Monthly Grade

Reboot: February 2021

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 20 Comments

I was very clear on trying to listen to my body and slowly ease back into activity after three weeks of pretty much just Yoga and walking. I know I lost cardiovascular fitness in that time — thanks to my Garmin automatically recording my V02 MAX — but still never really felt much DOMs as I transitioned into working out more again. Thank you Yoga!

It’s very refreshing to go away and take a break, to clear your head, and just get into something else.
— Francois Nars

I know for some people an extended break from fitness would have them climbing the walls. Breaks can be a great way to get back to what you love. To become really clear on what’s important to you. You may realize that yes, you absolutely loved what your were doing and are willing to do whatever it takes to get back to it. You may have a new found appreciation for things that you took for granted. You may realize that some of the things you thought were so important maybe aren’t quite that important.

Of course you should ease back in gently, which you can read more about at this blog post here.

Running through cold, snowy February

Getting in scheduled runs
Still no scheduled runs. I runfess I kind of like the lack of pressure to train. That might change as the weather sloooooowly gets more conducive to running.

Grade Earned:  A 

Recording my runs
I’m doing fairly well with this, although sometimes it may take a few days, by which time of course I’ve forgotten most of what I felt on the run.

Grade Earned: A

Dynamic Warmup
In January I slacked on this because really — it was only a mile! Of course my shoulder injuries (thankfully short lived) showed it sometimes doesn’t take much to hurt yourself. The runs are getting a little longer, so I’ve buckled down and done it. It’s easier when running from home in the Winter, I find, rather than driving somewhere to run (somehow I feel as though I need to make up for the time lost driving and just get going which is silly).

Grade Earned: A

Lots of body work!

Foam Rolling
Still rolling pretty much every morning. As always, before runs, too.

Grade Earned: A+

I got my birthday cupcake; I also shared a *little* with Mr. Judy

My Sourdough: someone had to eat it!

Nutrition
Nutrition was pretty good, but of course a bit of birthday indulgence and with more activity, more hunger.

Grade Earned: A

Walking in a Winter wonderland

Cross Training
Yoga, running, strength training, walking, a little bit of indoor cycling. I think I’m good!

Grade Earned: A+

February 2021  gets  . . . 
. . . an A. I didn’t know how I would feel in February (other than tired, cold — that’s just a given!) and coming back from three weeks off running so I made my goals really conservative. I know that it’s better to ease back into things rather than dive right in — less likelihood of injury or a rebound illness.

January Goals:

  • Continue to run 3 x week. Y. It’s slow, it’s not very far, but it is running!
  • Listen to what my body is telling me. Y.  Y. For the most part. As I felt better, it’s too easy to get back into doing too much. So far so good.
  • Ease back into strength training. Y. I tied this to my morning Yoga. I foam roll, I do Yoga, and then I do a very short ST session. Getting it done first thing in the morning is a great way to make sure it actually gets done.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up.. Y. I knew I planned to indulge on my birthday, so I tried to eat pretty clean before that. It was actually easier when I wasn’t feeling well and most of the time just not super hungry. Better to feel good, obviously.

Which leads me to March Goals:

  • Continue to lengthen out my long run. I might end February with 4 miles — hey, it is what it is — and quite frankly with the weather, that doesn’t really bother me anyway. I still don’t see much in the way of racing in my future, so it’s all about rebuilding my base.
  • Do some longer ST. I will continue to the short practices in the morning, as it’s really working for me right now. Time to do a longer one at least a one day a week — on the days I don’t run.
  • Balance + Core Challenge. I did a morning routine challenge in the Facebook group in February; I *think* March will be a balance + core challenge. Join us here.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. Always a goal. Over the years I’ve gotten much better at it, but it’s always a work in progress.

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Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

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The Art of Resting & Relaxing: January 2021

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 23 Comments

Remember my word for 2021? If you don’t, it’s clear and you can read about it here. The last few years I used song lyrics each month that used my word — or maybe just the feeling I wanted to convey. In 2021 I’m just using quotes. I like to do something like this because then I can actually stay clear on my word!

It’s very important that we re-learn the art of resting and relaxing. Not only does it help prevent the onset of many illnesses that develop through chronic tension and worrying; it allows us to clear our minds, focus, and find creative solutions to problems.
–Thich Nhat Hanh

Obviously I’m a resting and relaxing champion, especially in January! All that rest did allow me to get clear on some goals and launch my Yoga Website here (in case you’re new to this blog).

Ok, I runfess this photo was actually from a December run

Getting in scheduled runs
Good thing there was no scheduled runs. There was pretty much no running in January at all. I will get back to running, but I know my body and I know that just wasn’t what I needed. With the pressure of training off, I felt no guilt at all about not running. I never expected to take this long a break though! I did start the year off running, and I ended January with just a smidgeon of running.

Grade Earned:  A (for listening to my body)/C- (actual running)

Recording my runs
I am actually back to using a planner. A smaller one, less things to fill out (although sometimes I wish there was more room), so yes, what little running I did got recorded.

Grade Earned: A

Dynamic Warmup
I think I may have slacked on this on the few runs I did, but I honestly don’t remember.

Grade Earned: B

Yes I have a ridiculous amount of tools for SMR. I use them all and some of them date back to my first half 10 years ago. Excited about a new one that vibrates that will come with the course I’m taking at the end of the month!

