Weekly Workout Recap: 3/23/2020 - 3/29/2020

I finally feel like I found my workout mojo again after being off kilter ever since the gym closed.  While the only running I did this week was when I ran my virtual race (mostly because of concern over my calf, which is still sore and bothering me quite a bit when I try to do certain things), I feel like I got decent exercise all week.

Overall, I just felt good about where I was this week, which was a welcome change from the previous two.

Here is this week's Recap...

Workouts:

Monday
3.3 mile walk, along the same route I did for the Women's Day Virtual 5K

Tuesday
I Run 4 Rescues Virtual 5K Race

Wednesday
1.5 mile easy walk

My calf was still bother me quite a bit post race and I wanted to take it easy, while still getting a little movement in and testing things out to see if walking would help stretch the calf out any.

Thursday
3.3 mile walk, along the same route I did for the Women's Day Virtual 5K

Again the calf was bothering me some, but definitely better.

Friday
Half an hour of the Just Dance 2020 Game for the Nintendo Switch

Saturday
Leg Workout

I braved Walmart for some supplies, and while I was there I bought myself some light ankle weights.  I came home and did a half an hour of leg exercises using the weights.

Sunday
9.25 mile bike ride, along the canal where I ran my race on Tuesday.



I stopped along the way to take a photo of one of the ducks that calls the canal it's home...



I had been considering buying myself an inexpensive bike but just hadn't done it yet.  With everything that is going on, I thought maybe it was time to do so.  I have to say I really enjoyed the ride a lot and am looking forward to the next one.  It did feel like a HUGE splurge spending the money when finances are so uncertain, but I guess if I'm going to be off work I'd rather be spending the time doing things that are healthy for me instead of sitting in front of the TV or the computer.

I Run 4 Rescues Virtual 5K Race Report

I signed up to run the I Run 4 Rescues Virtual 5K quite a while ago, maybe before I'd really even gotten too far back into running.  I can't remember exactly.

I totally admit it. I got sucked in by the adorable dogs and the fact that the shirt and metal would contain my favorite color combo...



I've actually had my race packet for quite a while, but I wanted to be at a point where I could actually RUN the race before I did it so I had been holding off.

I decided to do the run on Tuesday evening. It was my first official day in quarantine so I was off work and it seemed as good a time as any.  I wanted a change of scenery from the route I ran for my last virtual 5K, so I opted for an out and back course on the trails along side the water collection canals that run throughout the area.

On to the Race Report...

I drive to the point where my neighborhood connects to the canal trails and park the car. I get myself prepared and take a pre-race photo...



I set my running app on my phone and my Apple Watch, and then I take off.

And instantly realize that I forgot to delay my passcode requirement on my phone. (It drives me insane having to type it every time I want to check my distance, so I always change it during runs.) So, I spend the first several minutes of my run fiddling with that to get it turned off.

The trail runs East-West, so I either have to run into the sun on the way out or the way back. I decided to get it over with, thinking maybe it'll be a little higher in the sky at the start and not quite so blinding.

Almost instantly I fall into a nice easy rhythm and the run feels great. Not too far into the course, I pass by the small rec center near my neighborhood and the area is busier than I'd prefer for a run during quarantine. So, I spend a significant amount of time running off the trail and then back on to avoid people coming toward me.

Maybe .75 miles in, I reach a main road that I need to cross and have to wait for the light to change. I use the time for a water break and actually remember to pause the timer on my app. The light finally changes and I restart my app and take off running again.

I'm still in a nice steady grove, having zero issues. I'm in that perfect place where everything is in sync and I'm not struggling in the slightest. I'm enjoying my music but it's not having to pull me through. My mind is aimlessly wandering about, taking in my surroundings, thinking about how good the run feels, pondering what I am going to do with my upcoming days while in quarantine.

I check my app to see my distance (which is one of the worst things about a virtual race in my opinion!) and see that I'm about 1.4 miles in - almost at the halfway point. I can see that I am approaching another main road not too far up ahead, and decide to make that my turn around point. I know that it's going to be a little farther out than necessary, but I figure it will allow me a nice little cool down walk from the end of the 5K back to my car.

I get to the road and use the turn around for another water break, and then take off running again. I'm still going strong and having no issues. I'm thinking how pleasant the run is and how surprising it is after not having run for more than two week. I'm thinking it's nice to have the sun at my back instead of running into it, and I decided to snap a selfie...



I hit somewhere around 2.6 miles and I could feel myself starting to get tired. I was reaching the point where I needed a song to really pump me up and keep me moving. I started skipping through songs searching for the right one, when "Let's Go" by Trick Daddy popped up.

YES! Perfect!

I'm wondering if the song is long enough to take me the rest of the way through the race. When all of a sudden...

POP!

And OUCH!!!

