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Workout Recap – June 11-24th

Hey guys! Today I’m sharing the updates from the past two weeks of half marathon training. Things are going better than I expected. It is clear that I thrive when I have a plan to follow and am therefore accountable to you all as my readers and followers as well as my coach.  I’m thrilled to be in the place where I want to train and have the emotional, mental and physical ability to work towards a goal.  While I am keeping a training journal, where I track my progress, I want to also share my training with you all as I know many of you are chasing the same sub 2-hour goal and others are just curious and enjoy reading workout recaps and getting a bit more details behind my daily workouts.

So, with that said, let’s dive into my second and third weeks of training which includes not only my workouts, but also my health and wellness goals.

Average steps:  10,552 (vs previous average of 6,500)

Number of glasses of wine: 4 and 3 (4 one week, 3 the next)

Did I track my meals breakfast, lunch & snacks Monday through Friday? Yes!

Have I lost weight? Yes, so far I have lost around four pounds.

  • Monday: My schedule allowed me to returned to Body Pump again this week. I increased the weights on certain tracks, which made a huge difference.
  • Tuesday: Once again, I kicked Tuesday off with a super, early private Pilates session at A-Line.  I have a few more privates left in my package and am spacing them out over the summer so we can continue to focus on improvements and form as I progress.
  • Wednesday: I was able to get off the wait-list for the early morning tower Pilates class. This is one of their most popular classes and books in advance. The tower class worked my entire body but surprisingly, my glutes and arms were the most sore on Thursday.
  • Thursday: This week’s 4 mile run with the Brooklyn mom running group was larger than normal which made it SO fun! I don’t know why a few new faces decided to join but we chatted the entire time. My glutes were a bit achy at the beginning so I was happy that our pace was slower for the first mile while my body woke up.
  • Friday: Rest Day
  • Saturday: Due to a last minute change, I didn’t run the Queens 10k so instead I headed out in the afternoon for a 3.5 mile long run (9:02, 9:15, 9:09, 9:03). I kept the pace pretty consistent and finished feeling strong.
  • Sunday: The weather was horrible so instead of leaving the house for a workout, I hopped on the bike and did a Flywheel Power 30 class with my favorite instructor, Dionna. I focused on trying to hit a new PR and came just a few points away from hitting my goal.
  • Monday:  I took another lunch time mat Pilates class at Aline Pilates. I’m trying to take an average of two Pilates classes per week and stick with the same teachers as they are able to make corrections and help me focus on my breathing and weaknesses. I was the only person to show up for class so it actually ended up being a private class for the price of a group – WINNING!
  • Tuesday: My Tuesday Tempo runs are quickly becoming my favorite workout! I listened to a Tempo Playlist on Spotify and focused on the 3 segments of this workout – warm-up, tempo pace and cool-down. I kept a 9:07 pace (9;12, 8:55, 9:16 and 9:08) during the workout and covered 3.2 miles.
  • Wednesday: I squeezed in a 20 minute Flywheel POWER class bright and early before a doctor’s appointment. I pushed myself and hit a new PR for the 20 minute class.
  • Thursday: I ran 3 miles with the Brooklyn mom group but had to turn back early due to a busy morning.
  • Friday: Rest Day
  • Saturday: Between chasing kids around the house during her birthday party and running errands, I went to bed with THROBBING legs as I’d logged more than 16,000 steps. I guess you could call this an active rest day.
  • Sunday: My third “long run” of half marathon training was a 4 mile run through Brooklyn Bridge Park. Since Theodora wants my long runs to be at conversational pace, I figured that I would use the Lululemon and Brooklyn Moms group run Sunday morning for this week’s long run. The plan worked perfectly as I was able to run with a few new mom friends who are my similar pace and talking made the miles pass quickly. I was surprised to see that my pace was a 9:29 – 9:39, 9:17, 9:25 and 9:30.

Overall, my second and third week have me so excited for what is to come but, I am not getting ahead of myself. I know that there is a lot of summer heat, humidity and longer runs coming soon! My goal this week is to make sure that I make it back to Body Pump or another challenging, strength workout. I feel my best when I’m doing 2 days of Pilates, 3 days of running and a strength workout! Since I’ll be out in Seattle with Brooks this weekend, I have a feeling I’ll log plenty of miles with the Brooks #RunHappy Ambassador crew!

