Sunday, September 10, 2017

The Waiting Game....


The waiting game.....

Ever played it? You know, on those rare occasions when you've been...oh, I don't know...maybe side-lined from running for almost three months? Well, this is a game I've become quite familiar with, and I believe it's almost about to end. Stay tuned...I'll have my answer in a few days (insert a big smiley face and a {virtual} leap in the air).

Anyways, another week is in the wraps. Care to hear what went down in my little corner of the universe?

As I have mentioned several times, our weather has not been seasonal. Our August felt more like October (at least in the early morning hours when I was out and about rocking the walking thing). The first week of September followed August's lead and felt much the same.  These temps would be SO perfect if I was able to run in the crisp air...but for walking? A bit brrrrr-like.

Monday actually gave us some not-so-cold temps. I allowed myself a third day (in a row) of sleeping in, and the hubby and I headed out around 8:30 for a 3.5ish mile adventure. Gosh, it felt SO great to be back in my "normal" workout clothes...a tank and shorts! You know, #nevermissaMonday
Image may contain: one or more people, shoes, shorts, tree, outdoor, nature and closeup
It's been awhile since  I've done a front walkway post-run selfie

The Hubby joined me again on Tuesday, and we brought Max along with us. This time, though, the temps were back to their "fall-like" feel...and I finally gave in and pulled on the capri's. Ugh. It was bound to happen eventually, right? 

Back in the capri's
Wednesday, oh Momma N was so cruel....temps in the mid-40's! Seriously??? I reluctantly dug a little deeper in my cold weather stash and pulled out not only a fleece jacket, but also a headband and gloves! Thankfully, after the first half-mile, I no longer needed the gloves. I probably would have been alright with a lighter jacket, but that first cold morning threw me for a loop. Walking doesn't heat up the body as much as running does and it's an even trickier game trying to figure out the correct layers.

Yes, this is September....

The temps were an itsy bit warmer on Thursday when I headed out around 5:00. The (almost) full moon was beautiful and the stars were quite the sight. A brisk #5Kat5 and all as good.

By the light of the moon
On Friday, it was a similar routine....capri's and gloves (yadda yadda yadda). I alternated three laps around the "small" block across the street with two laps around the block I live on...two total miles and numerous hills. Side note---Did I ever tell you about the hilly neighborhood I live in (details HERE)? Every walk (or run) begins or ends on a hill (speed work in disguise, right?).

How about a Warrior 3 amidst the rising sun?
Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day! I slept in until around 6:30 (do you see a pattern here with my recent weekends?). The hubby and I took Max with us, but they turned and headed back home after a mile or so, and I continued on to my favorite lake. I have been avoiding this lake all summer (not the greatest part of town, and there had been sightings of a suspicious {potentially armed & dangerous} guy), but I thought it was time to introduce Voldemort (my suture scar) to the scenery.

It's about a 2-mile walk to the lake, and the lake has about a 1-mile path around the perimeter...so, doing the math, it's about a 5-mile round trip excursion. All I can say is it was a total peace-and-tranquility kind of adventure. I kept a fast pace, and returned home sooner than expected and had an enormous "walker's high" wash over me. My legs had that tired but energized feeling of a job well done (or a race well run), and I couldn't have been happier.

I have really missed the lake!
As seems to be my new normal, I slept in (again) on Sunday. The hubby and I headed out around 7:45 with Max and did a couple fast-paced miles in the beautiful sunshine. Honestly, as much as I love my early mornings, I am trying to embrace the "sleeping in" thing. Since I'm not walking super far on Sunday mornings, I still have time to get in a couple miles and not be rushed getting ready for church after we return home. I'd call that a win-win.

Waking up to a sunshine-filled sky is a definite perk
So, that's my week in review. My mileage (Monday-Sunday) was around 23, an even greater scale back from the previous week. As my return to running quickly approaches, I'm trying to ease up on the miles and shift gears to physical therapy/strength-training to prepare my body for the upcoming change in routine. How's that for a plan of action?

In case you missed them, here's my posts from last week:
It's Almost Go Time!
Change Is In The Air
To Walk or To Run?

My Road to Recovery update:

Mobility is great! Walking is a no-brainer, and it feels like I'm speed walking as fast as I was before all of this stuff happened. I did try to ride my bike on Saturday, and it was pretty much a near-fail. I could do it, but my knee felt uncomfortable during that split-second it was bent during the "upwards pedaling" (is there a cycling term for that?). Anyways, I guess I won't be cycling for awhile yet.

