After being short on miles the past couple of weeks, I’ve finally gotten it together for week 5 of training for the RNR Brooklyn Half Marathon! Let me tell you all about it!
Once again, I’m joining Hoho and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap! It’s such a great linkup where dozens of awesome running and healthy living bloggers participate and share what’s going on in their active lives each week! Teresa @ Finding Fabulous at Fifty is this week’s guest host!
I’m also joining Courtney for her Weekly Training Linkup! Check it out and see all of the races fellow bloggers are training for!
[bctt tweet=”How have your workouts been going? Let’s catch up! #weeklywrap #runchat” username=”Janelle_RWNR”]
Weekly Wrap: A Weekend at Home
If you’ve read my weekly wrap posts from the past couple of weeks, you know that I’ve been pretty busy traveling on the weekends! I had a great time in Kansas City and Nebraska, and last weekend I spent my birthday celebrating in Bucks County, PA and across the board in New Jersey. This past weekend, however, I was finally able to stay close to home, and it was just what I needed!
On Friday, I finally made my way to the mall – my sister and I went shopping and I was finally able to buy some much-needed clothing for work, plus some cute pieces to wear in “real life”. I was able to catch some crazy deals, which never happens to me! Now that things are stepping up for me in my project manager position at work, I felt it was time for a bit of a “fashion makeover”. I’m learning from my sis that this process takes time…so I think I’m going to try to buy less, but shop more frequently…it’s so unlike me! What places do you like to shop for professional wear that is a bit higher quality but not crazy expensive? I’d love any recommendations!
Time at home also means more time to spend on the grill. A couple of weeks ago we got a HUGE slab of ribs in my farmshare and Bret has been champing at the bit to get it on the grill! Well, he finally made it happen and it was fall-off-the-bone delicious! I wish I had a photo of it, but trust me…it was amazing! And who doesn’t love grilled corn on the cob? That’s always a favorite!
On another note, my sister and I watched an episode of “Raven’s Home”, the new Disney show that revisits “That’s So Raven” as a divorced single mom and I have to admit, it’s really funny! The kid actors are really good and Raven is still hamming it up in that way I love. Unlike Fuller House and Girl Meets World, they finally got it right!
Clearly, my weekend was very relaxing, lol!
Workouts for the Week
Monday 8/21: Rest day!
Tuesday 8/22: It was a super hot and humid day and I was due for a tempo run. I thought about switching to an easy run, but I’m glad I pushed through and made this run happen! I did 1 warmup mile and then ran 2 x 10 minutes at 9:20-9:30 pace…it was really hard! Ten minutes never felt so long, especially when I only got a 2-minute break in between!
Wednesday 8/23: I went to yoga and barre fusion class at the studio. I was a little out of my element as it had been a little while since I’ve been to barre or yoga, but I held my own, I think! I humbled myself by using the 2-pound weights and I’m glad that I did because Crystal really worked our shoulders! For some reason, the barre work felt a bit “off”…while all the glute work kept the shakes going strong, lol!
Thursday 8/24: I was pretty sore from Wednesday’s barre class, but I ended up taking barre class again! Why? Because after Thursday’s class, several of us were going to take an Uber to Chinatown for karoake, aka barre-oke! The class itself was tough since I was so fatigued…even the light weights were too heavy, haha. I was nervous about karaoke with virtual strangers, lol, but I’m glad I went! I had a fun time with the ladies and even sang a few songs, lol. The songs from Destiny’s Child, early JT, and early Britney were my favorite!
Friday 8/25: I had the day off and I made it out for a morning run on Forbidden Drive. The weather was perfect and it was a peaceful, slow, easy run. Just what I needed! My legs were pretty beat!
Saturday 8/26: Normally I run long on Saturdays but my buddy Mark was running on Sunday so I ran 4 easy miles in the afternoon. It was a newish route for me, but a nice challenge.
Sunday 8/27: Mark and I met up a little after 7:30 on a cool morning to tackle the Schuylkill River Loop. He’s training for the Philly Marathon and had 12 miles on tap; we ended up running 8.5 together. He’s my very first running buddy and it’s been ages since we’ve trained together. He’s doing really well with his runs and getting a bit too speedy for me lol, so he kept things interesting. As usual, we talked a ton about work and running, were entertained by passersby, and the miles flew by. I felt really good except my knees were killing me at the end from the pavement…I’ve been spoiled from my current neighborhood! I made sure to do all my major runner’s knee exercises!
Week 5 Report Card
I’m extremely pleased with my training this past week! My mileage was on point, I cross-trained (even though it did tire me out a bit!), and my paces were better than last week. Running faster paces is definitely intimidating, and this coming week has some speed work that already has me shaking in my boots, but all I can do is give it my best effort! The Rock ‘n Roll Montreal Half Marathon is now less than a month away and it’ll be interesting to see how it goes! In the meantime, I’m giving week 5 an A and I’m hoping to keep up the momentum as I finally hit double digits this weekend!
How was your week of workouts? What’s your go-to karaoke song?
I used to shop at The Limited for 80% of my professional clothes but they sadly closed earlier this year 🙁 Believe it or not, I’ve gotten some great work blouses and dresses from H&M and Old Navy. You can also find great skirts, slacks, shoes and tops at Marshalls or TJ MAXX – it’s hit or miss, but if you get there early in the morning (when the store isn’t a disaster), you can find cute stuff, and accessories too!
Sounds like you had an awesome week of training. I’m glad things are going so well for you!
I used to shop at The Limited all the time too! I was so sad when they closed.
Thanks for the tips, Kim! I forgot that the Limited closed down…ugh! I actually haven’t been at H&M or Old Navy in a while but they’re great to stock up on some tops which I so desperately need!
