Have you smiled lately? I have!

What's been happening lately?

 Well, I have been smiling a lot (even more than usual) this past week.

Why?

For one reason, the weather. Yes, it was frigidly bitter last weekend (temps had a high of -6 ... yes, you read that correctly, BELOW ZERO), but with that cold weather I actually had a couple of decent workouts....inside...on the treadmill (yes, you read that correctly, too. I used the words "decent" and "treadmill" both in the same sentence).

Inside miles....

 Another reason for the plentiful happiness was due to celebrating our dog's birthday. Max's birthday is on January 19th (according to the papers that came with him when we adopted him).  I tried really hard to get that perfect selfie with him, but he kept trying to kiss me, and wouldn't look at the camera. After several "failed" attempts at that perfect picture, it dawned on me that sometimes the "outtakes" actually are quite perfect in their own right.

With the birthday dog...6 years old

 My daily yoga pose challenge (on Instagram, at @runningonthefly) has been going well!  I'm not the most flexible person, but I'm working on that. I've been having pretty good luck with the timer on my phone capturing me at the precise moment...and the filters certainly are a fun way to "artsy-up" the images.

Crow pose....a quick successful hold of this difficult pose

Bow pose...another challenging pose, especially with a stiff, just out-of-bed back

Forward fold...even in my jeans, this always feel oh-so-good

 By Thursday, the temps had reached the mid 20's, which actually felt like a tropical paradise. My friend, Barb, and I went out around 8:15PM (following the Iowa Hawkeye basketball victory!) and enjoyed five miles under the streetlights. The thing I especially love about winter running is that it is so bright outside! Even if the moon is hidden, the snow reflects the light from streetlights, creating a very serene setting. You really don't even need a flash light (or head lamp) to light your way, but you still need to have reflective clothing (or some source of light) so you can be seen by others.

Barb and myself...in our Vizi Belts and bright clothing

 With the slowly rising temps comes a bit of a thaw...which then freezes overnight. Thus, the morning brings with it all sorts of beautiful, frosted objects of nature.

Aren't the frosted berries beautiful?

 I'm also smiling because of my weekend running. I got out Saturday morning for a just-for-fun 5K run on a route that goes right by my house. The temps (high 20's) felt amazing, and my body felt even better. I managed  a 26:40 finish time. Not a PR, by any means, but definitely the fastest 5K I've run in awhile.

All smiles after a fun 5K and a successful tripod

I came home from that 5K, and noticed the daily pose challenge called for a headstand. UGH. It's been a few decades since I've even attempted a tripod, say nothing about a fully-extended headstand. Well, the tripod was a no-brainer. I took it inside, though for the headstand. Amazingly, doing it near a doorway (with some assistance from the door itself), I was able to do it. I actually was able to hold it, albeit ever-so-briefly, without assistance.

With Max as my witness, I did it!

 Sunday brought with it decent temps again. Some local people were meeting up for a group run, so I joined them and knocked out another four miles. The streets had some slick spots, but I managed to stay vertical! Typically, I don't do back-to-back runs on consecutive days, but I just couldn't resist the urge to get back out on the streets.

Another great run, with a near-tempo pace...followed by a twisted triangle pose for cool-down

Also, Sunday was our one-year anniversary of adopting Max (our adoption process recap is HERE).We rescued him from a nearby shelter on January 24th of last year. It's really hard to believe we've had him an entire year! We can't imagine life without him.

The bottom pic is from last January, the top left is from the spring, and top right is recent

So, that's a brief wrap-up of what's had me smiling recently. I'm linking up with Holly from HoHo Runs  and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin for their Weekly Wrap. Head over and check out all the other blogs, featuring the latest and greatest happenings!