Runners Fly

walkers walk… but runners fly

Weekly Rundown- Pi Runs!

Well, that week went fast.  In addition to linking with  Kim and Deborah for this weekly rundown, I jumped into Kim’s #WeekOfPi with some pi runs of my own.  I couldn’t run 3.14 miles every day (oh, hello left foot!) but I did three pi runs.  Let’s just see how this week played out…

Monday

First pi run of the week!  3.14 miles, followed by the first class of Crush Your Core 2, week 4.  It’s the last week of the program!  Emma Lovewell was in fine form.

Tuesday

Started the day with core class#2, then did a 20 minutes glutes and legs strength with Ben Alldis (all strength classes were on Peloton.) I liked this class!  No plyometrics, just straightforward moves.  Later in the day I did a 30 minute yoga flow.  Sadly, this was my ONLY yoga class of the week.  My son was home for spring break, which meant I lost my “yoga studio” (aka his bedroom.)  It was hard to maneuver myself and my mat around the house and not be disturbed by people and cats.

Wednesday

Another pi run!  3.14 miles, followed by core class #3.

Thursday

I did the same Ben Alldis glute and leg strength class, followed by pull-ups.  Still working on those!

Friday

Third and final pi run of the week!  3.14 miles, followed by core class #4.  I was definitely getting into a pattern here.

Another foggy morning!

Saturday

Finished the Crush Your Core program with the last 20 minute class!  To be honest, I’m NOT happy this program is over.  I liked not having to think about it- I just went to Peloton each day and was told which class was next.  I’ll definitely keep taking core classes, but now I’ll have to choose them myself.

After that I did my own strength work- lower body and pull-ups.  I like the Peloton classes, but sometimes I just like to do my own thing.  I know how to do lunges and squats.

I do have to admit- grudgingly- that while I still can’t say I “enjoy” strength training, I like the way it makes me feel afterwards.  There’s something exhilarating about it.  And I like how I’m more aware of my muscles during the rest of the day.  If I turn to the side I’ll think “Oh, there’s my obliques!” or if I pull something toward me, I’ll notice my lats working.  Now if only I could run as much as I want, do the strength training, and do yoga every day.  Hmm.  I may have to quit my job to make time for all this.

We had a “goodbye” dinner for my son with veggie burgers, coleslaw and buffalo cauliflower- yum!

Sunday

Here’s a little tip!  If you’re booking an early morning flight on a Sunday in March, you might want to check and make sure it’s not the beginning of Daylight Saving Time.  My son goes back to college today, and we had to get up at 5 am to get him to the airport- except IT FELT LIKE 4 AM, AAAAUUUGH!  Nothing like adding insult to injury- it’s already hard enough to say goodbye to him.

On tap for today- my “long’ run of five miles, and possibly- since I have my yoga studio back- a yoga class.

Do you like turning the clocks ahead? – I do not.

Does anyone have any good core classes to recommend, now that I’ve finished Crush Your Core 2?

More Posts

Friday Coffee Date

Hello friends!  We made it to Friday and GUESS WHAT.  Sunday is officially the first day of fall!  Pour yourself a delicious fall-themed beverage and let’s talk about what that means. This week, Elisabeth posted her Top Five/Bottom Five Fall lists.  In her Top Five was the delightful fall weather, and in her Bottom Five was “winter is coming.”  Well, in Florida that is reversed. One of the WORST things about fall is our weather.  September is absolutely terrible.  Hot, steamy, rainy, and the chance of hurricanes increases every day.  Now that my kids are older, it doesn’t bother me as much.  But when they were young, there were all sorts of outdoor activities we thought we should be doing… like the PUMPKIN PATCH. The “pumpkin patch” was actually the yard of a nearby church that had hundreds of pumpkins- obviously no pumpkins actually grew there- they were imported from another state.  It seemed like a fun thing to do, but the weather just wasn’t conducive.  One year stands out starkly. The day we planned to go to the pumpkin patch, it rained.  But then the rained stopped- oh, good!  Let’s go to the pumpkin patch!  The problem is, when it rains here in September, it just makes things unbearably steamy.  Our time at the pumpkin patch was muggy, muddy, and horribly uncomfortable. (They don’t have that pumpkin patch anymore- I WONDER WHY.) Okay, so we don’t have fall weather here.  But you’re probably thinking that I’m guzzling down all the fancy fall drinks, right? No pumpkin spice lattes for me!  Starbucks does have some vegan seasonal drinks, but they all have a ton of sugar.  This year I’ve been having some serious FOMO, so I’ve tried a couple things… This is a vegan, unsweetened creamer, and I’ve been putting it in my tea (NOT in my Earl Grey- that would be gross.  Just regular black tea.) I think I like it?  I can’t really decide, but it does make me feel festive and fall-ish. Some friends gave us another new (to me) beverage: It’s sugar free!  The ingredients are black tea, chai spices, and sucralose.  Okay, I know sucralose isn’t good for you.  I know!  But I’m more willing to have sucralose every once in a while than sugar.  I’ve only tried it once- I mixed it with soy milk and made a DELICIOUS chai latte.  My daughter went a step further and added the pumpkin creamer to hers and made a super fancy fall beverage. Let’s go back to Elisabeth’s Bottom Five Fall item: winter is coming.  YES.  Winter is coming!  In Florida that means a break from the heat and humidity.  We’ll get some cool nights and beautiful days.  It won’t happen until November/December, but we’re here, waiting patiently. What would you tell me over coffee?  Do you like festive fall beverages?  Are you excited for the first day of fall?    

