April Dreamin’
{All the photos are from the Audobon Aquarium in NOLA}
We’re ten days into April but it’s never too late to dream. :D
RUNNING:
122.51 miles run in March (February’s Miles were 88.92)
I am so grateful to John and a blog reader who told me that keeping a more detailed record of my runs would really help me - seeing the numbers in black and white is incredibly motivating and I am able to pinpoint what helps and hurts my running.
I didn’t realize I jumped my mileage this much but didn’t experience any knee trouble - yay for small victories!
HOT YOGA:
13 Hot Yoga Classes in March (I don’t count at-home practice sessions).
I need to step it back up to 15-20 hours of hot yoga this month!
{MARCH MOMENTS!}
We decided and started planning our international adventure: climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania!
We took an awesome Trip to New Orleans!
I learned to love Eggs!
We ran the Shamrock Shuffle!
I got a new haircut (exciting for me!) :D
I took John home to NYC!
I reached a training half-marathon P.R.!
Run 6 steady miles at a 9 minute or lower pace!
Complete two very LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG runs: two 20 Milers!
(one down, one to go!)
15 hours of Hot Yoga classes.
Cook three new dinner recipes.
Complete three minute plank.
Complete 50 pushups in a row.
Execute a strength training routine, no matter how small, 3X a week!
Hope everyone is having a great day!
Rainy Days Don’t Get Me Down
Today’s workout was a Hot Yoga Sculpt class - love lifting those weights!
I always said I would love strength training when pigs flew. Well, spider pigs are flying. :D
Just like with running, I’ve reached a sweet spot where I hate missing my abs or strength workouts.
My hands and feet have a pretty coral color on them - I was tired of my vampy colors and wanted something which reminded me of spring!
Spring toes, Spring rain!
Thanks to a Bloomspot deal, I went to one of my favorite little spas, Blueberry Moon, and got a mani-pedi for a steal!
I feel like manis make my hands look grown up, no? :D
I love mani-pedis but it’s been years since I’ve paid for one, I can always think of better ways to spend money. The coupon was too good to pass up and I was surprised at the excellent service I got.
The icy rain froze my toes and I ducked into Cosi for some soup - and forgot that their tomato soup has cream in it and I don’t love it - what a waste! Come on Cosi, bring back the plain tomato soup!
So I got a salad and multigrain flatbread instead with romaine, baby spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, red pepper and red onions, dressed with balsamic vinaigrette!
Hope you all have a great Friday night!
A Cozy Saturday
Friday started with a bowl of perfection…
A bowl of chai-tea oatmeal topped with Bear Naked granola was spicy and warmed up my cold nose.
And this was the last picture of food I got to take all Friday! Poops to forgetting the camera!
John and I went to a Hot Yoga Sculpt (yoga with weights class) on Friday night before we went out and it was awesome - I used 5 lb weights and went up to 8 lbs for some moves - I’m getting stronger guys. :D
I also did a yoga abs routine (from Tara Stiles’ book) and it was nice to get our workouts in before Friday night fun!
I’ve been asked to show what I eat on the weekends and how I deal with cravings so I’m going to try and do that more. The way to deal with cravings? Give into them! :D
I started the day with a slice of toast and this flavored Fage which was yummy - love the strawberry-goji flavor!
I wanted a cozy Saturday without any work or huge plans to go out - it’s Shark Week. That special time of month where poor John goes inside a steel cage for his safety.
From the safety of the steel cage, he can throw my crazy craving foods at me - Annie’s Bunny Crackers and frozen yogurt.
We had a fun errand to run and I got my treat sf vanilla latte - the day was so chilly!
I have cravings like everyone else - but I just crave different things.
We went to Delightful Pastries in Lincoln Park because I was craving more coffee! I have nothing on JSTOR to support this but black coffee cures cramps. It’s better than any drug or heating pad.
I was craving more warmth so I got a bowl of vegetable barley soup…
…and Kind Bars. I seriously crave these bars. John shared this Fruit and Nut one with me but my favorite are the Blueberry Vanilla ones!
And do you see what I see?
Yup, that would be me reading the first Harry Potter book. I swore to myself it would be one of my February books - I’ve tried reading the book at three separate points in my life before and HATED IT. Yes, I said it, I hated Harry Potter and didn’t make it past the first few chapters ever.
I wanted to love it because other people loved it, and like Dickens’ books, I wanted to feel wrapped up in a serial novel that everyone was wrapped up in.
I had a couple of false starts this month and just couldn’t stand the writing - why are someone’s feet described as being as big as dolphin babies? That’s just silly.
