Sunday, May 24, 2020

Switcheroo, Anyone?


A switcheroo? Yeah it happens. This week was a prime example.

By definition, a switcheroo is a sudden unexpected variation or reversal, often for humorous purpose (source). Well, I did my best to find the humor in how this week played out. Although the laughing was at the minimum, it still was there. After all, if we can't laugh at ourselves, our attitudes may need some adjusting.

Not many things played out as planned this week. UGH, there was plenty of switcheroo'ing (if that wasn't a legit word, it is now) going on, and I am most thankful to have made it through (somewhat) vertical and still smiling.

Anyways, before I share all (or most of) 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 (and survival) this week:

Never miss a Monday
Since I took a pass on upper-body strength work in the previous week, I started Monday with a moderate arm/shoulder workout and a 1-mile walk before heading to work. 

Later, after work, it was time for my eighth 5K time trial (yes, they've been happening THAT long already). If there ever was a run that was doomed before the get-go, it was this one. I had a last-minute "fire" to put out at work, causing me to get home a good 45 minutes later than usual (so my attitude was jacked). The weather was damp and chilly (and, would you believe, windy?). My left hip "region" had been feeling a little funky (and Saturday's 10-mile run probably didn't help), but I was hopeful things would loosen up once I got moving. Well, the entire 3.6 miles (the 5K plus the 1/2-mile warm-up) felt like an awkward ride on an unrelenting struggle bus. My finish time wasn't terrible, but it took a lot more work than it should have...and wound up being my slowest 5K in all of the eight weeks I've been doing them. Alas, as we all know, every run will not be sensational. Dwelling solves nothing. Ironically, this week's Un-Canceled Project's theme was Kindness...so I showed it to myself and moved on. End of story.


On the down-low Tuesday
As expected, my hammies and hip were a bit angry upon wake-up. The hubs and Max came along for my early morning walk. I walked again at lunch (with Kim, via FaceTime) and after work. I also did plenty of stretching and foam rolling. And that's all she wrote.


Easy does it Wednesday
Although things were feeling much better, I thought it best to play it safe. I postponed the weekly #5at5 with Barb for Thursday...but my body still woke up early. Once my eyes open, there's (usually) no going back to sleep. I decided to capitalize on the early hour and hit the elliptical. It had been almost an entire month since I'd spent any time with Ellie, so we knocked out 20 minutes (watching Cheers) and then I did a 1-mile walk before starting my work day.   

#5at5 Thursday
I did a 1.5-mile run Wednesday evening, to ensure my hip was back in working order. Things felt better (though not perfect), so I knew I'd be fine for five early morning miles with Barb. The run didn't feel great, but it definitely felt better than Monday's 5K, so I'm calling that a success.


Low-impact stair/upper-body strength circuit for Friday
Although my hip was feeling better, I didn't want to rock the boat with an intense HIIT workout, so I came up with a low-impact option: 

*5 stair flights (triple-stepped, slowly)
*10 push-ups
*20 reps (shoulders/upper back)
*20 reps (arms)
*25 reps abs/core work

Four sets of the circuit took about 20 minutes, and I definitely felt a good burn. The triple steps act more like a strength move, as well as a good stretch for the hip area, due to the distance/depth of the 3-step motion.

Saturday's delayed waiting game
We had all kinds of rain and thunder storms on tap for Saturday morning, so I allowed myself a sleep-in (and actually didn't wake up until 7:00!). Since there were storms forecast for the morning, I anticipated I'd be running after lunch, which is way off my game. Only, upon wake-up, there was nothing happening, so Barb and I decided to meet up around 9:30...and then, about 9:20, the rain appeared. She had to be out of town for awhile, so when the rain cleared, I decided to head out on my own around 1:15. I'd thought of running a simple eight miles, but things still felt a little off with my hip. The air was damp and (of course) the wind was in my face. After I made the turn-around at the 3-mile mark, I decided I didn't need to run all eight miles after all. Things actually were feeling better when I started the sixth mile. I probably could have cranked out two additional miles, but there wasn't anything to prove by doing so. And, of course, the sun decided to (finally) make an appearance in the final 1/2-mile.  

Switcheroo on Sunday, too
Everything felt fine on Sunday morning. Again, no alarm set, but I found myself awake before 6:00 with a beautiful sunrise beckoning me. I probably could have done a short recovery run, but instead I opted for a ride! Only, in keeping with this switcheroo theme...Gustavas (my usually trusty bike) had something going on with his chain, so I took the hubby's bike instead. Wow. It had been a hot minute (actually, several) since I've done a sunrise ride. I'm glad that season is here. 10 miles of motion, followed by a couple miles of walking with the hubby and Max, and my day was off and running (figuratively, of course).

