Wow, I am late to the party here and SO behind! Between all of the snow, delays, headaches, desperation work outs, canceled races, canceled social events, snow days, Italian meats and wine…it’s been quite the month!
I am happy to report that the sun is shining in Boston and it finally seems like we might be turning a corner from this cold and frigid month. Instead of recapping each and every day, I thought I would do a quick recap:
Early Mornings: wake ups between 4:45am-5:15am. If I get enough sleep I am really a huge fan of the ultra early work outs. Getting some hard workouts in before the work day has been a complete game changer for my mood with this challenging weather we have been having.
Trainer workouts: Embarrassingly, I am finally getting to the trainer workouts of the indoor cycling coaching group I am a part of this winter. I also finally got TrainerRoad up and running and it is absolutely amazing. If you use TR regularly, I would love to talk about it!
Swimming: While I haven’t been swimming as much as I would like due to the weather and canceled practices, I have gotten some really quality sessions in with my masters team. Including several work outs where I have been pacing so magically with one of my friends and I feel as though I have a huge grin plastered on my face all day. It’s hard to put into words how amazing it feels to dig down and swim HARD with so many amazing people.
Running: A few slippery and dicey runs outside, but mostly I have been relegated to the dreadmill. I decided after my back issue in January to work on getting back to running by implementing the Maffatone Method. The Maffatone Method is based on training your aerobic system to reduce likelihood of injury, overtraining and fatigue. In order to achieve this, you need to stay at or below your Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF for short) for your entire run. If you heart rate bumps up above that, time to slow it down or even walk. Yes, training this way is rather painful mentally, but I have taken it as an opportunity to focus on my breathing and just enjoying the run, because I can. For me, I have to keep my HR under 149 at all times, which for many runs has meant running 5.4 max on the treadmill. I have been focusing on this so much that I actually have noticed some very steady improvement, I am now up to 6.0 on the treadmill within my MAF. Dedication pays off!
Pilates: I’ve really been seeing some big results from my pilates classes at btone fitness. Not only do I feel stronger all over, but my right side that was compromised due to my back strain seems to be building back strength quite nicely. I still have some work to do, but it’s been a nice change of pace and a great alternative to strength training which I (shamefully) neglect.
Fun: I’ve been trying to turn things around by trying breaking out of this hibernation rut as much as humanly possible. This includes dinner at one of my favorite restaurants Row 34 with my husband, meeting friends for drinks at the bar around the corner and even just getting out for an ultra snowy walk.
The fun continued while hanging out with my Boston Triathlon Team teammates at our annual Kick Off Party.
I also was able to meet and get dinner with Meghan from Little Girl in the Big World! We met at at Lolita in the Back Bay and we had such a great time talking about work (we both work in the independent school world), life and of course, triathlon. It was great to pick her brain about her first IM experience and how it impacted her significant other, family, friends, work and other things. We had a lot of fun and it honestly felt like I was talking to someone who I have known for years, not just a few minutes.
and lastly, enjoying an awesome art class I organized for my nieces and nephew. Rob and I are really making an effort to try to treat our favorite little munchkins to experiences instead of buying them stuff. Presents are great, but they do not last forever. Memories of great times spent with loved ones do last forever. The kiddos had a great time and I think it was safe to say the adults loved it, too!
Travel: The other big news is that we are less than 2 weeks until we leave for our adventure to London and South Africa! I am beyond excited, but my husband and I are both crazy busy at work so it will be a several longs days before we leave. I’ve been busy over the past month doing last minute research, coordination and high fashion shopping.
Sadly, there have been some devastating wild fires in Cape Town which may impact our plans for outdoor activities, but I have faith we will work everything out. It’s hard to complain about travel plans being impacted when so many people have lost their homes in the region. My thoughts are with the people of Cape Town!
Reading: I am currently reading The Resilience Breakthrough as recommended by Erin. It has been an extremely powerful message at a time when I really need to see negative things as a spring board for change. I highly recommend it for those who might be going through a difficult time, transition or just looking for a new perspective on hardship.
On another note, I am now taking any and all book recommendations as I am hoping to fill up my Kindle before I leave for my trip.
And that is it. February, good riddance! Looking back on it, things don’t really look all that bad š Obviously March will be an extremely exciting month! Now, we all just have to cross our fingers that some of this snow finally melts. I am proud to say that I have turned my negativity towards the weather around and my outlook is more positive than it was at the beginning of the month. I now laugh at weather reports and I am doing everything in my power to get my workouts in because they make me happy. Bring on MARCH!
How do you stay motivated when weather or an event changes your workout schedule?