Weekly Recap: Back in the Habit

If you understand what I’m referencing in the title of this post, just know that I’m sitting here singing, “Oh Happy Day!” whilst catching up on all of my DVR recordings of How to Get Away With Murder. Life is really about balance, ya know?

Alright, so what was up with me this week? Well, I started out the week in a mountain of covers, armed with Dayquil, tissues, and cough drops. While I took off work on Monday, I forced myself back into a routine on Tuesday – at half speed, nonetheless – because I could not spend another day in bed with this cold! The doc says that the cold could last 1-2 weeks, and I was over it the moment he said it.

Here’s what I got into this week, despite the prognosis:

Monday
Yeah, I didn’t do jack squat. I was still feeling so horrible, so I stayed home from work and pumped myself full of everything I could think of to start feeling better. The thing that stinks about having a cold is that you can’t take any prescription medicine for it. You just have to let it run its course and hope for the best, with the help of some OTC medicine. Majorly lame!

Tuesday
I finally left hibernation! What did I do?

• I taught my 45-minute indoor cycling class. I didn’t go as hard as I normally might, but I still got in my first sweat since Saturday, so I was feeling good!
• After my class, I had my regularly-scheduled training session with Laila. I didn’t do any heavy lifting since it was my first time leaving the house in days, but I did have a great, challenging workout! In the video above, I’m performing my new most-hated exercise of all time. (A variation of TRX glute bridges.)

Wednesday
I took Wednesday as a rest day. Normally, I might go for a swim, but I didn’t think it was wise to push it this week when I’m still on the mend.

Thursday
I worked out in the morning and in the evening.

• I taught my 7am indoor cycle class. It’s great that this class is getting bigger, and that the energy in the class is picking up!
• I had my first coed volleyball game of the season. We won! I felt like I was in bad volleyball shape, but I did some things consistently and served pretty well. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to play better in our next game!

Friday
Another rest day. It’s unusual for me to rest so much in a week, but I’m trying to play it smart until I’m totally healed. I worked from home all day, left the house for lunch and a mini photoshoot in my new favorite jacket (check out my Fabletics referral link), and spent the rest of the day at home.

Saturday

Hello, glowing skin! #nofilter

This was a super busy day! Here’s a rundown within a rundown:

• I bought my first road bike! I got an incredible deal on a Trek road bike (seriously, I bought it for just $75, with $45 for some new pedals!), thanks to this incredible community bike organization called Rockville Bike Hub. They are just so knowledgable and passionate about bicycles and cycling!
• From there, I rushed over to go teach my 60-minute cycle class. 
• After all of the morning’s running around, I came home and showered. I threw on some athleisure so that I could transition into my next 3 (!) activities for the day.
• We had a group fitness instructor meeting, and I learned some new information about upcoming initiatives at the gym, best practices, and creative ways to promote my classes. I also got to meet a lot of the instructors from other formats and our sister gym. At the end of the meeting, we played a holiday gift swap game that was fun (unlike White Elephant, which I think is really just the worst). 
• From the meeting, I rushed over to a family pre-holiday dinner at Founding Farmers. I had a great time catching up with some of my aunts and uncles, my mom, my brother, my sister-in-law, and my youngest nephew.  
• After dinner, I was again rushing – this time for networking, fellowship, and pampering at Follain in Bethesda Row (aka my new favorite beauty shop). I got my first gua sha massage, and it was so amazing, I bought one so that I could do it at home. I basically bought the entire store before I left, so kudos to the sales team for rocking it!

Sunday
Yet another busy day, despite my best efforts!

• I took my first swim class in a couple of weeks. It was hard being back in the water, and I felt like I got out of breath even quicker than usual – and the lingering congestion certainly didn’t help! We only have two classes left, and I’m impressed by how much I’ve improved in just a few short weeks with these 30-minute sessions. 
• We had the first practice for the recreational volleyball team I’m coaching this season. Practice went well, and it’s always interesting to me to watch kids grow from the start to the end of a season. It was great to even see some of them improve from the start and end of practice!