I Run Like A Girl

A few weeks ago, I started the first post in a new series where I share a glimpse of what a realistic week of workouts looks like. I really enjoyed writing it, and I want to add to this series periodically as it brings me back to the roots of this blog.

Last week had a diverse mix of workouts – filled with some of my regular instructors as well as trying some new ones. My workout philosophy has changed a lot over the yeras, but right now my focus is on overall daily movement and building strength for longevity. Thank you for stopping by this week, and be well!

Monday: 45-minute Vinyasa yoga + 30 minute walk

My week started with an at-home yoga class with my favorite instructor, Kaylie Daniels. I’ve mentioned her a few times on this blog, but I absolutely love Kaylie’s personality and her creative, challenging yoga flows. Her Youtube channel is my go-to for yoga at home, and her yoga sculpt classes are great for some added strength. This class was on the beginner side, but I enjoyed easing into the week with a chiller workout.

In the afternoon, I took a 30-minute walk on the track at Golden Gate park – my favorite place to turn off my brain and walk.

Tuesday: REST

Lately, my rest days have coincided with the days I go into the office. It’s so much easier to get in workouts the days I’m home. 🙂

Wednesday: 45-minute HIIT workout

On Wednesday, there was construction in my apartment unit, so I headed to the track at Golden Gate Park. Recently, I started doing my workout videos outside, and I got hooked. The fresh air and open space puts me in the best mood and allows me to spread out compared to my tiny apartment.

I had a lot of energy, so I chose a 45-minute high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout. I did this one on growingananas Youtube channel – it was a solid full-body workout that got my heart pumping and left me sore for days.

Growingananas has been my go-to for HIIT workouts, but lately I’ve been wanting to venture out to other instructors. I love her straight-forward, no talking videos, but I feel like the way she puts together her HIIT workouts are somewhat random. Often times I leave her workouts without exhausting any one muscle group, especially since most of her classes are in the “no-repeat” style. Nevertheless, her classes get me moving which is my #1 goal.

Thursday: REST

Friday: 30-minute upper-body strength + 1 hour slow yoga flow

I woke up bright and early on Friday and checked ClassPass. I saw there was an opening for a yoga class at my favorite studio (this one rarely has openings), so I snatched it!

I had some time before the class started, so I snuck in a 30-minute dumbbell workout targeting the upper-body. I usually go with growingananas for strength workouts, but wanting to branch out, I tried this video on Sydney Cumming’s Youtube channel. I heard good things about Sydney’s workouts, and I have to say, I loved it!

I felt like this workout was more structured with a natural progression. We repeated different sets and I could feel each muscle group progressively get tired. Also, she did a great job commenting on form and explaining which muscles we were working. She has a huge library of workout videos and I’m excited to try out more!

After my strength workout, I headed to the yoga studio. It was a slow flow – in between a restorative and Vinyasa class – which was perfect after my first workout. We also spent a good amount of time on breathwork which was a unique change. This class gave me more mental benefits above all as I came out of the class feeling more clear-headed than when I walked in.

Saturday: 40-minute lower body strength

The weekend started out with an outdoor workout on the track. My arms were sore from yesterday’s weight training, so I decided to focus on my lower body today. I loved Sydney Cummings’s workout so much yesterday that I did another one of her videos today. Spoiler: I loved this one too!

This was supposed to be a 60 minute class, but I stopped around 40 minutes because I felt one of my existing back injuries start to flare up. It was a little frustrating to end a workout early when I had more energy to spend, but I know it’s better to stay safe than to push and make the injury worst.

Sunday: recovery session + bike ride + 60 minute walk

After some solid workouts the last two day, I opted for an active recovery day. I started off my morning with a 20 minute stretch and foam rolling session. I haven’t been great about these active recovery sessions, but every time I do them, I feel so much better as I can see quick improvements with muscle soreness.

Later in the morning, Joe and I decided to go on an adventure. We rented bikes from Lyft’s bike share and rode through Golden Gate Park. The park has a long car-free bike path that was perfect for us. We rode all the way to Ocean Beach which was about 5 miles. It was a gorgeous, sunny day and a huge mood boost for us. 🙂

When we got back from the bike ride, I wanted to soak up more sun, so I walked another hour on the track while listening to my podcast. I’m slowly making my way through Sally McRae’s latest podcast where she recaps her latest ultramarathon, the Tahoe 200. Even though my running days are behind me, I still follow some running role models, and Sally is such an inspiring personality!