Good morning and happy Friday, my friends! I’m really excited because Matt and I are headed down to Chapel Hill, NC this weekend for the wedding of one of my grad school BFFs! I can’t wait to see everyone and play in our UNC stomping grounds. We already have all sorts of fun things lined up – dinners and brunches and runs and yoga and, of course, the wedding itself!
Since I have quite a bit to get done this morning before we hit the road after lunch, I was up bright and early doing something I’ve never done before: a 6 a.m. CrossFit class!
I know, 6 a.m. CrossFit is aggressive, right? I meet friends for runs all the time at 6 a.m. but for some reason making it to a CrossFit class that early seemed like more of a mental challenge. Maybe because no one was waiting for me to meet them? Either way, I was glad I made it and might have to make this more of a normal thing, especially as my evenings get more and more booked up with AnneTheRD client meetings!
This morning’s skill work was handstand push ups! I can’t do them on my own, so the instructor had me try them with a band. Cool – I’d never thought to do this! You basically loop one band (the thicker the band, the more help you’ll get) around a pull up bar, then thread another through it. Then, facing the wall with the band behind you, put the lower band on like a little backpack. Next, kick up into a handstand, wrapping your legs around the upper one band.
I nerdily asked the instructor to take a little video of me doing it since the class was really small this morning (only 4 of us). She was nice about it – and also said that she’s a fan of videos because they are a great way for you to check out and critique your own form! The key with handstand pushups is to make sure you aren’t arching your back – keep that core tight. Here’s the video over on YouTube if you wanna see it! I’m still having issues inserting videos directly into my posts… not sure what the deal is with that, but anyway, enjoy: Handstand pushups with band. :)
Our WOD (workout of the day) after practicing the handstand push ups was 5 rounds of the following: 20 jump squats, 15 pull ups (I used a band for these, too), and 10 handstand push ups. It was TOUGH – that’s a lot of rounds! I left feeling sweaty and accomplished.
Another workout highlight from this week was a morning run with my friend Lauren on Wednesday!
Lauren and I hang out a fair amount but hadn’t run together in ages so it was great to get out there again with her!
We ran one of my standard loops. Down over Key Bridge to check out the rising sun:
Through Georgetown then down to the water (blurry pic of our canal crossing):
Enjoyed the views as we ran along the Potomac River (that’s the Kennedy Center in the middle of the photo in the distance):
Stopped for a quick breather just before Memorial Bridge:
Crossed the bridge and headed up into Iwo Jima/Rosslyn – lovely views of the monuments:
Nice to see some green, too!
Up some more hills and then done! When we hit 5 miles we walked the last bit. ;)
Thanks for the miles, Lauren! :)
Here are the rest of this week’s workouts. I forgot to recap last week’s workouts, but there weren’t a whole lot of them to report on anyway! I was feeling super run down and exhausted last week so I dialed things way back on the exercise (I think I took 4 rest days?) and I’ve been feeling much more like myself this week. Great week of workouts! I’ve been LOVING doing more boot camps/strength stuff again now that marathon training is over.
- Monday: Late evening kickboxing/boot camp class (50 minutes)
- Tuesday: Early evening Crossfit class (WOD: 100 Russian kettlebell swings + 100 kettlebell snatches for time)
- Wednesday: a.m. 5 mile run
- Thursday: Evening Yoga 1 class with my friend Hilary @ Tranquil Space. I hadn’t taken a true Yoga 1 class in awhile (the Yoga 1 classes that are offered at Edge Yoga where I usually go are still pretty intense/fast), so it felt nice to work on form, hold poses longer, and enjoy a more restorative/calming class.
- Friday: a.m. Crossfit class
How were your workouts this week? Any great runs/awesome workouts to report? Also – anyone running the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler this weekend? I’m so sad I’m missing it – love that race – even though the cherry blossoms rarely seem to actually be out for it. :) Last year they had already come and gone – this year, they aren’t here at all yet!
Anyway – time to finish cleaning the apartment and catching up on emails and client work before we head out the door for the drive down to NC! Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
have so much fun in CH this weekend! can’t wait to see your adventures :)
So funny, Anne. I was JUST looking at the Tranquil Space website this morning after talking with a friend about starting some beginner yoga classes. I’ve always wanted to get into it and I know it’s great for runners. Would you recommend the Yoga 1 class there for a beginner?
Yes, it would be perfect for beginners! My friend I was with is just getting into yoga and really likes it.
Looks like the tulips are pushing up! Can’t wait until the cherry blossoms bloom. It’s my fave part of DC :)
Mine too :)
What are you going to do now that Mary has packed up and moved to TN? LOL
I know, I miss her already!
The pictures of her morning runs just aren’t the same! LOL
But at least I still have you to post pics of DC. I lived there for 3 years in the 90s and kind of miss it.
Many more pictures to come, don’t you worry! :)
Sounds like a solid week of workouts! I finally got some runs in outside, aside from my long runs on the weekend!! It was nice! Speaking of which…
I am not sure how much running you will be doing during Heartbreak Hill weekend, aside from heartbreak hill. BUT I highly recommended the Waltham Bike trail behind Moody Street (Waltham is the town over from Newton) heading towards Watertown for a run if you have time. Its really really cool! :)
That’s a great week of workouts! My friend and blog partner hits cross fit at 5:00am twice a week, and I don’t know how she does it! Crazy stuff. Keep it up :) ~Ree
Omg 5am?? That’s amazing!
Cross fit at 6 am is impressive! Enjoy Chapel Hill!
i miss that loop! :)
It misses you!!!
:(
Have a great weekend!!! :) I’m in awe of some of those running pictures — seriously I keep going back through them, ha.
I’m running the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler!! The weather is supposed to be nice so maybe the sun will coax out a blossom or two?? Have fun at the wedding!
Jealous!! Have fun out there for me! :) Let’s do another run date soon!
Yes please! I’m available whenever! :)
Have a wonderful weekend in NC!! Sounds like it will be a great time. This week I got in great workout with some NTC workouts and a really great run on Monday!
Really would love to try Crossfit! I know I’d only get hooked and wouldn’t be able to afford it though! Your pics of your runs really never fail to brighten my day, keep em coming :)
Great job on the miles, 5 miles! :-) I want to give cross fit a try as well but cost definitely is a huge factor for me. Wonderful photos and thank you for sharing them :-) Have a lovely weekend.
I LOVE my early am CrossFit workouts! I hit the 6:30 class so I can be home and get ready for work by 7:45. My evenings are usually crazy with freelance work, etc., so making sure I get my workout in early is the best.
I love seeing how green it is down there already. We are still cloaked in snow here in the Green Mountains. Love those hand-stand push-ups! Totally bad-A! My workouts this week? a balance of over-training and feeling like I am not doing enough :) Glad to hear you are so busy with your RD work Anne.
The pictures from your run are beautiful! Way to go on those CrossFit push ups. I don’t think I could even attempt them, especially early in the morning!
Is it just me, or is CrossFit addicting? I have lost sooo many runner friends to CrossFit! They start doing that, and drop everything else. Was this your first time, or have you done CrossFit before?
Love the monument views!
Definitely addicting! Running will always be my true love, but I always like mixing it up. :) I’ve been CrossFitting on and off since summer 2012!