Comments (6)

By kilax, January 28, 2018 1:12 pm

Highlight of the Week: Actually doing a tempo run!

Monday | January 22, 2018: 10 m ride + 6.5 m run (incl. 10 hill repeats) + teaching strength class
Indoor Ride Time: 40:28, Pace: 14.8 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, sore butt from wearing tri shorts!
Loc: hood, Temp: 46°/50°, Time: 1:03:37, Pace: 9:47 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good physically, LIVID about work
Strength: body bars, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, definitely a shoulder workout!
Tuesday | January 23, 2018: 4 m run
Loc: hood, Temp: 29°/29°, Time: 39:38, Pace: 9:54 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, annoyed with racing cars
Wednesday | January 24, 2018: rest
Thursday | January 25, 2018: 15 m ride + 7 m run (incl. 5×800, 8×1:00)
Indoor Ride Time: 58:37, Pace: 15.4 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: Lake Andrea, Temp: 36°/34°, Time: 1:04:54, Pace: 9:16, Difficulty: mostly easy, Felt: mostly great
Friday | January 26, 2018: teaching strength class + 1,302 yd swim + 14 m run
Strength: body bars, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: FitNation, Time: 28:06, Pace: 2:10 min/100 yd, Difficulty: easy, Felt: glad to have “company”!
Loc: Lake Andrea/Outlet Mall loop, Temp: 51°/49°, Time: 2:24:57, Pace: 10:21, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, held back by the wind
Saturday | January 27, 2018: 4 m run
Loc: hood, Temp: 38°/37°, Time: 41:46, Pace: 10:26 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, legs a bit tired to start
Sunday | January 28, 2018: 10 m run (incl. 2 m tempo) + 13 m ride
Loc: VP Woods loop, Temp: 29°/34°, Time: 1:39:01, Pace: 9:54 avg, Difficulty: mostly easy, tempo med/hard, Felt: great
Indoor Ride Time: 50:59, Pace: 15.3 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great

Notes:

• My weekday rides this week happened because I woke up naturally at 5:00 am, which is too early to start work, and too dark to run. Might as well ride!
• On Tuesday, three cars decided to race next to each other, on the road I was running on. Sigh. At first they drove down the road, normally. Then after I turned, I could see them all lined up next to each other in the distance. Idiots.
• When I looked at my calendar Thursday am and saw my speedwork assignment (that I gave myself), I thought “what the hell?!?!?” Ha! But it went well. Yay! Although my stomach was really messed up for a few hours after. Which happens to me after speedwork, but stinks when you’re trying to get things done or eat dinner, and have to pause to bend over in pain, or lay on the floor. (Nothing is wrong with me, intense speedwork has done this to my stomach for years.)
• My fellow Efit instructor, Kim, joined me at the pool Friday. Even though we’re swimming in separate lanes, it somehow makes swimming more fun!
• I felt great for my Friday long run, but there was a constant 20 mph wind from the SSW that was really slowing me down. Several curse words were said. Ha. It could have been SO much worse!
• I actually did my tempo this week, on Sunday! Yay! Go me!

Link to Training Week 431

Comments (22)

By kilax, January 27, 2018 2:54 pm

My serious, most important goal for 2018 was to eat a vegan donut. Which I have completed, but am conflicted about. Sigh. This post is not about that, though.

It’s about my secondary goal for 2018, which is to see how close I can get to my 5K PR of 21:45! That PR was set at the Frosty Footrace in 2016 and will be two years old this February, eek!

Old photo from my 5K PR (I’m #79)

When I ran 21:45, I was lighter (in weight) and had been for some time, had been running faster in general (because of being lighter), was hitting race pace or slightly faster speeds in interval training, and was running about 45-50 miles a week. I was doing kind of nutso training for this 5K – things like doing 18 mile runs with six one-mile long hill repeats in them. I enjoyed it, that’s for sure. (Also, yay, record keeping – I knew I’d need all this info someday, ha!)

So, because I know that worked, I am working to get back to that weight, and that level of miles per week. The thing is though, I can’t hit the paces now, because I am heavier. As I mentioned in the 5K training plan I created, I have to see how I speed up, as I get lighter.

So I say I’d like to see if I can PR at the 5K I’m signed up for on April 7, but I really have to see where my training is at! The weight won’t do it all – I need to train at those paces, too.

However, part of me knows that racing on a flat course will help. My PR is on a hilly course on a quite windy day. The race I’m targeting in April is flat, flat, flat, with a few turns. And hopefully no wind. Ha. Also, I’ve run a 21:48 (3.5 months before my PR), without being light in weight for very long, on a flat course. So… who knows. Maybe I can just gut it out?!