 

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One Year Later: What We Learned During A Year of Parenthood

I still can’t believe that this morning, when Katie wakes up, we will sing Happy Birthday to her and begin celebrating her FIRST birthday.

It has been such a joy being her parents and while there have of course been challenges along the way, it has been the best year of our life.

Last night during dinner, Bo and I reflected on a few of our favorite moments and what we’ve learned along the way. Please keep in mind that the below is only based on our experience and perspective. Every child, parent and family is unique. My experience is based on that with a partner and my heart goes out to those who do it alone as I have so much respect and awe for all that you carry on your shoulders. Your child is blessed and so lucky to have you!

What We’ve Learned

  • Babies are resilient. The first few weeks that she was home, we worried non-stop about everything and anything. As the year has progressed, we’ve both evolved to a parenting style that is far more relaxed in certain aspects. Our pediatrician told us that “babies are sent home with first time parents every single day” which helped us realize that we weren’t the only ones on a steep learning curve.
  • Be forgiving to yourself and others. You can easily beat yourself up about almost every aspect of parenthood. The guilt can start as early as the birth experience or pregnancy and continue as you find your rhythm as a parent. So many things will challenge you along the way – nursing, schedules, their health, work life balance, your new routine – that it is easy to find yourself in a trap. The best thing that Bo and I have been able to do this year is to forgive each other for the hiccups along the way, learn from them and give ourselves and our loved one’s grace.
  • Support your support system. I can’t imagine this past year alone. Bo has truly been my partner and support system every step of the way. But, we can’t be there fore Katie or each other if we are drained and our “cup is empty.”  Make sure to support and encourage each other to take time away to refresh and energize whether that is a weekly workout class, music lesson, long walk or time with friends. Keep in mind that your support system often goes beyond your partner. It can include grandparents, care takers and others.
  • Parenting is 10x harder without team work. Bo and I communicate more than ever before. We have to plan time to connect and talk about our work weeks, social engagements, internal and external stressors and our concerns. There have been two major “speed bumps” during the past year and those both came when we’d stopped connecting and talking. We were out of sync and not working as a team.  Luckily, our schedules allow us to spend the mornings together and this is when we typically connect. We will review what is on our mind, whether it is something causing us anxiety like a work deadline or something bringing us joy. We share a calendar that has EVERY single event in it from conference calls to workout dates. We have all of Katie’s appointments, leaps, milestones and reminders in that calendar as well so we are aware and prepared. We check in via text a few times during every work day just to make sure plans haven’t changed. Since I work from home, we are lucky that I can take Katie to nanny share and pick her up most days without any issue. But, when I travel or I have meetings that force our schedule to change, we work through this by planning not only with each other but also our nanny and family, who often steps in to help. Both our parents have been a large part of the team work as they’ve sacrificed their personal schedules to step in and help last minute. While we typically pay for their flights from Savannah to New York, it still takes time out of their personal lives and schedule to help us balance work and Katie. We are so thankful for their support this year. You all know that we do not have family immediately in the New York area but we are lucky to have family in Southern New Jersey who would always be here in case of emergency and friends locally who have evolved into friends who feel like family. Whether it is family, friends, co-workers or people in your “mom-tribe” bring those people into your circle of team work and thank them constantly.
  • Make 20 copies of your key. Okay, this is a bit of an exaggeration, but we’ve had a few instances when we needed a spare key and were left high and dry. A year later, we’ve realized that the best option for us seems to be to have two spare keys in lock boxes, 3-4 close friends with a spare key, a spare key at our office and with our nanny. We also have realized that it would be very convenient to make a key chain for each sets of the parents or guests and have it in the spare bedroom to welcome them along with their towels and toiletries.
  • Realize that everything is a phase. Every single aspect of Katie’s first year has been a phase – the newborn state, the sleepless nights, the colds, the teething, the clingy phase – you name it. Keeping this in mind for both the good things and tough things definitely help keep things in perspective and make you savor those chest naps, cuddles and smiles.
  • Focus on what is best for OUR FAMILY, not others.  Parenthood is no different than the rest of life – it is easy to fall into the comparison trap. Over the past year I’ve actually found myself in a better place than before.  Every child is different and every parent and family is unique.
  • You will never regret the time you spend with your child. Neither of us have regretted the time we’ve invested in Katie. Whether it’s rescheduling a social engagement, putting our phones and distractions away or delaying a morning workout for some extra play time or cuddles it has always been worth it.
  • Find a babysitter sooner versus later. We have been able to enjoy one evening away each month to focus on our relationship and this would not be possible without a network of babysitters. It seems like most of my more experienced parent friends say that 3 reliable baby sitters is the magic number as inevitably a few of them will always be booked or have other plans when you text.  We found our baby sitters through friends and the local Brooklyn parent Facebook group.  Also, plan your date nights or time away in advance versus waiting for when you feel you need to get away. If you wait, it’ll often be too late and no one will be available.

