Things turned rather cold and damp this week.
We're talking rain, wind, and unseasonably cold temps, almost on a daily basis. Long sleeves, leggings/tights, and gloves were pretty much standard on the bike rides this week. There were a few days where even a headband (over my ears) was necessary.
It's technically still summer for another week, but Momma N certainly got this week's weather wrong.
Before I dis on 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 ;-)
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So, here's the latest "goings down" from this past week:
Never Miss a Monday
With nothing on the schedule, things were very #whatevs all day. The hubs and I went out for a quick 4-mile ride mid-morning. I tackled five week's worth of gardening/weeding that had been majorly neglected (thanks to Max's surgery/recovery, derecho clean-up, and my stress fracture limitations). Then, the hubs and I went on another 3.5-mile ride in the afternoon. Fun times, I'm telling you.
Caught-in-the-rain Tuesday
With rain in the forecast, I tried to take advantage of a "dry" break in the showers. You probably know how this is gonna end, right? My route was my usual #5at5 route (only on wheels, and not on foot). Wouldn't you know, as soon as I reached the 2.5-mile mark, and was turning the corner to head back...down came the rain. Thankfully, it only lasted for about a mile. It wasn't an all-out downpour, but it was cold (46F feels-like with the wind). Oh well, I didn't melt and it gave me a great story to tell. Glass half full.
Wednesday - Early morning legs/after-work ride
The rain was coming down like crazy in the morning, so I opted to postpone my ride until after work. Instead, I did a series of leg lifts and lower-body strength exercises. After work, the Doppler showed about a 90-minute breather between showers, so I took Gustavas out on a 10-mile route. Only, it was misting something terrible, the wind was blowing (again), and the temps were anything but pleasant. Then, near the 3-mile mark, more rain appeared from out of nowhere. Nothing heavy, but very cold. Ugh. It tapered off after a couple miles, but by then I was already heading homeward. There was no reason to risk getting sick, so we ended the ride with 8.1 miles done.
Thursday - upper-body at daybreak, and a ride after work
Guess what? More rain was coming down Thursday morning. No need to worry because I have plenty of indoor options to keep me busy...so I did several sets of curls, hammers, rows, flys, and presses for breakfast. I met up with Barb after work for a bike ride. Although the rain had officially halted, there still was a heavy mist in the air (and plenty of wind). Needless to say, our 11-mile adventure was anything but dry.
Friday - September 11th tribute ride
I'm a huge patriotic gal, and ever so sentimental. September 11th is one day that I just cannot treat as "any other day." Usually, I do some sort of a tribute workout...running 9.11 miles, or walking for 9.11 minutes, etc. This year, since I'm hosting a stress fracture, biking was my only option. And, with yet another full day of rain in the forecast, the early morning was my best option (35% chance of precip vs. 90% after work). Gustavas and I left the house at 5:50a.m. and were back about 40 minutes later. We had a pretty heavy mist for most of the ride, but not any actual rainfall (though it came as soon as I returned back home). This ride was so tranquil and totally enjoyable, even in the dampness. I saw only a few cars, but kept the route in town where I wouldn't have to worry about fast-moving traffic on wet streets. It was a great reminder of how much I love the early mornings, even when there's no sunrise to seek.
Double-Ride Saturday!
After 4-1/2 days of nearly nonstop rain, we awoke to an absence of it Saturday morning. Of course the air was plenty humid, and the temps were bordering on chilly (low-60F's), but I wasted no time in getting out the door for a ride. The streets were still wet, but I wasn't riding fast. A benefit to riding a mountain bike is the thick tread of the tires, so wet streets aren't as big of a risk as they would be on a road bike.
A few hours later, we met up with another couple for a trail ride. Only, the trail still was a mess (remaining derecho debris everywhere), so after a couple miles we decided to head to a different trail. The second trail was clean and "dry" (a nice surprise, given the 6+ inches of rain this past week). We rode out about 11 miles, then turned and rode back. The first part of the route was a rail trail (so pretty flat), but after that, the majority of the ride was laden with rolling hills...nothing steep or long, but it gave my quads a good workout! Just shy of 24 miles, our ride left us ravenous when we finished around 1:15. Coupled with my morning 10-miler, this gave me 34 miles for the day.
Sunday - a grand welcome-back to the sun!
