Sunday, December 27, 2020

Festive Fitnessing!


It was a festive week of fitnessing in my little corner of the universe.

You know the drill...if I have workouts happening this time of year, I don the festive red and green and get sweating. At least that's my formula for a fun week (or even an entire holiday season). Go bright or go home. And smile as it happens. Works for me.

Before I share the details, a festive 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 - festively speaking - this week:

Never miss a Monday.
With the brisk, dark mornings, I've been doing a lot of indoor workouts in the early hours and saving the runs until lunch or later. The day started with a 10K on the indoor bike, then a 2-mile run after work. Have I mentioned how adorable our town square is decorated?


Another Sweaty Low-Key Tuesday.
Tuesdays have long been easy-does-it days for me, but that doesn't mean I can't sweat a little (or a lot). I did three "miles" on the elliptical, ran a quick mile through the hilly 'hood, and finished with another elliptical mile. I love the cardio and my legs appreciate the minimal wear and tear. Total win-win.


Wednesday's Why-Not-A-Brick-Workout.
I've mentioned, a time or two, my quest for mixing things up with my workouts. For the past several weeks, I've been doing 10-mile (indoor) bike rides, at 5:00AM, to start my day. Often times, I then do a short run later in the day. Wednesday's weather forecast promised dropping temps (and increasing wind), so the most optimal time for my run was before sunrise. So, I decided to incorporate that run into a brick workout...5-mile bike ride, 2-mile run, then another 5-mile ride for the grand finale. And that's all she wrote! 

Quite a Thrillsome Thursday!
With the sub-freezing temps outside (and sub-ZERO wind chill), opting to run later was a no-brainer. I had the day off from work, so there wasn't the usual time constraints on my morning sweat routine. It had been a few weeks since the stairway had seen some action, so a stair workout (with full-body strength work intervals) was on the roster.

*10 stair flights, double-stepped
*30 biceps curls (both sides)
*10 stair flights (weighted), double-stepped
*25 Arnold presses
*20 stair flights, double-stepped
*20 upward rows (both sides)
*10 stair flights (weighted), double-stepped
*30 shoulder presses
*30 cross-body curls (each side)
*10 stair flights (weighted), double stepped
*25 flies
*20 stair flights, double-stepped

A few notes: Adding weights to the stair climbing really ups the intensity. It works the core a lot more, as well, because you're not able to swing the arms for balance or momentum. Also, without your arms propelling you upwards, your legs get to do the bulk of the work...similar to doing continuous step-ups (without stepping back down). 

Later, after some Christmas Eve prepping and baking, the temps were at their highest of the day. I got out for a very quick streak run. Amazingly, I really didn't feel that miserable (probably because it was only for one  mile LOL), and that sunshine was everything!


A Fun and Festive Friday!
Earlier in the week, Kim (KookyRunner) asked if Michelle (Running With Attitude) and I were interested in a Christmas morning virtual run. It took maybe five minutes for the two of us to agree to join her. Unfortunately, they both had cold and wet weather (so they had to run inside), but I just had the cold (and was able to run my 5K outside). None the less, the three of us rallied in the morning and got our runs done. The support and encouragement from my blogger/running friends has meant so much to me this year, especially during this holiday season.
 

A Cold But SUNsational Saturday.
Temps, again, were rather chilly (17F, thank you very much), but the wind was a no-show and the sunshine was pretty incredible. I did a few dynamic stretches (and a 1/2-mile warm-up walk around the block), then headed out to meet Barb. I'm always amazed at how fast the miles go by when talking and laughing with a good friend. When my Garmin hit the 5-mile mark, we parted ways and I walked the final 1/2-mile back home. A little extra cross-training never hurt no one, so that afternoon, the hubby and I helped the youngest daughter pack and move most of her stuff back home (she completed her AA, and had been working the past 15 months...but is heading back to college to finish her BA at Iowa State in January!). 
  

...and a SWEATsational Sunday.
Although my mileage is still relatively low, having run substantially both Friday and Saturday, I thought it wise to go easy on Sunday. Well, easy in terms of legwork, but heavy in terms of sweat equity. Hey, it's what works for me. We started with four miles on the elliptical, then ran an easy-paced (outdoor) mile, then finished with a 10K on the bike. 


A busy week, but also full of fitness and festive fun. I'm so thankful for how good running is feeling. Having never had a fracture of any sort, it's gratifying to have things returning to normal (at least in regards to running). This week saw 15 miles of running, the most I've logged since mid-August. Walking took a major hit...only 6 miles (oops). Elliptical mileage came in at 8 and biking had about 23. The stair workout was my favorite sweaty endeavor of the week since it encompassed a whole lotta cardio and strength all in one place. 

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

In other news:

As mentioned in my Runfessions post, I have another virtual endeavor happening on January 30th. After all, why not? There's not much else happening right now, and the Allstate Hot Chocolate series has races happening everywhere (I'll be doing the Houston 5K). I have done a chocolate-themed race (Chocoholic 10K , Iowa City), but have never done an actual hot chocolate endeavor. This race series comes with some pretty sweet swag (quite literally), and the code BRHC20 will score you a free running hat with you registration. Anyone want to join me, virtually? 

**Although this image showcases San Fran, the swag is the same for all venues**

Even though Christmas looked a little different for us this year, it still was a great day of celebration with family. We can still smile behind the face masks (just not for a family photo LOL).


So, there you go. Another week all wrapped up and tied with a festive bow.

How was your week? Any great workouts in festive gear? Did your weather do a drastic plummet in temps? Any (masked) family gatherings?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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30 comments:

  1. Great job this week! Glad the recovery is still going well. I wore my festive gear a few more times this week. It was just the 3 of us for Christmas since my dad travels so much (especially around the holidays) and everyone else lives out of state. But still a nice day!