But today was different and something clicked.
Sitting in a cafe, I went through a lot of the book and the story finally unfolded for me.
John kept making this face to me because I kept complaining about why Harry needed to be left with such an abusive family and I wouldn’t let him tell me.
But he was pretty jazzed I finally was enjoying the books because he loves them so much.
We came home and made tofu with peanut sauce and Chinese “fried” rice which really hit the spot.
But this is all I wanted! :D John and I got my frozen yogurt fix - red velvet and french vanilla dotted with these chocolate raspberry nibs.
I hope you are having a wild and crazy Saturday or a cozy one with me!
That Awkward Moment When You Are About to Hug Someone Sexy
And then you hit the mirror.
That’s right, you’ve been hit with feel good about yourself Friday! Pass on the happy, lovely people!
A day without yoga isn’t a day at all. I decided to practice at home instead of going to a hot yoga class because I felt more worn down then usual.
I’m so glad I took a break - I needed a relaxing practice and used some of the routines in Tara Stiles’ book for an hour long practice in front of the fireplace.
Nigel was my practice partner - doesn’t he look great?
He doesn’t know what the big deal is about yoga - he’s been downward dogging since before it was cool.
Can I please brag a little about last night’s Abs 365 fitness streak? As I was doing my push-ups, John said, “Babe, you look so good!”
He totally noticed me getting stronger! I used to struggle doing ten push-ups in a row and now I can crank them out!
Dinner is what happens when Fresh Picks happens! :D
Broccoli, yellow, orange, and red bell peppers, corn, baby string beans, carrots, peas, and sweet onion roasted in the oven with sea salt and pepper and dressed with a few tablespoons of spicy peanut sauce.
On the side, I enjoyed roasted tofu pillows that were seared/roasted to perfection - this meal hit the spot. Some nights, simple trumps complicated recipes. :)
When John finished his run, there was hot chocolate, snuggling, and early bedtime - BLISS IS MINE!
Stellar Workouts + 5K Speed Test!
Nigel, as a baby puppy, captures how intense my workouts have been this week- and how awesome!
I had a surprise six miler yesterday.
During that run, I decided I wanted to make my Wednesday runs my speed work day and focus on the 5K distance.
It doesn’t tax me as much as my five miler speed tests, allowing me to aggressively keep increasing my weekend long runs which I run at a fast pace (rather than a slower pace as recommended by some books).
Today, I went out on my first 5K speed test and finished it in 28 minutes. When I came home, I checked my Garmin data and apparently, this is my 5K P.R.! It’s only a little over a nine minute pace and it’s my starting point.
I paired my run immediately with a Hot Power Fusion yoga class - I haven’t taken these since I’ve mostly been doing the C2’s but it was nice to have some aggressive flows.
Hot yoga and running, goes together like a PB&J sandwich!
*******
What I’m really proud of though is my strength training this week.
Today and on Monday, I adapted my yoga routine along with the Tough Mudder strength training routine and created a routine I really enjoyed doing!
On Tuesday, I worked on my pull-ups and planks.
I have no pull-up strength but I read in a book that pull-up hangs, where you hang from a pull-up bar with your knees bent, are a great way to build strength. Women might need to build up to a 2 minute hang before they can do five perfect pull-ups!
I finally feel like my Abs Fitness Streak was working for me and allowing me to integrate more strength training into my regimen.
It’s a mental game - yes, strength training isn’t as fun as running or hot yoga for me, but doing these routines without rest gets me going!
My training journal is available here! Hope everyone is having a good training week!
The Bully Bachelor + Tough Mudder Test
Our old neighbors were featured on “Marry Me Monday” on The Bachelor tonight - it was so fun to see someone we knew and such a surprise. Nigel used to love that girl, so he took his broken heart on the prowl during his evening walk tonight. He met two blonde women tonight so tune in next week to see who he’ll choose. :D
***
My sick day eats:
…a plate of popcorn…
…and a bowl of wild long-grain rice with Asian veggies including broccoli, green peas, sugar snap peas, carrots, peppers, and baby broccoli.
My cold got much worse as the day wore on - so I decided I didn’t want to blow my nose through hot yoga and worked out at home instead with my Tough Mudder Circuit. Good lord people, I would say I’m as weak as a kitten but that would be an insult to kittens.
The photo above would be me attempting to do scissor kicks really, really fast.
A month ago, I wouldn’t have been able to make it through half these moves - I have hot yoga to thank for some of my basic strength. However, putting up more then one set of the complex moves was a real challenge. And there were some “ummm…” moments - like the chin-up and chair dips.
