Mind Over Matter

'Tis the season when the motivation is low. The air is cold, the landscape is ugly- at least in the Midwest- and it's hard to get excited about running outside. I've also been feeling super achy this week. It's been a few months since RA has messed with me, but here we are. I'm just trying to keep moving because movement keeps things loose and makes me feel good. I had to dig deep to push myself out the door and even to leave my toasty warm bed, but I didn't regret any of my workouts.

It was all mind over matter. I've been described as strong willed, stubborn, and driven and those traits served me well this week!

Weekly Rundown:

Sunday: Trail Sisters run 7 miles

Monday: CrossFit

Tuesday: Fluid running

Wednesday: trail run 8.25 miles

Thursday: CrossFit

Friday: run 6 miles

Saturday: rest/work/Yoga with Adriene

We got a dusting of snow overnight and on Sunday, I ran with my Trail Sisters on some snow dusted trails. It was just enough to make it look pretty! It wasn't too cold and after running 4 miles with the group, I had to take off my vest. I enjoyed the company as always and the scenery on this pretty trail was a treat. The trail borders the Fox River and we enjoyed views from up high as well as access to it along the trail. 

After 4 miles, the group split up to accommodate everyone's goals for the day. I did a solo 3 miles, which I also enjoyed. While the river was frozen, the little creek was not. There was a spot where it overflowed its banks and I misjudged the depth, getting a shoe full of very cold water! No other mishaps and I finished this run feeling very satisfied.

We started a new 4 week strength cycle and it looked a lot different from the one we just completed. This time, we had 4 different movements to do in 3 sets in 40 seconds or less:

Set 1: pick a weight in which we'd hit failure in 8-12 reps 

Set 2: drop the weight and complete 8-12 reps to failure 

Set 3: drop the weight and complete 8-12 reps to failure. 

 

Movement 1: Dumbbell deadlifts 40#, 35#, 30# 

Movement 2: Barbell lunges 60#, 55#, 55# (my left knee did NOT like the 60#) 

Movement 3: Dumbbell strict press: 25#, 20#, 15# (I failed the 25# on my left side after 4 reps)

Movement 4: Bent over barbell rows: 55#, 50#, 45#

After this, we did 5 sets of :20 sprints on the assault bike. The goal was to be consistent. I did well! After we finished I went to the grocery store and started to feel a little queasy, lol. I guess that means I pushed myself as hard as I could!

I did not feel well when I woke up on Wednesday. My knees were really achy and I just felt yucky. I almost called off work, but after having something to eat, I decided to go to the trails and see how I felt. It was cold and raw out, but I figured if I kept moving, I'd stay warm. And guess what? I started to feel better! My joints loosened up and I made my way around the preserve. I saw 2 coyotes, 1 deer, and a barred owl! No photos though. Like me, they were moving around to stay warm. The trails were a mess--they must have thawed and refrozen, leaving lots of footprints and making it hard to pick up the pace. So I took it slow and enjoyed the ride. So much so that I ran 8.25 miles, just proving the point that it never hurts to try! 

Doesn't it look like a face? What do think he might be saying?

Just like Wednesday morning, on Thursday I woke up feeling achy and yucky. There was no way I was going to miss CrossFit--I'm really enjoying this new strength cycle. So I ate breakfast and did a Yoga with Adriene class meant to calm the body. It helped a lot. By the time I left for CrossFit, I was feeling much better. 

The rep scheme for this class was the same as Monday, 3 sets, 8-12 reps to failure, dropping the weight each set, and no longer than :40 per set. In my case, the goal was finding the heavy weight that makes me 'fail'. 

Set 1: Bulgarian Split Squats: 25# each hand-I could and should have done 30#, which would have been my fail weight. I'll do this next week.

Set 2: dumbbell bench press: failed at 30#, did 25# x10, 20# x 10

Set 3: Hip thrusts: 125# , 115#, 95# will push higher next week

Set 4: Pull ups: 3 assisted, 3 red band assisted, 5 green band unassisted

We followed this with sprint work: a E2MOM x 12 minutes:

6 single arm dumbbell push press (20#)

6 goblet squats (20#)

6 burpees

Goal was to finish each set under :40. Mine were :36, :37, :36, :38, :32, :36. Can you tell which sets were right arm vs left?

Still feeling achy on Friday morning, I debated my run but ultimately decided to give it a try. I could always turn around and go home, right? Fortunately, that didn't happen. It was cold, but I wore the right gear and felt comfortable. I moved pretty well but had to stop a few times to catch my breath. I won't lie--this was a dig deep kinda run, slower than I am used to, but I had no regrets about going. The beautiful morning sky made it all worthwhile. 

Off the Road...

On Thursday, I drove back out to my parents' to accompany them to my mom's neurology appointment. The nurse practitioner reviewed the neuropsychological report which gave my mom an official diagnosis--actually two-of Alzheimer's and Vascular Dementia. I had already read the report prior to the visit, so this was no surprise to me, but my mom was startled when she heard that. She didn't ask any questions and was more concerned about the recommendation that she shouldn't be driving anymore. She didn't understand that passing her driving test at the DMV wasn't enough. The NP recommended a driving evaluation at a neurocognitive rehab center to evaluate her ability to observe and react while behind the wheel. She also needs speech therapy to help her with cognitive skills. She was also reminded to take all her meds and given an explanation of why. It's interesting what she remembers and what she doesn't--I will need to remind her to schedule these appointments. I appreciated the NP's finesse in tackling these tough topics with my mom. I was relieved to have it all on the table, but it is hard to see this happening.

How was your week? Are you battling low motivation? How do you push yourself to move when you aren't feeling it? I won't lie, my week was extra! Here's to a calmer, pain-free week ahead.

I'm linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Rundown.