So, it was a week that kept me guessing, and there was a lot of last-minute switcheroo'ing. Total running miles were on the conservative side (16 miles), but walking served me well as a low-impact recovery option (17 miles, with probably a few more on tap for Sunday afternoon, weather permitting). Keeping things easy was critical this week, so the elliptical workout was a great cardio alternative as well. I'm also happy with both upper-body workouts. And some cycling! 

In case you missed out, here's what went down on the blog this week:

In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair! Have I mentioned how excited I am for summer fashion to be the new normal for awhile? Give me the capri pants, floral prints and sleeveless tops and I'm a happy gal. 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).

Finally, after almost four months, I was able to get in to have my hairdresser work her magic. I think I was one of her first clients back in the chair. The salons all closed (in Iowa) on Monday, March 23rd...and I had been scheduled to go in three days later. Yes, a first world problem, but four months between appointments was a record for me.

before, during, after

Saturday didn't only have a "long" run, but also yard work. I spent a good hour doing multiple garden squats and had the over-flowing wheel barrow to show for it. Is it any wonder I slept like a rock Saturday night?

Finally, for those of us in the USA, let's not forget about the significance of Memorial Day. It's not just a day off from work (for many), nor a day of picnics and beer. It's about honoring our fallen heroes, who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Please stay strong, and stay safe.



And, that's a wrap.  It was an interesting week, but still a great one. I have my work, my family, my friends, and I have my health. If I have a couple of botched runs, oh well. The sun continued to rise each morning (even if I couldn't always see it behind the cloud cover). Glass half full.

How was your week? Any great workouts? Any fails? Memorial Day plans? 



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56 comments:

  1. I feel like my life is a switcheroo some days hahaha! way to roll with everything!

    I went to the hairdresser too. I had my hair colored in December can you believe it?!! understandable of course, but glad to have gotten back in to see my girl.

    Enjoy Memorial Day!

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    1. Your hair looked so pretty on FB! The color is incredible! Yes, We just have to roll with the flow (and punches LOL).

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  2. I'm heading to the salon in a week. Even though it was right on schedule for me, I think my work stress in the last month gave me a bunch of grey hairs and I really need this visit!! Hooray for the summer outfits. I am on a search right now for some capris. Online shopping isn't going very well so I'm glad our stores are open now. Have a great holiday weekend!

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    1. I'm all about summer! The fun clothing is always a game-changer ;-)

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  3. Good for you for being able to pull multiple switcheroos so you didn't miss out on your workouts!

    I'm jealous that you got your hair done. Northern Virginia is still under stay-at-home orders. Hopefully they'll be lifted this Friday and we can move into phase 1...

    Have a great rest of your weekend!

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    1. Monday's 5K kind of threw me for a loop...but, since there's nothing really pressing on the calendar, it was a no-brainer to just go with it and take things lightly. I'm playing it cool this week as well...why not? ;-)

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  4. I'm sorry that your hip was kind of cranky this week :( You did the right thing cutting your run a little short on Saturday - best to play it safe than sorry.

    I will not be able to get my hair cut until next month and I really need it, lol. My hair is screaming at me for some TLC.

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    1. Oh, when my hairdresser called me, I almost kissed her through the phone LOL Thankfully, my hair grew out (color-wise) subtly over the past four months, but still. Who needs that?

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  5. Salons are not yet open here but hopefully soon. I do have a dentist appointment this week. Thing 2 went to the orthodontist last week so hopefully those are steps in the right direction. Hope your hip is nothing serious.

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    1. My gal has her own salon, with only one other gal (who's only there a couple days/week), so I wasn't too concerned about excess traffic in there. I have an ortho the first week of June... hopefully things are maintaining (it's been four months since I've had one of those appointments, too). I think my Monday run was just too much for my hip, and I think the (somewhat old) shoes may have been part of the problem.

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  6. I'm sorry it was such a challenging week, but you handled it with grace, as usual. Here's to a better week next week !

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    1. We all have weeks like that, right? I hate to say "when it rains, it pours," but #truth LOL

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  7. I think being flexible is key! I still fight some rigidity in my workouts - I really don't like to run after breakfast - but trying to enjoy "Plan B" when I have to. Glad to see you got out on ^a^ bike and hope yours is fixed soon!

