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10 Tips for Squeezing in Workouts

It’s Friday! I’m so looking forward to a fun London weekend. So far this weekend’s agenda includes another “proper footie”, yoga, a 10 mile long run with some lovely Team Naturally Run ladies, and some fun with Emily who is staying with us this weekend.

Last time Emily stayed with us we saw Crystal Palace vs Chelsea and this weekend we’re heading to the Fulham Football Club to see Fulham vs Southampton. Based on last time, I’m sure there will be some beer and loud cheering involved! 

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This morning I want to talk about a topic near and dear to my heart – squeezing in workouts. These days, for me working out isn’t about weight loss but instead stress management and happiness. There are few things in life that make me feel more energized and balanced then a good workout, regardless the length. Finding time to workout isn’t always easy. For some people, it is family and work that get in the way. For others it is a demanding travel schedule. When I read about ladies like Katy Widrick, my current “recreational runner” hero, throwing down 1:50 half marathons I know that anything is possible with hard work and positive energy.  (source)

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When I see all that she continues to accomplish even with the demands of a young daughter, husband and career I am inspired. This inspiration fueled my workouts this week. It also caused me to reassess any workout barriers and do everything possible to make quality workouts possible.

Yesterday, as I enjoyed a quick 40 minute trail run with Renaud, I thought about the fact that I was literally squeezing this run in between back to back meetings and a flight to London. It wasn’t easy to make it work in my schedule but it was well worth it when we finished – endorphin happy and sweaty from a challenging run. It isn’t always easy to fit in a workout and many days it would be easier to just forget about it. But hopefully these 10 tips will help you squeeze in a workout and make finding excuses to quit before you start 10 times harder!

Squeezing in workouts Your turn – How do you find time to squeeze in a workout? Or, if you have issues with it, what is your biggest barrier?

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ashleyd /

Sweat It Out Playlist

Happy hump day friends! In honor of those of you who are frozen and spending more time on the treadmill than out on the icy roads, this playlist is for you! Whether you’re just staying warm and safe or you have a speed workout on the plan, these tunes will keep you motivated!  (picture credit)

While I’ve found that watching an episode of Revenge, The Good Wife or other television show can help pass time on the treadmill when I’m doing a steady state workout, nothing helps me get pumped up for a sweaty workout like a new playlist. I created this list especially for this morning’s speed session. If this mix of new and old favorites alike kept me motivated to sprint at 6am, hopefully it can give your next workout some extra energy. Don’t want to spend the money to download these songs on iTunes? Check out Spotify and follow this playlist by clicking here!

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Craving more workout music? Check out my other playlists!

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ashleyd /

Silverstone Half Marathon Training: Week 4

I can’t believe that it’s almost time for bed. Today was one of those brilliant days I wish I could repeat over and over! It started with 8 hours of sleep, a seamless commute filled with 20 minutes of Duolingo French practice, a few productive meetings, an awesome 4.5 mile run during lunch, a field trip into town with my French teacher where I practiced my direction and restaurant French, followed by a homemade dinner and a relaxing night catching up on blogs and chatting with my mom via text.

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While this week’s training is already off to a positive start after today’s solid run, I want to take some time to reflect on last week’s training. It was my best week of training thus far even though I didn’t end up squeezing in a long run. I know it seems weird that I can say it was a great week of training when I missed one of the pivotal workouts but sometimes that’s the way the cookie crumbles. Each of my workouts felt solid and energized. I felt like I was working towards a goal last week which really motivated me to get to the gym and squeeze in workouts even on busy days.

Silverstone Half Marathon Training week 4

Monday: 20 minutes yoga for runners

Tuesday: 4.5 miles of speed intervals on the treadmill before work

Wednesday: 4.1 miles outside before work followed by a 500 meter piece on the rowing machine

Thursday: 4 speedy lunchtime miles on the treadmill followed by a 550 meter piece on the rowing machine

Friday: 4 lunchtime miles on the treadmill followed by 600 meters on the rowing machine

Saturday: This was a “lightbulb moment” day of skiing. Things clicked from the second run of the day and the 3 hours of private lessons led me up my first black run and down many others by lunch time. I was able to enjoy an afternoon of skiing with the whole group – a huge accomplishment! The 7 hours of skiing flew by and I didn’t want the day to end!

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Sunday: Three of us decided to head back up the mountain on Sunday for three hours of skiing. The visibility was horrible and it was my first time skiing in less than ideal conditions at Verbier. This caused me to second guess my ability and have some lovely falls. But, overall it was still a strong day of skiing and my quads and calves could feel every minute of skiing by the end of the day.

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My goal for this week is simple – focus on the goal of each workout. When it’s speed, make sure I push my body as hard as possible and when it’s an easy pace make sure I give my body the room to slow down.

What is your favorite type of running workout? Zoning out and running long? Hill repeats? Speed?

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