Last Week in Workouts- Week 3 of Half Training

Yes, I know! We are starting up the workout sum-ups, again! The reason for this is two-fold and mildly selfish. First, these are some of my favorite posts on other blogs because it helps you see 1) people are doing what they write and 2) it gives me inspiration to workout and ideas on how. Seeing someone else go through the sweat hours makes it so much easier to do myself! And, secondly, I want a catalog of what I do during this whole half marathon training experience. What works, and what are the worst things that I could ever do and want to never do again.

I know that the half is almost two full training segments away, but really want to feel over-prepared for it, especially considering running fast and far is not usually my favorite thing. Well, that was, before I got a goal. Let that be a lesson to myself and the eyes reading this, goals change things in a BIG way. In fact, you will probably hear me talking about that a lot in the near future.

But, back to my week. It was not as workout centric as I wanted it to be. Actually, I have not gone on my long run yet. Yesterday was an unusually busy and cold day for me (and Florida), so, with my running attire on and my headphones in hand, I procrastinated. I did not go on my long run and by the time that it was too late to get out and get my everything else done for the day, I decided to run tomorrow. This has become a bit of a pattern with me- when my running buddy is not available on Sunday, I tend to push my run back to Monday. So, here is my, somewhat, lack-luster 3rd week of training!

Monday: My long run of 4 miles. I did this on the treadmill, but did not hate it as much as I planned. I have started running more outside, which means running on the treadmill is the literal worst. This run, however, was not too bad!

Tuesday: Rest Day!!

Wednesday: 30-minute run. This was the first time doing the Galloway run/walk system outside. Man, it is so much easier/better outside than on a treadmill. I don't think I will ever do intervals on a treadmill again! It was also great to look back at the Nike+ Running app and see that when I wanted to keep my runs the same pace, I did. And, when I wanted to increase or decrease my pace, I did that as well. My energy excursion matched my performance and that is not something that exactly happens every day here!

Thursday: Hot Yoga! It was my first time back in a while and my run buddy came with me! Great class and the substitute instructor told me I did well a lot. Not the worst thing in the world ;)

Friday: 30-minute run. This one I did around a nearby park that I love. It is actually the day that the picture above was taken. The sky's were stormy, the wind was (ummm) windy (?) and it rained a whole lot. But, I finished the run because, let's face it, there is no gaurantee that the Wine and Dine will have beautiful 65 degree weather for our run. Best be prepared.

Saturday: Bridge walk on this super pretty, tall bridge we have in our hometown. This was a great post run workout and my quads are still feeling it a bit!

Sunday: I think I did some laundry, maybe?

3-2-1 Interval Workout

I. Love. This. Workout. It is not the most fun thing while you are doing it, but if you are wanting a great cardio session in under 20-minutes, you got it. 3-2-1 workouts have been around for a while and for good reason- they work. Runners who add 3-2-1 intervals into their repertoire of training find that it improves there run times. This has been true for me as well. Really, any interval training helps my newbie runner legs, but this one is my favorite :)

A 3-2-1 workout is ridiculously simple and can be set up with any smart phone app quite easily. If you are wanting free, Seconds Pro Free is a pretty great option. Seconds Pro is also great and saves workouts for a few bucks more. When setting it up, make ten sets of intervals of 30-seconds, 20-seconds, and 10-seconds, in that order. That's right, you will be running this interval ten times over. To vary it a bit and add to your workout, try doing ten 3-2-1, ten 1-2-3, and ten 2-3-1. Now, that is a 30-minutes workout that is worth the sweat effort!

When doing the 3-2-1, it is important to keep the walking, jogging, and sprinting times the same. That means that your run for 30-seconds, sprint for 20, and walk for 10. If you are new to running, try inverting this so you are walking for 30, running for 20, and sprinting for 10. It may not be as intense a workout, but it will be pretty intense, all the same!

This Week in Workouts: A Week of Running

{via}

So, did anyone else notice a strange lack of post on Friday? Me too. Turns out that the article I wrote ahead of time and scheduled to publish did not actually get scheduled to publish. By the time I noticed (Friday was quite the busy day), it was far too late to post anything of use to anyone. Instead, that post will be up next week for your internet perusal and viewing enjoyment. For now though, we can talk about this week and the not one, but two 4-mile runs I went on. 

Running outdoors in Michigan is one of my favorite things to do, even though the hills are completely butchering my run times... I am currently 2-minutes slower than my average time without hills. Whaatt?!!? Now I understand why so few run the San Francisco Marathon. 

Other than running, we were able to visit this awesome restaurant in Grand Rapids which was quite awesome. The whole place is HUGE with beautiful indoor and outdoor seating. I wanted to sit outside but it is Michigan in the summer and everyone else had the same thought I did. Instead, we sat inside and got to listen to The Mainstays, a 90's reggae band that was playing while we were there. Afterwards we were able to walk around Grand Rapids, in the Amway Grand Plaza (most beautiful hotel ever), and over four bridges spanning the Grand River. Yea, we got our steps in that day! 

