Coronavirus - Week 10

Uhhh I'm going to have to come up with something else to call these weeks... 10 weeks is ridiculous.

Monday
Did: half of Soul Sculpt w/ Brionna
Ugh, this was frustrating. We had some roofing inspectors scheduled to come at 2pm (which I'd called myself in the morning, confirmed the time, and gave them my phone number to contact in case of any changes). So I sign up for 12:15 sculpt and get going. At 12:45, I get a message from Scott that the roofers are coming at 1 instead. CRAP. So I quickly find clothes to throw on over my sweaty mess and grumble about missing my workout. Never got time to do another 30 mins.

Tuesday
Did: 6.29 mi @ 9:21/mi avg + Power Flow w/ Wednesday
Ran in the rain this morning since it was the best chance of not getting caught in an actual thunderstorm. Felt nice, got rained on pretty steadily though didn't quite get soaked. I ran up ALL the hills today - no walking. Just a nice steady run and felt good.

  

In the afternoon, Scott joined me for power flow w/ Wednesday. Not a super hard class, which was nice. Wednesday's classes are always very meditative and thought-provoking, and her voice is very soothing. She kind of sounds like Eleanor Beardsley from NPR.

Wednesday
Did: Power Flow w/ Karina
Midday flow with Karina - she kicked my butt and I did side crow on both sides, AND A HEAD STAND!! I was doing regular crow and tipped over onto my head... so I decided to just try it, and bam - feet right up in the air! Woo!

Thursday
Did: 4.22 mi @ 8:48/mi + Power Flow w/ Marsha
Nice loops through the neighborhood area, little speedier than typical. Felt nice to get out and follow it up with an hour of power flow.

Friday
Did: Soul Sculpt w/ Brionna
Shoooooo mercy that was a workout! Seemed like a similar routine to the one I did part of on Monday... maybe it's a good thing I didn't finish it then, not sure I would have signed up for another! (I kid, I kid...)

I also joined a FitBit challenge with a friend from work today... this one looks fun (a lot more intricate than the usual "whoever does the most steps" kind of thing)...

Get Fit Bingo

The top is your "bank" of steps, active minutes, and distance. You tap the tiles to "spend" whatever's in your bank and flip them over. I had 180 active minutes to spend, so I found 4 pink tiles that added up exactly to 180 and flipped them over. At the very bottom (which I clipped off, for privacy) you can see how many tiles your other competitors have flipped over and who is closest to the selected winning pattern (bottom left corner - this week is a "clover leaf" pattern). Fun!

I ALSO signed up for the Ellie activewear subscription box today. Pretty excited - I have many pieces of my workout wardrobe that are a solid 10 years old or more. Time for a refresher. If anybody is curious, you can use my reference link to sign up and get 25% off your first month. I'll post a review of my new stuff once it arrives.

Saturday
Did: 12.03 mi @ 9:36/mi avg + Power Flow w/ Marsha
Started out with an early morning long run. For some reason I had 12 miles on the brain, so that's exactly what I did. Pieced together a few different sections of other runs without really mapping it out and it came out just right. Took an easy pace, just enjoyed the time running. Right hip flexor is still a nuisance, which makes me think I need to seek some professional help. Blergh.

Canada Goose family

Yoga was the same routine from earlier in the week - tough but good!

Sunday
Did: Meditation & Flow w/ Wednesday
Did early yoga today since my family is coming over for late afternoon & dinner (i.e. the other times there are yoga classes today). Hip flexor is pretty sore today thanks to all of yesterday's miles. It feels good to stretch it but I'm not sure that's what it needs. Going to try to take some walks around the neighborhood today (D and I already took a short one this morning) just to keep it loose and keep myself moving. (and also to keep up with the FitBit challenge, of course)

Coronavirus - Week 9

...

