“What is your intention for your workout today? What is your intention for the next hour? When your mind starts to wander, come back to that intention. Remember why you’re here.”

This is my favorite part of yoga. I regularly practice restorative, yin and hatha yoga as part of my overall training regimen. Nearly every instructor encourages us to set an intention at the beginning of each class. There is something so powerful to actively, cognitively decide why we are doing what we’re doing and to hold onto that purpose. It transcends yoga. It is relevant for every run and every day we wake up in life.

Last week, I tried a new yoga studio for the first time through ClassPass that offers a 60-minute heated hatha class. The room is heated to 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit, and we move through a set sequence of standing, balancing and seated postures to encourage proper alignment and to bring balance, strength and a calm mind. When the instructor asked us to set our intention, I decided “strength” was my goal: strength of mind, of body, of courage to try new things and to be willing to fail.

After class, I literally felt strong. It was my second time at this particular class. It is hard but I am improving. I’ve been doing a lot of strength training and I feel like I’m getting stronger. But more importantly, my mind is stronger. I allowed myself to become weak when I first moved back to Florida. From June to mid-August, I was mentally weak. I focused on what I didn’t think I could do instead of channeling that energy into trying harder. It was unlike me, but that was where I was in the moment. I wallowed in challenging weather and tired legs.

Until I found my strength.

The past three weeks have been a complete 180. I have been focused on getting stronger in every way.

Here’s what my past week of training looked like.

Getting Sweaty and Stronger

My fitness goals for 2015 are to stay in half marathon shape year-round (20-30 miles of running per week and long runs of 8-11 miles) and get stronger (2-3 strength training and cross training workouts each week).

• Monday: Ran 3 easy miles at 6 a.m. and then took a 30-minute strength training class at Vibe Fit Club via ClassPass that focused on arms, alternating weights on a power plate with cardio-based intervals. This was my first time working out on a power plate and I really enjoyed it.

• Tuesday: 90-minute sports massage and a 3-mile run with my mom (My mom had a 40-minute run on her training schedule alternating 2 minutes of running with 2 minutes of walking, so I did her workout with her.)
• Wednesday: AM: 6.82 miles before sunrise with Discombobulated Running: 15-minute warm-up, 4 x 100-m strides; 4 x 1-mile repeats at 7:35 average with 3 minutes of recovery between each, cool down; PM: 60 minutes of heated hatha at Yoga 365 via ClassPass (mentioned above)
• Thursday: REST
• Friday: 1 hour at Orangetheory Fitness including 3 miles of speed work + strength training
• Saturday: 45-minute strength training interval workout with Mr. rUnladylike at Vibe Fit Club via ClassPass

• Sunday: Ran 11.5 miles starting at 5:30 a.m. with friends in St. Petersburg

Total run miles: 27

What I’m Most Proud of

Wednesday’s workout and really focusing on my speed work.

Where I Struggled

Although my workouts were strong last week, my nutrition was not. I’ve been focusing in on that this week and am feeling so much better. It really is true that we are what we eat. I’m continuing to struggle with sleeping as well. Falling asleep at night is taking me way longer than it should because I cannot shut down my brain.

Thought for the Week Ahead

“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.”
― Rikki Rogers

How was your week last week? How did your training go? What are you most proud of? Where were you most challenged?