November Round-Up

You're going to read something I don't know if you've ever read before on a monthly recap ...

This month was a successful one.

Whaaaa? I know, right? Read on ...

Swimming: 8500m (5.28 mi)
Cycling: 72.54 mi
Running: 30.06 mi
Lifting: nine sessions (4:13)
Other: two curling sessions (2:15), one elliptical session (:20), one hike (:30), one instance "race volunteering" (3:00), three rowing sessions (:45), one stairmill session (:10), two walks (1:40), four yoga sessions (1:04)

While this month was successful, there were a few (tiny) slips. I missed four total planned workouts and had one off day. I had yoga scheduled for Thanksgiving day that I spaced on (because I left it to before bed and our guests left waaaay later than expected); I missed an elliptical session the next day (felt like poop ... though I did somehow manage the swim and the lift that day); and I took this past Wednesday off - serious lack of sleep made me feel nauseous ALL DAY so I missed my swim and lift that day.

But. I also did get a bit of bonus work in. Neither walks nor curling were built in. The "race volunteering" (really cheering at IMAZ) was technically built in, but not officially. I also got a bonus ride in due to the weather being too gorgeous to waste it.

In short, I set out a (manageable) plan and executed it almost perfectly. This has been one of my best running months of the whole year (surpassed by January and February (the last times I successfully stuck to my plan) and August (camp)). I've started HR training so I have spent a lot of actual time running as well, but I feel as though it's working and I'm actually excited to keep it going through the colder months. All of my rides were around 30 minutes, but they've kept me consistent on the bike. Had we not gone down to Arizona, I probably would have had more bike mileage. "But couldn't you have taken the bikes down?" you might ask. Well, yes, we could have, but let's not kid ourselves, we probably wouldn't really have ridden as much as hoped. Besides, being gone for a week was a great excuse to throw the bikes in the shop for some much needed TLC. Swimming, had I not missed my final swim, would have been over 10k, which would have been AWESOME, but alas, I dislike choking back bile in the pool, and that would have been my life Wednesday had I swum. No thanks.

The bestest most amazing part of this month though? I have actually enjoyed it. 

No, seriously.

It's taken 11 months and a lot of soul searching (and serious reorganization of 2018 plans; more on that in a month), but I'm actually enjoying the day to day of moving my body, and I could not be happier.

I've got my last race of the year coming up tomorrow, and then it's time to hammer out the details of 2018 and settle in to a nice solid offseason training groove.