The Chicago Spring Half Marathon is Sunday! I’m ready. I just hope the weather is nice, and by nice I mean in the 60s and not raining. Is that asking too much? It IS Chicago. …
I battled some anxiety as well as physical pain this week. My shoulder has been sore for about five days, so I’m looking forward to a few more days of rest and recovery before the race. The anxiety stems from unexpected financial obstacles we’re facing that are really the last thing I need right now on top of moving and big changes on the way for us. I can’t take much more of this stress this year. But that’s a story for another post.
Here’s how the last week of training went:
Monday: Rest day.
Tuesday: 1,7 miles at Orangetheory.
- Deadlifts to rows
- Lunges to single-leg squats with straps
- Planks to knee tucks
- Tricep extensions on bench
- Single-arm swings from squat position
- Bicycle situps with weights
- Bench jumps
Thursday: 2.5 miles of inclines at Orangetheory. One block was at 2 percent incline, one was at 3 percent and the last one was at 4 percent. We also did two 300-meter rows.
Floor workout:
- Incline chest press
- High rows on TRX strap
- Reverse crunches
- Knee tucks
- A bunch of other chest and shoulder workouts
Saturday: Rest day.
Sunday: 5.31 miles.
Week’s mileage: 9.51
Yoga minutes: 20 minutes
Reflections:
I did not intend to have four rest days this week, but I crumbled amid my stress this week. You would think it would motivate me to burn off the tension, but it had the opposite effect: I wanted to curl into a ball and not move. The weather didn’t help matters; it felt like 35 on Saturday morning. I put off my planned run until Sunday.
Resting my shoulder and yoga are my plans these next few days before the race. I need to take my own advice about my yoga practice: Breathe and remember you can’t control anything but your reaction. Wish me luck, please!
What are your fitness goals? Let me know in the comments!
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Marette Flora is the founder of Floradise blog and personalized gift shop. Marette is a passionate storyteller and creator. She attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication.
She is passionate about creating helpful and meaningful things.