Foam Rolling
There is daily foam rolling going on! I took a course in myofascial release, and I have another one booked for the end of this month. It came in so handy when my shoulder was painful! Thankfully that didn’t last long, thanks to the self myofascial release (SMR). Can’t wait to share some of that with you! Basically I do some SMR and foam rolling pretty much every morning before I do my Yoga.

Grade Earned: A+

Nutrition
Nutrition was actually very good. I’m pretty good about trying to eat very healthy when I don’t feel well because I know that is helpful. It didn’t hurt that when I was sick initially (way back at the beginning of the month), I wasn’t terribly hungry.

Grade Earned: A

Support
Normally this is where I remind myself to go to the chiropractor, the hair dresser, and get a massage. I think I’m just going to delete this section going forward! The only good thing about not doing those things is the $$ we’ve saved.

Cross Training
Well, there’s been a lot of Yoga and even when I still wasn’t feeling 100% I only missed a couple of days of walking Bandit. As I got better there were some days when we only walked him a short amount (due to cold), so sometimes I went on to walk longer solo.

Grade Earned: A+

January 2021  gets  . . . 
. . . an A. For effort. I did the things I knew my body needed. I didn’t meet my goals, but it’s just silly to push for no reason when you’re not feeling well.

January Goals:

  • Continue to run 3 x week + 1 cycle class. N. It wasn’t the right choice for me this month.
  • Focus on endurance. Y/N.  Y, when I actually ran, LOL!
  • Continue to strength train 2 x week N. This may actually have been behind when I tweaked my shoulder — twice in just a few days! — doing Yoga. I kept up with my AM Yoga, which does actually do quite a bit of bodyweight moves, but clearly I wasn’t quite in shoulder weight bearing shape.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up.. Y. It’s easy to eat healthier when you’re just not hungry (don’t worry, the appetite is definitely back) — although some people go for the unhealthy kind of comfort food when they’re sick. I know that won’t help me feel better. Even with minimal activity, I maintained my weight.

Which leads me to February Goals:

  • Get back to running 3 x week. Not quite sure what that’ll look like right now. Maybe it’ll only be 2 x week in the beginning. Not sure. Just going to try and take it slow and ease back in.
  • Listen to what my body is telling me. I don’t feel like I was pushing too hard at all before I got sick, but something is always out of balance when you get ill. I’m going to ease back in — not just in distance and pace, but maybe even the amount of days I work out. Someday I’ll actually get clear on what balance looks like for me!
  • Ease back into strength training. I think that’s always my problem — I want to do it all: Running. Cycling. Swimming. Yoga. Strength Training. Pilates. Maybe this will be starting out with a couple of ten minute workouts a week — maybe even just one.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. Always a goal. Over the years I’ve gotten much better at it, but it’s always a work in progress.

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Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

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Fighting Stronger: December 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 26 Comments

bfightingstronger

No races for me in December, virtual or otherwise. I did have a pretty well rounded fitness routine for most of December, including shoveling!

This month’s song selection: who doesn’t love Rachel Patton? I probably already used her, but I think it’s totally appropriate for going into 2021, because the COVID vaccines allow us to take back our power and fight back — along with giving us hope for a better new normal. We’re all weary of fighting, but we just have to stay the course and believe:

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me

Running inside, outside, seeing new “friends”

Getting in scheduled runs
We finally got the really big storm we almost always get in December. That makes running more difficult — there are few places to get in more than a few miles, and often the streets are slippery due to snowmelt that refreezes. Not to mention shoveling all that snow is tiring & a multiday affair! Then there’s juggling my trips to my mom, which I do twice a month (if it’s open). I may not be running #allthemiles but I’m still running, outside & in.

Grade Earned:  A+

I started using my planner again. But not for runs.

Recording my runs
I record them here. Someday I’ll get back to journaling!

Grade Earned: Incomplete (due to pandemic)

Dynamic Warmup
Still going strong with warmups. Generally I do the dynamic warmup inside, unless I go somewhere, and then walk a bit before I start my run. Mainly because we live on a dead end and it’s usually not cleared great and still pretty slushy/icy for a while.

Grade Earned: A+

Foam Rolling
I continue to make foam rolling (or some form of myofascial release) an almost daily occurrence.

Grade Earned: A+

Nutrition
Nutrition has been okay. Not great, not terrible. I definitely suffer from SAD (seasonal affective order) — or maybe it’s my low vitamin D levels — but too often I just don’t want to cook. Or maybe the reality is I just don’t want to clean up! Still maintaining, though, so not terrible.

Grade Earned: B+

Support

  • Massage? Nope. We all know why.
  • Chiropractor Appointment? See massage.
  • Do I need a hair appointment? I need to schedule that appointment. We are in a very good situation with COVID right now, but I could see that changing with more time spent indoors and school restarting.

Grade Earned: I

Cross Training
I’m doing pretty good with cross training. Still walking — not as much as I was, but still out there most days (in addition to pacing in my house when my Garmin says I need to move). Some indoor cycling. Strength training. Still on my AM Yoga streak. I think it’s over 2 months now.

Grade Earned: A+

December 2020  gets  . . . 
. . . an A. Except for a few extra pounds and chafing at a restricted life due to COVID and Winter, in general things are good.

