I’ve missed the past couple of weeks of the Weekly Run Down link-up. This is not a reflection of lack of interest in what others have been up to, but more a combination of life in general, and also feeling like my workouts have taken on “groundhog’s day” feel, i.e., same stuff, different day.

While things have been quiet here in my little corner of the blogosphere, the workouts have been happening. It’s been a pretty steady mix of running, Peloton rides, and strength training, with the occasional visit to the yoga mat, and plenty of walking. I wrapped up November with 80 miles, along with completing the “Swolvember” challenge focusing on strength training and the first couple of legs “On holiday for the holidays” focusing on cycling and running – both Peloton challenges created by members of the BreakThrough Crew on Facebook. I also knocked out the BAA’s virtual 5K. All-in-all a pretty good month.

December Goals

So we’re finally in the homestretch of this crazy-train year and I’m keeping my fitness goals simple.

• Complete my last two virtual races for the #FinishStrongChallenge
• Continue to tick off more of the “On Holiday” workouts on Peloton
• Be kind to my body with daily stretching, rolling, and/or massage gun

Thanks to Deborah and Kim for the link-up!

How was your November? What are you looking forward to this month?

And just like that, we’ve put another month in the rearview mirror. Before I get to my goals for November, here’s a quick run down of this past week’s workouts.

Monday — Peloton Cycle plus Strength classes. Felt great to get a strong start to the week!

Tuesday —  Rest Day plus Core-tober continued. Struggled with a migraine all day so I waved the white flag.
Wednesday — Peloton Cycle plus Core. I had no interest in running in the rain so I swapped in a ride instead.

Thursday –– 4 miles plus another day of Core-tober. The endless rain continued so hello treadmill.
Friday — Yoga.
Saturday — 6 miles and the last day of Core-tober.

Yes, that is snow in the background!

Sunday — Started the day with a 2.5-mile walk, and at the time of writing this post, I’m still debating whether there will be yoga or a ride later.

November Goals

On the fitness front, October was a pretty solid month. I hit my goal of 80 miles and completed the Peloton Core-Tober Challenge (29 core workouts from the BreakThrough Crew instructors). I also completed my first virtual half marathon…and yes, there has been time on the new Peloton bike!

So what will November bring? Hopefully, more of the same! For running, at a minimum, I’d like to repeat October’s mileage. But, with one more virtual half to complete before the year’s over, I’m also aiming to increase the distance on the “long” runs, so perhaps I can bump up my overall mileage in the process. I also have a virtual 5K and 10K lined up.

The BreakThrough Crew on Facebook has created some fun new challenges – “Swolvember” focusing on strength training and “On holiday for the holidays” focusing on cycling and running – which should help to keep things interesting.

Lastly, my sleep really suffered in October, so I’m making it a priority to get more rest this month.

What have you got planned for November?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

Hello October!

I make no secret of my love of Fall weather, and I always feel like October is when Fall is at it’s best. And since we’re at the beginning of a new month, I’ve set some goals. But, first here’s a quick run down on this past week.

Monday — Strength training

Tuesday — 3 miles

Wednesday — 2.25 miles

Thursday — 3 miles & Day 1 of Core-Tober

So happy to see October arrive!

Friday — 2-mile walk & Core day 2

Saturday — A stack of Peloton workouts

20 mins of core?!

Sunday — 4-miles, yoga & Core day 4

October Goals

While I did hit the mark on my yoga and strength training September goals, I fell short of my mileage goal of 75 miles. I finished with 60 miles and would like to see that number bumped up this month. So here’s what I’ve got planned for this month.

• 80 miles
• Complete the Peloton Core-Tober Challenge (29 core workouts from the BreakThrough Crew instructors)
• Complete the Detroit Free Press virtual half marathon
• Strength training 3x’s/week
• Weekly yoga
• Break-in my new Peloton bike (9 days and counting until delivery!)

What are you looking forward to this month?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

For as much as I usually like to set monthly goals to help keep myself accountable and focused, I somehow never got around to setting any for the month of August. Say what?!

