I'm officially back on the wagon when it comes to early morning workouts.  I had a small hiccup when I was sick a few weeks ago, but last week I dutifully got up everyday at 5am and busted out my workout.

I followed my workout plan last week and loved having the structure of my whole week being pre-planned.  I'm definitely going to keep it up. One thing I underestimated though, was how much time I actually spent running.  I usually just run until I don't feel like running anymore and I guessed at the distances when I typed up my workout plan last week.  But during each run, when I hit my target distance, I felt like I was just hitting my stride and wanted to keep running.  So this week, I am definitely going to increase the mileage. 

My goal is to get back to running 5-7 miles at a time during the week, with a longer run on the weekends, so eventually I won't have time to get my run and weights done before work, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. 

Alright, on to this week's workout plan.  In addition to bumping up the mileage a little, I'm going to split the core work into rounds.  The sets of 50 weren't bad, but the planks were brutal by the end.  I need to break those up into 2 rounds for now.

Monday
Run - 3.5 miles
Legs - kill those legs (2 rounds)
Core - (2 rounds)

• 50 crunches
• 50 reverse crunches
• 30 second plank (2 rounds with 15 second breaks)

Tuesday
Run - 4 miles
Arms - tank top arms (2 rounds)
Core - (2 rounds)

• 50 supermans
  
• 50 side crunches (25 each side)
  
• 30 second plank (2 rounds with 15 second breaks)

Wednesday
Run - 3.5 miles
Legs - kill those legs (2 rounds)
Core - (2 rounds)

• 50 crunches
• 50 reverse crunches
• 30 second plank (2 rounds with 15 second breaks)

Thursday
Run - 4 miles
Arms - tank top arms (2 rounds)
Core - (2 rounds)

• 50 supermans
  
• 50 side crunches (25 each side)
  
• 30 second plank (2 rounds with 15 second breaks)

Friday
Yoga - 45 minutes

Saturday or Sunday
Hike, walk or run outside

This post is part of a series on Chicagoland Parks.  You can read more about how we are finding the woods while living in the city here.  You can read all of the posts in this series here.

Now that the weather is getting warmer (kinda...sorta...) I wanted to share one of my go-to routes for a run or walk with Rooney.  This one is a little over 4 miles and is in the Lincoln Park section of the Chicago Lakefront Trail, but there are so many ways to alter this route and make it shorter or longer.

I used Map My Run to track distance and to show you guys the route I used. 

• I started near Fullerton and Clark, then walked North to towards Diversey around the North Pond Sanctuary. 
  
• Then I looped back going south along the path that parallels Cannon Drive and followed it under Fullerton and kept going south on the path that is next to the Lincoln Park Zoo. 
  
• When I got down to North & LaSalle, I crossed over Lake Shore Drive and ran along the lake going north towards Fullerton again. 

It was a beautiful day and Rooney was all about the lake so we stopped a couple of times to play and cool off.  That whole area is so pretty and everyone was out enjoying it.  There's something so peaceful about running by the lake - I don't need music or anything, I just zone out and enjoy it.  

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I'm not normally a gym workout kinda girl, but this Chicago winter is starting to break me.  I can't run on the sidewalks without slipping on ice and the wind by the lake makes me wish I was back in bed.  In short, the things I love about running outside are being overpowered by the damn winter. 

Sure, I can still do yoga and lift weights in the comfort of my own cozy home, but this girl likes to run!  So, I caved.  I got a gym membership.  I tacked on to Serial's membership and took advantage of the new year specials (yep, they're still in effect) so it really didn't cost very much and we are certainly making the most if it.

Serial plays basketball there a few times a week and I mostly use the treadmills with a few yoga classes thrown in for good measure.  I keep threatening to take a spin class, but I haven't cashed in on that one yet. 

For the days that I use the treadmill, I've found that I am really easily bored while I run.  Don't get me wrong, running is my jam.  And if you give me an outdoor trail, I can zone out and just enjoy the process of running.  I don't even use music most of the time. 

But the treadmill?  Eek, so boring.  Each machine has a TV, which definitely helps, but even a Property Brothers marathon wouldn't keep my attention for a full hour.  Thankfully, I've found that using intervals and incline variations makes the time go by much faster than simply running for an hour. 

In case anyone else is in the same boat, I thought I would share one my my go-to routines.  If you run faster than 6 mph, then you can just go faster during those intervals.  Similarly, if you want more of a break in between the runs or if the inclines are too tough, you can adjust the walking speeds accordingly.  The point is just to change up running with walking on an incline. 

How do you keep things interesting on the treadmill?  I'd love to hear suggestions to help me get through these next few months!

I finally got my booty out the door and into the cold Chicago air for a run.  I am one of those annoying people who is always cold, even in the summer, so winter and me just can't be friends.  I've tried.  But every time I extend the olive branch, she sucker punches me. 

Yet I keep going back.  This time I went back for a run.  I finally dug out my winter gear, grabbed Rooney and went for it.  And you know what?  It wasn't terrible.  It's wasn't fun exactly, but I did it and I wasn't miserable.  And most importantly, I want to do it again.

If you follow me on Instagram, you already saw this picture, but I wanted to break it down a bit further and let you know where I got all of my winter running gear. 

I survived my winter run and will go back again.  Here's the stats from my workout, in case anyone is wondering.  I don't really have a plan or anything.  I am just going to ease back in and run a few times a week, for as long/far as I feel that day.  Once I'm back in the groove, I'll start setting some distance goals.

Distance: 3.33 miles
Pace: 8:11
Time: 27'21"
Temp: 39 F
Weather: Sunny
Me: Happy, Energetic