I really am quite excited that the weather cooperated so well yesterday and allowed us to do our long run. It was breezy and cool enough for River to get a longer run in too!! I thought he was capped out at 3 miles, but he probably could have gone for longer – I don’t want to push him too hard too fast, so slow and steady we shall go. (Plus, lets be honest – can’t push myself to do extra miles just because I used to be able to do it) TRUST THE PROCESS!
Also, I came to a logical realization… I won’t see results unless I put in the work. If I keep cheating myself, the results will never come and I will never feel “good.” Therefore, no more excessive eating out (specifically at lunch time) no more skimping on strength training, no more NOT stretching. If I want the results, I have to do the work. Simple as that.
Monday- Plan: Stairmaster 20 minutes and upper body Actual: It seems my body does not respond well to running every day and I need to switch it up. So, I completed 17 out of 20 minutes of the Stairmaster. Accumulated a lot of sweat and got in a good workout. Before I did that I did arms and back as well as some pelvic floor / core work. All in all, I am happy with the work out and I wish I had more time to workout and not feel rushed. But, gotta get in what I can during work.
Tuesday- Plan: 1.5 miles EZ and core Actual: I looked at my phone plan and I thought it said SPRINTS, now looking at this I see I was just supposed to take it easy. Well, it was hard enough convincing myself to go to the gym. Then my stomach curdled up and I almost Sh!t my pants! I tried doing a 5-4-3-2-1 workout. 2 min warm up/ 5 min @ 6 / 4 min @ 6.3 / 3 min @ 6.7 / 2 min @ 7.0 / 1 min @ 7.2 / 30 sec @ 7.4 / 2 min rest and the repeat it but increase each interval by .2-.4… well I got through the first part and into the second 4 minute interval my stomach dropped and I couldn’t continue on. I thought for a second it was just me being silly and I wouldn’t have to go once I stopped running… but it wasn’t. And I barely made it to the bathroom in time. So, I only did 27 minutes of running – got in a good sweat though and called it quits. I actually have had a queasy stomach for the last 4 hours since the gym… so not too sure I am all done passing whatever it is my body is rejecting. I think I managed a little over 2.5 miles.
Wednesday – Plan: 800m repeats (2.75 mi total) Actual: REST – was going to try to run after work, but that never works. I got scared to go to the gym because I feel like they are getting annoyed with me taking long lunches. A coworker is subtly asking “how long it takes to pump” and like “yeah, as long as you put in the time it is ok, and like come in on a Saturday if you owe hours” and I’m like… its a law to get time to pump and I don’t have to work during that BREAK either. I know she means well, but I am going to take it as a warning that they are watching my hours and when I am here.
Thursday- Plan: arc/elliptical/bike 45 minutes Actual: I tried to do a fartlek 10 min warm up 5.5 / 3 min at 6.0 / 3 min at 6.2 / 3 min at 6.5 REST and repeat…. well I felt fullness “down there” and I was also pushing it too hard (weirdly) I just didn’t have it. So, I stopped… cooled down and went on the ARC trainer for 15 minutes. I took a total of 1 hr and 14 min lunch! I timed it, so that isn’t too outrageous. I even go in a shower! (no I didn’t wash my hair, that would have been a 30 minute shower lol) 1.73 miles total
A friend is offering to help me train, once I get back into shape and can more consistently run (a little longer than 20 minutes lol) and I am so excited! He is going to start training/ going to school to be a certified run coach and needs some subjects. We worked together back in 2020 before the world shut down to train for my marathon (that was consequently shut down and I was injured) but it was fun and hes a good friend!
Friday- Plan: 3 mile EZ Actual: REST
Saturday: Rest Actual: We met up with a friend and went swimming. And sadly I didn’t get any cute pictures of the dumpling in the water for the first time! Kinda bummed about that to be honest.
Sunday: 3-4 mile run with doggo Actual: Gardening – and dang it was tough! We have an acre yard to take care of… we are growing vegetables and fruits and have flowers surrounding our house. So, I gotta start stepping up and helping because I definitely haven’t been. 😦
Planned mileage: 11.5 miles Actual mileage: 4.23 miles
Honestly, I am pretty saddened by my miles this past week, but my body was not feeling up to it. And mentally – I am in a rut! Not sure what is going on but I definitely don’t feel like myself. Sometimes you go up and down in how you feel, and I guess I’m just a little down. Run out.
While on Saturday we definitely pushed the limits and I realized that River can’t handle the humidity (yet) we had a lot of fun. Hendrix helped bathe him afterwards and I think we got most of the STINK off of River! That’s huge, because he is a stinky dog haha
GOAL: Face fears of the weight room every day. Just do it. Because you won’t see any change unless you get out of your comfort zone
Sunday – REST DAY – We had to get out of the house and wanted to beat the supposed rain/thunder storm which never came our way. Since we got the stench off of River I took him in the car! He refuses to jump up into the car, despite being able to jump nearly 6 feet in the air! *major eye roll* Ever since he was a puppy, I would ply him with treats and he hated getting in. So, cue lil me picking up a 55-60lb pup and heaving him into the car. He loved the ride though and kept checking on the dumpling sitting in front of him. Yes, there was drool EVERYWHERE… but it wiped up easily haha. We didn’t make it long on the hike as Hendrix had to go to the bathroom urgently. So, we did about 1 mile or so in total and that was enough. It was nice to get out. Once River is out for about 5 or so minutes he calms down and walks nicely, but at first it was MAYHEM. And even though it was rest day I did do some legs and core, but not much. Jesse got to go out fishing in the kayak! Which is HUGE because the weather has been ruining his plans every time. He caught 7 Spanish mackerels and we ate yummy fish for dinner!
