Booster Shot + Running Mood (weekly workout recap)

Last week was short yet a long one!

Some notes before getting to my workouts:

Booster Shot: I got my booster shot last Sunday. It wasn’t too bad but I did take off on Monday from any type of workout.

Running Mood: My mood for running returned after a week of not really feeling like it. Did my lack of interest in running have anything to do with PMS? It’s definitely possible. I like to blame the cold but PMS could have played a role too. Although for me, the whole exercise according to your cycle doesn’t always correlate. Therefore, I’ll continue to just go with how I feel on any given day.

Treadmill: I ran twice on the treadmill! This is such a big deal because there’s always the chance that I need a mask on if other people are in my gym at the same time.

It’s worth noting that I always warm up on the treadmill with my easy run on the treadmill workout — I really think that this is the best workout I’ve ever created. It’s easy to follow and always gets me moving and ready to go faster.

Last Week’s Workouts:

Monday – Off

I wasn’t as sick as others report from these vaccines but I definitely felt something. I was tired, had a slight headache in my sleep, and just felt like I had been sick. There was an internal soreness but not real body aches. Just that feeling of I was pretty sick a day or so ago and now I’m recovering.

I’m glad I was off from work today and able to rest!

Tuesday – 38 Min Yoga/Pilates Flow + Quick Walk

I’m better today but not 100%. I also know my period is due tomorrow so that’s adding to the bleh feeling for sure.

Wednesday – 3 Miles (outside)

I woke up with my period but felt like running, so I did! And it worked out too – today was the warmest it would be for the next several days. Plus, there was no wind! So while it was still cold (in the 20’s), I knew I couldn’t complain.

Thursday – 40 Min Pilates (bodyweight)

Rain this morning so pilates fit in nicely.

screenshot from Melissa Wood Health pilates

Friday – 30 Min Treadmill Run

I was so annoyed when I started the treadmill and other people walked into the gym. I was hoping to not need to run with a mask on my face! Ugh.

I ran 30 minutes (3.4 miles) and then walked a cooldown on an incline to hit 35 minutes total.

Saturday – 30 Min Treadmill Run + 12 Min Power Abs

I got lucky today – no one else was in the gym with me!

I ran a bit faster than yesterday, finishing 3.5 miles in 30 minutes, and then added a cool down for 10 minutes with an incline walk.

Also, the power abs workout is so much more full-body than solely focused on abs.

Melissa Wood Health Power Abs

Sunday – 30 Min Barre3 + 30 Min Walk

The weather this morning and for the coming week is slightly warmer than last week. Hopefully, it means a little bit more time outside for a run or a walk!

 

 

9 Years of Blogging + Still A Top Running Blog?! (weekly workout recap)

 

Happy Monday.

My blog turns nine years old this week which I just cannot believe! Where does the time go? My son was only ten years old at the time but now is in college and I’m still here writing this blog?

Obviously, blogs have evolved and changed so much over the years. My daily blogging has turned into 2-3 times a week which is half of what I used to do.

Yet somehow, this blog is still considered a top 100 women’s running blog for 2022. I so appreciate being included, especially as I’ve cut my mileage in the last few years and don’t keep up a social media personality.

It’s nice to know that running less still counts in the eyes of whoever makes these lists.

I don’t need to run 40 miles a week or run every day BUT I do need exercise. So maybe it’s a short run one day, a walk the next, and some yoga with pilates mixed in each week. I’ve fallen into such a great workout routine for me and I’m grateful to have had this blog for nine years in order to share my workouts and experiences with you.

Last Week’s Workouts:

I keep saying that we are in the hardest part of the year. It’s super cold most of the time now and the weather conditions make it iffy for running outside on a regular, consistent basis. I’m just doing my best over here until we reach spring!

Monday – 16 Min Go To Full Body + 40 Min Walk

Tuesday – 30 Min Barre3 + 10 Min Booty (1 lb weights)

It was COLD this morning so I couldn’t run or walk outside.

