Friday Feature- How To Fit In Strength Training While Also Running 50+ Miles a Week

It's FRIYAY! What are you doing this weekend? Anyone racing this weekend? Sunday is the Denver Rock 'n Roll Marathon and I'm SO bummed to be missing it this year. Definitely one of my favorites!!

I wanted to share with you a few tricks that's worked for me to keep fitting in (the ever-important) strength training while also running a pretty demanding 50+ mile-a-week training plan!

• Give yourself a time limit and work it in around that. I typically have around an hour and a half budgeted for both my runs/stretching/strength training in the mornings. I typically try to plan out my week for running/ training on Sundays, so I'm prepared and am focused each morning. I know that if I have a double-digit run to get done, I will not have enough time to fit in strength training that day. So, I work in my strength sessions during the other days of the week when I have less mileage on the schedule. 
• Take advantage of workout classes. This is probably my favorite way to sneak in a really REALLY good workout. I'm really loving Barre or Pilates classes right now and love how the class exercises change every week (working different muscles)! I can always fit in these classes during my lunch breaks, so I can still get in a good training run in the morning AND get strength sessions in the afternoon. Double workout days= SO tough but also really builds those muscles (*insert flex emoji*)
• Limit your exercises to a few REALLY REALLY good ones. I love exercises that work multiple muscle groups- you get more bang for your buck AND they take significantly less time (#winning when it comes to marathon training). Hoping to share a few of my staples over on the work-out page here soon!
• Do it before your run. I know that if I wait until AFTER my run, there is only about a 5% chance that I will get it done. If I do it before my run, I feel really warmed-up and SUPER accomplished afterwards. 
• Treat it like a run. Prep for it and never skimp on those exercises! They are what produces injury-free and PR-ready runners afterall, so why shouldn't they be just as important as our training runs?

Any hacks to fit in strength training?

Workout classes- yay or nay?

How many times do you strength train each week?

Hanson's Marathon Method Week 6 Rundown

We are officially under 90 days from the Las Vegas Strip at Night Marathon! Wooohhooooo. This week of training had several low-points, but I honestly feel that those struggles make us stronger when we get to the finish line. If we're able to push through them, then it makes it THAT much easier to push through a little "marathon" pain (well, it's not SO little and it's actually pretty painful, but I'll keep telling myself that ;) ). 

I did 43.5 miles this week (I was planning on doing 47, but unforeseen circumstances I let those extra 3.5 miles slide :) ) and totally nailed my tempo workout outside! This was a HUGE confidence booster, as I've never tried a goal pace run for multiple miles in a row before and I couldn't believe how easy it felt. Talk about empowering! I also switched my rest days this week because my knee was giving me some trouble on Friday, so I did a bunch of leg strengthening exercises and iced it and it's feeling better now (I'm also determined to get more strength sessions in on my own throughout the rest of the training cycle). 

Monday: 6 miles easy on the treadmill @ 9:59

Tuesday: Track Tuesday! I actually made it out on the track this week! This one was super tough and it's really HARD to stay motivated to keep pushing yourself when you are pretty exhausted towards the end of the repeats. 7 miles total with 1.5 warm-up; 4 x 1200 (400 Recovery between sets); 1.5 cool-down. I wanted to hit them each at 5:27, but my average was 5:33. It wasn't perfect and I did hit a few splits, but really need to continue to work on boosting my confidence when things get tough and getting my legs to turnover faster. I also did a CoreBarre class at lunch.

Wednesday: 6 miles easy outside @ 10:01. I did this one during my lunch break and it was SO nice to sleep in (well, turn-off my alarm) and get some miles in during the day. 

Thursday: 10 miles outside with 1.5 warm-up; 7 miles at 8:46 (actual: 8:47); 1.5 cool-down

Friday: Knee was achy; 30 minutes of strength training and 35 minutes on the bike

Saturday: Planned 8 miles @ 10:00 (actual: 4.5 miles @ 9:17). This one was later in the day and I was working through ALOT of emotions, so I really had a need for speed and couldn't reign it in...