Monday – Plan: 3 miles (increasing speed every .5 mile) + upper body strength Actual: 2 min WU/ .5mi @ 5.5 / .5mi @ 6.0 / .5mi @ 6.5 / 1 min rest for water / .5mi at 7.0 / .25mi @ 5.5 / 4 min CD (garmin calculated only 2.64 mi while the treadmill calculated around 2.84 mi.) I had sweat running in my eyes, I was anxious about getting back to work and my eyes were stinging. So sadly I stopped early. And I really wish I pushed myself another 1/4 mile! Followed up the run with upper body strength!
I got super anxious because I don’t want to get in trouble taking long lunches, but I really need to be able to work out during lunch or else it won’t happen at home. And I can’t stay till 6pm to make up for the long lunches, so I hope it goes unnoticed.
Tuesday- Plan: 2 miles (EZ) + lower body strength Actual: 2.25 miles at 5.5 on the treadmill while watching “You” but it only really got good in the last minute! I chose a different spot to run/ different treadmill since my usual was taken and I was FREEZING! I thought it was smart to be under the AC unit but it was pretty lousy. Then I finished it off with some deadlifts, walking lunges, goblet squats and a couple calf raises.
My dog leash is supposed to come in the mail on Thursday! I am so excited … I just hope I can get out of the house early enough with River and use it .
Wednesday – Plan: 3.5 miles (400m repeats) + abs Actual: .2 miles My plan went to complete $h!t in the first 4 minutes of my run. After giving birth to the dumpling I worked hard on building my pelvic floor muscles and I thought I did a good job. I could sneeze without crossing my legs and worrying about peeing myself, I could laugh freely without peeing… all the joys that we often take for granted. But… today, there was a heaviness “down there” and felt like something was about to fall out of me. So, I immediately stopped… called the physical therapist (who by the way I was supposed to see months ago but they NEVER contacted me – the doc sent a referral and I left a message for them) and I am waiting for a call back to see if I can get a consultation. I have a feeling it has to do with deadlifting 80 pounds yesterday. Is it 80 pounds if it was 40 lbs on each side? Anyway… I think that something to do with it – but I want to strengthen everything up so that I don’t run into this issue again. Just hoping they can call me back ASAP.
Thursday –Plan: XT + full body Actual: I stayed home today to be with the dumpling after her doctor appointment. We definitely needed that mommy + me time! We walked around Target and did a small walk in the late afternoon, but other than that it was a very chillax day. I am still waiting for the physical therapist office to call and am not sure why no one will reach out to me. I am hesitant to do running or lifting for fear I weaken my pelvic floor more. I did try doing some exercises (for PF) to help.
Friday –Plan: 5 miles (long run) Actual: I decided against doing the long run today, I hope to get in a walk later. I want to run over the weekend and will make that my long run.
Saturday – Plan: Jesse’s birthday is really tomorrow (Mother’s Day) but we will celebrate today so I can have my day tomorrow. He wishes to get fruit trees and spend the day in the yard planting and gardening. So, that is what we shall do! We have to get some supplies, like shovels and stuff … and then also the trees.
Sunday- Plan: Happy Mother’s Day! I hope to get 4 miles early in the morning (long run with pup I hope) + lower body strength
Actual: I was so excited to go on this run, y’all! I woke up every few hours to check the time haha. Finally at 6am right before my alarm went off I jumped out of bed and started getting ready. Of course the little dumpling got up 15 minutes later but we had predicted she would be doing that. Coffee made, clothes on, dynamic stretching completed and River was let out to go to the bathroom and eat a small breakfast and then I ate a banana. We headed out the door just after 6:30am. Since I wasn’t sure how my body would do/feel I started out really slow and mentally prepared myself if I needed to turn around if anything felt like it was “falling out” luckily no feelings of that! I’ve been working on my pelvic floor the last few days too! So I’ll continue to do that daily and also won’t run every single day. We got in 4.25 miles running and .5 mi cool down! Making it a total of 4.75 miles today! Followed by stretching and donuts!
As you can see I have decided to get creative and plan out the workout week on a cute lil planner. While I was pregnant and newly postpartum I saw a lot of the “75 HARD Challenge” and even some “75 soft challenge” videos and it was really intriguing. I have decided to take part of the soft challenge, but maybe in my own way? Firstly, I want to workout Monday-Friday and Saturday/Sunday will be a chiller day but will still include some sort of movement. While I am nursing my daughter, there is no insane calorie cuts I can do or even want to do, I can’t / WONT completely cut out sugar and carbs because I want those. But I do want to focus on mindful eating, less processed foods and consistently tracking my macros. If I can swing some lower carb options, I know I will benefit. My body needs to hang on to some fat for nursing, and I am okay with that! My biggest goal is to run farther and faster, and if I can get a little more ripped then cool. I am cutting back on miles this week since I did a big jump last week and it left me pretty tired.. so to be mindful about it I am cutting back a little and then will play around with the mileage.
Sunday – Plan: REST Actual: laid out like a cockroach (I hate this synonym) but I don’t know what else to put here)- the pollen count was extremely high today and I basically spent the whole day sneezing and blowing my nose. No one was feeling superb either, so it was a super chill day … oh and putting away the mountains of clothes.