WTF??!!

The middle of my right calf has this insane twitching popping sensation go through it and it INSTANTLY seizes up. I can't figure out if I tore something or pulled something or if it is just an insane cramp.

All I know is it freaking HURTS!

I instantly stop and try to stretch it out. I try massaging it. But nothing is really helping.

I try walking but I can't without a major limp.

I decide that I really think what I felt was an insane spasm and then the muscle seized. I really think it is just a horrible cramp, and I decide to just ride it out. I have to get back to the car regardless, and walking was so miserable I decide to try running. Oddly enough it is infinitely better. The running is stretching the calf muscle more than walking and it helps. So, I take off running again, albeit a lot slower.

Pretty quickly, I reach the main road that I need to cross, only this time I do forget to pause the app. While I'm standing waiting for the light to change, I can feel the calf tightening again but once I start running again it feels a little better.

I make it the rest of the way and call it a done deal as soon as I hit 3.1 miles. I stop my app and Apple Watch, and don my metal.

I did it!

I take a few post run photos with my metal...





Then hobble my way back to the car.

Here are the results from my app...



I am thrilled that the first two miles were faster than the last race. Even the third mile wasn't too awful considering part of it was when I forgot to pause the app while waiting for the light, and of course I was walking/hobbling along for a bit of that, too.

Weekly Workout Recap: 3/16/2020 - 3/22/2020

Here is this week's Recap...

Workouts:

Monday
Today was supposed to be my appointment with my Personal Trainer, but given the current state of things I opted to cancel and did some Yin Yoga at home instead.

Tuesday
Aaptiv "Bedtime Bliss" Stretching Workout and "Tranquil Rest" Medication

Wednesday
Yin Yoga

Thursday
3 - 3 ½ mile walk

Friday
Online Cardio Workout Video - which pretty much kicked my butt.

Saturday
2ish mile hike with two of the babies - click here to read more about it and see some photos.

Sunday
2ish mile walk with one of the fur babies and some friends, keeping proper social distance, of course.

I have to say that I really struggled with my workouts this week.  It took me until Thursday to get it together enough to get any real exercise, and no running was done.  I usually do most of my workouts at the gym immediately after work and most of my runs are on the treadmill.

With thy gym closed, I am having a hard time.  I really need the routine of going straight from work because once I walk in the door at home, either the to do list starts nagging or the couch starts calling and all good intentions go out the window.  I have to work tomorrow, but then I am off work for the foreseeable future.  So I figure I only need to ride it out one more day and then I'll have more than enough time to figure out a new workout routine and plan some outdoor runs.

Life in the Apocalypse

It's been a rough week.

Now there's an understatement if there ever was one.

On Monday my boss returned from vacation and instantly put new cleaning protocols in place to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.  It was stressful to say the least!  We had a full schedule of patients, and it is hard to stay caught up on the best of days.

Nevermind with all the extra cleaning.

The standard schedule certainly doesn't allow time to sanitize every inch of the rooms between each person, and as crazy as it is we weren't having any cancellations, so of course we were behind schedule the entire time.  People weren't upset; they were happy we were taking the precautions, but it's still stressful to be behind all day.

By the time I got home at the end of the day on Wednesday, I was on complete and total overload.

To be honest, I felt like I had completely lost my grip on my my sanity.  

I felt like my entire body and brain were vibrating from having to be so zeroed in to my every action for three straight days. The second I walked in the door, I poured myself a kahlua and cream, and didn't stop refilling my glass until I had stopped vibrating.

To add to the fun, my boss spent the entire week insisting that we were NOT closing. (She finally changed her mind this morning!) So, I spent the week oscillating between fear for my health and concern over the irresponsibility of not social distancing as recommended.

By the time Friday rolled around reality had fully settled in, as many of my commune friends started sharing the news that they were suffering from pay cuts, schedule cuts, lay offs, and straight up job loss.

By mid-week, I could feel myself spiraling out of control and I could tell some of the old mental and emotional health demons I thought I'd laid to rest were rearing their ugly heads.  I fought a long hard battle out of the abyss and I AM NOT GOING BACK THERE!

So, I decided that I am going to concentrate on trying to do things to decompress and escape the craziness. 

So, here is my Week in Review thus far...

Thursday: I went for a 3 - 3 ½ mile walk near my house.  I was going to take a few photos but I completely forgot.

Saturday: I took two of my dogs on a nice easy 2ish mile hike at a nearby park, where I did remember to take some photos!

Photo of the rock formations at the park...



I walked around the formations, not up them.  I opted to take one of my 12 year old dogs and I knew that would be too much for her.

Me with two of my goobers.  The larger dog is the older one, and the smaller dog is much younger.  She is a rescue, so I'm not sure of her exact age but I think she's around two...



