NEED To Run (weekly workout recap)

I didn’t run for almost two weeks.

At first, I didn’t mind but OH BOY was I itching to run by the weekend!

I’m pretty sure that the most time off I’ve had from running in ten years is two weeks total – that was in 2018 after I dropped the shampoo bottle on my foot.

These past ten days are probably the longest I haven’t run since 2018.

Why didn’t I run? Here’s a list of reasons:

• The blizzard
• Ice and snow on the ground
• Frigid mornings
• Rain
• Lack of desire to run on the treadmill while sore in my lower body from other workouts I was doing because I wasn’t running!

I’ve really gotten good at liking other workouts and being okay with not running. That being said, I still need to run!

I know the winter will end soon so I’m okay with this time of year and how it affects my workouts. But really – I was so excited to run over the weekend! More on those runs below.

Last Week’s Workouts 

Monday – Melissa Wood Health Combo

It’s still too cold with too much snow and ice outside for me to run or walk outside this morning. I was actually a bit sore/tired from the weekend’s workouts and from shoveling so a light workout was perfect for today.

• 29 Min Yoga Stretching Flow
• 8 Min Arms (1 lb weights)

I did finally take a walk during the day as the paths were being plowed and the sun was shining. It makes such a difference for me during the workday when I can get outside for a walk! Even if it’s just 20 minutes, I feel so much more refreshed and ready to continue my day.

Tuesday – Peloton Barre Combo

I really liked this combination this morning. It’s definitely going to leave me a little sore.

• 10 Min HIIT Barre
• 30 Min Barre (3 lb weights)

Wednesday – 20 Min Peloton Advanced HIIT Cardio + 40 Min Walk

While I didn’t find this advanced HIIT cardio from Peloton all that advanced, I’m pretty sure I will be sore!

Thursday – 33 Min Full Body Power Flow (bodyweight)

Yup, I am sore. While I may not be running, I am definitely sore from the wider variety of workouts I’m doing instead!

I added this flow from Melissa Wood Health to my favorites list. It was perfect for today as the soreness was setting in from yesterday’s workout.

Friday – Melissa Wood Health Combo

I’ve had enough of this winter’s icky weather! Ugh, I just want to walk outside. I’m too sore to run on the treadmill but hopefully tomorrow I will! I miss running.

• 12 Min Power Arms (1 lb weights)
• 15 Min Abs (bodyweight)

Saturday – 30 Min Treadmill Run + 10 Min Elliptical

I was so excited to run this morning even if it had to be on the treadmill. My plan was five miles but I didn’t get there.

Here’s what happened:

I started with my usual warm-up mile and then slowly (at least I thought slowly) I increased my speed. I was trying to be mindful of the fact that I wanted to go for five miles and that I hadn’t run in at least ten days.

At the 20-minute mark, I started to think that I was feeling out of breath and feeling a bit more winded than I should. I don’t usually get out of breath unless I’m really pushing my pace and even then, I still feel a comfortable sort of out of breath – not a why am I out of breath, this doesn’t feel right.

I eased up and finished three miles at the 26-minute mark and then slowed further to reach 30 minutes. Continuing to five miles was just not in the cards for today — I didn’t feel like myself.

I switched to the elliptical for ten minutes, which I haven’t been on in two years!

Had I run outdoors today, I think I would have felt fine because I would have run at a naturally easy pace. When I run on the treadmill, I tend to go faster and lose the ability to really know where my natural pace for the day might be.

After ten days of not running, clearly, I needed to go slower to give myself a chance to return to my usual running self and capabilities.

Sunday – 3 Mile Run (Outside)

It was oh, around 20 degrees? I wanted to run but didn’t want to run on the treadmill. The sun was bright and the ice patches were minimal so I bundled up and ran outdoors. I felt totally fine and normal today — but I also ran easy and averaged around a 10 min mile.

 

The weather looks much better for this coming week! I see morning temperates around/above freezing which is making me very excited for running outdoors!

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!

 

Not Going To Discuss It (weekly workout recap)

I don’t even want to discuss how I finally made my return to using the gym in my community for the treadmill only to have the mask mandate reinstated last week.

Nope, we aren’t going to discuss it. Instead, I will just tell you that I will run outdoors as much as I can tolerate once it’s really cold outside, and maybe, just maybe, they will reverse the mask requirement soon.