After a 7-day hiatus, the sun beckoned me outside for a short ride. Wow. The 55F temps were chilly (by biking standards), but the sunrise made it worthwhile. My lower back was feeling ever-so-slightly cranky, so this ride lasted for five miles and no longer. I'm working on filtering in short rides with my longer rides...it sounds easy, but with the weather and my work schedule (and the dwindling daylight), it's getting trickier each week.
Would you believe this was Week 4 with no running (or power walking or stair-climbing)? I'm really glad I still have my bike to keep me busy outdoors, even with the icky weather this week. I was a little apprehensive with all the rain in the forecast, but if I was running I'd still get out there...so I just had to get creative with timing my rides (via my weather apps) and trial/error with layering my clothing. Everything worked out, and total biking miles came in at 80. Wednesday's leg workout left me with a few DOMS, believe it or not...a sign that I worked them over well. I love my upper-body workouts; I'm contemplating adding another short one (somewhere) to my weekly routine. Stay tuned on that.
In case you missed out, here's what else went down on the blog this week:
In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair! With the cold temps this week, I was all about the layers. This blanket shawl kept me toasty at the office while the rain fell outside. And, yes, I'm still wearing my white skinny jeans even though Labor Day has come and gone. White is a color, after all, and I refuse to pack it away just because the temps are cold. 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).
Road iD...do you have one? If not, I sincerely hope you have some kind of ID on you (with emergency contact info) when you head out on a walk, run or a ride. Check out the Road iD site HERE (not an affiliate link). There are several options on styles and colors, and they even have ID tags for your furkids. You can use the code KIMBERLY_2020 to save 20% on your order before October 1st!
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Last of all...Fall. Yeah, it felt like Summer came to a crashing halt this week. As much as I love the summer temps, I don't mind the cooler fall temps. What I don't like, though, is a 30-degree temperature nosedive. I'm not ready for my summer to end just yet...
There you go! Another week of #stresssfracture recovery in the bank. I made it through the rain, and am ready for a week of sunshine (this week's forecast looks a.m.a.z.i.n.g).
How are things in your world? Did the temps turn chilly (and/or damp) for you as well? Any exciting workouts happening? Upcoming races, virtual or otherwise?
I know that you said earlier that you guys were dry and needed rain, but I'm sure you didn't want it all in a week, right? We've had a rainier than normal summer so I hear you on scheduling your workouts around the weather forecast. Sounds like you did a great job in staying active despite the rain!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the linkup and have a great week!
Right...4-1/2 days of rain was overkill. I was worried there would be flooding (because the ground was so dry and hard), but the rain never got super heavy.
DeleteWe had some wet weather but not chilly! Back to 80s a few days this week. Great job getting in so many bike miles, despite the rain. And congrats on the double bike!
ReplyDeleteWe're back in the 80's for most of this week, and lots of sunshine is in the forecast!
Deletewow gloves and jackets already! It's still pretty warm in these parts but we are seeing signs of fall on the horizon. Way to get it all done this week with challenging weather to deal with. Racking up some nice bike mileage!
ReplyDeleteYes, gloves and jackets...those 50F temps are brutal on the bike, especially in the damp air. Thankfully, there's all kinds of sunshine in this week's forecast ;-)
DeleteFall has definitely arrived in this neck of the woods. The weak started out Summer, but usually Fall arrives abruptly & it did. I am totally "cool" with that.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely difficult getting in your workouts with that weather & not being able to even walk, so kudos for keeping at it, Kim.
Thank you, Judy. Not being able to go for a walk is frustrating, especially on a beautiful day like today. I tried walking Max around the block, and it was horribly slow...so that won't be happening for awhile.
DeleteYour rainy bike rides bring back memories of my first triathlon where it rained torrentially throughout most of the swim and all of the bike leg. I'd never ridden in more than a sprinkle let alone raced so I was pretty terrified of wiping out on a corner. Wow 4 weeks already with the sfx. Time flies. I'm sure it doesn't feel that way for you. Hang in there. <3
ReplyDeleteRacing in the rain would definitely be terrifying! It's weird to think it's been four weeks already...and tomorrow marks the 5th week "anniversary" of the derecho. Time is really flying LOL
DeleteKudos for you getting out in all of that rain riding your bike. That would have been a big "Nope!" for me! It's interesting trying to figure out the cycling outfits based on the temperatures, isn't it? I guess for cycling it's always "dress like it's 10 degrees colder" vs the opposite for running.
