Having a child changes everything

One of the things veteran parents like to tell expectant parents is that having a kid changes everything. But until you actually have a child, you don't really realize they meant EVERYTHING.

Yesterday, while out on a long run with my foul-weather running buddy (the one person I seem to be able to count on to meet for miles even when it's raining... or snowing...), and she regaled me with a tale of a child-less bride who pitched a fit about a bridesmaid bringing her newborn baby along during the wedding weekend. Because... can't you just leave a 6 week old with a sitter for two days?
(I cannot wait until bridezilla has a child of her own...)

I could fill a ream of paper, in tiny print, with hundreds of examples - big and small - of ways in which kids change your life.
Some change are wonderful. (Toddler laughter is the BEST THING IN THE WORLD.)
Some are annoying. (6:45am is now "sleeping in.")
Some just are. (Playgrounds are my new cross-training gym.)

And some changes are more unexpected than others. Sure plenty of parents go back to running and racing. I know lots of mamas who ran halfs or marathons while pregnant, just after giving birth, and have logged many, MANY training miles pushing jogging strollers.

So the biggest surprise for me, personally, is that I have completely lost my interest in the starting line. Maybe it will return some  day. I'd be surprised if it didn't. I used to live for race mornings! But now I'd rather push a jogging stroller along the waterfront, stop for a coffee, and wrap up at the playground.

My miles now are for fitness and for fun. There are no track workouts. There is only play.

And while that change surprises me, it's not one I'm worried about.

Fresh air

Because I need to share this with someone who will understand...

On Saturday night my son had a bout of the cough-til-you-pukes. We got, literally, no sleep. And to add insult to injury, Hubs hopped in a cab at 4am for a weeklong work trip. 

When kiddo (who finally dozed off at 3am) woke at 7, I made him breakfast then took us both out for some fresh air.

5 miles.
Hills.
Pushing 75 pounds of stroller.
A few trips down the slide at a far-from-home playground.
Finished with breakfast at Whole Foods.

I might pass out at 7pm tonight, and the laundry might never get done, but I'm feeling like a BAMR for getting out there today!

Checking in

So, as you might have guessed from the dearth of posts, I sort of fell off the yoga-every-day bandwagon back in June. (Nothing screws up a fitness plan like a sick kid because, well, priorities.)

And then I started debating purpose versus progress on my challenge-a-month plan.

In July I set no goals. I just ran.

And my weekly mileage started creeping up.
Weekend long runs started getting longer.
Huh.
No goals, but I was getting more miles at a faster pace?

10 days ago I ran 7.5 miles at a 9 minute pace, and still felt fresh the next day.
Last week I ran my highest weekly mileage since before I got pregnant more than 2.5 years ago.

I'm also still trying to keep the spirit of the challenge alive, but more like my old training schedule (run 3 days/week, cross-train 2 days, yoga and strength training at least 1 day each week).

In August I've been doing a full-body strength circuit every Monday, and running at least 3 days a week. It might not seem very challenge-like, but it's working for me, so I'ma gonna stick with it.

Things I will miss when we leave Virginia

Virginia is a temporary home for us, and while I love to gripe about jerks in Metro, the high proportion of self-important assholes, and the godawful weather, there are a few things I will miss when we move: The tortilla chips from the Salsa Lady at the Old Town farmers market. Best chips I've had outside of Mexico. Peanut butter. Seriously. Georgia might have the lock on peaches, but Virginia has discovered the secret to amazing peanuts. The peanut butter here is like nothing I've ever had before. Mmm... Crosswalks. Unlike our last home, Pensacola, where cars hitting pedestrians seemed to be a spectator sport, most cars in NoVa actually yield to people on foot. Amazing. Alexandria/Arlington chapter of MRTT. Mother runners. Hundreds of them. Enough said.

Realizations

One of the things I've realized this week is that while the scale readings are going up (hello 600 calorie daily surplus now that I'm not the sole food source for my kid), my muscle mass is, too. And while last week's yoga challenge suffered several serious interruptions, I worked out Every. Single. Day.

The year is half over, and the fit-in-15 challenge has been a success so far. My goal was to get back into the habit of working out every day, and (clearly) I have.

That said, the whole challenge concept is starting to feel a bit contrived.

Plank-a-day just didn't work for me, but mileage goals and speed-work-each-week goals did. Yoga every day seems like a stretch. (Ha!) But the squat/pushup/plank routine was actually pretty motivating. (It helped that I could guilt my spouse into doing 100 squats with me after our kid fell asleep at night.)

I'm running out of fitness challenges I really want to do (read: am motivated enough to follow through on), so I'm strongly considering switching back to my old style of training: 5-6 days week, with 3 runs and 3 strength/stretch days.

