Tag: fit

Weekly Workouts

Weekly Workouts

by TartanJogger ♥ 2 Comments

I started last week with a day off, and I was looking forward to having a trail run in daylight. And it was worth waiting for! Here’s how my week turned out:

Monday-

I had a lovely 7 mile run, making it to the end of a trail I’d been planning to explore for some time. I didn’t have it all my own way, mind you, as it started to pour at about 2 miles in. It was lovely to enjoy the daylight!

Distance: 7 miles

Time: 1h 25m 32s

Pace: 12.13/m

Elevation: 974ft

Tuesday-

I wanted to give my legs a bit of a break, so went for an evening walk instead of a run. It was raining, but that’s what waterproofs are for!

Distance: 3m

Time: 1h 2m 40s

Elevation: 121ft

Wednesday-

Another dark evening and it was another wet and windy run! But I was fair cheered by all of the Christmas lights that are springing up around the village. I love that people are brightening the darkness with early Christmas cheer 🎄

Distance: 3.12m

Time: 33m 10s

Pace: 10.36/m

Elevation: 203ft

Friday-

I was working from home, and I literally had a half hour gap open in my diary so I took advantage and headed out for a 30 minute run. And….. it stayed dry! Woo hoo! As it was daylight I headed out to the West Loch and back, for a change of scenery.

Distance: 2.93m

Time: 30m 11s

Pace: 19.18/m

Elevation: 102ft

Sunday-

Some runs take little or no motivation, but that wasn’t the case on Sunday. After putting up our decorations on Saturday, I was having a lovely leisurely Sunday morning all cosy at home with the Christmas tree twinkling and fresh coffee brewing. It was a bit of a wrench to get myself out the door! The plan was a 5k at Corranbuie but it was really busy so we headed south and did a 5k at Cour windfarm instead.

As is often the case, it was a lovely run- don’t you often find that the ones you struggle to start end up beating the ones you’re glad you did? It was very misty and atmospheric, but that feeling of having the trail all to yourself is so incredible.

Distance: 3.29m

Time: 36m 8s

Pace: 11/m

Elevation: 259ft

I’m 3.3k short of 100k running in November so I may decide to add in a short extra run tomorrow night before I start my Great Solo Run December Accumulator on Tuesday. We’ll see!

Weekly Workouts

Weekly Workouts

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

After finishing on a high last week with a dreich-but-wonderful 10k, this week has been a little different: lower mileage to accommodate an incredibly busy week. I did what I could, and I’m sure my back and my knee are grateful for lower mileage!

Monday-

I didn’t want to push too hard after Sundays run, and so we headed out for a daytime walk at Kintarbert Forest. We managed to dodge most of the showers, which was nothing short of miraculous! It did feel good to get out in the fresh air, with no concern for time or distance.

Distance: 2.88 miles

Time: 57m 20s

Elevation: 407 ft

Tuesday –

After a hugely busy day at work that was full of unexpected events I was in need of some headspace. It was another very wet evening, and I was pushed for time but I was grateful to be able to get my trainers on and run around the harbour.

Distance: 3.12m

Time: 33m 14s

Pace: 10.50/m

Elevation: 51 ft

Wednesday –

It was another very busy day, and I knew I wouldn’t manage to run on Thursday or Friday due to work, so I squeezed in a short evening run. Not much to say: dark, wet, short but very much needed!

Distance: 3.03m

Time: 33m 27s

Pace: 11.02/m

Elevation: 51ft

Sunday –

I think it’s fair to say that on Sunday morning I was desperate to get out for a run after a few days of having no time for it. I kept it short, and I think I’ll be grateful for that over the next few weeks, I know how much our bodies need to cut back every so often. We headed out to the timber route above Torinturk and I ran a lovely but slow 5k in sunshine. It was gorgeous! It was a run that was good for the soul.

Distance: 3.32m

Time: 39m 30s

Pace: 11.51/m

Elevation: 440 ft

I finished the week with 12/13 of my Great Run Solo – November Accumulator runs done, so only one to go! Roll on next week to get that completed!

Weekly Workouts

Weekly Workouts

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Now that I’ve restarted blogging after a hiatus driven by boredom and a lack of clarity around the blogs’ direction, I’m thinking I should really include some running content again.

