Disclaimer: I’m promoting the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to find and write race reviews!”
I’m back in to the swing of things physically with a full week of activity as I prepare for my next half marathon at the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Mountain Marathon weekend. The race is just two weeks away but I’m feeling pretty prepared for a fun run (with a side of hills… or maybe the hills are the main dish?).
Monday: Feeling sore from Sunday’s run and Strength Train Together class, but it was a good sore. I’ve been wanting to get more time on the spin bikes as part of my speedwork and cross training routine, so I made it to the Monday night Ladies Fitness and Wellness Cycle Circuit class. 100% kicked my butt and I was dripping with sweat but I loved it. About 60% of the class was on bikes with some off-the-bike tabata rounds thrown in. I love to hate tabata but I can’t deny how good it feels when it’s done.
Tuesday: Taught PiYo at Ladies Fitness and Wellness
Wednesday: Taught an early morning PiYo class at the Y, then went for a run with my friend Jenn who is training for her first half in just a few weeks. She kept me company for many of my weekday training runs for AC, so I’m happy to keep her company during her training runs! Even when I set out for 3 and she tells me we have a few more miles planned than that. 5.5 done and feeling good!
Thursday: Met up with Jenn again and her hubby and we did 4 miles in the neighborhood.
Friday – Sunday: The YMCA offers various Mossa programs branded under their name. I decided to sign up for the Mossa Power certification, which goes by Strength Train Together. It’s a strength training program that utilizes barbells, weight plates, and body weight, and is choreographed to specific songs. I spent approx. 24 hours in the classroom over the course of three consecutive days, training to be a Mossa Power instructor. That doesn’t include the homework we had for two of the nights where we had to learn portions of the program to teach to the class the next day. So unfortunately, I didn’t get a run in, but I had an awesome time pushing myself physically and mentally as part of this training.
I’m excited to start teaching Mossa Power and for the opportunity to regularly incorporate strength training into my arsenal. I love it, but similar to other workouts when trying to juggle my running schedule, if I wasn’t teaching it, I wouldn’t always keep it at the forefront of my mind. Teaching it forces me to stay up-to-date on the programs (so I can properly provide instruction) and it keeps me accountable for doing the workouts on the regular. It’s hard getting everything in with two young children, a full-time job, training schedules that require a certain amount of miles to be logged, and then incorporating the cross-training to make you successful and hopefully injury free. So the more versed I become in various programs that better I am able to keep up with regularly adding them to my schedule.
Also, as a participant, I personally love choreographed classes. I already teach PiYo, so that seems a given, but I find that the synchronization of the choreography to the music helps to motivate and entertain me to where I really enjoy the workouts. As an instructor, it can take out some of the guesswork when developing a class and it makes sure I cover all the bases in planning (routines that cover various muscles, balance in load and intensity, etc). I’ve been taking Strength Train Together at my local YMCA branch when I’m not doing a super heavy long run (the class I can make is on Sunday afternoons), and it’s one of the classes that I really look forward to every week. And ultimately, I know strength training is going to be important in working towards my running goals, and I’m excited to see the results from the work I’m putting in.
Now time for an epsom salt bath and some rest before another busy week! The Umstead 100 Miler is happening in Raleigh next weekend and I’m volunteering in a couple of spots. I can’t wait to cheer on some the participants, support the running community, and witness our local ultra-marathon in action.
If you would like to sign up for any of the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon distances, there’s still time! You can get 20% off your race entry with the code “BLUERIDGEBIBRAVE.”