Monday
Did: Soul Sculpt w/ Brionna + 2.64 mi @ 8:37/mi
Sculpt was tough at lunch today but I think Brionna might be my favorite teacher... although when she starts the class saying, "I might not use my weights today since I taught this class yesterday and my arms are SO SORE..." 😨 She was right, it was hard! Bicep curls of every variety imaginable, and some killer plyo in the middle.
I decided to also get out for a couple of miles right before dinner which felt good to get the legs moving - pretty good pace for it being warm in the late afternoon.

Tuesday
Did: 6.31 mi @ 8:26/mi avg + Power Flow w/ Karina

Running in 💚 green (valley)

Yes, I had to wear my ear warmers today. It was 37 when I woke up! Not complaining but... man, it's weird. Pretty speedy on the pace today, was faster than my photo stats show due to stopping to take the picture (and dropping my phone, further cracking the back of it... it might be time for a new one soon...).
In the late afternoon I did Power Flow w/ Karina on the back porch - it was a little chilly and breezy but ended up being pretty good. It was slightly chaotic because D was running around, Scott joined me, the cats were everywhere... we gave the other virtual class participants a laugh, that's for sure.

Wednesday
Did: Power Flow w/ Katherine + 2.98 mi @ 9:50/mi stroller run
Started the day with yoga by the fire and a new instructor. She was good, although I can't decide if I like the new morning class schedule (7-8am instead of 6:30-7:30am). On the one hand, I get a bit more time to work before D wakes up, but on the other hand I end up finishing yoga (śavāsana aka the relaxing part at the end) with a child driving an excavator around my head and 2 cats walking on me. Win some/ lose some.
I then spent the day prepping D to go ride his bike while I ran in the afternoon... first it was "not now, later" then it was "after lunch" then it was "after quiet time" then I had a conference call, and finally when I was done with my call he decided he didn't want to ride his bike anymore. 😣 Resort to bribery, offer him an Oreo if he'll go ride in the stroller for a bit, and he says, "well I don't want an Oreo but can I have an orange?" Um, okay. 😏
So we're out in the stroller (which I haven't done in a hot minute) and I forget a few things:
1) how heavy a 30-lb child + 15-lb stroller is
2) how difficult it is to run while fielding the never-ending stream-of-consciousness questions and commentary from a 5-year-old.

Tire tracks.

"Mommy, do you see those tire tracks? I think a race car made those tracks. Why do cars race? Do they go fast? Does it make a noise like EEEEEEERRRRRR on the road? Mommy look at those trees, MOMMY LOOK DID YOU SEE?? Look, there's horses in there... do you like horses? Can we go see the horses? Why can't we go see the horses? You don't like horses?"  ::turning a corner::  "Mommy why are we going this way? Why didn't we go that way? You like going this way? Why didn't we go the other way, you don't like that road? Mommy did you step on those cracks? Did they hurt your back?"  :: going up a hill:: "Mommy can you make it up that STEEP STEEP HILL??? Mommy why are we going slow? Can you go faster? Do you need to use your boosters???"

😵😵😵

Thursday
Did: 5.15 mi @ 8:42/mi + Power Flow w/ Gina
Morning run on what has become my standard Green Valley loop. I do it both clockwise and counter-clockwise... today was counter-clockwise. Either direction ends with a big climb, so there's not an "easy way" or a "hard way". Pretty good pace today even though temps and humidity seem to be up vs. earlier in the week.
In the afternoon I did a power flow class which was good and stretchy.

Friday
Did: Soul Sculpt w/ Jessie
I didn't love this class, but it was still a good workout. I modified a lot to do less with the legs and more arms. Got good and sweaty for this one. Also took the day off running (first day this week) although I totally would have gone out to run while D biked if I could have convinced him to go ride.

Saturday
Did: 8.19 mi @ 9:03/mi avg + Flow & Deep Stretch w/ Jasmine
Didn't quite get the 10 miles I'd hoped, but due to right hip flexor soreness and the need to be home at a specific time, I cut it a little short. Was still a nice run though, before the heat arrived.
Followed it with Flow & Deep Stretch which is always a nice compliment to running.