I’ll perhaps do a race review of the Kintyre Way Ultra Relay soon, but for now I’m going to share my weekly runs and other workouts, when I fit those in. Jacqui has moved her fitness classes all online, and we now have an amazing catalogue of 100+ workouts to tap into, across a really broad range of sessions. More on that another time too.

For now, here’s a summary of last week’s sessions, though there’s nothing spectacular to report on. Only two runs, but both were solid and enjoyable.

Monday- run to the West Loch and back. Lovely weather, and it was my first road run down that way for a few weeks. I also tackled the hill up to Carrick Cemetery just to keep it challenging.

Distance: 3.18 miles

Time: 36m 4s

Pace: 11.20/mile

Elevation: 214 feet

Wednesday- back on the trails at the Timber Route, out behind Torinturk. It was a tough day, and I couldn’t really be bothered lacing up, but I was so glad I did. I absolutely loved it!

Distance: 4.11 miles

Time: 47m 26s

Pace: 11.31/mile

Elevation: 497 feet

Friday- 5k walk along the harbour in glorious sunshine

Saturday- 5 mile walk

Monday Motivation

Monday Motivation

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Last week was a good ‘un. I had a solid week both in terms of fitness and eating well, and I had some fun along the way!

Here’s how it all worked out:

Monday: run. Hill repeats with some of the Jog Scotland crew- something is never do by myself. A great start to the week

Tuesday: walk. I was too late for classes😏

Wednesday: Jog Scotland Easy Run

Thursday: lunchtime hill run, followed by a fantastic PiYo Class in the evening

Friday: at home PiYo and a walk

Saturday: a walk around Glasgow’s West End

Sunday: a walk around the village

I didn’t manage to fit in a long run, and although I felt like I’d missed out at the time my legs today have definitely felt the benefit of three days without running. I went for a 10k morning run and I felt strong. I also managed my fastest 5k and 10k time in well over a year, including a sub 30 minute 5k. Yay!

We’re just over three weeks away from the Glen Scotia Marathon relay and we’ve just agreed who is running which section. It’s getting exciting!

My running mojo has been great recently, and I think today has helped to reinforce that too 👍🏻 But I know that can be a fragile thing, so here’s some motivation whether you are on a running high- or low:

Monday Motivation

Monday Motivation

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Good morning! And what a glorious morning it is. The sun is shining and I’ve been for a run already- 4 gloriously sunny miles☀️

I’ve had a good week- my fitness plans have been on track and I’ve eaten well. Here’s a quick recap:

Monday: we went for a lovely walk around the harbour. After a busy weekend it was a good start to the week.

Tuesday: only one class, but we used the Pilates hoops again at Sculpt which really challenged my muscles in new ways. The DOMS were real!

Wednesday: an informal run with the Jog Scotland crew. We’re now on a summer break but still meeting informally until the next session in the autumn.

Thursday: two lots of activity for me- I had a trail run at lunchtime followed by PiYo in the evening. It was the last session of round 61 and it was tough!

Friday: I spent the day doing housework and managed to rack up around 10k steps so I did well for a rest day!

Saturday: we had the end-of-block run with Jog Scotland, a Viking 5k, since it was the Viking Festival Weekend. I started slowly and picked up pace as I went , running mile 3 at 9’40 pace- quick for me! We all were given fab mugs with Tarbert Jog Scotland on one side and a pic of Tarbert on the other. Love them!

In the afternoon we spent it in the sunshine, tidying the garden: grass cutting, strimming, jet washing and weeding. We were out there for over 5 hours, and I racked up over 20,000 steps 😊

Sunday: the weather was lovely, so we went for a walk to recover from the day before, before watching the Viking boat carry later in the day.

Loved it! I’m off to a good start this week, but we have no classes so I’ll have to rely on my own momentum to keep myself focussed this week.

Here’s something that resonates with me today:

Make the most of it- and have a great week!

Monday Motivation

Monday Motivation

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

After two weeks in Florida, I’m back home. What a holiday- it was amazing!

We did lots and lots of walking, but a shed load of eating and drinking too, so this week will be spent getting back into a routine, and shaking off the jet lag.

Here’s your motivation for the week- I know I’ll need it!

Have a great week!

Monday Motivation

Monday Motivation

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

It’s been another busy weekend here in Tarbert, with lots going on. After having a bit of a blow out last weekend, I’ve been firmly back on track this week and this weekend. Here’s how it shaped up for me:

Monday: back to class- yay! We were back at Core Conditioning which I loved, but it was so tough after some time off. Everything ached, but in a good way. We then had Veraflow which I’ve been really enjoying. It’s a lovely class!

