This week’s training recap is coming to you from the comfort of my bed. Unfortunately a few weeks of travel, too much fun, training and lots of sick colleagues have resulted in a cold. I’m on day 2 of the cold, aka the day when all I want to do is stab my sinuses.

So, while I sip hot herbal tea I’ll leave you with last week’s training. It was my strongest week to date and included lots of running versus the usual skiing.

Monday: Another week of glorious Monday night yoga. This 60 minute class flies by and before I know it we’re ending class in my favorite pose,  shavasana. Am I the only one who feels the need to buy this tank? Seriously though, each week this class has a different focus and last week’s hip opener focus was a very welcome treat for my body.

Tuesday:  I listened to a new Podcast, Stuff You Should Know, while enjoying an easy 40 minute run. The workout ended in 5 sets of strides and some lovely foam rolling. This was the perfect way to kick off the week’s runs as I felt strong and the easy run actually felt easy. I know that sounds weird but sometimes I find that I push myself too much during the “easy” runs so by the time the speed work or long run comes my body is tired.

Wednesday: Bo and I went to spin together after work and were surprised by the substitute teachers intensity. This 65 minute spin class left my legs shaking and me barely able to talk during most songs. The climbs were constant and the guys in the class thought it’d be fun to see how much they could push it, which of course led to me joining in the fun. I hit 172 RPM during the spring and the Rammstein music, while not my taste, definitely helped me zone out. If you’ve never heard of Rammstein just envision German death metal, oh and that song from 1997 Du Hast.

Thursday: As much as I love running, not every run can be wonderful. Sometimes it’s a case of tired legs which feel more like lead weights than appendages. But this run was a mix of lead legs and a mind that just never got into the run. My mantra was to just run and finish the miles – nothing more, nothing less. Even though I enjoyed half the run with Mary I still finished the run feeling blah. I finished the 8 miles but never felt great and certainly didn’t hit the requested final 3 miles at a pace of 8:55-9:10. Instead the overall pace was closer to 9:50.

Friday: My legs and body were calling for a rest day so I listened and slept in as late as possible, snoozing my alarm more times than I’m willing to admit.

Saturday: It was hard to stay inside doing the prescribed strength workout when Bo wanted a running buddy. Therefore, per normal, I caved and pushed the strength aside in favor of a 5 mile run through Strasbourg. Sorry coach, sorry muscles – I wouldn’t have it any other way! We are both so enjoying the fact that he is back in running shape after his ACL injury left him unable to run since last April. We didn’t have a Garmin on us but based on the length of our run we kept around a 9:15 pace!

Sunday: At the hotel’s recommendation and a convenient running route card, we enjoyed a 5k run through the Petite France area of Strasbourg, winding us through covered bridges, canals, quiet streets, and old buildings. It was a perfect way to say goodbye to the city and enjoy a few Belle moments as I ran through the storybook town. Don’t worry, I didn’t burst out into song though I was tempted to multiple times. I mean come on, don’t you see the resemblance?  (Feel free to reference this Buzzfeed article for verification that it is set in the Alsace region!)

YOUR TURN: Okay, now that everyone knows Belle is my favorite Disney character, it’s time to tell me who YOUR favorite Disney character is and WHY?

Hey party people! It’s hump day! That means that we’re half way through the week and you can already see Friday evening over the horizon! How has your week been thus far? My office is pretty empty this week as most of the local schools have Winter Break this week. That has been WONDERFUL for my productivity. Half as many meetings means that I feel as if I’ve already squeezed 5 days of work into 3!

I can’t believe that the half marathon is just 8 weeks away! I’m really looking forward to being back in Savannah for the half marathon! My friend Gretchen is visiting Savannah this week for work and seeing all her pictures on Facebook made me yearn for warmer weather, blue sky, sunshine, the beach, Southern Food and seafood. I’m hoping that in between the half marathon we can squeeze in some family time on the boat!

Speaking of the race, the discount code (healthyhappierbear) is now good for $10 off entry fee! I love that the race is sponsored by New Balance and that they are giving out the awesome gym bags as swag instead of t-shirts! New Balance is hosting the Fashion Fitness Expo on the 27th which means there will be lots of great apparel and gear to try! 

Last week’s training went really well, making me feel like my goals for this half marathon are attainable. The course has LOTS of turns which worries me a bit but, worst case scenario, I have a second goal race just 4 weeks later as I’m most likely going to run the Geneva Half Marathon again this year. It’s a gorgeous course and simple since it’s local. But, I can’t think about race day yet because I still have weeks of training to complete and last week’s training to recap for you!

Monday: Oh sweet, glorious yoga Monday. Kerrie and I are both craving this class now, texting with excitement during the day. Each week I fall a little bit more in love with it as the teacher is now familiar with us and providing lots of adjustments. I also attribute this class to my recent choice to commit to a yoga challenge. My body just needs yoga these days. My muscles and mind thank me even if I only do one pose!

Tuesday: This was a fun daily double day which included BodyPump during lunch followed by spin class with Bo after work. I took it a bit easier in spin as my legs were already toast from the thigh and quad focused BodyPump class.

Wednesday: My mid-week tempo/speed workout became a 3 mile fast paced run as I was at the office later than expected and just felt blah. The frigid weather combined with tired mind and body meant that my heart wasn’t in it. Afterwards, when I told Jess, she commended me for not forcing it. I was proud of myself for being honest with her as it is easy to try and cut corners, especially when the coach is based in a different country.

Thursday: My running buddy enjoyed one too many drinks during a work dinner, so I ran 8 miles solo. The pre-dawn miles were frigid but the cold air only motivates me to run faster! I kept a 9:44 pace which felt almost easy at times. I came home and immediately moved into legs up the wall position followed by some hip openers as the run combined with spin left me feeling a bit tight & “crunchy”.

Friday: What started out as a relaxing first day of skiing quickly became a physical challenge. The slopes were far steeper and technical than what we typically ski which meant I was sweating the entire afternoon. We got stuck in some off-piste areas which required navigating through deep powder. Luckily the company was wonderful because otherwise I would have been miserable! My muscles were screaming after 6 hours of skiing!

Saturday: Our group headed to Les Houches for 5 hours of skiing which was a non-stop cardio workout. We were going longer, skiing down to the base of the mountain at times, and pushing our pace. The views were surreal and this picturesque area quickly became one of my favorites.

Sunday: My entire body was sore when I woke up but luckily I had Casey & Joel to push me out to the slopes. We spent 2.5 hours skiing Le Tour, braving the wicked wind gusts. At moments it felt as if we would blow over but luckily, we made it through the day with no serious falls.

So like I said, it was a pretty great week of training even though it only included two runs. The week previous included four runs and this week will include at least 3. And hey, skiing is great cross-training right? Winter and snow this good only lasts for a while, even in Switzerland!