Weekly Rundown- A Work in Progress
Well, it has been QUITE A WEEK. My daughter started school and it was my son’s last week at home. And of course there were workouts! Thanks as always to Kim and Deborah for hosting this weekly rundown. Let’s get right into it! Sunday Wow. Last Sunday feels like a million years ago. I set off hopefully for a run, and found that I could walk briskly, run in place, do butt-kick drills, but when I actually moved forward at any normal pace, it hurt. (Hamstring injuries are so weird.) So, that’s what I did- I alternated between fast walking, running in place, and running very slowly while kicking my heels up to my butt. I covered 3.5 miles like this and felt oddly optimistic at the end. Monday Week #2 of “Fix This Hamstring Now” had a slight variation and was called “Fix This MotherF*ing Hamstring Now OR ELSE.” I started with a 10 minute core and 10 minute barre class (both on Peloton.) Then I did the “runner’s touch” exercise which is very, very hamstring-focused- and it’s hard! I followed that with weighted squats and deadlifts. I also took advantage of this all week at work: Tuesday Another 3 mile walk/run, similar to Sunday, preceded by a 10 minute Peloton barre class- I like to use those barre classes as a warmup. Wednesday I did Marcia’s Cardio Barre Workout. You guys, this is a great workout and a nice alternative to Peloton. The moves are bigger and really do get your heart rate up. It’s a 23 minute workout, which at first made me hesitate because I usually just do a 10 minute barre class. But the last ten minutes is core, so I didn’t have to do a separate core class. Oh, and in the middle of the reverse lunge segment, I suddenly realized that I hadn’t even thought about my hamstring once- a huge improvement from the week before, where I would have been scared to even attempt lunges. That made me feel good! I followed this workout with runner’s touch, and then weighted split squats, and my legs were toast. This was also my daughter’s first day of eighth grade- AND my son and I went to vote. It was his first time voting!!! He missed being able to vote in 2020 by one month (much to his chagrin.) We had to do early voting before he leaves for school, and he’ll vote by absentee ballot while he’s in Texas from now on. Thursday Another 10 minute Peloton barre workout, and 3 mile walk/run. I could tell that I’m able to to lengthen my stride a bit more and run longer before I start to feel that tug on my hamstring. It’s definitely progress, and I’ll take it- I’m outside moving forward and I’m thrilled. Followed this run with a quick core class. Friday I did another Peloton 10 minute barre class, but afterwards wished I had done Marcia’s class again. In the future I’ll do the quick Peloton classes on days that I run, and Marcia’s class on the other days. Followed this with runner’s touch, squats, deadlifts, and a 5 minute core class. Saturday Yet another 3 mile walk/run, with even more running this time. Sunday On tap for today- lots and lots of sitting. My son and I are driving his car to Baylor! We’ll leave at 7 am and drive to Jackson, Mississippi, which is a little over halfway. We’ll drive the rest of the way on Monday, and then I’ll have two days in Waco before flying back home. I’m excited to do some hiking and exploring- and running, of course. I feel pretty confident now that I’ll be able to run while I’m there… phew. Do you like car trips? – I’m looking forward to this one! We have all our food packed for the day and plan to make great time. Do you have a hypervolt/theragun type of device? – Up until now I wasn’t convinced that they did anything- but now I want one.