Sunday, April 1, 2018

Running Out of March Like...

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate! Anyone have any April Fools pranks played on them today? Isn't it weird having both of those days together? I'm not a big fan of practical jokes. When I was a kid, my sisters and I tried pulling an April Fools joke on my dad by mixing all his socks up. The joke was on us as we waited patiently for him to say something, but it was until about a week later that he asked my mom why his socks were all mixed up.

Anyhoo, in spite of the terrible weather we've had this month, I'm wrapping up what was a fabulous month of running for me. Feeling good never felt so good, and I guess it takes feeling bad to make you appreciate the good times. Running-wise, for March, I totalled 89.5 miles, ran a half marathon, and a speedy 8k! I'm hoping to ride this wave for a while and am looking forward to my favorite 10 mile race in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, here's how my week went down.



Running
It was back to my routine of 4 runs per week and I'm starting to work harder on endurance. After that fast 8k last Sunday, I realized that I can go the distance again without stopping to walk. I had a sneaking suspicion about that because my running intervals have gotten faster. So on Wednesday, I tested it out running 6 miles with a walk interval every 9 minutes. Sunday's cold run was a 6 miler with only 3 intervals and lots of hills. The goal for April will be to drop those intervals totally. RA, are you listening?


March was determined to go out like a lion. Actually, it was more like an angry t-rex! On Saturday, between the rain and the roaring wind, I didn't think I was going to be able to get my run done. The rain stopped but the wind was nuts so I took my planned run/burpee EMOMs to the track. Why haven't I done this before? There is a track by my house--it's an old high school turned park district--and they keep the track open all the time. I was really pleased with my pacing for this pseudo-800s style workout. You know I do it by time and not distance, because that's how my Garmin is programmed. Yep, I'm too lazy to reprogram it for distance. Does it really matter? The 40 burpees were done in sets of 5. T-rex can't do burpees....


CrossFit
It was back to the box on Thursday! I have had a 2 week hiatus from CrossFit and it felt so good to be back there. Sammy Jo didn't even ease me back in. We just picked up where I left off with cage deadlifts and back squats. I didn't ask how much I lifted but trust me, it was heavy. After the strength work, she had me do a 14 minute EMOM, alternating between the Ski Erg, burpees, and the Assault Bike. The Ski Erg is their newest toy. It's all upper body, as you mimic the movement of pushing the ski poles. Sammy Jo also demonstrated a butterfly swimming-type movement, but yeah, I'm not coordinated enough for all that. Between the Skier, the Rower, and the Assault bike, I could be all set with crosstraining.


Yoga
I also haven't done much yoga over the past 2 weeks, so it was nice to pull up Five Parks Yoga on YouTube. I did the Deep Stretch for Hips video and it gave me some much-needed hip love. My hamstrings were loving it as well. The Inknburn Ambassador group continues their weekly yoga challenge and this week we did a wide straddle twist.


Randoms
We celebrate Easter and it's a family tradition to have a lamb cake every year. Guess who has the lamb cake mold and gets to make the cake?

I'm not saying I'm the next Cake Boss or anything...

it's Devil's food cake, btw...
And that's a wrap! How was your week? Did March go blasting out where you are? I sincerely hope that we are moving on into a sunny, quiet pattern of weather for a while. Do you take your runs indoors when the weather goes crazy? Lamb cake? April Fools' jokes, yay or nay? Favorite yoga pose is.....

Welcome to the Weekly Wrap, hosted by Holly and me. If you're new to the wrap, you can find the 411 in the tab above. This is a really supportive fitness community! I'm looking forward to reading everyone's recaps. Have a wonderful week.






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95 comments :

  1. I had a good training week too. My run yesterday was insane and sort of discouraging. But not all runs will be good ones. Hopefully that is my last bad one. Marathon month is here!!!

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    1. I wouldn't let yesterday's run mess with your head. The weather was ridiculous. Hoping you have better conditions for your marathon!

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  2. Cheers to an awesome running month! That is awesome. Lamb cake here too. Except I roll mine in coconut. Looks good and keeps the kids away. :P

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    1. I've done coconut before but I'm not skilled--how do you roll it? I'm afraid the whole thing will come apart. We'll need to catch up over lunch and you can fill me in!

