Double Time

I wrote a bit about it in the Jogging Stroller 101 post. But here it is again: As part of my Postpartum Fitness Challenge, I've been doubling up on my running workouts twice each week. And now that I'm smack in the middle of my half marathon training, I'm thankful I am taking the time to do so!

Last week's training looked a little something like this . . .

M: 3 mile walk w/ Stephen and Ada
T: 3 mile jogging stroller jog + 20 min walk (morning); 4 miles easy (afternoon)
W: 50 minute tempo workout -- 6 miles
R: 3 mile jogging stroller jog + 20 min walk (morning); 4 miles easy (afternoon)
F: OFF
S: 5 miles easy
S: 8 miles LSD

There are some definite advantages to doubling up, like boosting metabolism, increasing energy throughout the day, and getting in more total miles than usual. My stroller jogs are run at a slower pace than my easy runs. But I still feel like I'm reaping some major cardiovascular benefits.

An added benefit? Call it a coincidence, but this month so far I've lost 3 pounds of my pregnancy weight. THREE. And there are still eleven days left this month. I could see easily making it 4 by April. All this without making drastic changes to my diet AND finding more excuses to get out of the house.


If you'd like to try the doubling up method, too -- here are some tips:

• Start with one double day per week. It takes some adjusting.
• Go easy. At least for one of those workouts. My stroller jog is cake (well, the jogging part -- the pushing is still very, very hard for me) compared to my training runs.
• Keep 'em short. At least to start. As you see above, I'm not doing two super long workouts. They are both around 30 minutes long (with some added walking). I find when I go much longer, I get tired -- defeating the purpose.
• Injury-prone? Vary your activities. I should take a lesson from myself here. To really avoid overuse, it's a good idea to ride a bike in the morning, for example, and then run in the afternoon.

Do you ever work out more than once a day? If so, what are your tips? We'd love to hear 'em. Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

And if you're keeping up with Writing Chapter Three, we wrote all about Ada's first overnight trip this past weekend. Now, I'm off to post a recipe on the site, too.

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