July 4th Before ... October 26th After

I know the 2 photos are a bit different in how far away from the lens I appear to be (clearly the first one was zoomed in as I didn't run that close to the camera, OR I cropped the original making it seem closer), but I am pretty stoked at the differences I can see in just over 3 months time.

I will be SO glad when I can stop all this running and focus 95% on lifting and 5% on running.

Run less, lift more.  It works.  It JUST works.

My plan after Houston and Katy is to do cardio a couple of times a week, maybe running, maybe not, and then on the weekend do a 3-5 mile run.  This will keep me in 5K and 10K shape for any races I do decide to do in the Spring.  Clearly they will NOT be for time.


I am STILL battling the midsection blues.  It IS better, trimmer, slimmer a little bit...but unless I give up all things wonderful to eat for probably a month...ugh...I do plan to focus more on that though up until Thanksgiving :O)  The 2 diff pairs of shorts here are a size smaller!  I am back in my original lulu speed short size, but not to the point where the waist is baggy like they use to be, so wearing full length shirts is still necessary ;o)


Ladies, trust me, TRUUUUUUUUUUUUST me once you start to near menopause this is TROUBLE!  Unless you are just blessed with great genes and an even better metabolism!


This week has been fabulous at the gym!  I am sore as hell but I expected that after going at everything so easy last week leading up to the half marathon.  A little worried about my legs for tomorrows (short long run), but eh, it'll be fine.


TTFN!!!



Race Week

Monday

Rest day.

This week is going to be a bit out of whack since I have the race on Sunday, I am switching things up; giving myself some extra rest.


Tuesday
2 miles (treadmill)
Back, biceps, and triceps
10min stairmill
10min steam
10min (dry) sauna


Wednesday
4miles
Spent the entire run having to pee like crazy.  The route I chose left me absolutely no options for bathroom break.  Ugh.


Thursday
Rest day
Our team got to spend the day out at Top Golf on the house, so there was a lot of activity, 4+ hours worth.  My legs were quite tired by the end. So not really what I had envisioned for a rest day but whatev.


Friday
2 miles
I actually got up 1/2 hour earlier and ran before work!!!  Its a miracle.  But now I think I might do this a couple of times a week; do a couple miles then focus on weights after work.  I just ran there around my complex which was kinda boring, but whatever.  I still had 1/2 hour to sit, relax and have my coffee before showering :)


Saturday
Rest day before half marathon!


Sunday
13.1 miles
2:11:37
 Race report to follow



Week in Review

Monday

Giving the ol' legs a rest today after putting them through the ringer over the weekend. 

.50 warmup on the elliptical

Shoulders/Chest

.50 (elliptical) to finish out an 'easy' day

6 weeks progress.  I'm good with it.  If I could lift more and run less it'd be better but training for races is hindering me.  Couple more months and I can focus more on lifting.

Tuesday

Such a GLORIOUS day today!!!  Fall is definitely in the air this week.  Ran through the hood for an easy 4.  I actually thought I was only going to run 3, but well...it was just too beautiful.

So 4 miles it was.  And not a drop of sweat on me.  No humidity makes me happy!

Wednesday

Gave the legs the day off.  Completely. Not even warmup or a cooldown.  No elliptical.  No stairmill.  Nada.  The cumulative fatigue has my legs not recovering given that I rarely give them any time off other than a true rest day on Fridays.  Even then I am at work, up and down, and that includes a lot of stairs throughout the day. 

Gym: back, biceps and triceps
15min steam

Thursday
4 miles
Legs

Friday
Rest

Saturday
Met the work running friends at Terry Hershey at 6am for a change.  Since I didn't have far to go, and lets face it, I'm kinda over that run group, it was nice to go back to TH.  I do love running there.


6 miles
I was a bit worried if I would be able to keep up with them, having been training pretty much solely doing intervals, but I did OK!  I ran the first 3 miles with them straight and since they were doing 10, I had to turn back.  I did the last 3 miles doing 3/1's with one other who was only doing the same distance.  Was so nice to be done in just over an hour!


