Life After Marathons: A Running/barre3/Coffee/Life Journal

I kept trying vanilla soy milk in coffee and it seemed to curdle, this gives me hope for it being useful for cold drinks!

Yeah, soy milk and hot coffee don't always go well together. It seemed to go much better in the cold - I had to mix it up to integrate it (which I don't really have to do with dairy milk), but once they coffee and soy milk were mixed, it was fine.
 
Good for you for liking soy milk. I find that it has a somewhat sour taste. I usually go for almond milk. Its a little weird at first since white bits float on the top of the tea, and I thought something was wrong.
 


Good for you for liking soy milk. I find that it has a somewhat sour taste. I usually go for almond milk. Its a little weird at first since white bits float on the top of the tea, and I thought something was wrong.

I'm not normally a soy milk fan, but I think the vanilla makes it tolerable in most situations. I'm really a dairy milk person, but I'm used to skim and all we have at work is whole and 2%, so the vanilla soy actually tastes better to me. We also have almond (both sweetened and unsweetened ... yes we have the same number of almond milks and dairy milks), so maybe I'll try that next.
 
I prefer unsweetened as sometimes the sweetened ones are very sweet. Its nice that they provide lots of milk choices. At my job for awhile, we only had creamers which I hate, but now we have vanilla almond milk creamers. They are sweeter than I would like but free so I make it work lol.
 
Good for you for liking soy milk. I find that it has a somewhat sour taste. I usually go for almond milk. Its a little weird at first since white bits float on the top of the tea, and I thought something was wrong.
I cannot get past the floaters. They make me wish for powdered creamer, and then I just go for the base beverage.
 


I prefer unsweetened as sometimes the sweetened ones are very sweet. Its nice that they provide lots of milk choices. At my job for awhile, we only had creamers which I hate, but now we have vanilla almond milk creamers. They are sweeter than I would like but free so I make it work lol.

So ... the milk options at my old job were actually better (for me at least). But the snacks here are better, so it balances out.

I cannot get past the floaters. They make me wish for powdered creamer, and then I just go for the base beverage.

Yeah, the floaters are definitely a little off-putting.
 
Random Updates

Princess Training
So, I mentioned in the last training update that I'm changing up my training plan for Princess. I rewrote the plan, but then realized that things never go according to plan, so I'd rather take it one week at a time. So the new new plan is to start from this new plan and adjust each week once I see how the previous week's training went. I will try to remember to post the coming week's plan at the end of each training update so that y'all know what I'm up to.

Here's the plan for the week I'm almost done with (week 6):
1/6 - Monday: Run, 45 minute (MHRC), barre3 (PM)
1/7 - Tuesday: Rest
1/8 - Wednesday: barre3 (AM)
1/9 - Thursday: Run, 50 minutes
1/10 - Friday: Rest
1/11 - Saturday: Rest
1/12 - Sunday: Run, 90 minutes

Surprisingly enough, things have actually gone according to plan.

Work Update
I haven't really talked about the new job much here. I'm working for a healthtech startup, which is kind of exactly my wheelhouse. So far I'm definitely struggling with major impostor syndrome, but I'm also really happy here. My team is great, the office is cool (I think I've mentioned the cold brew on tap and the good snacks), and I've really enjoyed a lot of the work I've done.

This week has been a little dull because we're changing up how our teams are arranged and we're kinda using this week and next week as adjustment weeks and not doing much work. So I'm not really doing anything, and it's kinda bringing up bad memories of when I started at my last job and there was nothing for me to do. So it's been a pretty rough week, but I know I just have to get through it and things will be better once it all gets back to normal.

ClassPass Update
I'm not very good at using my ClassPass credits for things that aren't Mile High Run Club. Oops?

Life Update
Nothing too exciting going on. Just life as usual.
I'm starting to think about moving to my own place when my lease is up, because as nice of a person as my roommate is, I've learned that I don't love living with someone else. We'll see how things go as we get closer (and the lease renewal/new rent is also going to be a factor). I'm just a little worried that if I live alone I'll be totally isolated, because I don't really have too many friends in the neighborhood and while I'm getting better at talking to people at work, I'm still not great about it. I have a few months until I have to worry about it, but I do have to sit down with my budget at some point and see if I can swing a 1-bedroom or if I'd have to go studio.

Movie Update
I saw Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol 2. I liked them both, but the first one was definitely better. The second one was kinda weird.

And I think that's all I got.
 
Definitely feeling some marathon weekend FOMO right now. I've been thinking about Wine & Dine, but I'm aware enough of how last year's MW went to know that I can't go down solo (and no, meetups are not the same, for me at least), so I don't think that's gonna happen. Marathon Weekend next year with my friends who are down there right now might be an option, but we haven't even had a preliminary conversation about that, just a Facebook comment in passing.
Meanwhile, I'm trying my best not to expect the worst for Princess Weekend, but ... we haven't booked any flights yet (which is honestly not that big of a deal, other than the fact that it indicates a lack of interest/commitment), and I have no idea if anyone other than me has run more than 5 miles in training for this thing.
 