Monday – 25 Min Cardio Warm-Up + Full Body Flow

It’s amazing how complete just 25 minutes can feel!

Tuesday – 4 Mile Run

It wasn’t too cold outside today. I was able to channel some of my treadmill running energy to motivate myself to move faster than I have been when running outdoors. With nothing formal about the workout, it was a great run.

Wednesday – 30 Min Pilates

The only walking I did today was in the city. This was the day we walked over to Magnolia Bakery for cupcakes!

Thursday – 3 Mile Run

Just some easy miles outside to wake me up.

Friday – 35 Min Run

With rain in the forecast tomorrow and super warm temperatures today (high 50’s this morning), I knew I had to run today.

Saturday – Melissa Wood Health Combo

• 45 Min Yoga/Pilates Flow (1 lb weights)
• 12 Min Power Arms (1 lb weights)

Sunday – 5 Mile Run

I bundled up but removed my gloves within the first two minutes of the run. it wasn’t as cold out there as I thought it would be.

 

Do you know what else today we aren’t going to discuss today? How I’m still missing one of my favorite running mittens. It’s gotta turn up somewhere!

Workouts From The Week + Cooldown Walks + Love My Running Shoes

Lots of notes today before getting to my workouts from the week:

First, you should know that I’m not looking forward to the lack of early daylight over the next few weeks now that we changed the clocks. I know it’s short-lived, but still.

I’m noticing my easy effort pace when running outside is getting faster without trying, which I attribute to my winter treadmill running workouts. All of that speed work plays a role for sure. These days, I do find that I like to run at an easy effort outside and then put the real running work in on the treadmill. I’m curious to see if I decide to run speed workouts again outdoors as the warmer weather approaches and I spend more time running outdoors. We shall see.

I’m still over here loving the Brooks Ghost 12. They are so incredibly comfortable. Super cushioned with the right balance of firmness too. I also really like the toe box and how the lace area doesn’t put pressure on the tops of my feet. While I don’t feel I am as nutty about my running shoes and feet as I once was, it’s possible I can say this because the running shoes are that good, leaving me nothing to complain about. I owe the Rangers fan in my life all the credit for getting me to switch to Brooks. 🙂

Recently I mentioned that I’ve been making sure to build in enough time for  cooldown walks after each run. My body needs that cooldown time (in walking form, not easy running as a cooldown) both mentally and physically — I really do feel the positive difference in how I feel for the rest of the day. Also, I can tell when I’ve hit 5 minutes of a cool-down walk after running without even looking at the time.

Without fail, it’s always exactly 5 minutes into my cooldown walk when I notice I suddenly get cold. I asked Laura why this is, and here is what she said.

Okay, on to my workouts from the week!

Monday – 30 Min Run/10 Min Cooldown Walk

I wanted to run longer but I was short on time thanks to my son who took way too long getting ready for school. I’m pretty sure he will be on time tomorrow to avoid another morning of listening to me the entire car ride complain about how look he took to leave the house!

Tuesday – 5 Miles/10 Min Cooldown Walk

I had enough time this morning for 5 miles outside which was really nice because the sun was shining and the weather was decently warm for this time of year (around 50 degrees).

Wednesday – 35 Min Walk/15 Min Pure Barre

Thursday – 4 Mile Run/10 Min Cooldown Walk

Friday – 20 Min Pure Barre/3 Mile Walk

Saturday – 45 Min Treadmill Workout/15 Min Cooldown Walk

It was too blustery cold for me outside so I opted for the treadmill today. I was happy to run indoors actually as I realized I hadn’t run a treadmill workout all week!

Here’s what I did, listed below — I made it up as I went along and it turned into a great workout. Please note that I go by time for the most part for the workout but do pay attention to the distance at the same time when deciding if I will continue/what I want to do next.

10 min usual warm-up: 5 min easy/5 min alternating 30 seconds hard/30 seconds easy

24 minutes ranging incline between 1 – 3% with 5 min increasing speed (7.1 – 8.1)/1 min easy (6.3). This brought me to 4 miles exactly.

Last-mile: 1 min hard/1 min easy while ranging incline.

5 miles = 42 minutes. I ran 3 easy minutes to the 45-minute mark and then walked my cooldown.