Monday– Day 1 of 75 soft challenge … I really need to get out of my head and realize that no one gives a f*ck about what you do at the gym. I still let myself get embarrassed and I refuse to TRY strength because I don’t know if I have the right technique. I did an easy 2 mile run and then when I tried to go into the little room I have been going into to do my strength, a class was going on. I got so nervous I did a few KB swings out in the main area and called it quits. HOW do I get over that fear?!
my tops have stains, my bras have milk stains, my pants fit weird. i just don’t know anymore
Tuesday- Redoing day 1 of the 75 soft challenge because I didn’t do everything I was supposed to do. Actual: 10 min stair warm up (37 floors climbed), KB workout – of course not exactly what I said I would do because I just don’t do that… actually, I got too heavy of a weight and I couldn’t swing it up without getting hurt. So I improvised, but I did a lot of lower body work today. I snagged the room and went to work. You know what I noticed? I know what I am doing, and I shouldn’t be so dang worried. I also think I found my “gym uniform” I like the big baggy shirt and bike shorts look. I wore my Nike SB’s and some socks that said “I need space” and I was good to go. After strength I did 10 minutes of bike and then a little booty machine thing / some kick back thing. I tried to do a back exercise in-between all of this but was unable to successfully move the contraption to fit my height. No one came to help, no one saw.. and that jus confirms that my fears of being watched and judged are stupid.
Wednesday – Speed work! I love doing speed workouts, it is more challenging and more fun. However, I do not think I challenged myself ENOUGH and should have pushed more. Which is odd, I thought 7:30/mi pace would be hard for me to keep up with. But for 1 min at a time it was too easy. (roughly 8.0 on the treadmill). 3 min WU 10 min at 5.5 8 x 1 min at 8.0 after each interval there was a 1 min recovery at 3.5 3 min cool down at 5.5 5 min extra cool down at 3.5 Followed this up with stretching and hip mobility work. total mileage: 3.21 miles
Thursday- 2 mi recovery run. (no picture) Keeping an average HR of 136bpm (woo hoo!) It was boring, it was slow… but it was needed – I guess? Then I hit the sauna for 10 minutes while my eye make up slowly blinded me. You know… I only wear makeup to the gym because I go to work. Otherwise, I would not be dolled up and I hope people know that! lol
I ended up buying a hands free dog leash – I have been going back and forth thinking about getting one from Amazon or a “real” established dog running leash company. It was between Iron Doggy and Stunt Puppy. I went with Stunt puppy solely because it was in stock, Iron doggy had a “sidekick” one but it is shorter and made for dogs that don’t pull – it is for dogs to be right next to you. And while River does great, I don’t expect him to always be right next to me. I chose a bright orange leash and I am so excited! Last night I had no time for him and it made us both sad. But as soon as I got home, the dumpling was on me feeding for most of the evening and when I finally got her down and went out to get River it was dark. We ran around the yard for a bit and he got to eat a late dinner. It was actually fun. We have a big security/flood light that illuminates 1/2 the yard. So we used that to run around and while he tried his hardest to get me to take him on a real run I had to put him back and go inside. Good thing too, the dumpling was wailing. Jesse was trying to comfort her but she wanted more mama milk. I eventually got her down and settled for the night though.
Friday- I have a bad habit of not going to the gym on Fridays 😐 I went shopping and got some oversized shirts, collapsible dog bowl, dog treats – that he ended up NOT liking – so weird bc this dog will eat anything. But I guess not those… 🤷♀️
Saturday3.35 miles – it was a little later in the morning than I wanted to set out and therefore it was a little warmer. The pup didn’t like it and we had to rest A LOT. He did really well the first couple miles but when I pushed it to tried to reach 4 he called it. And I have to respect that because I don’t want him getting heat stroke. I did buy a collapsible dog bowl and we shared water and he definitely enjoyed that. But mix with black hair and double coat he had had enough. After we cooled off he got a cold bath.
Ok, so as you have probably seen (maybe not) I have been running with my pup. Well, he is now over 18 months old and we started a few weeks ago. He is small for being a Labrador and no more than 55-60 pounds max (guessing here). He is due for a vet appointment to 1. get his updated rabies shot and 2. I really want him check out to make sure he is healthy and good. He is in shape, definitely not overweight… despite him being able to eat a horse. eyeroll he will literally eat anything.
River prances, he loves coming out with me and walking and running, but he always ALWAYS waits for the cue to run with me. Which, honestly… for as much as we DIDN’T train him, he is wildly well behaved with me. But, then again.. it is ONLY me he is well behaved with. And I wish that really weren’t the case.
Anyways… the first time we ran together I tried taking a video of us running and I instantly tripped over him and fell on the ground and cut up my arms and hands pretty badly. They have all healed, but I am pretty scarred up. Was it his fault? Nope. It was mine, and I learned my lesson super quickly! Did he run off after I fell? No. He stopped in his tracks and came to me… which is so not like him – in that he loves to run and go sniff things and just cause chaos. We walked back home as I was dripping blood all over and couldn’t continue on the run.
Then, about 2 weeks later I decided to give it another try and kept my phone in my pocket. He did GREAT! His average pace is around 10:15-11:00 /min which is a great easy pace for me to keep up with.
This made me intrigued, as I am just getting back to running more and he is eager to please.
His furthest run has been 3.1 miles. I was so dang proud of him, and I know he enjoys running along side me. (such a proud dog mama!)
But, this last run I could tell his left hip was a little stiff, it looked different when he was running – he made no whimpering noises and didn’t want to slow down. I only noticed it once and then he seemed okay, but this is something I want to bring up to the vet. I tried to stretch him out after our run but he did not understand what the HECK I was doing.