Or maybe I'll just keep repeating the squat/pushup/plank routine every week for the rest of the year...

Stay tuned...

June challenge: hold that pose (week 22)

The June challenge is to hold that pose.
Yes.
The Yoga Challenge has returned, but this time I'm aiming for a full month, not just 3 weeks.

The goal: Yoga every day. At least 15 minutes each day.


So, how'd I do this week?

Monday: 15 minutes of yoga

Tuesday: 20 minutes of office yoga

Wednesday: 3.25 mile run...
Um... Yeah. Not yoga, but it was National Running Day. The weather was cool and cloudy. Plus someone needed to pick up the drycleaning... so I "ran" that errand.

Thursday: 20 minutes of office yoga

Friday: Went to bed early. We'll call that savasana

Saturday: 5 mile run...
...which included a biohazard obstacle course when my child hurled ALL OVER ME.
Like... soaked shirt, shorts, and shoes.
Yes, partway through the run I wound up with shoes full of puke, and had to run home like that. Fortunately hubs packed a change of shirt, which I quickly confiscated.
I'll never look at my chartreuse running shirt the same way again...

Sunday: 7 mile walk...
...because sick kid, who desperately needed a nap, refused to take a nap. So I played the last trick I knew: strapped him into the (now freshly cleaned) jogging stroller and walked until he conked out. It took about 6 minutes. Naptime was supposed to be yoga time. It was walk-til-kid-wakes time instead.


For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

June yoga challenge: week 22 of fit(ter) in 15

The June challenge is a Yoga Challenge.

The goal: Yoga every day. At least 15 minutes each day.


So, how'd I do this week?

Monday: 15 minutes of yoga

Tuesday: 20 minutes of office yoga

Wednesday: 15 minutes of yoga

Thursday: 15 minutes of office yoga

Friday: rest

Saturday: 5 mile run...

Sunday: 7 mile walk...


For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Gender, Jenner, and equity in sports

In all of the media hubbub over Caitlyn Jenner's Vanity Fair cover, it occurred to me that one issue that has barely made a ripple: will Jenner's Olympic medal be stripped?

The IOC said, in short and with little fanfare or media coverage, of course not.

Jon Stewart skewered the media frenzy over Jenner's appearance, noting that when Jenner was "a man" [sic] people talked about Jenner's athletic achievements, but now (out as a woman)... looks are the only thing that matters to the media. Critics of Stewart's criticism note that Jenner was always a woman. But in 1976, Jenner competed in men's events - as Bruce - in the Montreal Olympics.

Now, before we go any farther, I want to state clearly and for the record that I truly believe Jenner deserves to keep the Olympic medal. I concur wholeheartedly with the IOC decision. (But I do quibble with the IOC verbage that Jenner "won his" medal. The proper language now would be "won her," and there was really no need to use a gender pronoun at all. Better text would be "Jenner won the gold medal..." end of story. But I digress...)

What irks me actually has nothing to do with Caitlyn Jenner at ALL.

What irks me is how this "of course the record stands" non-issue highlights the flagrant gender double standard applied to female athletes.

South African track star Caster Semenya was at the center of a gender identity firestorm that all but ruined her life when blood tests revealed elevated testosterone levels. She was subjected to humiliating, and ultimately nonsensical, tests to determine whether or not she "really was a woman" and thus allowed to compete in female events. She has now been cleared to race in women's events and will be back on the track for competitions this summer, but not without enduring years of struggle related to her gender identity.

And even more puzzling is that Paula Radcliffe had her marathon world record rescinded by the IAAF, retroactively, merely because she ran in a race in which men were also running. That ruling was later overturned, but only after months of public pressure (including complaints from giant corporations like Nike) against the IAAF. And the women-only rule applies forevermore in future marathons. So... girls only get a world record if they're running with other girls.

So... Jenner, a transgender woman, gets to keep an Olympic medal won in a men's event. Great. Jenner got to choose, compete, and keep a hard-won medal. Bravo!

Meanwhile cisgender women are subjected to ridiculous and unreliable testing (which can be misleading, inconclusive, or can simply highlight somewhat rare and shocking genetic traits that were previously unknown to the competitor) and unequitable standards (men get to race with "rabbits," but women can't, etc...) to determine their competitive status?

Sex (biological characteristics) and gender (psychological and social ones) are part of a continuum that involves lots of grey area in the middle. There are chromosomal, hormonal, physiological, psychological, and emotional factors that do not always fall neatly within XX and XY binary. Moreover, while much of the theory behind gender "testing" has been to "level the playing field," it seems the burden of proof falls mainly on women.

