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Weekly Workouts 8th-14th June 2020

Jun 17, 2020 | Cross Training, Running, Running Advice | 4 comments

weekly workouts

Weekly Workouts 8th-14th June 2020

With lockdown easing in the US and many gyms reopening there, it got me thinking about how my own exercise routines might change if/when things go back to ‘normal’. I am so fortunate to have a home gym in our garden, and having spent a lot of money on a Peloton bike and app, I have cancelled my gym membership.

The Peloton app includes strength workouts, yoga, stretches, cardio sessions as well as the guided runs, treadmill classes and bike workouts that I talk about so much. I can create a very thorough, well-rounded training plan just using the app and equipment we have at home.

However, there are a couple of things that I am missing that I can’t do at home…

Swimming and Reformer Pilates!

Last summer I swam a lot and really enjoyed it, and whilst I have no triathlon plans anytime soon, I had planned on taking part in at least one of the Henley Thames swims this July. I’m hoping that our local outdoor pool will reopen on the 4th July and that I can get some weekly swim sessions until I wimp out in the cold again.

I had also just started taking Reformer Pilates classes again. My friend Steph and I convinced Bootcamp Pilates in Windsor to host a pre-work class on a Thursday morning which I hope they start up again when they reopen (and also want to support a small business. I feel like it’s such a tough balance between wanting to support small boutique gyms and establishing what’s best for you and your workouts/budgets!).

Lastly, I do still have some PT sessions I paid for back in February at Go Perform that I will definitely be making the most of. They work closely with their physios to ensure that the workouts are designed to build on any weaknesses. And I know I have a few of those. Dealing with my plantar fasciitis is a top priority over the next few months. I look forward to working with the experts to eliminate pain, and help stop future injuries (I hope!).

Peloton Ride

My Weekly Workouts 8th-14th June 2020

MONDAY

20 Minutes 80’s Ride with Emma Lovewell followed by a 5 min post-ride stretch. I haven’t been going hard in my Peloton rides for a while and have been using the bike for low impact cross-training for running (and for serious stress relief!). I’d like to figure out a rough schedule that allows me to increase running mileage without cutting out Peloton bike workouts completely.

In this week’s podcast interview with Becs Gentry, she talks about focusing on running rather than crosstraining to build running specific strength and fitness, which, I found surprising from a Peloton instructor!

TUESDAY

Rest Day

WEDNESDAY

A double run day, 20 min HIIT run with Andy Speer on the Peloton app before work. I’ve been faffing around far too much in the mornings. Leaving it until the last minute to actually get out and do my run. (Even though I’ve usually been awake for at least half an hour before running.) As I increase my morning mileage, I need to streamline my pre-run morning routine to squeeze in more run time!

After work I ran/walked 4 miles with Ellie along the river near Eton Dorney. We started with a run to Starbucks to pick up our NHS free hot chocolates, then ran 4 mins, walk 1 min along the river. Check out this instagram to see why I’m doing more double run days as I build my miles.

THURSDAY

I had planned to run before work. Then I slept terribly so skipped out on that with the goal of running after work. I ran 3 miles in a park near work before showering. And then meeting my friend Emily for a walk in Richmond Park.

FRIDAY

Unplanned Rest Day

I really struggled with anxiety last week and worrying about needing to run was adding to my stress. I’m finding work and worry about my husband’s airline job really hard. And know that I shouldn’t be letting my hobby (and typically stress release) add stress. In the past, I would have made myself feel super guilty. And said things like ‘if I really want this BQ, I have to do this run’. Or asked myself how committed I really am if I’m bailing on workouts. However, I feel like I know now myself better. And know when I’m being lazy and when actually I do really need to give myself some grace.

I shared the below in an instagram post and was overwhelmed by the incredibly supportive messages;

“Anxiety is something I talked about a lot in the past but haven’t mentioned for a while. I’ve felt like the anxiety I was getting around work was manageable, however last week it became too much. I had a panic attack in the night, was irrationally grumpy and super mean (a telltale sign for me that I’m not handling my anxiety) and felt too overwhelmed to run. I’m struggling seeing the mental health ramifications of Covid on the wards at work, dealing with stress around my husband’s airline job, plus negative replies and unfollows from sharing BLM content whilst simultaneously feeling like I am not sharing enough or being enough of an ally to black and LGBTQ+ communities.
I’m posting this not for sympathy, but to continue being totally honest on here and my blog. I was blown away by the supportive messages yesterday sharing that you enjoy the everyday balance between running & full time work, the ups and downs of real life and the reality of running!
Last week I worried that I was making excuses as to why I didn’t want to run or felt like I couldn’t run. But looking back, they weren’t excuses. They were the reality of life right now. 9 miles wasn’t my goal last week but it was better than 0, and letting go of that guilt and acknowledging my anxiety has already helped put me in a better place this week and knock out 5 miles! Hope this might help any of you that ever feel guilty for not running/working out when there is SO much going on in the rest of your world”

weekly workouts

SATURDAY

I woke up with the start of a migraine and felt guilty for not running. However after giving myself a talking to, knowing that I’d had a long week and anxiety was high, I swapped that for a stretch/yoga session. 15 Mins Restorative Yoga in our home gym. While Tom did a Peloton workout which was not conducive to relaxation!

Sure Deodorant challenged me to Move More at Home as part of their new campaign.

They are sharing daily workouts on their website as well as advice for those who only have 10 mins, who are working out in small homes, and the best way to maximise your workout. With our Peloton bike and treadmill, plus gorgeous new gym space,  I am already working out at home a lot. However, Saturday’s yoga fail made me realise how much I need to create both time and space in my workouts for stretching.

Before lockdown, I used to regularly go to a Sunday night restorative yoga class in Reading. However, I would often be put off going by the 2.5 hours of my Sunday eve that it cut in to. Taking the Peloton class on Saturday reminded me that I really shouldn’t be making excuses not to do yoga/stretch. Especially now that I have a dedicated workout space at home. As part of the Sure campaign, I was given a Lululemon gift voucher which I’ve used to buy a new yoga mat (mine was a freebie from an event years ago that was starting to fall apart), blocks and a strap. I’ve also invested in a bolster, candles and a diffuser with light to help transform the space in the gym into a yoga haven when I need!

There are a huge number of yoga and stretch classes available on the Peloton App. But I also love following Yoga with Adriene for free yoga youtube videos.

SUNDAY

20 min Recovery Ride with Ben Alldis on the Peloton App! Perfect end to a less than perfect week! Here’s to a better week both in terms of mental health and workouts next week…

Will you be going back to your gym when it reopens? Or have you created a nice little set up at home? 

4 Comments

  1. Georgie

    Thank you so much for your honesty. I have days when I find my anxiety is ramped up and the internal battle within my head of whether to exercise or not can be strong. Personally, as you say, we can exercise from home very well with the right set up but swimming was always my thing (I recently transitioned to running due to pool closures). I’m loving running but when the pool reopens I want to get a good balance between swimming, running and home workouts without overdoing things of course. Thank you for your amazing posts! Xx

    Reply
    • charlotte

      Counting down until the pools reopen! My goal is to swim 1-2 days per week to make the most of a pool membership. Thanks so much for your comment xx

      Reply
  2. Claire

    I recommend the Slow Flow and Chill classes that FlyLDN are sharing. They have three daily workouts: a mix of yoga, barre, pilates and low impact on IG and options available on YouTube and IGTV. All are 45 minutes. I’m finding the Chill classes definitely help with long work weeks.

    Reply

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