December Goals:

  • Continue to run 3 x week + 1 cycle class. Y. I do struggle with getting in that cycling. Mainly because I feel like it should be a recovery workout, and somehow I am still struggling with how that fits in my week.
  • Choose a word for 2021. Y/N.  I have not yet chosen my word, but it’s definitely something I’ve been thinking about. Stay tuned!
  • More strength training! Y. This has been a goal for a while. I feel as though I should be doing more, but I am proud to say I’ve been doing two Pahla B strength workouts a week; they’re usually about 30 minutes. 
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up.. Y. I’m maintaining. A little higher than I’d like to, but it’s not terrible. Doing my best to make peace with that. Having a partner who truly doesn’t care about his own nutrition/fitness — it makes it more difficult. I know some of you feel me on that. Ultimately we’re in charge of what we put into our bodies.

Which leads me to January Goals:

  • Continue to run 3 x week + 1 cycle class. I’m ok with running 3 x week, but I do feel my body could benefit from something other than walking & hiking, and both walking and hiking are harder to get in during Winter.
  • Focus on endurance. This began in December. With no races anywhere in sight for me in the beginning of the year, it’s time to feel strong. In my body and my runs. Let’s hope Winter doesn’t make me endure the wrong things! Doesn’t mean there can’t be a little speed here and there.
  • Continue to strength train 2 x week. It’s important for women of a certain age (ok, all women!) to fight against muscle loss.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. There was some holiday creep. Not initially, a few days afterward. Weird. Anyway, gotta keep those clothes fitting.. 

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Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

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You’re Gonna Be Ok: November 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 19 Comments

There was one virtual race in November

November had one virtual 5k and I really like the tee from that “race”. There were walks with friends and a little hiking. Of course I am still working my way through the sadness of losing Lola, which happened on Halloween.

This month’s song selection, from Brian & Jenn Johnson, is all about holding on because you can get through anything if you just hold on. Maybe that means the election to you. Maybe that means getting through COVID, or a loved one’s illness. Maybe it means getting through a loss.

Just take one step closer
Put one foot in front of the other
You’ll get through this
Just follow the light in the darkness
You’re gonna be ok

Getting in scheduled runs
There’s really no schedule, but I run 3 x week. I was able to keep to that “schedule” in November.

Grade Earned:  A

Recording my runs
I record them here. Someday I’ll get back to journaling!

Grade Earned: Incomplete (due to pandemic)

Dynamic Warmup
I actually did extremely well with warm ups in November. I even often did a warm up walk in addition to my cool down walk. I was also good with some short stretching post run (most of the time).

Grade Earned: A+

Foam Rolling
I got back on the foam roller, too. My calves have been tight so I’ve rolled them pretty much every day, sometimes hammies too. And foam roll before the run — of course!

Grade Earned: A+

The air fryer helps with healthier food

Nutrition
Unfortunately with Lola’s decline and passing at the end of October, as usual, I lost my appetite and dropped several pounds. I didn’t stay there, of course, but it actually did help for a little reset. Despite a humongous cupcake at Thanksgiving — which was so worth it — nutrition has been better.

Grade Earned: A

Support

  • Massage? Nope. We all know why.
  • Chiropractor Appointment? See massage.
  • Do I need a hair appointment? I need to schedule that appointment. We are in a very good situation with COVID right now, but I could see that changing with more time spent indoors and school restarting.

Grade Earned: I

The beautiful colors may be gone, but there’s beauty in every season

Cross Training
The Fall colors are long gone, but I’m still hiking a little bit here and there. Plenty of Yoga. Not enough strength training — but some, plus a fair amount of bodyweight exercises.

Grade Earned: A

November 2020  gets  . . . 
. . . an A. It was a relatively good month and I improved on the things that needed improvement.

November Goals:

  • Continue working through the Peloton 5k Course. Y. I didn’t follow it exactly, but I did do about 2 runs x week using it and adjusting it for my needs.
  • Choose a course for my virtual 5k. Y.  I went back and forth on where to run. I ended up running it as part of my long run at a bike path fairly close to home. Just saved time.
  • More strength training! N. That was the plan, but my body had other ideas (like more rest).
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up.. Y. I lost a few pounds while caring for Lola that last week of October and in the first few weeks afterwards. While caring for her, I often didn’t have enough time to cook — after, I didn’t have much appetite. Don’t worry, the appetite is back; I’m not a stress eater.
  • Continue to explore Kundalini Kriyas. Y. One of the reasons to do a 40 day Kriya is that supposedly it takes 40 days to create a habit. Well, it worked for me. I did 40 days of the same Kriya, then a month of a different Kriya each week . . . I’m still doing Yoga almost first thing when  I get up. I feel so much better after!

Which leads me to December Goals:

  • Continue to run 3 x week + 1 cycle class. I’m ok with running 3 x week, but I do feel my body could benefit from something other than walking & hiking.
  • Choose a word for 2021. It hasn’t come to me yet. Hopefully it will pop in this month.
  • More strength training! My AM Yoga is great bodyweight training. I feel strongly about lifting weights as we age, though. The trouble is how to get that on the schedule.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. There was some holiday creep. Not initially, a few days afterward. Weird. Anyway, gotta keep those clothes fitting.. 

btuesdaytopics

Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

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Hold On: October 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 20 Comments

bholdon

October had no races, virtual or otherwise. In fact, it was probably the least amount of running I did in 2020 with a 2 week running break, and now trying to squeeze in running around hopefully coaxing Lola back to health.

