The Week in Workouts: November 4-10

This was not a particularly active week for me, as I can't seem to get well and stay well. The past week I was feeling a bit run down and like I was getting a bad cold. It seemed to go away for a few days and then on Thursday I again started feeling poorly. At least I got in a few workouts.

Monday - gym. I did 20 minutes of weight lifting followed by 25 minutes on the stair master. I may be the only one in the world who loves the stairclimber, but I do.

Tuesday - active rest. I got in 30 minutes of walking across campus.

Wednesday - gym and yoga. I did 20 minutes of weights and then 20 minutes on the elliptical at a moderate pace. Later in the evening I went with a couple of friends to a Yin class. It was my first time in the studio in a few weeks and my hips were definitely feeling it by the end of the class. I was exhausted by the end and even drifted off to sleep for a few minutes during savasana.

Thursday - active rest. I got in 30 minutes of walking to my class and back to my office.

Friday - 2.5 mile run. I met up with a friend who was running 42 miles this week to celebrate her birthday for a couple of birthday miles on the trail system near campus. I was really congested, and she very kindly kept to my pokey pace.

Frozen Pond Seen on Our Run

Saturday - rest. By this point my cold had become full-blown, and I spent most of the day drinking oj and blowing my nose. I probably wouldn't have gone out for a run anyway, though, as we got freezing rain that turned the streets and sidewalks into a treacherous, slippery mess.

Sunday - rest. I was still feeling pretty crummy, so I spent the day on the couch, doing class prep, grading, and drinking hot tea.

I also received some bad news on Friday. The treadmill repair guy came to look at my treadmill, and it looks like the problem is not the speed sensor - which would be easy and cheap to fix, but rather a problem with the guts of the circuitry. If this is indeed the case, it may cost several hundred dollars to repair. Considering that the hours of daylight are shrinking and currently all surfaces outdoors right now are like an ice rink with a few inches of snow on top, we're debating the best course of action. For now, we're having the repair place order a new speed sensor, and we'll see if that ends up doing the trick.

Do you have a treadmill? Do you run outside when the conditions are icy?

The Week in Workouts: October 28 - November 3

Well, I have to fess up and admit that I fell just short of my goal of running 30 miles in the month of October. I ended up running 27 miles, and I'm okay with that. I got in some good cross-training this past week, and I'm looking forward to continuing to rebuild my fitness and to working on tracking and accountability in the month of November.

Monday - gym. I did 20 minutes of weight lifting and then ran 2.5 miles on the treadmill at an average pace of 10:52.

Tuesday - active rest. I did get in 30 minutes of walking around campus.

Wednesday - gym. I did 20 minutes of weights and then ran 2 miles on the treadmill at an average pace of 11:10. I really wasn't feeling this workout. My legs just felt dead, and I felt like I was dragging the whole time.

Thursday - active rest. I woke up feeling sick on Thursday, so the only exercise I got in was walking across campus to teach my class and walking back to my office. I had planned to run those final monthly miles, but I opted for an afternoon of doing class prep and grading on the couch instead.

Friday - rest. I was still feeling under the weather, so I took it easy.

Saturday - gym. I did 20 minutes of weight lifting and then 20 minutes on the elliptical at a moderate pace and a low resistance level. I could tell I still wasn't 100% from how much effort it took to get through this easy workout.

Sunday - rest. I had tentatively planned to go for an easy run or a walk in the afternoon, but I got a call from a friend I hadn't had a chance to catch up with in a couple of months, so I enjoyed having a long chat with her instead.

My fitness and health goals for November are to run at least 33 miles, get in at least 8 cross-training workouts, and to maintain my food journal every day. What's one of your health-related goals for the month of November?

The Week in Workouts: October 21-27

This past week was the height of midterm grading season, so things have been busy around these parts. I did, however, manage to get in some quality workouts last week.

Monday - gym. I did 20 minutes of weights and then 25 minutes on the elliptical.

Tuesday - 3 mile run. This was a windy and hilly run through my neighborhood, but I was happy that I got out there. My pace averaged out to 10:47 min/mile.

Wednesday - about 25 or 30 minutes of cycling. Mark and I headed out on our bikes instead of hitting the gym since it was a nice afternoon, but our ride was cut short due to some mechanical issues with Mark's wheels. It was a bit of a bummer, but at least we got out in the fresh air for a bit.

Thursday - active rest. I got in about 30 minutes of walking around campus. I had planned to run in the afternoon, but since I opted to go to a volleyball game in the evening with a couple of friends I decided to postpone my run to the weekend.

