Coronavirus - Week 6

Pitter patter, let's get at 'er.


Monday
Did: Power Flow w Karina
Was excited for this when I signed up yesterday... less so this morning, but was still a good flow and I'm glad it's done. Wasn't exactly the same as yesterday's routine which is good because that one was hard, but it was similar enough that I didn't feel caught off guard by anything. I think she modifies the routine a bit since it's early morning vs late afternoon. Thankful for that.

Tuesday
Did: 6.26 mi @ 8:48/mi moving avg + Yin Yoga
Ran the first part of my 10-miler from a couple weekends ago. It's so hilly! But I got to run past a field with some cute little lambs, so that was nice.

Lambs!

Also wearing red for first week of #runtherainbow challenge. Decided instead of doing it all in one week I'll just do consecutive 10k Tuesdays, then post a collage at the end. Whee!

💓 Red 💓 

In the evening, did a Yin Yoga session - it was verrrrryyyyy relaxing, lots of extended holding of poses all seated or lying down. Good stuff although not quite what I'd wanted to get out of it. I'll try it again sometime though.

Wednesday
Did: 1.6 mi "run" following D on his bike on trails + 60 min Power Flow w Karina
Took D out to Gateway park and he did some loops on the pump track.

Earth Day ride

Got home and did a lunchtime power flow class w/ Karina - solid flow, mostly same routine as Monday morning. Good stuff and it was nice enough to do out on the patio!

Thursday
Did: 4.39 mi @ 8:28/mi +
I thought about running in the early morning cold rain, then I decided I didn't want to... and then I talked to a friend who convinced me to do it anyway. Thank goodness for amazing friends. SUCH a good run.

🎵 "Feel the rain on your skin..." ♪
https://youtu.be/b7k0a5hYnSI

Friday
Did: Soul Sculpt w/ Jen
Tough but good class! I think I'm finally getting to where I enjoy sculpt classes. Jen is super motivating, too.

Saturday
Did: 6.24 mi @ 8:11/mi avg pace + 60 min power flow + deep stretch w/ Wednesday 
First, I got up and out early (right at sunrise) for my 10k virtual race. It was a nice temperature and felt good to run something with purpose.

Pretty sunrise at the start

Finished!

Got back in time for flow + deep stretch with Wednesday. She did a great flow, had never taken her class before. Enjoyed it very much, especially the analogy of a honey badger that she used. The summary was saying it's a badass animal but sometimes it gets so aggressive that it fights off all of its friends and eats its young... basically saying don't let your inner badass overpower your light and kindness - it's all a balance. 

Sunday

Did: 7.01 mi @ 9:10/mi run + Power Flow w/ Wednesday + 14.6 mi bike ride

Oh yes, it was an active day!

Started with a 7mi run through green valley this morning...

Sunshine through those hills

... then did some yoga by the fire... and in the afternoon joined a group of friends for a great group bike ride, including Super D's longest distance by far (14.6 miles!) on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, with an ice cream stop in TR, of course.

And that's a wrap. I'm tired!

Coronavirus - Week 5

Seriously, we're on week 5 of this? Wow.

Monday
Did: Power Flow w/ Karina
Tornado warnings and storms last night = tired this morning, but got my butt kicked early with Karina before starting the day. Great class by the fire.

Tuesday
Did: 6.23 mi @ 8:58/mi avg
Beautiful sunny and cool morning for a 10k through Green Valley. Glute/hammie felt fine today! Ran in a new pair of shoes and didn't love how they felt... I think they just need to be stretched out some because they felt tight even though they're the same size as all my others.

Wednesday
Did: 2.85 mi following D on his bike + Power Flow w/ Karina
Started out with a mid-morning neighborhood jog/walk/run while D rode his bike. We went out to the horse park near the house, looped through the gravel driveway/road, then back to the house. He did so well even if it was a bit of a slowish run.

Then did lunchtime power flow yoga with Karina. It was the same routine as Monday morning and still tough (my obliques and triceps are still sore from Monday!).

Thursday
Did: 4.14 mi @ 8:08/mi + Power Flow w/ Marsha
Got out for some miles in the neighborhood this morning and WOW the chilly temps sure got me moving! This run felt SO good, and I could tell I was moving pretty fast. Got home just in time for some power flow in front of the fireplace. Yesssireeeee.

Also, wow this week has gone so quickly!

Friday
Did: Soul Sculpt w/ Jen
Half-heartedly did sculpt class at noon today. It was alright but after being up with D for part of the night and generally being mentally exhausted from the week made it a struggle to get through. Still staying consistent with the 30-day challenge... 17 days down!

