Sunday, April 19, 2020

Humor...It's a Good Thing


Give me some humor and no one gets hurt.

That's right. A sense of humor is a good thing. It's also a valuable weapon, in one's arsenal, when forging through the unexpected challenges that get thrown at you.

If there ever was a time for an endearing sense of humor, it would be this week. For starters, we're talking major instability in all things weather-related. There were some interesting workouts. And, the UN-Canceled Project treated me to three (count 'em, three!) virtual races, all with unique race day attributes.


But, before I get too serious with 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 ;-)
Here's what went down in my little world of fitness this week:

Monday - How about a double dose of sweat, with a windy 5K time trial as a bonus?
Our weather over Easter weekend had turned rather cold, damp and windy, and that continued through to Monday. With the dreary outdoor elements, I opted for 20 minutes on the elliptical and some upper-body strength for the morning.

After work, the temps had warmed slightly, and the sun had emerged, but the wind was even stronger. In keeping with my (current) Monday 5K time trial gig, I got dressed and headed to the "race course." The plan was a mere three loops of this 1-mile loop around the college campus. There was a massive wind out of the west (my app said 18mph, but the gusts were anywhere between 20-30mph). Suffice it to say battling the headwind was brutal. Even the cross wind was tricky; it kept making my legs want to "criss-cross." And the tail wind? Although I was able to let loose and run with much freedom, the strong tailwind made me feel like I was attempting to sprint DOWN a very steep hill....a little freaky because I didn't feel like I had 100% control. So, any hopes of PR'ing this week's 5K were null and void. At least I could laugh about the ridiculousness of it all.

Tuesday - Maybe we're due for a recovery day?
Monday's 5K time trial wasn't one of my better 5K attempts, but I certainly ran it with a lot more effort than what the finish time reflected. Battling the wind is no easy jaunt. Come Tuesday, it was time for some down-low recovery...20 minutes on elliptical served me well.

Wednesday - Is that snow?
There had been a "chance"of overnight snow, but I never looked out the window. Imagine my surprise to see more than just a dusting of the white stuff on the ground when I headed out for my #5at5 with Barb. Not only was there snow on the ground, but intermittent black ice on the streets! Neither of us took any tumbles, but there was plenty of slipping and sliding as we navigated our way through the fog. Thankfully, all the snow was gone within a few hours.

Thursday - Shall we jump-start the day? 
Having had my jump-roping interests peaked (the week prior), I wrote up a similar interval workout...this one encompassing core work.

Jump Rope vs. Core Intervals
*20 flights of stairs (warm-up)

*50 rope jumps
*25 ins & outs
*50 rope jumps
*25 sets of "windshield wipers"
*50 rope jumps
*25 weighted Russian twists
*50 rope jumps
*25 sets of flutter kicks
*1-minute wall sit

My initial plan was to do three sets, but (oops) I bailed after two sets because my energy tanked after 30 minutes. Also, my rope is older than our marriage, and kept twisting under my feet and snagging my flopping pony tail while in the air. So, yes, a bit of humble pie for breakfast, but a few laughs amidst the frustrations. But, there was a decent upper-body workout in the evening!

Friday - ...wait, is that even more snow?
We'd been under a winter storm advisory Thursday evening, with "some" snow in the forecast (never mind the fact that we are almost a full month into Spring). I had planned on doing some power walking with Milly (not socially distanced, just saying), so I (again) had not bothered to peak out the window...until I was positioned on the treadmill. Ugh! I decided the best ammunition for fighting my annoyance was to sneak in one last post-workout outdoor selfie. And the 5-6 inches of snow? It was history by late morning.

Saturday - Surely, not more wind?
I had 13.1 miles on tap, for the UN-Canceled Humor Half Marathon.Yes, there was wind, and chilly temps. There also was plenty of sunshine, thankfully, so I never felt cold. I mapped out a simple 5K route (that went by my house) with plans of running it one way out, then back around (in reverse). Doing this twice would net about 20K (12.4 miles). There would be a brief fueling/hydration pit stop at my house in between each 10K segment, as well as a few extra out-and-backs (on the in-town portion) to get to the 13.1 distance.

