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Sunday, January 3, 2021

Let Your BRIGHT Shine


"Let your BRIGHT shine" definitely was the theme of the final days of 2020.

At least in my world, it was. Maybe it was because Christmas had come and gone (and I was a bit burnt out on red and green). Perhaps it was to bring a touch of zing to the white backdrop of snow. Or, most likely, it was just me being the art geek/color freak that I am.

Whatever the case, it was a fun week of fitness. The bright colors that I brought to it were merely just a bonus. You can decide...

Before I tell you all about it, 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 ;-)


Anywho, here's what went down on this week:

Never miss a (fuchsia) Monday.
I continued the early-morning Monday routine (as of late) and started the day on the bike. The change? I rode 10 miles instead of the usual 10K distance (nothing wrong with mixing things up, am I right?). After work, I got in a 2-mile streak run (outside), and then a 2-mile power walk (inside, with Milly). I didn't realize I'd matched the fleece jacket to the morning tank until afterwards, but thought it was a nice coincidence. Go bright or go home. 


Another Take-It-Easy (teal) Tuesday on tap.
The elliptical has been serving me well on Tuesday mornings, so no sense messing with that. I did four miles with Ellie (she's my elliptical, don't forget), then a quick 1-mile streak run in the early hours. The timing was well executed for this. A few hours later, Iowa was hit with near white-out conditions (and 8+ inches of snow) for the rest of the day and evening.
 

Light My (orange) Fire Wednesday.
The morning started with 10 miles on the bike and 15 minutes of ab/core work. Then, after a later-than-anticipated departure from work, there was a beat-the-daylight run on tap. I didn't get home until almost 4:30PM, so after a frantic quick-change into the running gear, I decided to drive to the college campus and run two 1-mile laps around the central campus. I knew the sidewalks would be cleared, and I'd be assured of ample streetlights (once the daylight vacated). Also, by changing directions (which happens when you run laps LOL), I wouldn't have a wicked non-stop headwind to fight for the duration. 


Triple Threat Thursday.
Even with the day off from work, sleeping-in wasn't happening. For starters, there was a virtual morning ride with one of my east coast friends. We started at 6:15AM (my time) and finished about an hour later with a half marathon done. Once I had daylight (and plentiful sunshine), I headed out and got the 1-mile streak run done. With all the snow we'd gotten, the streets weren't bad, but the sidewalks were a hodge-podge of rather loose interpretations of "cleared by the next day" standards. Thankfully, there wasn't any ice to contend with. Three more miles logged (via walking) in the afternoon.

 

In-the-pink-of-things for Friday's run streak finale.
All was quiet on New Year's Day. After 36 days of run streaking, though, it was time for the grand finale. No group run this year. Even with Covid protocol, the usual NYD run happens at the lake, and there was serious doubt the trail path would have been cleared that quickly. So, Barb and I did our own thing. We waited until 8:00, and still had no traffic on the streets. Three miles later, we called it good. Another run streak is in the books, and I'm feeling great. This was my eighth winter run streak, and I'm quite grateful for the experience...especially given the stress fracture that I'd endured a few months prior.


A smiling start to my Saturday!
I had been scheming for a few weeks to put together a group "ride" and it finally came to fruition. We pedaled and chatted for about an hour. Afterwards, I did some intense upper-body strength work. Let's just say my day felt complete before my morning had barely begun. BTW, guess how many miles I ran on Saturday? ZERO! But I did walk three miles in the afternoon.

Cycling with Renee, Marcia, Coco, Michelle, and Kim left me eager for a repeat!

Rising and Shining on Sunday.
It may be dark in the Alcove (my little corner of the basement...stay tuned, I'm working on a more clever title), I still can make my own sunshine...even if it has to come via my tank top.  Ellie and I elliptical'd for five miles, which was a "distance" PR on the elliptical. I guarantee you, I certainly cannot run five miles that fast LOL. Whether or not the distance is accurate, I know the cardio is legit and the sweat equity is off the charts. 


