Ready to RALLY

Shall we rally?

I mean, it's been almost four months since the surgery, and (already) it's been five weeks since I've been back in the running shoes. I've had two races that have gone pretty well considering there was not much (if any) training prior. Oh, and let's not forget there's a half marathon in the very near future (Rock'n'Roll Las Vegas, November 12th) that had been bought & paid for long before my summer ever began.

So, yes, I think it's time to rally and this past week went well in doing so. Here's the (fitness) highlights:

Monday
I was out the door in the early morning darkness for a 1.5-mile with Pat and Max (the hubby and our dog), and saved my #nevermissaMonday  for afternoon. Eager to do more than just the routine easy-paced 1-miler, I headed to the outdoor stairway nearby. It's an approximate 1.5-mile round trip from my driveway, and I decided to sandwich 20 sets of stairs in the middle of the run.

rallying on the stairs

Tuesday
Another cold morning (temps in the high-40's), but I did my 20 minutes of early morning cardio (via a power walk through the 'hood), saving (again) the run for later when the temps would be warmer.  It wasn't until late in the afternoon that I had my chance to go for my run. I decided to pay a visit to a popular 5K route.This route has a 1-mile stretch on a county road with a long hill, and I had not conquered said hill in a long time. I managed a decent pace, with my fastest split happening in the middle mile (into a headwind). As I have said many times, my pace perception is jacked...it felt like I was majorly struggling to stay vertical against the wind, and felt like I was dragging buttocks. It was a very pleasant surprise to see how fast I actually was moving (just under a 9-minute pace!) for that tough middle mile.

rallying on the hill...

Wednesday
After 10 cumulative miles over the weekend, and running both Monday and Tuesday, I was ready for a rest day. No running on the agenda, but I did a couple walks with the dog and a brief 10-minute upper body workout before bed.

rallying with the weights

Thursday
Finally, after many months of recovery, it happened!  I met up with my friend, Barb, and we ran our first #5at5 since Grandma's Marathon! We've done many early morning 5:00 a.m. walks, and (recently) some shorter runs...but this was the first #5at5 with Voldemort (he's my suture scar) joining us. It also may have been my first-ever run in an over-sized safety vest.

rallying with 5 miles at 5:00 a.m.

Friday
Another rest day was on tap for Friday. Nothing crazy.....I did my early morning walk, and  captured a shot of my morning 2:30 forearm plank. Although I don't post a pic of every plank, I can assure you they are still happening everyday. One of my October goals is to have 150 cumulative planking minutes, and I'm on target for surpassing that.

rallying in the pink...

Saturday
I have been gradually increasing my long-distance runs, and pretty much am only taking brief walk breaks as needed now. On Saturday, I met up with Barb, and we opted for the 6-mile out and back route on a trail. This route is on a bike trail and has two big hills (one is steep and the other is long...both are tough!). Adding in the bonus mile to our meet-up spot and the extra mile after we finished the trail, our total distance came in at 8 miles! My longest run since Voldemort and I started our rally back! This run was tough, from the start...we had a strong wind out of the south, so it was a cross wind that we never really got any relief from. My hamstrings were achy for most of the run, and we did take two short walk breaks near the top of each of the hills, but (amazingly) finished with an average pace of 10:31. I was not gunning for a fast pace, so this was a total surprise and another example of my pace feeling much slower than it actually was.

rallying in black and gold gear for the Iowa Hawks (but they lost to Northwestern)

Sunday
Ugh. I could feel the beginnings of DOMS (arriving earlier than usual), an achy back from a bad night of sleep, and damp "rainy-ish" air from the overnight rainfall. I always do a short recovery run the day after a long-distance run, so I did an easy-paced 1-miler before church, and that was all she wrote (or ran). Believe it or not, I do return feeling better for having just run a short distance. Maybe it's more mental than physical, but these short recovery runs are a staple for me and I seldom ever feel like they're a waste of time.

rallying while recovering

So, that's the rally-back happenings from this past week. My mileage (Monday-Sunday) tallied at 18.5 running miles (plus another 5-7 walking miles here and there). There also were daily planks, and periodic squats, leg lifts, and ab work as well. All went well, and (so far) I'm feeling good with my return to running.

In case you missed them, here's my posts from last week:
Going with the Flow
Mercy Live Up Loop Race Recap
Favorite Fall (running) Hacks

In other news:
Isn't it crazy how we think our hair is okay-looking....until we get it cut and see the finished look? UGH! What was I thinking? LOL It had only been nine weeks since my last hair appointment, but I definitely was due for some time "in the chair."

Before and after

Did you catch my #FridayFashionFlair post on Instagram?  I showcased a favorite color combo, kiwi and grey. I have a pretty casual office setting where I work, but that doesn't mean #sloppy is acceptable. I always try to dress up my outfit with funky & chunky jewelry and interesting shoes or booties (the sneakers stay home). Of course, the lipstick is essential! Please join  me...post a favorite outfit, use the hashtag #FridayFashionFlair and tag me (@Runningonthefly)!

Although we have been enjoying warmer-than-normal afternoon temps, it's been chilly in the early morning hours. I've had to grab my fleece jackets and headbands on those mornings when I haven't been running. Brrr! Have I ever mentioned how much I want my summer back?

So, that's a wrap! How was your week? Any big races coming up? Has your fall weather officially arrived, or is summer still lingering? Ever get a haircut that made you realize just how bad your hair looked before your hairdresser got to work on you?

I'm linking up with  Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap. This weekly check-in is such a great place to connect with fellow fitness-minded peeps. Please join us!