A constant struggle in my life is how little I get to see my husband. He easily works 80-100 hour weeks and when I get time with him, it is very precious. I often have to set my own agenda aside and remember that life is greater than leaving him to get in a 5 mile run while on vacation. Instead, this weekend we were up every morning around 6 am and out the door for long walks either on the beach or in downtown Charleston. Aside from a 1 mile sprint to make our breakfast reservation... no running this weekend... but we got in nearly 8 miles of walking both days. Those miles by his side were so much better than any miles on my own. Priorities.

I like to move every day. I have been operating this way for nearly 10 years. There were times in my life when I was teaching group exercise and training for triathlons/long distance events where I would train/exercise nearly three hours a day. I have been blessed to have had only one overuse injury that came while training for my first marathon... At 21 years old, my knees felt like those of an 80 year old woman. That was a hard lesson to learn. But I learned to listen to my body and do what it allows... Your body needs rest. Once I began my professional career, it was very hard to transition from this training focused lifestyle into one where one hour at the gym was all I could squeeze in and now I'm lucky to get in 45 minutes a day.

Here's the good news... Your body does not need three hours of exercise to stay fit. Your body actually responds better to shorter, more intense exercise. This is why the High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)/Metabolic Effect/Tabata style workouts have taken off with such success. More on this later.

I believe in a blend of cardio and weight training. I also believe in keeping my weight training more fast paced with an elevated heart rate (140 bpm minimum for me). I do not take long breaks during my weight training sessions. I will move from one muscle group to another to give the fatigued muscle group a break.

because of the variety and how I space my workouts, I do not necessarily need to take a day off. i am not running every day, nor am i currently performing low rep/heavy weightlifting workouts that lead to absolute muscle fatigue. I am at a place where these workouts tire me, but don't kill me and leave me unable to move the next day.

My reason for needing a day off is usually because my schedule and need for sleep demands rest. i take rest when my body tells me to. What usually ends up happening is that I plan my week out, as seen below, and something happens with my little guy (or my big guy) that requires a day off... So, we just scratch it out and move on to the next... or if it was a workout that I was really excited about, I just move things around. All that said, I usually get one day of rest or lower intensity (walking/yoga) per week and it is usually on a weekday.

I have never participated in an organized group sport but instead a variety of individual sports (competitive swimming, running, triathlons). I am very competitive, not with others, but with myself. I think that this is very healthy and pushes me to get stronger, improve on certain skills and reach my goals. My new favorite piece of equipment is my Peloton Bike. I love the output. I am able to compete against others and myself. Motivation and accountability at its best. i highly advise recording performance during workouts. Keep track of how you are doing and make strong efforts to set/beat personal records on a regular basis.

In the spirit of my one month challenge, I am going to share the rest of my week's workouts this morning. Check Instagram for videos and workout specifics throughout the week.

Monday (Labor Day): Run (6+ miles) + Core (10 minutes)

Tuesday: (Leg Heavy Day) Peleton Climb Interval (15 minutes) + Tabata Run (3 miles) + Glides Legs and Core Series

Wednesday: 45 min HIIT intervals (Total body workout)

Thursday: Peleton (30 minutes) + Squats/Lunges (Leg Day)

Friday: Run (4 miles) @ slower pace + Core/Upper Body

Saturday: Run (5.5 miles) + Teach Group Workout

Sunday: Peleton (45 minutes) + Upper Body Weights Series

Get moving!

-IV

A Fitness Junkie