October also saw tempers fraying, the election getting on everyone’s nerves, and COVID once again surging in many places. Sean Mendes’ song “Hold On” may not be about being strong (although if you look up the speculation about its meaning, it definitely is), but it seems to fit the times.

So you just gotta hold on
All we can do is hold on, yeah
Yeah, you just gotta hold on
Just hold on for me

On the personal front, we had some very lovely Fall weather in October (no snow! yay!) and I made a real effort to get out there and soak up as much of it as I could. We also celebrated our 35th anniversary.

Getting in scheduled runs
There were no virtual races on the calendar for me in October. That’s part of why I decided to take a running break; you can see another reason I did in this post here. There was the Run for Ruth, and I did about 60% of that just with walking. Then I began to ease back into running and prepping for a virtual 5k in November — not a turkey trot, by the way! Although maybe I’ll add in a virtual Turkey Trot, who knows.

Grade Earned:  A

Recording my runs
I record them here. Someday I’ll get back to journaling!

Grade Earned: Incomplete (due to pandemic)

Dynamic Warmup
Since I did some of the Peloton Road to 5k course, I did some of my “training” for the upcoming 5k on the treadmill. Somehow in my mind, since I don’t have to get out the door for those runs, it seems easier to warm up. I don’t warm up for my walks though. I probably should!

Grade Earned: A+

Foam Rolling
There was far less foam rolling in October. Just because I’m not running doesn’t mean my legs wouldn’t appreciate some extra loving!

Grade Earned: A-

There were definitely indulgences in October but maybe the fact there was no birthday cake to finish off helped

Nutrition
September was a little hard with Mr. Judy’s birthday month of fun. It was a bit too much fun when it came to food. I got back on track in October, though, and things (such as clothes) are beginning to slowly feel a bit more normal for me.

Grade Earned: A-

Support

  • Massage? Nope. We all know why.
  • Chiropractor Appointment? See massage.
  • Do I need a hair appointment? I need to schedule that appointment. We are in a very good situation with COVID right now, but I could see that changing with more time spent indoors and school restarting.

Grade Earned: I

So much Fall beauty

Cross Training
Plenty of Yoga, plenty of walking, some easy hikes. A little bit of strength training. Not enough ST but the month has been a real roller coaster.

Grade Earned: A-

October 2020  gets  . . . 
. . . an A. Normally I might have given myself an A-, but I’m giving myself an A because I recognized I needed that running break and took it.

October Goals:

  • A short running break. Y. Glad I did it. I wasn’t a slug, I just didn’t run!
  • Ease back in with easy runs. Y.  Sort of, Some of the first Peloton runs weren’t exactly easy, but I also didn’t pick up right where I left off.
  • Find a flatter course for virtual races. Y. Maybe? 
  • Explore new places when I visit my mom. Y. It’s always a long day, but spending some time out in nature makes it feel a little easier.
  • Decide on my next virtual race. Y. It’s the “Champion for the Chesapeake”. The purpose is to get the Chesapeake Bay named as the next new national park. I love national parks — wish we had one here in NY! You can still sign up here if you’re interested. The shirts are nice (I already have mine).
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. Y.  Like most people this year, weight has been a bit of a battle. It’s staying fairly even, although lately my clothes have been feeling more comfy. NSV (non scale victory).

Which leads me to November Goals:

  • Continue working through the Peloton 5k Course. I’m back to only running 3 x week right now, so that makes it a little bit of a challenge because I don’t want to spend all my time on the treadmill. Plus it’s a 4 x week program. But I’ll adapt it to my needs.
  • Choose a course for my virtual 5k. I have been visiting a different bike path to run at, and trying to get to know it to figure out what might be the best course for a “race”.
  • More strength training! My AM Yoga is great bodyweight training. I feel strongly about lifting weights as we age. The trouble is how to get that on the schedule.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. I’ve been bouncing back and forth for months. Just hanging in there.
  • Continue to explore Kundalini Kriyas. I started a new Kriya (class) after my 40 day effort (read about that here and here). I really like this one: with the warmup and some meditation it took me about 30 minutes and it worked muscles runners need to work! I don’t plan to do another 40 Day Kriya soon, but I’m still shooting to try to keep an AM Yoga streak and explore different Kriyas. I’m actually already onto the second Kriya, and I like this one too. 

btuesdaytopics

Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

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The People Have the Power: September 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 28 Comments

bpeoplepower

September was even busier than the last few months! 2 trips to mom, both with side trips. One day trip as a “family” — I’d hoped for more, but it wasn’t meant to be. Cat sitting for a friend. Planning & executing birthday shenanigans for Mr. Judy.  A virtual 10k + virtual 5k walk.

September’s song is Patti Smith’s “The People Have the Power”. While it doesn’t have Strong (my word for 2020) in the title or the lyrics, it’s perfect for these times and it spoke to me.

The power to dream, to rule
To wrestle the world from fools
It’s decreed: the people rule
It’s decreed: the people rule
Listen. I believe everything we dream
Can come to pass through our union
We can turn the world around
We can turn the earth’s revolution

I very very rarely allow politics to creep in here. Get out and vote. Or mail in your vote, as we plan to. You can’t sit on the sidelines.