Reading and Eating

I’ve started Edge of Eternity and we are now in the 1960s!  It’s amazing to me how much I actually don’t know.  Yes- I did know there was a wall in Berlin.  But if you asked me when it was built, I would have said… right after WWII?  No!  It was built in 1961, after the US and USSR threatened war over the Berlin crisis.  This was going on during the Civil Rights protests in the US.  What an incredibly turbulent time!  Needless to say, I’m loving this book. This is the third book in Ken Follett’s Century Trilogy, and in between books 2 and 3 I quickly read this: This was a reread, as all Agatha Christies are for me.  I found it at the used bookstore, flipped through it and didn’t recognize any of the character’s names.  I took that as a good sign, and decided to risk it.  So many times I start an Agatha Christie (I read them all at least thirty years ago) and remember the ending about halfway through. Not this time!  I KNOW I read this one, but I truly couldn’t remember it.  I even tried out different “ingenious” solutions: “The narrator is the murderer!  The priest isn’t really a priest!  Someone is a long-lost son!”  Nope.  The ending was a complete surprise.  I really enjoyed this reread! Eating wise… I’ve continued to pretend that it’s not hot, muggy, and steamy here, and made chili!  I while ago I made Vegan Cincinnati Chili from this website. I was planning to make that again, but when I went to the website, I noticed he also has a recipe for “Texas Chili” which is called Best Damn Vegan Chili Ever.  Well!  I had to try that. It was very good!  I’m not sure I believe the claims that this chili is “award winning.”.  But to be fair, I did leave out two “optional” ingredients, pickled jalapenos and masa harina.  Mayne next time I’ll put those in and see if it wins any awards. I will say that my husband LOVED it!  We ate it for two dinners, and both times he exclaimed over how much he enjoyed it. Chili: Cincinatti, or Texas style? What are you reading now?

