Back in Maintenance Mode

Back in maintenance mode.

Sounds rather boring, considering the past several months of non-stop action, right? Alas, "maintenance" is a step above "rallying back" (I've been there before) and certainly more desirable than "starting over." I'm good with that. Onward!

Although  I'm still riding the marathon recovery bus, I was able to bring back a few good tried & true things to my routine. Here's what had me moving and shaking this past week:

#nevermissaMonday
The temps were chilly in the pre-dawn hours, but were forecast to be much warmer by afternoon...so I did a power walk in the wee hours, and opted to do my run after work. I was rewarded with temps in the low 60's by late afternoon. How about a few miles, back in shorts? Sold!

The leaves are looking mighty colorful right now in Iowa

Typical Tuesday

Not much on tap for Tuesday...a couple miles of power walking with Max in the early hours, and some stretching.

twisty stretches are my favorite

A wiped-out Wednesday

I met up with Barb for our weekly #5at5 (five miles at 5:00 a.m.). The temps weren't bad, but boy (oh boy!), was my body a tired and achy mess. By the time I'd reached the 4-mile mark, I could barely lift my feet for each step. We're talking major shuffling. I'm lucky I didn't catch my clumsy feet on any of the pot holes in the dark. And my hamstrings/glutes were feeling pretty ornery as well. I'm just thankful I had the crisp air to keep me alert and the company of a good friend to keep me moving.

Happy Halloween!

Thursday...

It's been a new routine, in the weeks following my marathon, for Max and me to tag along with the hubby to the college workout center. The hubby heads inside and Max and I do our fasted cardio routine...namely, power walking (and stopping & sniffing at most of the lamp posts) on the walkway around the central campus. Back at the house, I did some arm and shoulder work. It had been a few weeks since I had done any focused strength work, so this gave me a good burn!

Hurts. So. Good.

Finally Friday

For some reason, this week had me feeling more tired than usual. A few extra hours at the office, Wednesday's tough 5-miler and (probably) too much sugar on Halloween all were factors in the sluggish week. Ugh. None the less, with an impending weekend getaway on tap, Barb and I decided to meet for a few miles in the early hours Friday morning. How's a #4at530 grab you? Amazingly, these four miles felt good, really good. After Wednesday's struggle fest, I was leery of going very far. I was planning to only run three miles, but things felt good, so we kept going. Redemption? Check YES!

much better!

Saturday...road trip!
The hubby and I road-tripped to West Lafayette for the Iowa vs. Purdue football game. Let me give everyone a heads-up... Iowa and Indiana aren't exactly within close proximity of each other. It was an approximate 6-hour drive, so we were up around 4:30 a.m. for our 5:20 a.m. departure (cue the yawning). We had a great time at the game and the weather was absolutely perfect (low 50F's and a clear, sunny sky). The game, however, didn't end the way we'd preferred...it was a nail-biter in the final minutes and the Boilermakers came out victorious over our Hawkeyes in the final seconds. We'd originally planned on staying in Indiana overnight, but decided to trek back home. Being on a quest for #RunningInAll50States, I did what any self-respecting runner would do....I ran a few miles around the Purdue campus after the game. Mission accomplished.

another Big Ten stadium visited, and another state added to the DONE column

Sunday, a true day of rest
After arriving back home in the (very) early Sunday hours, I took full advantage of that "extra" hour of slumber. None the less, I still awoke with a fatigued body (I blame it on the 12+ hours of car time). I suited up and headed outside for a couple of miles of power walking and returned home feeling much more refreshed and awake. The fall colors are at their prime now, at least in my area. We've waited a long time for autumn to officially arrive in Iowa...it's felt more like early winter. I love a good fasted cardio adventure, and this one was full of all kinds of thought-provoking, feels-good karma.

I'm finally loving our Iowa autumn

All in all, I am really happy with how the week played out. I'm still keeping the mileage on the low end (12+/- miles for running), but am staying consistent with lots of walking (15+/- miles). I'm excited to bring back some routine strength work as my marathon recovery winds down. I'll be phasing in some lower body strength moves in the next few weeks as well. While I have no plans of "increasing" my strength, I do want to maintain what I have and stay in peak condition. I'm also excited to bring back some HIIT workouts! Stay tuned. 

In case you missed them, there were only two posts this week:

DOMS? yes...Regrets? NONE!

...if we were having coffee...

In other news:

I have a brief #fashionfession...My #FridayFashionFlair post (on Instagram) actually featured my outfit from Thursday. It also showcased some neutral colors, which is an oddity for me. No harm, no foul. Anyways, I love this comfy cold shoulder sweater and the bulky hand-knit scarf is one of my favorites. As always, please consider joining us on Fridays...post a pic of an outfit (it does not have to be what you're actually wearing that day), grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and drop me a tag (@runningonthefly).

With the new month comes new goals. It's been awhile since I've had monthly non-running goals (several months of focused  marathon training can do that to you). Also, since I have no major goal races on the roster (like, ZERO upcoming goal races on the roster), I'm focusing on some other things this month. I'll be doing daily push-ups (50), daily planking (5 minutes instead of the usual 2:30), daily leg lifts (100 each leg), and continued daily stretching and foam rolling.

Did you celebrate Halloween? I'm still a kid at heart, and Halloween is a fun holiday. Seriously, when else can you dress in costume and not get weird stares from people? Several of us at work dressed as hippies....not really a look I embrace for myself, but a fun (and comfy!) costume to throw together.

Finally, we have real feels-like autumn weather in Iowa! I whine a lot about missing my summer temps, but I do love all nuances of autumn (don't worry, I still prefer summer LOL). The trees have just recently started turning, the sub-freezing temps have mellowed and the daily rain has diminished. Currently, the weather is feeling pretty perfect.

And, finally, the youngest daughter had a birthday this week...can you say 19 years old? How did that happen?????

So, that's another wrap of another week. It's hard to believe we're entering the colder time of year, and all these beautiful changing leaves will be giving way to barren trees, covered in snow. I don't plan to spend these final colorful days of autumn inside...it's far too beautiful to NOT be outside.

How was your week? Autumn colors aplenty? Any upcoming races? Maintenance mode for you, too? What's the farthest you have road-tripped for a sporting event (...and did you go for a short run before driving back home?)?

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

Are you following me on social media?

Let's connect : Facebook Instagram  Pinterest Twitter