Tuesday: I did three lots of activity, starting with a lunchtime trail run. I hadn’t run in three days and my legs were feeling rested. I made it all the way up the hill this week with no stopping, and I continued along the trail for a little further than I had before. Loved it!

I followed that up after work with a return to Sculpt. I dropped my bands down a little and focussed on form and reps which was great. Next up was Trigger Point Pilates and my body felt so much better afterwards.

Wednesday: I was away in Glasgow so wasn’t at Jog Scotland. I did manage a short run from the SEC to Glasgow Green and back, though. The cherry blossom was lovely!

Thursday: rest day. I had planned an early morning run, but since the hotel fire alarm went off at 3am I was tired so gave it a miss!

Friday: I headed out for a run, planning 3-4 miles. I felt good and ended up doing 4.8 miles, so I was pretty happy with that!

Saturday: we had Fèis all day, so although it was a rest day I easily managed over 10,000 steps!

Sunday: I was planning a run- the morning was promising with sunshine, but a few heavy showers were creeping in. I headed out, planning to do 9 miles. The first four miles were fab, with glorious sunshine, then the rain and the hail swept in. The last 6 miles were challenging with very strong winds on top of the wet weather but my legs felt really strong, all be it very wet! I pushed a little and ran 10 miles but kept my pace steady and slow. When I finished I felt I could do more, so that’s a good sign.

I had rejigged my training plan as I had decided during the week to sign up for a half marathon that fitted reasonably well with my training plan for the Kintyre Way Relay. My original run this weekend was a cut back run of 10k. I figured that a longer run this week and possibly next week means I can cut back the following week in anticipation of the Birmingham Half Marathon, and will fit better with my work plans in the coming weeks.

At the moment I’m feeling positive and that my training is on track 👍🏻. Being kinder to myself in this training cycle is working!

Whether you are struggling or feeling strong, here’s your motivation for this week:

Have a good one!

Wednesday Wisdom

Wednesday Wisdom

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This week I’m really looking forward to getting back to classes, doing some cross training, strength and conditioning- and stretching.

Last week was mostly filled with running, which I’ve been thoroughly enjoying for the past few weeks. I’ve also been eating well most of the time. All this running has made me so hungry!

Here’s how my week went:

Monday: I started off my week with a rest day, making it a record two test days in a row, to keep my hip niggle at bay. I definitely felt the better for it.

Tuesday: I had a lunchtime trail run, by myself as I couldn’t make it later in the week when Alison and Morag has arranged to run. I struggled- my legs were heavy and I didn’t make it all the way up the hill this time without walking. No matter, I enjoyed it anyway!

Wednesday: the weather was absolutely awful, but I went along to JogScotland ready to run. They were short of leaders, so Alison, Gordon and I headed off ourselves, doing a 10 min warm up, lamp post sprints and then a 10 min cool down. We were soaked, but it was amazing!

Thursday: I only had a short window of time to run on Thursday, so I managed to get a quick run done around the harbour.

Friday: it was time for a long, slow run, and as I had a day off that was my plan. But another storm was making its way through, and the wind was ferocious! I was also pelted by hail stones, so it was not the most enjoyable 8 miler I’d ever run.

We’ve had an off-track weekend, I was away in Glasgow on Saturday and when I got home I met TheWelshWookie in the pub, celebrating the Six Nations wins. We may have also gone out for dinner 🤷🏼‍♀️

Here’s your motivation for this coming week:

Make every mile count!

Monday Motivation

Monday Motivation

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

What a week!

March is off to a flying start, though I wasn’t to happy to see ice and snow yesterday ❄️, I wonder if that will be the last of it for this spring?

Fortunately yesterday was a rest day for me so it didn’t affect my training. You might remember that I finished up the previous week with a 10 mile recce run, so I did head into the new week with a touch of DOMs. Here’s how the past week stacked up:

Monday: we had no classes this week, so I knew I could focus on some running to improve my stamina and build up some mileage without overdoing it. I headed out at dusk to do a recovery run, with no fixed distance in mind. I ran a steady 4 miles, my legs actually felt great afterwards.

Tuesday: I headed out at lunchtime with Alison and Morag for a trail run. Despite the long trail run on Sunday I coped fine with the big hill, so I was really pleased!

