Sunday, March 11, 2018

Almost Blown Away


It's been windy in Iowa.

Actually, it's been windy everywhere recently. It just feels especially windy in my little corner of the universe. Our temps have been doing the "flirting with spring/reuniting with winter" thing all week. As much as I love the impending warmer season on tap, I get frustrated in figuring out how to dress for the daily roller coaster flux in temps.

Alas, it keeps my (running) life interesting.
Monday
There was rain happening when my 5:20 a.m. alarm sounded. I can handle rain, but when the temps are anywhere below 80-degrees, I'll take a pass (and Monday's temps were barely above freezing #thanksbutnothanks). All I had on the agenda was an easy #nevermissaMonday run...so I stayed inside. I also did some arm/shoulder strength work in the evening.

two early morning miles with Milly, and some some supermans and push-ups to start my day
Tuesday
A rest/recovery day, 30 burpees and a very freezing cold and windy 1.5 mile walk in the afternoon.

Can you see the sleet? It's nearly horizontal from the wind!
Wednesday
There was a mild wind blowing (again), but with the cold temps, the wind was bordering on bitter when Barb and I met up for our weekly #5at5. It was a strange W/NW wind that nearly took our breath away and (at times) made us feel like we were running in place. None the less, we persisted. We're Iowans, after all, and with our upcoming half marathon (on the 17th), we could very well have such conditions on race day. Also, there was a 2-mile walk in the afternoon and more supermans and push-ups (30 each).
Another five miles in the wee hours
Thursday
Stair circuit day!

*10 burpees
*10 flights of double stseps
*10 push-ups
*10 jump squats
*5 flights of single steps

Four sets of this circuit netted me-->40 burpees, 40 push-ups, 40 jump squats and 60 total flights of stairs, all in about 30 minutes of (mostly) non-stop action. Plus, another 2-mile afternoon walk.

Friday
Another rest/recovery day. 40 superman/push-ups over lunch and a 2-mile afternoon walk.
Ever done push-ups (or supermans) in cheetah-print flats?
Saturday
At long last, the day arrived for the Leprechaun Chase 10K! In keeping with the theme of the week, there was wind, but we did have a little bit of intermittent sunshine. The hubby and I rode up with Barb, and we met a few friends there (the race was in Des Moines, an hour away). My finish time was no where close to a PR (again, the accidental too-fast first mile did not work in my favor). I did, however, manage (yet) another 4th place age group finish. Stay tuned, the recap will be posted soon.
With Barb, Chuck, and the hubby
Things took a turn for the scary immediately following the race, though. The hubby had been dealing with some knee issues in recent weeks (we think it was from a kickboxing class). He decided to walk the 10K course to keep things easy. Shortly after he finished, his knee began to swell and give him grief (he could barely walk or put any weight on his foot). One of the on-site physical therapists recommended he get to a hospital and get an x-ray or MRI.  We were planning to pick up our son from college that afternoon (he's on spring break this next week), so we took a detour to the ER of the VA hospital en route.
yes, that's a wheel chair and a very swollen knee
Thankfully, it was nothing chronic, but we all know how men can be when it comes to pain, right? He was given some prescription pain meds, and they extracted a bunch of fluid from the site of the swelling. All looked good (via ultra sound), but they recommended he stay off his feet.They sent us home with a brace to keep his knee stabilized. And I'll get the honors of playing nurse for the next few days.

Sunday
After the previous long day (and afternoon/evening), not to mention the time change, I was a slow-motion riser come Sunday morning. I got out for a couple of easy-paced recovery miles, did 50 burpees, and donned my nurse's cap upon returning home.
The sun popped out just as I as finishing my run
So, that's my week of fitness. Despite the nonstop wind, I was able to get outside almost every day. I'm bringing back the daily walks...not only have I missed that routine, my body seems to crave the extra time outdoors. Total running mileage (Monday-Sunday) capped out at just over 15 miles. It was a bit of a scale-back week in terms of mileage, but I am in a bit of a taper mode for my upcoming half marathon this next weekend. I'm probably going to go easy on the mileage this week as well.

