I get knocked down.. I get up again

Well it hasn't been my best running week ever.. in fact yesterday was the first time I have run since Sunday. Back issues kept me sidelined.  Ugh.  I did get in an easy 4.25 miles yesterday after work.  I had hoped for more, but the perfect calm day ended very fast.  It went from calm to blustery in a very short amount of time and I decided I didn't want to fight the wind with a touchy back.

The approaching storm did make for pretty pictures though.

Cola and I took a pre run picture.  I found some arm sleeves to match my cami so I was pretty excited to take them out for a run.

Before and afters... the bottom is before the chiropractor and the top is after.  I am going to get a script and look into some physical therapy.. seems to be an ongoing issue.

My right side is a little messed up or something.  My gluteus medius is so tight! I don't know it that is where it all stems from and is pulling everything else out with it, or if it is something else.

Still planning to run my half marathon in 21 days but may have to reconsider my goals a little.

Weekly Wrap: It ends with Sugar

And another week is in the books!  Here is a quick look at last week's workouts.

Monday: Yoga in the morning for 25 minutes.

This was supposed to be intervals for my run today, but I just wasn't feeling it. I was tired, it was windy. I opted for an easy run instead.

Tuesday: Early morning work meeting, but I got off in time to sneak in a run before the kids got home from school. It was beautiful out and only breezy instead of the gale force winds we have had for the last week. YAY

Wednesday:  25 minutes of bodyweight workouts in the morning before work.

Thursday: Long run day.  I really thought it wasn't going to be windy today looking at the weather forecast...wrong.  BOO.  I ran 10 miles and on top of the wind just felt like I didn't have a lot of energy.  I don't know if it was the workout I did Wednesday, or the wind, or maybe the hills, but I just felt like I was dragging.  On the upside even if it was windy, it was warm! No gloves!  I probably could have worn shorts.

Also 50 minutes of yoga in the morning.

Friday 15 minute HIIT in the morning with weights before work.

Saturday: 7 mile run with 6 quarter mile intervals and a fast finish. This run felt so much better than Thursday's run! 

Sunday: Yoga 25 minutes. Easy run. I basically ran two miles, stopped in at my parent's house and visited for a bit and then ran 3.25 ish home and then ran another 1.5 while the kids biked.  Would have been a super easy run except it is pretty much all uphill from my parent's house.  I did stop and walk a couple times.

I did some more of the #Aloyogalove Instagram challenge this week.  I think I hit 5 out of the 7 days.

 Sunday also had these great highlights: Hiking with the family first thing in the morning, a run, a bike with my kids, my son had a county 4-H shoot and got 5th in his age group (he beat all the other nine year olds and 4 ten year olds.  He only got beat by older kids so he was happy with that) and our first baby of the season.

She was born a little early and is a little small so we will have to keep a good eye on her, My daughter named her Sugar since she was born on Valentine's day.

Yoga:  3
Strength:  2
Runs: 5 for 33.75 miles

 once again linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap

 feel free to check it out and join in! 
The purpose of this link is to connect with and support other active women.  You can summarize your whole week or just a small portion of it.  It's up to you!  Race recaps are also encouraged!   {See complete rules} 

How was your week?

The very bad no good run. At least I ran.

Every now and then you have a run that instills confidence and gives you the feeling you are going to crush whatever you are training for.  Yesterday's run was not that run. In fact, it was quite the opposite. My legs felt heavy and slow, I stopped to walk several times. I had no zip in my step!

I was so happy to be done with this run!

I don't know if it was the bodyweight workout I had done the day before that left my glutes feeling sore, the fast run I did Tuesday after work, the wind, the hills, a combination of everything probably, but yesterday's run sucked.  The sound of the wind howling outside made me procrastinate about running until nearly noon.  Mentally this did not help.

Look green grass!

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the sunshine and the green grass I can see poking up through the dirt.  I loved the being outside and fresh air, I just didn't love the run.  Originally the plan was to run 14 miles... I called it after 10.

and came home to fun mail!  Girl Scout Cookies, a StrideBox that was full of fun things and a new to me InknBurn tank that I have been wanting for months. YAY

The next run will surely be better, right?! 28 days and 22 hours until the Run To the Pub Half Marathon.  Hopefully we have good weather for it!

Shorts and tanks and bare feet...oh my!

At this point in winter, I am over it.  I know we can still get snow into June... one year we had 8 inches of snow Memorial Day weekend, but I just need some respite from the cold and wind. This week the cold at least has given us a break.  I have worn tanks and shorts for runs Monday and Tuesday!

For the first time in a long time my long run day isn't looking like the coldest most miserable day of the week either as it is supposed to be 61 degrees! WOOT!

Cola agrees we should have more days like this.

He's such a great dog, even if he thinks he should come in the house smelling like cow and horse poo and sleep by the bed.

oh yeah bare feet... just for some yoga outside Monday, although the patio was still pretty cold, it did feel good for a couple minutes.

Have you been able to run in tanks and shorts yet those of you that live in wintery places?  Look our snow is finally melting off!

Weekly Wrap: First week of Feb is a Wrap!

Monday 13.1 mile easy long run, there was quite a bit of mud and ice, but there were also good periods of dirt too. Ahh, felt so good after being sick the last four days!  I also got in 45 minutes of yoga first thing in the morning.

