efficiency | Fitness is Sweet

Hello! Look at this-back again already! Guess what? I’m officially on Thanksgiving break! To be fair my week was pretty low-key so it’s not THAT big of a deal but still.

I want to do some fitness updates today. And catch up on food. We’re losing our chef. Again. The new one ended up begin really good after adapting to the needs of the house, but now he’s leaving for a different job. So the search begins again.

In essays, I know you’re never actually supposed to flat out say the structure of how you’re going to prove an argument, but I’m still going to go right out and say-this is the structure of today’s post: Fitness thoughts with food pictures interspersed. Because I have lots of food pictures an don fitness pictures.

Is this not just the most amazing thing ever?? I went back to my favorite coffeeshop for the first time this year after a track workout and was treated to this.

After half marathon training, I was tired. I felt like I had 1000 aches and pains, and I was tired a lot. I felt like my body was put under a lot of stress (um, because it was). At the same time, I was rehabbing my shoulder. Prior to even hurting it, I felt like I had a lot of tightness/tiny aches building up.

Carrot ginger soup with gluten free ciabatta.

When I first returned to Crossfit, back when my shoulder was really touchy, I was really careful not to overdo it. After my half, I decided to make some changes. I want to be the fittest I can be, but I also want to be the fittest I can be for the longest time. I started to realize that I can’t put so much stress on my body. If I want to be running half marathons in 10 years, I need to put in fewer footsteps now.

Example A: Last summer (1.5 years ago to clarify), I was in pretty great shape. I ran a TON. I was half marathon training, and adding other running workouts on top of that. The result? I DEMOLISHED my feet. I could barely walk for a while. My half was far slower than it should have been. I had to take a while off of running completely, and my feet were still a problem for a long time afterwards. This year? I’m not overdoing the running, and my feet have essentially not been a problem (plus I’ve gotten better shoes).

Gluten free veggie panini and vegetable soup with my parents after seeing The Martian.

After my October half, I took it easy with the running. I ran consistently, but I didn’t follow a schedule. I fell in love with my 2.5 mile loop. As a result, it was casual and since my half I’ve been able to run whenever I want, without worrying about hurting myself. At the same time, I’ve also been doing lots of track workouts. Distance wise, they’re nothing. But in terms of intensity…man. (Sidenote-I’m officially done with my class project, and I will do a full write up of that.)

This was make your own burritos-I did a salad. Guac=life.

Additionally, I decided I would only go to Crossfit 3x a week. My shoulder doesn’t need more than this, and my joints don’t either. Every week, I go online and pick and choose which workouts I want to do most (which will be better for my shoulder and which lifts I should practice more), and then go on those days. I don’t need to go every day-I do enough other things.

And honestly? My body feels so much better. My runs don’t feel sluggish. I feel strong. I’m not less fit-there are some things I definitely still want to work on and improve, but with a well-scheduled week of workouts I can do that without stressing my body.

BBQ chicken over a salad with ranch+gluten free toast.

There are times when I feel like I can push myself more and want to do more-which is great! I just have to be smart about how I’m going about it. I want to get some more rowing in. Maybe more spin. Stick to track workouts. It’s all about efficiency and getting the more out of less!

Since this seems relevant-here’s my week of workouts thus far!

Monday: AM run 4 miles, PM teach spin+softball

Tuesday: AM timed 400m trial (plus 800m warm up), PM Crossfit:

At 0:00, 9:00, 18:00, 27:00, 36:00

5 Box Jump Over
200m Sprint
7 Thruster (95/75)
12 Cal Row

Wednesday: AM 5 mile run, PM teach spin+softball

Thursday: AM Crossfit (This one was killer):

5 Min AMRAP @85%-90% x 5 rest 3 between sets

Round 1, 3, 5

4 Burpee
8 Push Press
12 KBS

Round 2, 4

4 No Push Up Burpee
8 Front Squat
24 Double Under

Friday: AM Crossfit:

A: Back Squat @21×1 – 75-80% x 2 x 5; rest 2-3 min
B: BB Reverse Lunge – 6-8/leg alternating x 3; rest 2
+
Alternate OTM x 12

5 DB Row/side
30s Hollow Rock
In 40s – 15 squats + double under

I may do a short little run this evening, or may walk the pup (she’s visiting). Saturday or Sunday will probably be a rest day-depending on how I’m feeling/what my schedule is each day. I want to get a longish run in one of those days though because I’m doing a 10k on Thanksgiving and I haven’t done more than 5 miles in a while (aka my half).