Perhaps it's time do do away with "men's" and "women's" events completely?

Maybe women should start playing in Major League Baseball?

Merge the NBA and WNBA?

Add an ultra-distance event to Olympic track and field, because distance levels the playing field among runners?

Make male gymnasts compete in the balance beam and women in pommel horse?

I don't claim to have the answers, but I think it's time to start a discussion about what athletic gender categories really mean... if anything at all.

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 21

May's challenge is: MILES.

The goal: at least 100 miles total (walk or run), 40 miles run

Caveat: Walk and run miles only count if outdoors or on a treadmill (i.e. walking around inside an airport or pacing back and forth in my living room does not count)





So, how'd I do this week?

Blergh.
Humidity.

But... GOAL ACHIEVED!!!

Monday: 2 mile walk + dancing at the Alexandria jazz festival
Tuesday: 2.5 miles walked
Wednesday: 3.75 miles walked + 2 miles run
Thursday: 2.5 miles walked
Friday: 3.5 miles walked
Saturday: 3.75 miles run
Sunday: 3.5 mile run

Running total: 9.25 miles this week for 46.75 for the month
Mileage total: 111 miles in May!
For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: week 20 - mileage challenge cont'd

May's challenge is: MILES.

The goal: at least 100 miles total (walk or run), 40 miles run

Caveat: Walk and run miles only count if outdoors or on a treadmill (i.e. walking around inside an airport or pacing back and forth in my living room does not count)





So, how'd I do this week?

Hello cooler weather!!!
Hello strength training workouts!!!
I almost feel qualified to call myself "fit" again.

Monday: 5 miles walked + a great "quiet" bodyweight workout from fitnessblender
Tuesday: 3.5 miles walked + office yoga
Wednesday: 2 miles run + 2.75 miles walked
Thursday: 2.25 miles walked + office yoga
Friday: 4.25 miles run + 2.5 miles walked
Saturday: A real, live, in-person yoga class!!! (And lots of walking: walk to yoga class,  walk to the market, walk to the library, and walk to the playground, but I didn't keep track of the miles)
Sunday: 6.5 miles run

Week (left to reach May goal)
Running total: 12.75 miles (37.5 miles down, 2.5 to go to reach goal for the month)
Mileage total: 28.25
For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 19 mileage

May's challenge is: MILES.

The goal: at least 100 miles total (walk or run), 40 miles run

Caveat: Walk and run miles only count if outdoors or on a treadmill (i.e. walking around inside an airport or pacing back and forth in my living room does not count)



Even with a conference taking up half of my week, I managed to walk at least a few commute miles each day, and my weekly total mileage isn't too shabby!
Though I wish I could've found more time to run!

So, how'd I do this week?

Monday: 4.5 miles walked
Tuesday: 3 miles walked
Wednesday: 2.25 miles walked
Thursday: 3.25 miles walked
Friday: 3.75 mile run, 3.75 miles walked
Saturday: 3 miles walked
Sunday: 5.5 miles

Week (left to reach goal)
Running total: 9.25 miles (24.75 miles down, 15.25 to go to reach goal for the month)
Mileage total: 29 miles (59.25 miles down, 40.75 to go to reach goal for the month)

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

What I wish I knew when I started running as a new mom

Last week a new mom posted a question on the message board of my running group...
As background, the question-asker is a new mom to a baby who was born premature, she's already back at work full-time, she's up for feedings every 2 hours all night long, and her question:

How do I fit running back into my life? Or is that even possible?

Oh... the things I know now that I wish I knew then!

My advice:

Go easy on yourself.

Getting back into running probably is important to you at this new juncture in your life, because it gives you a sense of control, it helps reduce your stress levels, and it gives you a few precious moments of quiet.

But it's also REALLY FREAKIN HARD to get yourself out of bed at 4am when your night of "sleep" was more like a few cat-naps.

So, yes, go easy on yourself.

Take walk breaks when you need to. Accept that a "training schedule" might not be in the cards for you right now. You will eventually feel like a runner again. I promise. But it might take a little longer than you had hoped.

Yes, some mamas are back to marathon-running within months of popping out a child. My advice?

Cheer for those other running mamas!

The success of a marathon-running mama does not diminish your exhaustion, and their distance should not be a yardstick against which you measure your own running performance. Running can be a competitive sport, but running can also be for recreation, catharsis, and fellowship.

Speaking of which...

Find a good running group.

Find a running group filled with other running mamas who understand that running schedules need to fit around nap schedules, school schedules, and swim class schedules. They have also had to deal with diaper blowouts in the running stroller, caring for a sick child the week before their 10k, and staying hydrated while running as a nursing mama.

