These past 2 weeks have been doozies. Is that the plural of doozy? I’m so tired right now. I’ve been short on sleep, heavy on work, and more ready for Spring Break than ever before. Despite all that, I’ve been staying consistent in the gym. It feels great for the first time in a long time to be staying consistent in the gym because it’s my habit and I love it, and not because I feel guilty if I don’t go, or I feel like I have to.

It also feels great to be in a consistent heavy lifting routine, because when I take a day or two off, my body still feels strong. I never had that feeling when I was only running.

I’ve been upping my mileage a bit as well, running 3 times a week (two days of solely running and an extra run on one of my upper body lifting days). Aside from some issues with my hip flexor and my knee, I’ve been having the best runs of my life, easily holding between a 7-9 min/mile pace for significant distances. PROGRESS, people. 

A 6-part cardio workout from last week: (10 min. elliptical, 10 min. arc trainer, and 10 min. run) x 2. I ran 2 separate miles at a sub 7 minute pace for the FIRST TIME EVER and the slowed my pace for the rest of the 10 minutes. I was SO excited!

Me post 30 minute easy hilly run after a crushing upper body workout.

When I go to the gym at 7pm on a Saturday for a study break, I care very little that I’m wearing hot pink, grey, red, white, lime green, and black all in one outfit. It’s a look, people.

So, what’s my lifting routine been lately?

Well, I’m glad you asked.

That’s right – ASSISTED PULL-UPS. I walked into the gym one day, totally planning to phone-in my workout, when my trainer walked up to me asking if I wanted a free session because his client didn’t show. Despite my initial resistance, he forced me onto the assisted pull-up machine, and I bit the dust. I had to put 120 pounds of help on there just to get a set of 10 pull-ups in good form. OUCH.

But hey – you have to start somewhere.

And I’m already seeing more progress in my back and shoulders. It’s not time for progress pics again until the end of April, but I took one of my back because I knew I felt some difference, and I needed some encouragement.

It’s not a huge difference, but to me, it’s PROGRESS, especially in my shoulders.

The only person I’m competing against is my past self.

And maybe a few of those other girls in my bootcamp class…

Yes, I started a new bootcamp this morning with my trainer and 5 other girls. We started the 6-week program off with a fitness test:

• Max body weight squats in 1 minute
• Max plank
• Max pushups (on knees) in 1 minute

My results? Not everything I’d hoped for, but unbelievable improvement from a few months ago.

• 42 body weight squats in 1 minute

• plank for 4 minutes – THE LONGEST I’VE EVER HELD A PLANK!

• 32 pushups in 1 minute (by far my weakest area)

So excited to see where I am 6 weeks from now.

Until then, stay motivated and

get. after. it.

AvocadoAthlete

Also, never heard of a turkish getup? Yeah, I hadn’t either until a few weeks ago, but it’s pretty much the best finishing exercise ever.

This video is long, but minutes 4-7 explain every step very clearly.