Fall Fun

I had a really nice, fall-ish weekend!  When I say “fall-ish,” I don’t mean I visited a pumpkin patch or went apple picking.  No, we don’t have that in Florida- although, I’m pretty sure it’s too early for those things just about everywhere right now.  But those are things that never happen in Florida, so we have to make our own fall. We may not have cool temperatures and falling leaves, but we do have football and homecoming!  Saturday night was our high school homecoming dance, and my daughter went with two of her friends, looking amazing in her new dress.  I got a lot of GREAT comments on my post about the suit vs. dress dilemma, including one from Julie saying that she wore a tux to her prom!  For this dance, my daughter wore a dress- who knows what will happen in the future. I dropped my daughter and her two friends at the dance, and I loved seeing all the kids dressed up.  I also loved that these three girls didn’t feel like they needed dates- they were happy to be going together.  I was excited that it was my daughter’s first high school dance. I was also excited that after the dance, another mom was picking the girls up and bringing them back to her house for a sleepover.  I knew that my daughter would be in good hands and I knew she would have fun- and my job was done for the night. I got home just in time for the start of the Baylor game.  It was gloomy and rainy outside (a typical South Florida evening in September) and my house was so cozy!  We broke out the fall food and beverages. We tried each of the beers: the Oktoberfest was very good; the Pumpking Ale was okay, and the Howling Gourds was terrible.  The only one we actually finished was the Oktoberfest.  It turns out some things just shouldn’t taste like pumpkin, and beer is one of them.  But it was fun to try them all. I LOVE chips and salsa, but don’t normally eat them.  It’s one of those thing I can’t stop eating once I start, so I usually don’t let myself start.  But I made an exception since they were “fall-themed” (holiday foods don’t really count, right???) and I loved them.  The pepita salsa is delicious, and chips are always good.  Plus they looked like fall leaves! We also had this: It was good.  I mean- it was good for a prepared dinner.  Elaborate cooking wasn’t in my plan for this night, so we definitely enjoyed these “heat and serve” enchiladas. We watched Baylor win, and oh yes- I was wearing my new favorite pajamas. After the game, I stayed up late reading, and finally crawled into bed, knowing that there was no work or school tomorrow, and no one would be needing me for anything.  I could sleep as late as I wanted, and didn’t wake up until 9 am.  It felt AMAZING. After a nice slow start to the morning, Sunday got underway.  I picked up my daughter, did the grocery shopping, and started thinking about plans for the week.  I felt a little melancholy that the weekend was coming to an end.  Sometimes everything just comes together perfectly.  I know there will be more fun times this fall, but it’s possible that I’ll look back and say “Yes, that was the best night of the whole season.” Are you starting to think about fall, or are you still in a summer frame of mind? Pumpkin ale- yay, or nay?

Weekly Rundown- Everything is Awesome!

I don’t want to say this injury is behind me, because that would be tempting fate a little too much.  But let’s just say “Everything is Awesome” from The Lego Movie has been running through my head, and life seems good!  I’m linking up as always with Kim and Deborah for this Weekly Rundown.  Here’s how it all played out… Sunday I walked one mile and ran 3. Everything felt good! Monday I did lower body strength at home, including single leg exercises and squats.  One of the (few) things I’m proud of from my work this summer is the progress I made in the one leg sit-to-stand.  It’s one of the foundation exercises on Sally McRae’s app and also one of the hip stability exercises from Brad Beer’s book.  You start sitting on a chair or bench, and stand up using one leg, then sit back down, stand up again, etc. only on one leg.  When I first started I could only do five reps on each leg- now I can do 36 reps!!!  At least something has improved. I also did Caroline Girvan’s deadbug workout..  I’m really tired of it by now! Tuesday I walked 3 miles… … and then did a different core workout!  I did Caroline Girvan’s Standing Abs Workout, and I liked it.  At least, I liked doing something different. Wednesday Again, I walked one mile and ran 3.  Still feeling good! Thursday I did my single leg exercises, and another core workout.  This one Engie recommended, MadFit Standing Core Workout..  I liked this one too!  Then I had time for 20 minutes of walking. At night we watched the Dolphins game, which was a complete fiasco.  We lost, and our quarterback got ANOTHER CONCUSSION.  The poor guy will be out for… ever?  The rest of the season?  I feel really bad for him, and now our season is a shambles after only the second game. Friday Gym day!  It was a very squat-focused workout, because I skipped deadlifts.  My low back is nagging at me again, and deadlifts sadly make it worse.  After squats and Bulgarian split squats I did some core (abs and low back machines.) At night I planned to go to our high school football game, but it rained so much that the band couldn’t play (so I didn’t go.)  They did manage to play in the rain and our team won!  This was our homecoming, and last year’s homecoming was completely rained out.  September outdoor events just shouldn’t be a thing in South Florida. Saturday This was a big day- I walked one mile and ran 4!!!  I’m getting there! At night we watched the Baylor game.  FINALLY.  A game where it didn’t rain, no one got injured, and we WON!  At least the football week ended on a high note. Sunday Off!  Sleeping in and waffles will be involved (obviously.) So, it was a good week.  Moving forward, I’m going to cautiously try running every other day.  Running every third day was great to get me back from this injury, but I can’t do that forever! How was your week?  Were there any moments where you sang “Everything is Awesome?” Top photo by Stainless Images on Unsplash

42 Responses

  1. SJ had me do a ton of core this week, which I am still feeling! I have to admit that working core is my least favorite thing to do. I know that means I need to do more. Nice job on the Pi runs. I’m not participating because I’ve got to up my miles for my races next month.