So, the final week of 2020 was a fun one, and it kept me active. Running saw nine miles (with possibly a few more happening Sunday afternoon). Walking had eight miles (there may be more of those happening on Sunday if the run doesn't happen). Biking was the dominant means of fitness this week, with four rides and 43 miles logged. Also, there were two elliptical workouts (nine total "miles"), one upper-body strength session and a couple ab/core workouts.   

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

In other news:

A lot of people, myself included, designate a significant word, mantra, or theme for the year. I  talked about this briefly in my Coffee post, but my focus for 2021 is Blissful Persistence. I'll be elaborating more on this in Tuesday's post, but the gist of it is to work hard and enjoy the journey....and to keep smiling along the way.


Lastly, but my no means least, with the arrival of 2021, a few of us felt the need to CeLeBrAtE on the first day of the new year! We made it through 2020 and have a brand new year ahead of us. I say we  embrace the possibilities that lie ahead!

Top row: Liz, Jessie, Darlene, Jenn
Middle row: Deborah, Coco, Debbie, Cari
Botton row: Renee, Kim, myself

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

How was your final week of 2020? Any celebrating? Did you pick a work or a theme for 2021?


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36 comments:

  1. You'll see my word on Tuesday.

    Love your colorful outfits. Lately I'm wearing blues not sure why. I think it's because my winter beanies are blue. I'll be back into pink and purple this summer.

    FOMO here. Ready to join your virtual bike rides.

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    1. I seem to just have a lot of pink/fuchsia/purple stuff (and it looks different depending on the background). I have a lot of long-sleeved blue shirts, but they're not warm enough for winter, so they don't get much "screen time" LOL

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  2. I love your bright outfits! I tend to wear white tops for my long runs for better visibility (thanks to the ARmy 10 Miler, I have three), even though I also wear a reflective vest. It’s boring but practical.

    Thanks for corralling us all for the photo collage and ride! It’s so great to get together!

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    1. Well, I've had both these collage/ride ideas in the back of my head for awhile. It just took awhile to get them both off the ground, so to speak ;-)

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  3. As always, love all the colorful outfits! Our last week of the year was relaxing but we got a ton of snow which made it hard to run outside.

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    1. We got a lot of snow Tuesday, but not really anything after that. Most of our streets were decent by Thursday, but some of the sidewalks are still questionable.

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  4. Sounds like a great mixture of workouts, Kim. People may laugh at my outfits sometimes, but I say you need to be noticed when you're running!

    We didn't get much snow, but ice we have plenty of, unfortunately. So running is a bit dicey right now. It all often looks clear, but that black ice lurks where you least suspect it.

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    1. Black ice does not play nice! There was a bit of it here, but not enough for it to be a problem. Thankfully, we were lucky to have more snow than anything this week.

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  5. Congrats on your streak and strong send off to 2020!

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  6. My word (phrase) is short and simple. You'll see it on my blog today :) If you ever have a closet purge of your running clothes, please let me know. You've got it all and it always coordinates so well! I think I only have one pair of capris with a pattern on it. I look forward to another year of sharing our workout adventures!

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    1. I have a lot of stuff because I never get rid of anything LOL A lot of my tanks and jackets are 4+ years old, but still in great condition. They're all bright colors, so I still love most of them ;-)

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  7. Lovely outfits as ever! I have put my Christmas leggings away now so it was nice to see them one more time on Insta and this post.

    I was all set to join in the link party with an actual running post today. However, I was really upset on my run yesterday (with one friend, side by side, a distance apart, as we are mandated to do, running into the verge / road / mud to avoid other people) to see so many people ignoring the rules, including a clump from our own running club. We did not feel able to confront them but were really upset and downcast (and angry) and I just didn't feel I could write a positive post about my running week / year. So there we go, I will continue to enjoy everyone's posts without writing my own for a while yet. Happy New Year and thank you for the group photo!

