So last week was Valentine’s Day (did you forget already?) and although we don’t usually celebrate, now that we have second graders, everything is a celebration and a big deal. I love and hate it, all at the same time. In fact, I feel that way about a lot of things lately so I decided to give myself some tough love both in training and life last week.
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 13, 2017
RUNNING
Once again I was almost exclusively on the treadmill, trying to heat myself up, as I trained speed and incline in my last week before the Havana Triathlon! I practiced some tough love by not using the fan and wearing some extra clothing. It wasn’t pretty.
I also did some indoor track work and had to dodge people almost the entire time! Just pick ONE lane and stay in it. It was quite the show at the indoor track last Friday for some reason, complete with a older woman walking while shadow boxing and doing dance moves, and a girl walking in cowboys boots and a jean skirt. These are the people in my neighborhood.
Finally, on Sunday I was able to run free outside in the balmy 50 degree temps…but only for 10 minutes since it was mostly a bike brick.
Tuesday – VO2 Max run before bike | 3.55 miles | 7:32 pace
Friday – track ladder 5k/3k pacing before swim | 7.12 miles | 7:15 average pace
Sunday – bike/run brick | 10 minutes at 10k effort | 1.5 miles
Total = 12.17 miles
CYCLING
My downstairs pain cave has also become a sweat cave. I did the same on my bike as I did on my treadmill runs and used no cooling systems and added some clothing. I went though at least two towels and two water bottles on each ride, but I absolutely loved it.
Tuesday – After run: 15 min Z2 with 5 x 10 min jumps to Z3 | 10.3 miles | 40 minutes
Thursday – Almost race week “big gear” 5 x 4 minutes to threshold | 1 hour 17 minutes | 20.1 miles
Sunday – 1 hour cycle building effort with 10 min time trial near end, then run off the bike | 16.8 miles
Total = 47.2 miles
SWIMMING
Although I only had two swim sessions this week, I loved both and I’m starting to really get a feel for pacing in the water. I’m always surprised by the learning curve in the pool but, as in running, when something clicks you know it and it makes a difference.
My first workout of the week involved 200s at varying paces with little rest in between and I nailed it!
#1 – 100 easy, 50 moderate, 50 fast (10 second rest)
#2 – 50 easy, 100 mod, 50 fast (20 sec rest)
#3 – 50 easy, 50 mod, 100 fast (30 sec rest)
#4 – 100 fast, 50 easy, 50 mod (20 sec rest)
#5 – 50 fast, 100 easy, 50 mod (10 sec rest)
#6 – 50 fast, 50 easy, 100 mod (60 sec rest)
Repeat #1, 2 and 3!
The total workout was 2,400 yards and my pace was 1:42 average! Yay me!
Friday – After track workout, 2,800 yards pull buoy, band, paddles | 1 hour
Total = 5,200 yards
STRENGTH TRAINING
So Barre has been officially canceled due to lack of participants. Wusses! So, I was left to my own devices to find an alternate class and find one I did! It’s called Hour of Power and is taught by a trainer I know and trust at the YMCA.
The class is done with barbells and plates and the moves are done in sets and intervals. The class includes all the areas of work I need plus some mobility moves, which I really need.
The problem is the class is on Wednesdays and I will now be gone for the next two.
This picture was taken in my basement, not in class. Let’s just say, taking a class is so much more fun and motivating!
GEAR
Thanks to a post by Laura aka This Runner’s Recipes, she reminded me of my love for medicine balls with handles! I ordered one from the link on her page and started doing burpees with it immediately. Seriously. I did.
This is the workout and the link is above. I highly suggest it for runners and non runners alike!
The best part is the med ball I ordered is just heavy enough (10 lbs.) that the boys can’t throw it at one another. They practice “tough love” on a daily basis.
THINGS I LOVE
My boys (all of them) making me homemade Valentines! You never think any of this is awesome (at least I didn’t) until you have kids. They worked so hard on making me signs and shopped with dad for fake roses and all the crafts to make them. I also love how they get me insanely big chocolate boxes when they never see me eating chocolate. Check out the solid milk chocolate deer Miles gave me. It says: You’re a Deer. I just can’t.
And, since my husband knows that proper grammar is the way to my heart, he made sure to correct his mistake in the card he gave me…
In case you can’t read it it says – there should be a separation between these two words (every day). I’m no Trump!
I seriously could not love him more.
THINGS I DON’T LOVE AS MUCH
The amount of money teachers get paid for the work they do.