Anyways, so our summer weather is only just inching in… which means HUMIDITY. So I am going to be overly cautious running him as I don’t want him to suffer a heat stroke. Last year he actually overheated (and we weren’t even running) and I was 6 months pregnant sitting out with him cooling him off and watching over him for hours making sure he was okay…. he finally got better after 2 days! I couldn’t afford to take him to the vet because those treatments can run a couple grand, and since he hadn’t shown severe symptoms the vets told me what I could do at home to help him.
This time around, we have access to more shade and money- which means there are a few things I want to get him, not just for running purposes, but to keep him cool in the summer heat.
Cooling Mat – I intend to let him lay on this in the extreme heat, but he tends to chew and I would hate for him to chew and eat the gel in this, so it would definitely need to be monitored.
Chill out Bandana – I think that a regular bandana frozen would also work, but I am intrigued by this product. This would be put on him (I think) while running or right after.
___ would love to note that I will not be running him in the heat of the day —- and I would either be doing this early morning or evening. However, lately we have only been able to do our runs on the weekend and we go on short walks in the evening during the week. Once summer starts and I don’t have to do school work, we might be able to include some more runs. He doesn’t do too well with my son riding his bike as he just wants to chase after him and its difficult to control the stroller + the dog + the little boy that is riding ahead of us trying to not freak out River is jumping on him.
Collapsible dog bowl – already proven he needs this as last run I had to give him my water and it left me with none lol
Dog harness
Hands free dog leash
Both of these items I am unsure of how much to spend / quality I need. We do so well with his regular collar and the regular handheld leash. But the leash sometimes gets caught up and he gets tangled and I would love to be more handsfree so I can work on my form. The harness would help so the leash couldn’t get tangled up.
So anyways, just trying to prepare for the summer! If you have any suggestions, please let me know!
Sunday – Plan: 2 miles with River / active recovery Actual: Hoppy Easter! We got in 2.13 miles today and tested out running with the stroller! 😀 It was muggy out! (80° and 87% humidity) But we made it!! I shared/ gave my cold water to the pup who was very thirsty and he loved every sip of it. My legs felt super rested and wanted to go for longer but the pup was definitely pooped and I figured I’ve got more miles planned for the week so I’ll keep my legs fresh!
Monday- Plan: Mobility exercises + upper body strength, if time maybe some biking Actual: Upper body strength – which I am definitely going to feel (well I hope so) I putzed around and did some before and after cardio. Queue in some intimidation when I got there and didn’t quite know where to start or what to do. Then I did the arc trainer (which I remember to be different) for 30 minutes while watching The Kardashians on Hulu… kinda love it. Never liked their show in E! but the Hulu version is intoxicating. 2 miles on the arc trainer and upper body work.
snuck into the spin classroom (where there was no class going on) and took a picture in the fun lighting!
Tuesday- Plan: 2 mi TEMPO (@10:08/mi)Warm up with dynamic stretches and .5 mile of easy running @ 5.5 Run 2 miles at tempo pace (6.0), with a 60-second surge (6.5/ 6.7 / 7.0 / 7.3) at every ½ mile. Cool down with .5 miles of easy running. estimated mileage 3 miles Actual: Having this routine of going to the gym during lunch is going to drastically cut down on my shopping, and that is a really good thing! I like to get out of the office, whether it is wandering around shopping for things I don’t really need or working out. I am super glad I chose the gym I did. I keep having to remind myself of my goals, and what I am really doing at the gym – because A. I see this gorgeous girls lifting weights doing the whole IG workout $#!t and I am like “I wanna be like them” but that isn’t my end goal. MY goal is to run further and faster. MY goal differs from theirs. So, while they get their pump on and do minimal to no cardio, I am running all the miles and doing mini pump sessions. I have a clear end goal, and I want 10 min/mi to feel like a breeze again, I want 8 min/mi to be reached and I want 6-7 min/mi to be my sprints/all out. I think it’s important to lay out what my goals are so I don’t get confused. As much as I want a #girlswholift gang and all work out, we have different goals. And that’s okay! Total mileage: 2.9 glorious miles
Before RunAfter Run *glistening*
Wednesday- Plan: 3 mi EZ + lower body strength Actual: While I had three miles on the plan, I managed 2.5 miles because I decided to do some incline play. Typically I stay at 0%… but NO road is 0% grade, it is often .5-1.5% “flat” so with that, I felt like I had been cheating myself a bit. So, I stayed between 1.5 – 4% incline which made me a bit more tired. So, I decided I was good at 2.5 miles and then did a cool down. OH, I also charged the Garmin (finally) and brought my heart rate monitor and I averaged 143 bpm! I also got some lower body strength in, dead lifts, side lunges, walking lunges, and some core work! Top off the workout with some DELICIOUS Chipotle. I love it so much, but I am pretty sure I will be paying for it later because my body tends to not like it much.
Total mileage: 2.66 miles Time: 32 minutes Avg. pace: 12:03/mi TE: 3.4 Avg. HR: 143 bpm Max HR: 166 bpm Avg cadence: 172spm Max cadence: 194spm
I finally was able to sync my watch with the app, its been a process- and so I will be sharing these numbers, I don’t know who all really reads these… but these numbers help me to see where I am at. Prior to pregnancy my avg. cadence was in the 180s… which is considered by experts to be an efficient number.
Thursday- Plan: 2 mi EZ shake out run Actual: This marks 5 days in a row of working out – and surprisingly I am not hurting, tired, or feeling over-trained? I haven’t been pushing exceptionally hard every time.. when it calls for an easy run, I do just that. No longer am I totally obsessed with pace. I am fueling my body, hydrating, stretching and SLEEPING! Yay me! 2 miles running at~11:30/mi pace and then chilled in the sauna for maybe 10 minutes. And I remembered my towel this time so I was able to rinse off and shower!