I find marathons and half-marathons exciting (sorry, Tough Mudder marketing). It sounds egotistical, but I am certain I will finish and that over time I will get faster, whether I run 13.1 miles or whether I run 30 miles.
However, running a Tough Mudder race is one of those goals that makes me want to throw up.
I don’t want to skip obstacles and I don’t want to be helped everywhere because I’m a girl and don’t have the strength. Friends have suggested doing a smaller Warrior Dash or Spartan Race first, but I prefer popping the obstacle race cherry on a longer distance. So yes, a goal that makes me want to throw up.
Plan A is to work hard and kick ass. Which will hopefully make Plan B an unnecessary backup (grabbing onto some hot Marine’s back and not letting go until the finish line). :D
Be Pushed by Your Dreams And Not by Your Problems
So Downton Abbey was my awesome weekend (link contains spoilers). I have plans to watch Season 2 through the Super Bowl and luxuriate in the costumes. Oh, those costumes!
I was obsessed with Manor House when it aired and this show fills the hole in my life for Edwardian drama. The series is written by Julian Fellowes (of Gosford Park fame) and is fabulous!
As my father would say, the youngest daughter has “a face for the ages.” I think she is unbelievably lovely - and probably the most pleasant to watch onscreen. She looks like an Edwardian portrait, no?
This was a deliciously lovely weekend. I totally finked on watching The Woman in Black because I freak out when I’m home alone! Snuggles under a blanket instead with Downton Abbey! The show needs an English bulldog. :D
Marathon Training
This is the third week that I have been able to run four times for a total of 16.1 miles.
My long run this week was 6.51 miles - no knee pain during and only a mild twinge after.
Hot Yoga
I was only able to make it to four hot yoga classes this week - one advanced, two beginner, and a Core Restore, which was much needed because my run left me so tight. The increased mileage is making me a bit cautious but I need to hit six classes next week - I don’t feel right anymore when I don’t have enough yoga in my life!
My workout log is available here!
I’m 36 days into my abs routine streak and I’m making some changes. First, John wasn’t able to keep up the streak so I’ll be going it alone. This will be much easier for me to get the routine done earlier and to make it longer!
Thursday’s Routine
I focused on transitions - moving from plank in side planks without rest. And yes, I wiped out on the seventh plank! :D I hoping that by adding these quick transitions with difficult moves, I’ll get stronger and bring it to my yoga mat!
Friday’s routine was just a hodge-podge - I didn’t feel like an abs routine so I got this one done.
I did this routine on Saturday and today and it’s one of my favorites. It’s the “Ab Ripper” section from P90X and it’s such a great routine. All the descriptions are available here!
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In the following week, I will continue with marathon training and I will aim for six hot yoga classes, including a Core Restore class.
I also want to change up my abs and strength routine to serve me more - I am going to be tracking my routines in a seven day segment here. This week I will be focusing on the Ab Ripper routine and the Tough Mudder Routine and allowing myself two restorative core routines - I have to find something that will work for that!
365 Days of Abs Routines: Routine 19 of 365
Whew! We almost went to bed missing our streak but we remembered! Today’s abs workout was a yoga inspired. The eagle crunches are my favorite!
10 Eagle Arm Crunches
10 Eagle Leg Crunches
12 Full Eagle Crunches
Plank with knee twists - as many as possible in one minute:
Assume plank position and bring knee to opposing elbow!
Wide Arm push-ups (as many as possible in one minute:
Forearm plank, hold for one minute.
Half Moon, L+R
Sit-Ups: 50! I can finally do fifty straight sit-ups but it takes some effort!
I Love Strength Training and Weight Lifting - Who Saw this Coming?! :D
So, a few weeks ago I wrote a screed against weight lifting for runners. I hated weights and really saw no benefit in them for my running. But frankly, I think I was dead wrong. I can be Little Miss Stubborn. :D
John has lifted weights since high school and college. He showed me pictures once where his neck was so thick, I was amazed. He had Nigel muscles. I prefer his leaner, toned look now - but my man is right, weights can give me a better body - especially for running.
And weights can make you faster by making you stronger. I had initially agreed with the opposing view last time, but now I believe runners should strength train, and strength train hard. I haven’t hit a lot of high mileage since the Marine Corps Marathon but doing high incline work or pumping my arms during short sprints is taking a lot less effort since I started lifting even just a little.