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    1. Well, one good thing about all the COVID cancellations, is that I don't have to worry about a strict regimen at the moment. The hubby was able to fix my bike in a second when he got up this morning...I'm just such a novice, I don't have a clue on routine bike maintenance.

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  8. Yeah, as another friend said, we're living in permanent opposite day. I think I like the sound of switcheroo better. Glad your hip is trending in the right direction. Love the Friday fashion and your blue top on MOnday. You seem to have the coloring to wear any color.

    Hair salons aren't open here yet, but I was surprised to find my endocrinologist is open and seeing routine appointments. As I think I said last week on Zoom, we don't have a return to the office timeline yet so I'm going to let it ride with my hair. We all have our different comfort zones. I'm selfishly glad I'm not trying to maintain the highlights FB memories showed me a few years back. I'd be way less chill, hair wise, if I were.

    Love the angle on your Monday weights photo. So creative

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    1. Thanks for the kind words, Cari ;-) I'm not worried about my hip...I think it just needs a good old fashioned scaled back week. At least that's my plan of action for the new week...stay tuned.

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  9. Good for you for being flexible with all the switcheroos this week! You do get a lot of walking miles in with your runs. and upper body stuff as a bonus. I have to admit being a little bit envious of you getting to visit your hair salon. They still are not open here and I need a trim. My ends are looking pretty shaggy. Oh, well...soon!

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    1. As you can see, four months of outgrowth was a tiny bit scary on my hair LOL Obviously, it could have been worse, but still. I have been doing a lot more walking in recent weeks, and I'm loving it!

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  10. You had more than your share of obstacles this week and you ended up with a nice cool drink of lemonade. Hopefully the hip thing is nothing and will settle down now that it's had some TLC and switcheroo'ing.

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    1. Yes, that's my plan for the hip...easy peasy TLC for this week as well.

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  11. I hope the hip pain isn't anything serious or long lasting! You got in a ton of great variety this week, even if there were some switcheroos! I've definitely gone the longest between appointments but its my husband's hair that is definitely the shaggiest its ever been, ha! He doesn't trust me to cut it though.

    Thanks for hosting the link-up!

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    1. Ironically, the hip doesn't hurt, it just feel "off." Like it's out of joint (?). I'm leery of putting too many miles on it because I don't want to mess with my form/foot strike and cause a chain reaction elsewhere.

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  12. Kind of jealous of the hair salon! I think ours are scheduled to open in 2 weeks but not sure how that will work or how I will feel.My nails are in worse condition at this point! Way to maneuver around things this week and get it done! Being kind to yourself is always a good thing :)

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    1. I agree, kindness is always a good thing...ironic that it was the Un-Canceled theme, right?

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  13. Sorry to hear about your hip troubles. I hope things are feeling better this week!

    And, how nice to get your hair done! Salons here are still closed - I don't think I have ever gone so long between appointments, but I guess I'll be sporting the ponytail for a while longer :)

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    1. The four-month hair appointment sabbatical was my longest...ever!

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  14. My week was definitely busy!! No botched runs but definitely some reschedules. I think the old switcheroo is a part of life and a test to see how we handle it. I think you earned an A+ for your switcheroo skills this week!

    Memorial Day is generally when the CrossFit world does Murph and we are no exception. But, I'm abstaining this year :( because I'm still healing an irritated brachioradialis in my right arm and that stupid impingement in my left shoulder. It's just smart for me to skip. Plus it's a rest day. So, I'll be there and will be the event photographer/assistant coach. :)

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    1. I still haven't decided about Murph. I can do all the squats and push-ups at home...but we'd have to get pretty creative with the pull-ups (which would HAVE to be modified anyways). Last year, a friend (CF coach) extended us a personal invite to join his crew for the morning...I'm not sure if they're even open yet (?)

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  15. Hope the hip continues to feel better every day. Now is not the time to have an injury...who am I kidding. It's never a good time! I was tempted to take my bike out for a spin one morning when the sunrise woke me up. But then I saw it was 38 degrees. I'll wait till it's a little warmer!

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    1. I was unsure how warm to dress this morning on the bike. It was in the low 60's at 6:15, which is tricky on a bike (and there was some wind, of course), but 38 would def have been chilly!

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  16. Boy are you lucky. Hair salons will not open for a while. UGH! Luckily I work from home but still...now I'm starting to see family and friends.

    I am always having to change things. WE postponed our long run Sat and as soon as we did, the rain stopped.If I were alone,I would have run but instead I waited and ran Sunday. Which now changes things for Monday. I usually rest the day after a long run.

