2 Weeks to Spartan Super

So I'm writing this about 2 weeks late... things have been a little crazy.

I went back to the office this week (for 2 days) then went on vacation to Boston with the family for the end of the week. 

Monday

Did: 3.05 mi run + 15 min bodyweight workout

Up early for this one due to needing to be in the office and the office gym/locker room not planning to be opened for the foreseeable future. Got a few loops around the neighborhood plus a bodyweight workout done.

1 min of each: plank, Russian twists, flutter kicks, shoulder taps, reverse crunch, rest
Repeat all, 1 min
Repeat all, 30 sec

Tuesday

Did: 8.03 mi @ 8:03/mi avg Track Tuesday

Track workout is 3x1 mi (6:47, 6:53, 6:54) plus a hot 400 (82 seconds!) at the finish. Great time as always. 

Wednesday

Did: 50 min bodyweight workouts, also got 20k+ steps for the day

Got up early to get these done before leaving for vacation! 

5 rounds (20 min total): 3 mins repeating 6x jump squats, pushups, up-downs, shoulder taps (L+R=1) / 1 min rest

18 reps total

100 Mtn climbers, 90 Russian twists, 80 high knees, 70 air squats w side leg raise (one side only, do the other leg on the way back), 60s plank, 50 skater lunges (R+L=2), 40 shoulder taps (R+L=2), 30 table or towel pull-ups, 20 chair dips, 10 burpees >> then go back up 😇 (but don't repeat the burpees, you're welcome 😉 )

23:33 total time

Plankingggg

Helpful Harley

Sweat Angel

Thursday

Did: 15 min bodyweight workout in the hotel, 20k+ steps

15 min AMRAP: 3 burpees, 5 pushups, 7 situps

I lost count... it was kinda half-assed.

Friday

Did: 6.74 mi @ 10:08/mi, 20k+ steps

Run in Boston! I ran from the hotel to Fenway Park, then back along the final mile of the Boston Marathon. Got to see that famous finish line, and then headed back to the hotel. A little slow due to city streets and navigating, but otherwise a beautiful run!

Saturday

Did: 1.7 mi walk to the Aquarium, included in yet another 20k+ step day

Walked all the way from the hotel to the aquarium, with a little breakfast stop on the way.

It was at this time that Garmin told me I was on a PR streak for achieving my daily step goal... you know I love a good streak, so I decided to set the goal at a static 10k/day (instead of Garmin continuously increasing the goal) and see how long I can keep it going.

Sunday

Did: 1mi neighborhood walk, 10k Steps done

Had to go the long way to the pool through the neighborhood to get some extra steps in... :)

Definitely not so many miles this week, but a whole lot of walking!

3 Weeks to Spartan Super

Last week of full-time working from home... eeeeeek things are gonna change!

Monday

Did: 4.12 mi @ 9:01/mi avg

A few miles around downtown after dropping D off at camp - felt really good to get out and get moving! Happy with how the legs feel after just 1 day of rest since the long miles on Saturday.

Tuesday

Did: 8.1 mi @ 8:14/mi avg Track Tuesday

Ahhh felt so great to be back at the track this morning! Ran 6x800 on the track (3:18, 3:25, 3:21, 3:14, 3:20, 3:21) and finished with a PR 400 in 79s... wheeee!

Wednesday

Did: 45 mins bodyweight workouts + 9.4 mi bike ride

Had to make up 3 days of workouts today... got 2 done in the early morning, then the last one after I dropped D off at camp. 

Workout 1:

"Time of your Life": Start with 25 Russian twists, then look at your watch. Depending on the last digits of the "seconds" do one of the following activities next:
0) 10 pushups
1) 25 air squats
2) 25 gorilla hops
3) 10 up-downs
4) 25 glute bridges
5) 25 tricep dips
6) 25 skater lunges (R+L = 2)
7) 10 pistol squats (R+L = 2)
8) 25 jumping jacks
9) 25 high knees (R+L = 1)
Continue until you've completed 25 activities. Record total time.

Total time 16:15

Workout 2:

40 RFT: 5 gorilla hops + 5 mountain climbers (R+L=1)

Total time 8:57

Workout 3:

AMRAP in 15 min: 5 pushups + 5 flutter kicks (R+L = 1) + 5 Russian twists (R+L = 1)

Total 40 rounds

In the evening I biked down to Gather GVL via the Swamp Rabbit to meet the family for dinner - it was a nice ride! Felt pretty good to be on the bike for the second time in (almost) a week. 