Just kidding, I know I need to do speedwork at those paces!!! And despite the dread and fear of speedwork, I love how accomplished it makes me feel, when I am doing it, and especially when it’s over. I love training, and won’t be upset if I don’t hit my goal (<— not coping out, just mentioning I am aware it’s JUST running).

So, yeah, that’s goal #2! I feel like I do need to reach some resolution with goal #1 though. The way it was accomplished is putting me in such a funky head space, I am not sure I can devote the energy I need to, to goal #2. Sigh.

Ha ha ha.

And there’s one more thing motivating me for the race in April – it’s in my hometown and I’d love to get a PR that my parents get to see! I don’t think that part of wanting my parents to be proud of me will ever go away.

Comments (16)

By kilax, January 22, 2018 5:46 am

… is a good thing… right?!

I’m a confident person. There are only a few things in life that make me feel self doubt:

1. Running
2. Work (being forced to do things I don’t know how to do, or WANT to know how to do)
3. Certain relationships

Don’t worry, we’re only going to talk about running!

Photo from the last race I attempted to run fast at… on April 1, 2017

It blows my mind, that even though I’ve been running for over ten years, I still have feelings of “am I going to finish this run?” before each one. And “is this run going to be hard? AHHHH!” if I am doing speedwork.

It’s only before the run and goes away when I start running. It’s not debilitating. It’s not stress or anxiety, it’s just a feeling (and I don’t get stressed before races, except goal 5Ks). That little bit of self doubt. That little bit of fear. It’s crazy to me! I know I can do it based on past experience, or even my run the day before!

This isn’t something that worries me, it’s just something I wanted to share, because I bet other people can relate. And I do believe that a little bit of that self doubt is not a bad thing. You don’t want to be too cocky. You don’t want to be too sure of yourself.

Kind of related: one of the lessons in a favorite training book of mine (How Bad Do You Want It?) is about “bracing yourself” – always expecting your next race to be your hardest, as opposed to thinking that you’re so well trained it will be an easy effort. Expecting some pain when you’re pushing yourself in competition makes you more mentally prepared to handle it when it comes. Makes sense, right?

Not that I’m really a competitive runner, ha. But I like reading about these things, and imagining if I were!

So, that feeling of “will this run be hard?” needs to be turned in to expecting it to be hard, and being fine with it! (I am talking about speedwork only, ha! I LOVE running easy most of the time!)

Comments (4)

By kilax, January 21, 2018 2:45 pm

Highlight of the Week: Running with Dad / teaching two challenging classes / two great long runs / warmer weather!

Monday | January 15, 2018: 4 m run (w/Dad)
Loc: Switzer/Anitoch Loop, Temp: 14°/14°, Time: 46:50, Pace: 11:42 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, slow & cautious on the ice and snow
Tuesday | January 16, 2018: 7 m run (incl. 8 hill repeats) + 25 mins strength + 10 m ride
Loc: hood, Temp: 20°/23°, Time: 1:21:29, Pace: 11:38 avg, Difficulty: easy/medium, Felt: great, just very slow on slippery snow
Indoor Ride Time: 39:18, Pace: 15.3 mph avg avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: okay, still pissy about work
Wednesday | January 17, 2018: rest
Thursday | January 18, 2018: 10.2 m run
Loc: reverse Kilbourne/VP Woods loop, Temp: 31°/32°, Time: 1:41:19, Pace: 9:56 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, glad to run on clear roads, grateful for the stress release
Friday | January 19, 2018: teaching strength class + 1,008 yd swim + 17 m ride + 4 m run
Strength: Airex pads, kettlebell, & circuit, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, but tired (sleepy)
Loc: FitNation, Time: 21:32, Pace: 2:08 min/100 yd, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Indoor Ride Time: 54:19, Pace: 18.1 mph avg, Difficulty: easy/medium, Felt: good, excited to teach the class!
Loc: Lake Andrea, Temp: 40°/40°, Time: 37:06, Pace: 9:16 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, held back in the wind!
Saturday | January 20, 2018: teaching indoor cycling (16.5 m) + teaching fitness boxing + 3 m run
Indoor Cycling Time: 54:12, Pace: 18.3 mph avg, Difficulty: easy then hard at the end, Felt: good! sweaty!!!
Strength: dumbbells & boxing, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: hood, Temp: 46°/46°, Time: 29:34, Pace: 9:51 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great to have the sun on my legs and arms
Sunday | January 21, 2018: 13 m run (incl. 8×400)
Loc: Outlet mall/Lake Andrea loop, Temp: 37°/38°, Time: 2:12:41, Pace: 10:12 avg, Difficulty: easy (a few intervals were hard), Felt: great