Last edited:
Princess Half Marathon Training - Week Six Summary:

Running - 3 runs, total 15.62 miles, 3:11:47 hours
Run #1 - 3.66 miles, 45:39 minutes, 12:29 min/mi avg pace (Mile High Run Club)
Run #2 - 4.19 miles, 50:39 minutes, 12:05 min/mi avg pace
Run #3 - 7.77 miles, 1:35:29 hours, 12:18 min/mi avg pace
Finally got my 90 minute run (plus a bit)!

barre3 - 2 classes
Class #1 - Monday night with Jenna
Class #2 - Wednesday morning with Ashley

Classes at Mile High Run Club are all about intervals, and since it runner-centric, the paces we use correlate to race paces. In this class in particular, we did sets of 3 minutes at half marathon pace, 2 minutes at 10K pace, and a minute at 5K pace, with a minute recovery between each pace. As Coach Matt was telling us the setup, I realized ... I don't really have goal paces right now. I kinda just went with what felt right, and this is where I was:
Half Marathon - 10:42 min/mi
10K - 10:10 min/mi
5K - 9:40 min/mi
For the next few weeks, I'm going to play around with these paces and see where I feel most comfortable. I'm not quite sure what my plan is with pacing for Princess, but since my next local half may be for time, I'll probably end up using my MHRC paces to figure out what goal I should aim for.

Week 7 Plan:
1/13 - Monday: Run, 45 minutes
1/14 - Tuesday: barre3 (PM)
1/15 - Wednesday: Run, 30 minutes; ClassPass class
1/16 - Thursday: barre3 (AM)
1/17 - Friday: Rest
1/18 - Saturday: Rest
1/19 - Sunday: Run to barre3 + barre3

Original plan was barre3 on Monday, but it's my marathoniversary, so I figured I should run. Definitely regretting not buying the marathon jacket I was looking at all weekend (or really anything else that says "WDW Marathon Weekend") because I would have worn it on Monday to celebrate. Sigh. I really need to get better at deciding when the right time is to buy all the things.
Wednesday I'm signed up for an Ariana Grande themed rowing class, but we'll see if I stick with that or decide to do something else.
 
Princess Half Marathon Training - Week Seven Summary:

Running - 3 runs, total 6.16 miles, 2:09:21 hours
Run #1 - 2.62 miles, 31:56 minutes, 12:11 min/mi avg pace
Run #2 - 3.54 miles, 44:09 minutes, 12:28 min/mi avg pace
Run #3 - 4.05 miles, 53:16 minutes, 13:09 min/mi avg pace
Yes, I ran 2.62 miles on my marathon-iversary. I'm weird.

barre3 - 2 classes
Class #1 - Thursday morning with Babette
Class #2 - Sunday morning with Katie
Was planning Tuesday evening, but apparently I had forgotten to register and class was full. I almost got in off the waitlist (and had I actually gone to the studio they likely would have put me in the class), but ultimately decided that I was okay with the unplanned rest day.

Cancelled the rowing class I was planning to do because of work-related stuff. Turned out to be a good idea because my back was bothering me. I would like to do a rowing class at some point, but I'm not sure when it's gonna happen.

About yesterday...
I experienced what I'm pretty sure was a severe burnout episode on Friday. Sometimes I try to "do it all," and while I am certainly capable of it, it makes me a person I don't want to be. That happened on Friday and Saturday, and I ended up being a jerk to people who didn't deserve it. I'm doing a little better now, and working on strategies to stop this from continually happening, but I still feel pretty terrible about what happened this weekend.

Week 8 Plan:
1/20 - Monday: Run, 35 minutes, FlyBarre
1/21 - Tuesday: Run, 45 minutes, barre3 (PM)
1/22 - Wednesday: Run/Strength - MHRC Dash 28
1/23 - Thursday: barre3 (AM)
1/24 - Friday: Rest
1/25 - Saturday: Rest
1/26 - Sunday: Run, 105 minutes

The Mile High Run Club class is "Jagged Little Pill" themed, so I figured it was worth trying a new class to rock out to some Alanis Morissette. Dash 28 is their mixed running/kettlebell class, so we'll see how terribly that goes...
 
Last edited:
First FlyBarre class tomorrow! I'm a little nervous because my low back has been bothering me and I don't know if they're as modification-friendly as barre3, but I'll chat with the instructor when I get there and see what she has to say.