I picked a Barre3 workout from the app on my TV (I still don’t know how I have Barre3 on my TV). Once finished, I added 10 minutes with Melissa Wood Health.

Wednesday – 4 Mile Treadmill Run

It was raining but I really wanted to run. I sucked it up and went to the gym in my community which I have been avoiding since the mask mandate came back into effect. For today, it was just worth it to me to give running with a mask a try.

My goals for running with a mask:

• Just get to three miles
• Make it a strong three miles to get the most out of it
• If I can handle it, get to 30 minutes.
• If no one is in the gym and I can run without a mask, continue to four miles, maybe five, depending upon time.

There was only one other person in the gym but we both wore our masks. I managed okay, but the other lady did leave (when I was at 17 minutes) – so I took the mask off!

I felt great today actually and finished four miles in 33 minutes. With a warm-up mile in there and the rest between 7.5 – 7.8, it was a terrific run that felt pretty effortless.

Thursday – 3 Miles (outside)

It was above freezing so I ran outside today – carefully though because there was black ice on the ground in certain spots.

Friday – 33 Min Yoga/Pilates Flow (1 lb weights)

Snow this morning!

Saturday – 30 Min Treadmill Run/15 Min Full Body Flow

I don’t know when I will run outdoors again. The ground is icy and it’s really cold too!

I’m happy to report that I was the only one in the gym today so I didn’t need to wear a mask while running! Today’s run was a strong one but felt harder than Wednesday’s run. I finished over 3.5 miles at the 30-minute mark at which point I slowed down for a few minutes to cool down.

Sunday – Melissa Wood Health Combo

• 23 Min Yoga
• 23 Min Inner/Outer Thighs (1 lb weights + band)

I’ve decided this inner/outer thigh series is the most challenging workout from Melissa Wood Health. It looks so simple but it’s OMG hard. She even says it during the workout – people think they are getting off easy by lying on their side — WRONG.

Do you see the slight knee bend for the top leg? Killer!

 

New Year, New Running Shoes (weekly workout recap)

 

I’m not going to lie, getting up early again and squeezing in a workout today before work is super hard after being off several days over the last two weeks.

While I’m totally a morning person, I do appreciate NOT being on a schedule and definitely fell into a later morning routine during the holidays.

It will take me a day or two to adjust but one this is for sure — I won’t skip a workout. I know that I feel so much better after some form of movement in the morning before work and that is what keeps me motivated!

Last Week’s Workouts:

Monday – 10 Min Power Abs + 3 Mile Walk

Tuesday – 4 Mile Run

Wednesday – 5 Mile Run

I was happy to be off today and run a little later in the morning!

Thursday – Melissa Wood Health Combo (bodyweight)

This combo that I put together was just SO GOOD. I was sweaty and working hard right away — I will keep this combination in mind for this winter when I want something that elevates my heart rate on days I can’t go outside to run.

• 15 Min Cardio Warm-Up with Plie Squats
• 15 Min Power Pilates with Plank Series – At first glance, I always hate planks but trust her workouts to be worth it.
• 13 Min Inner/Outer Thighs

Friday – 5 Mile Run / 10 Min Abs 

I had ordered a new pair of Ghosts earlier in the week and while I was running today, I saw the man delivering the new shoes to my front door!

I was 1.5 miles into my run but of course, I stopped to switch into the new pair of Brooks Ghost 14’s that had arrived!

Is there a runner alive who wouldn’t stop midrun to switch into new running shoes in this situation?

Saturday – 30 Min Barre3 (3 lb weights)/15 Min Ab-Focused Flow

It was raining this morning (I HAVEN’T SEEN SUN IN DAYS!) so I couldn’t run. I wanted something different and of high energy (but not a total HIIT style workout) so I picked a Barre3 workout from youtube. This one is perfect if you feel like a sweaty, squat-filled workout that is still low-impact and built on the foundation of yoga/barre/pilates.

