This Week in Workouts: Best Run Ever

A quick note: For some reason, this did not get out yesterday. Since it was a pretty great week workout wise, I wanted to get it out anyway :) I hope your Monday is fantastic. Happy Monday!

Happy Sunday! Man, this week was filled with lots of super fun things! First, Sunday began with my longest run in about two years, then we got to see Once, which was epic. I honestly do not know which is better, the movie or the show. All of the Irish music in the show made it the hub's favorite, hands down. And, speaking of Irish music, does anyone have plans for St. Patrick's Day? We are in the process of planning something fun for my birthday/St. Patrick's Day and I cannot wait!

This week was also filled with kettlebell workouts, more runs, and lots of handstand and scorpion poses.

Sunday: 6-mile run averaging 8:30 per mile. Whoohoo! This was my first run outdoors in quite a while, it was so nice and wonderfully relaxing. Although, my face was a bit dirtier than indoor running.

Monday: Resting those legs and yoga

Tuesday: 4-mile run followed by yoga flow for flexebility

Wednesday: Inversion yoga flow

Thursday: Rest day

Friday: Cassey Ho Dance Workout followed by kettlebell mixer workout that is derived from here.

Saturday: Kettlebell mixer workout x3 followed by this yoga for detox by Adriene. Yea, I will definitely have to post the kettlebell mixer workout super soon, I am completely obsessed with it. Bum and abs are sooo sore!

Changing Up a Workout

There has been a lot of running on my fitness roster of late. This last week I shattered my fastest 1 mile and 5k times, which has been great and has massively encouraged me to keep on running whenever I am working out. But, only running without any other cardio or toning can be bad.  Running only would only work certain muscle groups, leaving others weak and my body open to greater risks of injury.

So, today I will be doing these workouts instead of running. This Blogilates workout above is something that I have been looking forward to doing since it was released a few short days ago. This workout looks super fun and is less than 15-minutes long. The whole 15-minute cardio part works out super great since this workout requires 15-minutes of cardio first.

These two workouts may not be running, but I am certainly excited to try them out! Also, have you ever tried backwards running before?

Running Myths and Truths

I have recently started running quite a bit more, which has led me down the rabbit hole of interesting running myths and truths. Although tests are usually not something I look forward to, I think a little running quiz on this Wednesday morning could be quite fun. There are six running myths and truths below, can you figure out which are true and which are false?

Hint: three are true and three are false.

Truths

If you guessed that two, three, and five were true, you would be correct. Kinetic stretches are vital before a run. This form of stretching lubricates the joints, warms the muscles, and prepares the tendons- all of which increase performance and decrease the risk of injury, just be sure to keep it kinetic before and static after. Likewise, shorter strides have been shown to decrease fractures in the foot when compared to longer strides. The average stride for professional competitive racers is between 185-200. That should be our goal as well!

Not Truths

If you thought something was fishy about numbers one, four, and six, you were correct! There is no scientific evidence to show that running is bad for our joints. Actually, there is no evidence to show that running does anything (good or bad) to our joints at all. When wearing compression socks, race times are improved by up to 6.1%. Recovery time is also lessened with compression gear and so is soreness after a run. Although flexibility is good for running, too much flexibility can weaken a stride and increase the risk of injury.

Intense Indoor Cardio Workouts

More than half the US is currently stuck indoors which makes getting a good cardio workout a little more difficult. Yesterday, our aunt sent us a picture of their horse barely able to peek her head over a snow bank. Florida is definitely not that snowy right now, but boy is it cold compared to our usual mid-February temperatures. 

If you are one of those unable to go outside or get to your gym, there are some great indoor cardio workouts that will help burn some calories without braving that winter wonderland. One of these has a bit of a soft spot for me as well since it was the first ever workout showcased on P+K. Can you guess which?

15-Minute Kettlebell AMRAP Workout By Pumps and Iron

{via}

This workout was featured on the blog a few weeks ago in a "This Week in Workouts" and I have been dying to do it ever since. The entire workout takes 15-minutes with no breaks between exercises or sets. You will be sweating by the end. Add this workout after and your bum will be on it's way to defying gravity... And you will be a bit sore.

Burn 300 Calories in 30-Minutes by Pen and Keyboard

This is [still] one of my favorite workouts to complete. At the end of the first set you are glistening. By the second set, you are dripping sweat; and the third set leaves you as a pile of goop on the floor. Best of all, it takes no equipment and hardly any space. Do this and you are sure to burn 300+ calories in 30-minutes, or waay more!

Jillian Michaels' Yoga Melt Down

Ok, this workout has been featured on P+K before and even though I am not a fan of double featuring a workout, this is good enough to make an exception. Yes, it's yoga, and yes, you will finish this 35-minute workout breathless. If you are wanting to get a great arm and core workout, do this. The entire workout is great on it's own, or done before a more relaxed yoga flow for a super intense warm up.

Bikini Workout

It may be snowing outside, but we can get a head start on that beach-wear anyway! This workout is intense, and it mixes things up, and it will stretch your muscles while toning them. Like most of the workouts on the list, this one also takes no equipment to complete and requires very little room. It also has surprisingly few cardio exercises considering how hard your heart will be working.