Last weekend I ran the last race of my spring racing season, finishing strong at the GW Parkway Classic after having braved the wind at the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run and conquered the hills at the Reston 10 Miler. With those 10 milers behind me and the next one not until September, I think this is a good time to be changing up my workout routine.
I runfess that when my alarm went off for the GW Parkway Classic 10 miler last weekend, I was not one bit excited to get up for the race. I wasn’t dreading it, but I felt ambivalent. I experienced the same lack of enthusiasm before Cherry Blossom and Reston, so I’ve been wondering why.
I runfess that I haven’t trained for any PRs. Yes, I ran hills to get ready for Reston and squeezed in a few track workouts after that, but I haven’t run with any specific finish times in mind, and I haven’t tried to hit specific paces during any of my training runs or track workouts.
I runfess that I am tired of pushing for PRs that I haven’t trained for. Last year was a year of PRs and this year I surprised myself with a PR at the Reston 10 Miler, but those races were hardand I did not enjoy running them. I’ve come to realize that if I want to enjoy racing more I need to run at a pace I’m conditioned for. That means either following a real training plan or making peace with slower finish times. For now, I’m willing to give the first option a try, although I will have to remember to listen to my body and modify or skip workouts if I feel like I am on the verge of over-training or injury.
I runfess that since my next 10 miler is not until September, I will be focusing on other workouts for a while. The Orange Theory Fitness near me is finally opening in May, and I am excited to be adding their workouts to my program–I had so much fun at the class I tried in Boulder! Between that, Revolve and CorePower Yoga, I have become the studio class junkie I’d never thought I’d be!
Speaking of other workouts, I runfess that while I am still working out the details I am really excited at the prospect of participating in the Farm to Fork Fondo in Pennsylvania in August. It will be the first organized cycling event I’ve participated in and my husband will be doing it with me!
[Tweet “It’s time for a change and some #runfessions #runchat #motivation”]
Changing Up My Workout Routine
Once the Orange Theory Fitness opens, I think my workout routine will look something like this, with CorePower yoga squeezed in one evening a week as my work schedule permits:
Monday: Full Body Strength
Tuesday: Orange Theory Fitness
Wednesday: Indoor Cycling at Revolve
Thursday: Training Run (Track or Hills)
Friday: Upper Body/Core Strength
Saturday: Long Run
Sunday: Bike Ride*
*The Sunday bike ride is subject to cancellation due to weather or other obligations.
Writing this out, it looks pretty intense, but I have several business trips that will keep me from sticking to this schedule 100%.
Tomorrow is still April so please come back next week for our Ultimate Coffee Date Link Up!
Have you changed up your workout routine lately?
![The Ultimate Coffee Date](http://got2run4me.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ultimate-Coffee-Date.png" "The Ultimate Coffee Date")
That bike event in Penn looks amazing too bad it’s the same weekend as my tri race. Yes sometimes you have to change up your run workouts and realize that every race can’t be a PR. See you next week for our coffee date
I’m going to my first Orange Theory Fitness class on Monday and can’t wait to try it out. Friends have already been and love it. Training for PR’s can be draining both physically and mentally. Lately I have been racing without PR’s on my own and it can be just as much fun!
Oh, I hope you write about your OTF experience!
If I could be a fitness class junkie I would be! It sounds like you have a great plan that I know you can handle. I am thinking about the Farm to Fork Fondo now that you reminded me, it’s right around my birthday and sounds so fun!
Oh, it would be so much fun to see you there! Stay tuned for a discount code coming next week. 🙂
Always good to change things up once in a while. And, I love that you’re going to do a cycling event!
I’m not training for PRs either. I’m OK with it right now, but at some point I know that will change. Running a 5k at all out speed HURTS from step one. Sometimes, I just not into that. I think it’s why I enjoy the longer distances. You’ve got to spend the majority of the race at a comfortable pace. The cycling event sounds great! I’d enjoy that too.
I just moved back to Virginia Beach and I heard that they are building an Orange Theory that is soon to open. I can’t wait to try that out.
Oh, that’s exciting! Make sure you watch for grand opening deals!
The Fondo sounds exciting! How cool your hubby is riding too. I haven’t trained for PRs in years. I blame a heady combo of thyroid shenanigans and apathy for that. I “should” be on a formal tri training plan right now, alas it’s pretty half assed. Thanks for linking!
We all need to change things up. I got tired of saying that I was going for PRs, getting hurt, and then I decided that marathons were where it was at for me, so I just started having fun. Isn’t that the point?
Hah! Somehow I don’t think of running marathons as a less lofty goal than chasing PRs! I guess we all have our sweet spots. 🙂
Orange Theory is fun – and that bike event looks great. There’s a new Core Power Yoga that just opened by my office in City Center and FlyWheel is also coming! Happy Friday!
Oh, my! You will be all set with all those studios! I do love CPY.
It definitely is important to switch things up, especially when you reach a point like that. People always talk about listening to your body for things like injury and the like, but not as much about listening to your mind needing a break or change as well.
Yes! If running is 90% mental, we need to do what it takes for motivation too.
I think I have gotten a little too old for aiming for a PR. Or at least it doesn’t interest me at the moment. Any time I train for speed I end up injured. So running for pleasure and running races I like, at speeds which work for me is my current mindset.
And I think trying something else then coming back to running makes us appreciate running that much more. So have fun at your new classes !
No way are you too old for PRs — but you may have other priorities which is great.
I love your approach….keeping fit and exploring other fitness avenues will not steer you wrong (no pun intended LOL). I’m in a constant state of mixing things up…I would LOVE a PR with every race, but I also know that’s an unreal expectation (especially since I flat-out do not have the desire to all-out train for it). I’m trying to enjoy each race for the experience, and if all the stars, moons, and planets happen to line up perfectly (and allow for a PR to happen)…well, all the better 😉
Yes, I realized last year that it takes hard work to PR – not just in training but through every step of the race. I think I would enjoy races more if I weren’t running so hard.
I’ve got to decide how I’m going to train next. Big Sur kind of sucked the life out of me. It was hard to train through PF, and it worked out great for that race. But what to do next?
Maybe you can take a lesson from Tina Muir and take some time OFF and let your body heal and your mind get excited about something else again. (Easy for me to say ….)
The Farm to Fork event looks really awesome!
I have to runfess that I find racing for PRs very stressful! maybe it’s something that will come for me later.