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    1. I feel you! It's really a downer when there's those few (or several) who are in their own world and being so inconsiderate. As infuriating as they are, I've learned it's better (for me, at least) to just be "happy" than to be "right." Their behavior is not going unnoticed, and karma will eventually come back and bite their backsides ;-)

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  8. All about the colors here too. Life's too short to be boring.
    So much fun to run with you, and kudos onstrong close out after your foot. Streak is such a good way to send it out

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    1. Agreed! Life is too short to be boring ;-) I'm so grateful the streak went off without a hitch...I really think my stress fracture cautiousness (and my low rally-back mileage) was key.

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  9. I don't have a word/phrase for 2021 yet, but I've narrowed it down to 3 options. I packed away all of my Christmas clothing on NYE. I keep adding to my collection every year but I now think I have enough items.

    Thanks so much for organizing our NYE photo and the Zoom virtual ride yesterday. It was a lot of fun and I hope we can do it again soon!

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    1. My Christmas collection is pretty sound, but it's happened over time (like yours). If I see bargain gear, though...well, I simply can't be responsible for spontaneous purchases. I'm excited to hear about your 2021 word/phrase!!

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  10. Great job this week! Love all the bright outfits. It helps to do things like that in the dead of winter.

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    1. Honestly, the bright outfits (for running and just regular wardrobe) are key. Our clothing reflects our personalities, and our state of mind is often times affected by what we wear. Why not go bright LOL

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  11. Love all of the colors in your photos this week. The snow looks pretty out there too. Thanks for the great photo collage. Hope to make the bike ride next time too

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    1. If you think this snow is so pretty, I'll gladly send it your way ;-) It looks pretty at the moment, but in a few weeks, I'll be so done with it.

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  12. Love the bright colors in the gloom of winter. Is it spring yet?

    Thanks for coordinating the collage!

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    1. Personally, I need the bright colors to offset the gloom of winter! Heck with spring, I'm ready for summer's return ;-)

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  13. Definitely a colorful week :) Thanks again for organizing the Zoom ride!

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    1. Wasn't the Zoom ride fun?! I hope we can do it again...it's fun chatting and sweating together ;-)

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  14. Colorful week for you indeed! I do love me some hi-viz options for running. Haha! You'll notice Ozzy's new coat is in none other than hi-viz orange for the win. Happy New Year and thanks again for the bike shenanigans!

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    1. Way to go, Ozzy!! Nothing wrong with hi-viz ;-) It was fun pedaling with you; hoping we can do it on a regular basis.

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  15. Great work this week as usual. I wore a white top this morning on my run and realized I should have gone bright. I blended right in with the snow and fog.

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    1. I have a white vest and fleece jacket that I sometimes grab as a reflex action. Both are so warm, without the bulk, they're a staple this time of year.

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  16. Love your colorful outfits this week! I have not picked a word yet for this year. I have a few in mind but need to narrow it down to one. I am celebrating that I made it through 2020. Sigh, what a year!

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    1. One of my favorite hashtags is #GoBrightOrGoHome, and I'm a firm believer LOL 2020 definitely was a challenging year! We all made it through, so that's worthy of celebrating ;-)

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  17. I always love the colors in your photos! The brightness always lifts my mood.

    Your theme is just perfect. My word is "reclaim". I have a lot of work ahead of me to get back to myself and I'm excited!

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  18. My word is CONFIDENCE because it takes lots of that to come back from an injury and kick some butt! I'm definitely planning to do lots of fun stuff this year- I feel like I need a fun year after 2020! I love your color themed days and the group workouts! <3

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  19. No word of the year for me, but I do love reading what everyone else picks each year!

    I love all of your colorful outfits! Did I ever tell you about the "running outfit intervention" my friend had with me? I ALWAYS wore black running shorts and the same white tank (I had several) from the marathon training program I coached. One year for my birthday my friend got me a new outfit and told me I HAD TO GO BUY MORE RUNNING CLOTHES. She was tired of seeing me in the same thing over and over. Social media changed things and I upped my game and bought lots of cute outfits. LOL

    Happy New Year, Kim! And as always, thanks for the linkup!

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  20. I swear, you have some Energizer Bunny in your lineage! I need to be more disciplined in working out first thing in the morning. Otherwise I get to bogged down with other things.

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