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    2. It's not really a roll but more of a sprinkle and pat. Yes to lunch!

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  3. So happy to see your running is going so well. March was a great month of running for me too until just a few days ago. I am going to check out that yoga you mentioned. I missed mine this week too. thanks for the linkup!

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    1. I'm hoping your back calms down! Let me know what you think of the yoga.

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  4. Great job with all of your workouts this week. It seems like you had some great runs and that always makes me happy :)

    I love your lamb cake by the way!

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    1. I'm pretty pumped about my running these days. Fingers crossed it lasts. I just have to play it smart.

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  5. What a great week! The lamb cake is so cute :) Happy Easter and thanks for hosting the link-up!

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  6. Great job this week! I always take my runs indoors when it's crazy outside because I'm a weather wimp lol. I've seen videos of the ski erg - looks like a great workout!

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  7. You had such a great week!! I love the ski erg! Of course, the gym that I'm at now doesn't have one so I miss it a little. *sigh*

    I'm not a fan of April Fool's jokes either. I tend to want to believe people and I've been made to feel silly enough times that I just don't care about it anymore. I've worked with some people who do pranks and go to crazy extremes to do things to offices and mostly, I just wonder how they had all that time on their hands. lol

    That lamb cake is TOO cute!

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    1. I kind of feel like practical jokes are a bit mean spirited. I'm a little sensitive, so that may have something to do with it too!

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  8. Great job on a great month of training and a good week too! Good luck dropping your intervals this month! I love your lamb cake, it is adorable! Have a great week!

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  9. You are killing RA.

    I don't run intervals but certainly stop and walk often.

    I ran a half marathon and a speedyish 5 mile and 5k this month. I was happy.

    Hoping April is a good one for you too.

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    1. I know that this could all change in the blink of an eye, so it's a wave I'm going to ride as long as it lasts!

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  10. Haha the lamb cake is adorable! Way better than what I could do. I was caught in the gross weather for 25 miles yesterday too, but I felt so much more badass when I finished.

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    1. There's something about running in bad weather that makes you feel so much tougher, right?

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  11. Well, April Fools Day is also my hubby's birthday LOL So, the ultimate joke was on his dad when he was born (you know, way back when they didn't have cell phones), and he came home for lunch to find his wife was gone...and he didn't believe the next-door neighbor's "story" about her being at the hospital. Gosh, I made a lamb cake many years ago, but it was from two circle pans (one circle was the face, and the other circle was cut up to make his ears). I, too, am eager for winter to blow away....

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  12. Cute cake! Happy Easter! Great track workout! I have a track near my place as well and never use you. I need to start doing those 800s.

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    1. I usually do my spadework on the 2 mile path at the retention pond near my house. Doing the intervals on the track felt so official!

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  13. Im glad that March is over. The weather in April has to be better, right? Im not really a fan of jokes either. That cake looks great!

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  14. I did think it was really weird for April's Fools and Easter to fall on the same day -- and there were some April Fools emails in my inbox, but easily spotted.

    We actually had gorgeous weather yesterday -- and while today wasn't as nice, it cleared up the afternoon. That was all very nice except for the fact I was inside with the fam or in a car for much of both day s-- but I did get out to walk.

    Feeling good is definitely a good thing! Hope your April is even better than your March and that Spring finally decides to arrive for both of us!

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  15. March was good to you! So happy to hear that. I did Five Parks Hip this week too, although my cranky hip wouldn't get into all of the yoga positions. Love the T-Rex graphic. I think I know why he has problems with burpees. I wonder if he could plank?

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    1. T rex could do low planks. But not burpees. That would be tough... :p

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  16. Yes! It definitely does sometimes take feeling bad to really appreciate feeling good. I've been struggling for a few years and finally seem to be feeling better and it's awesome! It's even got me thinking about training for a marathon in 2019! Crazy stuff! Good job on your week!

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    1. It's been a tough year but hopefully things are turning around in a positive direction!

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  17. Wow you had a great month with running and yoga etc. i need to start trying yoga, especilaly since I can't really run right now. Know any good first-time yoga workouts for 32 week pregnant people?

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    1. I don't know any prenatal yoga experts but I bet they are on YouTube!