Only...the wind continued to get stronger (a big part of my route was on an open county road, with no buildings or trees for wind shelter). The hubby's Ipod Shuffle kept shuffling to Jimmy Buffet and James Taylor (neither of which I want for running mojo). Then, my Garmin putzed out around the 9.5-mile mark (on said county road). Instead of looping back out, I decided to run the remaining (3 or so?) miles in town, on a different 5K route. With the extra out-and-backs, I wasn't quite sure where my actual distance was (but estimated it to be around 10.5 miles). I probably ran at least 13.5 miles, possibly 14 total, but that will remain a mystery. Alas, there was much laughter at all ALL things...the wind, the hills, the Garmin (or lack there of)...but my hilly route did mimic the Drake Relays Road Races 13.1, which this virtual race replaced. So, all is well.

Sunday - Can you feel the sunshine?
The morning greeted me with bright sunshine (and a little remaining wind LOL), and a body that felt almost brand new. I had done a lot of stretching and foam rolling, so any residual after-effects from the windy 13.1 were (mostly) null and void. None the less, I did the routine recovery run (two miles) and felt even better upon returning home. Max took the hubby and I for a 2-mile walk afterwards.


So how did the week play out? Running totaled out with 24ish miles. Walking had nine miles (with more to come later on Sunday). Two elliptical sessions (40 cumulative minutes). Two upper-body workouts. And one jump rope/core interval HIIT extravaganza. Feeling good, feeling fine!

In case you missed out, here's what went down on the blog this week:
Up Close and Personal
HIIT'ing at Home

In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair! How do you feel about denim jackets? They've been around longer than me, and are a wardrobe staple for many. Ironically, they can dress up a casual outfit or tone down a dressy one. And, they make for a great layering piece on a chilly morning. I have an affection for dragonflies (I know, #shocker). This funky brooch caught my eye, several years ago, and found its permanent  home on my jacket. 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).

Just a week ago, my magnolia tree was on the verge of blooming. This week, though, two snowfalls wreaked havoc. All the buds are now looking forlorn. Maybe the outer petals will reveal signs of life underneath...but I'm not betting the farm (if I had one LOL) on it.
Before, during and after...
You may have noticed there was a lot of orange going on this week, due to the UN-Canceled Project's three virtual races. Humor was this week's theme, as was the color orange...so I played along and wore the requisite orange gear. As mentioned, all three of these "races" presented me with unique challenges, due to the race day conditions (thanks to the weather). One thing we have ZERO control of is the weather, right? And, most of us would still choose to run an actual race on its actual race day, no matter the weather. We do have 100% control of our attitude, though. A little humor can make a big difference in one's race day experience, real or virtual.


Anyways, enough about me!

Tell me something that made you laugh (or at least smile) this week.  Crazy weather? Any virtual racing? Staying active? I hope everyone is staying safe!

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47 comments:

  1. A solid week of fitness! I find very difficult to run in windy days but I see you did it!
    Snow? What is that? Here it's sunny but we must stay home because of the lockdown.

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    1. Welcome back!!!! Great to see you again!! Yeah, the wind can be so brutal and unforgiving...but it's quite empowering to just face it head-on and run anyways ;-)

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  2. Oh no! I'm sorry your magnolia tree is not appreciating Mom Nature's folly. Magnolia is my fave! Well maybe tied with hydrangea. Yeah the wind was a tool this week.

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    1. Ditto on the hydrangeas ;-) It seems more often than not, this poor magnolia tree takes a beating every spring. The past two years it's been able to soldier through, but this late heavy snow (twice!) may have sealed its fate for this spring.

