Weekly Workout

I have had a few people asking what my workout schedule consists of, so here is a rough outline of what I do:

 Like I said, this is just a rough outline. Some days might be mixed up and some days I might replace cardio with yoga when I need a little extra stretch. Some days I might dump yoga and choose some extra long cardio when I have some extra piss and vinegar in me. My husband says I'm a lot nicer when I get my runs in....it's not mean when it's true, ha!
   By cardio I mean I run or cycle for 30 minutes to an hour. If I'm feeling extra grumpy that day, I might go a little longer until I am so exhausted that I have no energy for mean.  When I'm training for a race, I stick to my training schedule and just plug my training runs in as cardio.  I Love Hal Higdon's site for training and have used his schedules for the last 6 years. He has training at all levels and for all types of races...and it's free.
   Some days I don't feel like running or cycling, but I still want to get that cardio in, so I make up my own little 'boot camp'. The one I used for Tuesday is just an example. I like to change it up often. Channel Maze runs a local boot camp and I love getting ideas from her blog.
    Strength training is the one thing I never skimp on. It is so important for me to be strong....not so much for the way strong looks (but that's a definite plus), but for the way strong feels. Strong allows me to be more independent...my husband works hard and I can't always wait for him to move furniture or lift things for me. Strong makes me a lot more fun when playing with my kids. Strong helps get me through my long runs. Strong helps me in my photography business (have you seen the size of some of those lenses). Strength training also helps with bone density, joint pain, and increases your metabolism. For strength training I get a lot of inspiration and ideas from Jamie Eason.
For yoga I like Bikram  because of the heat and predictability. 
My favorite yoga is Vinyasa.  I love the challenge of the complex poses, inversions, and balance poses. It pushes me, it hurts, and I always feel like I have accomplished something in the end.
     So, there it is. My nutshell's worth of training. I try to stick to a format somewhat like this, but it's not always possible. Everyday, when I wake up, I have to convince myself to get out the door and do this. Everyday I have to bat away the bazillion excuses that my brain makes up to convince me not to go. Everyday that I choose to go, I feel a lot better. Getting out the door is the hardest part.
     When I miss a day or two, I don't beat myself up over it. I shrug my shoulders and know I will be back at it again. Life happens, kids happen, work happens, sick happens,  monthly periods worthy of a spot on CSI Miami happen so sometimes workouts can't happen. Just know that it's NOT forever and you WILL get back to your schedule soon.

See you tomorrow when I will post workouts I do when I can't get to the gym:)