They will be your support group, and you will forever be thankful for their wisdom and empathy.

Enlist others.

Tell your partner that fitness is important for your health. Feel no guilt about leaving your baby with family, friend, or sitter for an hour. Seriously. Your health is important to your child's health.

Invest in a good running stroller.

There will be times when you need to get outdoors, but no one else is around to watch your baby. There will be times when the weather is so gorgeous you can't imagine keeping your baby indoors, even if you have a partner or sitter available. There will be times when the whole family just wants to get outside for some fresh air.

Buy the good running stroller - you won't regret it.

When your baby is little, sing songs as you huff and puff slowly along. When your baby gets bigger, play I Spy games or have your kiddo bring a book along for the ride.

Cheer yourself on because no matter how quickly or slowly you're chugging along, YOU are running while pushing 100 pounds of baby + equipment. How many people can claim that victory?

Find all of your local playgrounds and map the running routes from home to those playgrounds. Your little one might not want to sit still "for a run" -- but sitting still "to go to the playground" is a different animal entirely.

And last, but not least...

Go easy on yourself.

Seriously. Running is supposed to be fun. Let it be fun.

If you are too hard on yourself, and running becomes a chore, you might give up entirely. Don't do that. Your child will grow out of the up-all-night phase. You'll get your groove back. In the meantime, let running be fun.

You have enough things to worry about as a new parent. Don't add running to the worry list!

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 18 MILEAGE

May's challenge is: MILES.

The goal: at least 100 miles total (walk or run), 40 miles run

Caveat: Walk and run miles only count if outdoors or on a treadmill (i.e. walking around inside an airport or pacing back and forth in my living room does not count)



I already like this challenge because it's making me think about taking the long way home, about running my errands, and about (finally) ramping up my weekly mileage post-baby. (I've been more or less consistent about working out, but my average weekly run mileage is still an anemic 10 miles a week.)

So, how'd I do this week?

Monday: 4 mile walk
Tuesday: 1.25 mile run, 1 mile walk
Wednesday: 4 mile walk
Thursday: 1.25 mile run, 1 mile walk
Friday: 2.75 mile run, 3.75 mile walk
Saturday: 2 mile walk
Sunday: 5.75 mile run

Week (month)
Running total: 11 miles (24.5 to go to reach goal)
Mileage total: 26.75 miles (67.75 to go to reach goal)

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: May MILES

April's (failed) challenge was plank-a-day.
May's challenge is one I can get behind: MILES.

The goal: 100 miles total (walk or run), 40 miles run
Caveat: Walk and run miles only count if outdoors or on a treadmill (i.e. walking around inside an airport or pacing back and forth in my living room does not count)

Friday, May 1:
Conference walking does not count (thought it should... I, quite literally, wore the heels off of my shoes last week!)

Saturday, May 2:
Flew 2,000+ miles back home to Virginia, but I only walked 1 mile (loops around DFW, again, do not count).

Sunday, May 3:
4.5 mile run!

Running total: 4.5 miles (35.5 to go to reach goal)
Mileage total: 5.5 miles (94.5 to go to reach goal)

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: April recap

Sigh. Not much to recap here, I'm afraid.

April was a solid F-minus for the plank-a-day challenge. I can blame a sick kid, a sick me, seasonal allergies, and a week of conference travel, but I also really wasn't digging planks as a challenge. I just didn't put the effort into the fit(ter) in 15 challenge this month. (Have I mentioned that planks are boring?)

That said, by month-end my running was more or less back on track, including a decent run in America's Finest City, followed by a relaxing afternoon at the beach.

Week 17 - silver linings?

I can breathe again! (Mostly.)

So I started on a catch-up plan... I'm woefully behind in my planks, but if I incorporate other exercises maybe I can make up for 2 completely lost weeks?

Saturday I planked, squatted, lunged, and crunched.

Sunday I did my plank and a 6.5 mile run. (Halelujah!)

And as I type this, I'm about to finish my plank for the day.

This will be an F minus month as far as goal grades go, but that's no reason to throw in the handkerchief... err... towel!

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 16

So... in case you're tuning in, last week my kid was down-for-the-count sick.
And then I got it.
Haven't done a plank, squat, sprint, or really any exercise since April 2.
The goal this month was 1 plank each day, but at this point I'm just looking forward to being able to breathe again.

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 15

March was speedwork month, and April is shifting gears completely into a hold-that-pose challenge: PLANKS.

The goal: One plank (60 seconds, minimum) each day this month.

How did I do this week?

So yeah.. My kid is sick. Like bronchitis. Up all night. Coughing til he hurls sick.