Friday- Plan: 4.5 mi LR Actual: My plan was to run after work, skip lunch and run at home… But it was well over 80° and I didn’t want to run in that heat. So I decided to skip and do it the next day.
Saturday- Plan: REST Actual: 4.53 miles !!! I did 2.5 with the pup and the dumpling and the remaining ~2 with just the babes. I decided to bring out the water bladder and thank goodness I did! It was getting warmer and warmer and the sun was up despite it only being 9am. My legs ached and they were definitely feeling heavy! But Im so glad I pushed through and finished the run.
Total Mileage- Plan: 14.5 miles Actual: 14.22 miles
***I have come to a realization that I may not be able to do long runs on Fridays… and it could be problematic, even doing 2 miles on the treadmill, it being a 25-30 minute workout including warming up, cooling down… also getting dressed – I am gone for close to 1.5 hours! So, if I really wanted to do 4+ miles I am going to be gone for a couple hours – which will probably cause some trouble. So, definitely need to rethink that plan. But what I have noticed is that I am more inclined to go to the gym, despite me really wanting to go shopping.. which saves me $100 each time I do not go shopping.
First – I don’t have any races to actually do, and I don’t really want to spend money on a virtual race because you just can’t duplicate that race feeling when it’s just yourself! I wish there were more down south all year long, but I totally get why there aren’t…. I mean, have you ever tried to run in blazing heat and 100% humidity? There would be people dropping like flies and the race wouldn’t have a chance for a second year. Most of the races are in the fall and winter time.
Also, I’ve decided to skip 10k training and go to half marathon… Within the half marathon distance I have to build up to a 10k anyway and I just really want to get back to that distance – or even have like 6 miles be an easy woo hoo run again. In general, I feel so strong and capable I know I can work my way up. It isn’t about time or pace, it’s about getting the miles, and eventually it will be about pace and how fast I can go!
On Saturday I tried taking the pup out for a walk with the stroller again a few times and he sucked- he pulled and was overly excited about a cat and it stressed me out. It felt like the first time out was a total fluke. But I think he’s just got a lot of energy. It makes me wonder if I should spend the money to get the dog leash and what not though if I am planning on mostly running at the gym 🤷♀️
Sunday- plan: 3.5 miles Actual: I am not sure how much I have gotten into how our dog loves to just run off and eat whatever he can find. *eye roll* Our yard is open and doesn’t have a fence, so we are looking into an invisible fence but also he enjoys laying in his crate, we have prickly grass and he hates laying on it. Anyways, I tested his loyalty today and brought him out to play ball. He stayed loyal, ya’ll! He didn’t run off and played fetch with him like a good boy. Then he rested in the shade and before dinner we went out on a run. 2.25 miles with the pup! Honestly he is so fricken good on our runs, it’s crazy. I looped the leash onto my phone carrier around my waist and it was great being hands free! It made me realize we need a harness for him before a handsfree leash! I have read so many reviews how the handsfree leash is heavy so I am a little worried about that part.
Monday- plan: 2 miles EZ and lower body strength Actual: started the morning off with some mobility work – my hips were feeling very achy and tight so I am going to try to focus on not only stretching and lengthening muscles but also mobility! I FORGOT my shoes for the gym. 😦 soooo bummed, and then I was going to just go buy something cheap to get me through but the gym (Anytime Fitness) is offering 7 free days to try it out – oddly asked me to schedule a future time to check it out and I can’t even go today. Like whaaaa?
Tuesday- Plan: XT arc trainer 25-30 minutes / upper body Actual: Signed up and did a complimentary day at Crunch Fitness. Really sad that it is only one day. I didn’t really like the vibe at first, it was something different. Catered towards crossfit I feel like, which is fine – just not what I normally do? But, I enjoyed my time and a girl (who I saw kickin ass with weights) complimented me on my outfit when I changed. *blushing* lol. But that place is TOO close to Target and conveniently next to BAD fast food I would eat. However, it did have more room to lift weights. But something about Club 4 Fitness really pulls me to it, I like the vibe there a lot. So, anyway I did 2 miles on the treadmill (reluctantly), legs and arms. But again, something there I just didn’t like that much. It is the same price as Club4 ($10/month) Tomorrow I plan to go to Anytime Fitness – which I have ZERO intention of joining because it is like $50/mo. (that is just insane in my opinion!)
Just me eating my apple
Wednesday- Plan: 5 min warm up / 400m @6.0 / 400m @2.5 / 400m @6.2 / 400m @2.5 / 400m @ 6.5 / 400m @2.5 / 400m 6.7 / 400m @2.5 / 400m 7.0 / 400m @2.5 / 400m @ 7.2 / 400m @2.5 / 400m @ 7.4 / 400m @2.5 / 400m @ 7.7 / 5-10 min cool down Actual: Let me start with saying that my legs are incredibly sore from weights yesterday. But I am addicted to trying these new gyms for free and working out. Literally, addicted. I love the feeling it gives me to push through workouts. With that being said, I did almost the whole workout I outlined above. 3 min Warm Up/ 400m @ 6.0/6.2/6.4/6.7/7.0/7.4 @ 1.5 incline with 400m rest at 3.0 and 1.5 incline – Looking back I should have just done a timed rest and not 400m, because it seemed TOO long. And I got bored once I hit 7.0. After I did a 7 min cool down I played on the TRX and did pushup things and pullup things and played with the ropes. Besides trying to run further I really want to gain muscle – I want ARMS and a strong back and GLUTES. (I have no glutes, and it makes me sad) (AROUND 3 MILES TOTAL)
BEFORE THE SWEATPLAYING WITH ROPESLOOK AT THAT FACE – SO CONCENTRATEDGO GO GO GO I QUIT RIGHT AFTER THIS
Thursday – Plan: XT / Stretch Actual: Rest – legs were feeling way too sore to do anything proper.
