Lot of Running

It's been another crazy couple of weeks.  We had another long trip; lots of hours in the van, fun times with cousins and hanging on the beach.  We listened to a good audio book during our long ride.  It's called Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman.  I got it from the library and all 3 of my boys enjoyed the story.

I was able to get 20 miles of running in during the week, almost all of them on hills.  My glutes got worked last week.

I wasn't able to do kettlebell, and now I feel behind.  It will be hard to keep it up this summer, but I will try.  My aim right now is for twice a week, plus one more day of push-ups and pull-ups.  I'm going to ramp up my running.  I've lost interest in the 10k plan, so now I'm just going to run.  I'm going to aim for 23-25 miles per week.  I was going to do 5 miles 5 times a week, but I may do two days with 4 miles, plus kettlebell.  I don't know.  Right now, I'm planning on starting a summer project.  I'm going to strip the wallpaper (the layers and layers of wallpaper) off my plaster walls in my bedroom, then paint (after they get patched and sanded!).  All of that work will make it hard to keep up kettlebell. I don't want to lose my strength that I've work so hard to gain, so I will just have to try and make it happen.

The Summer Craziness has Begun

It's been a rough couple of weeks.  Two weeks ago my mom called to tell me my dad had been admitted into the hospital because his lungs were full of blood clots.  The next day I was making the 8 and a half hour trip up there to be with them.  I stayed 5 days.  When I got back I managed to have some sort of stomach bug.  At first my husband and I thought it was an ulcer or reflux from the stress, but seeing that a week later my daughter was throwing up, we now think it was a stomach virus.  The traveling and illness have made it difficult for me to keep up with my workout schedule.  I didn't take my kettlebells with me, so they were on hold for a week.  Yesterday was the first day my run felt good.  It was still difficult.  The workout was a 3x mile repeat with 400 recovery.  I walked the recovery.  I was able to make my times on the mile, but only because I walked during recovery.  Still it felt good.

Tomorrow is supposed to be my long run but I'm heading back on the road.  My daughter is going to Governor's School, and I have to take her.  Next week is kind of crazy too.

Right now, I'm glad that I don't have a race plan.  I've been following a plan for a 10k but there isn't a race, which is good, because I'm losing my desire to push extra hard.  I'm worn out.  I enjoy running, but right now anything extra is very hard.

The boys have started baseball and the swim season has started back up too.  This means lots of driving and time away from  home.  I can run while the kids swim (or I could swim if I wanted), but kettlebell is going to get more difficult. Most of my yoga in Yin right now.  I need calm and lots of long held poses focusing on the breath.

The week ahead is another one that kettlebell will take a back seat, running won't happen much either.  I'm going to just go with it and hope that the week after I can get back to my normal.

Spring time is here

I've been enjoying the spring weather, at least enjoying it when it's not raining.  This week has been good so far, training wise.  Things have been crazy at home with school.  The 16 year old takes 2 classes at a college, and has finals coming up.  She's never done this, and she's been nervous and studing a lot.  We are also finishing up with piano and orchestra.  Next week is concerts and recitals.  I'm still doing well with my 10k "Own It" training plan.  This week was a bit easier, but it's still feeling good to hit my speeds during the workouts.

This week's plan:

Monday-rest day

Tuesday--30 minute run + kettlebell (did Kettlebutts which included single leg deadlifts, 1 arm swings, lunges and snatches)

Wednesday--4 mile run; 5x3 minutes is zone3 + core work on the balance ball

Thursday--2 mile run (in my minimalist shoes!) + kettlebell (did 5x5 deadlifts @79lb, double cleans using 2 26lb,  just 2 double push-presses, push-ups, pull-ups, and x10 heavy swings)

Friday--plan is for 4 mile run + kettlebell--Turkish get-ups, renegade rows and snatches

Saturday--yoga day

Sunday--6 mile run with last 10 minutes faster than race pace.

The weather looks nice this weekend, but my husband is working plus we have company so no hikes planned. Maybe the next weekend.

It's Been a Good W

Last week my parents came for Easter, and my oldest daughter came home from college too.  We had a full house.  I still got my long run in, I just ran on Saturday, and Sunday was an enjoyable family day.

My week has been busy but good.  My workouts have looked like this:

Monday: 60 minutes of yoga, plus the kids and I watched the Boston Marathon.  It was exciting.

Tuesday:  AM 30 minute run + kettlebell --PM 30 minutes of yoga

Wednesday: AM  6 mile run that included 1/2 mile repeats ----PM 30 minutes of yoga

Thursday: AM 2 mile run + kettlebell , then the afternoon was spent walking the zoo!  PM Yin yoga

Friday: the plan is for a 5 mile run, 2 x 1 mile repeats.  Then I'm planning on 15 minutes of kettlebell, mostly upper body work.

Saturday:  Yoga day

Sunday: 8 mile run

I've been trying hard to squeeze a least a little yoga in each day.  I enjoy it and I feel much better after even just 20 minutes of a practice. 

Right now, it's the middle of the night.  When we got home from the zoo today, I feel asleep.  I ended up napping for almost an hour; from 4:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon.  Now I can't sleep.  I was also really hungry.  I've been pigging out on pita chips and hummus and looking at bras online.  I need new ones.  I hate buying them, but they're an unnecessary evil. I got a coupon for 30% off Bare Necessities.  After picking out 2 bras, I realized that the coupon didn't apply to Wacoal.  I hate that.  