After the Barre3 workout, I added an ab flow from Melisssa Wood Health. All of her ab flows are different and although this one focuses on abs, it’s really more like a full-body experience.

Sunday – 5 Miles

Still no sun but at least it wasn’t raining so I was able to run outside in my new running shoes again!

 

Workouts from Last Week (Barre3 soreness + Cut My Run Short)

I missed Friday’s post mainly because my Macbook Air has been giving me keyboard problems which makes typing a chore.  I’m in the process of setting up and transitioning to a new laptop but I can’t get the new laptop’s internet to work just yet (don’t ask – I thought Mac’s made life easier?!) so I’m still struggling to type which is SUPER annoying.

I’m glad I write my workouts down each day as they happen so that today’s post can put itself together without too much additional typing from me.

I wanted to go into more detail about how sore I was from Barre3 (see below) and then how I didn’t feel well during my run on Saturday (see below) but more details may have to wait until my computer issues are behind me!

Monday – 5 Miles

This was my first run in a while where I mentally pushed myself to go faster on average than I have been and also the first run in a while where I average overall in the 8’s.

Tuesday – 30 Min Barre3/10 Min Power Abs (Melissa Wood Health)/Walk

I randomly found that I had access to Barre3 workouts on my TV (not sure how) so I decided to try one today. This one was similar to other Barre3 workouts I’ve done in the past and mainly cardio-focused with a ton of squats.

Wednesday – 3 Mile Run/15 Min Full Body Power Series

I noticed I was slightly sore from yesterday’s Barre3 workout when I woke up but the real soreness set in as the day went on.

Thursday – 4 Mile Walk

My legs were SORE from Tuesday’s Barre3 workout so I went for a walk to loosen up and keep things easy.

Friday – 30 Min Full Body Yoga + Pilates Flow/40 Min Walk

Still pretty sore so I didn’t run, figuring I would run tomorrow at the beach.

Saturday – 5 Miles

My legs felt better today!

While I didn’t have a distance or workout plan for today’s boardwalk run, I also didn’t factor in not feeling well towards the five-mile mark.

Even without a distance plan, I naturally run five miles and then make decisions on how much further I will run.

I felt fine and was really enjoying this run until somewhere during mile four when I suddenly didn’t feel well. The best I can say to describe how I was feeling is that I suddenly felt as though I had been running a race with my pace in the 7’s and was at the end of a half marathon still at that pace in the heat.

But I wasn’t in a race, I was running in the 9’s, and was only at four miles.

I stopped to walk right at five miles to shake off whatever I was feeling. Within a minute I felt better but knew I made the right decision to stop – it was not at all like me to feel that way.

I drank some water, walked for a bit while chatting on phone, and then hung out on a bench.

I felt completely fine after that happened but it was weird!

Sunday – 30 Min Yoga/Pilates Flow (1 lb weights/resistance band) + 10 Min Arms (1 lb weights)

I’m Trying A New Online Workout Platform (workout recap)

The title of this post might be a little misleading. I am trying a new online workout platform but the platform itself is not exactly new, it’s just new to me.

After moving away from my Pure Barre On Demand subscription in the last year, I knew at some point I would likely sign up for another online workout platform. But I wasn’t rushing my decision. I figured I would work with the free online options until I could figure out exactly which direction I wanted to go with my at-home workouts.

Even though I do like Barre3, I kinda knew that I didn’t want another barre platform. I also knew that my interest in yoga only continued to increase.

I started following Melissa Wood Health on Instagram a while back based upon recommendations. Right away I liked her personality, and the workouts it sppeared she offered. She shares a terrific mix of yoga and pilates with a philosophy I can get behind too. Her workouts aren’t too long and include a range of yoga and pilates along with targeted strength workouts, pre/post-natal options, and meditation as well. Oh, and there’s some treadmill stuff but I don’t need that so I didn’t really look at it to tell you about it.

