Dialing Back the Intensity (for a week)

Spring has got to be my favourite season. 

And with both my gym and my pool closed for the 4-day Easter long weekend, I'm taking that as a sign that I was meant to put training on pause.

So, I slowed things down this week to make sure that I had a chance to enjoy the stunning weather. And now I'm feeling refreshed...rejuvenated...and so happy.

I've also taken some time this week to think about how to balance work, home, kids, dog, running, swimming and gym while also adding in biking. I've been dangerously close to becoming stressed over how to fit everything in but I think I've figured it out -

• Hitting the gym 2x/week instead of 3 should give me the time that I need to get in a long ride every week.
• Riding to the gym (possible now that the days are longer) will add in two short rides :-)
• Zumba has moved to a day/time that really doesn't work for me - I'm going to miss it this season, but that frees up the same amount of time as one of my runs typically takes.

I think that's all the tweaking that's going to be needed, and I'm feeling pretty good about these changes. Let's see how the next few weeks go!

How are you keeping life in balance? Do you find that you need to tweak your routine now and then to fit everything in  - and make sure that you're still enjoying what you're doing?

Here's this week's recap -

Saturday - Spent the day with my inlaw's - took kids and dogs for a hike, then settled in for a long and lovely Easter dinner.

Kids on a log

Dogs in a creek

Sunday - Easter egg hunt in the morning...park in the early afternoon....

Kids got some excellent super-bouncy balls in their Easter baskets.
Perfect for handball and every other game we could come up with.

...and jogged over to a different park in the early evening (2.6K round trip)



 

Monday - Kids and husband had the day off. They went to the zoo while I had to go to work :-(

Tuesday - Rest day.

Wednesday - Boot camp followed by Curves circuit. Did 50 pushups, 1min plank, 70 leg lifts each side, 5 burpees, 250 crunches and 7 mins on the stairstepper.

  

Thursday - The 5 of us went to the school playground after dinner - I jogged with dog while kids rode their bikes - 2.7K round trip.

Sliding face first with your sister riding on your back seems like a good idea, no?

Friday - FIRST BIKE RIDE OF THE SEASON. I know, I know - it's April, what took so long? Mainly, I'm a wimp about riding when the temps are so cool that I get chilly during a ride. Tonight was perfect though. Felt great to be back on the bike, and I think that starting to run over the winter helped a lot - I felt remarkably strong for my first ride out, rather than rusty after almost 6 months off the bike. All good.

Rode to my gym (6K round trip), did a circuit and a few extras (100 crunches, 30s plank, 40+20 pushups, 50 leg lifts each side).

Took this to show how sweaty I was after the circuit, but it just doesn't show up.
Honestly, I was dripping!

And here's something wonderful - a lady came over to the stretching area at the end of her circuit, grabbed a mat and did 4 pushups. Turns out that these are the first pushups she's ever done in her life. Said she saw me doing mine and wanted to give them a try. She's aiming for 5 next time. LOVE IT.