In case you missed them, here's my posts from last week:

In other news:
I tried a new (green) food this week! Drum roll....we made roasted brussels sprouts, and they were so tasty! We brushed them with olive oil (and maybe a little bit of bacon grease). They smelled horrible when they were in the oven, but they were delicious with a bit of a crispy coating from the oil. Baby steps, right?
thankfully, they tasted much better than they smelled
My #FridayFashionFlair post featured an outfit from a couple days prior. The weather has been cold and windy (have I already mentioned that?), so I layered up in a buffalo plaid flannel shirt and a trusty puffer vest. I think it was the white skinny jeans that really gave it the punch of brightness, though. How do you feel about white jeans? They have been all the rage in recent years, and I actually wear them year-round (not just in the spring or summer). White is a color, too, after all. As always, you're invited to join me on Friday on Instagram (@runningonthefly) and share a favorite outfit!
Do I look like a lumber jack?
On one of our sunny days, I spotted several robins in a tree. Of course, as soon as I grabbed the phone to capture the moment, all but one of them scattered and flew to another tree. Seeing so many robins this week, though, confirmed that spring is almost here!
I spy with my little eye...a robin!
And, last but not least, I received a heart-warming letter in the mail this week. I had not kept track of the total funds I'd raised for the American Lung Association, so it was nice to see that they were paying attention. With the funds I've raised for this year's Fight for Air Climb (currently $190), I am now over the $1,000 mark! The Climb is on April 8th (in Des Moines), and there's still time to donate to the cause (my fundraising page is HERE).
I'm excited for my 6th Climb in Des Moines!
So, that's a wrap! How are things in your little corner of the universe? Sunshine? Windy weather? Any races coming up? 

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

By the way...are you following me on social media? You can find me at these various platforms:
Let's connect : Facebook Instagram  Pinterest Twitter

44 comments:

  1. It's been a windy week/winter here too.

    Hope your hubby recovers quickly and doesn't drive you crazy.

    Congrats on a successful racing effort.

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    1. Yes, I'm done with the cold, winter wind. At least in the summer, the balmy wind is not so bone-chilling.

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  2. Wind is the worst, especially when it's cold out! I hope your husband recovers quickly. Congrats on the 10k- looking forward to hearing more about it!

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    1. So far, the hubby hasn't been too high-maintenance LOL I think the worst was yesterday when we were getting him to the hospital...he just could not get comfortable in the car and kept moaning and grunting LOL

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  3. You were really johnny-on-the-spot with the linkup today--you even beat Holly!

    We haven't had the wind as much as you, it seems! Just lots of sunshine and you can't complain about that. Sorry to hear about your husband's knee, hopefully it's nothing serious. I know you'll stay on top of it.

    Have a great week.

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    1. Our wind is always pretty bad...it blows from November until May, I think.

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  4. I think wind is my least favorite element to deal with on a run! We dealt with a crazy snow storm that had kids off school for 3 days in a row. Whew.
    I'm inspired by all the burpees you fit into your week- awesome work!

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  5. So much good stuff in one week. Congrats on your AG placing at the race. Your outfit was so cute! Hopefully hubby recovers quickly! I love roasted brussels....it's the only way I will eat them. At little balsamic over the top before you roast is also a great way to eat them.

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    1. I was very skeptical of the brussels sprouts because the smell so nasty in the oven LOL

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  6. Look at you eating your veggies!! :) The too fast first mile always does me in. I'ts hard to hold back though in a race. Can't wait to hear about it. Congrats on the great finish

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    1. That first mile is always so nutzo for me. I was making every effort to go easy...it certainly didn't feel like I was going as fast as my 1-mile split indicated LOL

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  7. My husband knows all about being a caretaker/nurse these days...and I can't say I'm the easiest patient :(

    Hopefully your husband's recovery is a quick one.

    You still fit in a ton a solid workouts, way to go!

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    1. I don't mind being the care-giver, but I get annoyed when the "patient" gets too demanding LOL SO far, it's been smooth sailing...

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  8. Totally with you on the "its been windy everywhere" thing - I feel like anywhere I go, I almost get blown into something lol.

    I just love your stair workouts every week!

    Happy to see that your husband's knee pain wasn't anything more serious. I've had that happen to me before and it was so scary, but also such a relief when you know it's nothing too bad.

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    1. I am totally sympathetic to any kind of knee pain/issue after my episode last summer. Thankfully all the fluid they extracted wasn't infectious.

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  9. Congrats on your AG place! And yes, to the wind & the robins here, too. Gotta take the good with the bad, eh?

    Love brussel sprouts!

    I was soooo tired yesterday -- seriously, I don't think the time change even mattered to me -- but more daylight -- yes, please!

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    1. I'm eager for more (evening) daylight...but my mornings are gonna be dark again for awhile longer...oh well, I know longer days are ahead!

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  10. After that flirtation with mild weather a couple of weeks ago, it's been tough to have it cold again. I'm so over it! Yikes that is some serious swelling. My knee looks nothing like that. But it's killer painful to bend. Ugh.

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    1. He was not able to bend his leg at all...it was freaky! The swelling above his knee has gone dramatically, so the knee brace now fits comfortably ;-) Yes, this cold weather needs to take a hike!