 

While I’m totally not at all ready to give a true review, here’s what I like thus far about MWH Method and why I signed up for the free trial:

Short workout options: It’s nice to find workouts, platforms, and people/instructors who understand that less is more.

I can easily fit the 10-20 minute workouts into my routine. These workouts are perfect for me in the winter to do in those minutes before it’s light enough outside to head out for a short run or walk.

During the spring/summer months, the shorter workout options are great once again for the days when I walk and don’t run. I run longer distances when it’s warmer outside so I wouldn’t necessarily add on to those workout days. But my walk days? For sure.

Easy to combine: With so many shorter workout options, I can combine them to create my own workout.

Longer workout options: When I say longer, I mean 30-45 minutes. The 30 – 45-minute workout options are perfect for the days when I don’t run. I don’t need more than this and if anything, I can tack on a 10-minute focused workout if I felt like it. In the summer, I can always pair these workouts with a walk.

Yoga and pilates are becoming my favorites. I never would have guessed that yoga would become a workout I enjoy, but it is. Pure Barre was a blend of barre, yoga, and pilates but if you ask me, it was much more pilates than yoga. I like that MWH Method incorporates pilates because I do feel like I am getting elements from Pure Barre still in my routine.

Low-Impact: It’s so important to not over-stress the body. Running is stressful enough, the rest of my workouts should balance that out with low-impact, gentle yet effective options.

Yoga and pilates are low-impact and make you feel good as you do it but oh my, they burn. I like the challenge and strength/balance they build without stressing my body. MWH Method looks easy at first glance — it is not!

Mostly bodyweight: I appreciate that MWH Method workouts are mostly bodyweight strength workouts with maybe the addition of very light weights. I’ve never been into heavy-weight strength workouts so this is perfect for me. If you have yet to try bodyweight strength workouts, I really suggest you do – it’s not as easy as you think.

Kindness to fitness: It’s nice to see workouts that focus on being gentle, kind, and happy throughout the exercises. Melissa takes a calming, positive approach to the movements, making you look forward to what you are doing and at peace with it even when it challenges you. I really look forward to the exercises and feel good about doing it.

The MWH Method menu is so nicely organized. New workouts are added each week and listed at the top. From there the workouts are organized by time and also by focus. It’s super easy to navigate! This is refreshing after my experience with Pure Barre On Demand changing to Pure Barre GO. That menu was a disaster and one of the main reasons I stopping using the platform.

Price: While I’m currently in the free trial period, the MWH Method cost is $9.99/month or $99 for the year. This is EXTREMELY reasonable and costs even less than what I paid at beta-pricing for Pure Barre On Demand.

I will keep you posted next week to see how I’m continuing to like the workouts!

Here is a recap from my workouts over the last week…

Monday – 5 Miles

I was off from work today so I slept a little late and took my time getting outside to run. Windy and sunny but not too cold — totally acceptable for January running.

Tuesday – 45 Min Yoga Flow

Wednesday – 10 Min Barre3/30 Min Run

I quickly found this  Barre3 workout to do while waiting for enough daylight outside to run. Although, I really wasn’t expecting it to be snowing during my 30-minute run. I mean, I did watch the news and they did mention “snow up in the clouds” but no one said the snow was going to be falling on me and cover the ground. By the time I finished, snow was starting to cover the ground and fully covered it a few minutes later.

Thursday – 20 Min Body Weight Workout/3 Mile Run

I did my first MWH Method workout today! The website offers a free 19-minute full-body workout using own body weight before you sign up. It was a great, efficient workout so I decided to sign up for the free trial.

Friday – 30 Min Full Body Yoga + Pilates Flow

Enjoyed this 30-minute flow — not easy and definitely felt it in a good way.

Saturday – 30 Min Dance Warm-Up Full Body Flow + 24 Min Yoga/Pilates Stretching Flow

I made the decision not to run today because I thought it was too cold only to learn it would be even colder tomorrow. OOPS. In any case, I combined two Melissa Wood Healh workouts because I’m eager to try them all!

