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Sunday, May 19, 2019

Ending on a Bright Note


Warm, cold, rainy, hot, more rain, followed by more heat. I'm just glad all is well that ended well.

Such is this past week's story... not only for the weather, but also the running. There was all kinds of variety, and that's never a bad thing.


But first things first...

Welcome to the Weekly Run Down! I am so excited to host this link-up with Deborah (from Confessions of a Mother Runner). If you write a fitness-based blog, you're invited to join the party. The link-up opens at 1:00 (EST) on Sundays and remains open through Monday (noon). Please share your weekly fitness endeavors, training highlights (or low lights) and race recaps. We ask that you link back to both hosts, and we encourage you to read/comment on the other linked blogs as well.

Anyways, here's the run down on what happened this past week:

#NeverMissAMonday
Temps were chilly upon wake-up (ummm, how does 38F sound?), but much warmer temps were forecast for the afternoon...so, I power-walked first thing, and postponed the run until after work. As I have said before, good things do come to those who wait. The after-work temps were perfection (in my opinion). My body was still feeling a bit sluggish from the weekend's 15-miles (courtesy of the relay)....but my #nevermissaMonday run was a success because (1) I had sunshine on my face, (2) the temps were fantastic, and (3) the workday lipstick was still intact.
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#TakeiteasyTuesday
Nothing grandiose for Tuesday. I got out for an early morning walk and did some stretching. It is awkward, though, when you realize your post-walk stretch looks like a bad #raindance move. Spoiler - the rain DID come.
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#WhackyWeatherWednesday
The rain had stopped,  but the temps were windy and cold. Barb and I opted to postpone our ritual #5at5 (five miles at 5:00 a.m.) until after work, so I did a short walk with the dog, and some upper-body strength work and planking instead.
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As predicted, the after-work temps were more to my suiting....75F! Barb and I met up and knocked out a #5at5PM, and all was well. Even though my body was more exhausted than energetic, there was no way I was staying inside with those summer-like temps flirting with me.
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#HIITmeUpThursday
It had been awhile since I'd done any focused lower-body strength work, so I incorporated a short, sweet, and (very) sweaty HIIT workout to get it done. This workout took less than 25 minutes, and there was plenty of #fastedcardio and #sweatequity banked first thing in the morning.

Three sets:
**10 flights of stairs (double-stepped)
**15 weighted sumo squats
**10 burpees
**20 plank jacks
**10 push-ups
**1-minute wall sit
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#FinallyFriday
As predicted, the hammies and glutes were feeling a bit cranky as a result of the previous day's HIIT workout. Believe it or not, more rain was falling! I kept it inside and did some stretching, and later was able to get outside for a walk after work.
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#SurpriseSunnySaturday
In keeping with the crazy weather, there was rain overnight and some showers early Saturday morning. My weather app showed a mid-morning window of "dryness," so I headed out for a run. There were a few light sprinkles falling, but they were gone before I finished the first mile. I had considered wearing a light jacket, but decided to leave the jacket at home. Smart move, as the temps continued to get warmer, the sun poked through the clouds and the humidity sky-rocketed (a result of all the recent rainfall). So, yeah. By the time I finished those seven miles, I was a major sweaty mess...but all that heat and humidity just got me excited for the summer season!
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#SimplySunday
As for Sunday, we had more rain in the forecast! My app showed 40% chance of precipitation when I got up...well, that translates to 60% chance of  missing the rain LOL (#glasshalffull). I got out for a couple easy-paced recovery miles before church, and just enjoyed the quietness of having the streets/sidewalks all to myself. And, the flowers! I'm not recalling how many April showers we had, but the May flowers are looking pretty beautiful.
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Despite the erratic weather, things worked out well in terms of variety of workouts. The running felt a little off (probably a combination of DOMS from last weekend's relay and the lower-body HIIT), but it got me 17 miles of fitness. Walking went well (on the dry days), with 14ish miles. It felt great to get back to doing HIIT and full-body strength training, as well.

In case you missed out, here's what happened on the blog this week:
Brrr...Brrr...Brrring on Spring, Please...
Walk Much?
Running Against the Wind - Market to Market Relay 2019 

In other news:
Did you catch my #FridayFashionFlair post on Insta? Cool temps, rain, and all kinds of gloom called for some bright colors, so I dug out a vintage sweater from my hand-knit stash. Turquoise and hot pink have long been favorite colors, because of their vibrancy, and they certainly canceled out the dreariness of the day.

