Where's the Beach?

July 4 I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July. My day started off with a hot 4-miler. The first mile was slow and heavy. I know it was the heat mostly, but my legs just weren't working with me. So when I saw that it was a 9:33 pace, I thought, "well this is going to suck." My legs started to loosen up a bit though. I started relaxing into the run and finding a good rhythm. So just when I started thinking about cutting the run short, I started to feel better about it. I ended up having negative splits for the remainder of the run: mile 2 - 8:55, mile 3 - 8:43, mile 4 - 8:40. After I got cleaned up, Jason and I had some errands to run. We had friends coming over and needed to pick up a few things. Of course we ended up taking far longer than expected and coming home with a lot more than expected as well. They ended up showing up around 1 and we immediately got in the pool. It was another hot hot triple digit day. The pool water wasn't even all that coolin...

Plan B Run If I was officially following my half marathon training plan, I would have done 6 miles today with 3 1-mile intervals. However, the idea of going for a 5-mile run with Jason was much more appealing. I was simply dragging this morning. I thought I slept really well last night, but apparently not. If I had waited to get in my run after work, I'm really not sure I would have made it out for the run to be quite honest. Luckily, it was sunny out and the temps were in the low 50's. The downfall was that it was incredibly windy once again. What is up with the wind??? We got going with the run and found ourselves running faster than expected. So, I'll call this a tempo + resistance training day. The first half mile was about a 9-minute pace, but then we picked it up and ran between 8:17 and 8:40 up through mile 4. Mile 5 we hit the last long incline and slowed it down using that as the recovery. I remember telling Jason how hard the run felt today. I guess spin re...

Running & Chest Today it was back to work for me. And it was a rocky start to the day/week. New computer while I was out equals major problems when I get back. Let's just say that the first 5 hours of the morning were spent pretty much without a computer. In the end, back to old computer for now. The one salvation to the day was that it was sunny and fairly warm - mid-50's. It was, however, super windy. I had originally thought I'd just do some intervals on the treadmill then weights. But Jason asked if I wanted to go run around our neighborhood during lunch. He knew I was having a rather stressful morning, and thought it'd be good for both of us to be outside in the fresh air (aka gusting winds). Plus, he's sort of playing with the new Garmin he bought me by running with me. Having me push buttons, check speed, distance, etc. We set out with 4 miles in mind, but ended up over 5 (5.5 after walk around block to cool down). I always forget how sneaky steady...

Spinning & Overthinking  Today was a pretty typical Wednesday. Jason got up at 5am for swim, I did not. Instead, I hit up spin at lunch. Jason actually went with me today too! I really do look forward to my noon workouts. Even if I'm feeling sluggish, I know that going will really help boost my energy and mood. Sometimes I think the key to getting workouts done and maintaining routine is just getting yourself going. Don't think about it too much, just get in there and get started. Overthinking causes us to question ourselves too much sometimes. I know that when I get too much inside my head, that's when my runs tend to falter. I start to question my ability to make it a certain distance or speed. I start to notice those little aches or pains and they suddenly seem way out of proportion. So then I'm so focussed on discomfort, that I stop myself short. And I don't mean pain as in an injury, I just mean being out of a comfort zone kind of thing. Working out sh...

Intervals & Weights I had my alarm set for 5:15 this morning with high hopes for a cool run. That was thwarted by storms that rolled in at 3:30 and didn't move out until long after I was already at work (and then they just kept coming and going throughout the day). Poor Heath Man was up of course as soon as the storms hit. So, I've been up since 3:30 as well. I went ahead and packed my gym bag with me, but also packed my water bottle just in case the weather cleared up and I could run after work. I kept watching the hourly forecast though, and it was promising. I decided to go ahead and hit the gym and do an interval treadmill run. I need to remember that shorter runs are part of good training just as much as the long, steady-state runs are. I've gotten into a habit of thinking that running means 6 miles or more. I know that's crazy (I've warned you that I'm crazy though). So, I tried to psych myself up for the treadmill run. 3 miles, totally doable. ...

Two on Tuesday Running This morning I got myself up and out the door for a morning run before 5:45 am. It was already a muggy 84 degrees when I reached the Big Dam Bridge. It was also very very dark. I guess I wasn't paying attention to the fact that it's staying dark longer now. I'll be honest, there weren't nearly as many people out and I was a tad nervous. But, I did have on my Brooks reflective shorts and an ankle band. So, back to that run...the first mile my right knee was hurting, not the IT band kind of pain either. It was a very strange pull up through my inner thigh. I thought I was going to have to cut the run short, but it ended up loosening up and was fine around mile 1. And despite that, miles 1-2 were really great (sweaty, but good). At mile 2, I got into a fight with some insect, perhaps a bumble bee. It kept circling me, buzzing my face. That totally threw me off. My heart rate went crazy, I lost all rhythm. So the 3rd mile really sucked for me. I...