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    1. Our salons just were allowed to reopen last Friday (the 15th), but with limited hours/days for some stylists who work in big salons. My gal owns her own place, and has only one other gal in there on a few days, so it was just her and myself when I was there. Maybe you could just do a short, easy-paced recovery run tomorrow?

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  17. My hair appointment keeps getting pushed back--yesterday I got a call that yep, it's going to be delayed until June 18. Fortunately, I have a simple hair style so that is easy...it's covering up the grays that is my challenge. I am looking forward to getting it fixed.

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    1. It felt so nice to have someone else blow drying my hair...that's my favorite part of the appointment (and I can't teach my hubby how to)

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  18. That Monday 5K! You had everything going against you there! But, hey, you DID it!!
    Showing kindness to yourself was very appropriate.
    And once again, you rocked your matching outfit (your job, right?)
    Have a nice Memorial Day. Hopefully you'll also get to sleep in a bit!

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    1. Yes, matching my outfit to the bib...isn't that a requirement? ;-) Of course, this Monday, I decided to postpone the Un-Canceled 5K in lieu of a Memorial Day tribute run...and the weather was nearly perfect LOL

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  19. Great job being flexible this week! I hope your hip feels better. I haven't gotten my hair cut in almost a year! I usually go every 6 months or so, and I was due to go in around December but I kept putting it off. Now it's just gross and I wear it up in a bun everyday or in a braid when I'm running.

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    1. Knock wood, the hip is feeling better. Both of my runs (actually, I guess it was three...a 5K and two 1-milers for the Murph), felt alright. That said, I am taking things easy this week, so it has a little more time with minimal action.

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  20. Good work on being kind to yourself! I am envious of your three step workouts - my legs aren't long enough to do that!! And I'm another who when I'm awake, I'm awake - it can be good but also maddening when you want a lie-in, can't it.

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    1. Yes, there are mornings when I'd like a little extra slumber (weekends), but my body seems to wake up anyways...

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  21. Good work listening to your body. I hope your hips feeling better.

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    1. Thanks...the hips are feeling better. Which means, I need to still give them a little more TLC so there's no relapsing ;-)

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  22. I love your names for things...the treadmill, elliptical, your bike, but my favorite will always be your knee scar (Voldemort).

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    1. Ha ha! Thanks ;-) I had someone ask me if the hubby's bike had a name, too. Answer: not yet (Stay tuned)

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  23. I hope your hips feel good. Running with the wind in the face is boring.
    I had a fail in my 5km too, the slowest of these latest 3 weeks and today I stopped my workout after 4 miles because I felt week: better times will come.

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  24. We did go to a restaurant, but I haven't had the urge to go to a salon yet. I have a box of color sitting on my counter, and we have a hot date planned for this week. Some days I feel so great about everything, and others are harder.

    One thing I have learned in the past six months is flexibility. It started with my injury and is serving me well through the pandemic. It's been so much easier to roll with the punches.

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    1. Flexibility is so key to sanity. WE can control our attitude, right? ;-)

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  25. Sorry you had a bit of an off week but looks like you rolled with the punches! I actually am pretty impressed with how I cut my own hair (I too was WAY overdue for a haircut) so I feel pretty good avoiding the salon for a while longer. Dying for a pedicure though (but again will hold off for a while longer after things re-open here before I step foot into a nail salon too).

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    1. I have cut my bangs before (a lot, actually), and I was so tempted to have at it...but I've been trying to grow them out. Thankfully, I was able to exercise restraint ;-)

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  26. So what is up with the hip? No one has time for this. :-) Also, what is up with the wind? Seriously you cannot get a break from it huh? Our salons open sometime this weekend. I am planning to go (my last haircut was March 2nd) but am debating about taking my mother too.

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    1. Honestly, I think the hip just didn't like that 5K (in marginally old shoes). I was feeling a bit tired going into the 5K, as well, so my body wasn't at 100%.

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  27. I had to switcheroo a bit this week too but it all worked out in the end! I hope your hip is feeling better. I'm finding I'm having more problems with my hip (and back) too but I'm pretty sure because I'm sitting a lot more than normal. I need to go back to work!

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    1. My lower back has really been annoying recently. I think it's from all the Netflix time on the comfy couch (with Max snuggled, awkwardly,under my legs). I can't help but wonder if there's a connection to my hip aching from my form being slightly compromised due to my back (?)

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  28. The old switcheroo, I always feel like I'm switching things up to make it work! I'm sorry to hear about your hip pain, I hope giving it some rest does the trick! And your hair looks great!

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