Always up for a fun adventure...



Here was where the largest number of people I saw were located, except for in the parking lot.  Normally, I would have taken at least one trek up and down the stairs, but I was taking the social distancing thing very seriously and didn't want to have to pass too closely to anyone.  So, I opted to take a photo from afar today...



Another photo of me with one of the dogs...

And one of a little friend I met along the way...



Also, I have to say that if ever my tattoo was a perfect fit, this is it.  I really am so thrilled that I was able to get it before all of this insanity settled in.  It's been serving as the best reminder to maintain control of what I have control over and to just surrender to the rest.  Worrying will do no good, so take it one day at a time and just deal with whatever presents itself that day...

Weekly Workout Recap: 3/9/2020 - 3/15/2020

I made it one of my 2020 New Year's Goals to close all of my Apple Watch Rings every day in January.  I was successful and decided to continue the goal into February.  I managed to make it though the second month without missing a day, and I'm still going strong.

(For anyone not familiar with the Apple Watch Rings, they are Move, Exercise, and Stand. For the Move ring, you have to burn a certain number of calories a day. For the Exercise ring, you have to do 30 minutes of movement a day. For the Stand ring, you have to move for 1 minute out of every hour for 12 hours a day.)

I manage to close my Move and Stand rings without too much major effort.  However, I do have to work to ensure that I get my 30 minutes of movement in every day for the Exercise ring.  It may not always be the most strenuous or ambitious of workouts, but something is better than nothing and the goal keeps me focused on my health and exercise daily.

Here is a rundown of this week's Workouts:

Monday
Leg Day with my Personal Trainer

One of the things that I have really struggled with in terms of the personal training at my gym is the way the workouts are handled.  Basically, each body part is worked out in a rotating cycle at each weekly appointment.  So, approximately every 5-6 weeks a body part is repeated but the workout is never the same.  It is impossible for me to actually gauge my improvement because I'm never doing the same exercises.  I don't think the trainer really has a good gauge on my improvement, or lack there of, either because it constantly feels like the workouts are either way too hard or too easy.

This one was way too hard and it took until Friday before I could even walk normally again.  I was so sore that it hurt to try to move to get comfortable to sleep and I had to use my hands to get up from a seated position.  So, even though it was not my plan nor my intent for the week, I ended up not running at all because I was so sore.

Tuesday
Stretching

Since I could barely move from Monday's Leg Day, I wasn't up for much in the way of a strenuous workout.  I was relying on the rest of my body to help me function and I wasn't about to make moving any harder than it already was so I opted for 30 minutes of nice easy stretching.

Wednesday
Aaptiv "The Gun Show" Arm Workout

I was feeling a bit lazy after Tuesday's stretching so I decided I needed to put forth a little more effort today.  I have a membership to the Aaptiv App, and I've found a few workouts on there that I really like.  This is one of them, and I opted to do it today.  I just went a little easier on the weights so I wasn't overly sore since my legs were still pretty miserable.

Thursday
Yin Yoga

I also have a really awesome Yin Yoga App that I use pretty often, and opted for some leg poses, hoping they'd help the soreness.

Friday
Total Body with my Personal Trainer

I had two training session this week since I missed one a few weeks ago.  I have to admit that this workout was pretty miserable.  It was a sequence of 7 exercise that work your entire body - only several of them were way above my current ability.  So, I could feel myself straining and using the wrong muscles to compensate since the muscles I was supposed to be using were too weak to handle the workout.  But at least I didn't end up overly sore, so that's something!

Saturday
Hiking

On Saturday afternoon, I took two of my dogs for a hike with some friends.  The hike was pretty flat and easy, so not much in the way of a strenuous workout but it was really nice to get outside and absorb some nature.

Here's a photo of my two hooligans enjoying the walk.  One of them so much so that she wouldn't look at the camera...



And one of the gorgeous view on the hike...



I've lived in Arizona long enough that I forget that most of the country is still in the middle of winter this time of the year.  Our temperatures have been in the 70's for quite a while now and we've even had a handful of days in the 80's.  This is definitely the time of year to live here, and I've been trying to enjoy it while I can!

Sunday
Aaptiv "The Gun Show" Arm Workout

I opted to repeat the same workout as Wednesday since I really do like this one.

Overall not a bad week, but I was bummed that I was too sore to get any runs in this week.  Granted, I could have gone for a run today but I think I had a case of the lazy Sundays.  I was trying to get caught up on random life stuff and just never found the motivation to leave the house.

Total Bummer

The 5K that I was signed up to run on March 22nd was canceled due to COVID-19 and switched to a virtual race.

Boo. Hiss.

I'm super bummed! I completely understand, and I agree with the decision. I was just really looking forward to running my first actual race in 13 years! Also, I really have no interest in running a third virtual race this spring, as I've already ran one and have signed up for another. I would have much preferred a refund but from what I can tell that isn't an option.