    I bet it was hard to say goodbye to your son, early wake up call aside! It never gets easier. Mine is heading to Texas with his rugby team for some games. I know they’re having fun. I just hope no one gets hurt!

    Reply

    1. Ooh! I wonder where in Texas he’s going. Now that my son is there, I know the state much better.
      I actually noticed in your rundown that you did a lot of core this week. I agree- core is really unpleasant. Why is that???

      Reply

  2. My flight to Fla was at 5:30. Had to get up a 3. Ouch.

    Great job on your PI runs. I did run 3 miles or so but don’t wear a watch. And my pace is slooow.

    I run after work. I will be loving the extra hour of light. If only the snow would melt so I’d have a dry path to run on.

    Reply

    1. The snow will melt soon!
      Okay, 3 is worse than 4. But we also went to bed too late last night, which was entirely our fault. We were packing and doing laundry, but we should have gotten it done earlier.

      Reply

  3. Hugs on your son going back AND the early start to your day. It may be very cold here still, and icy, but this morning we have sun & that’s been missing pretty much all week.

    Good job finishing the core program & jumping into the Pi runs! Things seem to be going well? It’s definitely not easy to fit everything into a day.

    Reply

    1. You know, getting up super early like that actually helped with the time change- I was already so disoriented I barely noticed the time change.
      Glad you got some sun today!

      Reply

  4. Way to triple-Pi it, Jenny 😉 Thanks for joining the fun!! I don’t love setting my clock ahead, but my body (and mind) don’t have issue with the adjustment. Besides, that “lost hour” in the morning (daylight-wise) returns rather quickly. I core-fess, I bailed on the last two Emma core classes (last weekend)…after eight weeks of her, I really HAD to move on, LOL I did a really good one last night (Callie’s from March 12th).

    Reply

    1. Okay, maybe I’ll check out Callie’s class tomorrow! Emma’s classes did get harder as it went on, but I think you just weren’t crazy about her personality. Oh, you missed the dance party at the end of the last class! (eye roll.)

      Reply

  5. Our clocks don’t go till the end of the month. Unfortunately, my running friend has a half-marathon that morning, a few hours’ drive from home and the morning after her friend’s wedding. Then she realised she’ll lose an hour, too! Argh!

    Well done on your pi work. I don’t think I can fit one in tomorrow and don’t think I should, as I’ve run today and am running Tuesday. Hm.

    Reply

    1. You could do something else pi-related tomorrow- I remember last year I held a plank for 3 minutes 14 seconds (which, by the way I do not recommend!)
      I think we used to set the clocks ahead later, like in April. That makes more sense to me- it’s too dark in the mornings now. Bad luck for your friend though!

      Reply

  6. I generally hate the time change (and we’ll see how I feel tomorrow), but today has been just fine. That said, at the time change in November, it messed up my sleep for months. Hoping things go much more smoothly this time around.

    And wow to planking for 3 minutes and 14 seconds. That is intense!

    Reply

    1. That last minute was actually pretty horrible, ha ha. My whole body was shaking. I probably won’t be pi planking tomorrow!
      Hope you do okay with the time change. In general I like going back but not forward, but today actually wasn’t that bad, and it helps that it coincides with my daughter’s spring break.

      Reply

  7. Oh, that is early for a flight! Glad you had a nice time with him visiting, even though you had to give up the yoga studio 🙂

    I’m sad the crush your core is over too for the same reasons! Emma’s classes were somewhat predictable, nothing that I hated. Now I have to find ones myself- today I did one with Selena that was too much standing bicycles and I don’t feel those. I prefer core on the mat or planks.

    Great job on the pi runs – awesome week Jenny!

    Reply

    1. Ugh, I’m almost tempted to just repeat Crush Your Core! But it’s a progression, so the earlier classes might be kind of easy. We’ll see.

      Reply

  9. I enjoyed Crush Your Core II and like you, I’m ready for something else. That goodbye dinner looks delicious. Bummer your son has already headed back. Our daughter doesn’t start spring break until next weekend and she and her sorority sisters are headed to Hilton Head, SC so I’ll have to wait until the end of April to see her. Sigh. Nice job on the Pi runs!

