week in 5K workouts + north table yoga flow

Colorado is my soul state. We drove to our hotel after a tour of Laws Whiskey distillery Sunday evening, and I peered left and right at the quaint, twinkling homes lining the asphalt, a couple with the scent of a burning fireplace wafting from the chimneys. A deeper sadness wells up whenever I depart Colorado, as if I’m not wholly detaching myself even when my body climbs aboard the aircraft en route to what currently serves as home.

Two runs in Colorado plus a bevvy on my Florida routes. My hip bothered me much more this week than usual, possibly due to cold-induced tightness, and I battled a cold in the final two days of the week. I’m not wholly pleased with fitting only one strength session in, but I did set aside a span to work on my hip and IT band area, which is certainly better than total abandonment.

Read on for the workouts and a hip-opening yoga flow…atop a mountain!

Monday, 11/11: 4.04 miles, 9:23 pace (AM) + 30 min strength (PM)

The workout:

• 10 min elliptical w/u
• Circuit: 3 rounds of 10 180-degree jump squats w. med ball, 12 Swiss ball glute bridges w. med ball, 10 weighted squat twists, 10 lunge pulses/leg.
• Main set: 3 x 8 narrow squat to overhead press, 15# dumbbells; 2 x 5 narrow squat to OH press, 20# dumbbells
• Core: 1 min plank, 1 min leg drops w. Swiss ball, 1 min side plank (R), 1 min wall sit w. med ball, 1 min side plank (L)

Tuesday, 11/12: 10 min row + 30 min elliptical – 8 x :30 lvl 8/ 1:30 lvl 2

This was my first dip in the world of the ergometer, and holy cow is it hard. The worst part may have been the irritation on my hands, but overall I’m not sure if I’d be able to enjoy this machine. I found it boring as all hell. Hopped on the elliptical after that foray for an interval workout and squinted suspiciously at the rowing machine all the while. If you’re a fan of it, please tell me how to make workouts more interesting!

Wednesday, 11/13: 7 miles, 8:57 pace – 1×800, 1×600, 2×400, 4×200

I got to wear arm sleeves this morning! Crisp 53 degrees with a stiff wind at points – naturally, on the return route of my workout. I logged a 7:36 pace for the 800, 7:22 for the 600, 7:11 and 7:16 for the 400s, and 7:12/7:07/7:13/7:13 for the 200s. The coolness certainly helped maintain my effort. None of the paces felt too out of reach, though the 7:30s are probably most realistic for the 5K race.

Thursday, 11/14: 30 min elliptical

Friday, 11/15: 20 min elliptical w. 8 x :30 lvl 7/ :30 lvl 2 (AM) + 8.09 miles, 8:41 pace (PM) – 35 min tempo run

Midday running throws me off: my perceived effort is never really right, and I don’t tune into my body as well as I do in the morning. An early work shift prevented me from a predawn workout, however, so I hit the road for a tempo run afterwards. The run itself went alright, but totally beat me down once I finished. Can you tell I’m exhausted in the picture? A 3:30a wakeup, tough shift, and hard run will do that. 8:09, 8:17, 8:16, and 8:10 for the splits, averaging to 8:13 over the set. Not too shabby for limited sleep. Ergo, I napped hard after lunch + recovery yoga.

Saturday, 11/16: 4.2 miles, 9:36 pace – Cherry Creek run! + 2.8 mile North Table Mountain hike

J and I trailblazed Cherry Creek in the early morning. Both of us were way overdressed, but the path was simple to follow and parts marked by pretty babbling stretches of water spilling overtop smooth rocks. We saw a mob of geese, too, cross part of the sidewalk from a pond.

We later embarked on an afternoon hike up North Table, all the way to Lichen Peak and a majestic panorama of highway and civilization. One particular stretch was brutal, probably a 13%+grade, but the overlook made the difficulty worth it.

Upon the flat pinnacle of North Table, I stop-drop-and-yoga’d with this spontaneous, grounding flow into which I purposely inserted Table and Mountain postures. In an anatomical sense, all of these postures benefit hip mobility, ankle stability, and core strength. Bonus points for practicing on a relatively uneven surface.

Sunday, 11/17: 3.11 miles, 9:32 pace + 3.1 mile Enchanted Forest Hike + 15 min hip mobility

Came down with a virus this day, which impacted me minimally in the morning but later in the day rendered me very fatigued. I explored the Cory Merrill neighborhood around our hotel during my run. The thermometer read 28 degrees, by far the coldest I’ve conditions to which I’ve subjected myself! I tried out my New Balance Q.O.M. trail shoes here, and I love how lightweight and sturdy they feel even on the road. I don’t intend to use them for the bulk of my running, but I worried about ice and figured more grip was a safer option.

Last time we visited Denver I was ill-equipped for any nature treks, but with the Q.O.M.s we finally managed a hike along the Enchanted Forest and Apex trails. We encountered snowy, icy patches, and took advantage of the packed flurries to make a precious, if not slightly convoluted, little snowman!

P.S: I definitely have more photos to share from my trip, but I’m saving them for a separate post or set of posts.

Total Mileage: 26.44