workout updates

Cactus on Maui!

Been a little busy and scattered recently, so updating the blog has been off.

Our friends just had their baby girl - Claire, 5lbs, 5oz, 19inches over the weekend. Of course I ordered them my second favorite baby gift from Pottery Barn Kids and it is personalized! We already sent them our favorite baby gift - a pig in a blanket when they announced they were expecting. I just love personalized stuff. Probably has something to do with the fact that you can't find my name anywhere!

And as an aside, yes I love to repeat gift ideas for different people in my life. Love you all! And watch out for a pig in your mail box...

Hopefully, once things calm down for the new family, we can bring them lunch or dinner and meet Claire.

Back to the update...

Thursday, Feb 10th

It was cold and still icy out. We ran a little over 3 miles in 32min.

Friday, Feb 11th - off/rest day

Saturday, Feb 12th - Altitude run

I was visiting family and friends in the Southwest over the weekend. The city has one of the highest elevations in the states at 5312ft above sea level. I swam in high school and in college at this altitude and understand how challenging it is to come from sea level to a mile up! so I was mentally prepared! The route was 7.2 miles and the first 2 miles were a neighborhood loop to make sure I could finish the remaining 5.

It was a success!! Longest run in this city for me!

Averaged 8:30min/mile

Very pleased with myself.

Splits -
2.2 = 19:10
0.8 = 7:00
0.7 = 6:09
0.9 = 7:54
0.9 = 8:06
0.7 = 6:04
0.8 = 7:14
total -> 1:01:45

I did treat myself to an epsom salts bubble bath and nap!

Sunday, Feb 13th - off/rest/recovery day

Monday, Feb 14th - Boot camp

38 push-ups in 2min

5min plank

Cardio work/lots of push-ups

Band work

And finish with killer abs.

Tuesday, Feb 15th -

~5mile neighborhood trail loop done in 49minutes.

Wednesday, Feb 16th - more boot camp!!

-Enjoy!
ELH

Lunch

I recently moved offices and now share an office with a wonderful women. We have been friends for a year or so.

Today she had Cheerios and a banana for lunch.

Now that doesn't sound awful, but those two things are tied with cooked carrots as what I would consider the most disgusting food EVER!!

Gross Gross Gross Gross Gross Gross Gross Gross Gross Gross

The daycare I went to used to serve breakfast if you got there early enough. Occasionally, with my parents schedule I would have daycare breakfast. Occasionally, they would run out of milk and we would have our Cheerios in apple juice!! I haven't been able to get past that.

Bananas, no specific story besides they smell gross, they taste gross, they look gross. Just can't stand them.

Cooked carrots - I don't like mushy things, granted the definition of mushy is gray. I love mash potatoes! and don't like oatmeal or cream of wheat. Raw carrots are crisp and tasty, cooked are mushy and disgusting.

Hopefully, tomorrows lunch won't gross me out!
-ELH

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Altitude Running

Beautiful cousin-in-law!

So my plan for tomorrow is to run ~8 to 10 miles.
But I am in a city that equivalent in altitude to Denver! so it might be an epic failure.
My route does start with 2 miles that pass by my family's house, so I can stop there....
Wish me luck!

Enjoy!
ELH

Track workout = failure

Table settings from GAH's famous cousin's wedding.

Monday, Feb 7 - Boot camp with Stephanie
2min push-ups = 34
5 min plank
Lots of band work
Some exercises from the Wii
and the big finish - Buns of Steel!! Oh my buns hurt on Tuesday
It was a great workout and I am starting to see some of my post-wedding celebration weight disappear! We sort of celebrated with 2 mini honeymoons, including a trip to Palm Springs to see GAH's famous cousin get married, then spent 2 weeks in Maui, was home just in time for Thanksgiving and headed straight into the holiday season. I had a wonderful time, but like when my clothes are not so tight!

