Victory over the Vortex

Ahhhh, the sweet taste of Victory!

The polar vortex of 2019 has come and gone, and I'm feeling ever-so-victorious. I've lived in the Midwest all of my life, so cold winters have always been part of my reality. That said, the extreme temps (-25F, with a feels-like of -50F) of late are not an everyday norm during the winter season. 

Being forced to stay inside is not desirable, but it's also not the end of the world (at least as I know it). Thankfully, a severe cold spell such as this is a great time to reflect on the big picture (geesh, I've been saying that a lot lately LOL). It's an opportunity to be grateful for having a warm inside place to hibernate as one awaits for the more desirable weather conditions to return.

Here's how I weathered through (yet) another week of polar vortex reality...  

#nevermissaMonday
Fasted cardio (check). Miles with Milly (check), Never miss a Monday (check). If there's such a thing as a "runner's hat trick," it happened for me. This 2-miler was my fifth consecutive run on the treadmill. I had not run that many indoor runs since I first bought real running shoes, 13.5 years ago. If nothing else, being stuck inside enabled me to appreciate a sense of humor as I worked on my this-too-shall-pass perspective.

Another run-of-the-mill Monday

Kind of a #typicalTuesday

I decided to do a short, but sweaty, HIIT workout. After a 20-minute warm-up (courtesy of the elliptical), I did a circuit including:

20 jumping jacks
15 burpees
10 push-ups
15 arm reps (various biceps, triceps, shoulders)
20 lower-body reps (lunges, squats, etc.)
1-minute plank (as a recovery)

Four total sets netted me 80 jacks, 60 burpees, 40 push-ups, 60 upper-body reps, 80 lower-body reps, four (cumulative) minutes of planking...and some serious #sweatequity in the bank. Not bad for 40 minutes of work. Onward!

Wowza weather Wednesday
So, here's the situation. Most of the state of Iowa (and surrounding states as well) practically shut down for the day. All of the colleges and schools cancelled classes and the US Postal Service halted delivery due to the dangerously cold temps. My town set a new record for the all-time record low, and I believe that was common throughout the Midwest. Alas, I got to enjoy another #5at5 with Milly.

my sixth run with Milly in 12 days

Low-key Thursday

Still stuck inside, I did a quick 20 minutes with Milly (1.5-mile power walk) and called it good before heading to work. BTW, this little thing about your "circle" popped up in my Insta feed this week...an excellent reminder to keep the positive peeps in your midst, and be the kind of person others want in their midst as well.

Still hanging with Milly...

Finally Friday

A lot of people have talked about how long the month of January seemed this year, but I would argue this particular week seemed rather lengthy. Friday arrived, bringing with it an ever-so-bright light at the end of the tunnel (figuratively speaking) as we awaited the polar vortex to pack its bags and head on out. Temps were still cold (sub-ZERO with windchill), but no longer dangerously low. Typically, my Fridays are active recovery days, in that there's not any running, intense HIIT or strength work. I don't think a little bit of cardio is breaking the rules. After all, if it wasn't so cold, I'd be taking Max for a walk anyways.  If I can't get outside for a walk, I find something to do inside....and this morning it was 30 minutes with Ellie. I also did a lot of stretching and some yoga (later) in the evening.

Sensational Saturday
The temps early Saturday morning were in the upper 30F's! Believe me, they were incredible! I got out for a 2-mile power walk (the last 1/2-mile was with Max), and I felt like a caged bird set free (see title pic above). After lunch, I reunited with Barb (remember her? my running pal?), and we knocked out almost six gloriously euphoric miles before parting ways. My mileage was just over seven miles by the time I returned home. How fantastic was our run? We ran a solid 10-minute pace and it felt effortless. My legs were ecstatic to not have the confines of the treadmill and the fresh air was intoxicating. Even in the wind, the 42F afternoon temps felt heavenly. So what if I hit a few random puddles? No regrets, no complaints. Every run is a gift.

ahhh, finally back in my preferred element...the great outdoors!

A super (bowl) Sunday

How about 50 flights of stairs for breakfast? What if we add a few sides of arm reps, in between each set of 10 flights? Yes? No? Maybe so? Or would you order something else? It's no secret I'm a cardio junkie, and the stairs never disappoint, especially first thing in the (early) morning.

All told, I'm happy with how the week played out. Granted, I spent the majority of it indoors, but I managed to stay active with a variety of workouts. Truly, I'm grateful to have several indoor options, all under my roof. This week's running mileage ended at 14, which is a 2019 weekly PR (and Saturday's 7-miler was a 2019 distance PR). As my off-season winds down, the weekly mileage will be increasing as I prepare for some spring races. I didn't have much for walking this week, and my elliptical time was moderate (50 minutes).  Winter is far from over, but with (hopefully) the worst of the cold weather behind us, I'm hoping to get outside for more walking (and less time on the treadmill and elliptical). There's also gonna be a boost in my stair-training (see below). HIIT workouts will continue (hopefully weekly), as will on-going strength-training.

  

In case you missed out, here's my posts from last week:
Take that, Winter!

Coping with the Cold...over coffee

In other  news:
#FridayFashionFlair on Instagram. Did you know Friday was National Wear Red Day, a day to promote awareness of heart disease, especially among women? Heart disease affects most of us, in one capacity or another, whether it's our own health or the struggles of family and/or friends. I opted for a black and red bufffalo plaid blanket scarf/wrap to honor the day. As per usual, please consider joining me...post a pic of a favorite outfit, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair), and give me a tag(@Runningonthefly)!

A fairly new feature I've seen on Instagram is a "view your post from a year ago." Is it ironic (or a given) that I'd be on the treadmill on the same date a year prior? The notification popped up on Tuesday afternoon, so I opted to wear the same outfit the next morning....wouldn't you?

now (on left), and then (on right)

Finally, I mentioned upping my game with stair-training. I respect stair-training is not everyone's favorite form of cross-training, but it is an awesome lower-body workout that enhances one's running. The incline of the stairs mimics a hill (though with a steeper grade), and the cardio can be pretty intense depending on how fast the stairs are climbed. As mentioned in my Coffee Post, my place of work is hosting a stair-climbing challenge for the month of February, with a goal of 562 cumulative flights of stairs. Even though I am not able to participate in the Fight for Air Climb this year (since I'll be in DC for the Cherry Blossom 10-miler), I am still going to train in honor of this favorite event of mine. The challenge encompasses 562 flights (over four weeks), but I'm shooting for 1,000.....go big or go home, right? If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you!

Sunday's 50 flights kicked off the stair climb challenge

So, there you have it! The polar vortex has moved on, and so has my off-season. I'm excited to get back to a regular routine as I gradually increase my running. The Cherry Blossom 10-miler (April 7th) is my first long-distance event on the calendar, but there are a few other races of shorter distances happening prior. Bring it!

Did the polar vortex make an appearance in your area? If so, did your fitness suffer as a result, or were you able to alter your routine to stay active? How cold did it get for you?

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

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