Wind is a 4-letter word....

Well, I declare WIND to be the theme for the past week. 

UGH. Momma N is really having some attitude (and she's giving me some as well).

The week started with decent temps (mid-40's) on Monday. I didn't get home until until after 5:00 from work, so I had limited daylight at my disposal. I was so excited to finally have a #nevermissaMonday run outside, though, that I ran three miles instead of the usual single mile. Even with the pleasant temps, there still was wind to battle, so I did a little layering experiment....I wore two fleece-lined layers under my (summer) windbreaker jacket instead of a "winter" top layer (fleece jacket or puffer vest). Surprisingly, I was a bit warm! The thing is, the windbreaker keeps the wind OUT, but the sweat stays IN (even with tech gear). Oh well, I wasn't uncomfortable, and it was only three miles, so it was not a big deal.

Yes, you can wear a summer jacket in the chill of winter

After having run the previous three days (outside in the wind, none the less), I was ready for some "inside" time on Tuesday. I did my 30 minutes of cardio (courtesy of 'Milly because it was cold and windy outside) and did some intermittent arm work while in motion. 

It's not everyday (or evening) that your weights perfectly coordinate with your outfit

Wednesday was another day inside (sort of an active recovery/rest day). I walked for 30 minutes with 'Milly (again, because of the cold and windy temps outside...can you see a pattern here?).

Planking and Push-ups and Cardio...oh my!

Thursday, oh glorious Thursday! Another long day at work had me getting home around dinner time, and it also was another cold and windy day (I know, #shocker). Not too eager to lace up and head outside, I fired up 'Milly...again. I'm working on building my base back up, and really wanted to do 5-6 miles but didn't know if I was mentally ready for those kind of miles on the 'mill, especially after a busy day at the office.

that would be my PMS (Post 'Mill Sweat)

In keeping with my marathon training routine, I did a few warm-up stretches and ran the first mile easy (speed set on 5.5). I paused the treadmill, got off and did a few minutes of dynamic stretches, and when I returned, I upped the speed to 6. I ran those next four miles at progressively faster speeds, ending with the 'mill set on 7. I also had the incline on 2, so there was a bit of an elevation gain. I ended with a 1/4 mile cool-down. WHEW! Even though I ended at 5 miles (5.25 total miles, including the cool-down), I felt like a beast (a very sweaty beast) for what I'd accomplished. For someone who detests almost everything about the 'mill, this felt like I'd run double the distance and twice the speed than what the monitor indicated.    

Friday was another day of active recovery and rest, and another long day at the office (a co-worker has been on vacation this week, so I've been helping "share the load" by covering her emails). I did my daily "challenge" work (details below) and got in the spirit of Wear Red Day for my #FridayFashion post on Instagram and Pinterest (by the way, are you following me ----> click HERE for Instagram and HERE for Pinterest).

Saturday brought with it MORE cold temps and crazy wind. Seriously. The wind was out of the S-SW, so Barb and I headed due south (you know, to just get it over with) towards the lake, ran a couple laps around the lake (somewhat sheltered from the wind), then headed back home (with a much earned tailwind). Six total miles, but it felt much longer due to the crazy headwind in those first two miles.  

Yes, it was another cold & windy excursion in the running shoes

Finally, Sunday we had SUNSHINE! We have not seen that beautiful, golden orb in the sky all week. Although my body was still a little achy from Saturday's jaunt in the wind, it was total bliss to run a few miles while basking in the sun's rays.

So what if there was an itsy bit of wind? We had sunshine!

My mileage is slowly inching back up to a solid base (18 miles this past week, Monday-Sunday). I have a 5-mile race next weekend, a 10K a month later, and a 10-miler the following week.Those events will usher me nicely into marathon training mode. I'll also be doing some stair training in the next couple months in preparation for the Fight for Air Climb (Des Moines) on April 9th. Time to get busy!

In other news:

I unveiled my February challenges/goals: 

Care to join me? I'm still doing daily planking (but didn't feel the need to highlight it since it's such a normal routine for me), and I'm dropping the daily cardio to 20 minutes (from January's 30 minutes) to allow for the extra leg/ab work.

Care to join me? 

There's been a thing going around on Instagram where runners have been asked to share 10 non-running related facts about themselves. I was tagged, so I played along:

And, lastly, I have been sporting a new 'do for a month or so. I have been doing some different things with it (wearing it "down,"or clipping up the bangs, etc.), but have not experimented with "beachy waves," so I played with my straightener (I know, an oxymoron for what I actually use it for) and added some waves. What do you think? I'm always amazed that my hair seems to look longer when it's got some curls going on...shouldn't it look shorter?  

Tell me about your week! How were the temps? Did you get outside? Did you wear red for Wear Red Day?

In case you missed them, here's what I posted last week:
Perseverance...while inside
Making the Grade, Back on Track
Short-term challenges vs. Long-term Goals

I'm linking this post with some marvelous ladies...do head over and check out not only their blogs, but also all the blogs in their link-ups. There's a ton of inspiration awaiting you!

Thanks to Holly and Tricia for hosting the Weekly Wrap link-up
and thanks to Ilka and Angela for hosting the Sunday Fitness and Food link-up