Never underestimate the power of rest! I enjoyed a day of nothingness yesterday – I didn’t even walk the dog! – and I woke up feeling like a million bucks. I was ready to sweat!
First, I reunited with an old friend.
The yoga bread and banana sandwich was my go-to breakfast for awhile, but it fell off the radar screen as of late. I finally enjoyed this delicious combo again. My sandwich had toasty bread, gooey almond butter, 1/2 sliced banana, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Cinnamon makes its way into every breakfast these days. It tasted great and powered me through a tough workout.
I hit the gym today. Oh yes – the treadmill. I had a need for speed! I’m really not trying to become a speed racer, but sometimes it’s fun to push a little harder. Wanna see today’s run? Here it is:
Total Distance: 4.0 miles
- 0.5 miles @ 6.5 (9:13/mi)
- 0.5 miles @ 7.7 (7:47/mi)
- I repeated these intervals for the duration of the run.
Total Time: 34:00
I loved this run. I felt challenged, but not exhausted. I chatted with my friend during the recovery and stayed focused when the speed increased. I cooled down by walking an additional 0.25 mile.
The cool down was short…because the workout wasn’t over. Oh no! It had just begun. With the help of my friend, I planned another strength circuit. I’m really making an effort to include strength into my training plan 2x/week. It’s not easy for me, as it’s not my strength – pun intended! – but it’s definitely necessary.
Today’s circuit (I went through the whole thing twice):
- front arm raise – 10x – 7.5 lb. weights
- lateral arm raise – 10x – 7.5 lb. weights
- bicep curls – 10x – 10 lb. weights
- tricep extension – 10x – 10 lb. weights
- straight-legged dead lift – 20x – 10 lb. weights
- squat with overhead shoulder press – 20x – 7.5 lb. weights
- “Here Comes the Bride” squat – 20x – 10 lb. weight –> Thanks, Lauren, for this one! It hurt so good!
…and looked so good! Ok, maybe not. She has some great moves, though. Check them all out here.
- abs and obliques…but I have no idea what the moves are called!
I used this little contraption to do moves for core strengthening. Anyone want to help a sister out?! What am I doing? All I know is, I could feel the burn! I’m trying to keep things really basic because I’m pretty afraid of every piece of equipment. My focus for strength training is:
- maintaining proper form
- quick, total-body workouts
- emphasis on exercises that compliment running
- keep the weights light
It was fun to have my friend there to laugh with me keep me on task. I also had an audience during the entire workout.
This little kitty stuck around to watch me through the window. I’m not a cat person, per se, but I felt for her. She’s a stray with a litter of kittens. The owner of our gym noticed her hanging around, appearing distressed. The kittens are hidden somewhere in the area and occasionally she brings them out. Luckily, the owner was able to contact a no-kill shelter and they are coming today to help this momma and her babies. I hope they find happy homes soon.
I digress! The workout ended with some stretching and a snack. I planned to have my latest favorite – cottage cheese.
But there wasn’t much left. I decided to amp up this little serving with some blueberries and Kashi Heart to Heart. A great post-workout snack – protein, fruit, whole grains – love!
I seriously need to go take a shower. Happy Monday!
What’s your favorite post-workout snack?