Sunday: 10 miles on the treadmill @ 10:00

Sunshine Goods:

• I hit my tempo work-out pace!
• I was able to do my track workout actually on the TRACK and OUTSIDE!
• I fit in 2 strength training sessions (including CoreBarre)
• I took 3 epsom salt baths (these are my favvvorrrittee recovery method)
• 4 out of 6 runs were done outside

Gloomy Goods:

• Oh, the tiredness. Hanson's wasn't kidding when they said it'd be normal to feel achy and exhausted throughout the workout
• Knee achiness. Hoping ice, salt baths, and more strength training will ease this!
• Slight head-cold going on and loss of grandfather/ friend this past week...

Hanson's Marathon Method Week 4 Rundown

One month of marathon #5 training has come and gone! This week had mainly pretty strong work-outs and I definitely wasn't feeling as sore as I did during week 3. I didn't hit all of my splits during my speed workout on Tuesday and had a bit of stomach issues during my tempo run this week, but overall I think if we didn't have some troubles along the way it would make training plans a bit too easy and predictable! Having these bumps along the way just makes me more hungry for those real 'quality' workouts. I also managed to partake in 2 fitness classes last week= a total win! 

Monday: 6 miles Easy @ 10:17 min/mi on the treadmill. 

Tuesday: 8 miles with 6 x 800s @ 3:40; Actual: 7 miles with 6 x 800s (3:48, 3:42, 3:37, 3:37, 3:38, 3:40). Overall, I'm happy with this workout. The track was busy AGAIN so I had to do this on the road (where it was busier than I expected) and trying to keep track of my splits, my 400 recovery mileage turned into more of a 200 recovery (I think anyways?), which is where I think I lost my mile (I may have been more towards 7.25 miles, but that's only a guesstimate). I guess next time if the track is busy, I'm better off just going to the treadmill! 

Wednesday: 6 miles easy @ 9:50-10:34 ; Actual: 6 miles easy @ 9:40. It was SO beautiful out this morning and I still kept my heartrate in check and really fought to keep my paces slow, but still struggled with keeping them really at an easy threshold. Guess it's something to improve upon! I also did a JumpBoard class at noon and felt really STRONG during the class. I'm really starting to notice a big difference in my fitness and strength. 

Thursday: 9 miles with 6 @ 8:46 tempo ; 9 miles with 6 @ 8:49 tempo. I wanted to do this one outside, but after a 2 mile warm-up my stomach was feeling funky and I really just wanted to be close to a bathroom should I need one, so I headed back to the treadmill to get my tempo miles in and a cool-down! The treadmill speeds can't get to 8:46 pace exactly, so I was a few seconds off. Next week, I'm hoping to do this work-out outside and hit those paces that I know I'm capable of!

Friday: 8 miles Easy ; Actual: 8 miles easy @ 10:20 on the treadmill. I was running late and was a bit time crunched, so I wanted to get my run in and shower immediately afterwards and also really wanted to keep that pace easy! 

Saturday: 8 miles Easy ; Actual: 1.15 miles easy @ 9:29 (oops- way too fast!), Power Barre class from 10-11am, 6.85 miles @ 10:21 outside. My legs and abs were so sore after the class and it was pretty warm out, so I'm just glad I pushed through and got that run done at a still relatively easy pace. I took a nice epsom salt bath and did a 10 minute recovery pose yoga class from JasYoga to recover. 

Sunday: Rest Day

Sunshine Goods:

• My fitness is definitely improving
• I can feel myself getting stronger 
• 6 miles now seems like a total BREEZE
• Kept my easy runs really at a nice easy (low heartrate) pace
• Took TWO fitness classes this week
• Did 3 sessions with the foam roller and 2 JasYoga recovery classes

Gloomy Goods:

• Speed workout didn't go as planned
• I didn't get to 45 miles like my training plan had
• Tempo run was a bit off target pace

First Speed Workout & Vegas Marathon Training Begins!

Good morning! I've been pretty determined to get back into the swing of working out and getting my fitness back after vacation and yesterday did both a CoreBarre class and CoreRunning class at Steamboat Pilates Studio! 

I saw this meme and just had to laugh. I hadn't done a  Barre class in forever and it was definitely an awesome workout! Definitely will try to go to them more often throughout this marathon training cycle. It's similar to a combination class of ballet, yoga, and pilates = all of my favorite things wrapped into one neat little package. 

I did the workout class during my lunchbreak and then headed back to the studio after work to do my first speed work session since Revel 4 weeks ago!