Early Saturday evening I hit up the gym.


500m warm up on the rower
Shoulders and chest workout
20min on the stairmill

Sunday
I got distracted by the thought of going to the pumpkin patch with the family early as I saw a post on FB, so I was showered, threw my hair in a ponytail, and was out the door.  It threw off my whole day but I didn't care!  Family!  Tucker!  Pumpkin patch!  Lunch with the fam!  Here are just a couple photos taken; obviously I have like a zillion on my phone.

Well I was going to insert some super cute photos, but blogger be funky and won't let me.  Their on my IG (glitterrunner) so if you follow me there, you know what is missing :O)


It was close to Cowboy game time by the time I got home, watched kickoff then passed out until like 5:30.  Ooops!  Went to the gym close to 7pm, did 4 miles and called it a day.  Cardio only.








Another Week Closer to Race Day!!

Monday
40min run
15min steam


No lifting due to shoulder/back.  It doesn't hurt anymore but I wanted to give the muscles the extra day of rest.  Lets face it, running doesn't require much muscle (other than your heart), especially there.  And I LOVE it when I have the steam room all to myself.  So much more peaceful and gives me the alone time I sometimes so desperately need.  I am seriously addicted to the hottiest-sweatiest rooms fo sho!

Tuesday
It seems the days that I go in to a workout with lets just do the bare minimum because I don't wanna do ANYTHING, turn out to be my hardest efforts.  Go figure.


1 mile warm up (elliptical)
2500m row (16:15)
Shoulders and chest
Lord have mercy I TORCHED my shoulders this time.  Not that I haven't before, but holy smokes what was I thinking!?!?!?  I did 3x8 then a 4th to failure.  Ouch ouch OUCH!


Finished off with some stability ball plank/pushups (3x10)



Abs (cherry pickers)
Then did a series of over the step hops box (height 12in)
Shown here later in the video
I use a box that is used for box jumps since its higher and I get more out of it.  Keep in mind that the faster you go over and over, the better conditioning you will get. 


Also added in step box top (reverse) lunges (also using the jump box as described above)


For those last 2 things, with the box, its always more fun to me when I have some really fun hip-hop booty shaking muse-ak to get the tempo really high.


My legs were smoked by the time I was done.

Wednesday
4 mile run/walk

Thursday
I have been battling allergy issues all week (mostly an extremely sore throat to where I pretty much haven't been eating much), and today I was hopped up on meds and felt like I was drinking Chloraseptic all day.  So at the end of the day, I just opted to take a day of nothing.  When the guilt would creep in, I had to keep reminding myself what I have been putting my body through for 2 months now, and that I HAVE to do this more often.
So my workout was laundry, vacuuming and watching TV. :O)

Friday

Scheduled rest day

Saturday
The group run this Saturday was split up to where it was just not convenient for my mileage which was to be 13-15...I don't know...this group and its distances is dumb.  I will be glad to be out of this group once and for all.
One guy had 20 to do, so there was a 9 mile and an 11 mile.  I wasn't about to get there any earlier than 5am, so it was 11 for me to start.  At mile 7 it started pouring rain, so the last 4 miles I was without music, and was soaked to the bone.  Ugh.  I thought I was going to add on at the end but I was over it.  I called it at 11 miles and I would get more in later at the gym.


Around 5pm I headed up to the gym and got in 2 more miles and probably better for me since my legs were tired and stiff from the morning.  Nothing like running on tired legs right!? 
I then hit up the weights for back, biceps and triceps for about an hour


2 weeks to the half marathon!!  Which means an easy (and short) run this coming Saturday!  Probably going to run with friends and NOT the running group.  Blah.

Sunday
VERY tired tired legs from yesterday...but I wanted to exhaust them as much as possible over the course of the 2 days.
1 mile elliptical
20min stairmill (1.21miles)
Legs, legs, legs and more legs....
Abs
15min steam
10min sauna