Back from the dead & new workout schedule

Wow, so I'm finally back on my feet after my cold turned into an ear/sinus infection (and I had a reaction to the antibiotics). Antibiotics (when they're not so strong that they make you sick) are pretty amazing. Just a couple hours after my first dose, I was feeling at least 50% better.

favorite movie ever #noshame

During my 2 weeks of being bed ridden, I came up with a workout schedule that will give me a little more flexibility while maintaining my 5-6 workouts a week.

Monday- 2 30 minute workouts at home (most likely run + walk)
Tuesday- Zumba
Wednesday- 2 30 minute workouts at home (most likely run + walk)
Thursday- Zumba 
Friday- Zumba + Group Fight
Saturday/Sunday- hiking or run


I will definitely be adding strength training back in there but am not sure what the plan will be. I love Group Power (like Bodypump) but am trying to avoid being at the gym every single day, so something had to go. I might get a kettle bell and do strength training at home. Let me know if you have a weight program you love!

I am practically giddy looking at our lows this week- our Arizona summer is slowly wrapping up and our nights are once again in the 70s. I went for a walk this morning because it was only 92, which I get is still pretty damn hot, but it was almost breezy compared to the 110+ we've had this last month!

The temperatures cooling off also means my family and I can get back to our weekend hikes! We usually find that the temps are bearable the 2nd week of September or so. I know there are some hard core athletes out there hiking throughout the summer, but I like living and prefer to avoid hiking in 100+ degree heat.

Phoenix, I still love you as much as Sam loves Frodo

Do you stick to a workout schedule?
Do you still workout when you're sick or are you a wimp like me?

Arizona Love

I fell in love with Arizona the first time I visited in 2008. The sunshine, blue skies, the mountains, the scenery... it was all so different from everything I'd ever known growing up in the midwest. We ended up going back to visit 3 months later, then a year after that, and finally in 2012. In early 2013 we decided we were tired of constantly vacationing here (and the post-vacation sadness was getting more and more pronounced) and decided to make the jump! We finally arrived Memorial Day weekend 2013 after 3 days in a minivan with a hyperactive 8 year old, 2 dogs, a bird, and a lot of stuff.

This past week Arizona got a lot of press as we hosted the Super Bowl- the first Super Bowl in a long time to have ticket prices actually go up as the game neared! I also played tourist a little since my aunt was in town visiting.

We went to Sedona

 

Orange picking at the ranch/citrus orchard down the street

 

 Walked around Old Town Scottsdale

 Visited Lake Pleasant (on a uncharacteristically cloudy day)

Drove around by the stadium to see the Super Bowl setup

Do you love where you live? If not, where would you move if you had the opportunity?

Workout log for this week

Sunday- Rest
Monday- Rest
Tuesday- 2.5 miles (hills)
Wednesday- Rest (although I did a crapton of walking around downtown Scottsdale)
Thursday- 1.5 miles (speed)/.5 mile scenic hike
Friday- 2.5 miles (I had to do this in 2 parts and it sorta felt like cheating...)
Saturday- off
Sunday- 4 miles

Total mileage: 10.5 miles
Goal: 10-11 miles

Let's take a moment and celebrate a few things:

I got my mileage in this week!

4 miles is my new longest distance ever.

I'm still following my Run Longer plan??? This is unprecedented.

For my 4 mile run today, we went to the White Tank Mountains and I ran a .5 mile loop 8 times- slightly boring, but the trail is really soft and sandy without any huge rocks to dodge. My main goal was to finish- I didn't have a time goal and in fact, I'm not even sure what my pace was. I took a couple 15-30 second walk breaks (recently read about the Galloway method, color me intrigued), and a few stops to snap some photos and look at a lizard.
 

obligatory selfie at mile 3

My little guy ran with me the last few minutes

The weather could not have been better

Remember when I said that running is a huge mental game for me?? That was never more apparent than today. I told myself I'd do half my run on the trail and the rest at home (honestly, doing that loop 8 times seemed insane at first). On my third loop, I told myself "yeah, I'm definitely stopping after four, just have to get to four". After four, I got some water and told my husband, "I think I'm going to keep going!" After five loops, I decided I might as well finish my run on the trail. And so I did. So much unnecessary thinking and cajoling and bargaining with myself.

Glaringly absent this week are both cross training and strength training. I'll get there...hoping my early to bed, early to rise plan helps with that.

Did you reach your goals for the week?

Hiking Adventures

One of our favorite things about living in Arizona is the hiking. We try to go every weekend.
Today we hiked the Mesquite Trail in the White Tank Mountains. We have never hiked this trail, but I'd heard that there were mule deer sightings recently and was hoping for our own encounters. It was super busy though, so the only animal sightings were of the human kind. So disappointing.

I had no idea this trail was all uphill. I do great going uphill, but going downhill is scary as balls with this ankle. It might be all in my head, but I just don't feel super secure stepping down (especially when there are loose rocks) and with every step I imagine falling and re-injuring myself. So the entire 1.5 mile back down I was basically squatting and going so slowly that an old lady in a sports bra went whipping past me with her walking sticks.

Fit old people rock

The views were pretty spectacular though.

 

  

We didn't quite make it to the top because our son got pretty worn out, but we hiked almost 2.5 miles!

 

I love hiking as cross-training because it uses many of the same muscles as running. I have never appreciated cross-training more than this fall, when my ankle was healing and my physical therapist approved me to start working out. Going for bike rides every morning loosened up my stiff ankle and made it easier for me to walk throughout the day. In turn, that enabled me to build my walking base until I could add running intervals back in. My first hike post-injury was only a half mile but it felt amazing! 

Hiking also enables me to work hills into my workouts without relying entirely on the treadmill. Someday I'd love to be able to run on some of these trails!

Do you live near hiking trails? It's really my favorite form of exercise next to running. Here are some epic bucket list worthy hikes.