My Fitness Journey
Fitness journeys are never linear. There will always be ups and downs. My journey is no exception. I have not been feeling very productive and on my fitness game this past month, and that’s okay. I let it be for a short time, and then I work towards returning to my routine.
It is okay to fall off of your regular routine, but if it’s something you want to maintain, it is something you will want to return as soon as possible.
I have always been on and off of my fitness routine, and I am working hard toward maintaining that routine as much as possible. So, even though the past month I did not do any strength training, I did get some runs in. Sometimes, something is better than nothing.
Workout Split -1st Month- May 2023
I started by creating a fitness routine that helped build muscle endurance and habits of working out and consistency. I began with basic movements and low weights for muscle memory on all movement patterns.
For the first month, my workout split was as follows:
Sunday - cardio - even just a walk
Monday - unilateral upper body workout
Tuesday - unilateral quad-focused leg workout
Wednesday - cardio - even just a walk
Thursday - unilateral hamstring leg workout
Friday - bilateral upper body workout
Saturday - cardio - even just a walk
I began every workout with a stability/mobility warmup and a core workout.
Workout Split - 2nd Month - June 2023
I adjusted my workout for the 2nd Month, adding in more cardio. I am currently working through the Nike Running Club app 18-week training for a marathon program, which provides five runs a week, which is perfect for what I am doing with my strength training. It was a bit of a struggle the first couple of weeks to get into a good routine, but I have something solid down that works SO well for me.
I began every workout with a stability/mobility warmup and a core workout.
Sunday - cardio - recovery run in the Nike Running Club app - typically 20-30 minutes. I will choose the longest recovery run from the week and schedule it for Sunday. Then, yoga and stretches.
Monday - unilateral hamstring leg workout - no cardio
Tuesday - unilateral upper body workout and recovery run 20-25 minutes typically
Wednesday - cardio - Speed run - usually 20-30 minutes alternating between hard and easy running, then yoga and stretching.
Thursday - unilateral quad-focused leg workout - no cardio
Friday - bilateral upper body workout and recovery run 20-25 minutes typically
Saturday - cardio - long run - each week, it increases the distance in preparation for the marathon distance
Workout Split - 3rd Month - July 2023
I am beginning the 3rd Month this week, and I made some changes to each workout by increasing the weights and some exercises, but the overall workout split is exactly the same. I added more chest exercises on my upper body day as that is where my weakness is.
I am very proud of my progress thus far in maintaining consistency. I have taken some days off entirely due to how much energy I have had based on how I slept and recovered from the day before. I have taken time to stretch and walk as I have less energy but more than how I feel when I take an entire day off. But I try not to take more than two days in a row off completely. But I am listening to my body.
The all-or-nothing mindset is still VERY prevalent, but I know rest and recovery are so important. I try to remind myself of this.
Today, as I write this, it is Thursday, and I should do a unilateral quad-focused leg day, but I have had zero energy to do a workout all day. I do not think that I am going to work out. It is a struggle in my brain to take the day off. But I know I will benefit from taking the day off and allowing my body to rest and recover.
Also, I have been documenting my whole marathon training journey on social media - mainly on TikTok and Instagram Reels. But I post it on all platforms that allow short-form content. My socials are linked at the top of this page if you want to follow my journey.
Workout Split - 4th Month - August 2023
During August, my workout split was supposed to be the same as the past two months.
Sunday - cardio - recovery run in the Nike Running Club app - typically 20-30 minutes. I will choose the longest recovery run from the week and schedule it for Sunday. Then, yoga and stretches.
Monday - unilateral hamstring leg workout - no cardio
Tuesday - unilateral upper body workout and recovery run 20-25 minutes typically
Wednesday - cardio - Speed run - usually 20-30 minutes alternating between hard and easy running, then yoga and stretching.
