sweat off the tension

Yesterday at the gym was a day full of aerobic sweat: 1hr cycling, resistance 7-8, 435kcal 24km; 15min uphill walk on the treadmill, inclination 7.5, speed 5.5-6km/hr; 45min rpm class; 1hr spin class; 20min weight lifting. I particularly enjoyed lifting weights after all this aerobic exercise, I think it gave the workout an edge! In the end I relaxed for 25min in the sauna.
This morning I knew I would be feeling tired, but I am very disciplined, so I headed out for my run and did not regret: the weather was awesome, perfect conditions for a semi-long run: temperature around 14 C, cloudy and absolutely no wind! My circuit was a very long go and back that I had not done since last autumn, so I was very excited all along the way; in total I ran about 22-22.5km in 2hrs:15min. In the afternoon I will go to the gym and will do my best to do cycling, weight lifting, abs, and stay for the 2hrs spin class: today my favourite instructor will be teaching!

take half off every six on

Yesterday I was bomb: After a hard morning run, I still had the energy to go the gym for: 1hr cycling, resistance 7-8; 15min team workout abs; 15min treadmill uphill walk; 2hrs spin class, 10min sauna.
This morning I followed the rule: take half a day off every six days of training; and slept in. In the afternoon I will hit the gym for the following: cycling and treamill uphill walk; rpm class and spin class.

everybody on the dance floor

Yes, on Friday I went to the dance workout sh'bam. All sorts of peculiar people were taking part, including me! I enjoyed the music and dance steps, along with the instructor's energy. Of course, I also cycled, walked on the treadmill and had some time to do abs.
During the weekend: on Saturday my body surprised me by being fresh and pain-free, so I ram a long-ish run of 24km at the dunes in 2hrs:30min. On Sunday I also ran more than 2hrs, about 21km. Both days in the evening I went to the gym for uphill walk - weight lifting - cycling. Time flew by as I watched the world championships track&field on eurosport! On Saturday later on I went to the local pool and spa in Scheveningen for more relaxation and heat - the weather here is fall-appropriate, it is unbelievable! Already?!!
This morning I woke up and headed for 19.5km at the dunes in 2hrs:05min. Happy with my pace, not happy about the weather: strong wind, temperature 11-12 degrees C. I was cold, tomorrow I will have to wear my fall gloves!
In the evening today I will go to the gym, especially looking forward to spin class.

a surprise in the end

Yesterday at the gym I had my workout planned beforehand: 45min cycling ressitance 7; 1hr body pump; 45min rpm class; 45min treadmill uphill walk, inclination 7.5, speed 5.5-6.1km/hr...
Several surprises though shook things up: a nwe instructor at body pump mixed new tracks that were harder; a new instructor gave a 50min spin class instead of 45min rpm class; on the treadmill: 4.5km uphill walk, inclination 7.5, speed 5.5-6.3km/hr, and then 1.5km run, inclination 1, speed 10.4km/hr. afterwards 10min sauna.
This morning I was tired after few hours of sleep and far too many nightmares (don't ask). Nevertheless I ventured to the dunes for 19-19.5km in 2hrs:05min. I loved the fact that my pace was decent. Today I would like to try out the following at the gym: 45min cycling; 45min zumba (after a long time, I am in the mood for some dance moves!); abs; treadmill uphill walk and/or body pump. sauna!

double spin: check!

Yesterday at the gym I started off with 1hr cycling, resistance 7, 24-25km- feeling a bit numb, I have to admit! I continued with 30min abs and weight lifting, and then 30min uphill walk on the treadmill, inclination 7.5, speed 5.5-6.1km/hr; I was still feeling tired when I entered the 19:00 spin class, but then I noticed that as time went by (or rather flew by!), I was feeling better and my legs were more awake. So I continued for the second spin class at 20:00, and stayed until the end, at 21:00! No time to hit the sauna, a quick shower and biked as fast as possible back home. I managed to go to bed at a reasonable time, so today I hit the dunes for a hard run: 21km in 2hrs:12min.
Overall I am very, very proud for Wednesday's training, especially when combined with this morning's hard run. Today at the gym my session will be shorter and I will not push myself: easy cycling, body pump, rpm class, uphill walk. and definitely sauna!