Thursday

Did: 6.11 mi @ 8:23/mi avg

Got up with the intention of doing Altamont for the first time in forever, but motivation (and headache due to previous night's happy hour) kept me home til after sunrise. I went for an "easy pace" loop through Green Valley and was surprised at how good I felt on the hills! I even set a PR on the climb up Valley Oak which is always a tough one at the end of a run. Really happy with that!

Friday

Did: 50 mins strength training

Got up early and finished almost an hour of strength before I had to get D ready to go to camp. Pretty proud of that! Bodes well for the upcoming shift back to the office (where the gym/locker rooms aren't reopened yet). Did 2 bodyweight workouts plus some weights.

20 RFT: 5 shoulder taps (R+L =1) + 6 jumping lunges + 7 mountain climbers (R+L = 1)

9:27 for this workout

Static Day! Alternate 60 sec wall-sit + 60 sec plank. Repeat 10x (20 min total)

oh my quads

Saturday

Did: 14.67 mi trail run 

Got out for a solo run on the trails and felt so great to play in the woods for a few hours!

Snackies

Corn Mill Shoals

How can anyone not love this?! 😍

Bridal Veil Falls - had it all to myself!

View from the Airstrip

Lake Julia

Green Therapy 💚

Someone took a wrong turn...

Crossing Reasonover Creek

Sunday

Did: 23 min Bodyweight + weight workout

Bodyweight workout: 

30-27-24-21-18-15-12-9 reverse sit-ups + 20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6 alternating plank toe taps (L+R = 2) + 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3 touchdown squats

8:42 total time

Then some weights to finish up.

33 miles of running for the week! 🎉

4 Weeks to Spartan Super

At the lake until Friday!

Monday

Did: 24.6 mi road bike ride w/ Scott + 250m swim

Went out for a nice road ride with Scott around the lake (ok we didn't go around the lake but we were near the lake). Felt good to get out for a spin! I could definitely tell from my legs and my butt that I have not been on a bike for any significant amount of time recently. It was tough but good!

Then I attempted to use my Garmin to track an open water swim around the cove, but it didn't do so well... I probably got 250m done before I called it quits. 

Tuesday

Did: 8.1 mi @ 9:11/mi avg + 18 min bodyweight workout + 1.9 mi lake kayaking

Ran the Rolling Hills neighborhood loop for this morning's #10kTuesday (and then some) which is always a good and challenging route. It's definitely more humid today than it has been the past few days (darn).

Country roads

Did Monday's workout today when I got back. 

50-40-30-20-10 shoulder taps (R+L=1) and air squats
10-20-30-40-50 skater lunges (R+L=2) and sit-ups

18:30 total time

Did some lake kayaking in the late afternoon - close to 2 miles to "turkey foot cove" and back. Definitely a good arm and oblique workout!

Wednesday

Did: 40 mins bodyweight workout

Made up for 2 days of bodyweight workouts. These were tough!

30s each x3 rounds
thread the needle (R), high/low planks, thread the needle (L), Mtn climbers, fast feet, high knees, jumping jacks, sumo squats, touchdown squats, rest

25 RFT: 6 pistol squats (R+L=2), 7 pushups, 8 bicycle crunches (R+L=1)

23:12 for this set

Thursday

Did: 15-min bodyweight workout

Rain rain rain kept me from running. Did the tough AMRAP workout and got 35 rounds (4 more than last time!). Tried hard to get 3 dozen but couldn't quite make it.

15 min AMRAP: 4x each star jumps, Russian twist (R+L=1), shoulder taps, up-downs

Friday

Did: 5.09 mi @ 10:07/mi avg run/walk

Just could not get the energy or motivation to run today, and the humidity probably had something to do with it! Soooo soupy. Only thing good to say about this run is that it happened. Woof.

Saturday

Did: 15.26 mi @ 8:34/mi avg + 0.86 mi cooldown walk

Back in town after a week away, and got in a fantastic long run with the downtown group! I knew I wanted more than 12 miles today but didn't have much planned beyond that. Ran with folks running much farther so I hung on as long as I could, pushed myself, but then listened when my body (mostly legs/feet) said ENOUGH. This was a great run, and much faster than I thought it would be!

