ashleyd /

Workout Recap and Running Gear I’m Loving

Happy Wednesday!

Another week of half marathon training is in the bank! Last week was a week of highs and lows, as is often the case during a training cycle. Thunderstorms wreaked havoc on my outdoor runs and the heat and humidity definitely had an impact on my body during the workouts. But, a tough week only makes us stronger, right? I also made a few changes to this week’s workout schedule based on what I learned from last week.  This week I’ve realized that depending on the safety of the YMCA treadmill is smarter than trying to find time to run between storms. I also realized that getting a deep tissue massage the day before a tough workout is not a good idea. Instead, moving forward, I’ll try to plan a rest or pilates day after massages. 

So, with that said, here’s what last week’s workouts looked like.

  • Sunday– Long Run (8.5 miles at 9:56 pace) felt absolutely amazing the entire time including lots of heat, humidity and hills! I couldn’t stop smiling after this run as everything just CLICKED!
  • Monday- Tower Pilates class at A-Line Pilates
  • Tuesday- Early morning (4:45 AM) tempo run including a 15 minute warm-up, 6×2:00 fast followed by 2 minute recovery, cool-down (4.6 miles at 9:30 average pace)
  • Wednesday- Rest Day
  • Thursday- Four Mile evening run through Brooklyn (4 miles @ 9:29 pace)
  • Friday- Tower Pilates class at A-Line Pilates
  • Saturday- Long Run (6.7 miles at 9:55 pace) felt horrible the entire time. It was one big struggle fest and completely opposite from the previous long run. The heat and humidity was brutal but the reason I stopped short of the 9 mile goal was because my glute was killing me and there was thunder and lightening. I realized afterwards that my glute soreness was due to Friday afternoon’s deep tissue sports massage as well as some of the Pilates moves during Friday’s class. Moving forward, I’m going to avoid massages and Pilates the day before a long run.
  • Sunday- 30 minute Flywheel at home ride to shake out my legs

As I’ve been running and working out more regularly, I wanted to share a few items that I’ve been loving and using or wearing on repeat.

Brooks Bedlam

  • Apple Airpods – I’ve been using these non-stop for the past few months and am still surprised that they work so well during even the sweatiest of tempo runs. Yes, they stay in place. No, they don’t fall out. My only annoyance is that if I touch them during a run they signal Siri to start helping me and pause my music. But, I bet there is a way to correct this if I take the time to research it. If you haven’t tried Airpods yet, I highly recommend them!
  • Brooks Bedlam Running Shoes – So these new Brooks shoes do not officially launch until September 1st but as part of my Brooks Ambassador partnership, I was able to get a sneak peak. I’ve used these shoes for my tempo runs the past three weeks and love how responsive they are! It doesn’t hurt that they are the best looking Brooks I’ve seen to date – bright and colorful knit that keeps my foot feeling snug and secure. Since I prefer a more cushioned ride for my longer runs I will be using these for my shorter runs and tempo workouts each week.
  • Ali On the Run Show Podcast – Running is fun but sometimes it can get lonely. I’ve been spending my miles with Ali and her guests over the past few weeks, finding inspiration from Allie Kieffer, Michele Gonzalez, Kara Goucher, and Kayla Itsines to name a few! It has been such a joy to watch Ali bring this dream to life over the past year and I’m proud to say “I knew her way back” before the podcast when she was blogging daily about her training and balancing running and working at a large dance publication.
  • Brooks Greenlight Short Tight – I can’t remember the last time I ran in something other than these shorts after discovering them three months ago. Actually, I do remember. It was yesterday and I regretted every minute of the decision as the shorts moved around, hung lower due to sweat and left me with an unfortunate chafe mark. I am the proud owner of three pair of Greenlight short tights and have been telling everyone I know about them. They stay in place, support me, have pockets, are breathable and, believe it or not, are flattering too
  • Spotify – Once upon a time I dedicated time to putting together playlists for half marathon and marathon training. These days, I take advantage of others playlists that I discover on Spotify by typing in the type workout I’m doing in the search bar. For example, for yesterday’s tempo run I listened to a special tempo playlist that I discovered and a few weeks ago, my long run was powered by a “marathon playlist” that I found using the search function.  If that’s too much, then feel free to follow my playlists or check out the Speedy Workout, Tempo Run – 175 bps, or Elder Millenial Tour Official Playlist (thanks Theodora!).
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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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No Equipment Workout

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As someone who used to be a “cardio queen” I have realized over the years just how important strength training is for my health and well-being. While I am not in weight-loss mode, I am trying to ensure that I make a safe return to fitness post-baby and one of the keys that many people have recommended is to take things slow and prioritize strength training.

While we were in Vermont I turned to body-weight workouts since I did not have any weights and the gorgeous weather made me want to spend all my time outside, not in a gym. The below workout allowed me to accomplish two things at one time: strength and jogging. I am slowly beginning to build my jogging base following pregnancy and per the recommendation of many, am taking an interval approach. This week I am only jogging 60-90 seconds at a time and therefore thought that would make a perfect cardio portion for this quick, do-anywhere workout.

Depending on your fitness level, you make this workout easier or more challenging by adjusting the jog to a walk, power walk or sprint. The strength portions of the circuit can also be modified easily, depending on your ability. I did this 27-minute circuit three times while we were in Vermont and really enjoyed it. The focus on time versus reps allowed me to push myself a bit more than I would have otherwise and also allowed me to see improvements each time I did the workout. This workout is perfect for people of all abilities since it’s based on time and bodyweight, not number of repetitions or a certain pound weight. Quality over quantity, like many things in life, is most important for this workout.

No Equipment Workout

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