Weekly Rundown- Not Like Other Weeks
Hello and welcome to the Weekly Rundown, hosted as always by Kim and Deborah. This week started off normally, but mid-week I traveled to Chicago to see my sister! I haven’t seen her in over two years, so it was amazing to be with her and her husband again. HOWEVER… This presented a challenge, workout-wise. My sister and her husband don’t run, do yoga, lift weights, or own any exercise equipment. They enjoy walking, working in the yard, and taking the occasional bike ride. They eat delicious food and are both a normal weight. They don’t wish they could run, or walk farther or faster, or that they were stronger. They’re happy just the way they are. I know- it’s baffling. Knowing this, I tried to frontload my workouts to the beginning of the week as much as possible, and planned to adopt a “when in Rome” attitude once I got to my sister’s. Well, more like “When in Rome, do as the Romans do, assuming Romans like to run.” Let’s just see how it all worked out! Sunday 4 mile run! I was super happy to complete this run with no shin pain. Monday It was yoga Monday- plus a couple bonus workouts. I did a chest and back strength class with Matty (all classes on Peloton and Matty is my favorite strength instructor right now) and a core class. Tuesday I started the morning with a glutes and leg strength class (with Matty of course!) and a core class, with a 2 mile run in between. Wednesday Wednesdays are my day off from work, so I figured I would squeeze in the next four days’ worth of workouts. What? It doesn’t work like that? Oh, darn. I started the morning with a 3 mile run… … and then did an arms and shoulders strength class (hello again, Matty!) and another core class. Thursday Leave for Chicago!!!! But first… I got in one last strength class, my favorite glutes and legs class with Matty. And, yes… core. Friday One extra little thing- it is HILLY in the Chicago area! At least, compared to South Florida where it’s completely, totally flat. In my sister’s neighborhood I feel like I’m always running up or down a hill. No wonder they get a workout from walking! My sister calls their hilly walks “butt walking” because you use your glutes so much. I went out for a 3 mile “butt run.” In the afternoon we went BLUEBERRY PICKING!!! That’s something we can’t do in Florida. We spent the afternoon at the blueberry farm- we picked blueberries, took a break for a picnic lunch, then picked some more. We kept popping blueberries into our mouths while we picked, and I thought of the line from Willy Wonka: “Violet, you’re turning violet, Violet!” I imagined myself turning into a gigantic blueberry. Saturday I could say that I got up early and did a bodyweight strength class… a standing core workout… planks and pushups… but that would be a humongous lie. No, I slept late and then we made blueberry pancakes (obviously.) After a leisurely breakfast we went for a long walk, then in the afternoon went out for a beer, then home to grill fajitas for dinner. To be honest, I didn’t miss working out at all. Sunday On tap for today…. a hilly 5 mile run (wish me luck!) Then more blueberry pancakes (my sister and her husband have a lot of blueberries to get through) and then… flying back home to Florida. SIGH! It’s hard to have a vacation end. I know- I was right near Chicago and didn’t go into the city. I didn’t see the Art Institute or Wrigley Field. I didn’t go an an architecture river cruise or see The Bean. Other than the blueberry picking adventure, we hung out at my sister’s house, went for walks, watched movies, and talked and talked (and talked… I think her husband’s mind starts to spin at how much my sister and I can talk.) It was a great trip. How was your week? Did you do anything unusual? Have you ever been blueberry picking?
Any Running is Better Than No Running!