And thanks on the training 🙂
I’m so excited about Stitch Fix! I have a great stylist who keeps me looking fresh and professional. I get compliments all the time about my outfits now. I know they have a variety of price options–you should check it out. It’s fun to get a box of clothes once/month, too.
Great week of training for you!
Stitch Fix…I really need to try them out sometime, the outfits look cute and I’ve really liked your pics!
Thanks!
Sounds like you had a great week of running Janelle! Isn’t it fun to catch up with an old running buddy?!? As far as shopping goes …I absolutely love to shop! TJMAXX has a great variety at great prices. New York & Co. has good office attire as well. My favorite is Ann Taylor and Banana Republic.
Thanks for linking Janelle and have a great week!
Thanks a lot, Teresa! I was happy to have a solid week. And I really like TJ Maxx but haven’t bought anything in there in a while!
Sounds like a great week and really productive! I like Ann Taylor Loft for work clothes, though they can get pricey. I usually shop there with sales. I’ve also had some success with sales at Express and Macy’s. I recently got a simple black pencil skirt at the thrift store for an amazing price. I think the thrift store isn’t a bad place for basic staples if you have the patience to sort through things.
It’s been a while since I’ve done TRUE karaoke. But I think my last performance was Livin’ on a Prayer by Bon Jovi. I was in a wedding this weekend though and we cranked up the tunes while we got ready & I busted out all the lyrics to a few “classics” – Milkshake, Single Ladies, and the Macarena. Haha.
That sounds like so much fun! Oh Livin’ on a Prayer is like that ultimate bar song haha
We had the cooler weather here too it was such a fabulous change! That karaoke sounds really fun. Have a great week.
I’ve been getting Stitch Fix every other month, but after being at Dillards with my mom this weekend, I may go back once they have some more autumn clothing. I need some more work tops since I need to replace some older ones.
Jump right in to your speed work! I’m sure that you will surprise yourself.
Great week of workouts!
If you have an Ann Taylor outlet store near you, that is one of my favorite places to shop. You can usually find some really good deals on the sale racks there.
Thanks, Sara! I do need to find an Ann Taylor outlet, I love finding a good deal!
My work clothes/ and “real life” clothes situation is a disaster right now. But I too think I just need to buy less and just shop more frequently. And not go crazy one weekend, and then end up not wearing half the stuff because they were rush buys (which is what I always end up doing). So maybe if I buy 1 or 2 things but do so regularly, I will slowly build a decent wardrobe! Great week of training and glad you held your own in the yoga and barre fusion class!
Great job this week! Kudos on doing back-to-back Barre–that would be so hard! You’re right that running faster is a little scary, but you’re also right that all we can do is give it the best we can on that day. I find a lot of good deals at Loft (I snatch things up when they have a sale on sale) and Banana Republic (again, wait for the sales).
Thanks, Jennifer! Taking barre twice a week is challenging enough on its own, I definitely won’t do a back-to-back again!
Loft is great and I love Banana Republic…I used to live near one of their outlet stores and always scooped some great deals!
Awesome job with your workouts this week! I struggle with finding work clothes too. I buy most of my clothes at the Loft which has good prices but the clothes don’t last that long.
Thanks, Lisa! Ugh, that’s why I’m trying to limit H&M…they don’t last as long as I’d like.
Great week of training. I usually shop at Marshallls or Macy’s with coupons. Sometimes the Loft.
Thanks, Darlene! I haven’t been in a Marshall’s in ages…they are tougher to find in Philly for some reason!
Mostly I buy things at Ann Taylor, Loft, or Banana Republic but it can be hit or miss. I bought a ton of stuff at Talbot’s this summer — it was a rare time when I liked a lot of the styles and they fit well too. I think you’re doing great with your training!
I found some crazy deals at all 3 places last Friday! Usually I don’t go to Ann Taylor cuz they’re so pricey but I lucked out! Thanks, Coco 🙂
I get a lot of my current work clothes from Banana Republic. The last few months, I’ve been catching some crazy deals there.
I love Banana Republic and bought a cute dress for cheap! I definitely need to keep my eye out!
Awesome “A” week of training!! I think mine was only a “C” – solid positive thinking, but could be way better if I wasn’t struggling with injuries. But hey, a positive attitude can take you far!
I’m not much of a shopper, but ironically I love reading fashion magazines. Maybe it’s the photography I like better or seeing what all of the celebrities & models are doing. I’m nosy like that.
I do not spend a lot of money on clothes at all and I love a good deal. Unless I travel we don’t have much of a selection as far as classy stores in my town. We do have TJ Maxx and I tend to find a lot of my work clothes there.
I’m gonna name drop Old Navy, too. They have a lot of teeny-bopper stuff, but also a lot of classic pieces (blouses, cardigans, dress pants, etc.) that can be dressed up or down depending on the shoes and accessories you put with them. (and, ahem, they have a great selection of active gear…just saying).
I do need to check out Old Navy, they do have some nice blouses! I try to stay away from the active wear LOL – too tempting!
Good week! I hope you are enjoying this same stretch of cool weather than I am. I’m loving it! Good luck this weekend w/double digits. I shop almost exclusively from J Crew – I shop the sales!
Thanks, Courtney! I know, the cooler weather is like a miracle, haha! I’m so intimidated to go into J.Crew…but I will give it a try for some cute stuff on sale!
I admit I have never sung a song at karaoke. 🙂 I’ve been a few times, though, and had a good time making fun of those brave souls who did sing. Does that make me a bad person? You killed this week of training! Definitely worthy of an A. 🙂