I haven't talked much about this, but I have been on a "candy fast" for almost two full weeks. Mind you, there still is plenty of sugar in my diet, so this is merely a small step in scaling back. I inadvertently popped a peppermint Lifesavor (Thursday afternoon) as a breath-freshener measure...and didn't realize what I'd done until an hour later. My question...did this accidental breath mint incident count as candy? My local friends/family all say no, but what do you say?

Did I mention the crazy weather? Thursday afternoon, the temps got warm!

And, finally...if I may share a proud mom moment...this also happened on Thursday evening. The youngest daughter will officially graduate this summer with an AA degree, but her ceremony was this week. We're pretty proud of her for knocking out her AA in one year, and look forward to her next academic adventure...stay tuned...


So, that's a recap of all things fitness (and then some) from the past week. How was your week? Crazy weather, too? Great workouts? Any races? 

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50 comments:

  1. Wow, you sure packed in a lot of activity into this week!

    I wouldn't count the lifesaver as candy, so I think you're still in the clear! It's so sad how sugar is basically in everything, which makes it almost impossible to cut it out, but cutting out candy is a great start!

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    1. ha ha...I'm not really counting the Lifesaver as candy either...but it still bugs me that I didn't realize I"d eaten it, until way after the fact LOL

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  2. Congrats to your daughter on her graduation! Looks like a really solid week for you all around. I vote the peppermints do not count as candy 😊

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    1. Thanks, I'm not counting the peppermint as candy, either ;-) The important thing is I'm keeping my hands out of the candy jar at work!

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  3. 99 degrees on Friday??? Wow! What a temperature swing compared to Monday morning. I am with you - I love the summer-like temperatures for running, but 99 is too hot even for me!

    I am on a candy fast too. I read that excess sugar in your diet can drive up your cholesterol, so I am cutting out all added sugar. It's harder than I thought it would be! One tiny life saver doesn't count, in my opinion.

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    1. Yeah, the 99-degree was a bit extreme for me, too. And, today we're entertaining mid-50's with wind and rain. Joy!!!

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  4. No, the lifesaver (polo?) wasn't candy, no miss there. And wow sunshine! We've had really varied weather this week and I'm hoping it will manage to stay cooler for my marathon, which has somehow arranged to have come up so quickly that it's next weekend!!

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    1. I love my sunshine, so I'm always happy to see it, regardless of the temps.

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  5. I love your #glasshalffull attitude about the rain. As I hear thunder rolling in...
    It was nice to feel the sun again this week and get outside in shorts and a t-shirt!

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    1. I wish I would have worn shorts for my run yesterday! It's great to bag the leggings and sleeves!

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  6. I've been following your insta posts and just want to say, once again, glad I don't live in Iowa! CRAZY weather, anyone?

    as far as the lifesaver goes - I would say no. I have had a few throat lozenges here and there in the office but not broken my rule of "no junk" until this week. ARG. Back on the no junk wagon again next week.

    Congratulations to your daughter!! I can imagine you and hubby are super proud. That's an amazing accomplishment!

    What's on tap next week - any weird weather predictions?

    This past week was odd. Just the reality of coming back from Spain and then immediately being hit with 3 days of stress at work. I just was not feeling energetic at all. I'm hoping next week will be better, or at least less stress. Then I'm off again Friday - Tues next week so another short (but hopefully not stressful - oh who am I kidding it's month-end...) 3-day week after that. Counting down to summer vacation...

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  7. Congrats to your daughter! That's impressive.

    Our weather was just as bad, only mostly cold (until this afternoon, now it seems summer has arrived).

    I am not really a candy person, oddly enough. Unless you include just straight very dark chocolate. It's not that I don't like candy, it's just not enough bang for my buck! It only feeds the sugar beast. I wouldn't worry about a mint.

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    1. I don't eat a lot of candy on my own (or at home), but if it's within arms reach (like at work), I tend to grab a piece without thinking about it.

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  8. Congrats to your daughter! It feels like she JUST graduated from HS! Fastest year ever. I'm with you on the whacked out weather. We did not see 99F though. It's mostly been cold and rainy here. Sick. Of. It.

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    1. Yes, it was a fast year for the daughter! Thankfully, our rain wasn't as bad as forecast, but still. There was more than I'd preferred.

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  9. Congrats to your daughter! I think the peppermint lifesaver is OK. Now, if it had been a cherry one ... Our weather was spring like on Monday but pretty summery today -- in the 80s!

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    1. ha ha ha...I love the cherry-flavored ones! This peppermint one was a random one I found in my car in a moment of desperation .....

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  10. Congrats to your daughter! Isn't this weather just crazy?!?!? I couldn't believe it was that HOT.

    A lifesaver does not count as candy.