Sunday – 30 Min Pure Barre/3 Mile Walk

Weekly Workout Recap (running + walking + pure barre)

Some thoughts from the week:

* Lately, I never really know what my workout for the day will be until I am literally getting dressed in the morning. Sometimes I know I want to run but overall, I’m truly not sure when I wake up if I want to run, walk, or do a longer Pure Barre workout. I like this approach right now — I’m fine with deciding my workout at the moment and going with my mood.

* I don’t think I’ve run more than 6 miles at a time this winter but do think the warmer weather of Spring may change that as the nice outdoor weather usually encourages the longer distance runner side of me.

*I really do like the treadmill this winter. I’m thinking it’s a combination of only running on the treadmill when I truly feel like it and not being fatigued from extra miles that I don’t need. Every time I get on the treadmill, I am energized and ready to go, without that lingering last workout fatigue that used to take two miles to work through before feeling great.

Very happy with the gym in my community! Totally meets my needs

Monday – 30 Min Run/20 Min Walk

My abs were noticeably sore from yesterday’s Pure Barre workout although I have no idea why. I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary in that workout. All Pure Barre workouts are slightly different but I definitely didn’t notice anything so out of ordinary or challenging to leave my obliques so sore.

Tuesday – 3 Mile Walk/5 Min Pure Barre (arms)

Wednesday – 35 Min Run/15 Min Pure Barre (lower body)

I made it outside for a run today even though I was tired from last night’s Islanders game. I was definitely too tired for a treadmill run but an easy outdoor run in the light misty rain was perfect. After running, I chose a 15 minute Pure Barre workout which focused on the lower body but uses weights for part of it so it definitely felt full body.

Thursday – 30 Min Walk/30 Min Pure Barre

It rained pretty heavily overnight but stopped in time for me to get a quick walk outdoors. I thought about running but didn’t really feel like it.

Friday – 5 Miles (treadmill)

I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to run today but then decided to run on the treadmill, figuring a 30-minute workout.

Once running on the treadmill, my 30-minute workout idea then turned into a 35-minute workout, which then turned into continuing to 5 miles. Funny how that happens.

Here’s what I did:

10-minute warm-up: 5 minutes easy/5 minutes 30 seconds hard/30 seconds easy

10 minutes: 1 minute hard/1 minute easy

15 minutes: 2 minutes hard/1 minute easy

Since I was already over 4 miles at this point, I finished out the rest of the mile to hit 5 miles followed by walking cooldown.

Saturday – 45 Min Treadmill Workout/15 Min Walk

I was in the mood to run again this morning but it was too cold outdoors so I opted for the treadmill again. I’m really not complaining because I do love my treadmill workouts this season!

Here’s what I did (totally made it up as I went along)

After my 10-minute usual warm-up, I went with a 3 x 1 pattern for the rest of the workout while ranging incline between 1 – 3%.

So, it was basically 32 minutes of 3 minutes harder effort/1 minute easy. I hit 5 miles at 42 minutes, ran 3 minutes easy and then walked for 15 minutes.

Sharing a quick picture of my bialy with lettuce, tomato, and vegetable cream cheese which we picked up before the Islanders game today as an early lunch. It was a day game with an earlier ceremony to retire Butch Goring’s number which meant being at the Coliseum at 11:30 AM. Even though I had my pre-run oatmeal and post-run bowl too, I was super hungry and ready to eat! Maybe it was my treadmill workout that triggered my appetite today. 🙂 

Sunday – 50 Min Pure Barre

 

Google Searches + Cooldowns After Running (weekly workout recap)

Lots of notes for today before getting to my workouts:

Every Friday like clockwork, I see an uptick in Google searches for my post, What To Eat The Night Before A Long Run. Clearly, runners all over are preparing for their weekend runs! I reread that post, which I wrote a few years ago, and decided that the information I shared still holds true for me, should I actually decide to run long. What do you like to eat the night before a long run? Is it the same meal every time or do you have a few meals that work for you?

Let’s chat Pure Barre for a minute. I’m also noticing an uptick again in Google searches related to how quickly you will see results from Pure Barre. If you are wondering about results from Pure Barre, I covered it in great detail in this post. 