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  11. Hope your husband gets back to tip-top shape very soon!! And hope there's less wind for you this week. :) We've had some too, but it's not too cold here. So it just blows the dirt around and stirs up my allergies -- ugh!

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    1. I'm really hoping for the wind to diminish...it is SO painful!

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  12. I'm glad your husband's knee issue wasn't anything serious. Hopefully he'll feel better in a few days and you can retire your nurses cap. We don't eat brussel sprouts. I'm not sure why because we like cabbage and they taste similar, in my opinion. Good luck as you prepare for your half marathon. Thanks for linking.

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    1. Fingers crossed we have pleasant weather for my race! I'm not especially eager for 2+ hours of miserable cold, wet, or wind with a race bib pinned on LOL

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  13. The wind always makes a run so much tougher! We're bracing ourselves for another Nor'easter on Tuesday and more high winds - I'm so done!

    Sorry about your husband's knee - that swelling looks painful! Congrats on your strong 10K!

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    1. You guys have been spanked with that weather! I hope this next one is not too terrible...

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  14. Congrats on the great race! Glad your husband doesn't have a serious injury, but it looked pretty bad! My son loves roasted Brussels sprouts. My husband still isn't a fan.

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    1. I was really surprised by the taste of the brussels sprouts...nothing like they smelled LOL

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  15. I love all the small signs of spring. When I did my run yesterday, I went by the prairie dog colony and so many were out running around. I hadn't seen them with the winter weather.

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    1. oh, prairie dogs are so cute! I have a huge fondness for little furry critters like them.

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  16. Sorry to hear about your husband's knee, I hope he recovers quickly. I love the look of white jeans but have never worn them because inevitably I would spill something, sit on something or the dog would jump up on me with muddy paws and they would look like a mess, haha!

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  17. As always I am looking forward to the 10k race recap! Placing 4th sounds like a pretty good effort and I LOVED that green head scarf!! So sorry about your hubby - hope he is feeling better soon. That knee does look very swollen!

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  18. Great job getting out despite the rain! I'm so glad your hubby is okay, that is scary! I LOVE roasted brussel sprouts - my favorite way to bake them is with olive oil, sea salt, balsamic vinegar and just a pinch of maple syrup - delicious!

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  19. Congratulations on your 10k! I love all things green! Shamrock Marathon is this weekend! I can’t wait!

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  20. Your poor husband, glad that it's nothing too serious! And yeah, the wind has been crazy lately here too. We've been lucky to just be on the edges of the Noreasters so all we've gotten is the wind and mostly avoided the snow. I love roasted brussel sprouts, so good! Glad to hear you guys liked them too. I feel like they get a bad reputation from when they're badly cooked.

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  21. We've had some really windy days too and I'm sure you heard about the Nor'easter's we've had...ugh! I'm so sorry to hear your husband hurt his knee. I hope he feels better soon, but at least he has a great nurse! :)

    I absolutely love roasted Brussels sprouts...there's so many ways to enhance the flavor, yum!

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  22. It's been cold and snowy here but the weather is looking up and is now rather mild. Fingers crossed it stays that way!

    I like Brussels sprouts, especially roasted, but they are a love/hate veggie.

    Hope hubby recovers quickly!

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  23. I love roasted Brussels sprouts! I like the smell ok too...I guess I am missing whatever smell receptor makes other people averse to it.

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  24. I'm not fan of running on cold rainy days either. Hope your husband's knee is ok. You're a pro at dealing with knee issues at this point, so I think he's in good hands!

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  25. I hear you about the rain. I can handle it as long as its warm, if its cold and wet it is a definite no. Looks like a great week, alittle too cold at times. Hope your husband is feeling better.

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  26. I'm not digging the wind much, either. It's not nearly as cold here as there, but it still makes things tough when running.

    Brussels sprouts are my favorite. I used to loathe them, but once I discovered the deliciousness that is roasted sprouts, it was game on. I could legit eat them every meal.

    I hope your husband is recovering well. I'm sure that was nerve wracking, but I'm sure you are an excellent nurse and he will be back on his feet in no time.

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  27. Oh my goodness, I LOVE brussels sprouts. I usually pan saute them with butter, a little lemon, and some breadcrumbs. They're one of those veggies I hated as a kid but love as an adult now :)

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  28. Wind is just freaking brutal. Congrats on the AG placement and so glad to hear the hubby's knee isn't anything too bad. For a minute there I was having flash backs to your knee issues!! Enjoy having the college boy home and good luck on your half!!!

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  29. The wind has been absolutely nuts. Everything around here, including the federal government, was closed last Friday because of the 60 mph wind. It has also made outdoor running quite interesting. Is it spring yet???

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