week in review: august 25–31

Dopey Challenge Training: Week 9

Monday, August 25: Cross train (60 minutes Bar Method)

Tuesday, August 26: 2.6 miles 

Wednesday, August 27: rest day

Thursday, August 28: Cross train (60 minutes Bar Method)

Friday, August 29: rest day

Saturday, August 30: 3.29 miles

Sunday, August 31: 13.4 miles (Chicago Women's Magnificent Mile Half Marathon)

Weekly mileage: 19.29 miles

Total mileage for Dopey Challenge Training: 138.87 miles

I was only able to go to Bar Method twice this week, but it was still pretty hard! I'm not sure why, but on Thursday, my arms were quite tired, even at the beginning of class. I'm still loving it, and even though I'm getting the hang of it, it doesn't get any easier, mainly because you can always challenge yourself by going deeper into the move, or raising your arms during certain exercises to work on balance or engage your abs even more. It's awesome!

Tuesday night I went to see Arcade Fire at the United Center with my friend from college. It was a great concert, and we had a lot of fun, just like back in the old days :)

Arcade Fire Reflektor Tour – Balloon Drop!

I was able to get my three training runs in this week, though it was a bit off. On the schedule were two runs of 45 minutes during the week and 3 miles on the weekend. I cut my run on Tuesday short by 10 minutes, and then I registered for the Chicago Women's Magnificent Mile Half Marathon for Sunday (I didn't decide to register until Wednesday. I had been thinking about it for a while, but didn't make my final decision until fairly last minute.). The race was hot and sunny, so a bit tough for me, but I still beat all of my half marathon times from last year, so I always am happy with that result. Hopefully, each year will be like that :) The race was well organized and I was happy that I decided to register. I will have more details in my race recap, as well as writing up a review on BibRave.com.

I met my @Oiselle #Flystyle Thirteen Point One twin at the expo Friday night :)

After the race, I went over to my friends house to have a pool day and re-hydrate session with beer (don't worry – I also drank plenty of Nuun that day). It felt so great to be in the pool, not only because it was so dang hot out, but it also felt great on my tired, slightly sore muscles (hips, legs, knees... pretty much everything haha).

Overall, the week in training went well. I'm feeling stronger thanks to Bar Method, and I think it's helping me become a better runner. Yay! Now on to a new training week (is it really week 10 of Dopey Challenge training?!) and another half marathon on Sunday. I should be able to manage all three training days plus three days of cross training.... that's the plan, anyway :)

How was your week? Did you race this weekend, and if so, how did it go? Would love to hear about your week in general, in training – whatever! 

P.S. If you did race, it would be great if you would review it on BibRave.com – help out your fellow runner! It's a great place to find information regarding races, which can help others find a new race, or decide if one they're considering is worthwhile. Thanks :)

the weekly chase #19

On Tuesdays I link up my Weekly Chase goals with Mindy from Road Runner Girl. Below is a recap from how the goals from last week went over, and my new goals for this week.

Weekly goals for August 4–10

Goal #1 - Daily – A: Log and stay under calorie goals. B: Drink 48 ounces of water. C: Eat healthier snacks/meals.
A. about 80% with this guy. I did great logging all of my foods except on the weekend, and I went over my calories on three (!) days. Tisk tisk. I must do better with that this week.
B. Check.
C. Though I was going over my calories, most of what I was eating wasn't so bad. My worst day for going over was when we went wine tasting and had dinner.

Goal #2 - Hit goal of 10,000 steps per day via Fitbit.
An ok week, but I didn't hit my goal everyday. Here's a breakdown: 5315 (really bad), 11160, 7734, 12613, 13180, 9509, 19840.

Goal #3 - Continue Dopey training. Cross train two days.
Yep! I ran 3 times this week (one day was a race), and I did 30 minute walks two days as my cross training.

Goal #4 - Foam/stick roll and stretch daily.
50% for this guy.

Goal #6 - Clean/organize the office. I should have a good chunk of time on Saturday to do so.

Yes - I made a small dent, but have some more to do.