Sunday – 10 Min Arms + 6 Miles

I really wanted to run so I heavily bundled up the real feel temperature of 10 degrees. It honestly wasn’t bad! I started first with the 10-minute arms workout using only bodyweight.

 

You Won’t Even Believe Me (workout recap)

First, please forgive me for not sharing Friday Favorites and fashion links lately. Work has been so busy (which I am totally grateful and thankful for) but during my downtime, I’ve really needed to take a break from my computer screen. I’m hoping though to get a Black Friday post together for later this week.

Second, you aren’t even going to believe this. You won’t even believe me when I tell you that I dropped my laptop on my foot earlier this week, the same foot I bothered last week by tying my shoes too tight. I know. How ridiculous!

This drop on my foot wasn’t nearly as bad as the time I dropped the shampoo bottle on my foot. (Remember that? It changed the course of my running ever since). However, I still took this drop on my foot somewhat seriously. I iced my foot a little, paid attention to it throughout the week, and skipped running three days in a row to ensure it was okay.

Like I said last week, I don’t mess around with my feet. Someone else would have run anyway, but not me. I won’t run if my foot is bothered, even if it’s not technically injured, because I do not want to ever create an injury when it’s easy enough to not run and give things a few days to rest. The last thing I would want to do is to run when my foot hurts, even if it’s not severe pain. Any discomfort bothers me and leaves me feeling as though I should not run, not to mention that I wouldn’t want to run and change my form to accommodate discomfort and then truly hurt myself in the process.

Lucky for me, I was fine by Saturday…although I am still paying attention to that foot to watch for any lingering issues. Between the tight laces and then the laptop, I need to be extra polite to my foot. 🙂

Also, it’s totally worth noting that I do love how diverse my workouts are these days. Running may always be my first choice but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the rest of my workout options. Between barre, yoga, pilates, and a good walk, I’ve got such a nice mix of workouts going on — it’s been really fun!

Monday – 50 Min Barre3

Tuesday – 5 Miles

Wednesday – 45 Min Pure Barre

Thursday – 45 Min Fire

For those out there who think yoga isn’t a great workout, try FIRE. My goodness, my heart was pounding harder than during a run.

Friday – 3 Mile Walk

Giving my foot one more day before running.

Saturday – 8 Miles

All good for a run today!

Sunday – 5 Miles

Another run and another fine day for my foot.

 

Tied My Running Shoes Too Tight + More Barre3 (and Pilates!)

Not only did last week feel oddly long but I had also tied my running shoes too tight the week before and was feeling the lingering effects on my left foot. While I barely remember the day that I tied the shoes too tight, I do remember doing so in an effort to make my Ghosts more comfortable. They were suddenly feeling stretched out/burned out, out of nowhere  This is why I ended up with a new pair of Solar Boosts last weekend.

I only felt the discomfort when wearing running socks and/or running shoes. I would forget that my foot was irritated because it wasn’t swollen, didn’t hurt to the touch, and didn’t hurt at all for barre workouts or when walking around in other shoes, or barefoot.

It didn’t seem to be a big deal but then I noticed some discomfort on the top of my left foot towards the end of Tuesday’s run so I decided to take a few days off from running to let the irritation heal.

See where I’m pointing, that’s where it hurt, only when wearing running shoes.

I don’t mess around with my feet. A few days off from running is nothing compared to pushing my foot to feel uncomfortable in a shoe and possibly causing a real injury, like a stress fracture.

I’m happy to report that with three days off from running, my foot felt normal by Saturday morning.

Also worth noting, I had spoken to Laura about my tying my shoes to tight issue and she recommended ladder lacing my running shoes. I’ve done this in the past too. The way you lace your shoes can help relieve pressure on the tops of your feet. While I haven’t experienced top of foot issues in quite some time (like since 2013 or so), it certainly couldn’t hurt to give the lacing a try.