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  3. That virtual half sounds like it was quite interesting! ;) Good job on getting it done. Race day music problems are always a concern with me. Seems like it's always 50/50 that something is not going to go right! Hopefully this will be the last of the snow both of us will see for this season!

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    1. I'm grateful to have the hubby's Ipod (since my Shuffle bit the dust at MCM), but the shuffle option was not working in my favor yesterday LOL I have learned that I don't "need" music as much as I'd thought, but it's a nice thing to have along!

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  4. Going along with the humor theme, your Garmin dying was a nice retro throwback...before Garmins there was no way to know how long the race course was and before the internet getting your official race time wasn't a sure thing. Easy runs when everything works out are nice but they sure don't give us much to write about;-)

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    1. Normally, the Garmin thing wouldn't even be an issue because I'm not usually concerned with my splits/pace for a run. But a race? Even a virtual one? I really wanted those 13.1 stats LOL First world probs ;-) But I totally agree...we need the non-easy events to blog about, and learn from.

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  5. Can't believe you did the Half and then were functional for the Zoom. You are wonder woman. Love the orange - and the green matching in the snow. Great visibility, especially with people running more on open roads. Stay safe and so good to see you and your pup again yesterday

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    1. Thanks, Cari, great seeing you, too!! Well, I was functional for ZOOM, but I didn't have much to say LOL Hope you're staying safe as well ;-)

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    2. Safe and sound and (today, lazy) here. Hope we all stay that way

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  6. Your running is going great, Kim. Way to get out there in the wind! I have been doing 5K time trials each week as part of my Un-Canceled Project participation. I am double-dipping and using the same 5K time for another virtual racer series I signed up for. This is the last week for that series. It's been fun having a challenge on the calendar each week!

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    1. Looks like I'll have another windy 5K tomorrow...but 40F warmer, so #win. I agree, these weekly challenges have been a lot more fun than anticipated!

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  7. You sure are right. A sense of humor makes life a lot easier.

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    1. We all need to laugh...at life and at ourselves. It doesn't instantly make things all better, but it definitely makes things more bearable.

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  8. Great job on the half with not so great conditions! I can't believe Iowa had snow! All of ours from last weekend is gone. Hopefully for good. Glad there were no spills on the black ice! Not a great time for a broken leg, that's for sure.

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    1. The snow was unbelievable! There was so much of it, and it came so quickly...but it disappeared just as fast. NO harm, no foul (well, except for my poor magnolia blooms)

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  9. Different days, but similar weather. My humor kinda fled this week, I gotta admit (might've had something to do with Bandit's brief stomach bug & my night on the couch with him -- he's fine now, don't worry).

    The best thing about Spring snow is how quickly it melts. :)

    Wind is always hard, Kim! You get an A for effort.

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    1. I had not thought of that...spring snow melting so fast, but that is one good thing about it LOL

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  10. On Friday evening, I scrolled through FB and posted two things to my wall that both had made me laugh. The lady putting on makeup had me laughing so hard that my cheeks hurt! LOL

    Glad you got your runs in despite the weather - big high five to you!

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    1. Thank you, Debbie ;-) The weather was all kinds of irrational last week...hoping for a better week ahead. Glad you're getting back to your running!!!!

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  11. Great job with your virtual "races" this week - especially that half marathon! Mother Nature truly did not play nice this week - my peonies and hydrangeas were just starting to show life before all the wind, snow, and rain this week ... only time will tell if they rebound.

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    1. My hydrangeas aren't even close...but they are a mid-summer variety. My peonies are coming up, but no where close to blooming...hopefully they will be fine. My daffodils were looking sketchy, but seem to have rallied back. I really hope there's a miracle in the works for my magnolias....

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  12. I can't believe all the the snow and cold temps. Way to go on the Half even if things didn't turn out like you'd hoped.

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    1. The half certainly had its obstacles...but it is what it is. It was a struggle (at times, but I felt like a champion when it was over (well, sort of).

