Sunday, October 24, 2021

In Search Of...


Ever have one of those weeks where things just seemed...slightly out of reach?

The weather turned on me (faster, and more severe, than forecast), the full moon did its best to avoid me, and my race weekend's recovery was uneventful (as it should be). The reality that Fall is here - in full swing -  always hits me hard, but it is what it is. Summer's going to end and Fall is going to happen... might as well make the best of it, right?

So, I did...

Before I share all the 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 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 ;-)


So, here's what went down in my little world of fitness and fun this week:

Sunday - in search of a finish line (without a watch)
It was my 9th time running the IMT Des Moines Half Marathon, but my first time without a functioning watch. I'm just ever grateful for (1) my legs' ability to carry me steadily, (2) my mind's ability to keep me entertained along the way (I didn't have any music with me either), and (3) to be back at one of my favorite races. I finished in 2:03:16, feeling very good despite some leg fatigue and early-stage cramping in the last couple miles. Race recap is HERE.


Monday - in search of a proper recovery day
After Saturday's speedy 5-miler and Sunday's strong 13.1, my legs were feeling pretty weary and tired. I'm usually game for a short and very easy-paced recovery run, but opted for a 2-mile walk in the early Monday hours instead. I also walked a couple miles at work (on my breaks). I spent the greater part of those post-finish line 32 hours stretching, trigger-point massaging, and foam rolling. When  I got home form work, I decided that it was an optimal time for a short run, and my gut instinct was spot-on. The temps were (again) summer-like and two easy miles were just what my legs needed. Another successful Never Miss A Monday!


Tuesday - in search of continued recovery
I'd seen the (nearly) full moon out my window, but it had sunk below the tree line by the time I got outside for a short pre-workday walk. Still, the crisp morning air afforded me much tranquility. After work, Gustavas and I enjoyed a 10-mile ride and caught the last of the sun before it set for the day.


Wednesday - in search of surviving a #TripleWorkoutWednesday
With plans for a short Full Moon Run in the evening hours, Barb and I decided to skip our weekly #5at5, but I was still awake and alert in the o'dark hours, so I opted for a #5Kat550 (I mean, why not?). There had been rain in the forecast, but it had halted...only to return in the final 1/2-mile of my run.

As the day wore on, the forecast kept shifting (and not in a favorable way). We've been doing the hilly bike rides, usually on Wednesdays after work, and Amy and I decided to just go with it as planned. The weather was looking much colder for Thursday, but Wednesday's was far from ideal... temps in the low 60F's and crazy wind, thank you very much. Holy Wind Resistance, Batman! This was ride #20, and most likely the final one for the season. Talk about a grand finale...the 20th ride, on the 20th of the month, with 20mph wind. Oorah!


...and then, an hour later, there was that monthly Full Moon Run (this was the sixth one already!). I met up with Barb and Allison, and we all were in agreement to keep it short. All of us were still, technically, in recovery mode from Sunday (Barb had also run the 13.1, and Allison had run the 26.2!). Only, the full moon was MIA, so it was a Fake Full Moon 5K, but still a fun time with friends. No regrets! 


Thursday - in search of another recovery day (and, where's that full moon, anyway?)
I thought it best to go easy on the legs (again), so I layered up and hit the street for a short 1-mile walk in the morning mist/light rain and requisite wind. Thankfully, I had Max waiting to greet me when I returned home. The full moon was still MIA (that's the streetlight posing as the moon in the title pic above). Turns out, this was a perfect day for low-key recovery action. While the wind wasn't as bad as Wednesday's, the temps were a good 15F colder and the air was miserably damp, all of which would have been most unpleasant on a bike.


Friday - in search of the full moon (#MissionAccomplished)
Momma N had kept the moon hidden from me, but there it was Friday morning! She also gifted us an especially cold morning, with winter-like temps (see the "3" in the temps below?) and a frost advisory. I broke out the winter jacket for its seasonal debut and got in a brisk 2-mile walk under the full moon's light. By mid morning, the temps had risen to the low/mid 60F's, so my friend and I were able to get in a 1-mile walk over our morning break. I also did some upper-body strength work in the evening hours.


