It’s Marathon Monday! I was watching a video of the elite women taking off at the starting line and I thought to myself, “I’m pretty sure that’s what I think I look like taking off for a 5K.” I can’t even imagine going out of the gate like that for a marathon. Incredible athleticism and endurance!
While we’re on the topic of Boston, did you see that the first woman who ran the Boston Marathon is running it again this year…50 years later!? She’s 70 years old now. When she ran Boston back in 1967 it was a man’s race only because women were considered “too fragile to run it.” That is craziness ladies! It is insanity to me how much the strength of women has been doubted and minimized throughout the course of time when we just keep showing everyone how freaking strong we are.
Read the full and inspiring story about Katherine Switzer in this New York Times article.
Wearing Newton Fate II. I just ordered another pair today! They are 100% the best!
Let’s talk a little more about running. I haven’t been doing a whole lot of it lately. I only ran two times for a total of 9 miles this week. In my ideal world my average weekly mileage would be around 20 but I’d be happy with 15. The problem is that work and other workouts get in the way…along with dog mom guilt. I am constantly trying to juggle finding the time to fit in a workout (on top of time to walk to dogs) along with my balance between strength, yoga and running. And I’m not willing to sacrifice my yoga practice or strength work to run more because they’re so, so important to me for their own reasons.
I’d mostly like to run more regularly because I love how it makes me feel. I don’t have any current desire to race or to break PRs…I just want to run more. There is just nothing like a good run to wipe my slate clean and as I know I’ve said many times before, it’s the best way for me to deal with stress and anxiety. I’d also like to run more regularly because when I don’t run consistently, running starts to feel HARD! It’s crazy how fast you start to lose your endurance.
Basically, I just need this to be my reality. 😉
In all seriousness, I did a good job at moving my body last week. At the end of yesterday’s run, my Apple Watch told me I had a perfect exercise week…it was the first time I ever got that notification! Tanner got me an Apple Watch for Christmas. I still prefer my TomTom Spark 3 for running (by a landslide) but if it’s not charged, I’ll just wear my Apple Watch.
Last Week’s Workouts
Monday: 3 mile run + hot yoga
Tuesday: 3 mile walk + taught a 50 minute strength class at the Y
Wednesday: 3 mile walk
Thursday: hot yoga
Friday: hot yoga + lift + 30 minute walk
3 rounds:
20 two-step shuffles
10 monster walks
10 back squats (85#)
10 ring rows
10 push ups
3 rounds:
10 bench press (75#)
10 pull ups (5 strict and 5 light assist)
20 alternating back stepping lunges holding a 25# plate in each hand
3 rounds:
10 back squats (105#)
10 parallette pass thrus
15 tricep extensions on the racked barbell
3 rounds:
10 deadlifts from the ground (105#)
10 dumbbell strict overhead press (20#)
30 jump lunges
10 dumbbell bicep curl (20#)
Saturday: hot yoga
Sunday: 6 mile run
While I did wish I could have squeezed in another run or two, I loved all the yoga I got in last week. I took from four different teachers at the studio and every class was awesome in its own different way!
This Week’s Workout Playlist
I say this every week but I’m LOVING this week’s workout playlist that I just put together on Spotify.
Happy sweating!
What is your ideal when it comes to how many days a week to run and your weekly total mileage?
Do you have an Apple Watch? If so, what do you think of it?
My ideal on how many days to run in a week and the mileage is far away from where I am now. I would like to run 6 days a week, increasing my mileage gradually up to 30 miles per week.
Right now, due to graduate school, I can only run 3 or 4 times a week. My weekly mileage is around 10 to 15 miles. Hopefully I’ll be able to reach my ideal once I finish the semester within a couple of weeks.
Good luck with the end of the semester. I totally understand having to scale back workouts during busy seasons of life. I just remind myself it’s not forever.
I go to school at Boston University, so we have the privilege of watching the marathon every year! It’s so exciting and awe-inspiring every time. So many great things happened at this year’s marathon! I’m not much of a runner, but I definitely get inspired to run a little more after the Boston Marathon 🙂
Oh wow, I can’t even imagine the energy and atmosphere there must be. So cool Alison!
my son has an apple watch that he stopped wearing after the novelty wore off lol. sometimes I think about trying it just to see the hoopla but I’m so not techy! I wouldn’t know what to do with it lol
Girl, that is my STRUGGLE with it! I feel like I have no idea how to actually use it to its fullest potential and I lack the patience to figure it out.
I try to run 2-3 times per week! My goal is 15 miles per week…some weeks are better than others. I try not to beat myself up over it because I am trying to vary my workout routine, too.