Sunday
Did: 3.1 mi @ 12:24/mi + Yin Yoga w/ Jess
Got D out on the bike in TR and enjoyed a short run/ride together.

Run Squad 😍

Pedaling past the TR City Hall & Trailblazer Park complex

It wasn't fast, it wasn't long, but it was fun time together. Plus we got to wear our matching shirts that a fellow mother runner got us for Mother's Day. :)

Spent the afternoon outside and canceled the 4pm Power Flow yoga in favor of hanging out with friends, so did Yin Yoga at 6pm instead. It's still not my favorite style but it checked the box of "do yoga daily" and that's good enough for me.


Pretty pleased to have done a little over 28 miles this week. This is the range I like to be in (25-30), plus maintaining yoga daily feels good.

Coronavirus - Week 8

Monday
Did: Power Flow w/ Shana
New instructor to me, liked her a lot - challenging class but felt good.

Tuesday
Did: 6.24 mi @ 8:54/mi + Power Flow w/ Jen

yellow + fog + tacos

Cinco de Mayo 10k Tuesday in the morning fog. Legs felt pretty ok/normal. Walked one hill but not due to any soreness, just laziness.

Did a late afternoon power flow class w/ Jen - her last class before she has her baby! Amazing to see her still teaching at this point. Power mama!

Wednesday
Did: Soul Sculpt w/ Brionna
Never taken a class from Brionna before but I liked it! Great strength session, lots of arms and squats. Whew.

Thursday
Did: 3.13 mi @ 8:13/mi + Power Flow w/ Jasmine
Oh yeah, fast miles this morning in the cool sunshine! Also, my arms are sore from yesterday's sculpt session.... score.
Later in the day took D to the pump track for a few miles on the bike and some ice cream, then did Full Moon power flow at night. Sadly I went outside and couldn't find the dang moon afterwards! And it was cloudy this morning. So I didn't get to see the Flower Moon. :(

Friday
Did: Power Flow w/ Dena
Got this done early in the morning even though I was so tired and didn't want to do it. I'm glad it's done though and I don't have to think about it because the rest of today is going to be busy.

Saturday
Did: Flow + Deep Stretch w/ Jasmine
Nice easy flow for the morning by the fireplace.

Sunday
Did: 10.13 mi @ 9:12/mi + Mother's Day Flow w/ Karina
Great temps for a mid-morning solo run through Green Valley and TR. I took it easy, walked hills when I felt like it, just enjoyed the sun and time to myself.
Afternoon was a special Mother's Day yoga class which was nice to do outside on the screened porch in the sunshine.

Coronavirus - Week 7

Honestly, so tired of this.

Monday
Did: Power Flow w/ Karina
Started the week with Monday morning power flow by the fire. It was a nice gradual ease into the week.

Tuesday
Did: 6.22 mi @ 9:44/mi avg + Power Flow & Deep Stretch w/ Marsha
Two-part 10k Tuesday today. Took D for a bike ride on the SRT and we got 3 miles done together. Then finished the rest of the run downtown while D hung out with my folks at their apartment. Nice change of scenery after running Green Valley for weeks on end!

🧡 orange 🧡 for #runtherainbow
And pretty snapdragons!

Had a nice post-dinner yoga session - Power Flow + Deep Stretch w/ Marsha. Just the right combination of work and relaxation. Hopefully a prelude to a good night's sleep.

Wednesday
Did: Power Flow w/ Karina
Challenging class today, but felt great! One more day of the 30-day challenge and I'll have done 30 consecutive days of yoga. Loving the new strength I feel and challenging myself each time. Wish I'd taken some "before" pics because I think I even see more definition in my abs... aww yeah core strength.

Thursday
Did: Power Flow w/ Marsha
Another tough class, but a good one. 30 day challenge complete!! Going to try to stick with the daily yoga for a while and see how it goes... I really like the consistency.

Friday
Did: Power Flow w/ Karina
Early morning yoga with Karina. This was a hard class - lots of extended holds (like a minute holding Warrior 2!) but felt good to wake up this way.