I’ll be back later to share some pictures from the year as well as our birthday celebrations!

In the meantime, here are a few of the most popular posts about Katie this year:

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Workout Recap – June 4th – 10th

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It feels amazing to be back in GOAL mode and following a training plan. As I shared last week, now that I am 11-months postpartum I’m thrilled to be in the place where I want to train and have the emotional, mental and physical ability to work towards a goal.  While I am keeping a training journal, where I track my progress, I want to also share my training with you all as I know many of you are chasing the same sub 2-hour goal and others are just curious and enjoy reading workout recaps and getting a bit more details behind my daily workouts.

So, with that said, let’s dive into my first true week of training which includes not only my workouts, but also my health and wellness goals.

Average steps: 8,108 (vs previous average of 6,500)

Number of glasses of wine: 5

Did I track my meals breakfast, lunch & snacks Monday through Friday? Yes!

  • Monday: After a long time away, I finally returned to Body Pump. Our local YMCA offers Body Pump classes 10 different times throughout the week and I’ve chosen this as my primary strength workout during this training. With so many weekly opportunities, it is easy to fit in my schedule and it’s included in my YMCA membership plan.  Since it was my first time doing Body Pump in AGES, it took me a few tracks to figure out the right weight combination. I wish I’d written down the weight I used during class so that I can easily remember each week but I’ll have to do this next time. The class flew by and I appreciated all the adjustments the instructor made during class.
  • Tuesday: Thanks to a package I received at Christmas, I have a few private Pilates sessions at my neighborhood Pilates studio, A-Line. I spent a lot of time here during pregnancy as it was one of my favorite prenatal workouts and the breathing techniques helped me through labor. Now that I’m safely postpartum, it is so much fun to push my body during their tower and mat classes. The private class helped me focus on form as Lindsay constantly adjusted and helped me focus on the breath. These private classes are giving me more confidence to take the tower and mat group classes.
  • Wednesday: In celebration of Global Running Day, I joined Brooks and a few of my friends for a fun-filled 5k run along the West Side Highway bright and early before work.
  • Thursday: While I rarely have double workout days, I ended up running 4 miles with my Brooklyn mom running group bright and early and then ended the day with a 45-minute mat Pilates class. We did a lot of posture and back work during this class which helped me focus on my posture throughout the week and standing just a little bit taller and straighter.
  • Friday: I was able to sleep in an hour and a half later than normal since Bo and I decided to kick off our date night with a 45 minute Flywheel class. Since I frequently spin at home these days on our Fly Anywhere bike, it was a treat to not only take class in a studio but with one of my favorite instructors – Dionna!
  • Saturday: 100% rest day including a relaxing bath and some foam rolling
  • Sunday: My first “long run” of half marathon training was a 3.3 mile run throughout Red Hook.  I focused on the pace and having consistent splits – 8:56, 8:59, 9:07, 9:09.  The last 3/10 of a mile were completely uphill so the change in pace wasn’t a surprise. Since I knew I only had one small window of time to run, during Katie’s afternoon nap, I definitely “made it count” and focused on my form, breathing and enjoying the water views and my playlist.

Overall, my first week was exactly the kick in the butt I needed and left me feeling excited, energized and hopeful for what is to come!

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