Rewired by Necessity

It seems like each week has some kind of crazy spark to it, and this week was no exception.

After some decently "warm" December weather (by Iowa standards), things turned more "seasonal" on us. A mid-week heat surge, though, reignited the energy flow...only to be tapped out by week's end. 

Alas, the seasonal weather (and subsequent temps) brought us back to our current (winter) reality. All is well that ends well, but that brief heated interlude was pretty sweet while it lasted.

Before I get into the nitty gritty 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 this week:

Never miss a Monday.

The temps weren't anything lovely, so I made the command decision that my run could wait until later. Instead, I did a #10Kat6 ride with the indoor bike and called it good. Things were still a bit chilly at noon...the air was damp and the sun was MIA. Thankfully, the wind was only 3mph. A #runch 2-miler, on a new route, was just what I needed to recharge for the afternoon (the fuzzy-lined candy cane leggings may have also been a factor). 

Taking it Easy Tuesday.

I have been keeping things low-key on Tuesdays, so why mess with a good thing? I got out for a quick 1-mile streak run (for my "coffee"), then had 4 miles on the elliptical (for my "breakfast"). Holy perspiration, Batman! Let's just say I was glistening & glowing all over the place, and fully awake and alert when I finished.

Double Charged Wednesday.

Another hump day #10at5 (10-mile bike ride at 5:00) to start my day. I woke up before my earlier-than-usual alarm, so I guess this was meant to be. There will come a day (possibly in a few weeks?) when Barb and I can resurrect our weekly #5at5 routine, but for now these early morning 10-milers are filling that void. Over lunch, the temps were fan-fricking-tastic (can you say 55F?). I meant to run two miles, but I couldn't resist extending the run to three miles instead.

Amped UP Thursday.

I was craving some stair work, so I came up with a lower-body focused extravaganza:

*10 flights (double-stepped)

*20 weighted squats

*10 push-ups

*10 flights (double-stepped)

*20 weighted walking lunges

*10 push-ups

*10 flights (double-stepped) with 8# dumbbells

*20 weighted reverse lunges

*10 push-ups

*10 flights (double-stepped) with 12# dumbbells

*20 weighted sumo squats

*10 push-ups

*10 flights (double-stepped)

*20 jump squats

*10 push-ups

With Santa as my witness, this workout was a little more intense than anticipated, but that's never a bad thing. Who would have thought adding 16 (as well as 24) pounds of resistance could make such difference on the stairway (not I).

Temps were a repeat of the day prior, as was the sunshine. I'd considered running my 1-miler after work, but opted to take full advantage of the noontime weather. Turns out it was a smart move, as the after-work temps were quite a bit cooler and the wind had picked up some. After taking Max around the block, I took a 2-mile solo walk and called it a day.  

Shorted-Out Friday.

As anticipated, there were some lower-body DOMS gently knocking on the door (#OhMyQuads). I knew rain was on its way, so best to just get it done, right? I got out for a 1-mile streak run in the wee dark hours, successfully beating the rain. I forgot my gloves LOL, but even with cold temps, I was fine since the wind was minimal. I guess I can withstand most anything for a mile. Afterwards, I sweated for four miles on the elliptical (and Ellie and I beat Tuesday's finish time by 26 seconds!). Getting the run done early turned out to be a smart move, because it rained all day there after. Give me 36F temps in the rain and I'm quite content staying inside, thank you very much. And those DOMS in my quads? They were on fire by evening. I spent a good 30+ minutes rolling them out because they were so crazy painful.

Snowy #LongRunSaturday.

All of Friday's rain morphed into snow, and by morning we had 4-5 inches of the white stuff. Thankfully, the DOMS were feeling much better, so I met-up with Barb. Let's just suffice it to say the streets had not been thoroughly plowed yet, and my legs were working overtime to tread carefully. I didn't see any noticeable ice, but given all the rain we'd had I was paranoid there could be some lurking. I walked about a mile to our meeting spot, we ran four miles, then I walked a short ways back home. And I took a short nap afterwards. That said, it feels great to be running with her on Saturdays again! Of course, I had to pass on the holiday attire to rep my Hawkeyes...they had a big basketball victory against Iowa State (Friday night), and the football team scored an even bigger victory over Wisconsin (Saturday afternoon).

Sweaty Circuit Sunday.

As much as I detest the cold, I'll be the first to admit an early morning run in the crisp air is pretty amazing, especially when the wind is a no-show. I had the streets to myself, plenty of holiday lights to admire, and a true feeling of tranquility. It was just a simple 1-mile run, but I followed it up with four more miles on the elliptical and five miles on the bike. Essentially, 10 cumulative miles...not bad for 70 minutes of sweat equity.

So, overall another good week, albeit a bit of a roller coaster with the weather. Running is feeling good, and the run streak is going better than expected (on Monday, the 14th, I will be past the halfway mark already). This week had 13 miles of running, but walking took a hit with only 8 miles (hoping for a couple miles Sunday afternoon). I snuck in two extra sessions on the elliptical, though (three workouts, for 12 total "miles"), and I had three (indoor) bike workouts for 21 total miles cycled. Thursday's stair workout was sort of a combo of HIIT and lower-body strength, but also included numerous static holds with the dumbbells (on the stairs as well with the lower-body moves) giving my arms a dose of strength work as well. A little bit of everything; no chance of getting bored or complacent. Works for me!

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

Streaking Through The Week

2020: Show Me The Bling

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair!  "Tis the season for all things red, and I'm quite alright with that. I also like a comfy swing dress. Do you find yourself wearing red a little more often this time of year? 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).

On November 5th, the Illinois Marathon Criss-Cross Virtual Challenge began (site HERE). As the name implies, this is a virtual challenge, but since both running and walking miles count, it's been a great way to keep me consistent without overdoing it on my rally-back. The Challenge runs (literally LOL) until marathon weekend (May 1st). As of this weekend, I have trekked 154.5 miles (of the 224-mile distance) on the west-to-east route. Once I finish this portion, I'll start the north-to-south journey (435 miles)...in the hopes of completing all 659 miles before race weekend. If you're interested, BRP5OFF will save you $5.00 on your registration (BTW, there's some nice swag that comes along with it!).

The elliptical. Yowza, I have been getting in some sweet sweat sessions on that baby. The hubby uses it as well, and I think he's been upping the resistance on it (and I have not been remembering to reset it). I seem to be sweating a lot more than usual, but have also been knocking out some faster finish times. I'm not 100% convinced the distance reading is 100% accurate, but I honestly don't care. I use it more for low-impact cross-training and I know the cardio is legit ( my 4-miler finish time, Sunday morning, was another PR #woot). Since the IL Criss-Cross Challenge is virtual, and I am not in any contention for winning (or even placing), I am figuring half of my elliptical miles into my totals. For me, that seemed like a reasonable win-win...staying active without jeopardizing my recovering foot. Full disclosure.

So, there you go! Another week wrapped up and tied with a holiday bow.

Tell me...how was your week? Sporadic weather? Outside running, or inside sweating instead? Any elliptical experts out there...how do you feel about the accuracy of the stats? 

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