Notes:

• I was able to get one last run/bike in with Dad on Monday before we went back home! It was another challenging run – it had snowed and iced over the night before. I’m glad neither of us fell during that workout, or the previous ones!
• I did not manage my time well this week. I put off my speedwork – I usually do it on Thursday, but wanted to run long after a stressful work day, and I didn’t want to do it Friday or Saturday after cycling intervals. Also, I should not have waited to practice my cycling class until the day before I was teaching it! I was all about doing what I wanted to in the beginning of the week, not what I needed to. Sigh. Will I learn my lesson? <— likely not.
• As I was running next to cars on the road Thursday, I could taste the salt their tires were spitting up on me from the road, even through my gaiter! Yummy…?
• It was a blast teaching indoor cycling and fitness boxing back to back. That cycling workout though – it nearly did me in! It was intense! I hope my students felt it, too!
• I didn’t end up doing my scheduled Thursday speedwork until Sunday, then when I looked at my calendar for Sunday, it showed tempo. Oops. Um, let’s count Friday as tempo?!
• I was able to run forty miles last week and this week. I’d like to stay at that average for the year, but right now it requires two double digit runs a week, and that isn’t always going to be feasible!
• Does anyone else come up with a huge to do list during their long run, then try to remember it all to write down when they get back?

Link to Training Week 430

Comments (4)

By kilax, January 14, 2018 9:01 pm

Highlight of the Week: Running with Dad!

Monday | January 8, 2018: 5 m run (incl. 8 hill repeats) + teaching strength class
Loc: hood, Temp: 34°/36°, Time: 49:08, Pace: 9:50 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great, annoyed with traffic
Strength: kettlebells, Airex pads, and partner work, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, hungry
Tuesday | January 9, 2018: 10 m run
Loc: 9th St/VP Woods Loop, Temp: 30°/28°, Time: 1:44:30, Pace: 10:27 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: awesome
Wednesday | January 10, 2018: rest
Thursday | January 11, 2018: 7 m run (incl. 4×800, 6×1:00) + 15 m ride
Loc: hood, Temp: 63°/64°, Time: 1:09:24, Pace: 9:55 avg, Difficulty: easy-ish, Felt: held back by the wind!
Indoor Ride Time: 56:15, Pace: 16.0 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Friday | January 12, 2018: teaching strength class + 1,218 yd swim + 4 m run
Strength: Airex pads & kettlebell, + boxing, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, hungry
Loc: FitNation, Time: 25:46, Pace: 2:07 min/100 yd, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: hood, Temp: 19°/18°, Time: 39:22, Pace: 9:50, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great, anxious to pack
Saturday | January 13, 2018: 5 m run (w/Dad)
Loc: Line Creek Trail, Temp: 12°/12°, Time: 53:50, Pace: 10:41 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, glad to run with Dad!
Sunday | January 14, 2018: 10.1 m run (w/Dad)
Loc: Line Creek Trail/Quivira Loop, Temp: 17°/18°, Time: 1:54:35, Pace: 11:21 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great

Notes:

• I think there is some law of running that when you are doing hill repeats on a road, 50% of the time, there will be traffic when you need to turn. Gah. I was so happy to run outside Monday, but the traffic and wind made me a bit nuts!
• I have lost some weight (about 14%) and my run paces are dropping as a result of that. Yay!
• It was in the mid 60s when I did speedwork this week. Nutso! And it was quite windy, eek. My paces were all over, but it was nice to do speedwork outside in shorts!
• I didn’t think I’d get to run with my dad in Kansas City, because it was so cold, but he brought his bike and rode with me in the cold Saturday and on the snow/while it was still snowing on Sunday. YAY! I love my one on one time with Dad when I am running.

Link to Training Week 429

Comments (24)

By kilax, January 8, 2018 5:33 am

I cannot remember the last time I used my snowshoes for hiking or for racing. But that didn’t hold me back when Rachel asked if I wanted to do the Snowshoe Scurry (Race #2) yesterday – count me in! Rachel signed me up as a holiday gift!!!! <— best gift ever!

