Workout Recap and Running Gear I’m Loving

Happy Wednesday!

Another week of half marathon training is in the bank! Last week was a week of highs and lows, as is often the case during a training cycle. Thunderstorms wreaked havoc on my outdoor runs and the heat and humidity definitely had an impact on my body during the workouts. But, a tough week only makes us stronger, right? I also made a few changes to this week’s workout schedule based on what I learned from last week.  This week I’ve realized that depending on the safety of the YMCA treadmill is smarter than trying to find time to run between storms. I also realized that getting a deep tissue massage the day before a tough workout is not a good idea. Instead, moving forward, I’ll try to plan a rest or pilates day after massages. 

So, with that said, here’s what last week’s workouts looked like.

  • SundayLong Run (8.5 miles at 9:56 pace) felt absolutely amazing the entire time including lots of heat, humidity and hills! I couldn’t stop smiling after this run as everything just CLICKED!
  • Monday- Tower Pilates class at A-Line Pilates
  • Tuesday- Early morning (4:45 AM) tempo run including a 15 minute warm-up, 6×2:00 fast followed by 2 minute recovery, cool-down (4.6 miles at 9:30 average pace)
  • Wednesday- Rest Day
  • Thursday- Four Mile evening run through Brooklyn (4 miles @ 9:29 pace)
  • Friday- Tower Pilates class at A-Line Pilates
  • Saturday- Long Run (6.7 miles at 9:55 pace) felt horrible the entire time. It was one big struggle fest and completely opposite from the previous long run. The heat and humidity was brutal but the reason I stopped short of the 9 mile goal was because my glute was killing me and there was thunder and lightening. I realized afterwards that my glute soreness was due to Friday afternoon’s deep tissue sports massage as well as some of the Pilates moves during Friday’s class. Moving forward, I’m going to avoid massages and Pilates the day before a long run.
  • Sunday- 30 minute Flywheel at home ride to shake out my legs

As I’ve been running and working out more regularly, I wanted to share a few items that I’ve been loving and using or wearing on repeat.

Brooks Bedlam

  • Apple Airpods – I’ve been using these non-stop for the past few months and am still surprised that they work so well during even the sweatiest of tempo runs. Yes, they stay in place. No, they don’t fall out. My only annoyance is that if I touch them during a run they signal Siri to start helping me and pause my music. But, I bet there is a way to correct this if I take the time to research it. If you haven’t tried Airpods yet, I highly recommend them!
  • Brooks Bedlam Running Shoes – So these new Brooks shoes do not officially launch until September 1st but as part of my Brooks Ambassador partnership, I was able to get a sneak peak. I’ve used these shoes for my tempo runs the past three weeks and love how responsive they are! It doesn’t hurt that they are the best looking Brooks I’ve seen to date – bright and colorful knit that keeps my foot feeling snug and secure. Since I prefer a more cushioned ride for my longer runs I will be using these for my shorter runs and tempo workouts each week.
  • Ali On the Run Show Podcast – Running is fun but sometimes it can get lonely. I’ve been spending my miles with Ali and her guests over the past few weeks, finding inspiration from Allie Kieffer, Michele Gonzalez, Kara Goucher, and Kayla Itsines to name a few! It has been such a joy to watch Ali bring this dream to life over the past year and I’m proud to say “I knew her way back” before the podcast when she was blogging daily about her training and balancing running and working at a large dance publication.
  • Brooks Greenlight Short Tight – I can’t remember the last time I ran in something other than these shorts after discovering them three months ago. Actually, I do remember. It was yesterday and I regretted every minute of the decision as the shorts moved around, hung lower due to sweat and left me with an unfortunate chafe mark. I am the proud owner of three pair of Greenlight short tights and have been telling everyone I know about them. They stay in place, support me, have pockets, are breathable and, believe it or not, are flattering too
  • Spotify – Once upon a time I dedicated time to putting together playlists for half marathon and marathon training. These days, I take advantage of others playlists that I discover on Spotify by typing in the type workout I’m doing in the search bar. For example, for yesterday’s tempo run I listened to a special tempo playlist that I discovered and a few weeks ago, my long run was powered by a “marathon playlist” that I found using the search function.  If that’s too much, then feel free to follow my playlists or check out the Speedy Workout, Tempo Run – 175 bps, or Elder Millenial Tour Official Playlist (thanks Theodora!).
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Weekly Workout Recap

