Two Week Recap and Help Wanted (the gym decision)

My current favorite non-running workout. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! My apologies in advance because this post is a little long, but stick around to the end because I have a question and would love your input!

It has been two weeks since the Seattle Marathon, which is pretty crazy! Prior to running the marathon I decided that regardless of how I felt, I would take at least a week off from running.

The day after the marathon I was sore. So sore. Going from sitting to standing and vice versa was so painful. Stairs were terrible. Picking up anything I dropped, impossible. I dropped my keys in the Fred Meyer parking lot and I had to put one hand on my to brace myself as I slowly bent down. The whole process felt like it took me 3 minutes haha. I did some light stretching and watched far too much Netflix. I also took advantage of some of the cyber Monday sales.

Of course when I am not running, all I can think about is running. Even though I was so sore, all I wanted to do was sign up for another race. I thought: what race should I do next? What distance? Should I try a trail run? Then I looked up trail running training plans for about an hour. It's like I had blocked out the pain and discomfort from the day before and all I could think about was the joy of crossing the finish line. It was some sort of blissful, post-race induced amnesia.

In this blissful state, I decided that I would run at least 10 races in 2016. Not all of these will be half marathons or marathons. My goal is to do at least 2 (hopefully 3-4) half marathons and 1 marathon. The others will be a mix of 5, 10, and 12Ks. I am currently signed up for the Rock 'n' Roll Seattle half marathon in June.

As far as workouts the week after the marathon (Nov. 30- Dec. 6), I continued to take it easy Tuesday-Wednesday. I did some yoga, foam rolling, and an upper body/core workout. I also took my pup for several long walks. On Tuesday, I got an hour-long massage at my favorite Aveda spa. It was lovely!!

By Thursday my legs felt pretty much recovered and I was craving a cardio-type workout so I signed up for a barre3 class. In law school, I attended barre3 classes pretty regularly so I knew what to expect. The class was just what the doctor ordered! I got my heart rate up and my legs, core, and arms got a great low-impact workout. 

Friday, I did cardio fix from the 21 Day Fix. So sweaty! To read more about the 21 Day Fix click here. Friday night I went to a super yummy dinner at Skillet Diner with the BF and then went to late happy hour to celebrate a friend's accomplishment (she finished and submitted her application to grad school -- YAY fingers crossed!!).

Saturday, I did Dirty Thirty from the 21 Day Fix and a workout video from Popsugar Fitness. Later that evening we went to a holiday party with a big group of our friends. The host made SO many delicious christmas cookies!! I definitely indulged, but it was worth it. Sunday I rested. We went to my parents house for brunch and to watch the Seahawks game. Then we grocery shopped, cleaned, etc.

Since I am not currently training for a race, my focus is to maintain my fitness, increase my flexibility, and strengthen my weak areas (hips, glutes, and core). 

My workouts for last week (Dec. 7-13) were mostly strength-based with some running days and extra stretching.

Monday 

Cardio fix from 21 Day Fix. I like this workout because you use weights with most of the moves so it feels very strengthening. I also did one round of the Waistline Slimmer routine from Tone It Up.

Tuesday 

4 mile easy run and Upper Fix from 21 Day Fix. This run felt AMAZING! It was windy and rainy, but honestly, it felt so great to be outside. At the end of my marathon training my weekly easy runs felt like a chore rather than something I looked forward to. But after taking over a week off, I was so looking forward to a run and it did not disappoint!

Wednesday 

Lower Fix and Kettletoning workout from Tone it Up. The Kettletoning workout is one of my favorites from Tone It Up. It incorporates strength training moves with stretching and yoga.

That evening I met some friends at the Sheraton Hotel in Seattle to visit its Star Wars themed gingerbread village. So cute and festive :)

Thursday 

Barre3 class and an extra long walk with my pup.

That night I went to a BBQ place with my boyfriend and a group of friends to watch the Thursday Night Football game. Fried mac and cheese balls were on the menu. So yeah, I got those and corn bread and a field roast sausage. It was a treat! But because I do not eat fried food often, and it left me feeling pretty rough.  Probably not my smartest meal choice.

Friday 

I woke up feeling pretty bad from my splurge dinner, but convinced myself that a 4 mile run would help. It did...mostly. Then I stretched for a long time and drank a ton of water.

Saturday 

Twenty minute full body workout routine from Popsugar Fitness.

That morning I volunteered at the Girls on the Run of Puget Sound 5K. It was really cold and rainy, but it was fun to volunteer and to see all the girls, community runners, and running buddies. I definitely want to continue to volunteer and be involved with this organization. If you would like to learn more about this organization and how you can get involved click here. Girls on the Run is nationwide, so there is likely a chapter in your area.

Then Saturday evening my parents, my boyfriend and I all went to the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker. It is a family tradition. Afterwards, we went to Chandler's Crab House for dinner. We all had a such a great meal and it was so much fun to laugh, talk, and spend time with my family.

Sunday 

5 mile easy run and stretching.

When I came home, my boyfriend was making waffles with Kodiak Powercakes mix -- he is THE BEST! Our friends came over and we watched the Seahawks game.  Then we cleaned up and did some Christmas shopping online.

Help/Advice Wanted: The Gym Decision 

I am contemplating joining a gym. So far, I have been working out at home and I like it! I do Tone it Up workouts and 21 Day Fix, as well as some Popsugar fitness videos. However, soon I will be starting to work again, and I would like to be able to workout in the mornings before heading to the office. I usually do my strength workouts after or directly before my runs. When I start work it will still be super dark in the mornings and I am not a fan of running in the dark. However, I also have never really forced myself to do it. I also know that I will not have the time to workout twice a day (strength train in the morning and run in the evening when it is potentially slightly lighter). 

The gym I am looking at offers spin and yoga classes, both of which I really miss. I also feel like I will be more motivated to get up early if I know I have a class or if I have a planned a strength training session at my gym (even if the appointment is with myself). There are so many distractions at home and I will not have time for that soon. 

So my question is -- should I get a gym membership? Also, are you a member of a gym? Do you like it? If so, what is your favorite strength training routines or circuits and how do you schedule your strength training session with your training runs? 

If you run in the dark what are some of your tips for staying safe and being seen? 

Thank you for stopping by and thank you in advance for helping me with my gym decision :)
-- Alyssa