Somehow, despite my rather lackluster interest in running lately, I did exceed to hit my baseline goal of 50 miles/month. But on the whole, August was very much a “do what you feel like” kinda month.

For September, I’m climbing back on the goals bandwagon, but first here’s a quick run down on the week that was….

Monday — Yoga. Chelsea is quickly becoming one of my favorite yoga instructors.

Tuesday — 3-mile power walk and core work.
Wednesday — 2.5 miles and strength training.

Thursday — 3-mile power walk and core work.
Friday — 1.6 miles and strength training. Robin’s upper body classes are no joke – my arms were jello when this one was done.

Saturday — 3.1 miles and core work. The weather was ideal – now if there was just a way to bottle it for the rest of the year!

Sunday — 2.5-miles power walk, core work, and PT exercises.

On the whole, it was a pretty low-key week. I’ve been enjoying the combination of short runs followed by strength training and can definitely see that trend continuing – especially while my desire to run long remains low.

September Goals

• Run or Walk Daily
• Run 75 miles
• Strength for Runners classes or PT exercises, 3x’s/week
• Core Workouts, 4x’s/week
• Strength training (upper body or full body), 3x’s/week
• Weekly Yoga

My staycation ends today and school for my youngest son starts this week, so I’m going to work on planning out my workouts again. These goals should help to give me a little structure.

Do you map out your workouts when you’re not training for a race? Did you set any goals for September?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

Hello May!

I’m sure many of you will agree that April felt like an eternity! There was something energizing to me about getting to Friday and the first of the new month. I am so ready to flip the page and dive into this new month with some new goals. But first, here’s a quick rundown on the week that was…

Monday — 1+ hour physical therapy session
Tuesday — Peloton 15 min Core Strength and 10 min Arm Toning
Wednesday — 3 miles plus an hour at physical therapy
Thursday — Rest Day
Friday — 3 miles
Saturday — Hot Chocolate Virtual 5K

Sunday — Yardwork & yoga

The highlight of the week was definitely social distance running with my brother for the Hot Chocolate Virtual 5K. Ironically, we had actually signed up for this race long before everything started going virtual. We liked that they were offering some fun swag and the money goes to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

So much fun swag!

We met at a local college that is actually the home to one of our favorite races so we knew there was a nice 5K loop there. And, since the campus is a popular place for runners and walkers we made it point to meet extra early so we had the place largely to ourselves. We agreed we weren’t out to set any PRs (I’m personally far from 5K racing shape!), so we kept it relaxed, kept our social distance, and had a great time catching up!

May Goals

So to be honest my success with my April goals was a bit of a mixed bag. While I did a good job of getting back to my meditation practice and mixing up my cross-training, my eating was still all over the place, and at the physical therapist’s suggestion, I cut my mileage way back.

I’ve now been given the green light to build my base so that will be a big goal for the month:

• Get back to running at least 50 miles/month
• PT exercises 3x’s/week
• Family Plank Challenge – yes, we’ve got a plank challenge going on in the RWA household!
• Mindful eating — going to revisit this goal since I was so hit or miss in April

How was your April? Any virtual races coming up?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

To say March was a rollercoaster of a month would be an understatement for sure. And while we roll into a new month with even more mounting concerns about the impact of COVID-19, I’m making it a goal to stay focused on the positives and those things that help to keep my mindset right.

Here’s how this week played out.

Monday — Rest day
Tuesday — 3.1-mile run
Wednesday — Yoga
Thursday — Strength workout
Friday — 3-mile run
Saturday — Peloton workouts: 20-minutes full-body strength and 10-minute arms & shoulders
Sunday — 3.25-mile run

Some positives for this week…

One of my 2020 fitness goals is to run at least 50 miles a month to help keep a decent base. Thanks to my stressed quad, I missed that goal in January and February, but hit the mark in March – keeping my mileage low paid off!

And, speaking of that quad, I’m looking forward to starting physical therapy this week which will hopefully keep things moving in the right direction.