Happy Monday! After a few weeks of steady workouts I feel like I’m finally finding my rhythm again. (Side note, I can NEVER spell that rhythm correctly on the first attempt.) Since I know that postpartum women are still prone to relaxin-induced injuries even 12-18 months after they give birth, I am being very careful not to overdo it with my training. Right now, I am focusing on rebuilding my strength and endurance while hopefully losing a few more pounds.  During my crazier than normal weeks when I find it hard to balance everything, I do my best to pause and remember that even getting on our Flywheel bike for a 20-minute ride is better for my mind and body than doing nothing.  I laugh when Timehope reminds me of the days of doing two workouts or enjoying boutique fitness classes throughout the city before most of Manhattan was awake. I remember my phone alarm pinging at 11:59 am reminding me to log on Classpass and book the next week’s classes. Oh, how time’s have changed. These days my cell phone goes off at 5:40, reminding me to log off and head out to get Katie in case I’ve lost track of time due to work.

These days, working out is still something I do for my emotional, mental and physical well-being instead of a means to achieving a time goal. While I am looking forward to getting back to that point in the next few months, I’m in a casual base-building stage right now. My workouts can’t be a source of stress at this point in my life. Instead, they need to be enjoyable, efficient and productive. So, as promised, here is a more casual post, recapping last week’s workouts and training including the highs and lows.

  • Monday – I knew it was going to be an especially busy week so I woke up bright and early and got the week kick-started with a 45-minute Flywheel FlyAnywhere theme ride. It was so much fun to jam to 80’s music before starting a crazy week and the playlist helped me forget about the fact that it was 5:15 AM!
  • Tuesday – Pouring rain caused me to hop on the bike again instead of heading out for my planned run. While I am typically someone who enjoys running in the rain, it was only 40 degrees and the wind was howling when my alarm went off at 5:15. I was beyond proud of myself for resisting the urge to push the snooze button and instead walking over to the bike and quickly changing clothes and clipping in for a 30-minute ride. I swear that keeping spin clothes and a filled water bottle near the bike makes it SO much easier, especially early in the morning.
  • Wednesday – Rest Day
  • Thursday – I was so excited to finish the 4-mile run with the local moms feeling stronger than normal.  Waking up at 5:15 doesn’t get easier but I always remember how amazing I feel when it’s only 6:30 and I’ve finished my workout and am already sipping coffee after a warm shower. Our pace continues to get a bit faster each week and one of the local moms just qualified for Boston so it was fun to hear about her marathon experience and the training that helped her chip away at the qualifying time.
  • Friday – Rest Day
  • Saturday – I rarely sleep past 7 AM but after a busy work week, Bo offered to let me sleep in while he managed Katie’s morning routine. I happily took him up on the offer and swapped my morning run for a 45-minute FlyAnywhere Flywheel Power ride which was focused on a long climbs and fast, powerful sprints. I think I waddled from the bike to the shower when I finished the tough ride. I’m thankful that I spent 10 minutes stretching and foam rolling after class as my body was very thankful for the stretch and recovery time.
  • Sunday – Most week’s, Laura and I do our best to squeeze in one of the strength workouts offered at the YMCA but unfortunately this week none of them worked with our schedules. Instead of abandoning our goal of doing more strength, we did a sweaty, 30-minute Pop Sugar TABATA workout on our back porch. It was a great reminder that our porch is the perfect place to break a sweat thanks to a yoga mat, plenty of space, an assortment of weights and a television.
  • Monday – I squeezed in 38 minutes of Dionna Littleton’s Method 45 FlyAnywhere Flywheel class before I had to hop in the shower and get ready for the day.

As I look back on the past week, the high was the consistent workouts and the low was only making it out on two runs and an absence of yoga. Luckily, the weather this week looks PERFECT for lots of runs and maybe even a porch yoga session while we’re out in the Hamptons this weekend!

Photo credit Alexis Damen Photography.