Saturday - in search of surviving the first frost!
Long run Saturday, anyone? How about a "7-mile run Saturday" instead? And, since the full moon is finally visible again, let's take a pic under it...and use our shoe for a tripod. Desperate times, right? Barb and I joked about how we'd forgotten how to dress for winter weather, so it was a bit of a guessing game getting the layers right. At least the wind wasn't much of a factor.


What's on tap for Sunday?
Ugh...the forecast is looking rather wet and dreary, so I may be opting inside via the elliptical or stationary bike. Stay tuned...

So, kind of a low-maintenance week of recovery (at least for me). Running looks a lot more intense than it really was...28 miles, but 13.1 of those were last Sunday's half marathon. Walking was marginal at 17 miles. And biking...easily my lowest biking week in several months...how does 25 miles grab you? Also, plenty of foam rolling, stretching and self-massage with the Theragun, as well as some upper-body strength work. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to getting back to my normal activity level this coming week!

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

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair! I'm not really into the Halloween spirit like I was when our kids were little, but I still love a fun themed shirt. Every year, I dig this spider web creation out from the back of my closet (yes, I did the decorative stitching myself #ArtGeek). Friday's temps were chilly, though, so it was time to pull out the shiny silver puffer vest as well.


Most know I'm a huge Knockaround Sunglasses fan. In recent weeks, I've been playing around with a few new-to-me styles (as part of my gig with BibRave). Stay tuned, there's a review coming soon. In the meantime, you can use code BRKnocks3 for a one-time 20% savings (good through 11/12/2021). Head on over to their site (HERE) and take a look!


Finally, RoadID has brought back their limited edition pink collection for October. For every Pink ID sold, $10 is donated to the American Cancer Society. These are available for you, your loved ones and your furry friends. Last year, $40K was raised towards finding a cure for breast cancer...wouldn't it be great to surpass that number this year? But, you need to hurry! These are only available in October!


So there you go. Another week all wrapped up. Fall is definitely here for awhile...hopefully for longer than normal because I am in NO hurry for what comes after.

How was your week? Any exciting workouts? Races? Cold temps? Frost? Full moon basking?


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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34 comments:

  1. Well done on finding your Moon! And a good recovery week, too!

    I went on an autumnal early morning walk with my husband on Thursday and had a lot of walking around parkrun yesterday and a walk and chat in our local park in the afternoon with a friend, but my Garmin is refusing to believe I've done any sort of activity and has flatlined me for the week: rude!

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    1. HA ha, the Garmin needs a coffee so it can wake up and get with the program LOL

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    2. I specifically told it I was going for a walk today and recorded my walk and hooray, there was my activity minutes. But I won't remember to do that every time I walk from the bus stop to parkrun!

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  2. Congrats on your Half, and after a great 5K no less! Frost! Oh, my! I am not ready for that yet.

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    1. While the frost did look pretty sparkling yesterday morning (from my Knuckle Lights' glow), it's such a harsh reality!

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  3. I am all for a lighter a recovery week after hard efforts and races. I also love the Knockarounds. They are my signature accessory. I was having trouble finding more fall looking colors I will have to look again! Not quite ready for frost but loving the cooler temps

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    1. I am totally in love with Knockarounds! SO many bright colors and different styles...I think I'm in the double digits of pairs in my collection.

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  4. I can always rely on you to look on the brighter side of love. Your positivity is so inspiring Kim. Well done on a solid Half AND for doing it naked! Trusting tour body and head was the way to go. Glad you found the full moon in the end!

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    1. Oh Shathiso, you are such a sweetheart and so kind ;-) Yeah, I've done several long-distance races "naked" now, and it's really a no-brainer. I don't know how I let myself rely on music for so long...I'm glad I discovered (by accident LOL) that I'm alright without it.

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  5. Sounds like overall a really nice week, Kim. No frost here, but temps definitely dipping into the 30s. I am happy to run later in the day & lucky I often can. :)

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    1. I sometimes save my run for after work, but I much prefer to just do it early in the morning (since I'm already awake and alert anyways) and not risk other things coming up throughout the day. It's great that you have that flexibility ;-)

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  6. Thanks to your reminder I had a full moon run on Thursday morning and Momma N cooperated. Actually, the run was on my schedule all along, but being reminded by you that there would be a full moon made me look forward to it more. :-)

    Ugh on your cold temps already. I'm hoping for a nice long fall here!

    Have a great week and thanks for the linkup!