The days of the week got a bit jumbled in my mind this week. Although I know what workouts I did, I have absolutely no clue which days they were done on. Yes, there were three days of running, two runs were 4-miles and one was 2.5. There was yoga on one day and bum workouts on another (all links to videos listed below). My main break day was the one with lots of walking, and I am not sure about the other day of the week... It went into a black whole where some of my memories seem to find themselves. Maybe I ran, maybe I did another workout, or maybe I sat at my computer watching YouTube videos where the only workout was the formation of my laughter. Who knows. 

Hopefully though, I will remember to log all my workouts next week so this silly day-missing does not happen again. If you have any ideas what I did on this lost day, I would be so happy to hear them. Your guess is, quite literally, just as good as mine :)

The first bum workout I did. Pretty great! I was definitely feeling it by the end and this one turned out to be a great warm-up for the next. I would definitely recommend doing these two together!

The second bum workout I did. This Cassey Ho workout has been featured on the blog before, mainly because I just love it.

This yoga flow was my first time following anything by Leslie Fightmaster. Really, the main reason it caught my eye was her name- someone on yoga being names "Fightmaster" just makes me laugh :) But seriously, this King Pigeon flow is great! 

Yoga for Super Hero Strength came next. Because really, is a home workout complete without some Tara Stiles? 

This is just my apology for skimping on posts this week and letting my brain fall into a black hole where no memories of workouts can be found. Happy Sunday! 

5 Tips for Visiting Disney World This Summer

The summer is one of the busiest times of year for Disney World; sure, it will be hot and there will be loads of bodies, but there are some simple ways to make your trip low stress and with minimal heat. If you are planning a trip to the happiest place on earth in the next few months, these tips will ensure your vacation is just a bit happier! 

1. Fast Pass+

Fast Pass+ is Disney's new Fast Pass system that allows you to book fast passes up to 180 days in advance. If you have little ones who are hoping to see Elsa and Anna, get on this. That character wait time averages 3-4 hours! 

Fast Pass is pretty great for other rides too and can be changed through the app. If you are staying at a Disney resort, you can log on the myDisney experience and order your fast pass bands ahead of time. This will allow you to start planning way before you arrive. 

2. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is Disney's newest ride and is located in New Fantasyland. The ride is incredible and we were able to get two fast passes for it on this last trip. The first time, we rode in the front and the second, we rode in the back. The ride is smooth in either location but there are way more thrills in the back. If you have young children riding it, best to be in the front. Thrill seekers, however, will enjoy the faster drops and turns that the back of the ride offers. 

Get a Fast Pass for this if you can, wait times range from 90-minutes to 2 hours. 

3. Share Mickey's Kitchen Sink Sunday

Mickey's Kitchen Sink Sunday was available on the 24-hour day and is now available at the Ice Cream Shop at the corner of Main Street USA. This Sunday was, literally, the size of my head. It was way too big for two, but a family of four would probably love it. The Sunday has three huge scoops of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream topped with peanut butter and chocolate syrup and strawberries. It then has the most whipped cream I have ever seen in my life sandwiched between two layers of chocolate and peanut butter chips.

The entire thing comes in a souvenir Mickey sink and  is a whopping $15.95. The good news is that a large family could split this and still spend less on ice cream than if everyone got their own.

4. Resort Hotels

Disney Resort Hotels are expensive because you are paying for the experience of the hotel more than the room. Hotel rooms that would usually cost $80 a night are $120+ because of the incredible hotel surroundings, kids games, Extra Magic Hours, and all those "free" experiences as well. 

Hotels on Hotel Drive over by Downtown Disney are more the quality and prices we are use to and many offer Extra Magic Hours and bus transportation to the parks. If you are opting for one of these, be sure that the park transportation comes sooner than once an hour and that you have Extra Magic Hour privileges. 

5. Outside Disney

The parks get hot in the summer and at 1:00 in the afternoon, you are sweaty, tired, and crowded. Avoid this hot time of the park by taking a break and visiting some of the areas still in the Disney Resort. Disney allows visitors not staying at resorts to visit until 10:00 pm. Although you cannot use their pool, you can definitely have meals, explore the area, and play at the playgrounds and arcades. 

The Boardwalk is a great place to go for dinner at night and is open to non-hotel guests. Yacht and Beach Club also has a great ice cream parlor with arcade attached. Or, you can just go relax around the pool at your hotel for those hot ours of the day and get to the parks in the cooler hours refreshed and ready for fun! 

Be ready though, summer thunder storms happen at the same time every day and will last 20-minutes to an hour. Best to be near a covered area around 3:00 or 4:00 pm.