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Five Tips for Returning to Exercise Post-Baby

Hello! I am thrilled to share a guest post with you today, that answers one of the most frequently asked questions since I started working out again, six weeks after giving birth to Katie. Each day, at least a few people reach out over email, Facebook, Instagram or blog comments asking for tips for returning to exercise in a safe and healthy manner after giving birth. Since I am not an expert on the topic, I figured I’d enroll the person who helped me return to strength training – Carolyn. Carolyn is a pre and postnatal health coach and personal trainer who lives in Brooklyn. During my maternity leave I had the pleasure of attending her mother & baby workouts with her two times a week for almost three months!  Enjoy!

I’m so excited to be guest posting on Ashley’s blog while she is adjusting to life as a working mom.  My name is Carolyn and I’m a pre and postnatal health coach and personal trainer – and also first-time mom to Charlie who is about to turn 1 year old! Whoever said that with a baby “the days are long but the months are short” nailed it. I have no idea where the time went, but what an amazing journey it has been so far.

When I became pregnant with Charlie, I was in the process of studying for my health coach and personal training certification. As I learned about various dietary theories and fitness components the body needs to thrive, I felt so lucky that I had this information that I could immediately apply to my own pregnancy. Armed with this wealth of knowledge, however, I became hyper-aware of how little we’re counseled on how to have a healthy pregnancy and postpartum recovery unless we actively seek the information out.

In most cases, we’re told by our doctor that whatever form of exercise we were doing before getting pregnant is fine to continue (within reason) and then we’re quickly given the go-ahead to resume all exercise at 6-weeks. I’ll never forget at my 6-week postpartum visit, my OB cleared me to start running again. It was exactly what I was hoping to hear, but I looked at her in total disbelief. My core felt so weak (and by weak I mean non-existent) and my hips and pelvis felt like – well like I had just pushed out a 9-pound baby! I had exercised almost every day before and during my pregnancy, but pounding the pavement felt like the last thing my body needed. Each and every person’s body is different and every recovery is different, so if you were able to lace up your sneaks at 6 weeks – all the power to you! But if you are wondering how to safely ease back into an exercise routine, here are 5 tips to get you started:

  • Listen to your body. Ashley talks a lot about her fitness journey pre, during and post pregnancy and how she is always reminding herself to build back up slowly. This is so important. No matter what kind of birth you had, your body just went through an amazing, life-altering, endurance test and you know yourself best. If something doesn’t feel right, take a pause. Now isn’t the time to force it.
  • Remember to breathe. Did you know the diaphragm is actually the most important muscle of the core? Here’s a test: Put one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly just below your rib cage. Now take a deep breath. Does your chest or belly rise first? For a variety of reasons, including desk jobs and chronic stress, most of us have become chest breathers, when in fact breathing should come from the diaphragm. While it sounds simple, changing the way you breathe can impact everything from our stress levels to our digestive system.

  • Reconnect with your core. Your core is the foundational aspect of your body that impacts everything else. If you recently had a baby, your core has been stretched in some places, tightened in others, and has been holding everything together for 9 months. It’s tired. It’s weak. It needs some love. Breathing through your diaphragm, doing Kegels and practicing modified abdominal work will help strengthen the inner layer of muscles that have helped carry and protect your little one up until this point.
  • Fire up those glutes. Second in importance to the core, the glutes help support your hips, pelvis and lower back, all of which have shifted around over the past 9 months. Strengthening these guys will help ease any residual aches and pains and provide support to the core. Squats and lunges are the best exercises for your buns and are easily done with baby in tow.
  • Stretch with caution. You may have heard about the hormone Relaxin that is released into your body throughout pregnancy. Its primary job is to loosen up your ligaments to prepare you for childbirth, but while It’s unclear exactly how long your body continues to produce it, some believe it can last up to a year postpartum. So, if you can touch your toes for the first time now that you can finally see them again, just be careful not to get overexcited, it could still be the Relaxin talking. Only stretch out areas that feel tight or like they need to be lengthened to avoid overstretching.

If you have other questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments and, if you are local, I would love to see you for one of my workouts in Carroll Park or Prospect Park.

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