What does your week of workouts look like?

Alternatively titled, “When 200m Runs Feel Like Death.”

After yesterday’s WIAW fun, I thought I’d continue the link-up trend another day for a new to me link up-Thinking Out Loud. This is basically a chance to share random thoughts in a way we can pretend is organized. Yay!

So here we go-shall we?

The title of this post. For my exercise physiology class, we have to chose an exercise (from a list), do a timed trial, then design a training plan to improve by the end of the quarter. I chose the 400m run-so glad I didn’t choose the mile because the 400m is over so much more quickly! Plus training. Anyways-I did my timed trial yesterday. I ran 9 miles and taught a spin class on Monday, but I’m pretty sure that my legs were aching Tuesday night from that little 400m. It’s amazing how much different sprinting is! I did my first training workout this morning. I expected it to be practically nothing-I was only running a mile!-but it knocked me the heck out. Whew. I did a 400m warm up followed by 6 200m all out sprints with recovery in between. My legs still hurt. I think I should see some improvement!
Since I wasn’t doing a long sweaty workout, I slept in a bit and went straight from the track to class. Zero to presentable in 10 minutes flat.
Lemon Luna bars taste like summer to me. I haven’t had them in a while!
Fun fact-exercise increases the size of your heart, but different exercises do this differently. Resistance training increases the thickness of your heart, while endurance training increases the volume.
When I look at old pictures of myself, I always think my hair looked so much better. Not that my hair is bad, but I feel like it used to be fuller/thicker/straighter. I’m trying to stop sleeping with my hair up in hopes that this will change.
I’m at that point of half marathon training where things tend to be a grind, phantom pains pop up, and everything aches. At my softball game, I felt so slow, old, and creaky. Granted, this was after 9 miles+a spin class, but still, I think it’s time I gave my body a little more respect. Especially with my intense 1 mile workout this morning, I’m realizing I need to be putting fewer footsteps into my fitness going forward. I’m sure this won’t be my last half marathon (knocking on wood of course), and I’ll definitely still keep running because I like how it makes me feel, but I need to be more efficient with my footsteps, and with high impact exercise in general. I’m also limiting myself to 3 weight lifting sessions a week (including Crossfit) because while that may not be a lot of footsteps, it can be a lot on the joints, and I had various things pop up over the summer from lifting so heavy. Plus, I need to be kind to my healing shoulder!
I’m one of those people who dwells on the past, and now more than every that I’m a senior! As I do things for the last time, it’s like deja vu. I also miss being a freshman! Honestly I think I view that time now as far better than I did at the time, but I miss a lot of aspects about it, like rowing, the freshman dorm community, freshman experiences, and that freshman eagerness. Then vs now-oh hello baby face!
I’m also so nostalgic of my freshman fitness level. #rowing Seriously guys, I was so fit. With my new plan to do less high impact exercise, I’m hoping to build my fitness by hopping on the erg again. I always miss my old workouts!
I have been at school for 3 weeks and I still find cat fur on all my clothes.
I can’t believe I’m a senior in college. I know I keep saying that, but where the heck did the time go? I feel like it was yesterday that I was that easier baby-faced freshman. I’m determined to make the most out of the year and out of the future.
I’m so happy I dropped a class. I finally feel like I have time to devote myself fully to my other classes, and with the super full schedules I’ve had in the past, I haven’t always felt I’ve been able to.

What are you thinking today?

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TOL-When 200m Runs Are Homework