Oh well, what can you do?!

I guess I'll lace up my shoes and hit the roads again for another virtual race next Sunday.  This one will be different in that it is the only one where I will be running at the same time as other runners.  The other two virtual races are ones that you run whenever you want to run it within a time frame, so I guess that's something.

In Other News:

I decided to discontinue my personal training.  I originally signed up simply for the accountability to get my butt in the door.  I wasn't loving how the training is approached at this gym, but since it had been serving it's purpose I have continued with it.  However, my current trainer altered his schedule and I was looking at either going at a time that isn't a good long-term fit with my schedule or else starting over with another new trainer, the third since I started.  I wasn't really up for either option so I decided to cancel.

Of course, you pay way in advance and have to give 30 days notice to cancel so I still have another 5-6 weeks of training sessions left.  So, now I'm left with the dilemma of deciding if I continue with the sessions until they are used up or do I bail on the gym as recommended because of this darn coronavirus?  The sessions don't expire, so the smart thing to do is to put the session on hold for a while but my personality says to use them all up and get my money's worth now because you just never know.

To be honest, I'm not as concerned about getting the coronavirus from the gym as I am about passing it on.  Because of my occupation, I am pretty much guaranteed to get it.  I literally have people breathing on my hands for 8 hours a day, not to mention how close my face is to theirs.  No matter how careful I am about using hand sanitizer and washing my hands, it is inevitable that I am going to unconsciously touch my face and contaminate myself or simply get it from breathing in the same air space as someone who has it. Since it takes up to 14 days to show symptoms, I'm concerned about not knowing I am infected and perpetuating the spread of it.

I've really been giving a lot of thought to more or less imposing a self-quarantine, and only going to work and for food and other necessities.  I can't stand the thought that I could unknowingly cause the death of someone by passing on COVID-19 before I was aware that I had it.  These are some really strange times with some very tough decisions we all have to make, and the view points range from one extreme to the other.  Thus far my take has been: I'm going to stock up like crazy and hoard all the things so I can try not to leave my house in the thick of it and cause any unnecessary deaths.

It's going to be an experience watching this entire thing unfold in the coming months, that's for sure!

Weekend Running Recap

Friday

I have been doing a half-assed attempt at completing a couch to 5K program since the end of January.  The issue is that the program is a little too easy for me and it's an 8 week program but when I started it I only had 6ish weeks until the 5K that I am signed up to run.  So, I haven't exactly been following it.

Some days I have done two of the run/walk session back to back.  Other days, I've used it as a loose guide as I have done my run/walk for the day. Now that I'm nearing the end of it, I use it to motivate me to keep running for the longer stretches before taking a walk/water break.  However, I still usually run longer than the program calls for.

On Friday afternoon, I had an appointment with my personal trainer at the gym.  I got out of work a bit early and had time to kill before hand, so I opted for a brief run on the treadmill.  I actually stuck to the day's C25K schedule which was warm up, run 10 minutes, walk 3 minutes, run 10 minutes, cool down.  I made it a very slow 2 miles in 30 minutes.  I hadn't even planned on running and I could feel the lingering effects of the cold from the beginning of the week so I kept it nice and easy.

Saturday

I ran the Zooma International Women's Day Virtual 5K.  I read about the race on a running blog I stumbled upon as I was out wandering the blogosphere. You can read about my run here, as I decided to write a race report even thought it was a virtual one.

I didn't mention it in the race report, but I ran the exact same route that I ran last Sunday, only in reverse. I was running on the sidewalk, not the road, but I still decided it would be smarter (and easier on my neck) if I ran facing oncoming traffic so I switched the direction of the run. Going the other direct came up about .35 miles shorter. Very odd.

Those inconsistencies drive me bonkers and I'm already getting frustrated with how different my Apple watch and the running app on my phone are with pace and distance. I've been entertaining the idea of getting a new Garmin. I know that when I finally broke down and got one when I was training previously it made all the difference and was well worth every penny I spent on it!

Sunday

I'm really trying to complete the C25K program before the 5K I have scheduled on March 22. I have 2 weeks left of the program and the race is two weeks from today.

Destiny.

So, I decided to head out first thing this morning and complete the next run on the program, which was warm up, 20 minute run, cool down. I'm not used to running as soon as I get up so I felt a bit sluggish and it took me a while to really get moving. I could tell my legs were a little tired from the third day in a row of running, but overall the run felt fine. I made it a little over 2 miles, but walked a little of the last one, as I wasn't interested in being an over-achiever this morning and stopped as soon as I hit the 20 minute mark.

Splits:

Mile 1 12:03
Mile 2 12:31

Temp: 71° F