Wednesday: Jog Scotland session, and this week we did another 10 minute warm up, 10 minute weave run and 10 minute cool down. It always passes so quickly!

Thursday: 5 days of running in a row- a bit of a run streak for me! Again, I only planned a steady recovery run after Tuesday and Wednesday. I did just over 4 miles and captured the most beautiful pink sky as the sun began to set.

Friday: I forced myself to have a rest day, though I did want to run. Instead I spent some time doing some trigger point pilates at home to help ease out my fascia and muscles. I did feel good afterwards.

Saturday: I had a meeting in the morning, but I was keen to get a long slow run under my belt. But after a days rest and some repair work my legs felt tired, and my piriformis was niggling a little so I listened to my body and cut my run short from the planned 7 miles, finishing up at 4 miles again. I’m happy with that- I’ve been consistent but running a lot and I know I might just be edging it too much. I’ll cut back the number of runs I’m doing in the next week.

I did spend some time stretching and doing some more TPP too.

Sunday: I took my own advice and had another rest day. My body will thank me for it, I’m sure. But when I saw this picture, it did tempt me a little to lace up- but I resisted….

Have a wonderful week!

Monday Motivation

Monday Motivation

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Today’s blog post is brought to you with DOMS! Having DOMS is always a good thing, it’s a sign of regeneration & recovery and it acts as a good reminder that I’ve been working hard!

Have you sprung into spring? I certainly have. I finished February strong and feel ready to take on the rest of this fresh new season. In the past week my eating and activity has been on track, though with our February challenge ending on Thursday I did have a couple of small celebrations. More on that in my round up! Here’s how my week went:

Monday: no class for me- I was travelling to Dunfermline for a seminar so I knew I wouldn’t make it to Core Conditioning and Veraflow. Instead, I packed my running gear and headed out for 5k as soon as we arrived at the hotel.

Tuesday: with a full day planned I knew I’d struggle to get back in time for Sculpt and Trigger Point Pilates, so I was up early and headed out for an early morning run, something that is very unusual for me! I don’t love running in the morning but I’ll make myself do it when needs must. I ran for time- making sure I got in 30 minutes.

The sunrise was beautiful!

Wednesday: more running! This time it was our weekly Jog Scotland session. Our group did 10 minute warm up, 20 minute tempo run, 10 minute cool down. It was ace! Very pleased with our average pace!

Thursday: I was back on my mat- hooray! Back to my favourite class, PiYo. I felt really good, and strong. I worked really hard on the lower body section and I found the challenging core section not too bad. Making progress!

Thursday was also the end of our Feel Good February challenge, and I pretty much stayed on track for the whole month.

Friday: I found a short window of time to head out for a quick lunchtime trail run. I skipped out Kilmory Loch and headed straight up the hill instead. For the second time, I managed it without stopping and I ventured a little beyond the top of the hill. I was absolutely stunned when I got back to the office and discovered my time- I was one happy runner!

To celebrate this and the end of our February challenge I did have a couple of squares of tablet in the evening- it was lovely, but so sweet when you haven’t had sugary sweets for a while!

Saturday: rest. I had Clarsach class in the morning, and the afternoon was a busy one in Oban. We did get a good walk in while we were there.

Sunday: this was our first big recce run in preparation for the Kintyre Way Relay. We decided to run the final section first, taking us from Skipness back to Tarbert, a distance of 10 hilly miles. Our plan was to do this as a run/walk as we still have 10 weeks to go until race day. The weather was kind, and the company was great! Morag, Alison and I set off with Kathleen, Gordon and Amanda too.

I think we did really well- our pace was fine and included several photo stops. It’s the longest run I’d done in at least 18 months so I was very pleased with it. We did it in 2 hours, 20 minutes and our elevation gain was over 1,500 feet. Not bad!

Tony made a lovely omelette to refuel for lunch, after a dip in the hot tub, and in the afternoon I treated myself to one beer. I really enjoyed this bad boy:

Today I’m feeling good after it- my legs are feeling ok, I have some core DOMS no doubt from the rugged terrain.

My mileage has increased from 18.1 miles the previous week to 21.8 miles last week. It will probably drop a little this week as The longest run I have planned is 7 miles.

We’re also back on track with our new month’s challenge, so my eating and exercise goals have been refreshed and ready to see me through March.

Here’s today’s motivation:

My plan is to get more miles in this week. Hope about you?