Thursday - unilateral quad-focused leg workout - no cardio
Friday - bilateral upper body workout and recovery run 20-25 minutes typically
Saturday - cardio - long run - each week, it increases the distance in preparation for the marathon distance
But I have not been followed my strength training split. I have been running as often as I had the energy to. August was not my best Month in the mental health department. Plus, I spent a week in Alaska on vacation. So, overall, my strength training split fell off. I did run 15/31 days, though.
I have been trying to get through the 15-week-to-go week of the 18-week Marathon Training program in the Nike Run Club app. But have not yet completed it. I am working on finishing it this week (August 27-September 2) along with my new workout split.
**NEW*Workout Split -5th Month - September 2023**
This Month, I am focusing on the quality of my workouts. I am increasing my strength training to 6 days a week and cardio daily. It will alternate between upper-body and lower-body workouts and end the week with a long run, yoga, and stretching.
I am following the 18-week program in the Nike Run Club app. I am beginning September with 15 weeks to go.
Sunday - unilateral hamstring leg workout - recovery run in the Nike Run Club app - Then yoga and stretches.
Monday - unilateral upper-body workout - recovery run - Then yoga and stretches.
Tuesday - unilateral quad-focused leg workout - no cardio - Then yoga and stretches.
Wednesday - bilateral upper-body workout and speed run - Then yoga and stretches.
Thursday - unilateral hamstring leg workout - no cardio - Then yoga and stretches.
Friday - unilateral upper-body workout - recovery run - Then yoga and stretches.
Saturday - cardio - long run - each week, it increases the distance in preparation for the marathon distance - Then yoga and stretches.
My biggest focus is the hamstrings/glutes, bilateral upper-body workouts, and cardio endurance. I am working on losing some weight as well.
Nutrition
Regarding nutrition, I am intermittent fasting** from 8 pm-12 pm. This means I eat my first meal at 12 pm until 8 pm. I put the ** because I have a protein coffee in the morning - before 12 pm., which I know technically breaks my fast, but I do not care. This works for me, especially with my workout and work schedules. It is okay to veer from the normal rules of intermittent fasting. I mostly follow it, except for the protein coffee in the morning.
I do not have the mental capacity for meal planning and prepping, so we get Hello Fresh in 4 servings five meals a week, and save half for lunch. This gives us enough calories for the day with two full meals and a snack, which I have as a protein shake and usually a dessert.
Sleep
I am utilizing my Oura Ring to track my sleep and overall recovery. I use it more as a guide in conjunction with how I feel that day. Like today, it shows I should feel recovered, but I do not feel good at all. So I’m taking a rest day like I said earlier.
However, I am focusing on creating a nighttime routine with my skincare and giving myself time to read and fall asleep when needed. So I need to wake up at 530 a.m. to have time to get ready for work. So I try to be asleep by 10 pm.
I have had some trouble falling asleep recently. So, I am working on trying to turn that around. I think I have spent too much time scrolling my phone in bed that my brain is not associating the time with sleep. So, I am working on not scrolling my phone and reading my book for a while. If it’s longer than 30 minutes, I will lay in another room reading until I feel sleepy again before returning to bed.
How I am feeling
Lately, I have not been feeling great mentally. I haven’t been working out as much as I want, which affects my mental health. I have not been posting as much, either, so I am working on maintaining my fitness routine to further my fitness progress and work toward improving my mental health.
I am also working on maintaining my morning and evening routines to help improve my mental health.
I am not feeling great today; I only wanted to lie in bed, scrolling my phone. But instead, I decided to do one thing on my to-do list for content creation. I have been fairly consistent with my short-form content posts, so I did that, and now I am writing this post. That is all I have time for, and that is okay. I checked off one big task, and that is what I need to get done today.
If you are here and reading this, you are interested in your health and fitness and subscribed to My Active Life Members. That is so good; I am so excited for you! Taking care of your body is the best thing you can do for yourself in the present and the long term.
“Do something today that your future self will thank you for”
— unknown
I find that quote so inspiring. Hard work will pay off in the future, but you also have to live in the moment, and I feel like taking care of yourself is doing both. You are doing good for yourself now as well as for your future self.
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