Friday – Plan: 2 miles steady slow pace Actual: I decided to bite the bullet and sign up for Club4 Fitness – I definitely had a big dilemma on which gym to choose. But I am glad I chose this one, it is close (well they all are) but I just get such good vibes there. I went for my LONGEST run. I am going to have to change up my workout routine and incorporate all workouts Monday-Friday. If I get something in on the weekend it will be a happy extra, but I don’t have to bank on getting in my long run and then get upset I missed it! So anyway, I did FOUR miles! And it felt spectacular! I averaged around 11:03/mi right around 5.6mph at zero incline. The last .15 miles I “cranked” it to 6.0mph and while I was sweaty, I felt like I could keep going if I needed to. Like if a zombie was chasing me slowly. Very very exciting that I was able to complete that run and I have a plan moving forward to get my mileage up, but will have to make it flexible as you cant go from 0-100 right away.
I would just like to take a moment and appreciate my pup, we had some really hard months and we didn’t get along because I didn’t have the patience or time to be with him properly and exercise him. It has been really hard not having the time to exercise him and his barking at night didn’t help the situation. But with training and mutual respect I believe our relationship is growing and evolving quite nicely. I really want to get his nails trimmed, but I feel like he will be A LOT for the groomers. Plus he needs his rabies shot apparently, so gotta get that scheduled!
Sunday: plan run with dog 2-3 miles Actual: we did a leisurely 3 mile run and then hung out and stretched. From Wednesday to Friday he was up barking at all hours of the night and to be honest I was super upset with him for disrupting my sleep. Honestly don’t mess with me and sleep or when I’m hungry. I’m not a nice person. My hubs let me sleep in Saturday morning with the baby and it was blissful. Friday and Saturday night he was silent and miraculously the baby also slept through the night with no early morning feeds. I am counting my blessings that this girl has been sleeping through the night only waking 1x maybe 2x a night to eat. The last two nights she’s slept through till 7-8am and then eaten. It’s been amazing but I’m sure this might just be that she is ramping up for teething or something. I’m taking advantage of the extra sleep though!
We did it! 3.1 miles
Monday: plan: upper body and stairs 30 min first day of spring break! So I’m not responsible for anyone else in the morning and hopefully they will all be asleep when I get ready and leave for work Actual: I have to admit I am pretty intimidated by the gym .. I don’t know what it is but I feel like I will be judged. I sometimes still feel like I’m that big girl from a few years ago, but I know I’m not. Usually when I get scared I stick to only cardio. But the thing is I want to lift weights! I want to get muscle and stronger! My back has ALWAYS been really weak, and therefore I’ve gotten back aches and suffered from running injuries due to it (and weak glutes!) So I want to focus on and use machines and equipment I don’t have access to at home. This is also my time for myself. So anyway, I let myself get intimidated and I worked through lunch. I braced myself for whatever would be happening at home – you never know if there’s a mood in the house! My son was a little snappy when we tried doing some school work and he was sent to take a nap. He really needed it and slept for 2 hours!!! Well, during that time I decided it was time to MAKE the time to introduce River to the stroller. I couldn’t just keep taking the dumpling in the baby ergo, and I wanted other options. So, I started off by wheeling the stroller near the pup and telling him more about it, I let him sniff it and then he had to sit and not move and I opened his crate and put his leash on. He sniffed it a little bit more but luckily didn’t jump up on it like last time. He gave a kiss to the dumpling and sat. I had to correct him a few times – but we were all learning. I didn’t know where he should be while walking and we quickly figured out next to me or stroller but not in front pulling. He got it right away especially because the wheel of the stroller kept hitting his leg 😂 so after about 2-3 minutes of walking around our yard we set off on our 2 mile walk. HE DID GREAT! Honestly he’s been really great at learning new skills and I’m so happy he is enjoying it as much as me. THIS is what doggies are for. Protecting us and having fun while being out exploring. We even did a small 100m jog on a flat road to see how he would handle it with the stroller. It was brilliant! So now I know he’s capable, just some more practice and training and we will have it. But I do rather enjoy running without the stroller and just him. It has also been extremely nice getting out nearly every afternoon for a walk! I Looooove when the days get longer, makes it so much easier to get these activities in!
Tuesday: Plan- lower body and 2 mile shake out run Actual: I faced my fears and went to the gym! It was actually really inviting despite nearly every person in there looked like a body builder and Instagram model! I couldn’t find a bench open so I took what I could and did my own arm and shoulder routine. (Writing this the next day and my arms are pleasantly sore) it was nice seeing a few girls in there looking so dang strong and ripped. It gave me confidence and I didn’t feel too awkward there. So I putted around and did some weights – I was a bit pressed on time since I knew I had a lot of work to get back to. So, after arms and shoulders I went to conquer the stairs. They suck. I managed 10 minutes at level 7. I wanted to do 20, but I was hurting! Then I jumped on the treadmill to shake out my legs for a little and did 3/4 of a mile. Again, my anxiousness made me hop off because I wanted to beat my boss back to work. I put in about 30-35 minutes total at the gym and worked up a good little sheen of sweat. I felt confident there and welcomed… I think I might have to sign up there! Oh yeah… It started POURING when I got there and didn’t let up till I got back to work haha. I completed the whole night with a swift little walk with the pup. He must have got into something and ended up barding everywhere around 9pm, so I also got to clean that up .. poor guy, but he seems to be doing better now.