I can't remember the last time I slept. He's starting to recover (finally) but I'm still running on nothing but caffeine and carbs. Aside from walks with the stroller so we can both get some fresh air, exercise is a distant memory.


For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: April plank-a-day challenge begins

March was speedwork month, and April is shifting gears completely into a hold-that-pose challenge: PLANKS.

The goal: One plank (60 seconds, minimum) each day this month.

How did I do this week?

• Wednesday: So, I sort of forgot it was April, until 9:52pm... at which point I sprang out of bed and did a...
• 60 second plank! Yes. I got out of bed to exercise, just to make sure I didn't screw up the very first day of the challenge.
• Thursday:
• Playground plank! Evening daylight is my friend.
• Friday, Saturday, Sunday...
• Friday we had visitors in town, and then kiddo got sick. It's all been downhill since then.

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: March Wrap-up

March was speedwork month!

I needed one speed workout (track, intervals, fartlek, or hill repeats) each week. And... not incidentally, I should keep up with the strength training I started over the last two months.

How did I do this week?

• Monday:
• Full-body strength workout video
• Tuesday: 
• 1 mile warmup + 1.9 mile fartlek run!

How did I do for the month?
Total success!


I managed a sprint interval, hill, or fartlek run each week this month. (Ok... the hill workout was just a hill-y run, not real hill repeats, so maybe that doesn't count. But my legs feel stronger!)


And even though the last week of the month was a short week, and I technically didn't have to do an interval run, I managed to squeeze some speed play into my commute run!





And, coming up next...
April's challenge is plank-a-day!

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 13

March is speedwork month!

I need one speed workout (track, intervals, fartlek, or hill repeats) each week. And... not incidentally, I should keep up with the strength training I started over the last two months.

How did I do this week?

• Monday:
• Fartlek run! (I totally missed last week's speed work... unless you count a "hilly" run as hill repeats. Which I don't) So I wanted to get this week's speed work done early!
• Tuesday: 
• I was a slacker...
• Wednesday:
• Commute run (2 miles)
• Thursday:
• Commute run (2 miles)
• Friday:
• rest day
• Saturday:
• Squats + a long walk
• Sunday:
• 6 miles. 58 minutes. Not fast, but at least I was out there.

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 12

March is speedwork month!

I need one speed workout (track, intervals, fartlek, or hill repeats) each week. And... not incidentally, I should keep up with the strength training I started over the last two months.

How did I do this week?

• Monday: REST
• Tuesday: just my typical commute exercise (walk/run) 
• Wednesday:
• 3.5 mile hilly run on my lunch break
• Thursday: 
• Friday: 
• Saturday:
• Sunday:
• 3 miles around the neighborhood
• Push ups, planks, and lunges at the playground

How did I do for the week?
I'm not sure I should count the hilly run as "speedwork" since I didn't do hill repeats...
And aside from a couple of runs, it was a pretty weak week.

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 11

March is speedwork month!

I need one speed workout (track, intervals, fartlek, or hill repeats) each week. And... not incidentally, I should keep up with the strength training I started over the last two months.

How did I do this week?

• Monday:
• Commute run (2.25 miles total)
• Tuesday: Travel day (we took the little one to visit family in Texas)
• Wednesday:
• Treadmill
• Thursday:
• Elliptical
• Friday:
• Treadmill intervals - 90 second sprint (7 minute mile) / 90 second "rest" (10 minute mile)
• Saturday: Travel day
• Sunday:
• 
  

How did I do for the week?


For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 10

March is speedwork month!

I need one speed workout (track, intervals, fartlek, or hill repeats) each week. And... not incidentally, I should keep up with the strength training I started over the last two months.

How did I do this week?

• Monday:
• 6 x 400s! (And that's the day after running 8.5 miles. Boom!)
• Tuesday: 
• 
  
• Wednesday:
• 
  
• Thursday: Does shoveling count as a workout?
• snow day
• Friday:
• snow day
• Saturday:
• 5 mile run trying to avoid patches of icy sidewalk where the snow melt refroze overnight
• Sunday: The weather is finally nice again!
• long walk
• another long walk
• and another long walk

How did I do for the week?
Despite the snow and ice, I managed to get my speed work in!

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

March Challenge: Speed, speed, SPEED!

I liked the principles behind January's cross training challenge - full-body fitness, a simple routine, and NO EQUIPMENT. February's fitness challenge followed a similar concept.

But now it's time to shake things up.

My runs are getting longer and smoother, so my next goal is to pick up the pace.

March's focus will be SPEED.

Each week I need one speed workout (track, intervals, fartlek, or hill repeats)


Stay tuned...