Friday - rest. I did some housecleaning, but I didn't get in a workout.

Saturday - 2.5 mile run at a 10:26 min/mile pace. I was feeling good and would have extended it by another mile if I had known that the football game I wanted to get back in time to watch was going to have its start delayed.

Sunday - rest. I had a late night out on Saturday with friends that involved a delicious meal out, a visit to a haunted house with some legitimate spook to it, and martinis. The martinis hadn't really been part of the plan, and I was a bit sluggish all day. This sluggishness was magnified by the malaise that often accompanies grading midterms and papers.

If I want to hit my mileage goal for the month of October, I still need to run 5 miles before the end of the day on Thursday, so my workout goals for the upcoming week are to cover those running miles and get in at least two cross-training workouts. I'm also aiming to start using my makeshift standing desk a bit more when I'm working at home. What are your workout goals for the week? Do you have any fun Halloween plans?

The Week in Workouts: October 14-20

Well, I didn't hit my goal of running at least three times this past week, but I did get in two runs and some good cross-training.

Monday - gym. I did 20 minutes of weights and then 30 minutes on the elliptical Most of the time on the elliptical I held a pretty moderate pace, but I did throw in four 2-minute intervals of 8 seconds fast followed by 12 seconds at a moderate pace.

Tuesday - active rest. I got in 30 minutes of walking around campus.

Wednesday - off. I had planned to go to the gym, but Mark forget his gym bag at his (locked) place of work. Since I was also feeling a bit under the weather, I decided to skip the gym in favor of a night on the couch.

Thursday - gym. I did 10 minutes of weights and then ran 2.3 miles on the treadmill. In order to prevent it from being too boring, I mixed in a couple of faster 1/4 mile intervals. I cooled down with another 10 minutes of walking.

Friday - gym. I did 45 minutes on the elliptical machine at a moderate intensity.

Saturday - run. I did 3 windy and hilly miles in my neighborhood at an average pace of 10:47min/mile.

Sunday - hike. I had planned to run, but instead Mark and I opted to head out for a post-brunch hike. We climbed part of the way up Flattop before I started feeling a little bit acrophobic and we decided to head back down. All told, we got in about 70 minutes of hiking, experienced some wind, snow, and a tiny bit of hail, and got to take in some nice views.

I'm still hoping to hit 30 running miles this month, so my workout goals for this coming week include running at least 3 times as well as getting in at least two cross-training workouts. What was your favorite workout of the past week? What are your workout goals for this next week?

The Return of Training Mondays

Right now I don't have any upcoming races -- though I wouldn't be opposed to putting a December or January 10K on the docket if I can find one that works with my schedule. However, I do have some fitness goals and am looking to be a bit more accountable. I got in several solid workouts over the past week, but I have to tell you that not having a functioning treadmill at home after becoming accustomed to having one for the past several years is creating some (not insurmountable) obstacles.

Monday - gym. I did 20 minutes of weight lifting and then 20 minutes on the elliptical machine.

Tuesday - rest day. I did get in about 30 minutes of walking, as the class I teach on Tuesday/Thursday mornings is all the way across campus from my office.

Wednesday - gym. I did 10 minutes of weight lifting and then 25 minutes on the treadmill, including running 2 miles at an 11:00/mile pace.

Thursday - rest. Again, I got in about 30 minutes of walking across campus.

Friday - run. I did a hilly route in my hood for 2.2 miles at a 10:55/mile pace. I sort of struggled through this one, but I was glad I got out there.

Saturday - short hike/walk. This was an easy 30 minute walk through a local bird sanctuary.

Sunday - run. I did 2.6 miles in my neighborhood at a 10:45/mile pace.

My workout goals for this upcoming week are to get in at least two cross-training workouts and to run at least 3 times.  What are your workout goals for the week?

Goals for the Short Term and the Week

I'm planning on registering for a half-marathon in August, and I'm contemplating registering for a full marathon in the second half of October. I'm waiting to see where I'm at with my endurance after the Italian honeymoon, though, before I decide whether or not to make it 26.2 miles or 13.1 in October. The next few weeks are really crucial to laying a solid training base if it's going to be a full marathon.

This next week I'd like to run at least 15 miles in four runs and get in one yoga class. Ideally, that will break down like this:

Monday: 3.5 miles
Tuesday: 3.5 miles
Wednesday: yoga
Thursday: 3 miles
Friday: 5 miles
Saturday & Sunday: rest

If you're a runner and you're on Daily Mile, you should friend me there.  I'd also love to know what running and fitness blogs you enjoy reading!