Cycling got the big thumbs-down from myself and Voldemort
Range of Motion has really improved. Although the bike-riding won't be happening for awhile, I can tell my knee is bending more easily almost every day. I can cross my legs like a lady again (ha!) and I can scale the stairway (both up AND down) pretty quickly (but there will not be any stair-climbing events -or training- on my calendar).

The suture site seems to be feeling better each week as well. It still feels tight at times, but I think a lot of that is more of a joint-stiffness thing (from the limited knee bending) over the past almost three months. I have done a few mini-50-meter jog tests, and all feels well. I see my surgeon on Thursday this week, and I don't want to do any real running without his approval.

In other news:
My #FridayFashionFlair post was one of the biggest yet (on my Instagram page)! I have really loved doing this little "extra" thing on Fridays....I do have a life outside of my running shoes, after all, why not show the world that I'm not always in workout gear with a messy bun or sloppy pony tail?   Anyways, this week I featured my love of grey and lime green. Grey has become my "new black" in recent years, and I love the softness of it but also the versatility. I think it also is a little more interesting to look at because it has more depth and can be paired with pretty much any other color. Go ahead, join the party! Post a pic of your Friday outfit (or a favorite outfit from the week), use the hashtag #FridayFashionFlair, and tag me (@runningonthefly)...I'd LOVE to see what YOU are wearing!
Grey is the new black
I finally came up with some September goals. Obviously, I'm hoping to be out on the street in my running shoes, but I know I'll need to do some PT work to make that transition go smoothly. These are a few exercise moves I'm doing almost daily. Now that I can finally bend my recovering knee, I decided to try these (gentle) squats. These are not deep squats, but they are just deep enough to feel a good burn. The leg "lowers" (for lack of a better term) are like leg lifts, but these start with each leg up and are then slowly lowered to the floor. It's amazing how much harder it is to slowly lower the legs than to raise them!  And the abs? Ugh. Even with all of my planking, my abs still are kind of "soft." Aren't we always a work-in-progress?

And that's a wrap! How was your first week of September? Has your weather changed, or are you still experiencing summer temps? Have you set any monthly goals for September?

I'm linking up with Sara (on behalf of Holly and Tricia) for the Weekly Wrap. Please join us!

57 comments:

  1. I'm sorry that the bike ride didn't go well :(, but you still had an awesome week! Getting in 23 miles of walking is super impressive.
    I love your September goals and I have no doubt that you will crush them.

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    1. The bike thing is alright. I'm not a super-passionate cyclist LOL so it's not a big deal,but it would have been nice to find something else I could do for some cardio & leg work.

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  2. I sure hope you are able to seamlessly get back on the road again. Fingers crossed!

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  3. Its definitely been cooler here than usual, but not down to the 40s yet. Thats too bad that the bike didnt work out. Hopefully you will be back to running soon!

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    1. Ah, biking schmiking LOL Not a big deal...hoping the running gets the thumbs-up from the surgeon this week!

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  4. I love your sleeping in trend. Sleep is a glorious thing!
    I always think it's funny when the weather first turns colder...everyone over-dresses because it just feels colder than you think it is.

    I love your September goals! Eeks - it's getting so close for you to make your return to running! Thanks for linking up!

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    1. This is the most sleeping-in I have done in a long time....it's kind of weird, but also nice

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  5. Oh yeah I could see how the biking might not feel so great. There is something nice about sleeping in from time to time. I have been so enjoying the slightly cooler temps although ours are in the 60's. I cannot believe how cold it is already by you!

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    1. I'm hoping these cooler than normal temps are short-lived. I know summer will not return with a vengence, but it's simply too early for late-fall-like weather

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  6. I hope your appointment goes well this week and you'll get the "all clear". I've been sleeping in over the summer since I scaled back on mileage and wasn't training. Now, I finding it hard to get up! Lime green is my fave. Just sayin'.

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    1. Well...some time we'll have to get suited up in lime green and slide on the WH arm sleeves.... ;-)

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  7. Yay! I'm so excited you will get to start running soon! It WAS cold up your way last week! We had some nice temps here down south and I wore long sleeves two mornings walking!

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    1. It's been crazy cool here for this time of year! UGH....I hope winter is not arriving in October!

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  8. I'm jealous of your cooler temps!! We still have highs here in the 90s!

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  9. Been there, done that! I once had to take 7 months off from running...heck, I couldn't even use the elliptical during the majority of that time. The recumbant bike and swimming was about all I could do. It sucked. Even walking aggravated my injury. You've been a trooper and hopefully, you will be cleared to ease back into running soon! I know you are anxious!

