Summer '22: What's To Do?

The Summer of '22 is already (unofficially) underway...what's a fitness-minded gal to do?

I'm glad you asked! 

Myself, I don't plan to spend very much of my Summer '22 indoors, nor do I expect to be sitting (un)comfortably still.  With no major races happening until the Fall, though, I have ZERO plans of over-expending myself with lofty goals or intensity.

There are a few objectives I have, though, as we approach the first official day of Summer '22...

Here's my Summer '22 Plan of Action:

Continue the daily regimen of my favorite fitness must-do's.

It's no secret that I have been daily planking for several years (since long before I ran the Route 66 Marathon, which was November 2016). A couple years ago, I added daily push-ups to the mix, and they stuck (some days I do more, if they're part of a workout, but I do at least 10 daily push-ups at the minimum). When I was recovering from my emergency knee surgery (Summer of 2017), and had to do 3-minute at-home IV infusions, I started doing leg lifts (60 lifts, each leg) as a way of passing the time...and that ritual stayed with me, long after the infusions ended. None of these exercises take very long, and all of them benefit my strength and balance...so why not just keep-on-keeping-on with them?

Bring back more focused core work.

Even with my daily planking, I can tell my core still needs some work. Although my core is strong, it's  not as toned as I'd like it to be, LOL. There was a time when I did a month-long challenge of daily side planks (in addition to the routine daily forearm planks), and I could see (and feel) a difference at month's end. Anyways, I think it's time to up my core-work game.

Do a monthly 10-mile run.

While I don't feel the need to keep my mileage high (as if, LOL), I do want to maintain my endurance base. Sneaking in a 10-mile run, every 3-4 weeks, is a great way to always be (somewhat) half marathon ready...just in case I spontaneously find a 13.1-race that strikes my fancy. Also, by keeping that 10-mile "long run base," I won't have to do much extra work in prepping for my Fall racing schedule. 

 

Throw in some light speed training...just for kicks (but also for maintenance).

It's been a hot minute since I've done training-specific running. We're talking hill repeats, hill sprints, downhill sprints (yes, they ARE a thing), Fartleks, intervals and track work. Gulp. I've been entertaining the notion of doing a series of 1-mile time trials (remember those, from May of last year?). Stay tuned! 

  

Do all the biking that's humanly possible!

Biking has really become a necessity in my fitness life. It's a valuable vice for recovery, cardio, lower-body strength, and just a great low-impact feel-good form of exercise. So far, I have done five 15-mile rides on the hilly bike path, and two "long" weekend rides (a 27-miler and a 50-miler)...and those are in addition to the random rides I do throughout the week. I'll be passing the 1,200-mile mark this week, so I'm hoping to continue logging some serious cycling miles in these warm months. Did I mention there's a century ride in the works, as well? 

Anyways, that's a tiny peek into what the Summer of '22 has in store for me! To say I'm a little giddy with excitement would be an understatement.

Do you have a plan of action in place for the summer? Any big races on the calendar? Have you set some new (or grandiose) goals?

I'm linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up

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