Weekly goals for August 11–17

Goal #1 - Daily – A: Log and stay under calorie goals. B: Drink 48 ounces of water. C: Eat healthier snacks/meals. D. Hit 10,000 steps per day via Fitbit.

Goal #2 - Continue Dopey training. Cross train three days.

Goal #3 - Foam/stick roll and stretch daily.

Goal #4 - Write two race recaps for posting. I'm quite a bit behind on my race recaps, and hope actually sharing the goal of getting them written and posted will motivate me to get on it!

Goal #5 - Spend Sunday cleaning and catching up on blogs. I actually have a free day and want to spend it wisely.

Thanks for hosting the weekly chase link up, Mindy!

How about you — what are your goals for this week?

friday five: this summer i will...

It's Friday Five time! I'm linking up this (very lovely) Friday with the DC gals: Courtney of: Eat Pray Run DC, Cynthia of: You Signed up for What?, and Mar of: Mar on the Run. The theme for this week is: 'This summer I will... 

1. Eat healthier. I'd like to eat more salads, fruits, veggies, and chicken over the summer. I'll be (attempting to) limit my fast food and fattier meals in exchange for healthier ones. Wish me luck, because I'm going to need it! I'm hoping with some willpower and routine, it will become easier. It's not like I eat our every day, but I do love me some Cheetoh Puffs, Doritos, pizza, and cheeseburgers, and when the craving calls, I usually answer :-/ I am writing this post as I eat a salad for lunch, which I packed up this morning before leaving for work. It took some time to gather it all together, so I'm quite proud of myself for getting it done haha. Not to say that I'm giving up everything that's unhealthy, just trying to limit the amount I eat.

2. Start Doepy training. Ahh! Can't believe July 1 will be the beginning of training for the Dopey Challenge. Scary, though the heavy mileage doesn't come until September, where it starts hitting 13+ miles, and the inclusion of a week with 4 days of running instead of 3 (there are 6 of them total, I believe). I'm following the Jeff Galloway plan up on the runDisney training page, as I also use his run/walk method. I figure it'll give me my best shot in finishing all of the races. Note that I am not concerned with my time for any of the races, just that it's within the time limits.

3. Start cross training on a regular basis. I'd love to get into swimming, but I have yet to find a gym or location that's close enough to home or work and is a reasonable price. Other than swimming, I'd like to start riding a bike, and try some other forms of cross training to see what I enjoy most. 

4. Strength train. I suppose this can fit in with cross training a bit, especially if I start swimming (that builds arm strength, right?), but I'd like to build and tone up my muscles. I don't have much strength in my core or arms, and would love to fix that. I really think it will help my running, and maybe even increase my speed and help prevent injuries. I'm pretty concerned with getting burnt out from running or injured once the heavy miles hit in the late summer/early fall. I want to be prepared, and I think cross/strength training will help. Along with pre/post run nutrition, figuring out how to foam roll, and just overall taking care of my feet and body post runs. All of these things are key to keeping me in tip top shape for training :)

5. Spend time outdoors (with plenty of sunscreen and hats, of course). Whether it be reading (I want to do a lot of reading!), walking the dogs (as long as it isn't too hot for them), picnics in the park, hanging out with friends at their pools – I want to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air, instead of being cooped up inside being lazy and unproductive on the couch. I'm really hoping for a fairly mild summer, so that I can stand being outside long enough to enjoy it! I'm not a fan of 90+ degrees (or 80s, if I'm being honest with you, don't hate me).

EXTRAS: A few other things on my list include: 

• finish getting the office organized, cleaned, and have it stay that way.

• go through clothes and donate things no longer worn.

• organize my closet and dresser drawers.

• spend time with my family.

What's on your summer to-do list? Any fun vacation plans? Do you foam roll? Can you come over and teach me how to do it? What form(s) of cross training do you do, if any? Looking for tips or recommendations, please :) 

Thanks to Courtney, Cynthia, and Mar for hosting! Make sure to check out their "Friday Five" posts and link up if you are joining in! There are always a lot of blogs linked up, and it's interesting to see everyone's takes on the theme. I suggest taking a look at a few (or all, if you have the time). Have a great weekend, everyone!