And now, let’s talk about cooldowns after running. I’m making it a point going forward to ensure that I build in enough time for a cool-down walk on my running days. I find that in the winter, I am shorter on time and have been jumping straight from running, to the shower, to working. Since I work from home, it’s easy to be right up to the minute with my workout time frame BUT I also get out of the shower and jump immediately into working and talking to people back to back on the phone. I really need to ensure I build in minutes to bring my heart rate and body back to neutral.  One needs a proper cooldown and for me, that means at least 10 minutes of walking. I’m now being super cognizant of factoring in cooldown walking time after running during the week. If needed, I will cut my runs to ensure that I have enough time for the cooldown too. Once the spring/summer hit, I have more time in the morning so this really isn’t as much of an issue.

Monday – 60 Min Walk (outside)

So my throat hurt yesterday but I felt completely better today. I thought maybe I was getting a cold but never got one. Although I felt better, I was more tired than usual so I didn’t want to run.

Tuesday – 60 Min Walk (outside)

Still feeling better (I wonder why my throat hurt on Sunday?) but took another day of easy walking to be safe.

Wednesday – 5 Miles (outside)

Thursday – 35 Min Pure Barre

Friday – 5 Miles (treadmill)

This was a great treadmill workout although not overly formal for me to share specific details. Here’s basically what it looked like:

10-minute usual treadmill warm-up (5 min easy/5 min 30 seconds hard/30 seconds easy)

Then for the next 3 miles or so (I was already over a mile once the warm-up finished), I alternated 5 minutes comfortably hard/1 minute easy while ranging incline up between 1.0 – 3.0%.

Once I hit 4 miles, I kept up the speed without dropping for an easy minute. 5 miles = slightly over 41 minutes.

I finished with a 10-minute cooldown walk on the treadmill.

Friday night we went to the Islanders game during which they retired John Tonelli’s number – he played during the Stanley Cup years, back when I was a very little girl. 🙂

The game started after the ceremony which made for a later night than usual. It’s a really good thing the Islanders won because I was already cranky from being tired, I didn’t need to be cranky over a loss too.

Saturday – 5 Mile Run/1 Mile Walk (outside)

I ran later than usual since I was out way past my bedtime last night. Still tired but fine to run, I ran easy for the first 3 miles and then picked up the effort for the last two miles, finishing with a mile walk as a cool down.

Sunday – 30 Min Pure Barre/3 Mile Walk (outside)

New Brooks Ghost 12 Running Shoes + Back To Wanting To Run (workout recap)

I knew my interest in running would return as quickly as it left! After last week’s workout recap, my mood for running returned and stayed for the entire week. It felt great to get in both indoor and outdoor runs with two awesome treadmill workouts that made the time indoors fly.

Before getting to my workouts, remember I mentioned that I wanted a new pair of running shoes? My feet have been feeling bored (you understand what I mean by bored feet, right?!) so I went to try on a pair of the Brooks Ghost 12. I really liked how they fit but I didn’t leave the store with them on the first go-round because, and this is so not like me, but I wanted a better color than what the store had in stock.

If you have been reading for a while, you know that I never cared about the colors of my running shoes as I know to care more about the fit than appearance. Not to mention, I used to burn through my running shoes so fast from high mileage that caring about color seemed useless. These days, because I do run so much less, my shoes last so much longer —  so considering color was something on my mind as I have the opportunity to run in my shoes for a longer period of time.

Anyway, let’s get to my week in workouts and then finish up the post returning to the topic of the Brooks Ghost 12.

Monday – 30 Min Pure Barre/30 Min Walk

I started the morning with a 30 minute Pure Barre workout which was an arms intensive routine. I’ve done other Pure Barre arm intensives in the past, but I don’t think this one in particular before today. I didn’t love this workout but didn’t hate it. Since it was relatively warm outside for February (40 degrees), I went outside for a walk before getting in the shower to start my day.

Tuesday – 5 Miles (outside)

I was excited to run today! See, I knew my in the mood to run feeling would return.

I went this afternoon to try on the Brooks Ghost 12 — loved the fit but couldn’t decide on the color.

Wednesday – 5 Miles (outside)

Two days of running in a row — maybe it has to do with the weather being around 40 degrees and daylight happening earlier and earlier. I pulled out my Saucony Rides for the first time in well over a year. Maybe in summer 2018? They were never my main pair of running shoes so I know they still have some life in them. Plus, I kept them all nice in their box so they seemed like new. Comfortable but not what I want as my main shoe right now.