surprise spin

Yesterday at the gym, I started off with 45min cycling, resistance 7, 18.5km; I then hopped on the treadmill for 23min uphill walk, inclination 7.5, speed 5.5-6.1km/hr. Then I headed to the 45min rpm class, which turned out to be... 50min spin class, warm-up not counting! Super intensive surprise. Combined with a second hour of spin class (which was expected, no surprise there!), had me sleeping in the sauna for almost 30min_ but before that, I did exercises for the arms with 4kg free weights... Leaving the gym I had to do some grocery shopping.
Understandably, this morning I slept in and did not go for a run. It is a wonder how I managed to come to work! This afternoon I will go to the gym for some cycling, weight lifting, uphill walk, spinning - in that exact order! In the beginning of this week I was initially aiming for 2hrs of spinning for Wednesday, but I am worried that this might take its toll on my sleep and run for Thursday morning. Maybe I will do one and a half spin class so I am done by 20:30? We will see!

feeling excellent

Ok, so I know that my training regime is heavy, and I do feel the tiredness especially combined with work, social life and household chores, but the past few days I have been feeling excellent thanks to the switch of focus: decreased mileage (i.e. no high impact training in the afternoon) combined with increased spinning. Yesterday at the gym I cycled for 50min, resistance 7, about 18-19km; I then did 20min abs and stretching and 20min uphill walk on the treadmill, inclination 7.5 and speed 5.5-5.9km/hr; and then on to spin class 2hrs. I had enough time for 10min sauna- where I dozed off after 5min!
This morning I headed outside for 18km in 1hr:50min. In the afternoon I will attempt, again, to focus on cycling, rpm and spinning. Hopefully I will be home a bit earlier tonight!

new challenge ahead

Last week's recap: overall less outdoor running mileage, but more indoor training, especially spinning. On Friday afternoon I cycled and walked on the treadmill, and polished it off with some weight lifting. On Saturday morning I felt ok and the weather was awesome so I headed outside for 24km at the dunes and Benoordenhout, completed in 2hrs:34min. In the afternoon my gym session included uphill walk on the treadmill, cycling and team workout abs. On Sunday morning the weather was again great and I made the most of it: I ran 19km in 2hrs:05min, and close to the end of my run I had a break to pick up fresh blackberries from the bushes- 100% natural energy bar! In the afternoon I was feeling tired, but I took up the challenge and went to the gym for 1hr:45min uphill walk, inclination 7.5, speed 5.5-6.1km/hr_ pretty intense! I also did 10min cycling and 1hr body pump, finished off with a sauna session. Overall a full weekend, which further included going to the movies, and shopping.
This morning I kicked off my day with 20.5-21km at the dunes, in 2hrs:15min, very hard workout due to uneven running surface. My legs are now dead! Still, I am taking up the challenge: this week I would like to continue with my reduced running regime, as it makes me feel stronger and add more quality in my weekend runs; but focus more on spinning. So in the afternoon today I will go to the gym for 2hrspin class, weight lifting and uphill walk. Moreover, I have found that the uphill walk can have soaking in sweat if done with high inclination and high speed.

well done

not the steak, the training! Yesterday at the gym I thoroughly enjoyed my training and I gave it 110%: 1hr:20min cycling (in two sessions of 40min) resistance 7-9; 1hr body pump; 45min rpm class with extra resistance, I have never swum in sweat like this before in any rpm class, not even rpm xl! I walked uphill on the treadmill for 15min, inclination 7.5, speed 5.5-6.2km/hr; and of course I finished off with 15min sauna.
This morning I was very happy to see that there was no rain to hinder my run, so I set off for 19.5km at the dunes in 2hrs:5min. In the end I was pretty tired, and now I am still tired! In the afternoon I will go to the gym for cycling, treadmill uphill walk and weight lifting.

take half

Yesterday at the gym the tiredness was unbelievable, especially between 17:30-18:45. Nevertheless I stayed mainly for a spin class with the most awesome and most inspiring instructor I have ever had. So the summary is: 1hr cycling, resistance 7; 40min treadmill walk, inclination 7.5, speed 5.5-6km/hr; 30min abs and weight lifting; 1hr super-hard spin class; 15min sauna. Afterwards I went shopping, and coming back home I still had to keep up with the household, and cook... Slept super late again!
This morning I too ka half day off and slept more. I am already feeling the benefits! In the afternoon I will hit the gym for a short session of cycling, body pump, rpm, and again cycling or uphill walk on the treadmill.

stay true

If you stay true to yourself (and don't ask too much from your body), you will reap the results: Two full weeks after my fall on a morning run, I claim I have recovered 95%. I can still feel a twitch on my back every now and then, but overall all is back to fine.
Yesterday at the gym, I played it cool and low-impact: cycling 50min, team workout abs, squats for the legs, 45min rpm class, 1hr spin class, 30min sauna. Low-impact meant that I could give all I had during rpm and spin, sweat was dripping all over!
This morning I felt the tiredness from Monday's and Tuesday's workouts piling up, but I did go out for an easy run: 1hr:55min at the dunes, about 17km. In the afternoon I will probably go to the gym for: cycling, weight lifting, spin class, treadmill uphill walk.