Friday/Saturday
Planned: Yeti 24-hour Ultra Challenge
Yes, I got bored one day and signed up for this challenge.
I decided to do a separate post for this one.
Here it is: http://littlechemistruns.blogspot.com/2020/05/yeti-24-hour-ultra-challenge.html

Also mentioned in the post, I did a yoga class between runs. It was very much needed.

Sunday
Did: absolutely nothing!

Yeti 24-hour Ultra Challenge

Run 5 miles every 4 hours for 24 hours. Easy, right?

Decided starting late Friday afternoon would allow me to have only 2 of the 6 runs in the dark, and 11pm doesn't seem that "scary". 3am is going to be interesting... but then I'm still finished before lunch on Saturday, take an afternoon nap (maybe) and then I'll have another day to recover before the week starts. Good plan I guess.

Run 1

Friday, May 1st, 3:00 p.m.

5.08 mi @ 9:13/mi avg

I told myself not to get too excited and go out too fast, and I accomplished that. Woohoo! I took a loop that I probably should have saved for another time, because the roads were busy on a Friday afternoon. Oh well, got it out of the way. It's one of the less interesting routes. It was warm, though! I haven't run since Tuesday, so my legs were a little stale... feeling good though.

One down, five to go.

Run 2
Friday, May 1, 7:02 p.m.

5.15 mi @ 9:44/mi avg

Lots of nature out on the evening run today - saw a turtle crossing the road, two white squirrels, and two rabbits. 

I helped him cross the road.

Legs felt alright, I made sure to take it easy on the pace but kept it pretty consistent. 

Long shadows of the evening

Run 3
Friday, May 1, 11:03 p.m.
5.10 mi @ 9:13/mi avg
I stayed up for this one instead of catching a quick nap - that was the right call (at least that's what I think right now). I was a bit sluggish to get started out, and my knees were aching a bit, but after I did a couple of laps I was warmed up and felt pretty good. The elevation in the neighborhood was crazy (see top right of the pic below) but overall felt nice. Thinking I'll go the opposite direction for the next run... or add in a few other streets. We'll see... the one mile loop keeps things simple, at least.

"I am the Night"
3rd run done!

Run 4
Saturday, May 2, 3:02 a.m.
5.10 @ 9:16/mi
Decided to run the exact same loops in the 'hood as the 11pm run. They provided a pretty good rhythm and avoided the worst hills (I walked up the worst one). Felt pretty similar to the last one, a little stiff to start but felt fine once I was moving and clocked sub-9 on a couple of laps. Definitely tired though.

Wheeeee

Once I got back in bed, I was so cold though!

Run 5
Saturday, May 2, 7:03 a.m.
5.06 mi @ 10:29/mi avg
Oh yes, the hip flexors are talking to me this morning, but overall not terrible. Definitely walked hills today (of which there were many), hence the significant drop in pace.

Grin or grimace? Hard to say... maybe both.

I did flow + deep stretch yoga when I got home (half-assed my way through the flow part, but looooved the deep stretch). We held frog pose for 3 full minutes and it felt amazing.

Run 6
Saturday, May 2, 11:00 a.m.
5.11 mi @ 10:06/mi avg
I opted to run the exact same route as Run 5 for the last run, just to save the creativity effort of doing something different. I walked the same hills, but somehow ended up ~30s/mi faster overall... guess it was the thrill of being DONE that drove me to the finish faster!

Dargan drew a medal for me 😍

I then enjoyed a bubble bath with candles and chocolate milk.

Reward.

Through the day, aside from just being tired, really only my right hip flexor is angry... everything else is obviously tired but nothing excessively sore. We'll see how I wake up tomorrow morning. Now, to eat everything in sight...

In summary, when I told a friend I thought this race sounded "oddly do-able" I guess I wasn't wrong... not to say it was easy, but as far as running 30 miles in 24 hours, this is probably the way to do it.

Event Totals:
30.6 miles in 4h 56m 23s