Back in the Training Mode

Ah, it feels good to be back!

My off-season officially came to a close this past week, and my Back in the Training Mode season became a reality. Here's what all went down:


Monday
As part of the Buprees & Planks & Push-ups Challenge, Monday was the final day of burpees and it was a grand endeavor --> can you say 100 burpees? I did them in sets of 20, interspersed with planking, and felt absolutely giddy with excitement upon finishing that feat. That was workout #1 for Monday.

#giddy

Also on deck for Monday was my #nevermissaMonday run. The temps weren't terrible (but they weren't warm either). Although I weathered 40 continuous days of Streaking (in some frigid sub-ZERO temps), I am done with the extreme cold. I'm not gonna retire from outdoor running (ha! never!), but I really am ready for warmer conditions. That said, I opted to hang with 'Milly for a couple miles in the afternoon.

Nothing grandiose but the smile is actually genuine

Tuesday
Pretty much a rest day. I did the final plank for the BPP Challenge, and that's all she wrote.

Bed head planking...

Wednesday
It had been awhile since my friend, Barb, and I have knocked out a #5at5 (five miles at 05:00 AM). Lucky for us, the temps were ever so mild and the blue/blood moon was ever so bright. The 04:20 wake-up was a bit of a struggle, but the run felt great.

go bright or go home, especially in the wee hours

Later, that afternoon, I finished up with the final set of push-ups for the BPP Challenge. A lot of people think a workout requires a gym, or at the very least, workout clothes. Well, not so for me. With Max as my witness (and coach), I did those final 100 push-ups at home in my work clothes (in sets of 20).

that's 95, 96, deeper, 97, DEEPER, 98...99...100!

Thursday
How about another stair workout? And what say we add in some intervals of supermans and burpees, you know, just for fun?

How does this sound?
*10 supermans
*10 flights of singles
*10 flights of doubles
*5 flights of triples
*10 burpees
***repeat for a total of three sets**

This stairway circuit netted me 30 total supermans, 30 total burpees, 75 total flights of stairs, about 30 minutes of time, and a thoroughly productive sweat session. Mission accomplished.

Another stairway workout to add to the roster

Friday
Not a lot on tap for Friday, other than the 30 squats for the new SST Challenge (see down below). It also was Wear Red Day (in support of women's heart health), so why not honor that in my workout clothes?

30 weighted squats...dressed in red

Saturday
In addition to a 5-miler next weekend, and a 10K a month later, I also have a half marathon happening on March 17th. In other words, it's time to start upping my weekly mileage a bit and extending my long runs each weekend. Barb and I met up at 8:00 for a 7-mile adventure. My weather app showed it was 28F (feels like of 18F) when we started and it was 31F (feels like of 21F) upon completion. Granted, that's only an increase of 3-degrees, but with the lack of wind, it felt much warmer. I was blatantly over-dressed, but the run felt surprisingly effortless despite the massive sweat fest at play.

seven miles = 2018 distance PR! (It's the little things, right?)

Sunday

Winter certainly returned with a vengeance overnight. Since all I needed was a short recovery run, and was really craving a nice sweaty run in a tank top and shorts, I opted to fire up 'Milly and show her some more love. I even made it through those two miles without any music. Don't worry, my affection for the great outdoors still trumps any "feel good" feelings I have for the treadmill.

We all know that treadmill miles count double, right?

So, that's my first week back in the "training mode". Total mileage (Monday-Sunday) clocked in at 16 miles. My January miles came in at 53, which was perfect considering it was my off-season and I intentionally scaled back on the running.  Over all, I'm quite content with the variety of my workouts. I think the variety of cardio has greatly enhanced my endurance, and the strength-training and stair-climbing are working wonders on my overall fitness.

In case you missed them, here's my posts from last week:

Now That's More Like It

Fun Times on a Favorite Trail

What Have I Done For Me Lately?

In other news:

***With a new month in the works, I have some new goals to help me keep my focus. I'm taking part in a new challenge, the Supermans, Squats, and Twists Challenge (also hosted by Rachel). I spent some time and tweaked my workout plan to include those particular exercises, as well as account for adequate rest/recovery time. As usual, this is more of a guide than a carved-in-stone plan...I plan to modify and/or switch some workouts around if need be. 

February is gonna be fun!

***Did you catch my #FridayFashionFlair post on Instagram? Friday, as mentioned above, was Wear Red Day, and I gladly played along. Besides, red is one of my favorite colors, why not highlight it on such a significant day? As we know, heart disease is rampant; a simple gesture of wearing red brings awareness to this reality. As always, you're invited to play along with me on Fridays...post a pic of your outfit, use the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair), and drop me a tag (@runningonthefly). It's fun to see my fitness-minded friends in non-fitness gear.

Go red!

***Last of all, I officially registered for my seventh Fight for Air Climb this week. Affiliated with the American Lung Association, the Climb happens in numerous venues across the Untied States. I'll be climbing in Des Moines, IA on April 8th. Care to join me? Or donate to the cause (my fundraising page is HERE)?

six years of climbing and fundraising for the American Lung Association

How was your week? Were you as happy as me to see January come to an end? Any big plans for February? How's your spring training shaping up?

I'm linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. This weekly check-in is such a great place to connect with fellow fitness-minded peeps. Please join us! 

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