Training: Week Five Review

All right, all right - I'm getting back into gear.  Although I am still a bit congested, I feel good and I sound normal (no more man voice).

These were my workouts from last week:

Monday: rest (still feeling badly)
Tuesday: 30 minute walk + steam room (which made me feel GREAT)
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: Kettle Bells
Friday: 15 minute walk/jog warm up, 20 minute tempo run, cool down
Saturday: Kettle Bells
Sunday: 60 minute run

Saturday marked my third kettle bells class and I am loving it!  The workouts are intense, but I feel like I am already seeing results!  We do the same warm up for every class and it goes like this:

1. 1 minute "rope pulls" - on back, legs in air, one hand reaches for opposite foot, and alternate
2. 1 minute bicycles
3. 1 minute leg lefts
4. 1 minute fast bicycles
5. 1 minute "swimming" - on stomach, lift one leg and opposite arm, and alternate
6. 1 minute plank
7. 1 minute side plank
8. 1 minute plank
9. 1 minute other side plank
10. 1 minute plank

Did you notice that that is five full minutes of plank???  How long can you hold plank?  In my last class, I had to take about a five second breather during the third minute of plank, but other than that, I can hold it for all five sets. 

Yesterday I did my long run, and although I should be running closer to 70 minutes now, I wanted to ease back into it since I've been sick.  It takes me about 20 or 25 minutes to really feel warmed up and to feel like I'm cruising, but I think that is too long!  I'm not sure if I should do more dynamic exercises beforehand (high knees, jumping jacks, lunges, etc) or do something else?  Any suggestions to feel warmer faster would be appreciated. 

So, since I am planning on doing at least two kettle bells classes per week, that definitely changes my training plan.  I think that once I am fully well again, I might throw in a two-a-day workout weekly with a run in the morning and kettle bells in the afternoon.  The kettle bells classes are such that it would be a bad idea for me to run right before or after the class.  I've found that I frequently get myself in this position: wanting to do so many workouts, but not having enough days in the week. I look at my half marathon training calendar and I think:

When do I run?
What types of runs do I focus on this week?
When am I doing kettle bells?
I need to get to yoga.
I kind of want to swim.
When do I rest?
Should I work out in the morning?

This "live-to-work-out" mentality is a lot to keep with.  Last night at a Super Bowl party, a woman asked what I've been up to and I said, "Well, I work, and I work out."  Although that is not true (I volunteer with a local organization, serve on the board of another, and do other things) it seems as if workouts rank so much higher on my priorities list than those of my friends.  But...I love to workout.  I crave the adrenaline rush, I want to be fit, and I want to look good.  I'm not exactly sure what bothers me - I think it's that I feel like life is just passing me by while I spend hours in the gym.  However, I'm making an effort to do one social thing during every work week - whether it's happy hour with coworkers, dinner with a friend, or whatever.  Those types of activities should keep me grounded and realize that life is not all about working out!