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    1. I was so excited to finally see the full moon (while outside) Friday morning! One of those things that I will no longer take for granted.

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  7. I had the moon lighting my way Friday morning. It was a weird week tho…

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    1. The two mornings I did have the moon were well worth the wait. It was so bright!!!

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  8. I have my best half with a non-functioning watch lol

    Congrats on your races.

    I am not liking the colder temp nor the darkness!!

    Bring back summer!!!

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    1. It IS possible to perform well without technology! I once ran a very speedy 5K without either my watch or iPod, so guess I always knew I "had it in me," but I was very reluctant to give up those vices on a consistent basis. And, yes, BRING BACK SUMMER!

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  9. Glad you finally caught a glimpse of that elusive moon. It was amazingly evident here, especially in the early mornings as it set. Yes to frost, it came almost 10 days later than usual so that's a win!

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    1. That moon was very elusive LOL I'm glad I finally got to log a few miles with it ;-)

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  10. Brr! A frost advisory? I guess that's normal this time of year. I remember growing up, it was always so disappointing if we had to wear a coat over our costumes for trick or treating. Speaking of which, love the spider shirt!!! Glad you reminded me, because I have a couple Halloween shirts to pull out this week.
    Sounds like you had a nice active recovery week! Fall may not be your favorite season, but you're making the best of it!

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    1. Yeah, the frost was bound to happen eventually (hell? #Iowa LOL). I have a hard time enjoying Fall because it's usually cut short by the %$#&'ing winters here.

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  11. A recovery week is necessary after 2 races in 2 days.
    At last you have found the fool moon! I try to find it this night.
    No cold here, this morning I have run in short sleeves.

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    1. I was in a tank top Monday, so the frosty weather was a rather rude reality when it arrived. UGH. But, I do know Summer will ((eventually))return....

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  12. I was in disbelief when we arrived home from vacation on Friday and the pilot said it was 45 degrees in Detroit! What?? The weather sure has changed in a week, but I'm not sad. Finally time to bust out my fall clothes! Good job on your recovery week. I was feeling very sore for most of my week post-race! I really need to run more hills ;)

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    1. Fortunately, I have a plethora of hills in my area (including my very own street), so they're unavoidable. It got really cold really quick!

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  13. Sometimes uneventful is good, even if frustrating
    I love your moon run tradition. Planet hunting has been fun here, and rare since there is usually too much ambient light.
    FUnnt that you mention the street light - I was at mom's a couple weeks ago and lamenting the lack of street light walking home from the bus. I didn't think they were a suburb thing, but maybe just not a NY suburb thing.

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    1. I have seem some extraordinarily big, bright "stars" lately, I bet they're planets. Well, technically, my town isn't a suburb, but I'm lucky that there is a lot of street-lighting in the o'dark thirty hours. I spend more time "fitnessing" outdoors in the dark hours than I do in the daylight lOL

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  14. I can run in most temps, but biking is a whole other thing- the cold is much colder on a bike!

    Love the idea of the full moon run. Great tradition!

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    1. Agreed...I can run in all temps, as well (not that I especially enjoy the extreme temps of winter LOL), but it's a whole different ball game on a bike. The wind is really evil!

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  15. Nice recovery week. I'm glad you finally got to catch the moon. Frost? I'm surprised it turned so cold there so quickly!

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    1. Yeah, Momma N just loves throwing those curve balls in my direction. I always know the frost is coming, but when there's a few days of summer-like temps juxtaposed in there, it's rather mean of her to switch it up so abruptly. At least we don't have snow...yet...

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  16. We are getting some temps in the 50s and 60s, but I don't see it going much lower for a while. There will be some rain this week, so I'm not excited abouot this.

    Hi Max! I love seeing that sweet puppy!

    I hope you got some good active recovery!

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  17. I can't believe you guys have a frost already! We've barely been in the 40s since I got here. Next week should be really nice (40s-60s).

    Triple Workout Wednesday, wow that sounds intense! Great job getting it all in! Also I'm totally impressed you ran that well of a half without a watch. My pacing would be all over without my watch.

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  18. It seems like last week was a little off for a few people. I know it was for me, but chalked it up to work being hectic. Maybe there was a full moon at some point?

    It was in the 40s here on Saturday, which of course made me happy, but then today it was 60 and humid - ugh!

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