Sunday, November 15, 2020

And so it goes


And so it goes, and so it goes. So I shall go with the flow, too, I suppose.

Pardon my paraphrasing, Billy Joel, but it's been an interesting week in my little world. Nothing bad (thank goodness), nothing crazy (well, within reason LOL), and there certainly was plenty to appreciate.

Before I share 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 ;-)



Anyways, here's what went down in my world of fitness, and otherwise, this week:

...of course, we never miss a Monday. With "seasonal" temps forecast to stage a comeback, I took advantage of the still warm-for-Iowa-in-November temps and got in a short run before my work day commenced. A 1/4-mile walk (warm-up), 1.5-mile run, and another 1/4 mile walk (cool-down), and we were good. Later, I took Gustavas out for six biking miles over lunch. There also was a 2-mile walk before dinner because the temps (still) felt so nice.


...and, so it got rainy on Tuesday. Waking up to heavy rain ensured my morning walk would be inside, with Milly. Later, the radar showed a dry period over lunch. I saddled up the bike, flirting with 10 miles. Except, at the 6-mile mark, the sudden heavy mist quickly turned to rain. We made it back home, with 8.5 miles done, just before the real heavy rain came down.


...and, so there was more Milly time on Wednesday. The rain may have ended, but Momma N, instead, gifted us with sub-freezing temps and frost everywhere. Normally, I'd be game for running outside, but not with a recovering stress fracture. I don't trust my footing 100% just yet, especially on slick surfaces. Amazingly, two miles on the treadmill really went well...and that's sans music. I'm so used to not bringing my music with me (for bike rides), that I didn't even realize I'd forgotten it until I was almost done running. Huh. Who am I and what have I become? I did step outside for a quick cryotherapy "cool-down." Don't be fooled by the sunny sky...it was 22F outside. 

Later, after work, I got acquainted with a new-to-me friend, the stationary bike. Still not eager to test the slick streets outside, I dusted off the indoor bike and climbed on board. Ten miles (and two episodes of Emily in Paris) later, I felt pretty satisfied with this new indoor option! It was kind of nice not having to fight the wind, negotiate any traffic, or wear a helmet.


...and, so there was some strength work for Thursday. Hammers, and presses and rows, oh my! As confessed on Insta and Facebook, upper-body workouts are my favorite when it comes to strength work. Sure, I still do all the squats, lunges, etc. (because they're good for me), but there's nothing like an upper-body burn when you finish. I spent a good 30 minutes working my arms, shoulders, and back, and enjoyed a delicious post-workout endorphin rush afterwards. There may have been another 10 miles on the stationary bike that evening, just saying.


...and a big milestone victory on Friday! When I began my biking streak (August 22nd), I had no idea it would go this long. I had entertained the idea of reaching 1,000 streaking miles, but didn't know how grandiose that notion would be with the forthcoming cold weather. After last weekend's 29-mile ride (Sunday afternoon), my streaking mileage was at 959. Even with a scaled-back week, that 1,000-mile mark was within reach...so, despite the cold (18F feels-like) temps, I took Gustavas out for the remaining six miles before work. I probably had a giddy smile on my face the entire time, but it was hidden under my fleece buff.


...and, some more outdoor (and indoor) action on Saturday. Having just bumped up my distance to two miles (Wednesday's TM run), I was eager to run that distance outside. It was a bit dreary, chilly and windy, but being back on the streets never felt so good. And, let me assure any doubters, the 17mph wind is much more bearable on foot than it is on a bike. Back home, inside, I fired up the bike for 10 warm indoor miles.


...and, we stayed inside on Sunday, too. Ugh. I don't think my #badass mindset is wavering, but with another indoor option (and my 1,000 #sfxbikestreak miles surpassed), I'm already finding myself a little more discerning with the weather. Temps were, again, sub-freezing with dampness and 26mph wind. A big No Thank You to that, so I did a quick six miles on the indoor bike, and a couple miles of Milly walking.


...and, so the week played out alright. I did spend a little more time indoors than usual, but all is well. I'm lucky, and quite grateful, to have indoor options. Although running only saw 5-1/2 miles this week, I'm thankful for every one of them. Walking continues to be strong with 20-1/2 miles. Even though I met my 1,000 biking mile goal, I just cannot let the biking end just yet. This week saw 57 biking miles (some indoor, some outdoor)...and my streak is currently showing 1016 miles! I'll reach Day 100 later this month; after that, I plan to scale back the daily biking as my running momentum increases.  

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

A Week of Biking on the Fly

Out & About with the Koala Clip

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair!  Friday was a bit on the chilly side, but it also was game day (night?) for my Iowa Hawkeyes. I have zero guilt in showing my allegiance to my alma mater, so the hand-knit black and gold wool sweater came out of hiding. Spoiler: the Hawkeyes won!  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).



With all things Covid, our little college town (and  my place of work) has been hit pretty hard in recent weeks. Alas, yours truly has been working from home. The dining room table has been revamped as a work station...there aren't any family dinners happening, so it's all good. 


