Strength with Gregg - Upper Body

 

Today, I did the strength training I had planned for yesterday using Apple Fitness+. This workout used music from the 80s and 90s. I loved it! It made the workout so much more enjoyable. This is a 30 minute upper body workout. I did a lot of shoulder work, planks, side planks, pushup holds (very similar to planks), and other things that I don't remember what they were called. When I was done, I was solidified in my decision to quit the gym. 

2.23 Mile Run With Chad

 

I did not plan to go running today. I was going to do some kind of strength work, but Chad wanted me to run “with” him. I honestly don’t like going with other people because I always get left behind feeling like a failure. I’ll do it when he or my daughter ask, though, because I want them to be happy. So, at the end of an overwhelming work day instead of knitting and unwinding, I changed into my running gear and went with Chad. It felt good to get a better time than I have in a while. Tomorrow, maybe I can do the workout I planned for today. 

First Fartlek - NRC

Today, I ran my first fartlek, and it sucked. I will do it again if a training plan calls for it, but I will not be searching it out any time in the near future. I can’t really run 10 minutes straight at this point. I definitely can’t do it at varying speeds. I had to do it my own way. After the runs at a 7 or 8 effort (out of 10), I did the “easy run” at a walking pace. It still was hard, but it was manageable. 

Only 2 more weeks until I start training for the big race in October!

Running For More Joy - NRC

 

Today, I ran with the Nike Run Club app using a 35 minute guided run called Running for more Joy. It felt good to get out and run. I missed it over the past few weeks but kept coming up with excuses not to go. Of course some of those days it was way too cold to run, but the excuse that I didn’t want to look creepy as the kids at the school in the neighborhood was dumb since I get off work about an hour before they get out. Getting rid of the excuses is the first obstacle I always have to overcome. Once I do, I rarely regret it. 

The guided run I did today was full of reminders of finding joy in life. He talked about the joys of being outside, the joy we felt running as children, and  the joy we can find in running now. As he did so, I did my best to run for 1 minute and walk for one minute. I wasn’t perfect at it, but it felt good. 

I also ran in new shoes. I have been running in trail running shoes for years inadvertently and the trad is wearing on the pair I have been wearing for a while. When I took my son to get shoes, I found these on clearance and was excited because they were exactly what I needed. They are so much lighter than the others. My only problem was the blisters. Next time, I’ll wear bandaids. 

Strength Training 16 Minutes

Today, I dragged the hubby to the gym for some strength training. (He had already worked out but he likes spending time with me.) We started with walking on the treadmill for 10 minutes to warm up. Then, we went to the weights where we did 3 sets of 10 of flies, bench press, and one legged squats holding weights. I used 5 pound dumbbells, and it took about 16 minutes to complete. I would have liked to have done more, but most of the machines were in use. Maybe, I can use them next time. 

25 Minute Easy Run - NRC

 Today, I had a 25 minute easy run in my plan. I had to go a few minutes extra to get home, but I would rather do that than have to run around the block or cul-de-sac at the end. I only have a few runs on this plan. Then, I will move onto random guided runs until I start training g for my marathon. 

I felt accomplished on this run. I ran up the hill behind my neighborhood to the dirt trail into the next one. At this point I ran down to the next dirt path and ran that for a few minutes before I turned around and ran the hill down to my neighborhood. Then I turned onto my block and ran the last hill home. I did this with mostly 1 minute run and. 30 second walk intervals. At 12 minutes, I had to take a minute for the walk as I passed the top of the hill. Also, around 20 minutes I lost track of my count and had to pull pout my phone and look at the app to track the seconds. In the end, I did 2 minute runs twice! I can’t even tell you how happy I am that I can do that again. I can tell I am getting to be a stronger runner again!

“Next Speed Run” - NRC

I ended up skipping the 10 minute run on Saturday. I don’t know why I have a hard time motivating myself to get out on Saturdays. I need to get past that if I am going to train for a marathon. 

Today, I did speed drills. This time there were varying intervals with a higher intensity for lower times. For example, when running for 2 minutes, I ran at a 6/10, but when running 45 seconds, I ran at an 8/10. This was the most fun I have had running in a long time. I may have to do it again sometime.