Tuesday: 30 minutes of power yoga

Wednesday:  24 minute HIIT with weights
60 minutes on the elliptical... yep.. it was super windy out and I totally wussed out. I don't wuss out often so you know it was windy! and the wind was cold! I should have run in the morning, but it was my daughter's birthday and I had to leave fairly early in order to meet her at the school for lunch and I figured it would be warmer in the afternoon anyway.  What I didn't count on was the wind.  So on the elliptical I went and I made the time fly by watching Amazon Prime.

Thursday: 24 minute HIIT in the morning before work Zuzka Light 6 pack abs workout

Friday: Rest day, although I did start a new yoga challenge #Aloaboutyogalove  it only lasts 9 days I think. The first day was favorite arm balance.  This one is still a little hit a miss with me, but got it!

Saturday:  7.5 miles running with a sort of tempo run or maybe it was just a run with a big negative split, either way it was some speed work and it felt great! Although about 3.5 miles in the wind kicked up and was gusting me all over the road for a bit.

Also had my daughter's birthday party in the afternoon.  There was  a lot of giggling going on.

Sunday: After a busy morning of 4-H demonstrations and shooting sports I came home and got my run in. Thankfully the wind wasn't as bad as it had been yesterday and the best part was running into it for three miles meant it aided me all the way home!

and during half time of the Super bowl I did an 18 minute HIIT that left me energized and sweaty.

Runs 3 runs for 26.65 miles
Strength 3
Yoga 2
Elliptical 1 for 60 minutes

 once again linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap

 feel free to check it out and join in! 
The purpose of this link is to connect with and support other active women.  You can summarize your whole week or just a small portion of it.  It's up to you!  Race recaps are also encouraged!   {See complete rules} 

Three Things Thursday

1. My baby girl turned 8 yesterday. Luckily it also coincided with my day off from work so my husband and I met up at the school and had lunch with the birthday girl, and my son, and her friends and two of my nephews.  We are apparently still cool. As we were leaving the school I wondered out loud to my husband just how much longer our little cowgirl would want us to come to lunch and walk down the hall holding both of our hands.  Lunch was burritos and they were actually way better than I remember them being when I went to school there. I didn't take a single picture.  Blogger fail.  How about the birthday girl through the years.. this isn't every year but close!

2.  I am loving Momentum Jewelry wrap bracelets right now.  Okay I only have two, but I think I need more.

3. The Run to the Pub half marathon is now 36 days and 22 hours away.  I feel good about running the distance I just don't feel good about getting it done fast.  and I have decided I am okay with that.  It is hard to get speed work done in the winter when the roads are either muddy, snowy or ice packed.

Run to the Pub is a pretty awesome race, they have great race shirts, you get a pint glass and free beer at the finish and they give away four trips to Dublin. In fact it made Runner's World's list of top half marathons as number 2 in the US.  I don't know what year they made the list, but pretty awesome!

Weekly Wrap, The Wheels Fell off the Bus and that concludes January

Well the week started out really good and then the wheels fell off the bus.

Monday: 15 minutes of power yoga...planned more but my daughter wanted me to curl her hair for school and though I intended to finish after the kids got on the bus, by then I was busy cleaning and life happened.  I did get in a fabulous 8 mile run with a huge positive split (hill aided) and 4 quarter mile intervals at the end.

 Tuesday 15 minute HIIT in the morning before work

Cola met his match in the barn cat!

Wednesday: Planned rest day since I had my long run planned for Thursday.  What really happened. 5.5 miles after work.  It was 46 degrees and glorious!  I did this because I got asked to work Thursday and have Friday off instead.  Soo I moved my long run to Friday, and changed Saturday to either a super easy run day or a rest day.

Thursday: 15 minute HIIT in the morning.. with super low energy.  I felt tired and exhausted all day at work, and at first I wrote it off as a bad night's sleep, but by the time I got home my throat was sore and I had chills.  Not good.

Friday:  Super tired but my throat felt better, I decided to go ahead and try to run.. I had no energy.  None, but somehow I made it 3.5 miles.. actually I made it about 1.75 and decided I was being stupid to try for my long run and had to still run home so it was 3.5 miles.

Saturday:  UGH still super fatigued despite going to be super early. I didn't even try to run. Not one step,  I had to take my daughter to a cheerleading thing and go to a Cowboy Hall and Wall of Fame Scholarship dinner  that night which my husband (who was also feeling tired) and I left after only dancing three times.

I managed to participate in the Fit Approach instagram yoga challenge 4 times this week.

Sunday:  Yep, no running.  Although energy wise my body was feeling better I still was feeling tired... so I did a 15 minute AMRAP with bodyweight exercises that felt really good, took my son to shooting sports and then despite intending to only take a short nap and then go for a run, I took a 2 and a half hour nap and then skipped the run.

Strength  3
Runs 3 for 17 miles (which is more than I would have guessed!)
Yoga 1

How Cola helps with yoga challenges.

 once again linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap

 feel free to check it out and join in!
The purpose of this link is to connect with and support other active women.  You can summarize your whole week or just a small portion of it.  It's up to you!  Race recaps are also encouraged!   {See complete rules}




This week can only be better, right?!