Training (For A Purpose)

We've had few rounds of miserable weather, making everything a muddy mess even days past the rain. I've also continued my trend of being slammed at work and so tightly scheduled that the best I can do is a short hike, supplemented with the usual (sigh) indoor workouts. Then there's also my annoying AF foot, which is getting better, slowly, s l o w l y, but still dictates that any extended cardio and endurance work needs to be rowing, biking, swimming, or elliptical. Short hikes only. Hopefully by fall I will be healed totally. 

Why am I doing all this? Other than the obvious--I don't sit still well--we are tentatively planning on a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park this fall. Just typing it makes my heart sing. It also means that I need to get ready for altitude, to minimize the altitude sickness, and building up for hiking bigger elevation gains, which don't come naturally here. 

Cardio / endurance: This is for trying to make sure I can sustain longer amounts of heart pumping activity. This past week included: (1) 45 minutes of sprints (rowing); (2) 45 minutes of level, mild incline, medium incline (elliptical); (3) 45 minutes of alternating between no incline and medium-high incline. Once the weather gets nicer, I will start adding the swimming to build up my lungs. Could I start swimming now? Yes. It's an indoor pool. But I am a grown ass woman, I do as I please, and after almost 20 years as competitive swimmer, it pleases me to NOT be in a pool until late May/early June. 

Strength / weights / HIIT: These all get lumped together for me because I tend to use weights and strength training as my rest in HIIT circuits. On the menu lately has been: (1) landmine work; (2) weighted squats; (3) overhead presses and curls; (4) triceps; (5) lunges; (6) etc. You get the idea, just trying to work all the areas. HIIT has been focused on (1) burpees; (2) step ups and box jumps; (3) planks in all their various forms; (4) jumping--jacks, rope, etc. though I have to go easy on the jumps with my foot; (5) pushups; and (6) other move your body, heart pumping exercises. 

Yoga: I used to be SO FLEXIBLE. Very, very flexible. It had to do with my sport--it was critical to be flexible and I worked at it for hours. I've since lost most of it, and I'd like to gain some of it back, because it was cool and also made recovery A LOT easier. Yoga combines light core and strength and balance work into that flexibility, so it's been a great option. I am very much on the struggle bus, though. I signed up for a rally nice app and have been working my way through that, and I think it's making a difference. It's been a month and I am noticing I can reach farther and hold poses longer. 

So, that's the workout scoop around these rainy parts.