March Madness and Mayhem

Wow. Has it been a week!

A lot of events have gone down (quite literally), a lot of stress has been elevated (unfortunately) and there's been all kinds of panic and fear laid out before us. Myself, I don't think I've let things (known and unkown) get to me (yet), but it's been a week like none other.

Let's just say I'm ever so grateful to have the likes of fitness, sweat and endorphins as my one constant.

Before we has out all the details, welcome to the Weekly Run Down!

I love hosting 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 noon on Monday. We love reading about everyone's 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...please don't link-drop & dash ;-)

So, here's what went down in my little world of fitness this week:

Never miss a Monday!
With a rainy day on tap, it wasn't looking like an outdoor run would be happening, at least in the early hours. I started the day on the stairs, dong intervals of 10 flights on the "basement" stairs and the "main level" stairs...60 total flights. I held out hope the temps would rise and/or the rain would subside, but no such luck. With my Week of Pi Challenge underway (it had started the day prior, on Sunday), I only had 3.14 miles on the roster. The 37F temps (after work, still raining), though, were not appealing, so it was Milly time for Day 2. It wasn't fun, but it was bearable. Kudos to all my treadmill-loving runner friends...I don't know how you do it, but I don't have what you got LOL.

       

Typical "Tri" Tuesday
Another cold morning outside, so I opted inside for the start of my day... 20 flights of stairs, 20 push-ups and 20 minutes on the elliptical. The temps were much warmer, after work, so I was able to do my Week of Pi run outside...another 3.14 miles in the Pi vault and Day 3 was complete.

          

Weird and Windy Wednesday
Another oddly cold and dreary morning (but with a forecast for afternoon sunshine!), I kept it inside (again) with 20 minutes on the elliptical (and some stairs). By mid-afternoon, the sun had emerged and the day had become picture-perfect (though still a bit windy). This was already Day 4 of the Challenge, and things were still feeling good.

How about a #Pi@5 for Thursday?
For the first time, in a very, very long time, I elected to switch things up for the ritual #5at5 with Barb. It's not every week that I'm embarking on a Week of Pi Challenge, after all. Barb and I met up, we ran the 3.14 miles, and I headed home and she continued on (bless her heart for being such a good sport). This was Day 5 of my Pi streak, and although I felt a little fatigued upon wake-up, things felt great once I got moving. The power of early-morning movement! Little did I know what the day had in store for me, as the COVID-19 scare started a rather large domino-effect of cancellations and turmoil before nightfall.

A Freaky Friday
I woke up Friday morning in a fog. It was surreal how many events had been postponed and/or outright canceled. Schools were shutting down, the NCAA tournament was a no-go, and our local college abruptly ended the spring semester on campus with all the students being sent home for Spring Break and were not to return afterwards (but would be finishing their classes online).WOW. As much as I would have benefited from an escape-the-reality run, I just didn't feel like lacing up. I did some elliptical time, climbed some stairs, and did a short upper body session before work. The bright sun and beautiful blue sky got the best of me, though, so I headed out for my Pi run over my lunch break (instead of waiting until after work). Pi for runch!

        

Pi Day Grand Finale (and a birthday)
I met up with Barb for the final Pi run. Wouldn't you know, Momma N felt it appropriate to join the celebration...blessing us with some crazy snow (for most of the day). Stay tuned...I will post a brief post-Pi recap, highlighting some of the challenges that arose from the experience.

Sunday - All is well that ends well
After eight consecutive days of running (don't forget, there was that 10K Leprechaun Chase last Saturday), I chose to shun the running shoes and keep things on the down-low. Well, I did do some stairs (20 flights), but nothing intense. And there was a nice morning walk with the hubby and Max after church.

As I said, what a week! I'm not feeling stressed or anxious about the COVID-19 stuff, but am in a bit of a surreal haze. It's uncharted territory for all of us. With all of the Pi runs (not including last Sunday's run), my mileage capped out around 19 miles (technically 18.84, but there was a little extra distance added to "round-up" a few times). I got in three elliptical sessions (60 total minutes). With all the daily running, I took a pass on HIIT and speed-training this week. I did get in 210 stair flights, though. Among all the postponements, the Fight for Air Climb was affected (scheduled for March 29th). I've been training for almost two months, and plan to remain consistent with that. Until there's a future date set, though, I don't see the need for intense stair work (like those 100-flight excursions LOL).

In case you missed out, here's what else went down on the blog this week:
Windblown!
2020 Leprechaun Chase recap
No. Gym. Required.

In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair. With Friday's bright sunshine and fresh air, one would never have believed the forecast snow for Saturday...but stranger things have happened. We never really know what we're gonna get in Iowa until the day of (LOL). As always, you're welcome to join me on Fridays...post a pic on Instagram, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and be sure to tag me (@runningonthefly).

Looky looky at what I spotted this week! The first of the daffodils are emerging through the soil! Now it really looks and feels like spring is on the horizon.

For the token few who have not heard, it was my birthday this weekend. The hubby organized a dinner party with some of our closest friends on Friday night. I spent a great chunk of Saturday reading numerous texts, messages, and greetings on social media (Thank you, Everyone!!!). Also, I received a few birthday emails from races and my alma mater (is that a new thing?).

Finally, a few thoughts on the Virus. Although it's pretty scary what could come of this current situation, what's even more freaky is the rush of panic it has elicited. It's disappointing to have all these races and events canceled and/or postponed (ummm, I am going through major NCAA basketball withdrawal myself #FirstWorldProbs), but I do think all of these actions are necessary. The hubs and I may be postponing our spring break getaway this week, as things continue to unfold on the social distancing scene. It's not the end of the world (I checked...the sun is still rising and the wind is still blowing). We can choose to be angry, or we can choose to move forward and learn from the experience. And, we always have the option to be grateful for what we still have (friends and family, for example, or that hidden roll of TP under the sink) instead of dwelling on what's been taken away.

So, that's what been happening in my world. How about YOU?

Has the COVID-19 wreaked a little havoc with your Spring schedule? Has your weather been feeling more like Spring, or is Winter hanging on for dear life? Have you ever done a running challenge or tribute for your birthday?

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