Saturday
Did: Flow + Deep Stretch w/ Jasmine + 10.27 mi @ 9:17/mi avg
Started the morning with flow + deep stretch by the fire, which was a nice way to wake up. Then headed out for a mid-morning 10-miler, roughly similar route as last weekend except in the reverse direction. Changed up a few parts of it but mostly avoiding the Swamp Rabbit Trail as much as I could. I was surprised the parts I was on it, it wasn't all that busy.

 

 

Sunday
Did: 17.9 mi road bike ride + Power Flow w/ Karina
Threats of rain all morning had basically made me give up the idea of getting out on the bike, but magically in the early afternoon everything cleared out and it was a beautiful sunny day. I got out for the same loop as last week, but was joined by neighbor John, and we pedaled up the hills and down the hills, plus some extra on the SRT for good measure. Glad we got to go!
Got home in time for power flow on the back porch and it was such a great workout. Excited to do it again Monday morning (she usually teaches the same flow sequence for all of her classes in a given week).


Week-ending thoughts:
23.5 miles run and 18 biked, plus 7 days of yoga. Not too shabby. Still weirdly feels like I'm "not doing much" but I guess I'm still getting things done.

Coronavirus - Week 4

Monday
Did: 30 min parent + kid yoga
Took it easy today, did 30 mins of a yoga class with D (I wouldn't exactly call it a workout, but it's all I did today). Mostly some simple stretching and breathing. I was impressed he pretty much did the whole thing and listened well!

Tuesday
Did: 6.22 mi @ 8:59/mi + Full Moon Power Flow
Good run today, finally got a solid almost-exact 10k loop figured out that doesn't require any backtracking, overlapping, or out-and-backs. Woot! And I ran up all the hills today with minimal discomfort in my glute/hammie.
However, I did apparently choose a bad time to leave my computer because i came back to 5 people who had Skyped me while I was away. Yikes!

#workfromhomelife

Then at 8pm my yoga studio did a special Full Moon power flow class, so we did yoga on the back porch. Unfortunately it was cloudy so we couldn't actually see the moon, but it was still a nice change from doing yoga in the basement. I might have to make that a regular venue!

Set up for yoga

Wednesday
Did: Power Flow yoga w/ Karina
Did Karina's lunch hour class on the screened porch - was a tough class but nice!

Thursday
Did: Flow + Deep Stretch w/ Cesar
Got this class done first thing in the morning. It was nice to do on the screened porch during sunrise, although I got a little cold towards the deep stretch part.
I can tell I'm missing my cardio but I'm thankful to at least get yoga done each day.

Friday
Did: 10.58 mi run @ 9:18/mi avg + Power Flow w/ Marsha
Yesss this was such a good run. Took a new route, two-lane roads through the country and back through TR/Green Valley. Felt good and strong, hip/glute feeling more normal every day. Didn't push any pace just ran what felt good.

Morning Sunlight

In the late afternoon, did Power Flow w/ Marsha on the back porch which was so nice.

Saturday
Did: Flow + Deep Stretch w/ Jasmine, 19.9 mi bike ride
Started the morning doing some yoga by the fireplace which was suuuuper nice. Good stretchy session to start the day. Then after lunch I ventured out for a solo road bike ride and did a hilly 15 mile loop before meeting up with Scott & D on the Swamp Rabbit Trail to finish out the ride. Felt good to get on the bike, but man, I am out of shape/practice!

Sunday
Did: Soul Sculpt w Jessie + 3.19 mi @ 8:26/mi avg run
Was not feeling the sculpt class before I started, but I got into it as it went on - I think this was my favorite sculpt class yet! Tough but not in the annoying way. Felt so good that I went for a 3-mile run in the rain after. Yesss!

Week-ending thoughts:
Feeling energized, motivated, and positive (as much as I can be) going into next week. Hopefully I can maintain that. I'm missing people, though.

Coronavirus - Week 3

Still trying to find the right balance of motivation + time to get workouts in while working at home and parenting full time. My biggest struggle is knowing that I could still get up and do an early workout, but that's my prime focus time (i.e. before D wakes up) to get work done so I feel guilty using that time (the ONLY multi-hour block with no distraction) to exercise instead of work. I'm sure I'll find a balance eventually, it's just tough right now when I feel so far behind.

