Endurance Check-in Fall 2021~Swim Bike Row Run Hike Move!

[Vantreesta]

Today after lunch I shoveled packed snow (from last week) for 45 minutes. It was 40 degrees and felt so awesome I just had to go for a run after I finished. I was excited to go and even though I know it wasn't smart, I didn't do any warmup bc I knew I would lose the oomph so I just changed clothes and went for wk1 day1 of the 10k trainer, which was 8x :60 run/:90 walk with 5 min warmup and cooldown walks, so 2.15 mi. Then I did Yoga for Runners post-run practice before I took Cyric for his second walk. Felt so good to run, even though it was just 8 one-minute intervals!

I'm going to try to still do the challenges I've started but space them out and not try to do them all every day.

Pratima, I haven't been reading super closely and don't think I told you I'm sorry about your FIL.

Alison, like Daphne I'm jealous of your hex bar!

[AlisonH]

Vantreesta: Yes, Jill Miller is the one. Thanks! I’m going to download her shoulder series. My shoulder flexibility is so sad. Yay for your warm weather! We had the coldest day in 3 years yesterday, but it was still way warmer than you’ve had lately. It’s back in the 40s here, so I’m going to take the outdoor Christmas stuff down after work. I didn’t really believe we’d get all the snow we did, so I left them up and they got buried. Now it’s all clear.

After a good week last week, I’ve struggled this week. The same weight felt so much heavier. I know every day is different, but it’s frustrating when you can barely do what felt good last week. My sleep and stress are no worse than the normal bad. I really need a few days off work, which I’m getting this long weekend, so hopefully that’ll help.

[Daphne M]

Alison - I so relate to "the same weight felt so much heavier." Some weeks the physical effort it takes just to haul my glutes off the couch is amazing. And then there's the mental effort. So glad you loved Sam's AC/DC ride too! Definitely one of my favorites. I guess the Bon Jovi ride is next up for this weekend.

Vantreesta - I love that your shoveling got you so fired up and you literally "ran with it." Go go go.

Pratima - Waves! Are you still doing XTrain? Are you getting out on the trails?

Me - I switched up my morning routine a little bit because I was struggling with doing my daily outdoor run/walks in the dark with ice still on the roads.

So now I'm doing all my other activities (pre-run warmups, rows, bike, strength, mobility) first and then I go for a run last when the sun is up.

It's been much easier this way and bonus is that I'm REALLY warmed up for that run so the cold isn't fazing me. I even ran in shorts this morning and it was 35 degrees.

RANDOM THOUGHTS:
I've had the Peloton for almost 5 months now and love it. I was secretly hoping when I got it that the cycling would make me a stronger rower, but that has not happened. I am exactly the same -- still the same mediocre splits and average watts on my rows. Do you all still find yourself improving at things? I don't expect to be as strong as I was in my 50s but I really want to be as strong as I was last year!

FAVORITE WORKOUTS IN LAST FEW DAYS:

• Donohoe Method Mobility (Hydrow) - OMG, this was just a gentle 10 minute mobility practice that he recommended after a long car ride or long day sitting at a computer. I did it on a day that I was feeling under the weather and it was just right.
• An Ally Love "Sundays With Love" ride from January of 2021, theme was "joy."
• Ben Alldis 20 minute full body strength Queen - If you want an easy workout that is short but checks the major boxes, I recommend.
• A 4-mile run on Sunday - I revisited a section of my neighborhood that I used to run frequently during the years that Darlene and I ran together in the mornings. Memories!

Life is good!

[Vantreesta]

Today I spent over an hour putting away all the Halloween stuff. The tubs were all packed before I went to AZ in November but I hadn't played Tetris getting everything back in the closet. Nice to have that done. The basement looks so much bigger!

Wednesday I just did day 2 of Kassandra's current yoga challenge. Thursday I did days 3 and 4 of the challenge and I think day 4 of the challenges I didn't do on Monday. Friday was a Leslie ramp workout and Kassandra day 5. Yesterday was a Jessica Smith HIIT walk, Cathe Stretch Max resistance band routine and Kassandra day 6.

[Daphne M]

All - I hope everyone had the MLK holiday off and got to enjoy the day.

