Blissful day of exercise!

Oh, that was excellent, and just what I needed after much human contact this week. Only problem now is that I am home & facing horribly huge pile of work - it is the letters of recommendation, they give me a strong desire to procrastinate but the first due date for this bunch is TOMORROW so really I have my work cut out for me this evening!

1hr spin (2 x 12min climb)
1.5hr full-body workout and abs with Joanna
1hr restorative yoga (should have showered and changed, but there was no time - as a result I was freezingly cold in sweaty clothes, even with a blanket over me!)

Spin!

I was in rather low spirits after B. left for the airport this morning, so I felt very lucky that Joanna was teaching midday spin at Chelsea Piers despite the holiday! Couldn't stay for the extra bit she generously tacked on at the end (had to go and meet my mother and travel to friends' apartment; I have had much human contact this week and am basically now overwhelmed and exhausted, despite niceness of each encounter individually!), but it was very good. Tomorrow she's teaching a bumper sequence of classes, I am much looking forward to it.

1hr spin (2 x 10min climb)

Best short run ever!

Slept till I woke up without an alarm (10:45!), then had a very nice short little run down to the boat basin with B. It is a beautiful day - chilly, but incredibly sunny. Then eggs and bacon at the Deluxe Diner - pretty much a perfect day. Socializing will be involved later on, but it is amazing not to have to travel for this holiday....

c. 3.8mi, c. 40min

Hot yoga!

That was very good. It is my intention to do a TON of hot yoga in December and January - one more week of classes, and then my schedule really opens up all the way through till after the MLK holiday....

1.5hr hot yoga

Short run!

Posted unwanted zeros on Sunday and Monday due to life just generally being a bit busy - but the weather is warmer today, and I had a more flexible morning schedule, so it was good to get out for a short easy run. Mood boost: good sighting of the tennis court calico. I was just thinking the other day that I hadn't seen her for a good long time & hoping she was OK - indeed she looked very plush and plump, all seems to be well....

c. 4mi, 42:45

Spin!

It is not to my credit, but the nature of this semester's demands is such that in order to make it to 10am spin at Chelsea Piers, I need to take a taxi - can't get myself out of the house quite early enough otherwise! Was very glad I made it there - I really love that class, it sets me up very well for the weekend.

(Next Saturday, there's a bonus - after 10am spin, Joanna will teach 11am boot camp and then half an hour of ab work at 12 - this is exciting!)

1hr spin (3 x 10min climb)

Short run

Almost talked myself out of it (fit of allergies, general fatigue), but really it's always worth getting out there even just for a short one. From now until the end of the semester, I should just try not to post too many zeroes! Rainy day, but very mild - good running weather, honestly.

c. .5hr, c. 2.8mi

Short run

I was huddling in bed at 3:30, looking at the very wintry sky outside (really it's 50F, but it gets dark so early at this time of year) and thinking how off-putting it seemed to go back out. But I had dressed directly in running clothes after yoga, and really it made more sense just to get out there for a short run regardless. (Alas, an email in my inbox informed me that B.'s flight this afternoon was canceled, so I needed the mood boost! Should be he'll get here tomorrow, though.)

Nice easy three miles. Thinking about running tomorrow morning also - my Monday meeting this semester is at the dreaded hour of 8:30, which really for a night owl does not allow for exercise first, but my Friday meeting isn't till 10, which is quite humane...

:31, c. 3mi easy

Hot yoga!

Thursday is essentially my weekend day (I finish teaching on Wednesday, today's for regrouping before starting to focus on work again tomorrow), but it still feels pleasantly decadent to start the day with 10am hot yoga! Didn't make it out to exercise yesterday afternoon after all - lay down in bed to read and instead fell near-instaneously asleep for 2 deep hours, woke up feeling groggy and exhausted. Then, predictably, couldn't fall asleep till 3am, which was entirely my own fault for napping! I will run before dark, though, too, as it has turned into a beautiful day - around 50, sunny. The hot yoga is definitely coming back, though it was also helpful today that the room wasn't quite as hot as it sometimes gets....

1.5hr hot yoga

Hot yoga!

It is rather decadent to go to hot yoga in the middle of the morning on a "school day," but I guess I bought the right by doing some hours of work last night considerably after the time when I felt completely tapped out! That was really good - I was only a little stiff/sore yesterday after Sunday's run (much less so than I had anticipated), and now I feel really back to normal. Coming up on when I can start doing a lot more yoga - end of semester is in sight....

1.5hr hot yoga

2:28:18

One of the slowest half-marathons I've run, but also one of the most luxuriously enjoyable - my mother very kindly watched L.'s baby so that we could go and enjoy ourselves!

Spin!

That was amazing. 2 x 16min climb (4 x 4min splits, alternating seated and standing). I haven't replaced the battery on my HR strap, partly because I think that I do better with cycling form when I'm not also paying attention to HR. J. sensibly observes that it is a very good idea at this time of year to let yourself get detrained without getting deconditioned, so I think just going on feel and concentrating on form and holding onto some base fitness will be the way to go. I'm going to start swimming again once classes are over (pool chemicals put a lot of stress on my immune system); it's an event for participation rather than performance, but I'm doing the half-iron aquabike in Cayman the third weekend in January, so I definitely should be doing some swim and bike volume in December....

1hr spin

Hot yoga!

That was amazing. I am finally reacclimating, I think. Usually if I have midday Friday free, it makes most sense to go to my most-favorite Friday spin class at Chelsea Piers, but I'm having dinner in Chelsea later with friends and it seemed crazy to go down there twice when I could go to hot yoga close by (also having strong yoga cravings this week). Will spin tomorrow before heading to Philadelphia with L.K. for the half-marathon Sunday morning.

1.5hr hot yoga

Hot yoga!

That was amazing. I am finally reacclimating, I think. Usually if I have midday Friday free, it makes most sense to go to my most-favorite Friday spin class at Chelsea Piers, but I'm having dinner in Chelsea later with friends and it seemed crazy to go down there twice when I could go to hot yoga close by (also having strong yoga cravings this week). Will spin tomorrow before heading to Philadelphia with L.K. for the half-marathon Sunday morning.

1.5hr hot yoga

Yoga!

Exercise FAIL over the last few days due to cold weather plus busy busy school stuff - I haven't seemed able to get my act together to get out of the house, and really what that often means is that I am genuinely so tired I shouldn't exercise. Went to a lovely evening yoga class at Chelsea Piers this evening, though, with my friend E. Light meal afterwards at La Lunchonette. Teacher Paolo is superb - I have always really liked his classes; I should try to get to them more often.

1.5hr yoga