Last Week’s Workouts: First Barre Class + First Long Run of HM Training!

Good morning and happy Monday!

Okay, first. Sorry that there are some blog related glitchy things going on. There have been issues with the comments not showing up (although I am seeing your comments on the backend and will respond to them so keep leaving them!) and also still with the mobile ads blocking text. I’m working through these issues. (UPDATE: comments are working again and if you are a fellow blogger it’s a conflict with Thesis and upgrading to WP 4.0 FYI but is fixable.)

I am in the midst of a major blog redesign and overhaul and it can’t come soon enough. I am so ready to bid the current state of the site farewell!!! Hold on tight please! 🙂

Second, thanks for your feedback on the Weekly Workout posts. I was actually surprised to hear that this is something you use and get ideas from so I’ll keep them coming…starting today! I’m excited about last week’s workout recap because it was the first week of half marathon training and I did my first ever barre class!

About half marathon training, I’m following a training plan with a specific goal in mind for this upcoming race. It’s been a REALLY long time since I followed any kind of training program or had a set goal so it’s been refreshing and motivating…and fun to push myself!

Monday

3 mile easy run + yoga

Tuesday

1 mile warm up run + CrossFit

I did the “Legs on Fire” workout that I posted last week.

Wednesday

CrossFit

This WOD was hard but really good. I went into with the goal of just moving steadily. You have to be careful with long AMRAPs not to go out too fast. I try to start at a reasonable pace and then turn it up if I’m still feeling good halfway in. I also set a goal not to put the bar down on the shoulder to overhead. For shoulder to overhead you can strict press, push press or jerk. I jerked and it was an efficient way to get through it quickly. Between the S2O and the T2B, this was a shoulder smoker! I finished 8 rounds + 15 reps RX.

Thursday

5 mile tempo run

My training plan called for 5 miles…2 miles for warm up and cool down and 3 at tempo pace which was 7:40. Loved how this workout pushed me out of my comfort zone.

Friday

Barre

I was invited to attend a class at Hilliard Studio Method by friend who manages our local lululemon. We were talking a couple of months ago and I mentioned that I’d never try barre and she’s been inviting me ever since. I finally bit the bullet and got out of my comfort zone and was I ever out of my comfort zone. I kept looking over at her during class with a look of bewilderment and she’d just smile and wink. Ha!

So barre…Hilliard Studio Method is a barre-ish studio here in town that packs it out. Their studio space is beautiful. I loved the loud, upbeat music and our awesome instructor Lee. I gave her feedback after class that she had a great teaching voice, specific and helpful cuing, hands on assists and use of names throughout class. I took the “Core Ball” themed class in which we used a medicine ball for a variety of surprisingly challenging movements. I liked the work we did with the ball that included a lot of plank and bridge variations. I knew Lee was legit when she started us out with a tough plank series that included a two-minute hold in forearm plank. I can’t say that the the more traditional barre movements that required pulsing, light dumbbells and thrusting/tucking was my favorite thing ever but I guess that’s something that I would get more comfortable with over time. I’m just not super coordinated and kind of awkward when it comes to that stuff!

Overall, it was a great way to mix it up and do something new and my core was sore for two days after. I don’t think it’s something I would do regularly because a) I personally really enjoy my current combo of heavier lifting/running/yoga so much and b) it’s $27 a class!

Saturday

8.3 mile run

First official long run of half marathon training! I met two of my girlfriends at 7 a.m. to knock out 8.3 miles. It felt just like old times to get up early, eat some peanut butter, fill up my fuel belt, turn on my Garmin and hit the road. Our average overall pace was 8:54. Body and legs felt really good during and after the run.

I had a massage scheduled for Saturday afternoon with our therapist Kathleen Morris at Metro Fitness Club. It was seriously one of the best massages I’ve ever had and my body has felt 100% great ever since. I have never felt so good after a massage before.

Sunday

Yoga

I took my friend Kyle’s class at Charlotte Yoga and it was so what I needed. Kyle’s Sunday night classes are not hot but the room is warm and breezy. He plays really chill/ambient music and gives the perfect mix of flow and floor work. The class is 75 minutes and last night we spent around 50 minutes flowing and 25 minutes on the floor. The long holds during the floor work are totally relaxing and restorative. We held frog for over 5 minutes and got in pigeons and supine big toe variations. I felt so open during the class that I was able to get into this arm balance. I think I can count the number of times on one had that I’ve been able to get into Grasshopper on both sides but the combo of my massage + Kyle’s sequencing made it so easy for me last night. Ahhhhh!

A PERFECT week of workouts!

Have you ever tried a barre class? What do you think?