Monday
Did: 20 mins indoor routine
I didn't have much time for focused exercise, but I got in a warm-up on the trainer plus a core routine in the afternoon. Sometimes, good enough is good enough.

Tuesday
Did: 6.56 mi @ 8:48/mi avg
Yes this was a great run! Headed out mid-morning between conference calls (Scott was working at home) and got in a good 10k+ in the neighborhood. Felt good, even though hamstring/glute still hurts a bit, but I ran up all the hills. Yay!

Wednesday
Did: 20 min trainer + 1 hr Vinyasa
Got in a quick ride on the trainer mid-afternoon, then did an evening vinyasa class with Soul.

Thursday
Did: 4.07 mi @ 8:56/mi avg + 1 hr Power Flow
Nice morning run, chilly and sunny but beautiful!
Also did 1hr Power Flow class... it was HARD but very good. I decided to sign up for their 30 Days of Yoga challenge (i.e. do 30 yoga classes in the 30 days of April). They have a bank of on-demand classes for when I can't make it to a live class, but I'm hoping to use it as motivation to keep up the practice.

Friday
Did: 60 min Soul Sculpt
Decided on strength training today so I signed up for and did the Soul Sculpt class at noon. There's some bodyweight strength exercises, some plyometrics, and some weight-based exercises. I only have 5- and 8-lb weights at home, but for these classes, that's sufficient! Tough class and I really hate plyometrics (like, I get plenty of cardio, thanks) but it was good and much more doable in a room that's not 95 degrees!

Saturday
Did: 8.09 mi @ 9:25/mi avg
Got out just after sunrise for a lovely loop through the country roads. Not fast, and my left glute/hip was giving me some issues. I stopped at stretched it after a few miles and it felt a bit better.
After I got home, I enjoyed a Power Flow class.

Sunrise over Paris Mtn in the distance

Coffee + Flow

A good Saturday!

Sunday
Did: 60 min power flow
Thought about getting out on the bike but was feeling the energy drain, so I stuck with just yoga in the late afternoon. Good session with lots of balance and core work. I did a crow pose, but could barely hold the half moon... lots to work on!

Coronavirus - Week 2

Yep, not training for anything at this point. Just staying active while working from home full time and entertaining/educating a 4-year-old simultaneously. Yep.

Monday
Did: 2.62 mi @ 9:22/mi
Just a quick little jog through the neighborhood at the end of the day. Wasn't really motivated at the late hour of the afternoon, but wanted to do something.

Tuesday
Did: 6.21 mi @ 9:22/mi
Wow, consistent pace much? Apparently that is "neighborhood pace" for me. It was foggy outside and threatening rain but ended up being nice for a run. Glute/hammie still hurts but I took an easy pace/stride up hills.

Fog fog foggity fog

Wednesday
Did: 20 min trainer sprints + neighborhood ride with D
I also did some random pushups and crunches in between working, but most effort was done in the 20 mins on the trainer while my mom video chatted storytime with D. #blesstechnology

Thursday
Did: 5.17 mi @ 9:10/mi
Neighborhood run today through Green Valley. Again took it easy and walked up the hills but still managed a pretty good pace overall. Happy with that, and was nice to get out of the house.

(oops, I didn't keep up with this... it's now Wednesday of next week...)

Friday
Did: 60 min yoga
Woke up early for power flow with Soul Yoga. Harley wanted to join me for Savasana.

 

 

Saturday
Did: 4.13 mi walk
I went out for a run in the afternoon but quickly realized my energy and motivation was super low. Opted for a walk instead.

Running = nope.

Sunday

Did: rest

Based on yesterday's blahhh I took today as a complete rest day. Did some yard work but that was it.

5k PR Training (Week 1 of 8)

Well, I'm starting this training plan with all expectations that things will go awry given the current state of the world. Here we go...

Monday
Planned: 3mi easy w/ 8x30s hills
Did: 3.42 mi w/ 8x 30s hills
Did this run on the trails today and did repeats on "the Mile 1 hill" on the Earth Run course. Ended up with faster than 30s repeats for everything after the first one, but all 0:25-0:30. Not bad! It was chilly and misty out, and kind of ominous.

Grey Skies

The Hill

Tuesday
Planned: 6x400/400 track workout
Did: 6.32 mi @ 9:52/mi avg while D biked
Didn't get out to the track this morning (working from home, plus it was raining, plusalso no group runs = social distancing) so I took D out on his bike in the afternoon. I asked him if he thought he could bike six miles, and he said yes, so we gave it a try. He made it 5.3 miles before he got tired and we switched to the stroller! His longest bike ride yet. So proud. :) Not saying this was the most efficient run but we got it done and enjoyed the sunshine.

