Happy Friday, guys!
This morning was a fun one for two reasons: 1) I got in a workout at Urban Athletic Club, and 2) Matt came with me! I didn’t get a photo of the two of us together (too busy sweating), but Graham (the instructor) snagged this shot of me on the monkey bars in the middle of class. SO FUN! Love that this was part of today’s workout – they always do a good job making the classes fun and varied. I was really proud to make it all the way across the bars – I think I have gotten stronger, because I remember monkey bars being really hard for me! Although, it may have just been that it was easier doing them without water/mud involved, like the recent times I’ve tried them at mud races. 😉
This morning’s workout with Matt got me thinking about workout timing between couples. Long time readers will remember that Matt and I used to work out together during the week on a regular basis; back in 2012 and early 2013 we used to go to CrossFit together in the evenings a couple nights a week. Lol:
But then Matt got really busy with various soccer teams (late evening games twice a week), we both got busier with work, and Matt wasn’t really sold on CrossFit anyway, so we started just doing our own thing.
I also, as you guys know, really prefer doing morning vs. evening workouts – not only because it makes me feel awesome for the rest of the day, but because I know it will actually happen. (The key is always having a friend/group to meet so I actually get out of bed!) I can do yoga at night, but for most other workouts I really lose motivation by evening, and I often have to meet AnneTheRD clients or wrap up work in the evenings, or want to meet friends for dinner or drinks, so it’s hard for me to be consistent about evening workouts.
Matt, on the other hand, is completely an evening exerciser and not a morning person at all. His soccer games often aren’t until like 9 p.m., which would kill me! So yeah, this means that during the week we usually do our own thing and just do shorter workouts together on the weekends or when we travel together. That said, soccer is on winter hiatus right now, and I thought Matt would really like Urban Athletic Club, so I asked if he’d be up for trying it out with me this morning. Success – he was on board!
He really liked it, too! The class is basically the best of CrossFit and boot camps combined, because you’re doing weighted strength work and lots of HIIT and TRX boot camp-ish moves, but you don’t have the super competitive/bro-ish mentality that can sometimes be involved for guys going to CrossFit, which Matt wasn’t a huge fan of. There’s also no Olympic lifting; I always felt really hardcore doing that, but I’m fine sticking with kettlebells and heavy handweights instead. We even do wallballs and slams and stuff with the heavy balls, which I always really liked at CrossFit! (Old photo from the now defunct CrossFit Dupont.)
Anyway, long story short – I miss working out with Matt and I think I can convince him to go with me to Urban Athletic Club once per week in the mornings, especially since I think we have now found a workout that both of us really enjoy. 🙂
So – if you have a significant other, do you work out together? And if so, what time? Is it always morning/evening or do you mix it up? Do both of you prefer that time or is one of you taking one for the team? I thought it would be interesting to hear how other couples balance this. I wish Matt and I were on the same awake-ness schedule, but we’re not, and evenings aren’t really an option with how busy we are (plus driving to Georgetown and parking for UAC during evening rush hour = disaster), so we gotta make do with what we can!
And now, for those of you that don’t care about workouts, let’s talk about cats! Specifically, this adorable ball of fluff, our little miss Zara.
Speaking of morning workouts, Zara has been doing this funny thing every morning when I leave for an early workout and Matt is still in bed, and he just told me about it the other day. After I leave, Zara carries her favorite little felt toy in her mouth to the door of our bedroom, where Matt is still asleep, then starts meowing incessantly. The weird thing is that she doesn’t do this on the rare occasion that Matt leaves bed/the house before I get up, and she also doesn’t do it if we sleep in later on the weekends and get up around the same time. In general, she’s not super meow-y – I only really hear her meow if I’m holding a container of tuna. 😉
So – weird, right?! In my human heart, I’m like “Aww, she’s saying ‘I miss mom, where did she go?!’ ” But I know that it’s more likely something along the lines of: “That other large non-furry thing has left, and that means you must play with me. Get up!!” It’s just funny she only does it when I leave, not when Matt does!
Cat owners – what do you think? Does your cat do this too? Or do they have any other funny quirks you’d like to share? Cats are such characters. 🙂 Apparently she did it again yesterday morning, right on schedule, when I got up and headed out the door for my track workout at 6:30 a.m. It was a great one, by the way! I felt way more energized than I did on Tuesday. We did a “whistle fartlek” – basically the coaches had us start out fast, then when they blew the whistle, we dialed it back to recover, then when they blew it again we went fast again, etc! They had me do 20 minutes worth, and then we did some strides down the football field after, too. (A stride, I just learned, is starting slow and building speed until you’re basically sprinting at the end.) This time/pace/distance includes the whole fartlek and the strides, but not my initial warm up or final cool down. I did my fast fartlek sessions around a 7 minute flat or under, and the recovery sessions around 8 minutes I think. They told us there shouldn’t be too much of a gap between the two paces, so I tried to keep the recovery speedy, too.
And now, I will end this random post. Looking forward to reading your comments, either in regards to working out with your significant other, or about your cats being silly! 😉
Have a great weekend! On the docket for me: a long run with the girls (gotta get ready for the DC Rock ‘n’ Roll half!), a Valentine’s dinner out with Matt, a yoga class with an old friend, and hosting that same friend and her fiancé at our place after for brunch! Active and full of good food – just how I like it. Until Monday, y’all!
p.s.:
- Don’t forget to keep checking in once a day with how things are going over on my Week 3 Winter Shape Up Meal Plan and on Gina’s Week 3 Workout Page to be entered into the Sizzlefish giveaway! You have until Sunday to get in there and comment!
- I have posted the Week 4 Meal Plan for those of you that will be shopping over the weekend. Can’t believe it’s the last week already! Happy shopping and eating, friends, and keep up the great work! 🙂 Here was my post-workout breakfast this morning – two sunny side up eggs with microwave-wilted spinach (put a big handful of fresh baby spinach on a plate, microwave 1 minute), toast, avocado, and some hidden Cabot sharp cheddar. Yum!