Getting in scheduled runs
It was really a mixed bag this month. There was a lot of stuff going on in the personal front, and sometimes that prevent me from getting it done. I did the best I could, and the truth is, just staying active is a win right now — and I did.

Grade Earned:  A

Recording my runs
I record them here. Someday I’ll get back to journaling!

Grade Earned: F

Dynamic Warmup
The cooler weather meant I was able to leisurely get ready for runs for much of September. So there was Yoga, there was foam rolling, and there was always a short dynamic warmup before the run. I enjoy not having to rush out the door!

Grade Earned: A+

Foam Rolling
I foam rolled more often in September. It feel off a bit towards the end of the month, again due to personal stuff, but I always foam roll before my runs and sometimes I did it on non-running days and also sometimes after my runs.

Grade Earned: A

60 deserves cake, right? Multiple times!

Nutrition
Nutrition continues to be not terrible, not great, and the scale continues to reflect that. There was birthday cake (for days, even with the smallest one), there was BBQ — but there were lots of veggies and nutritious meals, too.

Grade Earned: A-

Support

  • Massage? Nope. We all know why.
  • Chiropractor Appointment? See massage.
  • Do I need a hair appointment? I need to schedule that appointment. We are in a very good situation with COVID right now, but I could see that changing with more time spent indoors and school restarting.

Grade Earned: F

Cross Training
Still not cycling, but plenty of Yoga, and started out strong with strength training although again that fell off a bit towards the end of the month. I was balancing a lot of spinning plates this month!

Grade Earned: A

Hudson Crossing Park & Lake Taghkanic State Park

September 2020  gets  . . . 
. . . an A. A couple of Fs again, but mostly September was a busy month — seems like every month lately is a busy month!) — and I did the best I could with the time I had and by listening to my body.

September Goals:

  • Run 4 x week. Y/N. Sometimes. Some weeks I just wasn’t feeling it, so I didn’t. Other weeks, I did.
  • Set an intention for each run. Y.  I like this so it’s easy to continue with the things you enjoy.
  • Meditate when I get up. Y. This actually morphed into Yoga + meditate when I get up. I’m halfway through with my 40 day Kriya (see my post about that here).
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. Y. I’m trying, but it’s crept up just a bit beyond where I’m comfortable. It seems the Winter creep has started early. So Y to eating intuitively; unfortunately Y to creep, too. I mostly know what I need to do — but I need to do it. #youfeelme?
  • Explore new places when I visit my mom. Y. It’s not always easy, because it can mean hours without access to a bathroom sometimes, but otherwise it’s a somewhat stressful day and this injects a little more fun into the visit for me.
  • Look around for the next virtual to motivate me. Y.  Well, I have looked around. I have a couple I’m considering. I haven’t made up my mind yet. Virtual isn’t the real deal, but it adds variety to my running, and I like that. And sometimes there’s cool swag.

Which leads me to October Goals:

  • A short running break. I had actually always planned on a running break after my Dempsey Challenge. My body made it clear I needed it, even though I haven’t been running hard. Not sure how long it will be, probably not too long, a week maybe two tops.
  • Ease back in with easy runs. No need to push hard — and better to rest now and be ready to push when there’s hope of real races.
  • Find a flatter course for virtual races. One of the virtual races I’m considering might be a 15k. My body has made it clear for now that it’s had it with the steep downhills. You know how much I love running downhill, but if I can’t run, well, that’s worse.
  • Explore new places when I visit my mom. It’s getting cooler, but I should still be able to explore in October. Thankfully they are working on some sort of plan to allow inside visitation.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. In the last few months my choices haven’t always been the best. I can feel that in some of my clothes — and I don’t like that feeling!
  • Decide on my next virtual race. I have a couple that I’m considering. One allows you to do it at any time before May. I’m not sure when the other one is (or if it allows you to pick your own time). I may end up doing both).

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Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

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I Come Back Even Stronger: August 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 20 Comments

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August was relatively busy in a good way. 2 trips to mom, one with a side trip. More day trips.  Slight increase in running. Slight increase in walking, too. Made an effort to get in more steps. I collected my mug from June’s virtual xc runs (with a side trip on that trip too).

August’s song is throwin’ it way back, but man I remember belting this song out when I was young. It’s a classic — Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman”.

You can bend but never break me
‘Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer

These lyrics really speak to me! Do you still have goals? Has 2020 broken you or made you stronger? Do you feel that you’ve grown because of every thing you’ve gone through in 2020?

I did it. I didn’t always like it.

Getting in scheduled runs
I’ve slowly begun to try for 4 runs a week — some weeks, anyway. When I feel like it. So upping the ante just a bit. A virtual race (in September) isn’t the same as a real race, but I can still challenge myself a bit.

Grade Earned:  A

Recording my runs
I record them here. Someday I’ll get back to journaling!

Grade Earned: F

Dynamic Warmup
Dynamic warmups were often really short — 5 minutes — but every little bit helps. As we merge into Fall and the mornings are cooler, it should be easier to do longer warmups. And necessary with cooler temps!

I’ve even done a little Yin Yoga some mornings before a run. In fact, I’ve also filmed three short Yin Yoga Pre Run Warmup videos! I was inspired. Not quite sure yet when I’ll be sharing those.

Grade Earned: A

Foam Rolling
Mostly just foam rolling before runs — once or twice after a run too.

