It’s strange how you just get so USED to your regularly scheduled workouts, that when you shake things up a little it feels like you’re on vacation or something. Unless maybe I just don’t remember what being on vacation feels like. Yup, that would be it.
But still weird, because everything in my life besides that hour or so in the morning is exactly the same. Is there such a thing as a post-marathon crisis? Because if not I will just invent it right now. It’s different from a mid-life crisis, because instead of losing my hair and buying a sports car (that’s not me in the above photo) I lost my Garmin and bought a yoga mat. I definitely think my version is more awesome.
So here’s what went down this week starting last Sunday.
Sunday – 5-6 miles easy on a hilly route, 30 minutes online yoga
Monday – 6-7 miles “climb and fly” (first 2 miles up a big hill, then flat and downhill) 30 minutes online yoga
Tuesday – 45 minute home online barre workout from Barre Workout HQ
Wednesday – 5.5 ish miles, hilly route
Thursday – 1 hour yoga from Honeystuck 25 Days of Yoga
Friday – 5 miles easy, 20 minutes yoga
Saturday – Planning for 7 miles “climb and fly”
Sunday – Rest
So it turns out I’m doing a bit more yoga than originally planned. It’s just feeling so good after not having stretched much during marathon training. I really wasn’t paying attention to how much muscle tension I carry around all the time, and a little bit of yoga on most days is working wonders. Another reason to be really thankful for the internet. Without free online yoga instruction, I would not be able to do any of this.
I was lucky enough to have my husband home from work yesterday – perfect timing to ask him to take a few photos for this blog post. What I learned from our short photo session is – take every photo of someone in a yoga pose with a grain of salt.
Here is why. It looks like the above photo might actually be someone holding a crow pose. Honestly I’m not exactly sure what the heck this was or how this photo came about, but it seemed from my end to be my husband trying to repeatedly jump his knees onto his shoulders. Photos can be deceiving, just saying.
And now a few that he took. The bridge is definitely a stretch for me at this point in every sense of the word.
I’ll be continuing similar mileage next week, perhaps turning the 7 mile Saturday into 9 miles, if I feel like it. We’ve been having a decent amount of cold rain, freezing rain and wet snow which I am not a fan of running in. At least now I feel like there’s no reason I need to get outside in bad weather to train. 25-30 degrees without precipitation is actually pretty perfect for me, and I’m enjoying my easy running!
Happy weekend to everyone, from the Rosens! We are only happy in this picture because all 3 kids are in school. Wild times, as you can see above 🙂
What was your best workout this week? Anyone trying anything new, fitness wise?
I would love if this winter the weather stays around 25-30 degrees in the morning – it’s perfect! Do you think we will get that lucky? I don’t know why I can’t get into yoga but I understand completely loving the feeling and liking to do it most days. Same way I feel about barre. Leaves you feeling really nice and even when it’s challenging, it’s a welcomed relaxing stretching type feeling…You totally had a mini vacation being home together without the kids during the day lol.
That really is the perfect winter running temp to feel like you’re getting the most out of your gear where it actually keeps you warm, yet it never seems to stay! The last couple of years were rough in Jan-Feb, I’m curious to see what happens.
It felt really weird to not have a schedule, and Ive just been doing whatever I feel like this week! Without a specific plan I find myself easily distracted and don’t get as much done as far as my workouts as I do when I have a plan. Like Ill get up in the morning and blog until I feel like running and then I don’t have a ton of time to run before work. My goal for next week is to set aside one day to make it to my yoga studio where I can really clear my mind before the craziness of the holidays begins!
I’ve been in that trap too with blog commenting in the morning! I find myself with less time than planned because I’m on the computer from 5:30-6 and then leaving 615-ish. I kind of wish I could go to a studio but time and $ are a factor, I’m finding I’m surprisingly self disciplined with doing it at home maybe just because it’s something new 🙂
Nice post! I do yoga once or twice a week but I think of it as a recovery from my other workouts. However, depending on the intensity it can be a workout in an of itself! Which program are you using for online yoga? I would like to find one I can at home.