I was recently gifted an Apple Watch and I love it! I bought a few different bands since they are so easy to change – I have one for workouts and a nicer one for work. (Side note: I still use my FitBit for sleep tracking/the silent alarm in the morning AND I still prefer my Garmin for running/cycling. #FitTechNerd)
I hear you on not beating yourself up, especially when you’re working to vary your routine. I have to have a lot of grace with myself around that. I love all of your different devices! 😛
I run track and hit about 17 miles week on average, but that’s a good week.
I was also recently gifted an Apple Watch for Christmas and I didn’t find it very accurate compared to the fitbit, which I’ve had for three years and it seems to work much better. The fitbit flex has overall just seemed more accurate. I wore the apple watch everyday to the gym , sports practice, and everywhere in between for 6 weeks. Overall, the Apple watch is bulkier on my wrist and seems to slide around as I move. The Fitbit Flex seems to stay in place and I am still continuing to wear the flex instead of the watch. I love reading your blogs!
Hey Grayson! Thanks for the insight on the Fitbit Flex!
I have been considering purchasing an Apple watch and would love to know more about why you aren’t a huge fan. Would you consider doing a post about it in the future? 🙂
YES! Let me spend a little more time actually trying to understand how to use it and all the features. It’s not super intuitive.
I love my apple watch but when I am in conversation with someone and it is constantly buzzing with notifications then I get a little annoyed with it
Agreed! I hate the temptation to look down.
Four days of runner per week seems to be about my sweet spot. Depending on what I’m training for, that can be anywhere from 20-40 miles per week!
I have a Samsung Gear Fit and I like it more than I thought I would. It’s a combo of smart watch and fitness watch, so it tracks my steps and sleep but also gives me email and text notifications. The GPS isn’t very accurate, though, so I still usually wear my Forerunner for running.
Four days of *running
My ideal for running is zero. =)
I have just never acquired that interest or desire. However, if you want to talk about walking, I could walk all day long. In fact, after a lazy-ish few months of only yoga, I’m looking forward to add walking back into my exercise routine.
Haha, I love this. 🙂 RE: walking…I love it so much too! It just feels so good.
I just bought an Apple watch. I have a desk job and I like that it reminds me to stand every hour and helps me keep track of my movement and workouts. In terms of the exercise function, I was a little disappointed in the heart rate monitor, particularly for HIIT types of workouts (I do MADabolic workouts four times a week). I ended up getting a Scosche armband Bluetooth heart rate monitor and like it a lot better than ones with chest straps.
As for running, I’m definitely not as fast as I used to be, but I find with doing MADabolic workouts and running once a week I generally am able to keep up my running fitness and perform about as well in races as I was when I was running more frequently throughout the week. I have been surprised at how much HIIT has helped my fitness. It’s funny, running used to be my favorite activity for stress relief etc., but now that I sit by myself at my desk most of the day, I prefer group exercise.
I agree with you on the heart rate monitoring. I do not find it to be very accurate. MADabolic is a great workout and I totally agree with you that HIIT training translates to an increase in overall fitness, even when reducing running!
I have an Apple Watch and I am a fan 🙂 I got the series 2 specifically so I can wear it to swim laps. So nice not to have to count laps haha! My fave apps are Cardiogram which plots heart rate throughout the day and gives the option of marking sections for future reference (eating, stressful event, etc. … it marks workouts by itself). Even more than that I love AutoSleep which tells me how long, how deeply, how restfully I slept. I do wear my watch to sleep for this purpose, but it helps me understand what influences my sleep quality and that is so valuable to me!
I don’t run unfortunately because of knee issues (hence the lap swimming), but I would love to start running once my knees are better (positive thinking right here haha).
Hey Simone – THANK YOU for this comment. It’s so helpful! I feel like I’m not using my watch to its fullest capacity.
Hey Jen! I just ordered the Fate II’s today and am anxious to wear them! I ordered a half size up from my normal size 8, as I heard they tend to run a tad small…is this true? I am a neutral runner and have worn the Newton Aha’s off and on and enjoy them. Are the lugs on these super noticeable or fairly easy to get used to? Any feedback is appreciated…I am slowly building time/mileage for my running as I have been injured so just taking it slow. Thank you!
Hey LeAnne! So excited you ordered the Fates. I typically order the same size that I always get for running shoes (also an 8) and haven’t had an issue with the Fates. The lugs are noticeable but easy to get used to. I also have a pair of Brooks Ghost which are a comparable neutral shoe and I much prefer my Fates over them. I hope you love them!