Grade Earned: B+

Nutrition
Nutrition has been meh. Not terrible, not great, and the scale reflects that. I already feel the pull of wanting to eat more as the weather heads towards Winter. It’s natural . . . but some clothes are feeling a wee bit snug, sometimes (because I go back & forth around a few pounds).

Grade Earned: B-

Support

  • Massage? Nope. We all know why.
  • Chiropractor Appointment? See massage.
  • Do I need a hair appointment? I need to schedule that appointment. We are in a very good situation with COVID right now, but I could see that changing with more time spent indoors and school restarting.

Grade Earned: F

Getting stronger with a little hiking & extra walking

Cross Training
Stationary cycling fell off the grid this month, but the rest is still going pretty strong. There’s only so many hours in a day & I find I need to be careful not to overdo things.

Grade Earned: A

August 2020  gets  . . . 
. . . an A. A couple of Fs again, but mostly August was a busy month and I did the best I could with the time I had and by listening to my body.

August Goals:

  • Run 4 x week. Y/N. Sometimes. Some weeks I just wasn’t feeling it, so I didn’t. Other weeks, I did.
  • Set an intention for each run. Y.  Sometimes it’s after the fact, though. Not as effective that way. I need to work on that!
  • Finish the irest course I started. Y. I did, then discovered that there was an audio book version on Audible. So I bought that (I’ve got a lot of credits), because I enjoy the practices (which are included with the audio book).
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. Y. I’m trying, but it’s crept up just a bit beyond where I’m comfortable. It seems the Winter creep has started early. So Y to eating intuitively; unfortunately Y to creep, too. I mostly know what I need to do — but I need to do it. #youfeelme?
  • Add in more Pilates when I can.Y.I feel that Pilates does helps to shape my body. Yoga can be really tough, but most Pilates (done correctly) is tough in a different way. They are similar, but not the same, and I enjoy both. The problem is always time!

Which leads me to September Goals:

  • Run 4 x week. It all depends on how I feel. I’m enjoying the Peloton Bootcamps and runs — still have to try one of the walk/runs — so it adds a little variety to my life. Plus the weather should make outdoor running more fun again.
  • Set an intention for each run — before the run! It’s not really an intention if you set it afterwards, now is it?
  • Meditate when I get up. Meditating first thing in the morning is centering and sets me up for a calmer morning.
  • Explore new places when I visit my mom. There are quite a few places that are pretty much on the way. Easier to explore on my own, and then size up if it’s somewhere we want to go back to.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. In the last few months my choices haven’t always been the best. I can feel that in some of my clothes — and I don’t like that feeling!
  • Look around for the next virtual to motivate me. I don’t need to do #allthevirtuals, but it’s not bad to have something to work towards sometimes. Makes life feel a bit more normal. The cool Fall weather is my fun season to run (if it’s not raining).

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Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

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Fighter: July 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 20 Comments

 

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July was actually rather busy. A 30 hour meditation course. 2 trips to mom. A fun daytrip.  Family Zoom call. Routine vet visit for Lola (Bandit needs one, too). Filming videos (which lately seems to always be a struggle).

Myself and my loved ones are healthy. My mom tires a lot easier — as does Lola — to be expected at both their ages, but not always easy to witness.

July’s song is Fighter by Christina Aguilera. I don’t really know many Christina Aguilera songs, although I do know she has a powerful voice. Has anyone else noticed how much this lyric resembles Kelly Clarkson’s “What doesn’t kill you”?

Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a Fighter

2020 has not been kind to us, and yet — it’s the hard times we go through that make us grow. As much as we might wish we didn’t have to go through hard, painful, times, they shape the people we become.

A little irony with the “happy” in the paragraph below — my face matches my top!!!

Getting in scheduled runs
I’m still happy with 3 x week for the forseeable future. It gives me more time for my stationary bike, strength training, and Yoga. I kept thinking I would go a little longer for my long run, but then someone turned the thermostat to hot and humid.

Except I started to feel run down last week, so this last week of July I’m going to skip a run. Or two. We’ll see. Trying to get ahead of whatever is going on.

Grade Earned:  A

Recording my runs
Yeah, still not happening..

Grade Earned: F

Dynamic Warmup
I was doing great with this — I’d even say I was on a streak. Until a couple of very hot and humid days when I totally skipped the warm up. Bugs may have been the reason.

Grade Earned: A-

Foam Rolling
Still only rolling before a run — at least that it something that I have not skipped (so far).

Grade Earned: B

Nutrition
Nutrition has been pretty good, but as always, room for improvement. The older I get the less I can eat. It is what it is.

Grade Earned: B

Support

  • Massage? Nope. We all know why.
  • Chiropractor Appointment? See massage.
  • Do I need a hair appointment? This could end up being the longest I go without a haircut — which is saying something, I’ve actually gone 5 months before.

Grade Earned: F

Just chillin’ with Bandit & Yoga

Cross Training
Cross training is my super power, apparently. Yoga, strength training, Pilates, stationary cycling.

Grade Earned: A+

June 2020  gets  . . . 
. . . an A. A couple of Fs again, but mostly July was a busy month and I did the best I could with the time I had.