This week was my first week of my marathon training cycle, so I didn't want to do anything too crazy with speed, but wanted to get my feet 'wet'. While I could definitely have done a good speed work session on my own, there's something really great about going to a class and having others there also suffer alongside you to good music! This is what the end of my workout totaled:

It really wasn't too bad, but I was SUPER sweaty by the end! I'm trying to get in more nighttime runs since the Vegas Marathon doesn't start until 4:30pm (which is both a good and bad thing when training- it means I get to sleep in, but also sometimes have to run when i'm either really tired or it's hot out). 

My body definitely was tired last night because I slept in until 6:50 this morning (normally I get up between 5 & 6) and seriously could NOT get out of bed! Sleep=recovery, so I won't fight it. I have 6 miles on the docket today and will split it up into two runs so I can take Stella for a run and also squeeze some in on my lunch break today and do the remaining miles tonight. 

Also I saw this meme when looking for a good speedwork one and had to chuckle. Because does no-one else think of deadlifts being similar to the bend and snap?!?

Happy Humpday!

How do you like to do your speedwork sessions?

Any good workout classes you've taken lately?

Back from Vacation & Thoughts on June Mileage!

Phew! We are FINALLY back from vacation after 13 days away! I had the full intention of continuing to do posts while away, but we only had about ~5 days where we had internet and believe it or not, we were actually really busy the entire time. I thought vacations were supposed to be relaxing?!?

Currently working on my vacation posts, but I'll recap my back from vacation mode now and put up the vacation recaps shortly!

Getting back on track after vacations are REALLY hard. All my body wants to do is sleep for eternity, but after not having much structure with my workouts for 3 weeks (including 2 weeks of vacation and 1 week of post-marathon goodness) I was seriously craving some good sweat sessions.

Endorphins from working out is definitely a thing because even though I'm still sleep-deprived my body is happier with being back into the work-out routine! We got back home Tuesday evening at 8pm (and still stuck on East Coast time, so it felt like 10pm) and unpacked the majority of our things and went straight to bed. I got up at 5 and still managed to get in an easy 4 miles and 30 minutes of a full body strength training. The rest of the day was spent at work catching up on everything I missed and teaching two skating lessons yesterday afternoon! Our internet has still been down since we arrived back (I swear this ALWAYS happens to us!), so we cooked up some chicken and topped our baby spinach salads with it (along with cucumbers, chopped carrots, and a bit of Parmesan). Super happy to be eating healthy again! 

This morning I was surpisingly pretty sore from my workout yesterday, so tried to take it a bit easier on my run. I did 5 miles, but probably should've slowed down my pace even more- live and learn, am i right?!

I tallied up my June mileage and was pretty disappointed with it. I ran a total of 81.7 miles, which doesn't seem like much, but June was a pretty scattered running month for me! It included 1.5 weeks of taper for the marathon, 26.2 miles for the race, a week totally off of running, and then 2 weeks of short runs (while on vacation). So all in all, I'm pretty happy that I even got over 80 miles this month- plus I got a shiny new PR for the marathon, so that counts for quite a bit!

This thought pattern also just brings me back to the thought of why are we so concerned with all the numbers and comparing ourselves to others? What's a high number for one person may not be considered high for another. This is SO true not just to running, but to others weights, how many races you've run, what your race PR is, how far you have or have not traveled, etc. 

We are all individuals and that is what makes us UNIQUE- be true to yourself and proud of your accomplishments because the person next to you probably thinks you're a ROCKSTAR (and you should probably think the same thing about yourself ((and them too))). 

I came across this quote last week and fell in love with it. Isn't love all that matters in the world?! 

Maybe I'm just being sentimental or all mushy from my stress-free vacation, but this really stuck with me and I'm going to try to center my thoughts more towards love and peace, rather than focusing on others. 

So enough of the mushy stuff! How's your dreaming beyond your comfort zone going?!

I'm still a work in progress on this (aren't we all?), but continuing to work towards improving myself and breaking down the barriers that I put up for myself. 

Three things that I am thankful for today:

• My Health
• My Family
• Green Tea with Honey <- currently fueling me through the afternoon slump!

How did you spend your Fourth of July?

Getting back to training/running/work-outs after a vacation- any tips?