Weekly Recap: The end of Decembrrrrrr....

Jess in Minneapolis

Last week was a little weird, with Christmas right smack dab in the middle. Next week will be another odd one, with New Year's Day on Wednesday. The weather has been all over the place as well, with some days so cold that the high temperature was well below zero, and then there have been balmy days like yesterday, where we nearly reached 40 degrees. Ay, caramba!

Due to the crazy weather, I have had a mix of indoor and outdoor runs. Here's how the past week turned out in fitness:

Monday: Complete rest! Met up with a college friend at SmackShack downtown for a lobster roll and a few beers, and it was lovely.
Tuesday: A little over five miles on the treadmill...definitely all I could manage. Ugh.
Wednesday: Christmas day run with Dustin and Matilda. A winter wonderland!

Thursday: Dome run (last one ever!)
Friday: hour long barre class at Haute Barre (good class!)
Saturday: Twelve slippery miles (first "long" run for Flying Pig training)
Sunday: Swam at the YMCA, then tried out a barre class at Pilates ProWorks. This is a new studio that opened very close to my office. I purchased their Living Social deal for three classes for $35. They were also offering free holiday classes over the past week, so my friend Kelly and I headed there today to check it out. The studio was very nice and the instructors were very friendly and welcoming.

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I would say that the barre class itself wasn't that challenging- it seems like it was formatted for beginners to a barre workout. This could be because today's class was part of this "free holiday" special they were hosting, and they probably expected a lot of newbies to be there. They may have made the class a little easier to make it more accessible. I will definitely give it another go for a regular class to see if it is more challenging. The studio also offers TRX and Pilates on the reformer (or their customized version of a reformer.) I hope to try out some of those classes as well, as they look pretty intense!

Pilates ProWorks Reformer class
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We have officially started training for the Flying Pig marathon, which will be held the first weekend in May. I have a feeling that the winter weather will make the first few months of training a bit of a challenge, but I'm excited to be back on a training schedule. The biggest change for me in training will be to Run Less which will hopefully equate to Run Faster. I won't be adding any junk miles on Wednesdays or Sundays, but instead will cross train (probably swim) on those days instead.

This week, I ran four days, did two barre classes, one complete rest day, and one swim. So far, so good!

With this morning's swim, I was able to try out the new goggles I received for Christmas.

These goggles were amazing! They are the Aqua Sphere Kayenne, and they did not leak at all, and I felt like I could see so much more clearly. What a difference a good pair of goggles makes- I am really excited to hit the pool again next week. I am no means a great swimmer, but I have really been enjoying incorporating this exercise into my weekly regime.

What's happening in fashion? I am loving the Athleta Downalicious Vest that I received for Christmas. Its super cozy and perfect for layering for running errands on the weekend, and I love, love, love the orange color. I haven't tried this vest for fitness fashion yet, but according to the Athleta catalog, I should be able to wear it for some winter runs. TBD!

What's happening in Fitness Fashion? I also received a pair of Nike Luxe Women's Running Tights for Christmas, and I tested them out on Saturday for my 12 mile long run. I don't have a lot of other Nike running tights, but I would definitely recommend this pair. They fit really well, with a drawstring waist (no issues with them falling down like the UnderArmour failed fit HERE) They are slightly lined with a fleece-like material, but are primarily a dry-fit/wicking material throughout. They also have several well-placed reflective stripes for a darker run. And who can resist the fun pattern?

So that's what's happening in fitness, fashion, and fitness fashion this week.

Now I'm off to finally go see Catching Fire. I reread the book and am excited to finally see the movie!

Have you seen Catching Fire? What did you think?

Did you receive any fun fitness, fashion, or fitness fashion items this year? Please share!