Thursday – 45 Min Pure Barre (weight series 3)

The few weight series workouts available on Pure Barre on Demand are always a good choice. After doing Pure Barre regularly now for almost SIX YEARS, I’m certainly up for the added challenge of weights throughout the workout. While I still get sore from Pure Barre even without using weights, I do like these types of workouts where they incorporate the weights into each exercise.

Friday – 45 Min Treadmill Workout

This was a fun one!

• Usual 10-minute warm-up
• 30 minutes alternating 5 minutes comfortably hard/1 min easy (hard between 7.6-8.0/easy at 6.3)
• Finished up with a minute fast (at like 8.5 I think) to get to the 5-mile mark at 41 minutes plus 4-minute cooldown.

Note: I wore my Boosts for this run for the first time in forever. I’ve honestly been wearing my Boosts only for walking since the summer. My feet were happy but I don’t think the Boosts are meant to be my go-to shoe anymore. Don’t ask questions as to what I mean here, I can’t fully explain it. It’s just something I know.

Saturday – 45 Min Treadmill Workout (rolling hills)

Let’s call today a fun hill run. I made up a rolling hill type of workout as I went along. It looked something like this:

10-minute usual warm-up

25 minutes of ranging incline percentages in this pattern every minute: 1-2-3-2-1-2-3-2-1-2-3-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-3-2-1

My speed was steady at 7.0-7.1 on the higher inclines, and then at 7.5 when at 1.0% incline.

For the last mile, I was more freestyle with speed and inclines between 1 – 2% then a cool down to reach 45 minutes.

Can I just say again that incline workouts definitely feel more challenging to the lungs than speed workouts? I mean, both are hard but I feel hills in a totally different way.

It was later this morning when I went back to the running store and ultimately bought the Brooks Ghost 12 in the color I really didn’t want but decided not to care about — the store offers 20% discount so why pay more than I have to for a good running shoe?

Sunday – 3 Miles/10 Min Pure Barre

You know I had to try running in the Brooks Ghost 12 right away! Normally I would not run the third day in a row especially after two hard treadmill workouts but come on its new running shoes!

So far, so good! I love the fit and comfort of the shoes. The Brooks Ghost 12 (without getting technical here) feel light yet cushioned without an overly firm feeling involved. Wide enough toe box for me, the lace area doesn’t feel like it will put pressure on the tops of my feet and my feet feel secure without feeling tied down.

I’ve never worn the Brooks Ghost before (because I’ve mainly only worn the Adidas Energy Boosts for years) but now I see why they say the Brooks Ghost is likely the most popular running shoes out there. I can’t wait to run in them again this week! 🙂

 

Workouts From Week (treadmill workouts + outdoor time + pure barre)

My workouts are pretty detailed below (great treadmill workouts included!) so I don’t have much else to add. Instead, here’s my salad and bagel combo from yesterday as I legit didn’t take any other pictures in the last week to share in this post! Unbelievable, right? I know. It was a very busy week. At least I always make time for myself and my workouts though!

Monday – 45 Minute Treadmill Workout

My son and I were both off today so I slept in a bit and headed to the gym in my community later than usual.

I wasn’t really sure what my plan was so I made it up as I went along:

• 10-minute warm-up: 5 minutes easy/5 min alternating 30 seconds hard/30 seconds easy
• 3 Miles: I focused on the time and alternated 3 minutes increasing speed/1 minute easy. My easy speed was 6.3 – 6.5. My increasing speeds ranged from 7.1 – 8.5.
• Last-mile: More freestyle here. I played with speed and incline until I reached 5 miles right as the treadmill display said 42 minutes.
• I ran a cool down for 3 minutes and then walked for 15 minutes since I had the time.

Tuesday – 35 Min Pure Barre

Wednesday – 35 Min Treadmill Workout

Time flew by during this treadmill run. Actually, all of my treadmill runs fly by these days.

• Usual 10-minute warm-up
• 24 minutes alternating 5 minutes of increasing speed (7.1 – 8.2)/1 min easy (6.3)
• I bumped speed back up for the final minute to finish at 35 minutes (4.2 miles) and then walked for 5 minutes as a cool down.

Thursday – 40 Min Pure Barre

Friday – 60 Min Walk (outside)

It was nice enough to get outside this morning without being too unbearably cold for me!

Saturday – 3 Mile Run (outside)

I didn’t sleep well last night which meant I didn’t feel well enough for a treadmill workout. I’m truly one of those people who NEED sleep to function properly. Not sure how anyone gets by on little sleep. It would never work for me!