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 9

February's focus has been arm strength:

• Monday/Thursday: 100 tricep dips
• Tuesday/Friday: 100 walk-down push-ups
• Wednesday/Saturday: 1 minute plank

How did I do this week?

• Monday:
• 100 dips + 100 squats
• Tuesday: 
• Run commute + office yoga "lunch" break (with plank)
• Wednesday: Fail.
• Thursday: Another snow day... 
• I managed 50 dips and 60 squats while trying to keep an eye on a toddler with a  bad case of cabin fever and while trying to get some work done so I don't get fired. The  fact that I did any exercise at all on a day when I essentially worked 2 jobs simultaneously and had no break from 6am to 10pm... That's a win.
• Friday: Fail. Again.
• Saturday:
• Yoga (including plank)
• Sunday:
• 8.5 MILE RUN!!! (Longest run in 2ish  years)

How did I do for the month?

Well... thanks to nagging pain in my hand I totally fell off the wagon on the walk down push ups. But I did well on the dips and planks. My running is back on track. And I'm doing strength training at least 4 days/week.

I'm not letting myself off the hook for the missed push-ups, but the whole goal of this challenge-per-month goal was to get back in the habit of exercising (almost) every day. So far, that seems to be working!

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 8

February's focus is arm strength:

• Monday/Thursday: 100 tricep dips
• Tuesday/Friday: 100 walk-down push-ups
• Wednesday/Saturday: 1 minute plank

How did I do?

• Monday:
• 3.1 miles. In 26 minutes. In 14 degree temperatures with wind chills around zero.
• Tuesday (Snow day!)
• Shoveling snow
• 1 minute plank
• Wednesday:
• 100 tricep dips
• 100 squats
• Thursday (It's seriously cold outside... single digits, baby!)
• Office yoga
• 1 mile commute run (it was too bloody cold to walk)
• Friday:
• 20 minutes on the stationary bike
• FitnessBlender's bodyweight workout
• Saturday:


• Sunday:

So... my schedule was all over the map this week. I don't think I did a single challenge exercise on its scheduled day, but I stayed on track workout-wise... running in the freezing cold and staying on top of strength training.

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 7

February's focus is arm strength:

• Monday/Thursday: 100 tricep dips
• Tuesday/Friday: 100 walk-down push-ups
• Wednesday/Saturday: 1 minute plank

How did I do?

• Monday:
• 100 tricep dips
• 80 squats
• Tuesday:
• 10 walk-down-push ups... No. I didn't forget a 0. I had shooting pain in my hand and decided to try again tomorrow.
• Wednesday:
• 4 plank variations (total 2 min)
• 60 push ups before the hand hurt again...
• 2.5 mile run (20 minutes! Does this count as speed work?)
• Thursday:
• 100 dips
• Friday:
• Self-declared rest day...
• Saturday:
• 5.65 miles in 47:45!!!!!
• Sunday:
• Ate lots of King Cake and danced to zydeco and Dixieland jazz in honor of Mardi Gras.

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 6 - February's arm challenge

February's focus is arm strength:

• Monday/Thursday: 100 tricep dips
• Tuesday/Friday: 100 walk-down push-ups
• Wednesday/Saturday: 1 minute plank

How did I do?

• Monday:
• 100 tricep dips
• 80 squat-to-leg-lift (Trying to keep the momentum from January...)
• Core strength "yoga" (Ouch! Even after a month of 200 crunches a week, this was tough!)


• Tuesday:
• Crazy day at work. Feverish, teething child... read Wednesday
• Wednesday CATCH UP DAY
• 100 push-ups (40 as walk-down)
• 1 minute plank
• Thursday:
• 100 tricep dips
• 100 squats
• Friday:
• 80 push ups...I think... a curious toddler distracted me and I lost count
• Saturday:
• 1 min plank - at the playground!
• Sunday:
• 4.8 mile run (43 minutes)

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: February Challenge

I liked the principles behind January's cross training challenge, so February's fitness challenge follows a similar concept:
3 exercises per week
1 exercise per day
2 times through the routine each week
1 rest day
0 equipment needed

It was easy to remember. Most of the time I could do the exercises in my pajamas or at my desk at work. (A challenge should be hard, but you should also set yourself up for success, right?)

By popular demand, February's focus will be arm strength:

• Monday/Thursday: 100 tricep dips
• Tuesday/Friday: 100 walk-down push-ups
• Wednesday/Saturday: 1 minute plank

Stay tuned...

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 5

January's challenge is complete!

The goal was to do 6 days of exercise each week, including the following:

• Monday/Thursday: 100 push-ups
• Tuesday/Friday: 100 squats
• Wednesday/Saturday: 100 crunches

How did I do this week?

