Sunday, August 15, 2021

Resurrection of the Daily Rides


Well, this was a week I could not have foreseen...but not necessarily in a bad way.

We do what we can with what we have, am I right? And, we make the best of whatever situation we find ourselves in....well, at least I do LOL. 

Biking was front and center this week, and Gustavas and Fritz went head-to-head for attention. Care to hear who garnered the most mileage?

Before I tell you all about this week's adventures, 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 8:00AM (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 down this week:

Not-so-sunny Sunday
Fresh off of Saturday's tough hot and humid 10-miler, I cautiously headed out for a short 2-mile recovery run, just after daybreak. Surprisingly, things actually felt good (my right hip/groin area had been feeling a little weird the day prior). Although we'd had rain and storms in the forecast, there was full sunshine when I left the house...but the clouds rolled in quickly and the rain hit just after I'd returned home. Later, by early afternoon, all signs of rain had disappeared, so I took Fritz (the hybrid bike) for an 18-mile ride. We'd been out of town most of Saturday and had not gone for a weekend long ride, so my legs were eager for some bike time. It happens.

Stand tall amongst the weeds, and hustle along to beat the rain clouds chasing you 

Never miss a Monday
I've been trying to get in a few sunrise rides recently, so I took Gustavas (the mountain bike) out at 5:30AM. Later, to avoid some of the heat, I had the great idea to run a few laps around the lake. Only, all that tree cover makes for ZERO air flow on the trail around the lake (#duh). Even taking those three miles slowly, filtering a few walk breaks, and sipping water laced with electrolytes...I was a major sweaty mess by the time I finished. As I've said many times, I'm grateful to have a pretty high tolerance for the heat...but this run was a doozy.
 

Easy-peasy typical Tuesday
Don't underestimate the beauty of a hazy sunrise on a recovery day. Another thing, never underestimate the fatigue from a "short" 3-mile run on a hot afternoon (on a gravel trail, none the less). I was really glad Tuesday was a recovery day because I'd have been taking a breather regardless. Yowza. But that sunrise. After work, Fritz and I rode 10 easy (mostly flat) miles in and around town.


Double workout Wednesday = double ride day!
As mentioned, the hip/groin area (on my right side) had been a bit of a concern. Nothing was hurting (a huge #ThankGoodness), but I thought it best to take things easy and not poke the bear. A #10at530 ride sounded like a much better option than the usual #5at5 run...so, Gustavas took me on an interesting ride. We saw a couple of deer (one of which was sprinting through the residential streets), an owl with an attitude, someone sleeping on a bench...and the start of another sunrise. I'm certainly glad I didn't sleep in! After work, Barb and I tackled the hilly bike path, and tacked on a few extra bonus miles to end the ride with 20 miles (30 total miles for the day). This was my 10th consecutive weekly ride on the bike path! Those hills certainly have served me well! 

Yes, it was another hot afternoon...

An easy-peasy Thursday as well
We were promised some cooler weather, and it actually felt nice upon wake-up. I took the mat outside and did some core work on the patio, and then walked a couple miles before heading to the office. The warm (and humid) temps returned by mid-morning, though. Another short ride after work (4.5 miles) and that was it for the day. 

Finally Friday
After a 3-day reprieve, I was eager to get back in the running shoes. I kept things easy-paced and short (two miles). While the hip/groin area felt much better, I could tell things still weren't back to 100%. With a 17-miler on deck, for Saturday, I knew there would need to be some adjustments made with the upcoming weekend's mileage. Oh well. After work, I met up with Amy for an easy in-town 8-mile ride.
 
When the sky matches your top...

Keeping-it-real Saturday
Needless to say, I knew 17 miles wouldn't be happening. I entertained the notion of trying for 10, but taking it mile-by-mile. Barb and I met at 6:30 and I could still feel the tightness in the hip area. The tightness did loosen up, and we took a few walk breaks as well. I could have (maybe) pressed on and finished 10 miles, but my gut told me those five miles were just fine (and I was alright with that). Barb ran a few more miles, then we reunited a bit later and rode for awhile....like for almost 23 miles. The weather was beautiful (55F in the early morning, but it warmed up to the low/mid 70F's by the time we'd finished). After we parted, I continued on and ended the morning with 30 total miles on the bike. All in all, the day played out perfectly. Cutting the run short allowed for more recovery time on the bike, which is never a bad thing, in my opinion. Glass definitely half full (the afternoon's 2+ hours of weeding and yard work, though, wasn't as fun LOL).
   