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  18. I've never liked April Fools, and I woke up to the weather snowing this morning. Not funny! I'll have to pull up that Five Parks Yoga video because my hips always need stretching.

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  19. OMG - that cake!! Sounds like you had a great week -- hope that's setting the tone for your spring.

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    1. I wish I had better decorating skills! It tasted great, tho.

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  20. I used to make an Easter Bunny cake, but haven't for several years. I made it from cutting and assembling round cakes - it was quite the chore!

    It's great hearing that your runs are going so much better! Go, Wendy, go!

    Thanks for the linkup!

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  21. Great job on the lamb cake - love it! Reading that you jumped right back into CrossFit made me wonder, were you super sore after that break? Looking forward to following your "drop the intervals" running!

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    1. Oh heck yeah, I was sore. I'm still sore. My glutes, mostly.

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  22. I really want to try the ski erg! I've heard such great things and it's a killer workout. Nice job on the lamb...it's a lamb, right? ;)

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  23. You had a great week! Hope you're successful in eliminating those intervals in April! Love that your lamb cake is devil's food. :-D

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  24. Sounds like another great week for you! Awesome job with your cross training! I'm looking forward to better weather. Nice lamb cake. :)

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    1. Sometimes going to Florida almost makes it tougher to deal with the weather, doesn't it?

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  25. OMG that cake!!! LOL!!!! I seriously did just LOL and my kids are still sleeping. Hilarious!!
    I'm so glad you had such a great week. After all you have been though, you deserve to have week after week of feeling strong and happy :-)

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  26. That's awesome that running is feeling so good! I LOVE that cake- that's how mine all turn out. :) As for pranks, my daughter put duct tape on the toilet paper roll which we thought was pretty clever!

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    1. The duct tape on the TP is kind of clever. Until you really need TP! LOL

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  27. My favorite yoga pose is pigeon!! My hips and glutes always need the stretch, no matter what activity I'm engaged in. Love it!! Hope you have a wonderful April fun of smashing goals!

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    1. That video has a few variations of pigeon. I think I might have to do it again this morning!

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  28. I though your lamb cake was adorable. Especially since at first I thought it was really made out of lamb! I’m so glad your running has been going well!

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  29. Love the photo of the T rex chasing you! I wish I could edit photos like that. When I first looked at the lamb cake, I thought it was a bunny, and someone had already eaten his ears! Sounds like your running is going well, but I would not be against taking some walk intervals. I qualified for Boston by running a marathon and taking planned walk intervals. It's like taking a mental break each mile.

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    1. I used to run without intervals, so it's a goal. But I'm definitely not opposed to taking them if I need them.

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  30. You are getting your speed back and looking stronger than ever!! My favorite yoga pose is Pigeon Pose, but I also love Downward Dog. I feel like I could stay there forever. I miss yoga since we have the new puppy. He doesn’t let me do much at home ha! Good luck at your upcoming 10 mile race! Have a great week!

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    1. Since my speed disappeared last year, I'm cautious about thinking it's here to stay! But I am enjoying feeling my legs again!

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  31. This was a great week for you! It sounds like your running is strong right now. We had beautiful weather for the last day of March and then gross rain to start off April - and the forecast predicts several days of rain.

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    1. I'm hoping for lots of strong runs this spring. Fingers and toes crossed, tho! You know I'm not really in control here...

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  32. Sounds like you had a great month!
    The minister at church today talked about how rare it was to actually have April Fools and Easter on the same day! Apparently it hasn't happened since the 1950's... and will happen again only once this century!

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    1. That explains why I don't remember it ever happening before!!!

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  33. Sounds like a great week! I'm not a fan of practical jokes either. Some of them can be funny but a lot of times they just seem mean. I love that dinosaur photo :)

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  34. What a great week of running! You were determined not to let anything get in your way of running last week, and you succeeded. Way to go!

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  35. Great job this week! I would love to keep up with yoga on a regular basis...

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    1. I'm enjoying having my at home practice right now--it's meeting my needs.

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  36. We don't really have Easter traditions, but I did host it at my house for the first time this year! It went well...I managed to cook everything by myself for the first time haha. And clean up afterwards. I was proud of myself for adulting that well.

