week in training + quick upper body blast…with a detergent bottle

I logged a 14 mile week! This running start arrived at such an opportune time and, though I’ve probably written such prior, a brief escape to the waterside before largely cooping up the rest of the day sets a more positive tone for an otherwise unpredictable cycle of hours.

On Sunday, I felt a swell of nervousness in my stomach as I tumbled down the rabbithole of Covid-19 articles. I quickly shut my browser in favor of other distractions, but the estimates, dismissals from those in power, and stories still hover in my mind. I’m grateful for the positions I’m in regarding employment and health, but worried for those less fortunate and particularly considering my mom’s wellbeing. She lives fairly close by and I talk to her almost constantly each day, but I will not deny that I dread any hint of a text from her regarding an unwell feeling. THAT, above all, frightens me.

But I have running. I have J, I have my family even though we’re separated, and I have home. If you are in the mood to try a funky, somewhat amusing, yet quite effective indoor upper body workout, check the video I’ve posted below! All you need is a bottle of laundry detergent or a similarly-sized object easily handled. The sets are quick and not elaborate, but they burn. You can tell in filming that some of the reps took a bit of focus to complete.

Monday, 3/23: 3.26 miles, 12:39 pace + 32 min dryland circuit + 75 min cycling

Third day in a row homebound and goodness, I’m losing it already. At least now, it seems, I can focus on properly rehabbing my leg with all of the additional time on my plate! Run today, though still rather sloppy and painful, showed quite a bit of improvement from Saturday’s. I’m really paying attention to heart rate during this process to ensure I don’t get too happy and work harder than warranted.

Dryland circuit:

3 rounds of:

• 16 curtsy lunges
• 16 banded squat with lateral raise
• 8 burpees
• 16 banded double-pulse donkey kicks
• 30 swim stroke simulations (on belly)
• 30 banded bicycle crunches
• 30 back extensions with twist

Then:

• :75 plank/18 band pulldowns, no rest
• 20 banded leg drops/30 flutter kicks, no rest
• :60 triceps dips burnout

Cycling:

• 5 min warmup
• 65 min zone 3 (my HR was much higher than expected, maybe because the background music stressed me out) with climbs
• 5 min cooldown

Tuesday, 3/24: 100 min cycling intervals + 43 min Squat Challenge/HIIT

Not very motivated from the moment I got up – I rolled out of bed at 5:30 and sort of knew I just wasn’t having it with the threshold workout I planned for Pittor. My Garmin’s heart rate monitor was absolutely everywhere so I don’t have a clue if I even hit zone 4 like I planned or what was going on, all I know is the entire ordeal felt really hard, probably more from a mental standpoint.

Cycling:

• 10 min easy warmup
• 15 min 85+ RPM
• 5 x 8 min zone 4/3 min recovery
• 10 min steady zone 3 (here it said I hit zone 4 pretty much the whole time…wtf)
• 10 min easy cooldown

Squat Challenge/HIIT

• 10 x 10 squat variations with 1 min plank in between (for time): narrow squats, yogi squats, standard squats, squat jumps, squat with lateral raise, squat twist, sumo squat, toe plie squat, split squat, and pop squat. Finished in 16:14.
• 4 x 20 standing banded clamshells
• Superset #1: 4 x 20 lateral leg raise + 30 plank hip twists
• Superset #2: 4 x 20 bird dogs (each) + 15 knee pushups
• Superset #3: 10 burpees + 4 x 20 hydrants (each)

Wednesday, 3/25: 3.35 miles, 12:18 pace + 80 min cycling

Though subtle, the drop in pace satisfies me. I felt steadier and more in control this run, and discomfort in my calf came on later than the previous pair of attempts and calmed down much more quickly once I finished. I think I’ll be ecstatic once I dip into the 11s.

Bike ride after breakfast watching game 6 of the 2016 World Series. Kept me distracted during a rather nondescript workout: 5 min warmup, 70 min zone 3, 5 min cooldown.