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    1. Thank you! Everyone seems to be in agreement on the Lifesaver dilemma LOL

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  11. Congrats to your daughter. We've had crazy weather - cold one day, warm the next. I was lucky to get in all 4 of my runs this and the warmest ones were my races. of course.

    Not complaining because I love warm weather.

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  12. I'm chuckling about the rain dance moves. I'm no longer going to dance AT ALL if that means stopping the endless rain. Today started off decent, then it poured rain (which was never in the forecast!) and then the sun came out and it felt amazing. Can we have some more of that please?!?!

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    1. The rain dance was legit LOL Our rain has not been too extreme in my immediate area, but there are parts of Iowa that are in a flooding crisis. We just need more sunshine, simple solution ;-)

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  13. You had a great week despite the weather! I can't believe how warm your afternoons have been!

    The Lifesaver doesn't count as candy in my book.

    Big congrats to your daughter!

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    1. Well, it wasn't that warm everyday, but I wish it was LOL It seems it's been one extreme or the other, which makes it a challenge getting dressed in the morning...

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  14. Lifesavers, Altoids, gum..not candy! You're good. You don't strike me as someone who eats a lot of candy though! That's surprising!

    What is an AA degree (My ignorance here, just haven't heard of it!) Congratulations nonetheless! Busy week for you Kim!

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    1. An AA degree is an Associate of Arts, a degree from a 2-year school (usually a community college).

      You're right, I don't eat a lot of candy, but I sit at the main reception desk at work and there's a candy dish within arms reach LOL

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  15. First of all the breath freshener definitely does NOT count and good for you for doing a candy fast! Congrats to your daughter too - how exciting!! Your week looked great in terms of workouts and about the same as here in terms of weather. It has been WACKY, to say the least but we only managed 80 degrees yesterday so you win on that one - LOL!!

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    1. The general consensus seems to be in agreement that the mint was not a candy indulgence LOL WHEW! Now I can shake off that guilt ;-) Our weather is currently (Monday morning) 40F, with a 33F feels-like. I wish I was making that up!

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  16. Congrats to your daughter! What's next for her?

    Yes, this spring is ridiculous! I'm glad I was able to get away to the south for a little taste of summer. And now it's back to the cold.

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    1. We were at 41F this morning...32F with the wind! What the WHAT!

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  17. Congrats to your daughter on her degree! The weather has been so wacky here also - in the 80s this weekend, then back to the 50s today! But at least all of those are temperatures that are decent enough for running!

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    1. We finally got up to upper-50's after work today, but it was 32F (with the wind) this morning.

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  18. I love the variety in your workouts! Congrats to your daughter, too- you must be so proud of her!

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    1. Thanks!! I have to have variety, or I'd go crazy. Yes, we are, indeed, proud of the daughter...she worked hard in HS (taking several dual-credit courses) and utilized her time well, this first year of college, to get it all done in a year.

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  19. Congrats on that nice variety of workouts! You really had a lot of ups and downs in the weather last week. And congrats to your daughter on her graduation :)

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    1. ...and the ups/downs on the weather has continued. UGH. I just want summer now...spring has kind of been a bust LOL

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  20. Oooh a candy fast - that sounds interesting. And good question about the lifesaver - one of my friends in college gave up sweets/desserts for Lent but everyday would pop Wintergreen Lifesaver Mints... So who knows - she wouldn't count it!

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    1. Well, I have a fully-stocked candy dish at my desk (reception area), so the temptation is unreal LOL (and there's plenty more than just Lifesavers in there (#chocolate) ;-)

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  21. We have had crazy wind for several days...that can leave any time now!

    I wouldn't say breath mints count as candy.

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    1. Oh gosh, our wind has been psychotic! It's been blowing almost non-stop since November.

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  22. So many great workouts! Way to go! Love your sweater. And congrats to your daughter!

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    1. Thanks!! I crave variety, so I make sure to keep my workouts constantly changing.

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  23. Wow, gotta give you kudos on the candy fast. Not sure I would be a happy camper without my chocolate! Congrats to your daughter. That's so exciting!

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    1. I didn't know how I'd do with the candy thing. I don't crave candy, but it's always within arms reach...and there's plenty of chocolate! Surprisingly, it's been easy...so far!

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  24. Wow, you've had a lot of rain. It rained here all day on Mother's Day, but the rest of the week was hit or miss. This week is much warmer so far.

    Congrats to your daughter!

    Thanks for the linkup!

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    1. We've had a lot of rain, but most of it's been pretty light (in my area). There are parts of the state, though, that are flooding like crazy.

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  25. You had a great week!! Congrats to you guys and your daughter on her graduation! I wouldn't count the breath mint as "candy" so I say you're good there! I'm excited about the new linkup!! Yay!

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