Muddy butt and funny face

Wednesday
Planned: XT/strength
Did: P90x Kenpo X + Ab Ripper X
It was cloudy and blah outside, so we did an indoor workout today. My little dude joined me for some kickboxing action! He actually sat through a 45+ minute workout and participated a little with me. Really proud of him.

  

 

Thursday

Planned: 30 min tempo or track

Did: 4.05 mi @ 9:33/mi

Didn't do the speedwork as planned. My local track (Furman) is closed so I think track workouts are going to have to be done in some alternate fashion. Probably time-based speedwork. Ugh, this is going to be hard. However, also got word that my goal 5k was rescheduled to July. So I guess I have more time to train, but that leaves me a bit aimless.

Friday

Planned: yoga or rest

Did: 60 min Power Flow online

The local yoga studio I'd been going to has started offering online live-stream classes. I hadn't tried it yet but they offered a free class tonight at 6pm. Not a great time for our family schedule but we shifted dinner time and got D watching a movie (Wall-E, his favorite) and took the opportunity to stretch it out. It was good! I might buy a month pass (they're offering $30/mo for unlimited online classes vs. $10/class drop-in rate). We'll see. 

Saturday
Planned: 4 mi progression run
Did: 9.23 mi @ 9:56/mi
This run was for mental clarity. My left hammie/glute is still giving me issues, so I am going to try to "take it easy" for a while - minimal (if any) speedwork, walking up hills, stretching (gently). I took this run and wanted distance, but of course the hills of Green Valley offered many walking breaks. It was a beautiful warm spring day and I was very glad to get the distance I wanted.

In the afternoon we also took a family bike ride and did an easy ~6 miles together on the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

Sunday
Planned: 60 min run
Did: Power Flow Yoga - 60 mins
Another class from SoulYoga - so good! I bought their $30 unlimited pass for the month and hope to do a few classes each week. It's not quite the same intensity as the hot studio but I do still love the classes. Plus, Scott & I do them together so it's a nice time for us. Anybody can stream the classes live - check out http://www.soulyogastudio.com/, there's usually 4 or 5 classes every day (one Sculpt class, the others various types of yoga). Highly recommend!


Week ending thoughts:
Yeah, it's safe to say this training plan is already out the window. With my goal race cancelled, no access to a track or treadmill (oh yeah, my work gym is closed now, too), it's hard to say what the coming weeks (months?) will hold. Just gonna stay active. Instead of '5k PR Training' series, this is now 'Coronavirus' series.

Week before starting 5k training

I can't come up with any better title than that... lol

Monday
Planned: run
Did: 4.93 mi @ 9:01/mi
It's sooOOOOooOOOooOoOoooooo nice outside!! 🌞
That's basically all I have to say about today's run. I want to go back outside. Because this is predicted for the next week:

Ugggghhhhhhhhhh 😖

Tuesday
Planned: #10kTuesday (track or tready)
Did: 6.51 mi @ 8:18/mi avg
The rain held off and it was a beautiful morning for track... unfortunately I think I've finally admitted to myself that there's something wrong with my left hammie. I planned to do 800s but after the first 400m at about a 8-min pace, I decided to not do any speedwork and just run laps. Got my 10k but now I think I'm going to rest for the remainder of the week.

Wednesday
Planned: lift
Did: 14.4 mi bike ride
Had a nice road ride at lunch today with Scott & Donnie. It's been ages since I've been out on the bike at lunch! I wasn't feeling great (sore throat and some congestion) but I was glad to have done the ride.

Thursday
Planned: run (probably treadmill)
Did: rest
Ugh, yep... allergies have hit me.

Friday
Planned: ?
Did: rest
And today I have no voice! Ugh.

Saturday
Planned: ?
Did: 4.4 mile walk
I took D out for a ride on the Swamp Rabbit Trail on his bike, and he ended up riding almost 4.5 miles while I walked behind him. I'm still not feeling great, my voice is slowly returning (I sound like a man with a husky deep voice), but it was nice to get outside for a while.

I took some time this afternoon to plan out the next 8 weeks of my 5k PR attempt (assuming we actually have races in the next 2 months...) 😶

Sunday
Planned: ?
Did: rest again
Could have gone out for a run but still mostly voiceless and wanting to kick this crud. I have my yoga workshop this afternoon so that will be sufficient for the day.