weight. And I have a heart rate monitor. I've always thought Apple watch always estimated low (ex: 200 calories for one hour of intense weight lifting).

So that was my week. I'll take spring weather!

Workouts this week: New Year's

I had a lazy week. I blame the holidays. I just felt like sitting around.

Sunday: Home workout

45 minutes of interval training. Five minutes on the exercise bike + 100 abs, pushups and pull-ups. Repeat.
Lots of abs, arms, and legs.

Monday: Off
Did 15 minutes on the exercise bike to keep Apple Watch happy

Tuesday: Back to work
The university being open meant the gym was open—so ran 4 miles on the indoor track.

Wednesday: Exercise bike
I was going to go to the gym and use the machines. I thought it would easier just to do my exercise bike + ab and arm circuit at home. So that's what I did.
45 minute workout.

Thursday: Indoor run
I tried out the Strava app—because Lululemon and Strava have a promotion. Run 25 miles in two weeks and you get something (IDK what) at Lululemon. I can run that mileage so I downloaded the app again (I've tried it and hated it twice before), so I tried it again today.

I ran 2 miles on an indoor track with good wifi. I had my phone and apple watch on me. My Apple Watch says I ran 1.8 miles, the Strava app says 1.2.

Well I can't run 25 miles if the app cheats me half my mileage. Guess I won't be participating in that challenge, since you can't import workouts.

The track is crazy busy. It;s always crazy busy with New Year's resolution people. I always forget though. And it's extra shocking because the gym is so empty in December. It's hard to move through people. Technically you're supposed to walk on the inside and pass on the outside, but it's really a free for all.

Friday: Pilates

Saturday: Exercise bike: 28 minutes. It was a snow day. There was a dusting of snow. So everything was closed. And I was super unmotivated.

Workouts this week: Christmas 2016

This was my lazy week. No work. The university gym was closed. I wasn't feeling super motivated to workout.

Sunday: Christmas
I did 45 minutes on the exercise bike (to offset that poundcake I ate my sister's house). Also arms and abs. And some pull-ups.

Monday: Off.

Tuesday: 3+ mile run on the trails

Yay for gorgeous weather so that I could run outside. I was feeling kinda sluggish so didn't run farther.

Wednesday: Yoga at home
The plan was to try a new yoga studio, but I felt like staying in. So I did 60 minutes of yoga at home. I had to look up some sequences. I found  12 minute ab sequence that was challenging. So I stayed in and saved $13.

Thursday: 5 mile trail run

Felt strong on this run. It was WINDY and felt colder than the 60 degrees it was supposed to be. I ran my first 2.5 miles in my long sleeve shirt (which I didn't plan on running in. I just grabbed it heading out the door). Then I tied it around my waist and ran. It was a cheap jacket from Old Navy and that actually worked out. Anything from Lulu would have been too warm to run in. I'm usually too hot after half a mile when I run in lulu long sleeves.

Friday: Lazy
Lazy day. I did 16 minutes on the exercise bike to keep my Apple Watch happy. I just didn't know what to do.

Saturday: Lazy
Again I did nothing. I did 25 minutes on the exercise bike to appease my Apple Watch, but that's it. It was too cold to run outside.

The student gym will open Tuesday and classes will start. I should be fine until then. I hope.

2017 fitness goals

#1 Stay Healthy. Do what I love while avoiding injury as best I can.

Classes to try
1.  Try an Orange Theory class
2. Try a Fuel yoga class.
3. Try more classes at Ramsey
4. Maybe try swimming (not necessarily a class)
5. Take a yoga workshop on something, like hand balancing or inversions.

Running goals.
1. Run a 10k or half the Chick Fil-A half marathon
2. Still would like to run a 5k under 23 minutes
3. Look into group work or morning speed work
4. Botanical garden trail without walking
5. 10k at 8 minute mile pace
6. More 5ks? Can I run on the road?

Tumbling goals:
1. Connect fly springs.
2. Walk overs.
3. Touch my feet to my head
4. 10 second handstand.
5. Practice handstands at home.

General goals
1. Conquer the Ninja course at Rush.
2. Try another flying trapeze place.
3. Get a body composition test done.
4. Stay on budget with fitness clothes.