Another Spin Class Last night I not only packed my gym bag, but I laid out my running clothes. I didn't set my alarm early, but I was going to run if I just happened to wake up. I guess I was exhausted enough though that I actually slept fairly well finally. So, I went with my backup plan of hitting the gym for noon spin with chest workout before the class. I did 5 minutes on the elliptical just to get moving then went for weights. SS - 3x8 Chest flye Chest press Chest press - dropset - 6,8,10 This actually hit the chest muscles more than I expected - kind of shaky. Spin class was a good one, and I'm glad I went. It's rare that I regret it though. Babysitting It turned out to be a good thing that I went to spin today rather than trying for a run tomorrow morning. I found out just before spin that my sister was going to be in my city for a date. She wanted Jason and me to watch the kiddos for her with the possibility that they would all just stay the night rath...

Gym Day The weather today made it really really hard to hit the gym and not the road for a run. Another gorgeous day, and warmer than yesterday too. Can't wait to be able to run for fun again and not based on a plan.  Anyway, today I hit the gym for my usual elliptical and weights session. Today was shoulders, chest, triceps and abs. I went with the trisets done in 3 sets of 8 reps again like I did on Monday. I started with a 15 minute warm up on the elliptical. TS#1 Chest flye Chest press Decline pushups Staggered chest press -8 TS#2 Standing dumbbell shoulder press Lateral raise Front raise Front raise open to side back to front - 8 TS#3 Double-arm overhead triceps extension Lying dumbbell triceps extension Double-arm kickbacks Triceps dips - 16 I did a variety of ab exercises like hanging leg raises, some weighted exercises, and some stability ball work before finishing off with another 10 minutes on the elliptical. Hump Day Dinner Back to what was...

Working Out So today I ended up ditching my half marathon training plan again. It called for 4 miles. It was a gorgeous, warm day, but really windy (gusting 18 mph). I just couldn't seem to get excited about running. So, I ended up doing chest, legs, boxing, and abs instead. Pushups - 24 Flat bench chest flyes into press - 3x8 Pushups with toes on step - 16 Squats into Plie Squats with low-end pulse - 3x8 Incline bench flyes into press - 3x8 Staggered bench press - 12 Rear leg elevated lunges into deadlifts - 3x8 Firewalkers - 6 Calf raises - 2x16 I did the upper body only from combos 1 and 2 of Cathe's MMA Boxing t hen abs from High Rep s. I did stretch for a bit after the workout before getting cleaned up. Chores & Kitchen Boycott Jason was nice enough to go to the grocery store while I was working out, then he headed out for a bike ride. In the meantime, I did laundry (washed, not folded mind you), made some hummus, and spent about 3 hours in our study/of...

Sports Bar Eats Last night we ended up watching Going the Distance and just relaxing on the couch. We weren't terribly hungry, as in no need to make a full dinner. But we both knew we needed something small at least. I had pulled some tofu out of the freezer to thaw because I thought we were going to have sushi. Anyway, halfway through the movie I decided I needed to make Tofu "wings." This is one reason I don't like going to the theater - I can't just get up and head into the kitchen and pause the movie. I don't sit still for long periods very well. Back to the "wings"...I have never had hot wings. I have no clue what they are supposed to even taste like. However, I'm oddly intrigued by them. I couldn't even tell you how many times I've asked Jason about the sauce and how they are made. Again, I have no idea where this bizarre obsession comes from. Well, last night I decided that I finally had to try making my own Tofu "Wings....

So So Weights It's funny how a super cold snap bringing wind chills of 2 degrees can change your perspective on what suddenly feels warm. It was about 40 degrees at 9 am and I thought, "Wow, it's warm out there." I was definitely more excited about the training run on a gorgeous, slightly warmer day. Too bad we were only schedule for 4 miles though. I would have preferred that we did the longer run today. But, before I got the run in, I did finally do my chest workout and finished up with abs from High Reps . Today was supposed to be 85% of 1RM doing 4 sets of 7 reps. Flat bench chest press Flat bench chest flyes Incline chest press Incline chest flyes I'll admit that today was HARD. I ended up hitting failure at the 6th rep for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th sets of the presses. I ended up going back to last week's weight for the Incline Chest Press because I just couldn't hold form right and was struggling. Better safe than sorry. Awesome Run Now, the r...

You Want Pictures? You guys crack me up. I think every single comment had a demand for pictures of the Christmas sweater I wore to the ugly sweater party. How could I possibly deny such a request??? But first, I must say, I was the only one who actually owned my sweater! Yep, it was mine already. In fact, it was given to me by my mom last year. I love her dearly, but will never ever understand what compelled her to buy me that sweater. At least I had a reason to wear it though right? Here are two pictures. One of the girls actually had a sweater with light!   I'll admit, I most definitely felt frumpy in the sweater. Was not feeling uber attractive at all. But at least I wasn't alone, even and my friend made her sweet Beagle Bella wear one too! Chest & Kickboxing This morning was sunny but super cold and windy beyond explanation. It sounded like rain the wind was blowing so hard. Definitely not run-inspiring weather so there was no urge whatsoever! I did a few chores li...

All Dolled Up Last night we ended up joining our friends at the Jingle Belles Bash. It was a fundraiser event to raise money for the Centers of Youth and Families. We were both really glad we decided to get off our lazy rear ends and go to the event. It was kind of fun getting dressed up and going out rather than sitting on the couch in our PJs, per the normal Saturday night. Productive Sunday This morning I was super productive. It was really cold out today, so running wasn't even tempting. I decided to get some house chores done before hitting the weights and cardio. I swept, swiffered, ran some laundry, changed out dishes, cleaned mirrors, and vacuumed area rugs. Then it was time for my workout. I did chest from STS Meso 2 . This week the goal is to increase my weights to 75% of my 1 RM. The only exception is that for the first exercise that was done as a "double wave load" I was supposed to stay at 70%. Flat bench chest press - 12, 10, 8, 12, 10, 8 Flat bench...

Tried and True Well today was chest and then a run at lunch. Since I didn't have a spotter handy, I went with my tried and true (and DOMS inducing) superset of flyes into presses with pushups. Wide-arm pushups - 24 Flat bench flyes into bench press - 3x8 Pushups with toes on bench - 2x8 Incline flyes into presses - 3x8 Pushups: 4 3:1 count, 4 1:3 count, 4 2:2 count This seriously always gives me some major DOMS. It seems like it shouldn't somehow; I never feel completely shaky right after, but the next day...wow. Terrific Run It was another warm, sunny day here. But a cold (cooler) front is due to move through tonight and into tomorrow morning - bringing rain. I think it's supposed to move through quickly (it better because I'm planning to run tomorrow). Jason promised me yesterday that he would run with me today at lunch, so I held him to it. I really and truly wanted just an easy run today. My last 2 runs were on the faster, tougher side. I need to m...

Did Not Lose My Head Shopping Well, I didn't come home with as much loot as I'd hoped. Guess that's good for the wallet though. I still had lots of fun and enjoyed hanging out with my co-worker and seeing all the fun gifts and goodies. I did find two soup mixes to start a food basket with for one set of friends. I also found the hot pickles for my dad - snagged two jars this year for good measure. There were so many treats and trinkets, even clothes and jewelry, that caught my eye. But the practical side of me snuck in and held me at bay. Sometimes that's good, but sometimes I wish I could just say bugger off and enjoy a bit of frivouls spending (other than at Ann Taylor Loft or The Limited Weights and Windy (cold) Running This morning I was wide awake at 5:30 am. I decided to be productive for a change and get out of bed and get chest and abs done. My left elbow is really bothering me, so I went a little lighter with weights and supersetted the flyes and presses....

Semi-Rest Day This morning I woke up about 45 minutes before the alarm clock was set. Rather than try to doze, I got up and got my chest and abs done that I didn't do yesterday. Yes, I know, it was supposed to be a rest day. But I really just wanted to get them done. I'm sort of hoping for a longer run tomorrow and don't want to have weights on the plan as well. Sooooo......semi-rest day. Wide-arm pushups - 24 Pushups with toes on step - 12 Flat bench flyes - 3x6 Flat bench DB press - 3x8 Incline flyes - 3x10 Incline DB press - 3x12 Pushups - 12 I finished up with abs from Cathe's Cardio & Weights . It was kind of nice getting in a workout in the morning for a change. It's been soooo long since I've done morning workouts. Running is like Life As I mentioned yesterday , I had another great run that left me with some thoughts and perspectives about running and life. It came to me, love how that happens when running, that running is very much like...

More Running So today I had planned on doing chest during lunch then some sort of cardio after work (likely step). But I totally forgot that the dogs had a grooming appointment today and that I'd likely have to pick them up after work. So, plan B - run at lunch instead of weights. I'll admit this probably isn't the best cardio for me. My legs are fairly sore from the running I did Friday and Saturday then weights yesterday. Sometimes an easy run is just what the doctor ordered though, so I thought I'd go for it. Besides, Jason was itching to wear his new running shorts/shirt and shoes he bought Saturday. Oh, and the idea of running to thaw out was another plus. My office was below 70 degrees. I mean, it's warmer than normal out, but not THAT warm. Anyway, we had both agreed on an easy run. My legs are sore, he was trying out his new shoes. Oh, and legs sore ;-) However, we ended up doing a rather speedy run. At first I thought that I was just struggling because...

Lunchtime Run & Afternoon Lifting  It was another crazy busy day for me at work again. I guess it does make the time go by fast at least. I was definitely looking forward to a noon workout to get my mind off of work. Jason and I had agreed on a 3-mile run at lunch. The temps were just below 70 degrees, so it was almost chilly at the start of the run. It was quite windy though. It was the kind of wind that swirls and switches directions making you feel like somehow you're always running into the wind. We went at a pretty good clip. The first mile was under an 8-minute mile despite the constant head winds. We didn't go exactly race pace mind you, but not too shabby for a lunchtime run after a leg day ;-) I was glad that we ran during lunch too. I need to thaw out from the office where the temps were under 70 degrees as well, only no sunshine to make you feel warmer. Since I didn't get in my chest workout on Saturday, I decided to do chest and triceps tod...