    Reply

    1. Oh yes, I’m just waiting for the year where my son has “something else” to do on one of his breaks (sob!) Still… the end of April is coming up soon.

      Reply

  10. You are doing so great, especially with all those pi runs!

    I hate strength training, but I like feeling strong, so therein lies the problem. However, it’s definitely having a positive effect on me, so I guess we endure?

    I’m sure it is so hard to say goodbye to your son. I hope you had a wonderful visit.

    That buffalo cauliflower looks amazing!

    Reply

  11. I do not like the time change and always feel off for a few days. Nice job on the core classes this week. You could always do the program again! It is always hard to send our kiddos back after they are home again xoxo

    Reply

    1. I’m seriously considering doing the program again. But it’s a progression so I feel kind of wimpy going back to the beginning… we’ll see.

      Reply

  13. LOL on the really early early flight — I do not like DST either. I prefer the early morning light since my evenings are consumed by work anyway.

    If you join the Peloton hardCORE group on FB, there is a monthly calendar of workouts with a core class most days. That’s what I turned to after I finished the first Crush Your Core program. There are also 10 min core focused yoga classes you might like.

    Glad your foot was able to carry your through some Pi runs!

    Reply

    1. Okay, those are great suggestions- I’ll check out both of those. And yes- I would rather have the extra hour of daylight in the morning. Oh well!

      Reply

  14. My husband was on the west coast for the last few days and then there was the time change and by the time I picked him up at the airport he was absolutely befuddled about what time/day it was. I felt badly for him – it’s obvious that he’s not in “travel shape” and then Daylight Saving on top of it seemed to send him over the edge!

    Reply

    1. OH yes, that would be hard! Unless you do it like my son did- he traveled from Eastern to Central time zone yesterday, negating the time change altogether. Very confusing though.

      Reply

  15. Oooh, a Pi Day run would have been a good idea today! Oh well! It’s my rest day. The veggie burger feast looks great!! And I love daylight saving time. I do miss that hour of sleep, but I think the extra daylight for food photos makes it worth it.

    Reply

    1. Ha ha… well, that’s a true food blogger’s take on it! I would still rather have the extra hour of daylight in the morning rather than afternoon, but we’ll have plenty of daylight soon enough.

      Reply

  16. Oh I’m so not a fan of the time change. Nice work with your Pi runs – how’s your foot feeling?

    Congrats on finishing Crush Your Core. There are so many good core classes on the app. I agree with Coco to check out the hardCORE group on Facebook – the calendar always has some good ones.

    Hugs to you on your son going back to campus – it’s hard when they’re home for such a short time.

    Reply

    1. Thanks Michelle! I’m already looking forward to May, when he’ll be home again. I’m also having a “cranky’ hip this week- not sure how that happened- so I’ve been doing lots of yoga. But I’ll check out that hardCORE group soon. It sounds good!

      Reply

  17. Yay for three pi runs! While I don’t love the “lost” hour of sleep, I love that it stays light an hour longer in the evenings and don’t mind it being dark when I get out for early morning runs.

    The going away dinner you made for your son looks yummy. Will he be home for the summer or is he staying in Texas for classes or an internship?

    Reply

    1. We’re not sure what he’s doing this summer yet- he’ll be home for at least part of it.
      I would still rather have the hour of sunlight in the morning… but it’s not that terrible to be out running in the dark.

      Reply

  18. Love that you joined Kim’s #WeekofPi 🙂 It’s such a cool challenge and a fun reason to get in a few 5Ks.

    I’ve been struggling with daylight savings time this week. I was fine on Sunday but I have been dragging yesterday and today. Even coffee isn’t helping lol. But at least we get additional daylight at the end of the day.

    Reply

    1. I’ve been off too this week, and I’m not sure if it’s the time change or just me not getting in bed early enough. Let’s blame the time change.

      Reply

  19. Oh, that is a bummer getting up that early, and saying goodbye again for awhile. My daughter decided to change her major! She’s in environmental science now, and will go into Information Technology in the fall. Hopefully she likes it! When I went into that major in college I know nothing about computers but luckily it all worked out and I enjoy it.

    Reply

  20. I really hope we can STAY on DST for good. I hate moving back and forth and the dark mornings, but I love getting more daylight hours in the evening. But it’s the moving back and forth that messes up my rhythm.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Instagram
Instagram
Instagram