Wednesday: Plan- 3.5 miles with some sprints? Actual: (rest) Well, I had to take the little dumpling darling to get her 4 month shots, so I didn’t get into work till closer to noon, which didn’t allow me time to go to the gym. So I aimed for an evening run or walk with the kids and pup. But the weather was like NO. It was dang humid and looked like it was going to start raining. I wasn’t in the best of moods and the pup was testing his limits, so I called it when we got down the road and headed home. Sometimes, it just be like that!
Thursday: Plan- abs, 5k on the treadmill, lower body circuit Actual: Abs in the morning- it’s been really nice not having to get the big one up for school and I can just focus on myself. I ran around the grass with the dog as I am still a little too nervous to just go off on a run in the morning and have the littlest dumpling wake up crying for milk. Anyway, I made it to the gym and finished off a 5k in just over 30minutes. I did negative splits and averaged around a 10:12/mi pace. I finished in a sprint at 8mph and was definitely drenched in sweat. I am finding myself really enjoying this gym… the vibe there – I don’t feel judged, in fact I see a lot of females there and it is a boost of confidence. I really want to get a girl gang together and lift. I feel like it could be well received lol. Anyway, I did some leg work and my quads definitely will hurt! And then I stretched some too. I had to keep it short because somehow the time was passing incredibly fast. I found out there is a cycling room (locked) and a private room for like group classes (someone was cleaning it). In the womens bathroom – which is locked and you need a code (thought that was very cool) there is a sauna! about 4-5 showers, a lounge room with a TV, lockers and of course toilets. Oh and even an area to do makeup and dry your hair! They thought of everything! I am getting a lot of enjoyment out of lifting and running and I am really happy I found this gym. Now just to pay the sign up fee and monthly!
I chose Taco Bell for lunch and might regret it soon – but it was a chicken powerbowl 🙂 Oh and rocking a milk stained shirt (yay for nursing and leaking lol)
the crappy gym mirror in the women’s locker room.
Friday: Plan- Sprints 3 min warm up/ 800m @ 6/ rest 400m/ 800m @ 6.5 / rest 400m / 800m @ 7.0 / rest 400m / 400m @ 7.2 / rest 400m / 400m @ 7.4 / rest 400m / 400m @ 7.6 / 5 min cool down Actual – I didn’t get to shower the night before, EWWWW. So I woke up this morning to shower and didn’t pack any gym clothes – not to mention my complimentary pass is up at that gym I like so much. I am trying to get to all the gyms in this area and do their free passes before I sign up, also I am trying to make it to next paycheck haha. Since Jesse is a SAHD, I am the main provider (which I love) and so I need to make good choices. Next week I check out Crunch Fitness because they offer a free 5 day pass!
Saturday: Plan- run around town and get the tools to do my own brakes. I refuse to pay $500 to get my brakes changed. My dad taught me when I was younger and there is also the trusty YouTube to watch and learn from. So, while I do have to get some tools (jack and jack stands) we will have these for future car projects. So it is an investment! I also am hoping to bathe River Actual– bathed River!! Got a lot of excess hairs off of him and now he’s like a fluffy puppy! He got to go on a few walks but nothing very long. My car wheel was stuck and so we couldn’t get it off! All in all it was a little bit of a frustrating day, and the little girl was very needy.
Thursday morning I woke up at an all-time low post pregnancy – and I must admit when I was pregnant I couldn’t wait till I could shed the weight. I was harboring A LOT of emotions around weight gain and wanting to get back in shape. While I still want to get in shape and feel comfortable in my skin, I really want to feel strong. The number isn’t too important… I know where I like to sit in terms of weight – and I am still a little above it, but dang I am proud of this body! 4 months post partum and I can run a 5k in 30 minutes, I can lift weights and I don’t pee myself when I sneeze anymore! And I am still able to produce enough milk (for now) for my daughter, which is PRIMARY GOAL OF THE YEAR – I want to nurse her. It gives me so much pleasure knowing I can do that.
When I was pregnant with my son, I was overweight – and after I had him I lost the weight and then gained it all back because my eating habits were atrocious and I wasn’t moving. So, coming out of this pregnancy I was quite focused on caloric intake and losing the weight. It pretty naturally came off, but I realized that a lot of my snacking was due to boredom. Now that I am at work, I snack more often but try to be conscientious of it. I stopped tracking what I ate so much and believe I am eating more than I was before, but now that I am fueling my body and working out almost daily I have lost a little weight. It’s like my body isn’t holding on to it so much, ya know? I haven’t lost much since this recent change, just a pound, which could be water weight mostly. But, I think the big takeaway is that I am happy with where I am at and where I am going. I think I can reach my end of year goal of running a half marathon too. And if I am lucky, I can run a 10k in under 60 minutes in the next 2 months! I plan to start training next week. 😀
Sunday – beach day!!! With the littlest and newest addition we can’t be out in the sun all day long… So we have a sun tent! But also, this southern sun is WAY more intense. So even though we didn’t spend a ton of time out in the sun, we still got color and we are all exhausted. Baby dumpling did great and slept a while in the shaded tent and even dipped her toes. When we got home and everyone got settled I took the dog out for a quick run.
Monday – REST day .. body was still recouping from being in the sun all day. I did take the pup on a walk with the dumpling and do some stretches and core work.
Tuesday – plan run either spring hill again or go to USA actual: run spring hill and take the dog for a walk!