Spending some Zoom time with these fellow run bloggers was just what I needed!

April Goals

As most of you know by now I like to set a few monthly goals to keep me accountable. With all that’s happening right now, I welcome anything that will help to keep me focused and on track.

• Hit the 50-mile mark again
• Daily meditation — my practice was disrupted in March but I recommitted starting on April 1st
• Continue to mix-up the cross-training
• Mindful eating — there’s been a lot of stress eating during the past couple of weeks, so it’s time to reel it in

What are you focusing on for April?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

Wasn’t I just writing a post on my February goals?! For the first time in a long time, the shortest month of the year actually felt short! Before we put February firmly in the rearview mirror, here’s how the last week played out.

Monday — 3-mile run and planking. Even though I had run on Sunday, I couldn’t miss another chance to run in 50-degree weather again. Especially knowing there was lousy weather expected later in the week.

Tuesday — Orangetheory and planking. It was an Endurance, Strength, Power workout with the Bosu and TRX featured in the floor block.

Wednesday — Orangetheory and planking. This was my first time attempting back-to-back classes, but I didn’t want to miss the 12-minute benchmark run. This class also had endurance rowing blocks and the evil ab dolly as part of the floor block. (Kim has nicknamed the ab dolly “the devil’s skateboard” and I think that’s pretty apropos!) I was definitely tired going into this class so I was happy to eke out 1.1 miles for my benchmark.

Thursday — Yoga, planking, and a massage!

Friday — Rest day & planking. There was a lot of time in the car, and a lot of walking, as it was parents’ day at my oldest son’s school. And, the best part is he came home for a weekend visit!

Saturday — 4-mile run & planking. This was the kind of run I’d like to bottle and pull down off the shelf again and again. My legs felt fresh and I ran faster than I have in a while.

Sunday — 2.5 miles & planking. While the quad is feeling so much better, I could feel the effects of pushing my pace yesterday, so I kept this run short and easy.

February Goal Review and March Plans

My February goals were:

• Hit the 50-mile mark
• Weekly Yoga
• Daily plank challenge
• Focus on hydration

And I hit all of these with exception of the mileage. As I did in January, I opted to keep the mileage low, covering only 36.1 miles, in an effort to let my right quad heal.

With my first double-digit race a mere 8 weeks away and the quad feeling much better, it’s time to increase the miles for March. And, although Marcia’s plank challenge is now over, I’m planning to stay on the planking bandwagon for the month ahead. But really, the big goal for March is consistency – I’d like to see each week include 3 runs, 2 OTF classes, a yoga session, and an active rest day.

So tell me, how was your February? Any big plans for March?

In case you missed it:

Body Helix Thigh Compression Sleeve Review

Some Runfessions for February

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

Ah, a new month is laid out before us…and for me, that means time to set a couple of monthly goals.

But first, here’s a quick run down on the past week’s workouts.

Monday:  Stability work on the Bosu
Tuesday:  3.5 miles
Wednesday: Orangetheory (Endurance & Power day)
Thursday: 4 miles and a massage

Friday: Orangetheory – snagged a new PR on my all-out pace (8:34!)
Saturday:  Rest and acupuncture and the start of Marcia’s plank challenge
Sunday:  Strength workout with planking

I continued to keep running on the low-end and the self-care dialed-up. Given that I felt pretty strong during both OTF workouts and had a great run Thursday, I think my strategy is paying off. I wrapped up January with 47.7 miles – just shy of my monthly goal of 50 miles/month. With the extra rest days I took for my quad, I’m just fine with that total. So, what’s on tap for February?

February Goals

• Hit the 50-mile mark.
• Weekly Yoga – This was another one of my 2020 Fitness Goals, and as you can see from this week’s workouts, I’ve still got some work to do to be consistent with this one.
• Daily plank challenge – Marcia’s challenge came at a great time to get me back on the planking bandwagon
• Hydrate!! – This winter dry air has been doing a number on my skin lately. I will be tracking my daily hydration to keep me mindful.

How was your January? What have you got planned for February?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.