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    1. Ugh...recovery sucks!! I'm not huge into biking, but I was hoping I'd be able to do it now that my knee is bending more...guess that's gonna have to wait a few more weeks. Hoping the running is back on track later this week!

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  10. Brr! Seems too early for those temps! 😳 I'd rather have my 90s. LOL

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  11. I never can remember what to wear when the weather changes, and you do need "more" when you're walking. That 5 mile lake walk sounds lovely. I bet your dog is appreciating all these family walks!

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    1. The layering always takes a few outings to figure out...and walking just adds another twist to the mix.

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  12. Our weather is still warm here but then again I am not outside at 5:30 am so it may indeed be chilly at that time, idk. I hope you get good news this week. You are really making progress. Be careful around that lake!

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    1. The temps are better by late morning, but these early morning temps have been chillier than I'd prefer (especially for walking.

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  13. I'm excited for you to make the transition back to running. Hope you get the go ahead this week!

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    1. Thanks, Michelle! I'm excited and hopeful all goes well ;-)

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  14. When my dad had knee surgery he said it wasn't the downward motion on the bike, it was the upward motion that was challenging. I guess since the brace had his leg completely straight, it was used to that position.

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    1. That's exactly what it was with me, except I'm bending my leg more now than keeping it straight these days. I was really surprised how "strained" it felt with that upward motion....

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  15. increasing post.
    enjoyed reading this blog. keep it rocking up !!

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  16. We have been having some fall like weather here and it's been great. But not cool enough for gloves and layers.

    Hopefully you'll be out there running again soon.

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    1. I hope I'm out there running soon...these temps are getting too chilly for walking

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  17. Fingers and toes crossed for great news this week! Yes, it's been so fall-like but I hear the heat is supposed to return this weekend.

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  18. Great job getting in all that walking! Sorry that the cycling was a fail. Yes, I've been in your boat - injured and off running for months. It's hard, there's no way around it. I just took it one day at a time and then enjoy other activities like you are.

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    1. That's all one can do...make the best and not wallow in misery ;-)

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  19. I'm anxious and excited for you! Fingers crossed!

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  20. Well, as I sit here at almost 6 am, I can see my little thermometer that tell me it is 84 degrees outside. I also know, because I peeked my head out, that it is extremely humid and basically just miserable. Fortunately this is a rest day, but I'm ready for some of that fall weather. Though maybe not mid-40s quite yet!

    I'm glad you'll be running soon. You've been so dedicated these past few months.

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    1. I'm at a crossroads...I don't want summer to end, but these fall temps are ideal for running...hoping that'll be a reality in a few days

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  21. Thankfully I haven't had to pull on gloves yet! But I do have jackets with longer sleeves & thumbholes. :) And I did wear a long sleeve tee for my run on Sat.

    Our weather continues to bounce around, but it's still more on the cool side -- which is nice for me, I don't have to necessarily walk the dogs before I run, as I can walk them later in the day (like today).

    It's too bad about the cycling but it's only a matter of time! I know it *seems* like forever, though.

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    1. If I wasn't out in the early hours, I'd probably not need the extreme "cold weather" stuff....

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  22. You have the best matching outfits! I love the colors!

    I hope all goes well with your appointment!

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  23. Hope the appointment goes well!

    Still summer here in San Diego but I love it becuase the tourists are gone and kids are in school so we get the beach and parks to ourselves!!!

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    1. ha ha...that would be nice to have your "area" all to yourself again ;-)

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  24. Good that you didn't push the bike ride once you felt discomfort. I think you are doing really well keeping so active during your recovery.

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    1. I'm not much of a biker, so it wasn't that much of a fail...but it would have been nice to have another option for exercising

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  25. Hope you have some good news on your recovery soon! And those photos by the lake are beautiful.

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    1. The lake is such a neat place....I have really missed being out there

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  26. I can't even deal with these 40s already, Kim!! I need tanks and shorts, not long sleeves and capris. I missssss summer.

    I'm so excited you're almost done with recovery!!!

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  27. I've been enjoying the cool early-fall weather as well. Good luck with your next appointment--hopefully all good news!

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    1. I'd like the early-fall weather if my circumstances were a bit different...hoping that will change this week1

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  28. Our weather has been unseasonable in the other direction...almost 100 over Labor Day weekend! Usually it has calmed down to the 70s by now, but it has consistently been high 80s-low 90s. And we're transitioning straight to highs in the 50s this weekend, because that makes sense. I'm definitely not complaining though.

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    1. It's crazy how the weather goes from one extreme to another over night. Today it was in the 80's! Not complaining about that either!

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  29. Great job with your walking! Hope you're back to running soon!

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