The Snowshoe Scurry is a five race series in Wisconsin, near the Madison area. Each race is at a different location, and has a 5K or 10K snowshoe option, and sometimes other options like fat tire bike or duathlon. Each race finishes with chili and hot drinks! And includes a buff and free race photos! Woo hoo!

I couldn’t remember which distance Rachel signed us up for (and was too lazy to read my email, apparently) so I texted her Saturday to ask and she responded “5k! I’m not sure I’d survive a 10k in snowshoes haha.”

Good point! Snowshoe races are hard. Running on snow is difficult enough, right? But when you wear snowshoes, you have to widen your stance to run, so you don’t trip on yourself. It taxes your body much differently than regular running! And if there is a terrain change, you have to change how you pick up your feet. Your heart rate gets jacked up! And it’s totally fun! But to Rachel’s point, just 5K fun!!!

The race was held at Pleasant View Golf Course in Middleton and the 5K race started shortly after the 10Kers around 9:10. I was worried I’d be cold since it was 18° and windy, but we ran quite a bit in the woods and had wind protection there, and the open areas didn’t feel bad at all. Phew! I even pulled my buff down off my mouth a few times (can’t remember the last time I did that)!

Some of the people doing this race were F-A-S-T. As in, the 10Kers started about 10 minutes before us, but they lapped us when we were in our final mile. Whoa! (The 10K winner finished in 46:24, and the 5K winner finished in 24:23, 15 people did the 10K, and 37 did the 5K).

Our goal was to have fun and not fall! And we accomplished both, yay!

We kept up a steady pace, and walked a few of the hills – because we were near Madison, so of course, it’s hilly! I had no idea what our pace was while we were running. I just checked my watch a few times to see what miles we were in (the course was marked great, but no mile markers), but didn’t notice pace. Our official finish time was 45:52. I compared that to the other two snowshoe 5Ks I’ve done – 44:21 and 44:09 – consistent!

We had a lot of fun out there, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to change in to dry clothes and have a hot cup of cider! We hung around the post race party for a bit then headed out to brunch at Monty’s Blue Plate Diner in Madison! I had the delicious vegan hash and took home a vegan brownie. Drool.

What a fun day! I am glad it worked out that I could do this race with Rachel. I contacted her at the end of December to ask when we could meet in January to exchange holiday gifts, and she mentioned she might be doing this race and asked if I’d like to join her. Yay for impromptu racing, and for doing a race together! I hope this is the first of many races we do together this year?! Next time, it will have to be MY treat!!!

Comments (2)

By kilax, January 7, 2018 6:16 pm

Highlight of the Week: Doing my first race of 2018 with Rachel!

Monday | January 1, 2018: 25 mins strength + 16 m ride + 4 m run (incl. 4×1:30 4% hill repeats)
Indoor Ride Time: 1:01:31, Pace: 15.6 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great! sore butt at end
Treadmill Time: 43:56, Pace: 10:59 avg, Difficulty: mostly east, Felt: good
Tuesday | January 2, 2018: 8 m run
Loc: Waukegan Field House, Time: 1:24:50, Pace: 10:36 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, a bit tired and bored
Wednesday | January 3, 2018: 1.5 m walk
Thursday | January 4, 2018: 5 m run (incl. 7×400) + 10 m ride
Treadmill Time: 53:43, Pace: 10:45 avg, Difficulty: medium, Felt: good, just a hard workout on the treadmill!
Indoor Ride Time: 37:22, Pace: 16.1 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: frustrated with technology/the end of my work day
Friday | January 5, 2018: teaching strength class + 1,176 yd swim + 10 m run + massage
Strength: medicine balls, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: FitNation, Time: 25:17, Pace: 2:09 min/100 yd, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great
Loc: Waukegan Field House, Time: 1:43:15, Pace: 10:20, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, just frustrated w/people not following track rules
Saturday | January 6, 2018: 18 m ride + teaching fitness boxing + 4 m run
Indoor Ride Time: 1:11:04, Pace: 15.2 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, just sore butt (wearing tri shorts)
Strength: kettlebells, core, and boxing, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: VP Woods, Temp: 13°/12°, Time: 40:30, Pace: 10:07 avg, Difficulty: easy/medium (running on snow), Felt: great!
Sunday | January 7, 2018: Snowshoe Scurry, Race #2 (w/Rachel!)
Loc: Pleasant View Gold Course, Middleton, Temp: 18°/18°, Time: 45:29, Pace: 15:06 avg, Difficulty: easy/medium, Felt: good, glad I didn’t fall!