Wednesday – plan: rest actual: dropped way too much money on clothes and a cute bag
Thursday – walk around the hood with the pup and baby
Friday – rest
Saturday – walk around the hood with the oldest while playing Pokemon go. Had no idea this was still a thing lol
The name of the game is fitting in the time to work out, eating right and loving your body. While I’m not where I was before, and my eating habits really suck… I’m still proud of where I am and what my body is capable of. I want to continue to praise it with good vibes and intentions because I found that during my weight loss a few years ago, once I started speaking kinder to myself I relinquished the physical weight I held on to. My body will fluctuate right now, and maybe I won’t be able to get super lean. I’m producing milk for my baby and that usually makes me retain on to a little pudge here and there. That’s okay! I am literally sustaining life. I’m trying to shove this down my throat, not yours…. I just am trying to remember it took 10 months to build that beautiful baby girl and it’ll take a bit longer to get the body I want. And that’s okay. I’m healthy, I’m able to provide and most importantly, I am able to run still… And if I can continue to increase my mileage, I have no further complaints (at the moment.)
Edit to add: I am feeling more and more like myself, in the sense that I identify as more than just a mom. If you are a mom, you might understand this – for I don’t really know how else to explain it. But, each day I feel more like me… when I had Hendrix I lost myself completely. It was so sad, and I was a lost soul… I only identified as a mom, I didn’t take care of myself nor spent time finding me or how to even start. Once I started putting myself first, and I concentrated on my health I really found out what I loved and my happiness again. While this time I definitely did not lose myself, I feel my strength coming back. I feel my soul pumping again… I feel my legs getting stronger, my smile even brighter. My mind expanding… and it is such a joyous feeling.
Sunday – started off morning with some light stretching and coffee and a nice walk around the neighborhood with the doggo and little baby and then did way too much shopping! I got a new yoga mat finally! Ended the night with more stretching
Monday – started the morning with a quick HIIT workout, middle of the day was a good 20 minute walk during lunch
New outfit check – these jeans are super 90s and I never would have worn them back then, but here we are now.
Monday – Plan: walk/run 2 Miles Actual: hit 10k+ steps! Went on a walk with the pup and took the boy for a bike ride!
Tuesday – Plan: strength + walk/run 2 Miles Actual: there was NASTY weather coming so I did not go out because of the wind and impending doom that was coming! We were on tornado watch and it turned to a warning by 9:30pm. I did do some core work and stretching with the dumpling girl.
Wednesday – Plan: yoga and Barre Actual: soooooo tired from being awake last the night before due to the tornado warning! It was our first so we wanted to be prepared and if need be grab the kids to hunker down in the bathtub. Luckily it didn’t hit us or any land near us. But at the end of the day I still headed out and managed 1.85 mi walk/run while H rides his bike
Thursday – Plan: rest Actual: walk around the block with the pupperooo
Friday – Plan: 1 mile run + strides? Actual: woke up so energized and came up with a quick HIIT core routine that I want to do daily… we will see if that happens! Did some upper body strength as well and believe it or not I went running at lunch!! Now, Mobile is not that safe, and I wasn’t just going to run on the streets so I turned to my coworkers to ask where they might recommend a safe place for me to run. I was greeted with so much love it was amazing. One lady, who is a mom- her kids are grown now- was so excited I was taking time for myself and was just so supportive and encouraging like “oh yes, you must get out and do things for yourself! even just treat yourself to lunch, or shopping… oh I love this for you” lol.. she is the sweetest. So, I went to a nearby college and ran around the campus. About 2 miles running and .5 mile cool down to get to the car. It was perfect!
Saturday – we took family pictures and mostly just hung at the house
Sunday – day 3 of the daily movement challenge! I HAD to get out and run today… It was sunny and beautiful and 50°. After our 2 mile run I challenged the boy to sprints, which surprisingly was about .2 Miles across the lot. Didn’t seem too long, which it was slightly longer – he was exhausted afterwards and my legs started feeling heavy but we did about 5 or 6 sprints in total. I took so l-carnitine to help with sore muscles so hopefully tomorrow I will be A-OK! since I work across the bay (basically have to go from the east of Mobile Bay to the West side) I do about 1 hour of traveling a day. I need to figure out a gym situation and am thinking of doing planet fitness since it’s close to work. Basically I would go on lunch break and workout. I want to lift weights and “tone up” basically I want to build some beautiful Beautiful muscle and feel strong and happy.
Monday – I did not sleep well, it seemed like no one did actually. Tossing and turning and some nightmares as well! I woke up well before my alarm due to the little nugget wanting to feed. I contemplated just laying in bed longer after my alarm because I was just tired. But I thought better of it… I only did stretching, but it helped to start the day off right.
Tuesday – I didn’t do what I had initially planned which was a HIIT class but I did run laps with the pup. So, good enough!
Wednesday – 23 min run equaling to 1.68 miles with baby in the stroller and H on his bike. Just enough to get the heart pumping and a little sweat
Thursday – ran with dog laps around the yard, squats, abs and stretching!
Friday – rained out but I did do stretching!
Saturday – I did my first postpartum 5k! Friday night I was itching to run and destress so I mentally prepared for a Saturday morning run. I didn’t think I was going to take the pup because of the previous time falling but I tried it again. It was nice having company and he did so well. We averaged 10:26/mi pace! So I ended up finishing in under 33 minutes!! I wasn’t out of breath or pushing hard and I feel good hours later!
Being able to complete a 5k without walking at all is such an accomplishment! I’m so excited for what’s to come. And I hope soon I can incorporate weight lifting into my routine!!
Run Jac Run 🏃🏻♀️ 