Tuesday, Feb 8th - Track workout.
The plan was:
warm-up
1000 at 400 pace of 1:47, so 4:34 total
400 easy
2000 at 400 pace of 1:47, so 9:28 total
400 easy
1000 repeat of above
400 easy
1000 repeat of above
400 easy
warm down

It was really really cold 31F with wind chill it felt like 21F - according to weather.com
The track also had to patches of snow/ice that had not melted. It was also very windy. weather.com did have a wind advisory for our county......starting to get an idea of what happened?
I did not finish the workout.
This is what I did -
warm-up
1000 at 400 = 2:01, 400 = 1:58, total = 5:01
200 easy
2000 at 400 = 1:58.5, 2:00.9, 2:04.6, 2:02.4, 2:01.7, total = 10:09
200 easy
My legs were so cold. I just couldn't get warmed up and was worried about pulling something.
Went home and did some ab work.
Not great, but not that bad.

Wednesday, Feb 9
Cross training day
11 min of running up/down 7 flight of stairs
Compact Chain 10->1 with 8lb weights.
Pilates Series of 5 abs
Stretching

The plan for tomorrow is to run ~5miles.
Fun times!
ELH

When it rains to pours...

We opted for cupcakes at the wedding! Much tastier!!

This past week was many many things - frustrating, hurtful, fun, exciting, successful (finally finished commissioning a new tool at work!), and tiring.
Friday ended up being a great way to end my week.
I got two (sort of out of the blue) emails about exciting opportunities. I am excited to see where they lead. I also had lunch with my mentor and we talked about his new baby (due in a few months). It was great to catch-up and chat.
Ended my day with a quick run and a stationary errand for my mom.
This was my first run since last Sunday. It felt good and my bruised toe didn't bother me at all. It is now officially 1/3 black/purple.
The run was over 3miles and I did it in 32min.

Saturday, Feb 5th - in the rain....
The plan was to do 14 miles. It ended up being ~15.6 (~2.5 before meeting my running partner and then 13.1 with her)! My longest run ever.
The course was very hilly and we had to walk/stop a little for gear adjustments, water breaks, and move into the snow as multiple cars passed us, so the splits are not that great. It was the mileage that was important and Stephanie kept me motivated! Thanks!!

Splits -
~2.5 miles - 21:58
next split was 48:48 and the mile was 9:14
next split was 1:07:40 and the mile was 9:15
1:16:06 (mile was 8:25)
1:25:16 (mile was 9:10)
1:35:01 (mile was 9:44 - HILLS!!)
1:44:28 (mile was 9:27)
1:54:12 (mile was 9:43)
2:03:14 (mile was 9:02)
2:13:13 (mile was 9:57 - mentally ready to be done)
2:22:16 (mile was 9:28)
Last 0.1 mile 0:54:03
Total time 2hrs 23min 35sec!! Extremely proud of myself.

Sunday - a well deserved day off!!

Excited for what this week will bring.
Enjoy!
-ELH

Hard week

Showing off my dancing shoes.

Early Monday morning GAH and I left from the same airport heading one heading North and one heading South. Needless to say this probably did cause my blah mood.
Then I got to work and found that the new office I was moved into was not setup like I requested and I couldn't unpack.
Then I got an unsetting email from my family. Fortunately, I have a wonderful hubby, MIL (mother-in-law), and the best girl friends, who helped me realize in the long run it won't matter. And lastly, I broke the necklace that GAH gave me for Christmas when I was taking it off. I pulled the ribbon a little too hard.

Anyway, all of this have lead to a very blah mood.
I wanted to run Tuesday, but last week's snow has left the side walks covered in snow and the roads are narrow from the piles of snow, so I was going to take my bad mood and sulk. Fortunately, roomie came home and we went on a walk. It helped! The Indian food dinner and chocolate stout beer, also helped!

I was feeling much better this today, but running would still be difficult and it is really windy out. I opted for a cross-training workout.
10minutes of stairs (7 flights of stairs)
Compact chain with 8lb weights - 10(did this twice) -> 5
Abs
Stretching

Tomorrow is a scheduled off day.
I have a skin cancer pre-screening in the morning and a getting my hair trimmed in the evening.
The day will probably end with a trip to Nordstrom!

Enjoy!
-ELH