I can’t speak to injury-prevention until the Goofy Challenge (which is in 28 days - who is excited?), but I can say that my knees feel better and by working my quads and hammies with some metal, I’ve noticed a reduction in knee pain.
And abs workouts with weights - forget the six pack, I’m working on an eight pack. :D
I don’t think it’s just my Little Miss Stubborn nature though that has kept me away from weights. Here are my honest reasons:
1. My Workout Binder.
This is my pretty workout binder. You all wish your momma would buy it for you. You are also witnessing how tough it is to do strength training exercises in our home - unless you can plank with a 60 lb puppy on your back.
In it are my fabulous weights routines and tear-outs from my favorite magazines!
I belong to a really manly neighborhood gym. Walking around with my binder and referring to it always made me feel really silly. I saw a lot of guys looking over and I felt really shy about my binder.
But you know what? I’m taking my awesome binder and lifting some weights. They are probably all checking me out anyway - I’m awesome hot. :D
2. I didn’t like the female weight lifting body. I don’t believe that weights make women bulky but I didn’t love the bodies I saw in Oxygen Magazine. I am 5’2 and I preferred a teeny-tiny body because well, I have a ladder for the high shelves in the house.
Last week I saw the most perfect, teeny-tiny woman in our gym and this sexy beech was lifting weights that were as big as the big boys in the weight room. It was like the heavens opened and a beam of light shone down on her very toned, tiny arms.
I realized that a good bit of the heft that is on the body comes from plain old fashioned fat - all the weights do is build the muscle.
3. I bought into the idea that there are workouts for men and there are workouts for women. Body Pump for girls - and Olympic plates for boys. Pilates and Hot Yoga Sculpt for girls and more Olympic plates for boys. I never made the connection that almost the entire sequence from 30 Day Shred was the same as the routines in Men’s Health Magazine, just with bigger weights. If women can’t lift past a certain point, how can they carry around a small child for hours?
4. I needed Hot Yoga Sculpt in my life I love Hot Yoga Sculpt - yeah, I haven’t advanced past 3lb weights but I plan on getting there. Hot Yoga Sculpt gave me a formal routine, a yoga teacher to encourage me, and fires up my competitive side.
Just like during a race, when I see a girl in my height and weight range and think, “I should keep up and beat her,” when I see some tiny thing flowing through her Vinyasa with two ten pounders in a 103 degree room - it gets me motivated to keep up.
******
Working through yoga with free weights has taken my yoga to the next level. It helps me get deeper in the poses and I am seeing some moves I just couldn’t do a few months ago.
As I make my new half and full-marathon schedule, I am getting more excited about what weight lifting will do for my running! Personal record, here I come! :D
So Little Miss Stubborn was wrong in this case - but this is the only time. In all other things, John acknowledges I am always right. Always! :D
Freak in the Gym: Yoga Sculpt with Bon Jovi Theme!
I decided to make Hot Yoga Sculpt my workout today - it hurts the knee but not in a bad way and I feel like all this strength training is good for it. If you want to know more about hot yoga sculpt, here’s my description. The best part about today’s workout was that it was a “themed” sculpt: Bon Jovi Day!
Apparently, the Wicker Park Core Power Yoga studio holds theme classes and I’ve missed Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake - boo. Here’s hoping for some more of these, especially JT.
MY INTENTION DURING TODAY’S CLASS: I will get back to running soon!
Hot Yoga Sculpt makes me feel like a bad ass - I’m only using 3 bs weights because the last time I took a yoga sculpt class was in early October - but I feel like I could progress to 5 pounders soon! Today we had some hard plyo in between all the strength moves and the ab work involved holding a block between our legs. I got a brilliant idea (inspired by Catherine) while I was doing my skipping lunges:
What if I boot-camped hot yoga sculpt for the next six to eight weeks? And that would mean that once I’m back to running, I would STILL be going to Yoga Sculpt five days a week! I also have a new 35 minutes abs routine that I wanted to complete five days a week, so I will just tack it to the beginning or end of class.
I am going to make this happen this week - 90 minutes including a hot yoga sculpt class + my new 35 minute abs routine.
Hello Honey Badger Strength! :D
If I do my longest runs on a Sunday, I can schedule my “rest day” for a Saturday, giving me fresh legs by Sunday for a nice, long endurance building run or a race.
My ultimate goal would be to keep this routine from November 21 to January 8, but I am going to take it a week at a time, starting with this Monday. I’m so excited - my core will move from kitten to bobcat! :D
Have a great weekend Tumblrettes! Stay a lady in the kitchen and a freak in the gym!