Teachers deserve to be paid at least 1 million dollars a day. You know how some actors get paid a million bucks per episode for mindless television shows? I’d like to see any one of them last two hours in my son’s second grade classroom. I was there for the Valentine party and I almost had a seizure from the noise and chaos. It was one hour long.
I had to make the holiday craft. Me. Teaching kids how to craft. Awkward.
I think my face pretty much sums it up. God only knows what I was saying, but at least I know the boy’s mom who I’m talking to. Notice how Vaughn is at the very end of the table completely ignoring me. Smart kid.
This was probably supposed to be a craft for three year-olds but at least it looks like the Pinterest version.
I’m sure they all ended up in the trash but I’m ok with that since that’s where I think most crafts belong.
READING
I finally finished reading Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain and it was a really interesting story about a piece of history I wasn’t aware of. Apparently, from 1929 – 1975 there was something called the Eugenics Sterilization Program in the U.S. During the time of it’s use, the state of North Carolina sterilized over seven thousand of its citizens. Seven thousand. The program targeted the “mentally defective” and “feebleminded” and others whose sterilization was for “the public good.” I can think of some people who would benefit from this now. However, the book is a work of fiction but the facts behind it are stunning.
Since I enjoyed the author so much, and have heard nothing but praise for her other book The Nightingale, I started reading it and, I’m only about 100 pages in and totally consumed!
RANDOM QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Of course Vaughn’s iPad screen finally decided to crack all the way through, just days before leaving for Cuba. We were forced into buying a new one (yes, forced) which led to the following conversation:
Me: So when we get to Cuba you will have to do hard labor to work off the money we spent on the iPad.
Vaughn: Hard labor? That’s for pregnant women!
I mean, how does he even know that? This kid cracks me up!
[Tweet “The Rundown is handing out some tough love in preparation for #Cuba! #train4life”]
How was your week?
Have you given or received tough love lately?
Did you celebrate Valentine’s Day?
It’s so funny, the best winter weather is not made for working out. I think it’s smart to train for the climiate. I’m currently readjusting from the AL humditity back to the Northeast cold and that is equally not as pretty…I’m basically running in parkas all week LOL.
private sweat cave cracked me the HELL UP.
and yes.
SO MANY YESES TO THE HOMEMADE CRAP!
When I babysat and the kids would make the parents cards etc during the day I completely thought GOOD GOSH ID RATHER HAVE A MASSAGE OR A NEW PAIR OF SHOES!!! and now?
Im that mom.
I want the card.
She’s 11 so I now ASK FOR THE CARD to be sure I get the card 🙂
I am savoring the homemade crap for sure!!! xoxo
I have the utmost respect for teachers. I had my 2 kids plus one of their friends over on Thursday for the snow day. I’m surprised I have any teeth left after all the grinding I was doing. I love the snow but there better not be any more freakin’ snow days!!! Wussses!!! And Vaughn – lol!!! Where do they come up with this stuff?
Boohoo for barre class being canceled I know how much you loved it!!! I tried it a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it!! Of course the iPad would break all the way through because that is what happens when you NEED something right before a big trip. Ugh!! Also that craft was awesome. I don’t think I could have done it so allll the kudos to you!! And the “you are a deer”?! My heart!! I love how seriously boys take Valentine’s Day for their mamas. (I plan to enjoy it while it lasts lol)
Becky makes me do those weighted exercises, especially that one legged forward bend–hello glutes and hips!
You are a deer! <3
I have clients who are teachers, friends who are teachers, family members who are teachers. The fact that people blow off what they do as easy or something that can be underpaid and overlooks pisses me off to no extreme. Now, are there teachers who aren’t the best, who simply phone it in? Yes, but isn’t that the case in every profession? And maybe if we actually compensated them properly, they might be able to nurture their craft a bit more. Ok, rant over.
Those heated runs- tough!! But so smart to start imitating the conditions. Homemade Valentine’s are the best! This young elementary age is one of my favorites so far… other moms have told me 6-9 is the sweet spot so I’m trying to really appreciate it!
Thank God for two more years of the “sweet spot!” Thanks Laura 🙂
I just did my 5th graders Valentines Day party, which is the official “last” school holiday party I’ll do. Ever. Kind of a relief but I’m wistful about it too. Time slips by so fast. The “theme” at our party was poop, as in the poop emoji. Not my idea, but wth I went with it.
Oh wow! Havana tri! That will be awesome! I’m the only one here who hasn’t yet been to Cuba. Not sure how that happened.
Totally bittersweet and yep, my kids are all about poop and the poop emoji and all bathroom humor. They would have been in heaven with that theme 🙂
My heart melted when I saw you doing a craft in Vaughn’s second grade. It brought back a flood of memories of your mom doing the exact same thing! The ultimate craft lady of all time!!
