Rise & Shine, Rinse & Repeat

Sometimes, you just gotta keep rising, shining, and showing up.

Even when you're a victim of late night (Olympic) star gazing, staying on track (no pun intended) is beneficial. That said, a few aches and pains will come and go...it certainly helps having a beautiful sunrise, on occasion, to brighten one's spirits.

Such was the case this past week. 

Before I share all the bright and shining moments, 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 went down this week:

Sunday Sunny Sunday

You know what they say...A hazy sunrise is still a sunrise (or maybe that's just me?). The new month, week, and morning  began with a short and easy 2-mile recovery run. I returned back to the house to find the hubby and Max waiting for me...so a 2-mile walk was next on deck. In the afternoon we spent a few hours loading (and unloading) furniture for the youngest daughter's new apartment, for the new semester, at ISU. Never a dull moment.

Never miss a Monday

I have been craving a sunrise ride, even though the temps (low 60F's) were a bit on the chilly side for riding in the early morning hours. I saddled-up Gustavas and hit the road anyways for 6-1/2 miles before work. Later, the weather was #TotalPerfection for three post-workday miles in the running shoes.

Another typical (easy-peasy)Tuesday

Nothing grandiose on tap, and my body was still feeling a bit fatigued from Saturday's 15-miler.  There's nothing like some walking, plenty of water, and warrior-posing for the (active) recovery win. Oh, and there may also have been 10 more miles with Gustavas after work. 

Double workout Wednesday

You know the drill...up and at it for the weekly #5at5 with my buddy, Barb. The sky was a bit overcast, so the delayed sunrise was more than obvious this week. Apparently, I have been in denial of the diminishing daylight hours...but it was a total buzzkill digging out the Noxgear vest after a brief summer sabbatical.

Later, I met up with Amy for our weekly hilly ride on the bike path. Although the temps were warm (it is still summer, after all), the humidity was more manageable. But that wind! At least it was a cool breeze for those 15 miles, and it wasn't a constant headwind.

Low-key Thursday

We'd had rain overnight, and it was in the forecast for most of Thursday. Fortunately, I was able to squeeze in a quick 1-mile walk in between the morning showers. By the afternoon, the rain had moved on, so I also got in two more miles of walking after work, and a short upper-body strength session before bedtime.

   

Finally Friday

After a few days of mild temps, the summer heat and humidity returned. The hubs joined me for a couple of morning miles. We may not be as fast as Usain Bolt, but we can emulate him LOL There also was some walking and more upper-body work in the evening.

 

Long Run Saturday

Let's just say I can do hard things, and I can (usually) muster a smile as I do so. These 10 miles were tough...my body was tired, my right hip/groin (vicinity?) was a little funky, and it was a humid mess outside (72F, with 92% humidity at 5:30AM, thank you very much). I ran three miles before meeting up with Barb. I was hoping to knock out 12 total miles, but called it at 10 and walked Mile 11 back home. I'm guessing all of my late-night Olympic-viewing shenanigans had finally caught up with me. But, the sun was breaking through the clouds as I finished, so there's that. Truly, though, I'm grateful for each and every run, even the tough ones. Not everyone has that privilege.

 

As for Sunday...

I might go for a short recovery run with the hubby, to see how the hip/groin thing is feeling. Then again, we have a rainy day in the forecast, so I might not. If the rain clears, there may be a late afternoon bike ride. None the less, there will be plenty of stretching, foam rolling and Theragun'ing.

 So, all in all, a decent week. Running had 21 miles, and walking saw 16. Biking took a bit of a hit with no "long" ride this week...and that's alright (though a long ride would have served me much better than the 7-hour roundtrip car ride - to a family reunion  -on Saturday). As for my training, I'm closing in on the long-long runs for my marathon, and there's 17 on deck for next weekend. Onward!

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

Rock What You Got

Welcome to the Kim Gym

An Olympic-Sized Coffee Chat

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. While I don't have the cheetah-like speed of the Olympians (can I just say, again, how much I'm in awe of them?), I can still embrace my cheetah-print fashion. Friday was one of those horribly hot outside/frigidly cold inside kind of days, so a little extra "fluff" around the neck made me feel a tad bit warmer at the office. 

Remember these sunflower seedlings from a few weeks ago? I finally got them in the ground this week (only about two months too late). Fingers crossed some of them take root. I have a mere $1.00 invested in the package of seeds, but a whole lot of patience in their delicate nurturing care. This weekend's rain will probably be a good thing for them.

Anyways, that's the latest and greatest. We're already a full week into August...how did that happen? And, I can now officially say my marathon is "next month," how did THAT happen???

Tell me about your week...

Any great workouts? Any tough runs? Any races?

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