July Goals:

  • Continue exploring Peloton App. Y. I’ve tried one class (at least) from a lot of the different categories, although there are probably some categories I won’t try. There’s definitely still more to explore.
  • Continue running 3 x week. Y. I have continued my outside running streak. Definitely not always easy with this hot summer! I’m giving myself a pass on skipping a run/s this week. It was needed.
  • Set an intention for each run. Y.  I won’t lie: sometimes I struggle with coming up with an intention. Sometimes I struggle with remembering what the intention was! (read more about intentions here).
  • Continue almost daily foam rolling. N. I foam rolled before my runs. That’s all.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. Y. Weight is basically in maintenance mode, and that’s okay.
  • Learn more about meditation.Y. I took a 30 hour Beginning Meditation Coach course, which I really enjoyed.
  • Extend either a weekday or long run. Y. I signed up for virtual trail runs this month (with the swag being pottery), and we’re assigned a different distance each week. 
  • Complete virtual July 4th race.Y. I even managed to do it on the fourth. 

Which leads me to August Goals:

  • Run 4 x week. I plan to take some of the Peloton bootcamps, and that will involve treadmill running. So it won’t be a lot extra, and it’ll be mill miles, but miles are miles. Doesn’t have to happen every week but that’s what I’ll shoot for. Gonna be flexible with it – depends how I feel.
  • Set an intention for each run. I enjoy this goal!
  • Finish the irest course I started. I’ve been into something called Yoga Nidra for a while. It’s part relaxation, part meditation. irest is a particular form based on Yoga Nidra — and I signed up for the Great Courses for free so I could take this course. But I only have a month! I’m halfway through so I’m sure I’ll finish it before my free trial is up.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. A permanent goal.
  • Add in more Pilates when I can. I really enjoy Pilates. There’s a lot of benefits to runners from practicing it. Even just 10 minutes. It’s just hard to squeeze in. Strength training was a bit lacking at the end of last July, and with less going on in August, I’d definitely like to be more regular about it. 

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Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

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Let’s Lift Each Other Up: June 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 26 Comments

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The weather in June was all over the place. Mostly lovely, so I can’t complain. A couple of weekends were so chilly that one day I had to take my Yoga inside. Then it heated up quickly! Luckily I picked the right spot for my Yoga platform. It’s nice and shady and even on days in the low 90s I am comfortable back there.

Now the ants are a different story . . .

I am taking a break from stronger lyrics (strong is my word for 2020), but “Hey Girl” from Lady Gaga & Florence Welch (a song not familiar to me) caught my eye — I thought it was a good message for the times.

Hey girl, hey girl
We can make it easy if we lift each other
Hey girl, hey girl
We don’t need to keep on one-in’ up another

Although aimed at women, it’s a good message for everyone. Stop tearing people down to make yourself feel better. We all rise together.

Chasing rainbows & trying to stay cool (literally)

Getting in scheduled runs
I’m still happy with 3 x week for the forseeable future. It gives me more time for my stationary bike, strength training, and Yoga. I kept thinking I would go a little longer for my long run, but then someone turned the thermostat to hot and humid.

Grade Earned:  A

Recording my runs
Maybe this sections just needs to go away . . . like many of us think about 2020.

Grade Earned: F

Dynamic Warmup
I’ve been doing good with a pre-, and usually a post-run stretch, thanks to Peloton.

Grade Earned: A+

Foam Rolling
I’ve been exploring a lot of new things, so I’m back to foam rolling only before I run. I know my body would be very happy if I tried for more again. It still needs to be a goal!

Grade Earned: B

Nutrition
Mostly good. The extreme heat towards the end of the month had me not so hungry. Definitely room for improvement though. Isn’t there always?

Grade Earned: B

Support

  • Massage? Nope. We all know why.
  • Chiropractor Appointment? See massage.
  • Do I need a hair appointment? While we can get haircuts again, my hairdresser is actually opening a new salon. Which hasn’t happened yet. It’s braid season; I can wait.

Grade Earned: F

Yoga inside, outside, plus stationary cycling & more!

Cross Training
Running less means I have more time for other fitness activities, which I enjoy. Yet it still seems as though there’s not enough hours in a day to get everything done!

Grade Earned: A+

June 2020  gets  . . . 
. . . an A. A couple of Fs again, but mostly June was a decent month.

June Goals:

  • Continue exploring Peloton App. Y. There’s a lot to love, but there are some things I’m not as fond of. Nothing’s perfect, right?
  • Continue running 3 x week. Y. I also made an effort to keep those runs outside — it wasn’t easy when the second half of the month was stacked with heat waves but I persevered.
  • Set an intention for each run. Y.  I like to work towards goals, and since I don’t actually have a running goal right now, having an intention for every run gives me a “goal” (read more about intentions here).
  • Continue almost daily foam rolling. N. I foam rolled before my runs. That’s all.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. Y. Weight is basically in maintenance mode, and that’s okay.
  • Explore a Backbend Course Y/N. As I wrote last month, I couldn’t find a specific build to Wheel course. I should have just modified this goal to work on strengthening my arms and core — which I did. I have a feeling that it will take a lot longer than a month, and may not be a pose that works for me. We’ll talk again at the end of the year.
  • Take the tests for the online Reiki course I’m taking. N. I am taking a meditation course in July. I’m still practicing Reiki on myself, and when I have time/remember, the dogs. Even occasionally Mr. Judy.