Post-run treat under the bridge by the falls :)

Sunday

Did: 2mi walk, 30 min strength (bodyweight + weights), 12 min yoga

A great Sunday! Took D to the playground and walked laps around the perimeter while he played. Felt good to move the legs after yesterday's hard run.

Then did 30 mins of strength training in the afternoon plus 12 mins of yoga before relaxing at the pool for the afternoon.

30 miles this week between running and walking, with a little over 28 of those running! Not too bad for only 3x running during the week. Gonna need to work in some more shorter/easier days to increase mileage. I've held at 30 pretty comfortably lately, time to up the game in prep for longer mileage soon!!

5 Weeks to Spartan Super

Monday

Did: 250 russian twists + 30 min yoga with Adriene for low back & hamstrings

Didn't have a lot of time today, but got the bodyweight workout done and half hour of nice easy yoga. I like the YWA series because I can pick by how long the video is and what I want to focus on, but it's all verrrry low impact so I might need to mix it in with some Soul Yoga power flow on occasion.

Tuesday

Did: 8.3 mi @ 8:36/mi Track Tuesday

Track Tuesday in the rainnn with a great group! Megan, Matt, Chris, and Jeremy all joined for a great morning in the sprinkling rain. It actually felt really nice!

2x 1mi (6:44, 6:53)

2x 1k (4:17, 4:15)

2x 400 (1:38, 1:22) - I started the first one with a 600 in mind then cut it to 400 when I realized what time it was, so I definitely could have pushed it faster. Oh well, had plenty of fire left for the Hot 400 finisher! 🔥

Wednesday

Did: 35 min strength workout

Going into the office today for the first time in FoReVeR so I got up early to do an at-home strength and bodyweight routine. 

40 rounds for time: 5 gorilla hops + 5 up-downs

18:09 total time

40-30-20-10 jumping jacks + sit-ups; then 10-20-30-40 mountain climbers (R+L = 1) + jump squats

12:36 total time

Thursday

Did: 3.2 mi @ 8:58/mi avg + 20 min yoga

Wanted to get in a few miles but it was already soooo hot, went out and sweated like crazy. Still felt good though!

Got home and did a 20-min Yoga w/ Adriene for neck and shoulders. Lots of hours spreadsheeting has got my neck stiff and some stretchy goodness definitely helped. 

Have been hoping to take the day off for a long trail run tomorrow but the weather is looking horrid... hoping it changes!

Friday

Did: 5.86 mi @ 9:07/mi avg

Did not end up taking the day off for a trail run because of rain allllll day. Took a chance with a short break in the rain to run on the Swamp Rabbit after dropping D off at camp. "Break in the rain" turned out to be uhhh not quite true, but it was a nice run in the sprinkle anyway. Definitely good to have some relief from the heat and sun!

Saturday

Did: 8.45 mi @ 10:50/mi avg trail run

Headed to Sesquicentennial State Park for a nice run on some new trails. It was really nice, not too crowded, although the terrain was often fine white sand covered in pine straw which made for an energy-intensive run.

Felt great to get some good miles in the woods!

Sunday

Did: Bodyweight workouts x3 (45 min total), 4.2 mi run 

Had to catch up on bodyweight workouts... whew this made for a solid morning of exercise!

Workout 1: 5 min sets, 30 sec each of: touchdown squats, flutter kicks, reverse sit-ups, gorilla hops, fast feet, tricep pushups, lateral lunges, Russian twists, plank, rest. Do 4 sets (20 min total).

Workout 2: AMRAP in 15 min: 5 pushups + 5 flutter kicks (R+L = 1) + 5 table pullups

(21 reps total)

Workout 3: 12 Days of Xmas Style

* 1 jumping lunge (R+L)
* 2 jump squats
* 3 mountain climbers (R+L = 1)
* 4 pushups
* 5 fast feet (R+L = 1)
* 6 starfish situps (R+L = 2)
* 7 chair dips
* 8 up-downs
* 9 jumping jacks
* 10 Russian twists
* 11 air squats
* 12 shoulder taps (R+L = 1)

(11:54 time)

Then I decided to head out for 4 miles (for July 4th!) and get myself up to the 30 mile mark for the week. YAY, loving the higher mileage. :) Ended up being a progression run (unintentional) which was fun. It's amazingly not that humid so the shade along Lake Road actually felt nice. 

Then enjoyed some refreshments on the water :)