So, yes, it was very much a biking-dominated week (ahem, 108 miles logged on wheels). I have learned, in recent years (and especially when I was dealing with the stress fracture, this time a year ago), that biking is a great alternative when running isn't. Not only is it a great cardio option, it's fabulous for strengthening the legs as well as a recovery fix. As for running, I did manage 12 miles. Walking was rather bleak (9ish miles), but I was on the bike(s) so much, I'm not even blinking an eye at that (besides, I also have a rather painful "open crack" on the skin of my left heel #HolyOuch). I spaced off upper-body work this week (oops!), but did get in a couple of good core workouts.

As for my current situation? Well, it's definitely not ideal, with a marathon lurking, but things could be so much worse. Hey, I'm still mobile, nothing hurts (just some weird tightness) and I have five weeks until race day. I do have the option to defer to the half marathon...but it's too soon to make any decisions at this moment in time. I'm going to continue to keep things easy-peasy on the running front, at least for this next week as well. No sense ticking off this hip/groin thing more, or risk further injury (to other body parts, overcompensating) by overdoing things on foot. The biking is helping maintain my leg strength and endurance, so all is well for the time being.

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

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. Well, the weatherman was correct...the humidity did finally vacate the area (though it happened a good 12 hours later than was forecast). Friday's "cooler" temps had me feeling rather chilly at the office, so I was glad to have grabbed the raspberry cardi to keep me company. A pop of pink never hurt no one, right?


Did you catch the Field of Dreams baseball game Thursday evening? It was a major, big deal for the state of Iowa! There's already talk of making it happen, again, in 2022. The field is about a 90ish-minute drive from my house, and quite a neat place to see (though I wasn't in the stands for this event).


August 10th was the 31st anniversary for the hubs and I. Last year, we celebrated amidst our destroyed backyard, with no electricity, several hours after the derecho had hit. This year was much less chaotic.




Last but not least, we not only welcomed a new member to the family, but the hubby and I assumed a new title as the "in-laws." The oldest daughter, and new husband, eloped to Colorado and said their I-do's with the mountains as a backdrop. Yes, it's been quite an exciting week!


So, that's the latest in my little corner of the universe. Never a dull moment, and I don't think I'd want it any other way. By the way, Fritz had 78 miles, and Gustavas had 30.

How was your week? Any highs? Lows? Great workouts? Fall races on the calendar?


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36 comments:

  1. Congrats to your daughter! That's so exciting! And happy anniversary! Sounds like you still got in some solid workouts this week. I hope your hip/groin thing clears up and you can get back to running more!

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    1. I'm hoping another easy week (running-wise) will work some magic. I'd like to try to get in one more long-long run before the marathon, but I'm certainly not married to the idea. We shall see...

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  2. I did the see field of dreams game that looked like such a cool idea! Heard they were going to do it again. Glad you were able to stay on track despite the hip soreness. Hope you are feeling better this week.

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    1. The Field of Dreams game was such a neat thing to see, even from a tv screen. The hip thing is just a weird glitch...but the bike is a perfect alternative to excess running right now. Fingers crossed!

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  3. Big congrats to your daughter, and your new title! :) What a beautiful couple! Will they be living in Colorado? That soreness makes me a bit nervous too, having gone through something kind of similar. I hope resting it gets you back on track. Happy anniversary too!

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    1. They just drove out there (so they could take the dog, and so she didn't have to package up the dress too much). They live about 45 minutes from us, in Iowa. Yes, this hip thing is weird...I'm choosing caution over ignoring it LOL

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  4. Congrats and best wishes to the happy couple! What a beautiful backdrop for a wedding. Sorry the hip/groin is still an issue. Fingers and toes crossed it settles down enough to proceed full-steam ahead toward that marathon. Happy Anniversary!

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    1. Thanks, Marcia ;-) Since I'm not in any pain, I'm feeling pretty optimistic...but I have nothing to gain by not respecting it. Keeping thing easy (running-wise) is my best option since I can still do a lot of the endurance/leg work on the bike. My fingers and toes are crossed as well ;-)

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  5. Congrats on the marriage! What lovely scenery — and the dog!!! Sorry your hip is still nagging. Could be a good time to try a free trial of the Peloton app and check out the hip stretch classes, although I’m sure you are doing that on your own too.

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    1. Yes, the dog got to go along ;-) This hip thing is just plain weird...

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  6. So many congratulations are in order! Congrats on your "Baskin Robins" anniversary, and CONGRATS to your daughter and new SIL<3

    I'm keeping my fingers crossed on the hip situation. Whatever happens, I'm certain that you will have an epic race.

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    1. Thank you ;-) Yes, plenty to be thankful for. I'm just keeping an open mind on the hip thing...

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  7. Congrats to your daughter - what a beautiful couple and setting! And congrats to you and Pat on 31 years!

