Thursday, June 20, 2013

Summer Fun: Balancing Work + Play

The weather has seriously been outstanding here lately. Even when my beloved weather.com tells me it's going to rain it tends to clear up and turn into a nice day. I don't know how many times I have ended my work day with the phrase "I could really go for a drink on a patio right now". Who doesn't want a margarita and bottomless chips + salsa every once in awhile??

I know a lot of runners choose to dial it back a bit in the summer, for a number of reasons: because it's harder to find time to run with the heat, vacations interrupt training plans or maybe even just because lounging at the beach sounds like more fun than sprinting on the track. However I made the genius decision to sign up for a half marathon in August (oh yeah, did I tell you that's official? Emerald City here I come!) and I've got my credit card ready to sign up for the full in October so I'll actually be hitting the peak weeks of my training plan right as summer is hitting its peak. 

So how will I survive the summer heat and stay strong against the temptation of happy hour? Well, to be honest I won't. I'm very focused on my training and I'm proud of the fact that I've been following my training plan so closely (I'm 3 for 3 this week with an extra 8-minute abs thrown in for fun!) but I've also kept my social calendar just as busy. 

Here are my rules for making it all work:

1. Make plans in advance. I'm a planner so this really isn't anything new. I like starting the week knowing what I have going on that weekend, plus it makes the work week easier to get through. With certain people in my life I don't have a problem saying "Hey, I've got a 12 mile run on the schedule the next morning, can we push that back a day?". 

2. Be Flexible. I've switched a lot of my morning runs to after work runs for a few reasons- my aches + pains feel the worst in the morning (see yesterday morning when I tried to run, and failed, but got 5 miles in after work no problem), but also because it means I can stay up later than 9p now. When the sun is barely set by then it's hard to go to sleep. I've also swapped a few running and cross training days when a friend wants to go for a ride. And lastly, I've skipped planned workouts (gasp!). Sometimes a girl just needs a mojito, running can wait.

3. Just be active! It's SUMMER! You know what counts as cross training? Swimming in a friends pool. Playing a game of tennis. Kicking a ball around on the soccer field. Biking to Happy Hour (right?)! It's so easy to spend time outside and get a little extra calorie burn in when it's sunny and 85. 

Life is all about balance. I don't want to lose myself (and my summer!) in my training plan but I also don't want to fall behind so I'm finding ways to make it work. This week I'm determined to hit every planned workout, get a long bike ride in with K. and enjoy a happy hour (or two...) with a friend who's coming into town for the weekend. 

Highlights from yesterday:

My very favorite Greek yogurt pancakes, with strawberry Chobani, after 8 minute abs + core work.


Pre-run snack. AMAZING white chocolate PB. Can't wait to share the story behind it ;-) It fueled me for a speedier-than-I-have-been-lately 5 miles.


Quick and easy dinner- Garden Thyme Luna burger (yes, I'm obsessed) w/ broccoli. It was a busy night so I just needed food, fast. (and don't worry- many unpictured foods were eaten too!)

The rest of my night was spent cleaning the basement. Thrilling right? Well it is but only because the reason we are cleaning is because we are FINALLY getting a new washing machine. Hallelujah!

Your turn:

What's your approach to training in the summer?

Looking forward to anything this weekend?

2 comments:

  1. I am getting ready to go on a run! Wish me luck!
    I like to have a running partner, especially in the summer. It makes long runs more bearable. I usually do treadmill runs and then drag friends along with me outside for runs that last longer than 30 minutes!

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    1. I spent a lot of time on the treadmill this winter but now I haven't stepped foot on one since April and I couldn't even imagine going back, outdoor runs are so much better!

      Hope you have a great run this afternoon, remember to drink LOTS of water!

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