Merrily We Streak Along

 ...and the Streak goes on, as does the holiday season.

In a few days, I will pass the halfway point of this year's Winter Run Streak. Yeah, already! So far, the temps haven't been too outrageous, the streets have been (mostly) clear, and the holiday running gear has been making a few appearances. It's all good!

This week definitely had more "seasonal" weather, temps and wind (emphasis on the wind, LOL). I'm still rocking the daily #optoutside gig, though...

But, before I dis on 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 ;-)

Anyways, here's what went down in my little corner of the universe this week:

Out-of-sorts Sunday

Having spent the weekend in Indianapolis, there was a lengthy 7-ish hours spent in the car returning back to Iowa. Upon arriving back to town (mid-afternoon), I laced up and hit the road for a quick 1-miler...more to loosen up the legs than fulfill the daily streak "obligation." The afternoon sunshine was beautiful (title pic, above), but the weather turned evil a short while later. Thankfully, I was in the basement when the temps plummeted and the wind arrived. After a 3-day cycling sabbatical, I dialed up a 15-mile AC/DC ride and was oblivious to what was going down outside.

Never miss a Monday

With 36mph wind, and a 7F feels-like, Amy and I had decided to postpone our weekly run until after work, so I was back on the bike for a 2-class stack and 16 miles. Later, it didn't work out for us to run together, but I got a spontaneous invite for pickle ball (remember that game?). After 90 minutes of pickle ball play, I headed out for my run in the still-cold temps...but the wind had completely vacated the city. Wow. Total game-changer! I'm not a fan of cold temps, but when the wind is MIA, I can handle winter, LOL.

Another typical Tuesday

As per usual, I spent some time with the elliptical, only things went awry. About 10-minutes in, I noticed the control panel was alit with nothing but zeros. What the WHAT?!? Typically, I don't have OCD with numbers or stats, but the elliptical is a different animal. What to do? Well, I decided to just go with it. I pushed a few buttons, and was able to reset the "time," so I kept going for another 15 minutes and estimated my total elapsed time at 25+/- minutes and total "mileage" at (or about) 3.5 miles. Bottom line, it was a good cardio session regardless of what the monitor displayed. I also did a 10-minute core workout and, later, did my 1-mile streak run after work.

Double workout Wednesday

Single digit temps, but only 5mph wind, made for a (mostly) pleasant #5at5 with Barb. The stars were definitely shining bright in those early hours! After work, it was time for some cycling. In an attempt to mimic my summer Double Workout Wednesday routine, I stacked three cycling classes. The result? Lots of climbing, some sprinting and two legs that felt like jelly when the 15 miles were finished (but no helmet hair).

Thankful Thursday

HOLY OUCH! There were some 4-letter words, center stage, during the morning's workout...BURN, WHOA and WHEW, just to name a few. That said, I am grateful for all the FEELs that HURT so GOOD. The outdoor temps were nice, so I did some walking at work, and #runched my streak run over my lunch break. After work, I was craving just some simple time on the bike (there's a few more 4-letter words, LOL), without summoning an official Peloton workout. I had some social media stuff to tend to, so I pedaled while I did so. Ten miles later, I felt refreshed and Peloton was none the wiser. 

5K Friday

Nothing ground-breaking about this early-morning run, but the temps were calm and the wind was bearable. Traffic was at the bare minimum with only a handful of vehicles sharing the road with me. I may have gotten busted in a #selfiefail by a guy and his dog, though. 

A sunny (and slippery) Saturday

Friday's weather took a nasty turn by mid-morning, blessing us with some psychotic wind and frigid temps again. By late afternoon, there was rain coming down...which turned to snow overnight. Barb and I chose to postpone our run until mid-morning, so I took it to the basement for some riding. A couple of stacked classes, 15 miles, and a good post-ride stretch for the win.

A few minutes after dismounting the bike, I heard from Barb, and 30 minutes later we made it happen. Only, unknown to us (prior to heading out), there were some random slick patches underfoot. We kept our pace much slower than usual, did some awkward dance moves (balance checks, LOL), veered onto the grass when possible and called it good at five miles. Oh, was my lower body sore by evening! I don't know if that was from the slipping/sliding, the uneven terrain of the frozen grass, or the prior bike workout...or a combination of all three. 

 

So, a decent week, even with the colder temps. Yes, it's almost winter on the calendar, so the seasonal temps were due to arrive. Running was decent (19 miles); walking was bleak (3 miles, #oops); biking was solid (71 miles). I also had a couple of core workouts, some strength-training, and those 90 minutes of pickle ball...so I'm giving myself all kinds of grace for not walking much.

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

A "Temp" Turnabout

Peloton: 5 Things I'm Liking (so far)

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair! Anyone else a fan of colorful holiday-inspired clothing? I've had this swing dress for a couple years, and just realized I haven't worn it yet this season...so I rectified that situation this week. We're talking all kinds of comfort in this fun piece, but I have to be really careful walking through a parking lot on an especially windy day.

 

Here's an update on the orchid. It was early October when I noticed the new growth and buds forming.  A few weeks later, the blossoms started blooming, one by one.  Currently, there are seven blossoms on one stem and six on another. Just this week (bottom pic), I noticed the third stem is showing two new stalks emerging, both with buds!

And, finally, 12 of us blogging gals are promoting our first-ever 12 Days of Fitmas! This will be a fun challenge to celebrate the holiday season, but with a fitness twist. Similar to the famous song, each day will feature a new "gift of fitness" to be added to the previous days' "gifts." I hope you'll join us on Monday!

And that's a wrap on this week's fitness fun!

How did your week play out? Has your seasonal winter weather arrived?  Any new workouts to chat about? Has the wind been quite rude in your locale, as well? Holiday races?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter