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.

Hello December!

Kind of hard to believe that there are mere 30 days left in the year. November, like most of this year for me, went by in a blink. This Thanksgiving week felt especially short, but I enjoyed all the extra time with family, especially having my oldest home from school. Here’s how the workouts played out…

Caught this beautiful view on a run this week

Weekly Run Down

Monday – 3-mile run
Tuesday – Orangetheory
Wednesday – Yoga
Thursday – Power walk with my husband & pup before feasting!
Friday – 4-mile run
Saturday – 5-miles
Sunday – Orangetheory

I finished November with 57 miles and have happily jumped on the OTF bandwagon for some great cross-training. On my other November goals, my plank streak is alive and well, and I made some progress on my 2020 race calendar. I will admit my eating habits have still been a bit hit or miss, but I have gotten back to meal planning which always helps. Overall, I would call November a win!

December Goals

To close out 2019, my goals are pretty simple:

• Continue my plank streak
• Continue to cross-train 2x’s/week
• Revisit my PT exercises at least 3x’s/week
• Prioritize sleep
• Find a couple of half marathons to add to my race calendar

The cranky hip that flared up during the Chicago Marathon has been making some noise so getting back to my PT exercises is a must. My sleep was all over the place during November so I’m going to do what I can to set myself up for a better night’s sleep this month.

How was your November? Have you started planning your 2020 race calendar? Any half marathon suggestions?

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

Each month I like to set a couple of monthly goals to help me stay on track. So with October now in the rearview mirror, it’s time to share some goals for November.

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

Weekly Run Down

Monday — Strength training

Tuesday — 3 soggy miles

Wednesday — Rest

Thursday — 3 miles. Wrapping up October with 63 miles.

Friday — Strength training and the start of a new plank streak

Saturday — 3 more miles on a gorgeous morning!

Fall running makes me happy!

Sunday — Got a brisk morning walk with my husband and pup before settling in to watch the NYC Marathon.

November Goals

• Plank Streak — I’ve been really inconsistent in my core work, so I’m going to use daily planking to build some consistency.
• Clean up my eating — Honestly, I’m still eating like I’m running all the miles! LOL! It’s time to reel it and get back on track.
• Cross Training 2x’s/week — I’ve been itching to try OTF, and with less weekly mileage on my plan, it feels like a good time to try it out.
• 2020 race planning — WIth just one more race on the calendar for this year, I’m going to start sketching out what next year could look like.

How was your week? Did you watch the NYC Marathon? Any November goals?