Hello once again! Boy, Sunday rolls around fast some weeks, doesn’t it? Last week I was battling a nagging shin pain, and took some time off running. The goal for this week was to get back to it ASAP. As always I’m linking up with the amazing Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Rundown. Let’s just see how the week went… Sunday I started off with a 10 minute core class and then a 20 minute glutes and legs strength class- all classes were on Peloton as usual! Then…a 40 minute pool run. Yes, I’m super lucky to have a pool! But… I haven’t found anything that keeps me in shape for running other than actual running. On land. I was hoping this would be my last pool run. Monday It was my usual Yoga Monday! First a 5 minute core class and then a 30 minute yoga flow. Tuesday My shin had improved from a constant ache to an occasional twinge, but I decided to give it one more day off. I did a 10 minute core class, and then two classes with Matty Maggiacomo- a 20 minute glutes and legs class and a 20 minute arms and shoulders class. The arms class had a finisher that Matty said would make me curse his name and “reconsider the nature of our relationship.” Ouch! After work I did a 20 minute yoga flow. Wednesday Running! It was the day that was either going to be the best day or the worst day ever- if my shin felt good, I would be elated, and if it hurt I would be devastated. I was nervous, obviously. I walked for one mile and ran for one mile. Success! For the most part. I felt a couple twinges but overall it was okay. I followed this short run with a short 5 minute core class. Later in the day I did a 30 minute yoga flow. Hey- I’m on a yoga roll this week! Thursday I remember hearing somewhere that when you’re coming back from an injury, pay close attention to how you feel the day after you run- if the area hurts when you get out of bed, then the muscles/tendons weren’t ready for the run. I stepped down with great trepidation… and my shin felt perfect! Victory!!! I did a 10 minute core class, a 10 minute chest and back class with Matty, and one of his 30 minute glutes and legs classes. After work I did a quick yoga flow- I couldn’t break my streak! Friday I started with a 10 minute barre class. I picked one that was all standing, which was a great warmup for running. The Peloton barre classes are a super effective glute activation, and because it was standing I felt like it warmed up my lower legs and feet as well. Then, a 2 mile run!!! You can see I’m proceeding with great caution. I can’t say that my shin was 100% pain-free… but let’s say 98%. Later in the day, a 20 minute yoga flow! Saturday This was the first time I did a Peloton strength warmup class- I did a 5 minute upper body warmup before doing one of Matty’s 20 minute arms and shoulders class. It was nice to have a little extra warmup first thing in the morning. I also did a 5 minute core class. Later in the day I did a 20 minute glutes and legs strength class and… oh darn- I broke my yoga streak. C’est la vie! Sunday On tap for today- a run!!! Probably 3 miles, but if everything feels good I might go a little farther… just a little. And yoga- must do yoga. The two short runs I did this week left me cautiously optimistic, and I’m happy with my ramped-up strength training. I figure no matter what happens, I won’t regret getting stronger! If you do Peloton, do you like to stick with the same instructors or mix it up? – I mixed up the core classes a little this week, but I’m loving Matty for strength and Denis for yoga these days (well, I’ve loved Denis for a while now!) What’s your favorite cross-training? – I can’t really use the word “favorite”… but if I have to, I’ll get in the pool.
Women in Running- Camille Herron (Part 2!)
Last week I wrote about this podcast with the amazing Camille Herron. One of the things she talked about was how much she wanted to win the upcoming Western States race- the biggest 100 mile race in the U.S. Camille recently set some big world records, and she said she felt very fit and fast. She was very clear about her intentions to win Western States, so I was a little surprised and disappointed to see that she ended up placing eighth. I wondered what had happened. WELL, this episode of the Strides Forward podcast explains it all. Camille talks in general about menstrual health, and specifically about how she got her period literally in the middle of Western States. She had to deal with nausea, cramps, and of course the bleeding- but she wasn’t complaining. 100 mile races are all about problem solving, so she said if she hadn’t had to deal with getting her period, she would have had to deal with something else. She also talks about the importance of having regular periods, and says ever since she was a teenager she understood that she needed to eat enough to offset the energy she expended by running. She also talks about being on oral contraceptives for years, and the convenience of that, but ultimately how she went off them because she felt it was harming her health and performance. Camille obviously runs a LOT, and she looks really, really thin- so it was nice to hear her talk about the importance of eating enough and keeping her period. I never ran enough to lose my period, but I do have a little story of my own related to that subject. When I met my husband, I was already 34 years old. We got married a year later and I knew I wanted to have a baby pretty soon. I was also running a lot back then. My husband and I ran two marathons together, and I was seriously considering doing a 50K race. I was doing long runs every weekend- and meanwhile we were trying to get pregnant. I was getting my periods, but very sporadically. I never knew when it might come, and it was impossible to predict when I might be ovulating. We tried unsuccessfully for a while, and then I had a birthday and turned 36. At that point I had a mini panic attack- I thought about how we weren’t having any success, and how it was only going to get harder and harder, the older I got. I made the decision to cancel my plans for the 50K, and I kept running, but immediately stopped doing long runs. One month later- I was pregnant with my precious son Paul. I don’t really know if it was a coincidence, or if stopping my long runs was what it took to convince my body that I was ready to have a baby. The funny thing is, I always thought it would be a temporary detour from my dream of running an ultra, and that I would surely come back to it. Now I think of the Robert Frost poem “The Road Not Taken,” where he comes to a fork in the road, takes one path and saves the other for another day- “Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.” Can women run ultramarathons and also have babies? Absolutely! Could I have done it? Hmmmm. Could I still get back to that fork in the road and take the other path? We’ll see. The Strides Forward Podcast is stories about running, told by women. There’s another episode with Camille about winning the Comrades Marathon, one with Courtney Dauwalter, and many more. The episodes are around 15-30 minutes long- I normally like longer podcasts, but these are a nice length if you want something you can listen to in one sitting. Check it out if you want to hear some inspiring stories! I’m linking up with My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida for Fit Five Friday! Have you had any issues with your period and running? Did you run while you were pregnant?