As mentioned, I have a new-to-me workout companion. We've had this stationary bike for a couple years, but it had not seen any action from me. The icky weather this week (and my impending bike streak) warranted a change in venue for a few of my rides. Much to my surprise, these indoor rides went well and were far more enjoyable (and challenging!) than anticipated. Say hello to my new friend, Sebastian! 


And, lastly, we celebrated Veteran's Day this week. As many know, my family has deep ties and respect to our armed forces. My hubby is a retired Lt. Colonal (Air Force, Air National Guard and Army National Guard), and both my father and late father-in-law served as well.


So, that's another week in the books. Crazy times, but flexibility has been my friend. Onward!

How are things in your world? Did your weather suddenly revert back to Fall? Are you having to move some of your workouts indoors? Have you done any indoor cycling?

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36 comments:

  1. Yep, the numbers of COVID are rising here in Ohio too. We are getting threatened for a shutdown again. I have gone to several places lately, but I really think I am doing the "right thing" and distancing, masking up and washing my hands. I'm not sure our economy can take another shut down here! And what about the schools? Ugh... Hope the new work situation is working out for you.

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    1. So far, I'm loving being at home. I don't think the economy can take a shut down, either. I'm very selective where I go these days, but (like you) take all the precautions when I do have head out in public.

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  2. Please thank Pat for his service to our great nation and wish him a happy belated Veteran's Day for me!

    How great that you have Sebastian as a biking option! Like you, indoor cardio isn't my favorite, but I'm happy to have that as an option. Keep up the good work!

    Thanks for the linkup and have a great week!

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    1. Thank you, Debbie! I will tell Pat ;-) I was surprised how much I like the indoor biking. In a way, it felt easier than my mountain bike, but it also gave me some challenges with the resistance and "simulated" hills, so it was all good.

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  3. So sorry that you have to work from home now, but glad that you can work from home now. I didn't mention it on my post, since it was already getting long, but there have been two cases of COVID in the independent living (where my mom lives) this past week. They are going back into lockdown, unfortunately, and I have to get that damn echo working because I don't know when I'm going to be able to see her again -- unless we get the rare warm day, which doesn't look to be happening anytime soon. Oops, sorry for that venting.

    I love having indoor options! I am outdoors most days one way or another (Bandit loves his walks except on really bad days weather-wise), but I'm okay with indoor exercise too.

    Congrats on your biking streak!

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    1. Oh, no! I hope your mom is able to stay safe and protected. I hadn't thought about how much I have to focus on traffic when I'm biking (even though I'm on county roads for 80% of my rides), so it was liberating to just be pedaling and not looking left and right nonstop LOL

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  4. Wow on those cycling miles! Pretty darn impressive Kim! Enjoy your time with Sebastian you might like it. Have a great week ahead and feel good friend

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    1. Yes, I'm enjoying my time with Sebastian thus far ;-) It's going to be interesting figuring out a routine with (indoor) biking once I get my running back to normal.

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  5. Congrats again on hitting 1,000 miles! And, glad to see you have an indoor biking option to add to the mix. Ma Nature decided to return to Nov. temps here too with a dash of heavy rain - so having indoor options is always a good thing!

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    1. Ma Nature blessed us with rain (and plenty of cold wind) as well. She's a real piece of work, isn't she? ;-)

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  6. Yep, the COVID is really rising here too. Makes me sad because if everyone had been wearing masks, this could have been mitigated. Oh well, like you said, so it goes...

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    1. Iowa had been relatively low with COVID cases (in comparison to the national numbers), but that all changed these past 5-6 weeks or so. This virus is everywhere...

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  7. Our weather is still summery- Florida has decided to not participate in fall yet. We get a three day cold front this week but then it's back to normalish weather...60s in the morning and 80s during the day.

    Congrats on your 1,000 miles on the bike! That's an amazing achievement!! Maybe this will become a yearly thing?

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    1. I do plan to keep the biking a regular in my fitness routine. Now that I have an indoor set-up, I'll be able to do it through the winter. I just need to figure out a good balance of that with running, strength work and (hopefully) the elliptical as well. Oh, and let's not forget the stair workouts LOL

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  8. Nice going! Yes it's great to be outside but realistically the outside doesn't always welcome us as much as we welcome it. Too much drama and just sayin' that there's a certain amount of mental toughness to be gained inside.

    I don't know if this is an option for you but having a dedicated WFH space really helps. When I go into our spare room I'm "at work" and once I step out of that room I'm "home". I bet Max loves having you home!

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    1. I think Max is really enjoying this LOL For now, the dining room is my best option for a home office...my two monitors are so huge, they won't fit just anywhere. I definitely agree there's a mental toughness aspect of indoor workouts (or is that just me and the treadmill?).

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  9. I'd love to indoor cycle - but i need a bike! I have a treadmill - which gets a lot of action in the winter - but i'd love a less impact option to use at home. Our fall also returned and today it was hailing out!