    Here's hoping you feel back to normal soon and training can resume as planned. Yay for biking being a great backup alternative!

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    1. Oh gosh, I don't have to elaborate to you how much biking is a great thing ;-)

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  8. Congrats to your daughter and her new hubs! Did you know they were eloping? How romantic.

    As you know, I'm doing all the alternative activities right now. Of course, the two things I love the most, running and waterskiing, are just a dream...

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    1. Yes, the elopement has been in the works for awhile, we just had to keep in a secret to the general public. As strange as it was not running when my SF was front & center, I was amazed just how much I didn't really "miss" it because I had so many other options available.

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  9. What??? Your daughter eloped! Did you see that coming, or was it a complete surprise? Yes, you certainly did have an exciting week!
    Good job on all the biking. To be honest, I would probably be pushing the hip thing and doing all my runs. And it never, ever works out well for me! You're being smart- fingers crossed that it all resolves for you. Good luck this week!

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    1. Yes, we did know the elopement was on the calendar ;-) While not an ideal solution, it did save us the difficulty in putting together a guest list (and venue) during this pandemic setting we're still experiencing. Plus, it's what they wanted...after all, it was THEIR day, not ours. The biking has been a great option in exchange for the extra running miles at the moment. Hoping this awkward hip thing eases up a little more....

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  10. Wow- congrats!! That's exciting. Hopefully you're feeling better soon. Probably smart to take it easy.

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    1. Things are feeling better...I just am hoping they continue to improve further (especiallyin the next five weeks).

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  11. Congrats on becoming a MIL! What stunning wedding photos! Seriously, now I'd definitely prefer something like that.

    I'm sorry you've been experiencing discomfort. Sending healing vibes for you & applauding you for your always optimistic attitude.

    The highs were the killer temps & humidity this week, the lows, well, it was just horribly frustrating trying to set up an aide for my mom (which is still not done, despite the best efforts of all 3 of us).

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    1. Thank you, Judy ;-) The hip is feeling better, but I know it needs to feel "more better." I'm just glad I have five weeks to let things improve/rebound.

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  12. Love that wedding pic, stunning. Hope you feel better from the hip etc soon. I was a bit sore today as I took a stumble - I did NOT fall, I saved myself but jarred myself - yesterday coming back from parkrun. Hopefully some walking tomorrow will ease things out.

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    1. Sometimes the stumbling (and trying to catch oneself) does more damage than the fall itself would have done. At least that's my experience LOL I hope you're feeling better!

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  13. Congratulations and best wishes to your daughter and her new hubby!

    Great job on staying super active while listening to your body. I hope your hip continues to behave and heals.

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    1. Yes, we both know how this merry-go-round feels. I'm glad I have the bike(s), so I'm not worried about keeping up the endurance and leg strength. Just hoping this pesky hip changes its attitude in the next few weeks.

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  14. I heard about the Field of Dreams baseball game but totally forgot to watch it - sounds like it was awesome!

    Congratulations to your daughter and new son-in-law! They both look lovely in that photo.

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    1. I don't watch much baseball (other than the World Series), but do love being in the stands for an actual game. I did watch most of this game, though....the 9th inning was unbelievable!

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  15. Congratulations to your daughter! What a beautiful photo. Exciting!

    The heat will get us all. It's tough on the body. You still got a ton of great training in. Way to go Kim!

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  16. so sorry you have to resort to biking - though it's not the worst thing ever hey! congrats on your anniversay and to becoming in-laws! your daughter looks AMAZING ! Wishing her many happy years with your new son-in-law!

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    1. The biking thing isn't a big deal sine I actually enjoy it. My heart just isn't embracing the long-long runs anyways, so I'm not having any pity parties LOL

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  17. Wow, so many great things in this post! Congrats to you and your husband on your anniversary! Also, congrats to your daughter! It is only 5 weeks till your marathon? Wow, where did time go? Bummer about that hip. Do you think you'll go to a doctor to check it out?

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    1. I'm not sure if I saw a doctor there would be enough time to do much for it anyways (?), so I'm just taking things easy for the time being...

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  18. Congrats to your daughter and to you and hubby for the anniversary.
    Another solid week of cross training listening to your body: your high tolerance for the heat is a very good help for your running/riding.
    You are an experienced runner and I am sure you will follow the appropriate program to run the marathon.

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    1. Thanks, Stefano ;-) I'm not in any kind of a panic mode (yet), regarding the marathon, since I don't have any specific finish time goals. It definitely would be ideal to run the full marathon (as opposed to walking some of it, or doing the half marathon instead), but we shall see how things play out in the next few weeks.

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