Which leads me to July Goals:

  • Continue exploring Peloton App. I haven’t tried a meditation yet. I’ve only done one Yoga class. Then there’s the Artist series that Kim @ Kookyrunner turned me on to.
  • Continue running 3 x week. If it ain’t broke . . .
  • Set an intention for each run. I enjoy this goal!
  • Learn more about meditation. I’ve been meditating for several years. I enjoy creating meditations for my YouTube channel (here). I’d been looking into meditation teacher trainings — but when someone I’d been following offered a shorter (30 hour) , discounted course, I signed up. Hopefully I’ll be adding more meditations with what I learn.
  • Extend either a weekday or long run. I will admit, summer running is not my jam. I have extended some weekday runs. I’d like to run a little longer for my long runs, but I just haven’t been feeling it with the weather.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. I think this is another permanent goal.
  • Complete virtual July 4th race. This may not happen in July — it might have even already happened! 

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Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

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Getting Strong Now: May 2020

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 30 Comments

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Mother Nature sure seemed confused in May

May blew in with very unwanted snow, but it went out with some lovely Summer weather.

Practicing Yoga on the Yoga platform in a skirt & with dogs

From strong to stronger and the iconic Rocky song “Gonna Fly Now”:

Getting strong now
Won’t be long now
Getting strong now

Gonna fly now
Flying high now
Gonna fly, fly, fly

Running takes a back burner for now, and hopefully I can focus on getting stronger. Now is the time to do those things you always say you’d do if only you had more time.

Getting in scheduled runs
I’m settling into 3 x week for the forseeable future. Unless maybe I decide to try a Peloton Bootcmp. 3 x week gives me lots of flexibility to move runs around!

Grade Earned:  A

Recording my runs
Still not journaling. Maybe I don’t want to remember this year next year! Seriously, though, the tough times are what help us to grow.

Grade Earned: F

Dynamic Warmup
I signed up for the Peloton App back when it was free for 90 days. I’ve been checking out their dynamic warmups. At some point I’ll write a review of the app, although seriously, I feel like I’m the last person to try it. 🙂

Grade Earned: A+

Foam Rolling
I slacked off a bit in the foam rolling department. I’m still rolling, but not quite as often. Probably because I’ve had to start filming stuff for my YouTube channel again!

Grade Earned: A-

Nutrition
Nutrition has been ok. I’m maintaining; no really, I’m plateauing, bouncing back and forth between small gains and losses. Which is fine. Except I would like to lose just a few pounds. I guess I don’t want to badly enough yet.

Grade Earned: B

Support

  • Massage? Nope. We all know why.
  • Chiropractor Appointment? See massage.
  • Do I need a hair appointment? Again, see above. I suppose I should take this section out, it ain’t happening in the near future (although the chiropractor is open). And the salon should open soon. I don’t think I can go a whole year without a haircut!

Grade Earned: F

Yoga everywhere

Cross Training
I’ve continued to mix things up with plenty of Yoga, short Peloton rides (except not on a Peloton bike of course — I wish!!!), and strength training.

Grade Earned: A

I was able to cherry pick a day with great weather for my virtual race

May 2020  gets  . . . 
. . . an A. Despite 2 Fs, and not meeting a couple of goals, all in all May was a pretty good month, including one virtual race (my first).

May Goals:

  • Add in Lean & Lovely once a week. Y. It’s a Kettlebell program I’ve used before with good results.
  • Continue running 3 x week, adding in more mileage. Y/N. I ran 3 x week (except one week when I didn’t feel good), but haven’t really upped the mileage. By the time I wanted to, Summer had arrived!
  • Strength train 2-3 x week. Y. A no brainer since I started a Kettlebell program.
  • Continue almost daily foam rolling. Y/N. Not as much as in April, although more than just running days.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. Y. Weight is basically in maintenance mode, and that’s okay.
  • Explore a Backbend Course N. Backbends are actually really good for my Dosha (Kapha), but I didn’t get around to it in May. I worked on some other courses, one of which actually had to do with less intense backbends. So kind of a Y, except I didn’t do that with this goal in mind. Glad I made the goal. I’ll get to it!
  • Take the tests for the online Reiki course I’m taking. N. I began to study more, but never quite got around to the tests. Yet.

Which leads me to June Goals:

  • Continue exploring Peloton App. I have a feeling I’ll keep the Peloton App. There’s a lot I like about it (but some things not so much). While it’s free, though, I’m definitely going to take advantage of it.
  • Continue running 3 x week. Still just maintaining a running base.
  • Set an intention for each run. Everything in life should be done with intention (it’s called mindfulness!).
  • Explore a backbend course in one of the Yoga memberships I have. I looked last weekend and couldn’t find a specific course, but I did download a lot of classes on backbends from a couple of Yoga apps I use. Backbends are definitely good for me, so I’m going to work a bit more on them! I also need to focus on arms and core, because one of my goals is to do Wheel — I think it’s a combination of not enough strength (there’s that strong thing again) and fear — of failure? Of hitting my head? — that has been holding me back from doing wheel.
  • Continue almost daily foam rolling. It’s amazing how much of a difference this makes for me.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. It’s hard to believe, but it’s actually been a year since I stopped tracking what I eat. I never thought I’d get to that point in my life!
  • Take the tests for the online Reiki course I’m doing. Okay, I admit Reiki is a bit woo-woo even for me. I do believe that there’s a lot more to life than just our physical bodies, though, and I have actually found the course really fascinating. I’m not so sure I’ll get to it in June, either, but it’s a good goal and we’ll see.

btuesdaytopics

Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

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