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    1. Yes, we all had to make the best of the holiday season this year. I chose to focus on the joy ;-) It is what it is, and hopefully things will be closer to "normal" next year. After almost daily red/green, it's felt odd to not be wearing it the past couple days for my runs LOL

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  2. What a fun week of workouts - I always love how you mix things up so well.

    Congrats to your daughter! Has your other daughter and her fiancé picked a date?

    And as always, thanks for the linkup!

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    1. Thank you, Deb <3 The younger daughter is really excited, and the older daughter has not yet chosen a date. We're thinking a small venue/gathering is our best bet (she does not want a huge extended family extravaganza anyways), but will probably have a couple of receptions (in Iowa and Pennsylvania, where his family is). Stay tuned!

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  3. I've actually never thought about doing a brick workout with my stationary bike. D'oh! Thanks for the idea, Kim! Glad you guys were all able to get together.

    Yes to masked visits. Yes to plunging temps. But also yes to no wind & sunshine today and that makes all the difference!

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    1. The brick run/bike workouts are great, but do require a bit of transition time ... but with my body already being warmed up, I don't need as many layers, and my legs are already good to go!

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  4. Solid week for you! Glad your rally back has gone so well. How fun to have your daughter moving back home. Thanks for the linkup!

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    1. It will be nice having her home, for a couple weeks, before we move her to her campus apartment. I'm extremely grateful my rally-back has gone so well, and the running streak has been a great transition to increasing my mileage safely.

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  5. Yes I am joining you on the Hot Chocolate...trying to convince some others too.

    Congrats to your daughter.

    Love your masked family pic.

    Our holiday was lonely and quiet.

    Today it was sunny so a great day for a long run.

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    1. No sun here today. It started raining (late morning) and now is snowing. Oh well...it is December in Iowa LOL

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  6. Nothing like the early morning indoor sweat fest to ride out the winter! Or your single digit temps...brrr. Our Christmas was a masked outdoor visit with my parents and an unmasked zoom with the rest of the family.

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    1. I'm a true believer in the early morning sweat fests! We zoomed with the hubby's sisters Christmas afternoon, so that was nice. We do what we can, right?

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  7. And to think I’ve been opting inside for temps in the 20s. I’m just not ready yet. ;-) Love all your festive gear. I’m glad you had a nice Christmas.

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    1. I'm getting outside, daily, just so I can finish my run streak. Most of the really cold runs are just 1-milers, so they're quite manageable. Once January 2nd hits, though, I promise you I will be a lot more discerning about the cold weather...especially now that I have the indoor bike beckoning me downstairs!

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  8. I really need to up my festive gear. I have the Brooks shirts the last two years and some cotton tees, but nothing good for running. Hopefully next year. Yay for virtual running with friends, look forward to ringing in the new year "with" you.

    Our temps were all over the place. 50s Friday, 12 wind chill Saturday. TOday felt lovely in the 30s.

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    1. As I mentioned in my Runfessions post, the bulk of my festive gear is inexpensive stuff that I secretly layer over the "real" running gear LOL I'm glad you're joining me on New Years Day! I haven't even looked ahead to this week's weather forecast...with only a few days remaining in my run streak, I'm not going to stress over it.

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  9. Loved all of your festive gear this week! Looks like you made the most of the holiday spirit. Looking forward to our group workout photo

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    1. I figure the holidays happen regardless, might as well get in the spirit and not be a buzzkill ;-) Glad you made it back home safely <3

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  10. Thanks again for running with me virtually on Friday - always a blast! Glad that you were able to enjoy a safe and fun Christmas with your family. So cool that you're doing the Hot Chocolate 15K. That series always has the best race swag!

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    1. Running with you (and Michelle) was an easy sell ;-) I'm really excited for the Hot Chocolate, even though it's a virtual gig this year. The swag has always looked so nice in years past.

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  11. Great week, love the festive spirit and gear! Happy holidays to you and your wonderful fam!

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    1. Thank you, Jessie ;-) It was a fun week, even with the crazy dip in temps.

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  12. You always have the best items to run in for any holiday! I did wear my Christmas leggings for several events during the week. It worked out well because wearing them on top of my running tights made me toasty warm :) Since you have a lunch run, does that mean you are working at home? That would be a nice benefit to being home. I actually worked through my lunch hours last week because I was so busy!

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    1. A favorite trick is to layer my holiday leggings over the "real" running tights...glad to see you're doing that as well! I've been back at the office for several weeks now, but I get a 90-minute lunch, so that's ample time for a 1-2 mile run ;-)

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  13. After looking at all your pics I really think I have to up my festive gear game ;)

    Fun running with you - I really hope we can run together in person next year!

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    1. It was fun running/chatting with you and Kim on Christmas morning ;-) YES, we need to get together in person and knock out some real miles!!!

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  14. 9 degrees! Brrrrr! It was cold here as well, but not quite that cold.

    I am so glad to see you back to running. It's so hard to be sidelined for injury, and that comeback is super sweet.

    It looks like you had a wonderful holiday celebration in spite of everything going on. I'm so glad for you.

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  15. Another great and busy week for you! How exciting for your daughter to move back home. I have no festive gear. Well, I have a Brooks Christmas top but not warm enough to wear alone. However, i did wear it last year on Christmas when it was 60 degrees.

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  16. I ran on Christmas morning in my Little Miss Christmas leggings ... which are not warm, so another pair underneath! I should have arranged in advance and I could have joined your photo, although the time difference would have been against us! A good week, well done as ever!

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