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.

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.

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.

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: 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 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.