Thursday, 3/26: 120 min cycling intervals + 42 min core

Again, my Garmin’s heart rate monitor messed up the point of this whole workout. There was NO way my heartrate hung out at 60-70BPM when I was CLIMBING HILLS. Aside from serious technology glitches, I enjoyed the workout and felt pretty pooped after.

Cycling:

• 10 min easy warmup
• 35 min zone 3 (theoretically)
• 2 x 15 min 60-70 RPM climbs/5 min easy
• 25 min zone 3 (theoretically)
• 10 min easy cooldown

Core:

• Superset #1: 3 x 15 curl to press with laundry detergent bottle
• Superset #2: 4 x 15 upright row to reverse fly with wine bottles
• Superset #3: 12-15-18 front raise to lateral raise with wine bottles
• 4 rounds: 50 bicycles, 50 hip twists, 25 side crunch R, 25 side crunch L, 50 flutter kicks, 25 single leg drops R, 25 single leg drops L, :75 plank

Friday, 3/28: 3.39 miles, 11:44 pace + 23.29 miles cycling (90 minutes)

Easy morning miles, closer to a normal stride and strength! Leg stopped whining at me very soon after finishing which shows continued improvement in the injury. I’d imagine a lot of the pain results from disuse and thus smart, continued running will only aid in the rebound.

After a frustrating time trying to record a yoga flow, I spun out my frustration with intervals on Pittor. Felt great even though my watch has proven a giant doofus with my rides lately and won’t record my heart rate properly. It says often, during push intervals, that my BPM is around 70-80. I guess I should email Garmin and figure out what’s wrong.

Run:

• 3.39 miles easy paces -> 12:11, 11:37, 11:29

Cycling:

• 5 min easy warmup
• 20 min zone 3
• 12 x 1 min hard/1 min easy
• 26 min zone 3
• 5 min easy cooldown

Saturday, 3/28: 45.31 miles cycling (3:00:00) + pushups

15.1 mph average over this workout. I amused myself pretty handily with some chats with my mom and eagerness to refuel every 15 minutes with my Clif Bar – Caramel Macchiato is an incredible flavor and I counted down the stages until I was due for a snack. Most of the ride I performed at a steady zone 3 effort, with 10 x 2 min @ 60-70 RPM.

Before: Nuun Ginger Lemonade w. Caffeine

Hydration: Skratch Lemon-Lime in water (2 scoops)

Fuel: Clif Caramel Macchiato + packet Clif Bloks in Margarita

I’ve developed a goal to do 10 proper pushups, since my weakness in this area is QUITE obvious. Friday and Saturday I performed 6 x 10 knee pushups and 15-17 regular but just going down – J told me this could be a good way to build the pectoral strength I need to progress into a full pushup. Every day, then, I will commit to my pushups and hopefully see some payoff!

Sunday, 3/29: 4.06 miles, 12:00 pace + 44 min upper body & core circuit

Hooray, long run! I switched the position of my watch so the sensor touched the inside of my wrist, and it seemed to read a fairly normal heart rate progression. I averaged 157 BPM and am content with such a number. Leg only tightened and got tired in the last two miles, otherwise I pranced along pretty nicely! Immediately followed with a quick-moving and burning resistance band workout.

Run: Easy miles, 12:18 -> 11:47 splits

Upper body & core:

• Superset #1: 4 x 18 retractions / 4 x 18 each single arm row w. balance
• Superset #2: 4 x 18 triceps dips with 5# bag of potatoes (hah) / 4 x 18 knee pushups
• Superset #3: 4 x 15 biceps curls / 4 x 18 pulldowns
• 4 x 15 banded leg drops with lift
• 4 x 20 expanding tabletops
• 4 x 15 plank leg lifts (one rep = both legs)
• :75 plank
• :60 Bird Dog, L
• :60 Bird Dog, R
• :60 Boat
• Burnouts: 100 prayer pulses + 100 flutter kicks

Total mileage: 14.06 (I’m SO happy this category is back!)

Total training hours: 16.1 (wowzas)

Upper Body Workout with a Detergent Bottle

The workout: 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps each

• Curl-to-Press (each arm)
• Front Raise
• Upright Row
• Overhead Triceps Extension