I changed my lacing to ladder lacing over the weekend with my Brooks Launch and noticed a positive difference. I’m not totally sure that I’ll change the lacing on the new pair of Solar Boosts as they have always been a nice fit for giving the tops of my feet their breathing room but I may still do so this week. I’ll keep you posted.

Monday – 5 Miles

Easy run, don’t really remember if I felt my foot.

Tuesday – 5 Miles

It was during this run, around mile 4, that I felt the irritation on my foot around the laces. Walking after the run bothered me.

Wednesday – 50 Min Barre3

While this was a good Barre3 workout overall, the recording on youtube was not the best so I’m not going to share it.

Thursday – 30 Min Barre3 Cardio Workout

I really enjoyed this mainly cardio-focused barre workout.

Friday – 45 Min Pilates

I LOVED this Pilates workout from Lifetime. It was definitely challenging yet totally doable. So much of Pure Barre is based on Pilates which is likely why I enjoy a full Pilates workout.

Saturday –  7 Miles

I was happy to run today and not feel anything on the top of my foot! Once I noticed that I was fine, the goal became three miles. From three miles I went to five miles and since I felt fine, I went to seven miles.

Sunday – 5 Miles

Another easy run and feeling normal!

Tried Barre3 (And Like It!) + New Adidas Solar Boosts

So last week I decided to try Barre3 workouts.

After six solid years of Pure Barre, it’s been fun and rejuvenating to do something different. For quite some time, I refused to look at other barre routines but now? I’m really enjoying the variety of trying different barre workout styles and variations.

During my first Barre3 workout, I knew right away that I loved it. Here’s the thing though– it’s extremely hard for me to compare Barre3 to Pure Barre at this time. I can’t tell you just yet which I like better because although I do see the differences, I think I’m also coming from a place of feeling refreshed and energized by a new to me routine. Let’s give it a little more time before I decide which barre workout I like best. It’s possible I decide that I like both Barre3 and Pure Barre for different reasons. It may not be one over the other, it may be more of why each barre routine is terrific in its own ways.

In running news, it was suddenly time for a new pair of running shoes. When I say suddenly, I mean like overnight my Ghosts felt burned out.

And hey! Look who went back to Adidas! I decided to try on the Solar Boosts again yesterday and my feet recognized the familiar cushioning and comfort. Long time readers may recall that I swore by Adidas Energy Boosts/Solar Boosts for a straight six years before suddenly switching over to Brooks. While I did love the Ghosts, I don’t love how quickly I felt that I needed a new pair. The Solar Boosts tend to last longer so hopefully, that’s the case this time around too.

Today will likely be my first run in my new shoes. I’m really looking forward to it.

Monday – 45 Minute Barre3

After running both Saturday and Sunday, I decided to check out Barre3 barre workouts today. I found this one on YouTube and loved it! It was challenging yer familiar, yet different from Pure Barre. I knew right away that I would be sore.

Tuesday – 3 Mile Run

Yep, I’m sore from yesterday’s workout! But not too sore to run a few easy miles. It wasn’t raining or terribly windy (okay it was pretty windy but not as windy as yesterday) so I was happy to head outside.

Wednesday – 5 Miles

I jumped into intervals after a mile warm-up. Intervals always get me immediately engaged in a run.

• Mile 1: warm-up
• Mile 2: alternating .25 hard/.25 easy
• Mile 3, 4: alternating .50 hard/.25 easy
• Mile 5: .10 easy/.90 hard

Thursday – 30 Min Barre3

Another great Barre3 workout!

Friday – 5 Miles

Nothing fancy here, just an easy run with a fast finish for the last mile.

Saturday – 6 Miles

The weather was warm and sunny but I wasn’t overly feeling this run today. I thought I would run seven miles but stopped at six miles simply because I just didn’t feel like continuing.

Sunday – 60 Min Barre3

I found this 60 Min Barre3 workout and couldn’t believe how fast the time went.