Fall Routine

Fall is all about getting into a routine. I’ve been working to find the right balance between family, working, and staying active/healthy. True is on a consistent daycare schedule which is very helpful in terms of getting things done on my to-do lists. September marked my return to Crossfit Ironborn and beginning the Health Bet Challenge for my friend Aimee’s Beachbody group. It feels great to have a bit more “Laura time” because it makes me a better mother, wife, and human being. I was once again considering quitting with my blog because it is just another thing I need to do. I also was discouraged by the fact that it is called “I Tri Training” and there are no triathlons planned in the near future. Nonetheless, I do glean value from holding myself accountable to a blog post. So, for now, I will continue to post when it seems relevant and time permits.

Working Out

My workouts in September have been consistent. I work out 7 days a week between PiYo and crossfit. Last week was my first 3 day week for crossfit. I was SORE! But it was a great feeling knowing some dormant muscles were coming out of hibernation. I love the community at Crossfit Ironborn. The coaches have been very supportive as I eased back in after a 4 month break (and about 5 months of scaled workouts before that). It is also motivating to be back with like minded people. The key to success in any goal is surrounding yourself with people who share similar motivations (even if they might be at a different level). I’m definitely just focusing on showing up and getting in a workout for the health benefit right now. This will most likely evolve as I get more comfortable with the workouts. However, I certainly find inspiration in athletes of all levels. The September accountability group is also going well. We are using the My Challenge app which is super easy for tracking workouts and fuel. I’m about to switch to the 21 Day Fix workouts as I just finished a 2 month PiYo program. There is no possible way for me to get to the gym more than 2-3 days a week right now, so the at-home workout options have been the perfect supplement.

Fuel

August was a loose month in terms of my nutrition (it historically is), but it could have been worse. I stuck with my morning shakes and did OK with lunch/dinner many days. With warm summer days. I found the draw to have a cool glass of wine overly tempting. So I indulged. Fall is generally a time where I can get back on track with food. I have a focused work, teaching, and workout schedule. Keeping my meals clean helps me accomplish things in other facets of my life. I am still finding the mornings/midday go very well, but I get lazy at night. Unfortunately, this is when it counts the most because I’m not working out in the evening (usually) and my metabolism slows. My goal for the remainder of September is to make better choices in the evenings for the weekdays and then give myself a little break on Saturday afternoons/evenings. Meal prep on the weekends is a challenge as I am teaching an online course and want to spend time with True. I may try out a meal delivery service sometime soon for some new options or just be better about allocating time to this task. Keeping it simple is essential.

Upcoming Races/Events

The only race I have on the horizon is the Turkey Trot 4 miler. I would like to start training for that the first week in October. I found, from the few runs I have done so far, my left knee is going to need time to ease back in. I’m also toying with the idea of trying a scaled (very scaled!) crossfit competition in the spring of next year if anything happens to come up for the gym. I’ll probably chicken out on that (I hate doing things in front of people), but I am considering it as something to work towards. Triathlons are on the back burner for now as it is not possible to fit brick workouts in right now. I also have swim lessons with the little guy on the horizon, so that will be my only pool time. Mark wants me to do an open water swim next July, so I will see if I can free up more time in the spring for that event.

~Laura