    I've only (luckily) had to take my run inside a handful of times last year when the summer storms hit. I hate summer storms and they come on quick in Florida, so its nice to have a treadmill option just in case.

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    1. I shouldn't complain really either because I've only milled it once this winter! Whew.

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  37. Bah ha ha ha! THAT lamb cake is amazing!!! So friggin' awesome - I am sure it tasted BOMB too... JUST LIKE how BOMB your month for running was! :)

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    1. Don't judge a lamb cake from the outside...he was delicious!

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  38. Love the lamb! We did some baking this easter but kept it simple with mini egg cookies! All the best with dropping those walking breaks!

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  39. Great to see that you had such a good running month! Hope the streak continues in April!

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  40. Great streak! Ooh I'll have to check out that deep hips stretch video because I need it!

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  41. That lamb cake is pretty fun. Glad you had a good month of runs and are also getting back into yoga and CrossFit and other stuff. It's so neat that you do a lot of different activities.

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    1. There have been so many injuries over the years that I've learned to mix it up.

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  42. Oh, look at that lamb cake! I did homemade cream puffs with pastry cream and chocolate dipping sauce. They were so yummy!

    That T-Rex, tho! How funny!

    I love that you are getting stronger and faster and feeling so much more confident! It's great to see those improvements for you and I know this spring and summer is going to be amazing! Just keep up the great work.

    Our wind has been awful here, too. It's surely not as cold as yours, but it does make running less pleasant.

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    1. From your lips to God's ear! I hope things keep moving forward. And that the weather improves for all of us!

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  43. So glad you are having some great runs and able to drop most of those intervals. I've contemplated dropping mine but I know once the brutal summer humidity ascends upon us, I'll be adding them right back in. I sure hope you guys get some warmer weather soon ...I'd be completely bonkers by now!

    Btw, I do love your lamb cake and the Easter basket grass is a nice touch!

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    1. Bonkers is pretty much how I felt today. I've been all about just rolling with the weather but yep, I'm done. The positive thing is that it is easier to run fast in the cold. I'm sure the intervals will be back once it warms up!

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  44. Yay for getting in 4 runs per week again! I know you are going to work hard on getting those intervals down to nothing! RA is going to get it’s butt whipped this month!

    I enjoy running 400’s/ 800’s on the track. In fact, now that the weather is better I’ll be hitting the track again soon! I think it’s perfectly ok to do intervals by time and not distance. We do this often in my Monday group. Hey as long as you are doing them, right??

    I’m always so impressed with your crossfit workouts. At some point I am going to try crossfit – right now I’m at the gym doing RPM and BodyPump and plus work and massage and running I’m actually a day of the week short haha!

    That lamb cake! Haha! Actually, I love it!

    I am hoping that the weather is now really moving into spring – I just heard that this weekend it’s going to be 20 degrees (celcius) which is WARM! This weekend is the Rotterdam Marathon and while I’m not running (only supporting), I kind of feel bad for all those runners who have trained in crappy weather the last 3 months only to get blasted with heat!!

    No April Fool’s jokes here – not a huge fan.

    Favorite yoga pose is… none! Hahaha! Another thing I have on my list of things I want to try!

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    1. Send that heat across the pond please! We're supposed to get snow tonight. This is ridiculous!

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  45. Nice!!! Exercise daily for at least an hour. You do not have to kill yourself from running, jogging, etc., but you should have some sort of moderate physical activity in your everyday life. If you’re looking to shed a few pounds fast, do a higher-level intensity workout.

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  46. I'm glad that your runs have been going well! I did chuckle when you said T-Rex's can't do burpees, haha! I'm so glad March is over but I need more sunshine in April, it's been so gloomy the last couple of days!

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    1. It's been really awful. The heck with spring, I'm so ready for summer.

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  47. Your lamb cake is so cute! I hope April is better weather than March, although I feel like late May is when it really starts to get better in Chicago. I hope your RA cooperates too!

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    1. We usually get a few nice days sprinkled in here and there, but not this year. It's been bad.

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  48. That lamb cake!!! Love it 😍 We had a breakfast food Easter feast this year and I think I want to make that a tradition. It’s super easy to prep and have ready after church. And delicious!

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