The stretching counteracts all the tightness from typical runs and workouts so it really does feel like part of recovery, although is challenging as well! I started on myfreeyoga.com and also have used links from 25 days of yoga on the blog honeystuck. There is also a ton on youtube but it’s good to get referrals from bloggers. Also Rebecca @ strength and sunshine has many home practice resources on her blog.
When I was younger, raising my children, I felt like you about my routine and everyday being the same. I use to say to my husband how do you handle and even deal with the daily monatomy mentally. It’s not that life has changed for me now. My days are bathed in sameness. It’s just that now the sameness seems comforting. I enjoy what I choose to do and look forward to each day knowing we are lucky. Even with each of our own problems, and believe me we all shoulder our share, we have it better then most. One of my yoga teachers was in India training with her teacher and he said, “silence is not not speaking, it is not thinking.” That’s what yoga has helped me do, besides incredible toning, it has helped to silence the endless chatter in my mind. That is what the practice entails. Three parts–breathing linked to exercise and a quiet mind. Till I started to get that out of yoga, I wasn’t getting its full benefits. Have a great, silent minded weekend. Rest your brain. You are like me–you think to much.
There is definitely a big comfort it a familiar routine. I would love to be able to quiet my mind more often and I’m hoping yoga in the early morning will help with that, if only for that short time. Thank you and I wish you a wonderful and relaxing weekend as well!
A husband and wife who does yoga should attempt to do partner yoga! Seriously Ive been looking for a yoga partner but cannot find one. Your crow pose is lookin good!
That would be cool but I doubt my husband would ever seriously attempt yoga! He might do it for a laugh but I guess that’s not the point 🙂
Seriously, it makes me so happy to see you’re enjoying yoga! LOVE IT! XOXO
I think it was a long time coming and much needed! Enjoy your Sunday 🙂 XO
haha – this whole thing cracked me up! 🙂 We’re colder up here, and are riding the edge between what I call ‘good cold running’ and ‘crap it is cold’. 30-ish is great, but as I commented on Lisa’s blog, the other morning was supposed to be 25 with light wind, but ended up dipping into the teens with strong winds, with a chill near zero. Ugh.
I am sadly suspicious of most pictures I see where it isn’t from someone I trust … food, workout, body-shots, etc. That said – I love the pics of your husband in the yoga pose. I’m pretty sure that is what I would end up looking like!
And yay for the two of you getting some kid-free time – I am always talking about how the foundation of you as parents always has to be you as a couple. And with 3 young ones now … your life is so regimented by necessity that being able to break out and ‘live on the edge’ (no garmin, more yoga – DANGER! haha) is really extra-important. Love the pic of you two together 🙂
I remember the last 2 years when we hit that way too cold phase with 0 wind chill and there’s not much you can do to truly be comfortable. I’m hoping we don’t go below 20 too often!
And it is so funny what “living on the edge” means now, and you’re so right. Changing small things feels major! And not sure my husband actually made it into the pose for a countable second, but he tried and we both laughed so it was a success 🙂
You got the picture – so it happened! And if he needs it, I’ll vouch for him! haha
Of course, ha!
this is SO awesome ,thank you for posting the yoga links – i was going to ask you about that 🙂 right now my schedule is pretty nice and fun for me: 3 days of running, 2-3 days of strengthening of some sort, 2-3 days of cross training, and for now i’m just aiming for 1 session of yoga class per week until marathon. we have a free class at one of our office locations so it’s worth the drive and time management to do it – actually today will be my first time to try it! but before that i was doing online yoga or pilates once a week, but hadn’t found a good online one that i loved. so thank you!!! i do stretch every day and hang upside on the inversion table ( which is incredible for anyone who has back/hip issues or scoliosis 🙂 and make sure to take at least one full day of rest. we just had a 20 mile run yesterday, and i know we went SOOOO slow (like think 10’s! lol) but i felt incredible during and after. the stretching and A.R.T. has really been helping, i’m so happy right now i could just burst but i’ll save it for the next run.
happy monday, hope you had an awesome weekend!!!
So great that you stretch every day! I need to actually have someone tell me to do it I think, or else it winds up being my bedtime and I’m just too tired at that point! Congrats on getting through the 20 miler! No need to worry about pace when you’re doing that sort of distance.