Lifestyle / December 23, 2019

1 minute rejuvenating desk yoga sequence + week in workouts

Busy, productive week in training! I decided sort of on a whim, since running has felt great and the weather proved cooperative, that during these final couple weeks of base-building I’d allow my mileage to increase a bit more than I originally planned. Easy efforts have helped my legs refresh themselves, and at no time this week did I feel over fatigued and burnt – even during my 10-mile long run! If all goes well, I’d like to average 40-45 miles during marathon training weeks.

Furthermore, in developing the 1 Minute Yoga Sequence written below, I’ve no excuse to skimp on my daily stretching. I’m pretty good about allotting time to yoga anyway, but some days I’m lazier than others. This seated, relaxing flow is great for times I’m hunched at my desk for extended periods. It targets mostly the upper body, but the final posture gives the hips some love, too.

Read on below the workouts for the flow and let me know YOU incorporate stretching and recovery on exceptionally busy days!

Monday, 12/16: 5.15 miles, 9:19 pace

Tuesday, 12/17: 5.91 miles, 9:33 pace – 8 x 200m intervals

The warmup felt rough, but my legs responded to the quicker turnover and I clocked every interval but one below 7:30!

Wednesday, 12/18: 4.44 miles, 9:09 pace + 33 min strength

The temperature dipped 15 degrees between my wakeup time (3:45a) and run time (11a) and my outdoor jaunt felt absolutely glorious. Followed immediately with a circuit focused on curtsy lunges, kettlebell swings, and explosive movements. I enjoyed this session thoroughly, so I’ll share it with you:

Wave 1: 12 curtsy lunges w. 15#, 15 kettlebell swings, 12 banded step-out jumps, 12 single-leg deadlifts.
Wave 2: 10 curtsy lunges w. 20#, 12 kettlebell swings, 12 banded step-out jumps, 10 single-leg deadlifts.
Wave 3: 8 curtsy lunges w. 25#, 10 kettlebell swings, 12 banded step-out jumps, 8 single-leg deadlifts.
Wave 4: 6 curtsy lunges w. 30#, 8 kettlebell swings, 12 banded step-out jumps, 6 single-leg deadlifts.
3 x 12 narrow squats w. overhead press, 8 med ball burpees after set
3 x 15 stability ball bridges w. med ball, 8 med ball burpees after set
3 x 15 goblet squats, 8 med ball burpees after set

Thursday, 12/19: 3.18 miles, 9:26 pace – progression run

Early treadmill miles at our hotel in Sarasota before I sat at a desk for five hours to take the GRE. Worked some gentle speed into this run by increasing .1 mph from 6 mph (10:00/mile) up to 7.6 miles per hour (7:53/mile) every .5 miles, then every .25 and .05 after mile 2.

Friday, 12/20: 20 min elliptical with 3 hills + 35 min strength

Saturday, 12/21: 10.13 miles, 9:35 pace

Breezy but pleasant early miles! Intended for 9 but J had 11 in his plan, so I added an extra in solidarity. I’m pleased to have a double-digit long run under my belt before truly starting Big Sur training – huge confidence booster and a great addition to my base mileage!

Sunday, 12/22: 4.29 miles, 9:52 pace

Total Mileage: 33.1 miles

On Thursday, I sat for the GRE and the occasion really bent my shoulders and neck up. When I returned home several hours following, all I wanted was at least a few moments to stretch out my tight body and get some fluidity back in my movement: I felt like a bunched up ogre most of the day.

During the GRE, the screen flashed with a 60-second pause after each section, and for a couple I used the brief moment to call upon my favorite desk-friendly yoga postures. They helped significantly, even in such a short duration. I put together a series of four postures for anyone desk-bound. They certainly can be expanded if time allows, but if only a moment separates periods of work, these poses are simple to follow and fit into any sized pause. For the true one-minute experience, hold each pose for 10 seconds.

1 minute desk yoga