Weekly Training Update {7/13-7/19}

Mark and I strive for equality in our marriage. I meal plan/shop/cook and he cleans after dinner. He does the laundry, and I put it away. He offers 3,000 foot rubs while I'm training, and I begrudgingly half-ass one while watching "Grey's Anatomy" on Netflix.

It's not everyone's idea for the division of duties but, for us, it works.

And our MO is no different when it comes to childcare, trying to be as accommodating and fair as possible. I run at 7 a.m. Saturday, he's off to the Y at 9. I let him sleep in, I get an hour for a pedicure. He has a guy's night, I bank brownie points for overnight relays.*

So when he had a guy's night among an already packed weekend, I was a bit frustrated. "What about me? What about my time?" I thought ... and then whined ... out loud. I had a brief moment that could only be labeled as "Kim playing the martyr" before I came to my senses.

I told Mark that I needed an hour to exercise Saturday afternoon. Like the good man he is, he offered to take the boys shopping so I could have uninterrupted time.

The day was the first one that resembled summer in nearly two months, with the mercury passing 90 for the first time since September. It would have been nice to do my long run then but it wouldn't be fun or safe. But I wanted to coat myself in NAAWK and feel the sun on my face, the breeze on my skin.

A photo posted by Kimberly (@healthystrides) on Jul 18, 2015 at 2:25pm PDT

And what better way to do that than by bike?

My road bike, Peaches, is still on the trainer where I abandoned it in February. {Tip: Road bike + pregnant belly = no good.} I'm a good for nothing cyclist and would need Mark to take it off and put on the tire to ride it. It's a favor I'll call in soon but I didn't want to push my luck on Saturday. But, a ride is a ride and I had one in the form of my Trek hybrid.

I pumped up the tires, adjusted a brake line and wiped down the frame. It was beautiful. And I was ready.

For me, riding bike is not so much about exercise, hitting a certain mph or watts (assuming I know WTF watts are). It's about being outside and feeling myself move. It's about seeing my usual trail from a new perspective. It's about being free and feeling young again.

Ha. Young. Good thing you can't see all of my white hairs.

I rode about 7 miles on a nearly empty trail, going this way and that. It was the most fun I had had in some time. Except for the part where I encountered a huge flock of geese. Geese scare me. Actually, all birds scare me. I biked like hell then and prayed that one of the mamas did not hiss or charge at me.

I returned to an empty house but I felt full. I had a smile on my face, sweat on my brow and fresh rain on my hair. The latter was thanks to a brief summer storm.

When the boys came charging in 45 minutes later, I was ready and happy to be Mom again.

The week, in training:

Monday, July 13
RUN | 4 miles {with the stroller}
Time: 40:02 Pace: 10:00

Tuesday, July 14
X-TRAIN | Boot camp {taught}
Time: 50 minutes

Wednesday, July 15
RUN | 4.0 miles
Time: 38:48 Pace: 9:42

X-TRAIN | Piloxing {taught}
Time: 45 minutes

Thursday, July 16
REST

Friday, July 17
RUN | 4.1 miles, progression
Time: 38:43 Pace: 9:27

Saturday, July 18
CYCLE | 7 miles

X-TRAIN | Pi-Yo Defined

Time: 30 minutes

Sunday, July 19
RUN | 5.1 miles
Time: 49:37 Pace: 9:43

*Note: Please do not mistake this arrangement for pawning off our kids and avoiding responsibilities. Mark and I believe that in order to be a good, happy parent that it is paramount to retain our own identities – not just be "Mommy" or "Daddy" all the time.