Luckily, it was Saturday and wasn’t raining at the time I headed outside for a walk. Once outside, I did decide to try running easy to see how I felt. 30 minutes at around 10:00 min/mile pace was perfect – but enough. No more than this as I knew I hadn’t slept and can run tomorrow after a good night’s sleep tonight.

Sunday – 5 Mile Treadmill Workout

A solid night of sleep meant I was fresh and ready to run. I tried to run outdoors but within a few steps, I noticed black ice, so I switched to the treadmill.

I didn’t pay close enough attention to a specific workout pattern but it was typical of the rest of my week on the treadmill:

10-minute warm-up + increasing speed for 3 – 5  min (7.0 – 8.0)/1 min decreased speed (at 7.0). The only thing I did a little different today was throw in ranging inclines throughout the workout, anywhere between my usual 1.0 up to 3.0. Let me tell you, the ranging inclines made this that much harder, in a good way.

5 miles – Slightly under 42 minutes.

Week in Workouts: Outdoors A Bit + Treadmill Workouts + Pure Barre

A few things to note from last week’s workouts:

I took advantage of the milder air early on in the week, knowing it would turn colder by the weekend. Gosh, it’s cold out there now!

My treadmill workouts were super solid and engaging. I’m so happy that I am eager to run on the treadmill. There was a time when I had to teach myself to like the treadmill — not anymore.

In case you need treadmill inspiration, here are few posts from my blogging past to check out:

Treadmill Workouts To Try This Winter 

Don’t Hate The Treadmill – workouts and treadmill running tips

Monday – 5 Mile Run

I took advantage of the weather being 40 degrees first thing in the morning for a run outside this morning. I didn’t have to drive my son to school either so I had some extra time to go 5 miles. While I did consider stopping at 4 miles, I had the 9 minutes to go a little longer so I figured I should as it’s not often in winter I get outside for the fresh running air.

Tuesday – 3 Mile Walk

I didn’t sleep well, woke up oddly sore for me, and had a bit of a headache. I’m pretty sure that I was sore from Sunday’s Pure Barre workout which does not happen often but it was one of the harder workouts so it’s definitely possible. For these reasons, I chose a nice walk outdoors to help me wake up and feel better. Walking is so underrated!

Wednesday – 3.5 Mile (run/walk)

No longer sore or tired, I headed outside to run. But, a mile in, I was totally not feeling it. So I switched to walking. And then back to running without even realizing what I was doing, And then back to walking. Not really sure what went on today but the fresh air was nice!

Thursday – 40 Min Pure Barre

Friday – 35 Min Treadmill Workout

I finished this workout feeling eager to continue and ready for more < – a great way to end a workout. Why burn yourself out, you know?

• 10 minutes warm-up
• 20 minutes 1 min hard/1 min easy
• 5 minutes 2 min hard/1 min easy/2 min hard

Saturday – Treadmill Hill Workout (5 Miles Total)

I picked up where I left off yesterday, eager to run and ready to complete the treadmill hill workout I ran two weeks ago. I did really well with it, even increasing my speed more than last time.

10 min warm-up  — then I ranged speed between 7.0 – 7.6 and ran the following workout:

1 min 5% incline/1 min 1% incline

2 min 4% incline/2 min 2% incline

3 min 3% incline/3 min 1% incline

2 min 4% incline/1 min 1% incline

1 min 5% incline/1 min 1% incline

2 min 4% incline/1 min 1% incline

3 min 3% incline/1 min 1% incline

I can’t recall exactly at which points I ran faster than others but I never dropped below 7.0 and was able to run at 7.5 on the higher inclines, instead of only increasing on lower inclines.

Once finished with the hill section of the workout, I added a mile to finish 5 miles at around 42 min.

Sunday – 45 Min Pure Barre (weight series workout)

I’ve said this before but worth saying again – I love the new weight series workouts that were added to the Pure Barre On Demand menu in recent months. These workouts add an extra challenge for me by incorporating the use of free weights throughout the 45 minutes, rather than just during arms or core work.

screenshot from Pure Barre On Demand Weight Series 1 Workout

Of Interest:

Pure Barre On Demand FAQ – Your Pure Barre Questions Answered

Results From Pure Barre + Why I Love Pure Barre On Demand