I love to run so my workouts revolve heavily around my running schedule.

I liked to run 2-3 times a week, depending on the lengths of my runs. At the moment they range anywhere from a 5k to a 10 mile, so some weeks I might run an 8 mile, and maybe a 5k and/or a 10k, and other weeks I might run a 10 mile and a 5 mile. It really all depends on how I am feeling that day, or week, since currently I am not training for anything, but I love running long distance so I usually keep my mileage pretty high.

For my post-run I always do what is known in the running community as Myrtle. It is essentially mobility, strength for the hips. Again, depending on how long I've run and how I am feeling that day, I will either do 1 or 2 rounds of this.

Myrtle (each move on both legs)

15 clams

15 leg lifts (5 foot flexed up, 5 foot flexed straight, 5 foot flexed downward)

15 fire hydrants

15 forward leg circles

15 backward leg circles

10 donkey kicks

10 donkey whips

15 standing forward leg circles

15 standing backward leg circles

I also like to do abs post-run, and, surprise-surprise, what I do depends on the length of my run and how I feel. I have two different routines I tend to do the most, one I do more after shorter runs and the other after longer runs where I may feel a bit more fatigued/run down afterwards.

Post-Shorter Run Abs (2 rounds)

1 minute center plank

15 side plank raises (each side)

15 lower ab leg raises

10 lower ab single leg raises (each leg)

5 slow bicycles, 10 fast  x4

10 jack knives

50 Russian twists

5 slow bicycles, 10 fast  x4

30 crunches

15 side crunches (each side)

Post-Longer Run Abs (2 rounds)

1:15-1:30 minute center plank

15 side plank raises (each side)

5 slow bicycles, 10 fast    x2

15 lower ab leg raises

5 slow bicycles, 10 fast    x2

10 lower ab single leg raises (each leg)

Stretching is probably the most important part of my post-run. Anytime that I don't stretch after a run, I really feel it. I usually hold each single leg stretch for 20-30 seconds and each stretch for both legs at the same time for 30-40 seconds.

Stretching Routine

Standing toe touch

Standing right-over-left leg toe touch

Standing left-over-right leg toe touch

Sitting toe touch

Sitting single leg toe touch (both legs)

Butterfly

Downward-dog single leg calf stretch (both legs)

Pigeon stretch (each leg)

Runners lunge (each leg)

In-between running days I love doing HIIT. I can end up doing 2-4 HIIT days, depending on my running schedule.

I love HIIT. I find it such a great way to strength train, and keep up cardio, without the gym and without weights. I have never been one to enjoy weight training and almost a year ago I discovered High Intensity Interval Training. I was watching Anna Saccone's videos on YouTube and she started posting a summer workout series with her trainer, Lucy Wyndham-Read. I ended up loving this style of strength training so ever since then I have been using Lucy's videos for HIIT. She has so many videos on her channel that range from 4-minute HIIT workouts to longer 15-minute HIIT workouts. She also has low impact HIIT workouts and toning workouts. Because there is so much variety and so many different workouts, I will usually do a few of her videos on a HIIT day, adding up to 20-45 minutes, depending on intensity.

A lot of Lucy's HIIT workouts involve the use of the core, so for post-HIIT I do a short and simple ab routine, just to get a little extra core burn. This ab routine was inspired by the one done at the end of Anna's Summer Workout Routine Week 4 video, in case the moves don't make complete sense as I've described.

Ab Routine (2 rounds)

5 slow bicycles, 10 fast    x2

20 side-to-side leg taps (10 each side)

5 slow bicycles, 10 fast    x2

20 in-out leg taps

5 slow bicycles, 10 fast    x2

20 diamond leg lifts

I also do the same stretching routine that I do on running days after abs.

I make sure to have at least one recovery day a week. I usually take active recovery days, so I will do yoga and/or pilates. This just gives my muscles a bit of a rest, but not letting them get stiff by lying around all day. I like to take time to stretch them out and work any body part that doesn't necessarily feel like it got worked hard enough the rest of the week. Some days I will just do yoga or pilates, and some days I will do a bit of both, but I like to keep it usually pretty relaxed and slower-paced than on workout days.

For yoga I will either go to a class at my university's gym or I will do a Yoga With Adriene video. A lot of the time the classes at my gym aren't at convenient times or are just too crowded, so I will do a yoga video in the comfort of my dorm room. The thing I love most about being able to do a yoga video is that I can pick what the yoga flow will be. Some days I'll want more of a slow, stretching form of yoga or one that targets specific body parts that I don't stretch as much or at all in my normal stretching routine, and other days I will want to do more of a power yoga flow. One of my favorites from Adriene's channel is the Runner's Yoga because it really focuses on stretching out the legs for runners.

I have never been to an actual pilates class in an actual pilates studio, but I do love doing Blogilates' videos. Cassey Ho's videos are great for when I want to do some low-impact strength training, that also involves some stretching and using muscles in ways I wouldn't normally. Some long-run days I won't do abs at all after, so I will do a Blogilates video that targets abs, and sometimes I will do a quick total body workout from Cassey's channel. Like Yoga With Adriene, it is nice to be able to pick a video that targets exactly what I want, and the thing I love most about the pilates element of these video is the fact that pilates uses a lot of moves that use different muscles in different ways.

Claire

xx

Anna Saccone

Lucy Wyndham-Read

Yoga With Adriene

Blogilates

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