Silverstone Half Marathon Training: Week 3

Happy Monday! I am so relieved that my big presentation is over. I don’t know about you guys but having something like that looming over my head just adds stress. I feel like a huge 10 pound bag was just lifted off my shoulders!

Thanks for all your support as I know we all deal with different types of stress on a daily basis. I’m so glad that I took some of my stress out during workouts last week versus giving in to the temptation to just forget about workouts. I always feel better after a workout, especially during busy periods!

Last week’s half marathon training went pretty well during the weekend when I was able to build my mileage in a respectable way. 029031 024  Monday: 20 minutes Yoga for Runners 

Tuesday: unplanned rest day

Wednesday: 4 mile run outside before work

Thursday: Does dancing at our company’s New Year’s Party count?

Friday: 2 mile run to and from Good Vibes Yoga where I met Charlie for our favorite 75 minute yoga class, Yang & Yin Yoga! It’s rare that I find myself craving a class but any Friday I’m in London I make sure my schedule is free from 6-7:15pm for this class. I really like the balance of challenging moves with relaxation at the end.

Saturday: Bo and I enjoyed a very speedy six mile run through Central London while enjoying many of our favorite sites including Buckingham Palace, Green Park and Big Ben. I found myself panting towards the half way point but soon realized it was because we were keeping an 8:17 pace – far too fast for where my training is right now. We ended up finishing the 6 miles in a 9:17 pace which is right on target for what I’d love to do for 13.1 miles in March. I have a ways to go but this run was a good confidence builder! 

Sunday: Bo and I took advantage of the lovely London weather and enjoyed a 5 mile run through Hyde Park. After three straight days of running my legs were definitely tired but it felt great to start building the mileage again. Running 12 miles in 24 hours is the furthest I’ve run since the Lausanne Marathon attempt back in October.

I didn’t get all my workouts in last week and hope to focus on that this week. Unfortunately, based on the weather, it looks like most of the workouts will be inside. We are going skiing again this weekend so I will be front loading my running since I know it’s virtually impossible to squeeze in a run when we’re in Verbier. Therefore, this week my goal is 1 yoga sessions, 4 runs including 1 hill workout and 1 “long” run, 2 days of skiing, and bring back my daily ab routine.

What was your favorite workout last week?

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A Balanced Weekend

Happy Sunday! I hope you all have had a wonderful weekend whether it’s been enjoyed on the slopes, relaxing on the couch, racing or just enjoying some time with friends and family. I was in London this weekend with Bo and as of Friday morning it had the potential to be quite a rough weekend. I have an important presentation tomorrow morning at work and I knew that I would need to spend most of the weekend working on Power Point.

This dampened my mood and by the time I landed in London on Friday I wasn’t really excited for the weekend, instead I was focused on making it through Monday morning. Luckily Bo balances me and reminded me that life is all about balance. There have been many weekends in our relationship when he has had to work and this time it was just a role reversal. Thanks to both he and Emily I was able to not only get all my work done but also find a happy balance which resulted in plenty of workouts and relaxation.

Friday night I met Charlie for our favorite yoga class at Good Vibes Fitzrovia, Yang & Yin Yoga. If you are in London, you have to give this class a try. It is the perfect way to release the stress and worries of the week and welcome the weekend. It is definitely a challenging class but grab a friend and enjoy it before Friday night drinks or dinner. 937945

While I edited slides Bo and I enjoyed a Turkish take out and caught up on Parenthood and Law & Order SVU. Since we were in bed by 11pm on Friday night we woke up bright and early Saturday. Bo’s goal was to run a number of errands for the flat while I worked.951954After a fresh green juice we enjoyed breakfast and plenty of coffee before doing our own thing until 12pm. After four hours of work I was more than ready for a break to enjoy a run through Central London taking in many of our favorite sites including Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. 961  965

We finished our 6 mile jaunt at Cowshed Spa as I booked an appointment for a manicure and wax over a month ago. I was able to review my deck on my iPhone and practice in my head while enjoying a quick manicure. Cowshed pays attention to every detail including the spa decor and the way they treat their clients. I will definitely be back as even their basic manicure felt like an indulgent experience and I can tell that the manicure will last as their Essie polishes all looked very fresh and not watered down or diluted. I loved the presentation of the polishes in an aged wood farm box. Though waxing is never an enjoyable experience I must say that the heated, calm rooms along with the soothing music helped take my mind off the ripping sensations.  966970 968 967 The rest of the afternoon was spent rehearsing my presentation and making final edits while Bo worked in the kitchen. Last month we invited Charlie and her boyfriend Tom over for a casual dinner, not knowing all that I would have to do this weekend. Instead of cancelling Bo offered to handle dinner as it would give him something to do in the afternoon while I worked and it gave him a chance to play with his new toy, the sous vide machine his parents gave him for Christmas.  

It worked out perfectly and by 7:30 we were welcoming Tom and Charlie into our warm but welcoming kitchen ready to enjoy a glass of wine. The meal turned out perfectly and wasn’t too difficult save the French Onion Soup. We served assorted cheeses and toast points, Thomas Keller’s French Onion soup, winter salad, sous vide lamb served over baby potatoes and green beans followed by Charlie’s pudding (aka dessert for those non British readers), a delicious apple berry crisp. 003001004005006007010

This morning we spent time in the kitchen making omelettes and coffee before enjoying a long run through Hyde Park. The weather was absolutely brilliant today which made the miles easier though the last mile took every effort to complete. Running 12 miles in 24 hours is a jump from where I’ve been lately and keeping a 9:40 pace was far too speedy for me at this point. Oh well, at least we’re making progress!016020019031 028 024This weekend wasn’t necessarily the break from work and as relaxation filled as we often enjoy but it did help me remember that sometime life is all about balance. I could have easily stressed myself out and spent the entire weekend practicing and working on my presentation but by enjoying some fresh air and time with Bo and friends I think I’ll be nice and fresh for tomorrow and the week ahead!

How was your weekend?

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Silent Saturday: London Work & Play

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