Notes:

• Monday was the last day of the Holiday Mile Challenge! I did a mile of walking, biking, or running from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day. The shirts and medals already arrived for me and my teammates, and I am looking forward to distributing them.
• This was a week of me waking up much earlier than I needed to. 4:00 instead of 5:00 on Wednesday, 2:50 instead of 3:50 on Friday, and 5:30 instead of 7:30 on Saturday. Blah! On Wednesday and Saturday, I filled that time with unplanned exercise.
• Speedwork was HARD on the treadmill! But it was too cold to do recoveries outside, so to the treadmill I go. It looks like I should be able to do speedwork outside next week, as long as I can run during the daylight!
• I was so so so so happy to run outside Sat. All those inside runs were messing me up (mentally and physically, hence the massage on Friday).
• On Sunday I did my first race of the year – the Snowshoe Scurry, #2 (it’s a series) with Rachel! Rachel and I decided to do the race last this week, and she bought me registration as part of my holiday gift. What a great gift and fun time together! I’ll write a race report later this week!

Link to Training Week 428

Comments (20)

By kilax, January 6, 2018 4:34 pm

Can I get a “Duh, Kim”?!

I’m super grumpy when I don’t run. And I prefer to run outside, but it’s been cold* and windy here, and bad conditions for certain workouts (speed, hills, long). So… I’ve been running inside, since last Sunday.

I thought that would combat the grumpy. At least I am still running, right?

No. By the end of the week, I could feel the grumpiness seeping in.

AHHH!!!! I just need to run outside!

And I finally did today. And feel so much better.

I’m sure the Vitamin D helped too

I’ve been doing other workouts as well – cycling, swimming, lifting, teaching classes… but nothing makes me feel as good as running outside does. Hopefully there is more of that next week!!!

*When the temp is single digits or negative, and the “feels like” is -10°F or lower, I just can’t do those “focused” or long workouts outside. Those nasty temps are for “junk” miles!

Tomorrow is this guy’s FIRST birthday, can you believe it?!

Photo from when I saw him in August! I haven’t seen him since September!!!! AHHHH!!!!

We’ll see William soon for a late Christmas celebration and for his first birthday party. I am so excited to see him and my family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comments (22)

By kilax, January 5, 2018 7:59 am

This is a sponsored post. Trent & Company, Inc. sent me .35 oz sizes of “Body” and “For Her” Body Glide to review. 

Aww, teeny tiny cute containers of Body Glide!

You guys probably already know this, but Body Glide is a balm you apply on your skin anywhere you think might get rubbed while you exercise, to prevent chafing. I also use it when I am not working out. I keep it in my work backpack and use it for humid walks in the summer when I am wearing a dress or skirt.

So yeah, I already use the regular kind of body glide, “Body,” and it works well for me, except for on incredibly horrible humid summer runs, in which case I also double up with vaseline in my shorts area. Otherwise, it’s Body Glide all the way, because, yes, as it’s advertised, it’s not messy (easy to put on), and I don’t have to worry about it staining my clothes!

I had NOT used the pink “For Her” body glide before, and always kind of scoffed at it when I’d see it in stores, because it would be in a smaller container than the regular “Body” but priced the same. Looking at the Body Glide website now, they have “Body” and “For Her” priced the same, in the same sizes. So that’s good! That really set me off before – like, why do women have to pay more for this smaller pink container?! (And maybe it was the stores doing that?! No idea. Anyway.)

I asked Trent & Company about the difference between “Body” and “For Her,” and here is what they said:

The blue Body Glide is the original – it’s the primary formula, which serves as a base for all Body Glide products.

Body Glide For Her contains Coconut and Sweet Almond oils to better moisturize and protect skin, and is also rich in A, B and E vitamins to promote skin health.

So, it has oils to help your dry AF skin in the winter. The website says it’s ideal for sensitive, dry, cracked skin. That definitely describes me right now. We have a whole house humidifier, but our skin is still suffering. I’ve been using “For Her” for my indoor winter runs (on the treadmill and track), and when I am not working out (on the lovely body areas where my skin folds and it gets irritated, yay!). It’s definitely helping prevent chafing on the runs, and giving me relief on my dry skin in other areas! And bonus tip – you can apply body glide to chafed areas before you shower to cut back on some of the stinging of the hot water hitting those areas.

I have not noticed much of a difference between “Body” and “For Her.” They both feel good, to me. I am hoping using “For Her” is helping my dry skin, though!