Have a wonderful trip to Dad’s homeland….a dream come true.
LOL! I have slightly different recollections of my mom being in class doing crafts with us. Mostly it was other kids asking “why is she so mean?” to which I replied “you should see her at home!” Of course, now I TOTALLY get it. And of course I loved her being there! Those were great times for sure…but somehow I did not inherit one ounce of her crafting skills. Sigh.
Love you Jane!
“You’re a deer” LMAO. Those workouts trying to recreate bring hot sound AWFUL. But a really good idea to try to get ready for race conditions! Ugh that is going to be a hot one, lady! I know you’ll crush it but damn you’ll be rehydrating for days, I’m sure.
Thanks so much Carly! Of course it will be nothing like VCM…at least I hope not 🙂 xoxo
The whole volunteering for valentine’s craft day is hilarious…. I’m so not crafty myself…. I’m counting down to Cuba!
Allie!!! You have such a way with words. I laughed and laughed the whole way through this post. I totally know what you mean about teachers. I could never ever ever do what they do! You know what blows me away even more? Parents that homeschool their kids. Because not only are they teaching kids, but then they have to deal with those same kids AFTER HOURS. AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. What kind of people do things like this? Do they have superpower blood running through their veins? Are they secretly getting paid millions by the ogovernement to do special testing on their children? Like making robot replicas of them? WHAT IS THE EXTRINSIC MOTIVE??! Because they can’t REALLY like it, can they?
I’ve had numerous people, too many to count, stop me in the middle of whatever I’m doing, gently clutch my arm and plead with me to never become a teacher.
This is why I love you. Thank you so much Suzy and I’m dying over your last sentence 🙂 HAHAHA!!!
I can’t believe you are going to Cuba!!! That is really like the most exciting news!!! I can’t wait to stalk you on social media and see you crush that race! Also, what an amazing experience to have with your Dad and family. I am so excited for you, friend!!! xoxo
Love the pic of you teaching the craft to 2nd graders!!! LOVE. Also, I have that conversation all the time. I think it’s ridiculous that teachers have THE most important profession and they get paid peanuts. It makes zero sense – how can our kids grow up to be doctors, lawyers, investment bankers, scientists, etc if that don’t have great teachers??
And your boys are so sweet to give you all the cards and chocolate (or maybe not the chocolate, ha!) 🙂
Great workouts last week, per your usual. You inspire me!!!! xoxo
I know!! It’s beyond exciting and I really hope my phones works so I can post and share!!!
SO true about teachers and I try to give them as much love as possible…and supplies…and books, etc.
Thanks so much Nat!
Your face in that picture from your son’s class is PRICELESS. I literally LOLed. Also, I am so impressed with you deliberately making your conditions hotter and wearing extra clothes to work out. There is nothing I hate more than being super hot when I work out – that is the purest form of torture – and I don’t have that kind of will power. Props to you – it will pay off on race day for sure!
Right? His teacher put it on Twitter and I LOL’ed when I saw it!! I have a curse of having my thoughts plastered all over my face at any given time.
Heat workouts were complete torture and, I’m sure it will still be torture when the humidity of Cuba is factored in! I’ll be wishing I was in my hot basement!!
First off, your husband’s card is epic. Good man!
Teachers, man. There is literally no way in hell I could do that job. I’d rather be a garbage collector. I’m impressed you lasted an hour! Kudos to you!
Thanks for sharing my workout! I have the 12 lb ball and Ollie tried to play with it because it looks exactly like a toy version of it. I hope you enjoy the workout!
I almost became a teacher – first as a college professor, but then after academia I considered middle school or high school briefly – but honestly, I’m not built for that because it’s difficult work with little reward. The younger the kids, the harder the teachers work – because they are not just teaching, they are shaping and supporting kids during formative years. Teachers really do not earn enough for all the hard work they do – because no one accounts for not just the hours teaching in the classroom, but the hours prepping for lessons, grading (the worst part about teaching), and trying to learn more about their craft.
That book sounds so fascinating (in a depressive yet informative way). Because eugenics is what Nazi Germany did…but we did it also in America? Seriously? You are so right – people could really benefit from reading that right now.
Your training exhausts me just reading it. You never cease to amaze me. My current strength training schedule is all over the place with my clients and my BootCamp I’m hosting next month. Still can’t figure out WHY I thought I could train for a marathon AND host a hard-core kickboxing class. WTF moment. Ha! I think I worked on Valentine’s Day?? But, we did go out for burgers! Your kids..the greatest! Ha!!