This past week of workouts had a lot of good things in it. I was challenged a lot in different ways, but I feel like I did a pretty great job with those challenges! I still notice where I haven’t gotten back to where I was before, but I feel like this week I made a lot of progress getting closer and making that difference a lot smaller. And I am working on celebrating any improvements I see and not just thinking about how much more I have to do in order to be where I used to be.
Monday’s workout was a benchmark day: the 2000-meter row. The coaches always say this is the hardest benchmark and I agree with them. It’s a beast to do, and even though it’s not the benchmark that takes the longest to complete, it can feel that way. I already had 1 attempt at the 2000-meter row since the shutdown, and I knew I had improved since then. So my only goal was to do better than my last one.
Because I did my warmup on the cardio side, I actually did a floor block first. That first floor block had deadlifts, alligators on the straps, palms to elbow planks, and superman planks. I didn’t go too crazy since I was saving my energy for the row.
For the 2000-meter row, I didn’t have too much of a plan. I know I would have liked to take limited breaks and try to time them out to be at specific intervals. But that’s not how things usually go for me. I tried to go as far as I could go before my first little break, but I ended up taking it around the 500-meter mark which is sooner than I would have liked. And just like last time, my breaks became more frequent as the row went on. But in the end, I did finish 50 seconds faster than my other post-shutdown benchmark, so that’s a decent improvement!
After the row benchmark, we only had 1 shorter block on cardio and 1 shorter block on the floor left. For cardio, it was all 1-minute intervals. I was using the resistance levels like I was coached on the week before to make it a bit harder. And on the floor, the last block had lateral lunges, tricep extensions, and side plank pendulums. I’m glad the rest of the workout wasn’t too crazy because the row really took it out of me.
Wednesday’s workout was a power day. Even though I used to only use the resistance levels on the bike to replicate inclines for strength days, I was determined to use them for a power day too.
We had 4 blocks on each side of the room. 2 of the blocks on cardio were 2 rounds of a push pace to a base pace and ending with an all-out and 2 blocks were intervals with an all-out in the middle and again at the end. But all of the intervals in all blocks were 1 minute or less. And while it was much harder using the resistance levels on the bike, that’s the point and clearly what I have needed to be doing for a while.
And on the floor, each of the 4 blocks started with a 200-meter row. I didn’t go too crazy with the rows, but I did try to get a bit faster each time. And in each block after the row, we had 2 exercises. We had ground to press with dumbbells and power pull-ups on the straps, shoulder tap planks and sit-ups, sumo squats to upright rows with weights and power push-ups, and plank bear hops and sprinter sit-ups. It was a lot of moving around on the floor and switching things quickly. But it also helped to make me not feel as tired as quickly.
Friday’s workout was a partner day. We haven’t had a partner workout since before the shutdown, but this one didn’t require switching within the same station so it was a little less contact than other partner days before.
The idea was that one partner was on their treadmill at base pace while the other did a .1 mile run and then a row. And the row started at 100-meters and went up 50-meters each round. But there was an odd number of people and I volunteered to be without a partner. I don’t hate partner workouts, but sometimes it’s nicer to work on my own. So I did the same distance on the bike and rower and then did another round on the bike to be my base pace when the partner should have been doing the other half. It was basically a run/row for me and that was nice since we don’t have those too often either.
And on the floor, we had 3 blocks. The first block was short and we only had walk-outs to push-ups and low rows on the straps. The second block had running men, shoulder presses with weights, hip hinge low rows with weights, and hip bridges. And the last block had plank jacks, bicep curls, tricep kickbacks with weights, and plank abductions. Only a few of the exercises were things I had to modify for my hips, and knowing I didn’t have to modify too much always makes me happy.
I was feeling a bit sore on Saturday, but I think there were a few different things causing me pain. I had worked harder in my workouts, but I had also been having a few bad hip days in a row. So I think that plus not sleeping as well just made things hurt a bit more than I was expecting. But that didn’t stop me since I do try to push myself when I’m having a good week. And with this workout being a strength day, I knew there would be a lot of chances to do that.
For cardio, we had 3 blocks. Each block had some push paces and some base paces at inclines besides the regular base paces and all-outs. The duration of each interval got shorter each block, but the inclines were going up. And the resistance levels were getting really high for me on the bike. I was using resistance levels for my push paces and then again for the base paces and inclines, so I didn’t have a lot of time at my regular base pace. Just like I’ve said before, I knew I needed to do this because I have needed to make improvements in my cardio. But knowing you need to do it doesn’t make it any easier.
On the floor, we had 3 blocks and they each had a different focus. The first block was all weight work. We had a suitcase deadlift, hip hinge low rows, and sumo squats. I did go a bit heavier with my weights than I normally do. In that first block we also had a 250-meter row, which was our only row in the entire class. The second block was focused on the straps. We had alternating lunges, jump lunges, chest presses, and tricep extensions. I did the lunges using the straps, but as static lunges since I struggle so much with balance for alternating lunges. And the last block was focused on core with bear steps, superman planks, and bicycle crunches. I did struggle a bit with the bear steps with my hips, so I did as many of those as I could and then switched to running men.
I’m really proud of what I did this past week. I had a lot of obvious improvements and even more little improvements I might not have realized happened until looking back. Every time I can row faster, lift heavier, or pedal faster; I’m improving. And even though I told myself I’d be patient with seeing things come back, I know I haven’t been doing that. I’ve been hard on myself and I know I think about how much more I have to do and not how far I’ve come. But this past week was a good reminder for me to change up my focus and celebrate the little things that I can.
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