I was chatting with Jon Knopke the founder of Health House a few weeks ago and he was curious how many miles I log a week in conjunction to all the classes I take. He mostly asked because he was curious how my knees and other joints feel after pounding the pavement. My knees do take a beating but I think I’ve stayed injury free because of my cross-training schedule. (Thanks ClassPass!)
It is possible to be a fitness class enthusiast and a runner, trust me. It might not be the traditional way but it works for me and I actually encourage it. I think of the year in four phases. Right now I am in the recovery & strength phase, which means I cut down my mileage substantially and am heavy on the classes.
My fall race schedule is always super packed. The last two years I’ve ran three half marathons during the fall. During this season, I switch gears and really focus on running + cardio and limit strength training. I cool it on the classes. It’s hard to have a successful speed run when you’re legs are fatigued from lifting or sore from getting stretchy at yoga.
When the fall season is done I can see a huge change in my body. I’m much leaner and my back and arm muscles dissipate. That is why I spend the winter months recovering and easing back in to it (which is where I am at now). I start taking classes again, get my strength back and know that my winter training is the base and preparation for a successful year of running.
In the spring my mileage starts to gradually rack up again and I usually do two to three halfs + other small road races to get used to racing again. In this phase I have a healthy balance between classes and running. If my long run is Saturday then Sunday might be restorative or deep stretch yoga and Monday I would probably weave in strength training. Yes, you have to get creative with your schedule but that is part of the fun for me.
In Kansas City the summer months are brutal. It gets humid AF. It sucks in the moment but I actually am super grateful for it because when fall race season rolls around running feels crazy good, especially in 50 degree weather. In the summer I swap races for track work outs but still keep a healthy balance of running + classes. Then before I know it the fall race season is just around the corner and I am totally ready for it!
Thanks to the likes of ClassPass I can get super creative with my training schedule. If you’re unfamiliar with ClassPass, it is a subscription service that lets you take an unlimited number of boutique fitness classes per month. In KC, you can take four classes per studio each month and there are hundreds of options with new ones popping up each month.
Below are the boutique studios I hit up most to stay healthy and race ready! If you want to try ClassPass, click here for $20 off your first month.
How I use ClassPass during training:
Strength + cardio combo: Fusion Fitness, Health House
Cross-train cardio: MOJO Cycling Studio
Yoga: Fit Formula, Core Energy, Yoga Six
Toning + core work: Studio 7 + Barre, The Body Lab
Lifting: City Gym
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Sweat Adventures 