Weekly Workout Recap: 7/20- 7/26
Hi everyone!
For me, this week was extremely active and busy. I can feel myself getting back in racing shape, which is really exciting for me! I got in a lot of quality runs (mostly in the morning, thankfully) as well as some cross training and biking.
Hot, hot day, but the trails were nice and cool. I ran about a mile on hilly trails, with more hills outside of the park. I felt really great so my pace was a little faster than I expected.
3.5 mile bike ride
In the evening, I took out my bike for my first "real" bike ride! I went on a pretty easy route around my apartment that wouldn't involve riding near too many cars, and it was so much fun.
I headed to the track for my first speed workout in months! It was already humid and in the mid 70's when I left around 5AM, so I was really happy to have the workout done before work. 1 mile warmup followed by 8x200 with 200 meter jog in between, and a 1 mile cooldown. My pace during the middle two miles was 7:30.
15 minute Total Body Yoga video
I started this video, and quickly got really bored with it. I wasn't a fan of the instructor, and it seemed really monotonous after a while. Selma was also interrupting my flow a lot, so I decided to stop it early and play with her.
1 mile bike ride
It was so gorgeous out in the evening, so I took my bike out for another ride. This time I went on more busy roads and everything was great!
For today's Run Club run, we had a scavenger hunt sponsored by Adidas! Dan and I teamed up with two guys who were really fun to work with, and we spent an hour running all over Squirrel Hill, Shadyside and Oakland. We had a list of items to take pictures with, and my favorite one was walking a dog! At Schenley Plaza we saw a little husky puppy and the lady was so nice and just handed over the leash. It made my night!
I also got to try out the Adidas Ultra Boost shoes, which were nice and comfortable, but didn't have enough support for me.
It was my first "bike commute"! I went to the Humane Society after work to walk some dogs, and ended up getting home right before my gym class started. I had no choice but to ride my bike there to get to the class on time, and it was fun! I'll definitely be doing this most days..not only is it much faster but also a lot more fun than walking.
Group Power
Class was great and tough. I was super sore in my shoulders and triceps the next day!
It was supposed to be a rest day, but I had to get out on my bike! I took a ride over to Frick Park and walked around on the trails for a bit, then biked back. Perfect way to spend my lunch break!
On my schedule for the day was "4 fast miles", so I was lucky to start my run with the True Runner Run Club with a really fast girl. She recently moved to Pittsburgh, which is probably why she stuck with me (she BQ'ed on her first attempt so this was probably super slow for her!) but to me this was a great run!
Ran downtown for Open Streets! It was already hot and humid out, but I felt great! I was surprised that my legs felt full of energy and not sour at all after the tough run yesterday. Great run all around!
1 hour Total Body Fitness
My first class at Open Streets was Total Body Fitness! It was super intense - 2 strength exercises and 1 cardio exercise for each body area (upper body, lower body, abs). First round was 1 minute per exercise, second round was the same exercise for 30 seconds each. We did about 8 total rounds I believe, and at the end I was exhausted! Tough workout.
1 hour Yoga
My last class was yoga. I was already really tired, so I took it easy with lots of child poses. It was still a great workout and there were some much-needed stretches in there. Open Streets was a ton of fun and it was great to see so many people out on bikes and enjoying the beautiful day in Pittsburgh!
How was your week?
What kind of cross training do you like to do?
Any other bikers out there? What tips do you have for getting more comfortable?
For me, this week was extremely active and busy. I can feel myself getting back in racing shape, which is really exciting for me! I got in a lot of quality runs (mostly in the morning, thankfully) as well as some cross training and biking.
Monday
3.1 miles PM / 27:57 / 8:59 pace
3.5 mile bike ride
In the evening, I took out my bike for my first "real" bike ride! I went on a pretty easy route around my apartment that wouldn't involve riding near too many cars, and it was so much fun.
Tuesday
4 miles AM / 35:00 / 8:45 pace
15 minute Total Body Yoga video
I started this video, and quickly got really bored with it. I wasn't a fan of the instructor, and it seemed really monotonous after a while. Selma was also interrupting my flow a lot, so I decided to stop it early and play with her.
1 mile bike ride
It was so gorgeous out in the evening, so I took my bike out for another ride. This time I went on more busy roads and everything was great!
Wednesday
5 miles PM
Thursday
2 mile bike rideIt was my first "bike commute"! I went to the Humane Society after work to walk some dogs, and ended up getting home right before my gym class started. I had no choice but to ride my bike there to get to the class on time, and it was fun! I'll definitely be doing this most days..not only is it much faster but also a lot more fun than walking.
Group Power
Class was great and tough. I was super sore in my shoulders and triceps the next day!
Friday
3 mile bike ride
It was supposed to be a rest day, but I had to get out on my bike! I took a ride over to Frick Park and walked around on the trails for a bit, then biked back. Perfect way to spend my lunch break!