• Monday: Oops... Getting back to the normal routine of daycare/work/cooking I sort of forgot the push-ups.
• 2 mile run
• Tuesday:
• 100 push ups
• 100 squat-to-leg-lift
• Wednesday:
• 4.25 mile run
• Thursday:
• 100 push-ups (including 10 walk-down push-ups... Getting ready for the February challenge!)
• Friday:
• 100 squat-to-leg-lift
• Saturday:
• 100 crunches (20 with a toddler bouncing on my belly. Ouch!)
• Sunday:
• 4 mile run while pushing 50 pounds of toddler-in-jogging-stroller

So, this week was a roaring success, but how did I do for the month?

During the stomach bug week from hell, I fell behind on my workouts. I wrapped up the week with 200 push ups and 200 squats, but I completely skipped any additional core work. (I didn't eat solid food for 3 days, so I'm not even going to pretend I feel guilty about taking a few days to rest and recover!)

Otherwise I hit every workout as planned, for a total of (drumroll please!):

• 900 squats
• 900 push-ups
• 700 crunches
• 31 miles run

Next month's focus: ARMS!

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 4

January's challenge is:

• Monday/Thursday: 100 push-ups
• Tuesday/Friday: 100 squats
• Wednesday/Saturday: 100 crunches

How did I do this week?

So... In case you missed last week's episode... we had an unwelcome household guest: a nasty stomach virus. Between last Saturday night and about mid-day on Friday we each had a round of serious stomach upheaval... and a shocking number of days required for recovery. (My sick leave bank at work is all but empty now. Ugh.)

• Monday: Hurling, heaving, and general unhappiness
• Tuesday: More hurling, heaving, and general unhappiness
• Wednesday: Subsisting on bananas and oatmeal... but at least the food is staying on this inside!
• 100 squats + 100 push-ups + 60 toe-raises (trying to make up for lost time)
• Thursday: More bananas and oatmeal
• Friday: Starting to sort of feel normal
• 100 squats + 50 push-ups (The kiddo climbed up on my back and I decided it was time to go outside and play instead...)
• 4 mile walk pushing the kiddo in a jogging stroller (That counts as arm work, no?)
• Saturday:
• 4.5 mile run (9:30 average pace)
• Sunday:

Yep.

No core work this week.

Not a single crunch, plank, or sit-up.

And I'm not sorry about it, either.

I did enough puking to absolve myself of crunch responsibilities.

I'll get back on track next week.

I will say, though, that I look forward to a normal week next week. Saturday's squishy wet run - while slow, and soggy - felt like a welcome return to normalcy after a week of digestive disasters in our house!

For more posts in this series see Fitter in 15.

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 3

January's challenge is this full-body strength training I nearly forgot the push ups. Hubby reminded me just as we were about to head to bed.


hallenge:

• Monday/Thursday: 100 push-ups
• Tuesday/Friday: 100 squats
• Wednesday/Saturday: 100 crunches

How did I do?

• Monday:
• 100 push ups (And I gritted my teeth through every single one of them. Why, oh why, is it so easy some days and so very hard on others?)
• Tuesday:
• 100 squat-to-leg-lift
• 2.5 mile run
• 20 minutes yoga
• Wednesday:
• 100 crunches
• Thursday:
• 100 push ups (Seriously, are these getting harder instead of easier?!? I  nearly forgot the push ups, but Hubby reminded me just before bed. Phew!)
• 1.25 mile run
• Friday:
• squats
• office yoga (thanks to Yoga with Adriene)
• Saturday:
• 100 crunches
• Playground  time! 
• Sunday:
• Baby threw up every hour last night and Mama got zero sleep. Which means mama ain't doing a damned thing today besides resting and taking care of the pint-sized patient. 

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 2

January's challenge is this full-body strength training challenge:

• Monday/Thursday: 100 push-ups
• Tuesday/Friday: 100 squats
• Wednesday/Saturday: 100 crunches

How did I do this week?

• Monday:
• 100 (modified) push-ups
• Tuesday:
• 100 squats (50-with leg lift)
• Wednesday:
• 180 cruches (100 regular, 40 bicycle, 40 reverse-crunches) + 30-second plank... and a massive round of muscle spasms the following day. I think I overdid it a little, no?
• Thursday:
• 100 (modified) push-ups
• Friday:
• 100 squats (40 regular, 40 with leg-lift, 20 with a 25-pound weight... erm... I mean toddler!)
• 1.5 mile run + 20 minutes on the stationary bike... Baby it's cold outside! (And icy.)
• Saturday:
• 100 crunches
• Sunday:
• 5.25 mile run

This week the sidewalks in the DC metro area were icy and temps were in the teens on the "warm" days.