I'm hoping I get to sleep soon.  It will be hard to function tomorrow without sleep.  On the plus side I've watched Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. I think the women on Seth Meyers' are either drunk or high.   

A Good First Week of Training

So I'm working on training for my own, private 10k.  I have 2 goals.  The first is to get a time so that I can make a good guess at a race time goal and at what training paces I can use for training for a half marathon.  I'm using the plan from Train Like a Mother, which I highly recommend, and which is only $1.99 for the Kindle version this month on Amazon.



I also have one other goal with this training, and that is to see how much kettlebell I can keep up.  So this week I restarted my kettlebell work using the strength sessions from BeSlam.  I also plan on using Lauren's DVD, The Kettlebody.

My week looked like this:

Monday--rest day.  I did do a little bit of yoga just to stretch out.

Tuesday--Easy run+kettlebell.  I ran 2 miles then did deadlifts, push-ups, pull-ups, double cleans, and swings (300 total swings)

Wednesday--4 mile run + 300 kettlebell swings.  My run was a 1 mile warm up, then 12x1 minute fast (heart rate kept in Z4), then 1 min recovery, followed by a mile cool down.

Thursday--2 mile easy run + kettlebell.  I did goblet squats, 1 arm rows, push-ups and 1 swings.  I've been doing 300 swings a day.

Friday--4 mile run+kettlebell.  Today was a tempo run.  It was a 2 mile warm-up, then 1 mile at tempo (for me that was a 10:00 pace), then a mile cool down.  Friday's kettlebell is going to be TGU day.  I did a ladder of TGU's and renegade rows, as well as my swings.

Saturday--Yoga day, and I may do the 300 swings.  I've been doing the swings everyday except Monday, but I also want to be careful.  I'll see how I feel tomorrow.

Sunday-- 6 mile long run + swings and upperbody. Sunday's kettlebell is 3 groups of 100 swings.  Before each group I do 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and within each group I do 2x1 per side (30 sec) waiter hold, and 1one 1 minute double rack hold/walk.

My kettlebell work is leaning more on core (with all of the swings) and upper body, since I'm running so much.  I'm still doing squats and deadlifts, but not with the same frequency as swings, presses, push-ups/pull-ups.

I have a goal for kettlebell.  By the end of the year I would like to be able to make the 20kg bell my squat bell (I use the 16kg now, so not a huge jump), and I would like to be able to make the 12kg my 10 rep bell (right now I can do 5 max, and that's pushing it).  The press goal is a bit more ambitious, but that is where my focus is.  This is why I'm doing the waiter and rack holds on Sunday's. I use my 16kg for the waiter hold, and my two 12kg's for the rack.  That will become the 12kg +16kg soon.  I also want to be able to do a TGU with my 16kg.

My running goal is to get my half under 2:15.  That is quite ambitious for me.

Onto a different topic: shopping!!

This morning Athleta had a discount on their sale stuff.  My long sleeve twist top has a hole in it, so I was thinking of replacing it if I caught a sale.  I bought their Runaway top.

I love red!

I also bought a pair a Bettona capris.  I love Athleta stuff.  Normally, I only buy tops that are Tall size, but I the sale price was good, and the length of the top was a bit longer. 

I also have this top from Athleta

It's their long Chi tank, and it has been great for running, kettlebell, and yoga.  I bought another one today because I love this one so much.  I got one in yellow.  I love bright colors, especially for running.  

That's been my week.  

Great Weekend

I had a very nice weekend. Saturday morning I did not want to do anything. I couldn't even muster the energy needed for yoga. After dragging my feet all morning, I got the energy for a short hike. My husband,  boys, and did a short but difficult hike. It had a beautiful waterfall and fun rocks to climb. After the hike we all went to the movies. We saw the new Captain America movie. We all loved it. We ended our evening with game night. I learned how to play Dominion.  Fun game.

Eagle  Falls

This morning my husband and I went on a lovely 6 mile run, but it was cold. It was 36 degrees this morning.  The run felt good. I ran almost 22 miles this week, which is the most I've done in a long time. This week I start training for my private 10k. I also start back with kettlebell.  I started the kettlebell today. I did 3 sets of 100 swings. Those sets were broken down to 5x20 swings.
During the first set I did 5x5 push ups, during the 2nd set I did 5x5 pull ups, and the last set I did waiter holds with 350on, and then a 1 minute double rack hold and walk.

Today was also pamper myself day. I did an at home facial, a mani and a pedicure. The manicure didn't come out great. I never do those, so I lack practice.  But overall a nice day and a good weekend.

Love game night.    

Survived My Day

After a long morning (I did get all of the classes my kids needed and wanted!!!) I went to the mall for lunch and a little retail therapy.  I'm not a retail therapy kind of gal, but I had a coupon for Sephora and I had had a rough morning. Plus, combine that with the fact that my first born just turned 20, and I was feeling the desire for a bit of special pampering.

I bought enough to earn my 500 point bonus gift. :)

I then did a bit of Easter shopping and headed home. When I got home I had a little over 90 minutes before I had to head back out the door for an open house at a college for dual enrollment.  I desperately wanted to sneak a run in. I knew I would then have to shower and pack supper, so that gave me 30 minutes to run. I made it an interval workout. I did a 10 minute warm-up, then 5x 2 minutes as fast as I could followed by a 1 minute walk recovery.  Then I ran 5 minutes as a cool down. It was 80 and humid and I ran hard. By the end I was regretting the Chic-fi-a I had for lunch. But still, it felt great to run. The open house was great; completely worth the hour drive.  The day ended well.

It's always good to get in a run.