Saturday
4.13 miles AM / 35:36 / 8:37 paceOn my schedule for the day was "4 fast miles", so I was lucky to start my run with the True Runner Run Club with a really fast girl. She recently moved to Pittsburgh, which is probably why she stuck with me (she BQ'ed on her first attempt so this was probably super slow for her!) but to me this was a great run!
Sunday
5 miles AM / 45:43 / 9:07 pace
Ran downtown for Open Streets! It was already hot and humid out, but I felt great! I was surprised that my legs felt full of energy and not sour at all after the tough run yesterday. Great run all around!
1 hour Total Body Fitness
1 hour Yoga
My last class was yoga. I was already really tired, so I took it easy with lots of child poses. It was still a great workout and there were some much-needed stretches in there. Open Streets was a ton of fun and it was great to see so many people out on bikes and enjoying the beautiful day in Pittsburgh!
Total Running Miles: 21.23 miles
Total Bike Miles: 9.5 miles
How was your week?
What kind of cross training do you like to do?
Any other bikers out there? What tips do you have for getting more comfortable?
I did some yoga this week and I'm always awful at getting yoga regularly into my routine.
ReplyDeleteSame here, so I've been trying to make it a focus for my week! It definitely helps a ton!
DeleteI am totally jealous of all the beautiful places you've worked out this week! I definitely need to get to riding my bike more - I tend to avoid it because it's so uncomfortable haha (but really I just need a new seat, I think!)
ReplyDeleteThanks Kristy! I definitely feel lucky that I have so many gorgeous places to run. Makes it a lot easier to get out there :)
DeleteGreat week, Gretchen! Awesome that you can feel you're getting back to racing shape and had some great runs. That Open Streets class sounds great! And I love that you're biking so many places!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It's such a great feeling and really motivating. My half training starts in August so I'm really excited!
DeleteA scavenger hunt sounds like it would be so much fun to do while still getting some good miles in. For not doing a speed workout in a while you did really good, and you can see that you are getting into race form
ReplyDeleteYou would have loved it! It was a ton of fun. Speed workouts have always been a lot of fun for me, which is probably why I still did well!
DeleteWow you killed it this week! Running, biking, yoga, and strength training...is there anything you didn't do last week? I'm so awful about cross training. I always mean to at least put in some strength training...but that seems to only last a few weeks before I am back to just running.
ReplyDeleteThanks Heather! I'm really happy with how the week went..lots of different exercises. Hopefully I can keep it up! Cross training will definitely help out in your half training so hopefully you can fit it in!
DeleteYour trail pictures are very pretty. I need to get to those places as a change of pace. I'm getting bored with the three places I've been frequenting and now that I'm comfortable with my healing I want to start branching out more and getting a little hill action. You had a great week and I'm really happy to hear you're liking the bike! I've done the same thing with random yoga videos.. if I'm not feeling it I have to stop it. Sometimes you just don't jive with the instructor or method. No biggie.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nichole! You're always welcome to join me if you're looking for a new place to run :) Glad to hear I'm not the only one who skips workouts when I try it online...sometimes it just isn't working! That's why I love taking classes in person..more accountable to finish!
DeleteLoved your workout recap, you were super active! Scavenger hunt sounded fun and the trail pictures were very peaceful :) Since I'm NOT training for a marathon this summer, I have a little more time on my hands to cross train. I've been lifting a day a week (I know it's not that much) with my Husband and hitting Hot Yoga on Monday nights with my daughter. Its hard to fit it all in but I hope it helps my over all fitness in the long run. Honestly, I really just love running the most. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It was definitely a higher volume week than I'm used to, but was a lot of fun! Even a day of lifting will make a difference, and hot yoga is the best!! Which studio do you go to?
DeleteGreat job! I love your pics! I recently started doing the Iron Strength workout from Runner's World to help with my strength training. I also my enjoy Orange Theory workouts.
ReplyDeleteThank you! OTF sounds like such a fun and great workout. I have to try out the studio that just opened in Pittsburgh!
DeleteI'm so impressed, Gretchen! Sounds like you really kicked butt this week. As for biking, I'm getting back used to it too and I recommend going a little out of your way for more scenic/less trafficky routes. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's a great tip! I'm planning on taking a trip down to a bike path that's 3 miles each way sometime this week! Hopefully I'll make it both ways :)
DeleteNice job last week! Looks like you had a great mix of running & crosstraining which is something I am forever trying to find a balance with. I haven't biked regularly in a while, but I found getting shorts with the extra butt padding (I have no idea how else to put it!) made a big difference for me. It helped me go for longer bike rides (and more frequent ones) without getting too sore from sitting on the saddle. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Alison! It was definitely a tough week of workouts but all the variety definitely kept things interesting. I'll have to look for padded shorts! I'm sure that'll help out a ton. Thanks!
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