The cold actually doesn't bother me. But the sidewalks were better suited to ice skating than running this week. so while I did plenty of skating walking, my run miles are anemic.

In my kitchen: Ultimate winter couscous

It's 9 degrees outside in DC today.
Perfect weather for dinner that involves roasting... (Really, any excuse to turn the oven on is a good excuse on a day like today.)

So I did what any good cook would do, and made Yottam Ottolenghi's Ultimate Winter Couscous.
Warm. Delicious. Hearty... and Vegan.

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium carrots
2 medium parsnips
1 butternut squash
2 shallots
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 bay leaves
5 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp hot paprika
¼ tsp chili flakes*
8-12 dried apricots, roughly chopped
1 can chickpeas
1/2 cup water
1 cup couscous
Pinch of saffron threads
1 cup boiling vegetable stock (or water)
1 (extra) tbsp. olive oil
Harissa paste
1 preserved lemon skin, finely chopped
Salt (to taste)


DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Peel and dice (1/2 inch cubes) carrots, parsnips, squash, and shallots.
Place the vegetables in a large ovenproof dish.
Add cinnamon, bay leaves, ginger, turmeric, paprika, chili flakes, 4 tablespoons of the oil, and a pinch of salt and mix well. Place the dish in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Stir the vegetables and return them to the oven for an additional 20-30 minutes (until the vegetables have softened while retaining a bite).
Add the dried apricots, the chickpeas, and water. Stir.
Return the dish to the oven and cook for a further 15  minutes, or until hot.
Prepare couscous according to package directions (including vegetable broth, saffron, olive oil, and salt in the preparation).
To serve, spoon couscous into a deep plate or bowl. Stir the harissa and preserved lemon into the vegetables; taste and add salt if needed. Spoon the vegetables onto the centre of the couscous.

NOTES:
I should note that these instructions above are a bit different than in the original. I cooked all vegetables at the same time, instead of adding the squash after the carrots and parsnips. I liked the way the squash got soft and caramelized while the carrots retained a bite.

I also skipped star anise because I didn't have any on-hand.

*And last, but not least, with a toddler in the house, I used mild harissa and served the chili flakes alongside the dish at the table instead of roasting the vegetables with lip-numbing spices.

Fit(ter) in 15: Week 1

January's challenge is this full-body strength training challenge:

• Monday/Thursday: 100 push-ups
• Tuesday/Friday: 100 squats
• Wednesday/Saturday: 100 crunches

How did I do?

• Monday: not a challenge day
• 3.7 mile run (9:30 pace) not a challenge day


• Tuesday: not a challenge day


• Wednesday: not a challenge day
• 20 minute body-weight workout (including 20 walk-down push-ups)


• Thursday: The official first day of the challenge
• 60 modified push-ups*
• 4.75 mile run (8:40 pace)


• Friday:
• 100 squats (50 with side leg lift)


• Saturday:
• 100 crunches


• Sunday:
• 4 mile run (9:00 pace)

While it's only 3 days into the challenge (4 if you count the rest day) I'm on track so far!

*If I had known that Day 1 of the challenge would be push-ups, I wouldn't have done a killer upper body workout THE DAY BEFORE.

Fit(ter) in '15! Twelve months of fitness challenges

Every year I set a list of goals. Last year my sole fitness goals were:

...join a local running group, and survive the first year of baby-hood.

(That second one is harder than it sounds.)

This year my baby has grown into a speedy little toddler, and while I fit back into my pre-pregnancy jeans and my biceps are fierce (lifting a 24 pound child a hundred times a day will do that...) my middle is squishier than it needs to be and I ran a measly 225 miles in 2014.

It's just too damned easy to consider an afternoon at the playground a "workout."
I need a kick in the pants.

So... 2015 will be the
Year of the Fitness Challenge
1 year. 12 months. 1 fitness challenge per month.

Before we get started, some stats:
Weight: 143.8 lbs
Fastest* mile: 7:56 (Oct. 2014)
Longest* run: 4.9 miles (Oct. 2014)
Max pull-ups: 3
Max push-ups: 60
Max crunches: ?
Max plank: ?
*In past 6 months

I considered kicking this plan off with plank-a-day, 30-day yoga challenge, or a run-streak, but after querying my friends and running buddies, and spending waaaay too much time on Google, this full-body strength training challenge called to me...

I started yesterday with 60 push ups after a 4.75 mile run.

(Yes... I know the list says 100. And I'm not making excuses. But I did a full workout with 30 walk-down-push-ups on Wednesday. Thursday was supposed to be a rest day!)

Next up... 100 squats!