Class is at 10:45 and I think it will take me 35-45 minutes to get there, so I'm planning to leave around 9:45ish, just to be safe. Schedule is head out for my run around 8:00 AM, change into barre clothes when I get home (probably no shower unless I'm super disgusting, in which case a quick rinse), breakfast, then head over to FlyBarre. Will try to post a review tomorrow if I have time (may also post a review of my StitchFix box if I have time).
 
Review: FlyBarre

20200120_114427.jpg

I've been taking barre classes at barre3 for about 20 months now, and I love it, but it's not really a traditional barre class (it's kind of a mix of barre/cardio/mindfulness), and I've thought about trying a more traditional barre studio. My original plan was to use ClassPass credits to checkout out the PureBarre near my apartment, but after a conversation with a manager after my first Flywheel class, I decided to try out FlyBarre. I contacted the manager with whom I had spoken at Flywheel, and she guested me in for a class at their Upper East Side location.

The class was at 10:45 AM, which was good timing because it allowed me to sleep in, get a run in, and have breakfast before heading over to the class. I thought it would take me 35-45 minutes, so I planned to leave at 9:45 AM (to get there by 10:30), but when I checked in the morning it said 30 minutes, so I left closer to 9:50. And got there at 10:20. I got there plenty early, and people were cleaning up after the last class. I must have looked confused, because the instructor from the previous class asked if I needed help. She checked me in and gave me a brief overview of the studio area.

466842

Once I was ready to go into the studio, I grabbed two sets of weights (we were told to take a light set (2-3lb) and a heavier set (5-8lb), so I took 2lb and 5lb) and a towel and headed into the room. The instructor was waiting at the door, and she asked my name. When she discovered that I was the new person, she took me over to my mat, showed me my props, and asked about injuries. I told her about my recent lower back pain, and she said that I should focus on engaging my core to take the pressure off my lower back. The barre area had two bands hung over it (a black band and a green band), a ball, and a small rubber-y black thing (which I later discovered was also a band that goes around your legs ... in barre3 we just tie a bow in the band). I stretched a little bit, and then visited the restroom right before class (did I mention I had coffee with breakfast?).

At 10:45AM, class started. We started off with a warm up - some stretching, some lunges, and ended with a plank sequence. I've struggled a little with planks in my last few barre3 classes, so it was nice to be able to do all this and not struggle with the plank. We used mats for the entire class, and were actively using the barre for a few moves. There was a mix of pulses and "larger" movements (like 1-2 inch movements ... which is still considered smaller movement in barre3). We focused on each muscle group for about one song, and mostly did multiple movements for each muscle group.

We finished class with some stretching. After class, I stretched a little more on my own, and then went to get my stuff from the lockers. And apparently forgot my code, so I had to have the front desk guy open it for me. Oops. After that I showered, changed into my street clothing, and went home.

Would I Go Again?
That's a good question. I did enjoy the class. But it was straight strength training, and that's not really my jam. I think I'd maybe do it on a day when I wanted to do something completely unlike what I normally do, and probably would do other cardio on the same day. Like maybe run to the studio and take a class (which I do with barre3 too). We'll see. I could definitely see myself doing FlyBarre again, but I don't see it as a regular part of my routine.

466845
 
So ... I woke up this morning and just could not motivate myself to run. So I went back to sleep. Figured I'd rework the schedule when I woke up again.
Once I was up again, I was trying to figure out if I wanted to do two runs on Wednesday (AM streets PM MHRC) or swap Thursday's AM barre3 for a PM and do the missed run Thursday morning. I opened up my calendar ... and realized that the Alanis Morrissette Mile High Run Club class I signed up for is Thursday night, not Wednesday night. So, I can run Wednesday morning without having to run twice in one day. Problem solved.

New schedule:
Monday - Run 35 minutes, FlyBarre (did both of those)
Tuesday - barre3 PM
Wednesday - Run 45 minutes
Thursday - barre3 AM, Mile High Run Club PM
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Run 105 minutes
 
Sounds like FlyBarre is more like a traditional barre class. I did purebarre for about 1.5 years and while I liked it, I felt that I was not getting enough cardio. I did notice a huge difference with my flexibility and my I definitely notice the toning that took place after going for a few months, but I missed cardio. The studio did add a cardio class, but it was more like step aerobics and I didn't love it. I left the studio due to price a few years ago, but I may try it again in the future when my schedule is more flexible.
 
Sounds like FlyBarre is more like a traditional barre class. I did purebarre for about 1.5 years and while I liked it, I felt that I was not getting enough cardio. I did notice a huge difference with my flexibility and my I definitely notice the toning that took place after going for a few months, but I missed cardio. The studio did add a cardio class, but it was more like step aerobics and I didn't love it. I left the studio due to price a few years ago, but I may try it again in the future when my schedule is more flexible.

Definitely felt like more of what I expected a traditional barre class to be. I did miss the cardio, though, which is why if I did it again I'd probably do it on a day when I was doing other cardio.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top