ReplyDeleteThe clothing is a total guessing game on the bike. It is a good 10-15 degrees colder, especially in the early hours on a damp morning.
DeleteRain and bike riding don't mix, that's for sure! I have crashed a few times riding my bike on wet pavement, so I am always reluctant to ride in the rain.
ReplyDeleteSoon you'll be back on your feet!
Well, if I had a road bike I'd definitely be a lot more cautious. My mountain bike's tires have good tread, so I've never felt out-of-control...no casualties yet #knockwood
Deleteas I've said, you are more active with a stress fracture than most of us who can run.
ReplyDeleteNo rain here... temps cooler in the am but always seem to warm up.
I'm grateful to have my bike right now. I can handle not running, but not walking is a total buzzkill...
DeleteSorry that you had such a rainy week :( When it rains that much I notice that my motivation for working out definitely dips, just because I'd rather be curled up in bed listening to the rain, lol. We didn't have a lot of rain here but we've had some nice cool mornings which makes this Fall loving girl happy :)
ReplyDeleteThankfully, the summer temps returned today! This next week is looking bright and sunny ...and dry ;-)
DeleteA great week of work even in the rain. It was cool here all week but from Friday we've been ramping up into a mini-heatwave. It was GORGEOUS today, sunny but with a cool breeze, but we have earned that!
ReplyDeleteI have an ICE number on my phone's lock screen and also carry my parkrun ID which has my husband's number any both have my drug allergies.
No round-up from me as although I've had some lovely runs with friends this week, we have gone into some extra lockdown here in my city, and two of the big hotspots for infections are really close to where we live, so I've been really sad and tired and we've expended a lot of energy trying to work out if we can actually run together. Husband can't see his parents again for the foreseeable future.
Glad to hear you've got your emergency contact info at the ready. It's an easy detail to take for granted.
DeleteIt was 61F this morning — probably the lowest we’ve seen since summer. But, it got into the 80s later today. So fun to see all your cycling! Your foot will be healed before you know it!
ReplyDeleteThe cycling has really been a lot of fun! I miss my running, and especially my walking, but I'm trying to be patient with the healing process. Nothing to be gained by tempting fate, right?
DeleteOh wow, it's still summer in my part of the world. I wish I could have sent you a few extra degrees and I would have been happy to take some of the rain. You are doing great "on the sidelines" and running will be back in your life before you know it. I have a virtual 5k and half coming up in the next two weeks and my October races (both delayed from April) are in theory going to be in person events, though I would bet $ that both will end up being virtual.
ReplyDeleteDang, a warm temp/rain swap would have been awesome!!!
DeleteLove your twinning with Gus on Tuesday. 9.11 miles just felt so right. When travel is a thing, and if you haven't been here, you should do the memorial. It's amazingly done. I struggle with the museum still, but the memorial is just.. I feel like a must do
ReplyDeleteWe never made it inside, but we did see the WTC in 1994, when our oldest daughter was a few months old. We have a pic of us (with her) standing with the WTC behind us. Ironically, she was in second grade on 9/11, and the theme for Show & Tell that week was "baby pics," so she took in that pic to share with her class.
DeleteOh wow, what a great connection.
DeleteI never went inside either but have a photo of the towers from Liberty Island crown when my penpal visited a year prior
You really had a lot of rain! It's amazing to think that you have already been dealing with the stress fracture for 4 weeks - you've done a great job staying active!
ReplyDeleteUGH, the rain was unrelenting. At least it never was a hard downfall, but it certainly was present almost every day. But, it's outta the picture for this next week ;-)
DeleteSorry about all that rain! I'm sure riding in the rain can get tricky. Glad you could still get your workouts done!
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky that my mountain bike has great tires, so I've never been concerned with the wet streets. Of course, I'm not riding especially fast in those conditions anyways LOL
DeleteIt was a bit more fall like and rainy here too, but we're back to summer temps this week. Great job getting so many rides in this week! Thanks for hosting this link-up!
ReplyDeleteWe have summer back this week as well. It was absolutely gorgeous today!
DeleteWow, has it been 4 weeks of no running? Time is going by too fast. It was also rainy and cloudy this week. Ugh, I got tired of it. It was finally sunny on Sunday which is was badly needed.
ReplyDeleteThat meme made ma laugh because it is so true.
Wow. It's rained and stormed all week here, but it's still just as muggy and gross as ever. Blah.
ReplyDeleteHow is Max feeling? How is the fracture?