WRD: The Countdown Starts

It’s good to stay in the present moment but as I expressed last week, I’m just ready for the year to be over. Whatever curse (yes, I do realise it’s dramatic) that has been hanging over my head , the countdown has started for it finally to be over.

4…3…2…1…

Time for the Weekly Run Down

Deborah and Kim are the amazing hosts for the Weekly Run Down! Feel free to join in as well to wrap up your week in fitness!

WEEK 31

Plan vs. Actual

Monday – 3.25KM walk, GLI gym 1 hr intake – no workout (appt w/different PT), 3.5KM biking
Tuesday – 3KM walk (office day) to and from train station
Wednesday – 3KM walk, W6R1 run, 6KM, GLI 1 hour, gym 55 min
Thursday – 2.22KM walk, gym
Friday – 2.75KM walk, W6R2 run , gym 55 min
Saturday – 2.5KM walk, parkrun in Alkmaar 5KM, 17/17 Dutch parkruns done!
Sunday 2KM walk, long run W6R3, 1.4KM w/u walk, 10KM run (!!!)

Weekly Run Down Blogger Linkup

Plans are not etched in stone

This week started well, then petered out, then got better again. I don’t actually think it will be any different until I can get a bit better control of my emotions. Part of the “problem” is just general depression (is depression even “general”???) and part is menopause (brain fog, moody, crappy sleep). I bought a couple of books to see if I can help myself a bit through all of this. Stay tuned for the update – hahaha!

Side note: I ordered the books 4 weeks ago from Amazon; my first order got lost somewhere between Germany and here and the second order I had to fight with DHL to actually get the package. At least Amazon sent me the second order free of charge. Can you imagine though? All I wanted to do was get the books I ordered and start helping myself??? Here we are, four weeks later and I finally received them.

This Week In Fitness

Planned vs. Actual

  • Monday – AM spin, PM pilates DONE
  • Tuesday – RPM at the gym DONE (RPM sprint + “regular”) also ran 3km in the morning (yes, in the morning!)
  • Wednesday – gym, cardio and strength NOPE
  • Thursday – REST (out with friends) Date got pushed out again; went out with Ron
  • Friday – AM Spin or Run or some strength at home Midday RPM @home
  • Saturday – REST (away in Zeeland) Nailed it
  • Sunday – home from Zeeland, will see what I can fit in Looks like another rest day

Biking (RPM)

Did I mention how much I’m loving having the spin bike at home? Oh man, what a great investment! And while I do think about having a Peloton subscription, I really love RPM and Les Mills on Demand is a tiny bit cheaper (and has all the classes as well).

By the way, I always judge a good workout by how much mascara is smeared all over my face. This filter really shows that haha!

Pilates

Nothing too exciting to report. I go from finding it very boring to liking it to finding it boring again. We have two more sessions until winter break. Maybe I just have missed too many classes again and need to get into the rhythm again.

Running

I actually ran * a WHOLE * 3 km on Tuesday morning at 5:30. I WILL BECOME A MORNING RUNNER.

I hope to add more kilometers this month but I’m just not pushing it

Gym

Welp. This week was a real fail as far as strength training goes. I went only once to the gym this week, but I did kick ass at back-to-back RPM sessions again.

>

Coming up Next Week

I’m not actually going to plan anything for next week, though I do intend to do Pilates again on Monday and RPM on Tuesday at the gym. The reason I’m not planning is because on Thursday we are going to Catania – and I’m finding that the less pressure I put on myself right now, the better. I want to be sure that I’m ready for the trip, can get all my laundry done, etc. Work has been very busy and I’ve been working some overtime so I just don’t need the extra “stress” of having to get to the gym or whatever. I’m most looking forward to being somewhere where the sun is shining and it’s projected to be 17 -19C degrees (62 -67F)when we are there. I dream of learning Italian, winning the lottery and moving to Sicily (or Naples or Palermo for that matter)…

Other Stuff

I did have a great time in Zeeland this weekend with Yvonne. It was so good to have girl time! I don’t have a lot of friends here so I am so grateful for times like this. I did not take a lot of photos, however, as I really wanted to be in the moment with her. In June it’s our 10 year meet-in-person-versary so now we want to figure out what to do to celebrate that!

Flashback to that time we were in Brussels together with our friend Dave in 2012

In respect to possible hernia – I have an echo scheduled for the 17th of December. And for my foot – I’m still waiting to see if I can get another appointment at the clinic soon. I am not talking about it all the time but, rest assured, my foot hurts all the f*cking time. I’m so sick of it; sick enough that I don’t even want to talk about it because it makes me so angry. Anyway. More to come on that subject I’m sure.

That’s a wrap!

How was your week? Did you smash goals or go with the flow of changes in your plan? Are you keeping fit and healthy during the most wonderful (busy) time of the year? Have you ever been to Sicily? How about Zeeland?

34 thoughts on “WRD: The Countdown Starts

  1. I think taking it easy this month and no pressure sounds perfect. I hope you find answers to your pains! It’s just so frustrating, isn’t it? Have a great trip and enjoy!

  2. It looks like you accomplished a lot last week…and YAY to the early morning running :-) They were not an automatic love affair for me either, but they worked for my schedule. Now, though, I am in totally LOVE with them and I enjoy have the entire day to do whatever (well, AFTER work, that is).

  3. Yay to 3k! I’ve said this before, but the whole reason I love running in the morning is that it’s rare to have a schedule conflict at 6AM and there is just no better feeling that having those miles under your belt that early in the morning.

