Welcome to the July edition of How I Work It Out—our monthly peek into how one inspiring woman fits fitness into her real-life schedule. (Curious about past features? You can check them out here.)

This month, we’re tagging along with Lynn Ankney, 43, from Annapolis, MD. She’s a mom to two high-energy boys (ages 8 and 13), and when she’s not chasing them around or managing their packed schedules, she’s a college English professor. Right now, though? She’s soaking up her well-earned summer break!

Join us as Lynn shares a week in her world—balancing recovery from a recent lower back injury while training for the Annapolis 10 Miler coming up on August 24.

This month, I’ve been re-reading Let Your Mind Run by Deena Kastor. In the chapter I read today, she asks herself: “How do I define myself?” before a particularly difficult workout. That question played through my mind before my swim today. I’ve always defined myself as a runner who swims, usually, only when injured, so swim workouts always make me a little uncertain. 

In early June, my lower back completely spasmed out, and I couldn’t walk without pain and some limping. Like most runners, I hate being injured, and taking time off was frustrating, and any cross training in the pool felt like a weak replacement for what I really wanted to do. Today, I wanted to shift that mindset and define myself (and today’s workout) in a more positive view. Completing the 1500 swim workout Coach Jen added to this month’s Many Happy Miles schedule made me feel like a bad ass and was the perfect workout to do the day after my long run.

Today’s motivating question: “What do I want to accomplish?” 

Today was scheduled to be a speed workout from MHM. The quiet soccer field I’ve been running around all month was soaked from last night’s storm, so I hoped I could run at the high school track, but there was a football camp on the infield. Time to switch to plan C: extend my warm up another mile to do hill repeats. The Annapolis 10 Miler has an abundance of the three H’s: heat, humidity, and hills, so I accomplished all three of those with today’s workout. My goal was 6 repeats. By the third, I could feel my back tightening up, and wondered how much further I could push myself without retriggering injury. I managed 5 before hitting stop on my watch. My back was really tight and my ears were ringing. I think I put in all the effort I had.

After the long school year with the constant planning and grading and conflicting schedules (mine, my husband’s, the boys’), the summer months give me space to train and be more aware of my body (not just complete a run and check it off the proverbial to-do list). Today’s workout was a scheduled off day. I have been using Wed/Thurs as swap days. If I’m feeling good on a Wednesday, I’ll go for a run and take Thursday off. This week, I needed the rest today. On off days, I still have a “workout”—something to focus on so I don’t lose forward momentum. Today, I did an extended yoga routine, some additional strengthening exercises for my back, and a core routine from Britany Williams. I rounded out the day with a walk. After dropping my boys off to their track practice, I walked over to the library to pick up something new to read.

My 8-year-old woke up this morning excited to take his new soccer ball to the school field and play, so heat advisory be damned, we went out for a good thirty minutes of one-on-one. Once home, I stretched out. I wanted to make sure I didn’t tweak anything in my back on the wet grass playing soccer, so I did some strides on our street before heading out for an easy 3 miles. Nothing special about today’s run, just the regular route my husband and I call “The Loop,” which let my mind work out some ideas for my fall literature class and tonight’s dinner plan (make your own GF pizza night!). Later that night my husband and I took a walk around the neighborhood, which was pretty relaxing considering the heat.

The plan was an easy 4 miles to the beach, but a couple last-minute work meetings for both myself and my husband meant I had to keep pushing my run later and later into the afternoon. I can get stressed out when I want to run but have to wait, but as I was doom scrolling waiting for my lunch to settle in my stomach, I was reminded of a Coach Bennett quote: “If you can’t do the run you want to do, do the run you can do,” and that helped me reframe my expectations for the day and get back into a more positive outlook. 

Instead of getting out early and having a break from the heat, I tapped into the weather and let it help me build mental toughness for my upcoming August race. In the evening, the husband and I took our nightly walk, and it felt good to loosen up all the muscles in my feet and calves.

A rainy, t-storm filled day that was, thankfully, a scheduled off day. I slept restlessly last night and felt out of sorts all day long, so I did a little yoga. I was counting on my evening walk with my husband, but lightning prevented that. I never even changed out of my pjs. Sometimes, those blah days really take their toll on me , and I feel defeated, but I kept reminding myself that the day off was already scheduled and did my best to embrace the intentional rest.

Long run day. The plan was 7 miles, so I decided to venture out along a new extension of our local running/bike path that will eventually connect multiple neighborhoods to nearby Sandy Point State Park and to the older Baltimore/Annapolis Trail. The new section is flat and quiet, and I was two miles in before I even knew it! 

Once I ran into the current construction zone, I headed back toward my familiar route, looped around a park and the high school. The run was fueled by grape flavored Skratch chews and so much water that I drained my hydration pack by the end. I felt strong, but completely wiped out as soon as I got home. Leftover pizza as post-long-run recovery was absolutely needed! 

In the evening, after realizing  my calves were tight, but that my back, thankfully, was still feeling strong, my husband and I went out for a walk a little later than we typically go, and it was the perfect time to play my favorite made up game: Bat or Bird. We have to determine whether the flying creature is a bat or a bird. All-in-all, this felt like a perfect wrap-up to the week.