2023 Weekly Run Down 30/52 – trust the process!

I am linking up again for the Weekly Run Down with Kim and Deborah.

This was week 8 of the Team Wilpers Summer Run Challenge 2023 and it concluded – just like it started – with another 20 min distance test, the runner’s equivalent of the FTP test for cycling to determine threshold pace. I was very curious; did this interval training pay off?

The Power Zone Pack Breaking Zones Challenge entered its 6th week (out of 8) and we had some spicy rides to contend with.

I also finished the final week of the Pump Up The Volume 2 strength program this week with Logan. This week focused solely on full-body strength workouts and while I usually enjoy these classes, I am looking forward to Volume 3 which has a lower, an upper, and a full-body strength class each week.

Monday

• 10 Min Yoga Flow – Denis (6/27/23) — Personal Streak
• 20 Min Full Body Strength: Week 4, Day 1 – Logan (11/7/22) — PUTV2-W4D1/Instructor Bingo
• 45 Min Power Zone Pop Ride – Ben (4/18/22) — Breaking Zones W5R3
• 5 Min Lower Body Stretch – Ben (6/21/23)

I mentioned that I was staying with my friend last week and that her OG Peloton bike felt so much harder than mine, so I decided to finish up week 5 of the PZ Challenge back on my own bike. I am glad I did because this was a spicy ride.

Tuesday

• 10 Min Warm Up Ride – Cliff (5/3/23)
• 30 Min Power Zone Rock Ride – Ben (1/11/22) — Breaking Zones W6R1
• 10 Min Post-Run Stretch – Kirsten (1/25/23)
• 20 Min Power Flow – Anna (7/25/23) LIVE — Personal Streak/Instructor Bingo 

Wednesday 

• 10 Min Restorative Yoga – Denis (7/11/23) — Personal Streak/The Cool Down
• 20 Min Full Body Strength: Week 4, Day 2 – Logan (11/7/22) — PUTV2-W4D2
• Team Wilpers Summer Run Challenge – W8R1
  • 15 Min Warmup
  • 10 Min V02 Max
    • 5x 1 min V02 Max/1 min Recovery/30 Min Intervals Run – Matt (6/15/23) — Instructor Bingo
  • 5 Min Cool Down
• 10 Min Post-Run Stretch – Matt (12/15/22)
• 10 Min Just Ride: Outdoor
• 10 Min Just Ride: Outdoor

I usually keep my Wednesday workouts light and do some yoga and strength before heading to the office, but I had to fit in a quick 30 min V02 Max run today (that I had postponed because of the power zone ride I had to catch up on at the start of the week).

Thursday

• 5 Min Warm Up Ride – Jenn (7/25/23)
• 30 Min Power Zone Endurance Rock Ride – Sam (5/17/23) — Breaking Zones W6R2
• 10 Min Strength Roll Call: Core – Callie (7/26/23)
• 20 Min Morning Yoga Flow – Chelsea (7/26/23) — Personal Streak
• 10 Min Full Body Stretch – Adrian (5/31/23) — The Cool Down

Power Zone Endurance? Sign me up. This is my jam.

Friday

• 20 Min Full Body Strength: Week 4, Day 3 – Logan (11/7/22) — PUTV2-W4D3
• 10 Min Core Strength – Matty (4/4/23) — Instructor Bingo
• 10 Min Chair Yoga – Kristin (7/8/21) — The Cool Down
• Team Wilpers Summer Run Challenge – W8R1
  • 10 Min Warm Up
  • 30  Min Endurance Run/45 Min Rock Run LIVE – Mariana (7/28/23) — 400th RUN
  • 5 Min Cool Down

Today was my 400th run on the Peloton platform. I wanted to join a LIVE run for the occasion (always hoping for that elusive shoutout) and was lucky that I had a 45 min endurance run on my training plan that lined up with a 45 Rock Run with one of my favorite instructors, Mariana.

It wasn’t ideal that the run was at 12 pm PDT (when it was already pretty hot), but I figured I could just take it easy, and it was a great run. The playlist was amazing, Mariana played some of my favorite grunge artists from the 90s). I am not sure if I got a shoutout, because the instructors now often do them before class (and I couldn’t join on the app until 2 min before the start – maybe it’s different if you’re on the tread), but either way, it was a fantastic run to celebrate 400!

Saturday

• 10 Min Warm Up Ride – Cody (4/11/23)
• 45 Min Power Zone Ride – Matt (3/5/20) — Breaking Zones W6R3
• 5 Min Cool Down Ride – Matt (7/5/23)
• 10 Min Focus Flow: Glutes – Kristin (2/28/23) — Personal Streak
• 10 Min Witness Meditation – Kirra (6/22/23) — The Cool Down

Tanja and I decided to tackle week 6, ride 3 of the Breaking Zones Challenge, which is fittingly called the “Washing Machine” ride. I think you can see how it got its name. There’s a lot of “rinse and repeat”. Unfortunately, my legs were tired and not cooperating in the second half of the ride… I just couldn’t hold the zones during the intervals and opted to just try and keep up with the zone 5 intervals. Oh well. I’ll try that one again another time. Maybe I was just tired or it’s possible that I am trying to do a little bit too much right now (both a PZ and run challenge).

Sunday

• 5 Min Pre-Run Warm Up – Matt (2/15/22)
• Team Wilpers Summer Run Challenge 2023 – W8R3
  • 15 Min Warm Up
  • 20 Min Distance Test/ 45 Min AFO Run: Pearl Jam – Selena (7/3/21)
  • 10 Min Cool Down
• Extra 10: Run – Jon (1/23/23) — Instructor Bingo
• Extra 10: Walk – Marcel (5/15/23) — Instructor Bingo
• Extra 10: Low Impact – Ally (6/12/23) — Instructor Bingo
• 10 Min Standing Yoga – Mariana (1/27/22) — Personal Streak

Today was the moment of truth. I finished week 8 of the Team Wilpers Summer Run Challenge and repeated my 20 min distance test to see if my paces had improved. Running this test outdoors on neighborhood streets is not ideal, but this is where I run most days. I picked a (relatively) quiet route with minimal traffic lights or other obstacles that could slow me down and started off with a 15 min warm up. Then I set off for the 20 min test.

I picked Selena’s Pearl Jam Run to carry me through and that was a great choice, as the music kept me engaged (and pleasantly distracted at times). I felt good and could have possibly pushed a little harder, but I didn’t want to bonk at the end and was keeping my pace right where it should be between the previous 20 min test pace and my V02 Max. I “only” had a 2% increase but as this translates to a 10sec/mile faster overall pace, I am pretty pleased with the results. As previously mentioned: trust the process!

Current Challenges + Trackers:

Streaker365 The Cool Down
Streaker365 Healthy Habit Bingo
Streaker365 July Personal Streak (10+ min yoga/day)
Peloton Pump Up The Volume 2 Strength Program (4 weeks)
Pelotrak Instructor Bingo (weekly) 

I finished the Pump Up The Volume 3 program and The Cool Down this week. also hit 2 bingos on the Instructor Bingo card and kept up my yoga streak!

This week’s stats:

Running: 14 mi
Walking: 0.7 mi
Cycling: 60.1 mi
Strength: 80 min
Yoga/Pilates: 90 min
Warm up + Stretching: 70 min
Meditation: 10 min

How was your week? Did you see any improvements in your training?

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Abbreviations:

The Cool Down =  Streakers365 Recovery Tracker
Breaking Zones = Power Zone Pack Challenge “Breaking Zones” (8 weeks)
W1C1 = Week 1, Class 1
W1AR1 = Week 1 Accelerator Class 1
Pelotrak Instructor Bingo