    1. Yes I do think with a few more morning runs I can really make it a habit. I would just really like to have time in the evening for other things!

  4. Oh no on your foot! I hoped it was feeling better. You are dealing with so much. It’s amazing you’re doing as much as you are. Yay for girlfriend time!!

    1. Yeah, I’m so disappointed about my foot. And now I can’t see them again until FEBRUARY. I think I’m just going to call every week and bug them to see if there’s a cancelation. And yes was so good to spend time with Yvonne!

  5. Ugh! That’s so frustrating about the books, but glad that Amazon was able to send you another shipment. Tis the season for crazy shipping and delivering stories!

    You had a really great week and woo-hoo for that 3k run. Coming back slowly but surely!

  6. I wish I could have the variety you do in your workouts! I just run 5 days a week. It’s really the only thing I like to do, I find all other types of workouts boring haha. Having a bike at home would be useful though! It would be nice to have an option to workout at home when I wanted to.

    1. I do find some things boring! Like doing strength training on my own. I’d much rather do body pump but I don’t trust my body enough to do it right now. I do love the bike though, but definitely with a spin/RPM/HIIT workout, not just cycling away with no variety.

  7. Glad you’re enjoying the new spin bike! But boo on the foot hurting all the time :( I hope that you can figure something out that helps and I hope the books have some good information too.

    1. Thanks Chaitali! At the moment I’m taping my toes together and pulling them “up” a bit (if that makes sense) with the tape. This way my really painful toe is more straight and has less impact with every step. but I don’t want to do this the rest of my life!

  8. Hugs, Renee. You will get through this. You’ll get some answers. And it sounds like you actually hit most of your planned workouts this weeks, too! Gotta take your victories where you can. And go ahead & vent all you want, sometimes you just have to.

    I don’t even know where Zeeland is, but i haven’t been there or anywhere in Italy either (although I definitely would love to go to Italy before it sinks into the ocean . . .).

    1. Thanks Judy. One of these days I’m going to collect in person, all the hugs you’ve given me. I definitely am taking my victories! Zeeland is in the southwest of NL, just above Belgium. In Zeeland you are always close to the sea. We were in Koudekerke, right on the dunes. But it was super windy and we didn’t actually go on the beach. Hopefully in the spring!

  9. I think a reset for the New Year would be a good idea. Take it easy until the holidays are over, have fun, play, and be ready for fitness activities to begin again in January. Hope your trip to Catania (I don’t know where that is) is wonderful!

    1. It’s actually good to not have a strict plan right now. I’m enjoying what I’m doing and I think that’s so important. Catania is in Sicily on the east side of the island and just north of (the original) Syracuse (which is Way SE). In any case, it’s in Italy, way south, where the sun is still shining and it’s about 45F :D

  10. Love your countdown. Hate that you are still dealing with foot pain and the hernia.

    So glad you were able to have a little getaway and fun with friends. That’s so important.

    Today, I smashed the goal of sleeping, so that was fantastic. I don’t know if my aims are going to get much higher.

    1. Thanks Jenn. I feel so bad for you – and when I think about you stuck in bed and not able to do things it brings me back to not so many months ago :( I really hope you heal soon!! You don’t need to have high aims right now – getting through the day without crying or having an anxiety attack were usually my aims back in August and September.

  11. Bah! Sorry the foot pain continues. I can just imagine how sick and tired you must feel about that. Have so much fun in Catania! Sounds so lovely as i sit here listening to the wind howl and rain pelt against the windows. We did not stop and visit Zeeland but I think I remember seeing it on the train we took when we went to Antwerp and Bruges.

    1. Thanks Marcia! I am curious if we will like Catania as much as Palermo! I guess you would have gone through Vlissingen maybe on your way to Belgium? It’s so close!

    1. Thanks Michelle! So far going with the flow is working. I do feel less stressed than a few weeks ago.

  12. I feel chaotic at the moment, which I don’t like, the kitties taking up time and energy and waiting for deliveries etc. Also two jobs at work took longer than expected although both are almost done now and then I just have one big project to finish (hopefully!). So I don’t think I’ve done what I planned in terms of yoga, spin and strength but at least I’m running regularly. Hope you can get all the crappy health stuff on its way to being sorted out really soon, and that the books, now you have them, help!

    1. It’s a hectic time of year Liz! Hope you’re not being too hard on yourself. The kitties are a wonderful distraction though, right?

      1. I’m needing to have an early night to be honest, which I’m doing very soon! But yes, looking after myself and trying to accept how things need to be at the moment.

  13. Sorry about the aches and pains going on. You did keep busy despite those! Crazy about the book order. I really have nothing planned for running and exercise right now. Life has a way of throwing a wrench into those ideas in these holiday weeks so I’m just going to roll with it! Zeeland actually sounds like a made-up town from a TV show! I like it :)

    1. I so agree with you about the holiday weeks! So I’m also going with the flow right now. Honestly I have intentions and will just try to fulfil those but not going to be too hard on myself.

      So Zeeland is the original “Zealand” – New Zealand is named after Zeeland when Abel Tasman (a Dutch guy) “discovered” it. That’s why you also have Tasmania in Australia. I reckon New Zealand is quite different to Zeeland though!

  14. I am glad you are liking your bike! Ugh on that foot. I hope you get answers soon. Happy you got your books. I know I am really late with responses but I hope you are having a great trip!!

  15. Pingback: May Report Card

Comments are closed.