consistency, my friend

This will be my goal for this week, i.e. no long runs, but no real rest, either. So today in the early morning I set off for 19km at the dunes in 2hrs, very happy to run with no wind and no rain. In the afternoon I will go to the gym for low-impact hard-core aerobics: cycling, rpm, spin class.
Oh, and yesterday at the gym I did just that: 50min cycling, 20min abs and weights for the arms (very happy about my upgrade from 2kg to 3kg weights!), 2hrs spin class, 10min sauna.
I have noticed that it is very beneficial for my body to separate during the day high- and low-impact workouts (i.e. stay away from the treadmill in the afternoons at the gym, especially after a 15km+ run in the dunes!). So this will be my focus!

is the pool too cold?

The question will remain unanswered, because I did not go to the pool! Ah, always feeling exhausted after a morning run - work - cycling/spinning/body pump...
The past three days I have focused on : early morning long or semi-long run; and in the afternoon uphill walk on the treadmill, cycling, body pump. On Saturday evening I also went to the pool in my neighbourhood for a super relaxing swim and another sauna session.
This morning I kicked off the week with 20-20.5km in the dunes in 2hrs:10min. In the afternoon in the gym I will do some uphill walking and/or cycling and weight lifting, before I hit the 2hrs spin class. Love it!

full-on

Yesterday evening at the gym: 45min cycling, resistance 7 (320kcal); 1hr body pump class; 45min rpm class; 30min cycling resistance 7-8 (270kcal); 30min sauna. I was actually planning to go to the pool, but alas, I felt too cold in the end of a 100% full weekday.
This morning I ran 18.5km at the dunes in 1hr:55min. Happy about my tempo, considering yesterday's full-on training! In the vening I would like to focus on cycling and/or uphill walk, combined with weight lifting. I would really like to hit the pool... we will see!

after the rest comes a hard run

So, yesterday I did everything as planned: I went to the gym for a 50min long sauna session (from which I came out drained - no liquids left!), and then I went shopping. Coming back home by bike and after some household upkeeping (much-needed!), I went out for a walk combined with a trip to the supermarket. I then had about 40min sleep session before the cooking session... and I finally sat down to eat at 23:00! Yes, time flies.
This morning I set out to the dunes for a run inspite of the very, very strong winds. I completed about 22-22.5km in 2hrs:25min. In the afternoon I will go to the gym for body pump, rpm, and low-impact exercise such as cycling, or uphill walk or swimming.

a good listener

Yesterday at the gym: 1hr:15min uphill walk on the treadmill, inclination 7-7.5, speed 5.4-6.3km/hr - pretty intensive! Then 45min rpm class, followed by 1hr spin class; and 30min sauna. All this is very good, but combined with the long run on Tuesday morning (and with the intensive double workout on Monday) meant that today would be a full rest day. I listened to my body this morning and slept in. In the afternoon I will go to the gym for an extra long sauna session.
I have realized that with all this hard training, my body needs one full rest day every 2 weeks, and two half rest days in-between. It is important that my rest day focuses on regeneration: good sleep (check!), easy active routine (biking to work and 20 floors staircases, check! a walk in the evening will be added to this), sauna (in the afternoon at the gym), nutritional food (in the evening, I will have sufficient time to cook tomato and broccoli soup garnished with truffle, green pumpkin slices, carrots and peas, fresh salad beast). I also have to take advantage of the extra free time and do some shopping... time flies, as always!

queen of it all

Yesterday my early-morning super easy run paid off: in the afternoon at the gym I was bomb: 10.3km on the treadmill in 1hr, inclination 1; 40min abs and weight lifting; 2hrs spin class!!! I had a quick much-needed 10min sauna session and then headed home (by bike!!).
This morning I was peculiarly feeling ok, probably because last night I tried to go to bed not too late. So I ran 21-21.5km in 2hrs:15min at the dunes. Very good run! Today at the gym I will do a good uphill walk on the treadmill and then go to both rpm and spin class. I always enjoy starting off the week with hard-core aerobic sessions!