A few more things:

• Theses products are listed as vegan, with no animal testing, and using plant ingredients. Yay!
• I actually liked using these smaller containers – it was easier to get in to certain crevices. Ha!
• Looking at their page, I didn’t realize they have so many options besides these two – there’s one for your feet, for outdoors, one with sunscreen, one for the bike, and others! I’d actually like to try the bike one. It claims you don’t have to reapply it during the ride! Wouldn’t that be nice?

Bonus pic of Khali wondering what the heck I was doing:

This is a sponsored post. Trent & Company, Inc. sent me .35 oz sizes of “Body” and “For Her” Body Glide to review. 

Comments (2)

By kilax, December 31, 2017 4:49 pm

Highlight of the Week: Running with Andrew on Christmas Day / running outside in the snow & cold / a tough fitness boxing class / running with Bobbi!

Monday | December 25, 2017: 1.7 m run (w/Andrew)
Loc: Van Patten Woods, Temp: 16°, Time: 21:30, Pace: 12:39 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great
Tuesday | December 26, 2017: 20 mins strength + 10 m bike + 1.5 m walk
Indoor Bike Time: 41:44, Pace: 14.4 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, sweaty!
Wednesday | December 27, 2017: 4.5 m run (incl. 3×800 & 4×1:00)
Loc: Treadmill, Time: 51:40, Pace: 11:29 avg, Difficulty: easy/medium, Felt: good
Thursday | December 28, 2017: 15 m bike + 3 m run (incl. 5×1:00 hills @ 3,4,5,6,7) + 1 m walk
Indoor Bike Time: 59:16, Pace: 15.2 mph avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good
Loc: Treadmill, Time: 33:00, Pace: 11:00, Difficulty: easy/medium, Felt: good
Friday | December 29, 2017: teaching strength class + 1,176 yd swim + 4.7 m run
Strength: medicine balls, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great
Loc: FitNation, Time: 25:29, Pace: 2:10 min/100 yd, Difficulty: easy, Felt: great
Loc: VP Woods, Temp: 14°/15°, Time: 53:08, Pace: 11:18 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: happy to be outside! (and hungry)
Saturday | December 30, 2017: 3.5 m run + teaching fitness boxing
Loc: hood, Temp: 1°/1°, Time: 35:24, Pace: 10:07 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: good, until legs turned to ice cubes
Strength: bands, core, and boxing, Difficulty: easy/medium, Felt: good! felt the band workout RIGHT away!
Sunday | December 31, 2017: 11 m run (parts of laps 16-52 w/Bobbi)
Loc: Waukegan Field House, Time: 2:05:36, Pace: 11:25 avg, Difficulty: easy, Felt: really good, glad for company!

Notes:

• We had some nasty temps with low windchill this week, so I actually ran on the treadmill! Woo hoo, go me! I run quite a bit slower on our treadmill than I do outside, but that doesn’t bother me. It’s harder for me to run on it than outside, so I feel like I’m getting quite the workout. However, I can feel it tweaking my body – specifically my right glute and behind my left knee (like, where the skin folds on the back of my leg). I set up a massage for next Friday.
• I wasn’t planning on cycling Thursday morning, but one of the cats had a hack attack so I was up. Thanks, cats! Eyeroll.
• On Thursday I planned to run outside on lunch break, when it was light out and a bit warmer, but my one hour 10:00 am call lasted until 12:30 pm and I couldn’t anymore. Grr. Treadmill again!
• But I got to run outside Friday and Saturday. Yay! (I shouldn’t have Saturday – it was 1° with 14 mph winds and a feel of -20°).
• My fitness boxing students are SO strong and hit SO hard. Ha. I thought I was going to wake up really sore from boxing on Sunday, but luckily, I was fine.
• I forgot to mention a few students gave me holiday gifts this year, which I thought was really nice!
• I ran on a new-to-me indoor track on Sunday. I could have run outside, but I wanted to run double digits and it just didn’t make sense for me to do that when it was 2° out. And Bobbi joined me for a few miles in the middle. Yay! And the run lane is on the outside, so I didn’t have the bruised elbow issue. And… this place was by a Starbucks, so win win, all around!
• It’s monthly recap time. In December I ran 135.8 miles (28 runs, and my highest mileage month of the year! (by one mile over last month, ha!)), cycled 73 miles (6 indoor rides) and swam 3,192 yards (3 swims). My coldest run was 1°F and my warmest was 62°F. I did 4 hill sessions and 3 speed sessions. I taught 7 strength classes, and 4 fitness boxing class. I did 2 strength workouts at home.
• I could add a 2017 recap here, but this is long enough!

Link to Training Week 427