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    1. Yikes, we have not had hail...yet. I had though of getting a trainer for my regular bike, but I decided to give this other stationary bike a try first. It's one the hubby bought awhile ago, and I've never had any interest in even looking at it before this last week.

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  10. Congrats on hitting 1000 biking miles! Its great to see that you've been able to run more. We've seen a big spike in numbers lately too. I haven't been to my office since March and I'm not sure when I'll be back.

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    1. Our office has really been hit hard in the past month or so. People are either getting exposed (and learning about it after the fact), or their spouses have it. It's just rampant...

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  11. The Caveman had been going into his office twice a week but that all came to a grinding halt this week as well. Better to stay safe! Love your game day getup!

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    1. We'd had about 90% of the workers WFH, and had been gradually bringing some back over the past few months. Lately, though, it seems like most have either been exposed or their spouses have...so the building is almost empty. Not sure how this will play out.

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  12. oh wow- this is the first time you've been moved home, right? I feel like even during the first wave you were going into the office. Things are quite dire. Makes me very sad.

    Anyways, on a brighter note, happy Veterans day and thanks to your family for their service. And glad you have that stationary bike as an option! I know several friends have bought some of those trainer things that allow you to use your road bike indoors, I've thought about that as an option.

    Have a great week Kim!

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    1. Yes, this is my first time WFH through all of this. It's been an easy transition, though, so all is good for now. I'd considered getting a trainer so I could use my "real" bike, but the hubby already had this bike, so I gave it a try.

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  13. We didn't drop as cold as you, but that's coming this week. Even though we've been spoiled, I'm NOT READY. Congrats on 1,000 miles and the impending 100 days.
    Glad you're able to work from home. Stay safe my friend. xx

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    1. I'm doing my best to stay safe ;-) So far, so good. I'm not ready for the cold, either. At least all of my outdoor biking has (somewhat) given me some acclimation to the cold..but still. I want my summer back LOL

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    2. I will never miss summer running, but I miss the after work light to read in the park. I can manage the cool temps but not the darkness.

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  14. Wow on adding the indoor bike to your rotation! You have plenty of options now, but I'm glad your return to running is going well. Interesting on the covid restrictions, since you never had to work at home before, did you?

    My politics are liberal, so maybe some will be surprised that I sincerely support our troops and honor our veterans, although I think that's another false division people try to impose. My Dad never talked much about his service, but after he served he was a civilian employee of the Navy, as is my husband. So, we fly that flag with respect.

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    1. awhhh, thank you, Coco <3 Yeah, the indoor bike came as a surprise, in terms of how much I actually like it (I certainly cannot say that about the treadmill). We've had a lot of COVID "crap" going on at work with employees (and/or spouses), either testing positive or finding out they'd been exposed several days before knowing about it. Actually, that's happening everywhere, but it finally found its way to my company in recent weeks ;-(

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  15. what kind of bike did you get?

    I was hoping that this pandemic would be over but it looks like it won't be any time soon.

    On those cold nasty days, I need an indoor option. I hate the TM so I was thinking of a spin bike....

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    1. I'm not even sure what kind of bike...ProForm? The hubby bought it a few years ago, but I'd never used it LOL

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  16. I love the mix of workouts that you had this week - awesome job! Our weather was pretty crappy this week - tons of rain, so I hoping this upcoming week will be better.

    How are you liking the WFH set up?

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    1. Well, like you, I like variety ;-) I'm looking forward to maintaining this cycling thing through the winter ;-) So far, WFH is going well...I'm saving a lot of time in fixing my hair, etc. because I don't have any ZOOM meetings to worry about LOL

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  17. We're locked down again but I am thankful that we can run with one other person still, and go on the canal towpaths. I don't think I could go back to solo all the time and/or no canals.

    I have a recumbent bike / rower that I really like - almost available to use once Mr Lyz has finished sorting out the room it's in. Best thing is you can read on it!!

    And well done on your 1,000 bike miles, that's amazing. I completed my 1,000 running miles for the year yesterday which I was chuffed about - my earliest date reaching that total yet and hopefully I can continue to beat last year as the weather comes in. I think this will be my last 100 mile month for the winter but that's fine, as we know. Indoor exercise is good, too!

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  18. Congrats on hitting the 1,000 bike miles!! Oh and I love the name of you your new companion. I love it that you name your workout equipments.

    We had the same cold weather here this week.

    WFH isn't so bad. Saves you lots of time and money. But then after a while it does get boring. Sigh.

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  19. Huge thanks to all the veterans in your family. Their service is so appreciated.

    We aren't locking down here any time soon. Our governor is not interested in that sort of thing. Numbers of cases are up by me, but deaths have been way down, which is good. That being said, our biggest tourist attraction, Nights of Lights, just started up this past weekend. It's outside, and the city shut down all parking in an effort to keep people from coming in droves, but from what I understand, that's not how it all worked out. We shall have to see what happens.

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