feeling better

Almost a week after that fall and I have recovered about 80%, i.e. I can feel the chest and back pain when coughing and inhaling deeply. Getting out of bed does not hurt that nuch thankfully!
On Friday afternoon I ran 20.7km on the treadmill at the gym in 2hrs, inclination 1, speed 10.2-10.6km/hr. I then did 1hr body pumpand called it a day with a short sauna session. I needed to rest enough, because on Saturday early morning I was out with my running shoes! I could definitely feel those 20.7km on my legs (and my back!!), so I ran 20km at the dunes and in Benoordenhout in 2hrs:10min and headed back home for stretching and more sleep. In the afternoon I did almost 2hrs uphill walk on the treadmill, inclination 7-7.5, speed 5.2-5.9km/hr. I also did 45min of abs and weight lifting. On Sunday my workouts were identical to Saturday, the only difference being a 1hr body pump in place of the 45min session.
Today I ran 16.5km at the dunes in 1hr:42min, nice and easy under the rain. In the afternoon the focus will be on spin class and treadmill.

still feeling the pain from that fall

Yep, the back and chest still hurt since last Tuesday. It makes it really hard to run in the morning, or get out of bed!
Yesterday at the gym: 19km on the treadmill in 1hr:49min, inclination 1, speed 10.2-10.6km/hr, in two sessions (12.5km+6.5km); 1hr body pump; 50min rpm class; 20min treadmill walk, inclination 7, speed 5.5-6km/hr. 10min sauna.
Again this morning I could not get out of bed. More sleep will hopefully help my body heal from that fall. Nevertheless I would like to try an outdoor run tomorrow morning, and for that reason I will try to leave today early from the gym to get some extra rest.

change of plans times two

Yesterday at the gym I got a bit carried away: 2hrs on the treadmill, 20.7km, inclination 1; 30min abs and weight lifting; 50min spin class; 20min cycling, resistance 7-8; sauna 10min.
So it came natrally that this morning I could not feel my legs! I slept in, now I feel much better after my bike ride to work and some staircase workout. In the evening I will go to the gym for a short run, rpm class and body pump.
I still feel beaten up after my fall last Tuesday, and I have to say it generated some negative feelings regarding my ultra training, especially my super early morning runs at the dunes. Elimination and new training combinations should provide motivation and keep mind and body fresh!

adrenaline flow

After having fallen during the morning run, my adrenaline levels were crazy high at the gym yesterday: I ran 10.5km on the treadmill in 1hr, inclination 1; I did abs, stretching and weights exercises for the arms; I went to a 45min rpm class; and a 1hr spin class. The sauna was the ending, as always.
This morning I opted for more sleep, as my body still hurts from that fall. In the evening I will go to the gym for cycling, body balance and spin class, keeping away from the treadmill: the past two days included some heavy mileage!

run spin cycle and weights

Yesterday at the gym, I focused on the treadmill workout: 10.5km in 1hr, inclination 1. I then had 30min for abs and weight lifting for the arms, as well as 20min uphill walk on the treadmill, inclination 7 and speed 5.4km/hr. I then did 1hr spin class, my legs were tired, so I did not continue for a second hour but opted for 30min cycling, resistance 7, 225kcal. I had a double session at the session and called it a day.
This morning I ran 18.5km at the dunes in about 1hr:55min. But I had an accident... I tripped 2km away from home and fell! Left side of my front body is heavily bruised (elbow, chest, knee) and I am feeling like someone has beaten me up... At the gym later on today I will see how it goes, though I believe an easy session of anything will boost my mood and confidence.

where do I begin?

The past few days I have been so meticulous with my training: On Fri evening I went to the gym for the planned low-impact session, filled with two 45min sessions cycling, 30min abs and zphill walk on the treadmill, and 1hr body pump, polished off with 20min sauna. On Saturday morning I went for a long run at the dunes and in Benoordenhout, even though I was feeling tired from the whole week. Super early and super motivated, I ran 2hrs:47min, around 26-27km. Pleased with that speed after all! In the afternoon I went to the gym for 1hr cycling, 1hr:10min abs-stretching-weight lifting, and 50min uphill walk on the treadmill, followed by 15min sauna. Afterwards I went out with friends, and when I came back home late at night I was completely worn out! On Sunday morning I felt up for a good run, mainly thanks to the perfect weather. So I ventured to the dunes and to Benoordenhout for a 2hr:10min long run, about 21km. In the afternoon I did at the gym: 1hr cycling, 27km, resistance 7^-8; 50min uphill walk on the treadmill, inclination 7, speed 5.2-6km/hr; and 1hr body pump, where I increased the weight on the bar for the following tracks: squats, biceps, shoulders. It was one of the very few times that I was perspiring with weight lifting - an indication of a good workout! I still had time for a 15min sauna session, I wish this were longer, but blame it on the gym closing time which is now 17:00 instead of 18:00 until Aug. 30th. I went back hoe and after some household work, I had the time to unwind and rest before cooking took over.
Today I woke up for an early run, as usual. I ran at the dunes about 16.5-17km in 1hr:43min. Today's evening session at the gym will focus on aerobic exercise!