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  13. Look at you banging out 3 virtual runs this week! Bonus points for the orange color coordination :) Have a great week ahead

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    1. I have the potential for three more this week, but will probably keep it at two. One is the virtual half for another 13.1 that had to go virtual. I'm just hoping for much better weather this week ;-)

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  14. Oh you know I'm all about humor, especially now. Laughing is one way I'm keeping my sanity through all of this craziness.

    I love that you did a virtual 13.1 race on Saturday - that takes a lot of grit! Well done!

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    1. Well, hang tight...there's another virtual half this next Saturday (for a different event)

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  15. Great job on all of those virtual runs! Running hard into a headwind is no joke! We had a bunch of snow this week, thankfully it all melted by now.

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  16. We had snow on Saturday but nothing stuck to the ground. I love snow but not in mid April! The wind has been crazy lately. This afternoon we took a walk to the Bay. It was so windy at the point that the temp dropped at least 20 points. We could barely stand upright!

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    1. That sounds like my wind last Monday! It was tough to stay vertical, no matter which direction I was running.

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  17. Those conditions for your 13.1 sound rough! I do hope your magnolia trees still blossom. There are a few I see on my walks with Scooby and they are so pretty. Mostly it’s Scooby who makes me smile. He does some silly things!

    There was an NPR story about college grads coping with the economy, and they interviewed a counselor from Grinnel!

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    1. The half on Saturday was rough, especially as the morning wore on and I got more tired from the (ever increasing) wind. All of the magnolia trees I've seen in town look just as bad as mine...hoping for a miracle...

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  18. 3 virtual races in one week! Well done! I also did the Humour Un-Cancelled Project, but unfortunately, I couldn't find anything orange to wear, so I went with red instead.
    I can't believe how much snow you still have. I hope that won't come to Europe in a few weeks...

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    1. Thankfully all the snow is long gone...but it was a total buzzkill BOTH mornings when I woke up to it LOL

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  19. Your weather this week was crazy! Great job with all of those virtual races. I would have been so annoyed if my Garmin died. At this point though I am pretty sure I know the distances of all the roads I run pretty well.

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    1. The Garmin issue was annoying, but it was all my fault. I'd plugged in the charger, but somehow the watch wasn't attached to it (?). I thought there would be enough battery power anyways (since I don't use my Garmin everyday)...but no dice. I know all my route distances, but I was doing several out-and-backs on random city blocks and that was just enough to alter the real distance. I know I was close to my "predicted" distance, so that will have to do. First world probs, right? ;-)

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  20. What a week!!! Great job!! I need to invest in a jump rope. I seriously forget what a good workout that it.

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  21. We also had some crazy weather this week! Snow and warmth and then snow and cold again. Ugh. Ready for spring here! And I said this last week, but I need a jump rope - or to find mine. Those workouts look so much fun -- and HARD.

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  22. sounds like a great active week! I've been toying with the idea of doing a time trial myself but right now our weather is NOT conducive to a good time trial so I'm not sure if it'll happen or not.

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  23. Wow, you did have some crazy weather this week! Great job with that virtual half and keeping your sense of humor, especially given all the stuff that went wrong.

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  24. Yes, this weather has been crazy but I suppose this is just on par for how 2020 is turning out!
    Our Magnolia tree was also on the verge of big beautiful blooms, and then we got a lot of wind and they all blew off...lol -M

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  25. Wow, you really endured some crazy weather this week! I couldn't believe so many areas got snow! Great job on those runs and the jumprope workout! Someth

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  26. Love reading your post and all of your workouts. I forgot to mention the snow in my post. How could I? Maybe cause it on gone by the afternoon? :-)

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  27. INSANE Weather! But you really took advantage of the "Humor" theme and rocked it out, quite completely, for the week. Awesome job! We have had nasty thunderstorms, with several tornado watches. I'm not a fan.

    I still crack up reading all the silly memes about what's going on in the world. Some are less funny, but I giggle at many of them.

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