Success on all Fronts

This was one of those weekends where everything just seemed to be in balance, which is just what I needed after a stressful Friday. There was some play, some work, some rest and a few good workouts!

The work
The manfriend installed a new back door (whew, what a project) and bought and planted some new plants for the front yard. We've been slowly chipping away at completing a landscaping plan his friend drew up for us a few years ago, but man, plants can be expensive and this project is not usually high on my priority list.

Meanwhile, I soaked and washed our mini blinds from the dining room in our bathtub. If you've never done it, it's pretty disgusting, but so nice to have clean blinds afterward!

The play
Friday night we went to see Banff Film Fest - always amazing. Saturday, a trip to Target for mostly needed items (sheets, laundry detergent, moisturizer), but it always feels like a treat strolling the aisles for longer than necessary. And finally, Easter breakfast out with my main squeeze.

The rest
After Easter breakfast out and a few errands, we came home and I did a little studying on the back deck. When the manfriend got back from Home Depot with the new plants, I hung out (AKA napped on the front lawn) as he did the dirty work.

Last week was sort of a rest and refresh week for me in terms of workouts. I decided my body needed it and conveniently, I had a chem test to study for, so it all worked out.

Week in workouts: 

Monday - lunch walk with Sarah

Tuesday - p.m. park yoga - 45 min in the park doing my own flow and easy stretching in the sun

Wednesday - 15 min a.m. easy spin followed by 15 min of strength training

Thursday - 25 min a.m. yogaglo flow working on arm balances, ~ 3.5 miles of hill running in the rain. I  met the running group for the speed workout, but took it easy and didn't do the 6 x 100m hill sprints in the middle and stuck with easy hill loops instead.

The magical trees in Hendricks park near the workout hill

Friday - 10 min of strength. Long day, I wanted to workout, didn't happen.

Saturday - power yoga, 30 min spinning, 10 min strength training

Sunday - 10 Easter miles in the sun @ 8:43 pace because I'm running Grapes of Half 1/2 marathon next Sunday. Felt harder than I would have liked, but the sun was out so life was good.

We were babysitting our friends' corgi (behind me) this weekend 

and I dressed like an Easter egg, just because.

While this was a much lighter than usual workout week, I was amazed (as I am during any rest week) at how tired I was several days in a row. I find that when I give my body some extra rest it's almost like it's saying "Thank god. Finally. I have needed THAT for a while! I am now going to suck all your extra energy from you in order to recover."

Anyway, now that I've given my body a decent rest, I'm hoping for a week of strong workouts and runs and then easing back a few days before the half marathon! This race will be in Eugene's wine country, so the course will be have some rolling hills. I've only done one other half with this kind of profile, so we'll see...

What the most exciting thing you did this weekend? Anyone else notice similarities during your recovery weeks? 

And I almost forgot... Boston Marathon Monday is tomorrow! I'm looking forward to seeing all the posts on social media and hopefully following a bit of the race online. Hopefully, someday I'll be there in person to experience it all.