So Many Books… So Little Time
Yesterday I picked up FOUR library holds that all came in at the same time. I figured I better get started right away! I dove into The Cartographers first (so far it’s a satisfying mystery.) I’m saving The Murder of Mr. Wickham for my upcoming trip to Chicago, since it’s a paperback, and therefore easier to carry. I’m looking forward to that one- I can never resist a Pride and Prejudice spinoff. Actually I’m looking forward to all of them, and I hope I can get them read before the library wants them back. I’m also reading this: and, aptly enough, this: I saw this book on Nicole’s blog. It’s not a typical time management or productivity book. Instead, it’s a philosophical examination of our relationship with time, and advice on how to live meaningfully with the time we have. I’ll admit I’ve only had enough time (ha ha! See what I did there?) to read the first chapter, but it has already provided a lot of food for thought. Burkeman contrasts our lives today to a medieval peasant working the land. In most ways their lives were not luxurious back then. But they did have one luxury we don’t- the freedom from that constant pressure of the clock ticking away. They would have no reason to hurry, or “save” time, or even think about time as a separate thing at all. They got up when it was light, did their work, and went to bed when it was dark. They milked the cows and harvested the crops when they were ready. There would be nu rush to get everything done, because their work would never be done, but instead continue on in endless cycles. Historians call this method of work “task orientation.” I wish my own work were more task-oriented and less time-oriented. I give either 60 or 90 minute massages, and I have to be very aware of the time. I can’t come out short or the client will feel like they didn’t get their money’s worth. But I can’t go over the time, because I have another client waiting. The goal of course is to get into a state of flow, and that’s challenging when you always have one eye on the clock. Yesterday I tried to imagine how my job could be task-oriented. What if I just finished every massage when it was done? If someone needed to relax, I would massage them until they were fully relaxed. If they had pain, I wold address the issue and work on it until it was resolved. Well, that wouldn’t work. How would my next client know when to show up? And if the person had somewhere to be afterwards, they wouldn’t know when they would be done. No, if we’re going to coordinate our schedules with other people, we have to work with the clock. So then I thought about what other areas of my life could be task oriented. I measure all my runs by miles, not time. On weekdays I’m usually loosely aware of the time, because I only have so much to devote to my workouts before I have to get my daughter to school and myself to work. But on my Sunday long runs, I don’t think about time at all. The only data I glance at are miles, and sometimes pace, although I’m not usually concerned with that. I’m either focused on the turnaround point, or completing a loop, or getting to my destination. It isn’t until the run is over that I (eventually) look at the time, but even then it usually doesn’t matter much to me. As long as I get home at some sort of reasonable time where my family won’t be calling the police, I’m good. In the book, Burkeman refers to these interludes as living in “deep time,” or, as he quotes writer Gary Eberle, “The clock does not stop… but we do not hear it ticking.” What a relief to be fully focused on a task and immersed in the present moment, and not think about time for a couple hours. Another activity where I don’t notice the passing of time is… reading. I never time my reading sessions (although maybe if I did, I’d be getting more sleep. But that’s another topic.) Running and reading are two pleasurable activities where I don’t hear the clock ticking. I need more of that in my life! I got all this from the first chapter of this book- I can’t wait to read the rest. Thanks as always to Kim and Zenaida for their Tuesday Topics linkup! Do you feel like your work (or your life) is task-oriented or time-oriented? Do you measure your runs by miles, or time? (or kilometers?)