Vannie - I am cracking up that you are still putting away the Halloween decorations. Pretty soon you'll be like those people who leave their Christmas lights up all year long, but just don't bother turning them back on until the day after Thanksgiving, LOL.

Alison - How's the workout schedule going? Running once a week was a smart choice for winter. This winter is giving me more of an outdoor challenge than I bargained for.

All about me
Jamie has gotten in the wonderful habit of driving over to our house to use the Peloton on the weekends. It's great fun having her there for company. It's also disgusting because we use the same pair of bike shoes and there is nothing like putting your foot inside a warm, sweaty bike shoe to gross you out.

Workout-space-sharing could also be what finally pushes me to pair some headphones with Peloton and Hydrow. I've been avoiding it because I suspect my current beloved running earphones are not compatible and also because I'd just rather not wear them. Does anyone have recommendations for bluetooth earphones? I hate AirPods. I do not like noise-cancelling. I do like cheap.

Highlight workouts of last few days

• Hydrow - "Around the Island" Row. (15 minute "sweat" with Mike rowing in Gloucester, Mass) Wow! This was Hydrow's first time doing a coastal row, this one in the ocean around Cape Ann. The views were spectacular, but some of those currents had to be hard as hell to get through. Mike was using a wider boat designed for coastal rowing. Waves, egrets, seagulls and the cape lighthouse. No seals though. Apparently they are releasing more this week and hinting at seal sightings, so I will persevere!
• Peloton run/walk - I'm enjoying the "walk and run" workouts and did a 30 minute one with Olivia that sneakily kicked my butt. I figured the run portions would be nice and slow but they were tough. At least they were short and I didn't fly off the back of the tread!
• Peloton bike - Really enjoyed Sam Yo's 30 minute 80's rock ride. The soundtrack to my single days!
• Outdoors - FROZE MY GLUTES OFF on a 4.5 mile run/walk at Occoquan Park but I got to pet the world's sweetest dog. This was supposed to be a walk (hamstring problems) but I was dressed very inadequately so I ended up running almost half of it.

Onward and upward!

[Vantreesta]

Well, all the Halloween and Christmas decorations were down, I just hadn't taken the time and energy to stack all the tubs in their respective closets!

[Vantreesta]

Yesterday I did day 5 of both the Human 2.0 Movement Challenge and Lauren's squat challenge. Then I did a Yoga With Adriene runner's warmup (didn't love it, a warmup should be dynamic), Aztec Athletics plyo calves, GuerrillaZen bulletproof knees, wk1 day2 interval run on the treadmill, Helen Clare piriformis exercises, and Yoga With Adriene runner's cool down, which was better than the warmup sequence for me. Today Cyric and I walked a little over 3 mi at the nearby state park. Not nearly enough snow for snowshoes but enough that the walk took more effort and my legs were tired by the end. I just finished up Kassandra's most recent challenge and then did day 1 of the Yoga Treat yin challenge, dragon pose. Have a little to do in the kitchen and then I'll do our afternoon walk early bc I'm going to see Ghostbusters finally!

[AlisonH]

I haven’t done any actual workouts for the last week, but I took Megan to Florida for soccer and walked a ton. I also ate a ton, but I don’t care cause it was so good. I really enjoyed the escape from the frigid temperatures, and I even missed an ice storm. I definitely see the allure of wintering in Florida—warm sun in January felt so good. It was fun all around.

I’m going to visit my parents shortly, where the lows are below 0, so that’s the payback. This Saturday night will be 80 degrees colder for me than last Saturday afternoon. After that short trip, I’ll be back on the lifting program.

[Daphne M]

Originally Posted by AlisonH

I definitely see the allure of wintering in Florida—warm sun in January felt so good.

Alison - This struck such a nerve with me that I have to respond (and will probably regret it.) I love a few days of sunshine in the midst of winter but Norm is in Year 2 of a campaign to get me to agree to retiring to Tampa Bay or Sarasota area year-round. NOT MY CUP OF TEA. So. Flat. So. Hot. And I love his friends but I have spent too many vacations with sedentary 70-something year-olds already. I cannot.

[Vantreesta]

I didn't feel like working out today so I convinced myself to just do Yoga in Practice S1E4 and day 2 of the yin challenge (saddle pose). We have a wind chill advisory till noon tmrw so walks are short today and tmrw.