About Me

Saturday, February 26, 2022

Into The Light


This week's theme would have to be "Out of the Darkness and Into the Light."

Let's just say I have really been embracing the increased daylight, the sunshine-filled days, and the excitement of easing closer to Spring (and, ultimately, Summer).

The sunrises are showing up (most days) while I'm still outside, before getting ready for my workday. The sunsets are coming later, well after I've gotten home from work. And, although the temps are still feeling very much winter-like, the wind (on occasion) is starting feel more balmy than frigid.

Seriously, what's not to love?

Before I share 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, this week, in my little world of fitness and fun:

A Spring-like Sunday!
Whoa! Temps in the mid-50F's? Yes, please!!!! The morning started with a 16-mile ride, courtesy of Peloton and friends. After lunch, I met up with Amy, for a 4-mile walk in the too-good-to-be-true temps. Although these balmy temps were short-lived, they were a welcome break from the sub-freezing temps we'd had for far too long.


Never Miss a Monday.
Same routine as the week prior - Amy and I did our early morning 3-mile run/1-mile walk. The increasing daylight is SO amazing to witness, especially in the morning. There was a huge difference compared to just a week ago. There also were a couple of 1-mile walks at work, and a 10-mile "happy hour" ride after the workday ended.


Happy Twos-Day!
Boy, did I feel like a schmuck! I'm usually on top of these monumental days, and can come up with a fun workout to highlight the significance of the day. Well, not this time, LOL. I didn't even think to do a double workout (#facepalm), unless you count the short core workout I did after my upper-body workout. Oh well...I did do a lot of moves holding two dumbbells, so that will have to suffice.


Double Workout Wednesday.
The temps, wind, and road conditions were looking really scary in the wee hours, so Barb and I opted to save our 5-miler for after work (a #5at5PM, if you will). Instead, I started the day with 12 miles on the bike, and then met Barb (12 hours later), as planned. A bonus? We had warmer temps, dryer streets and daylight!


Thrusting Thursday...YIKES!
I was a wee bit too ambitious with the stack I scheduled for myself. There was a little bit of everything, and my body was burning and throbbing for several hours afterwards. I keep forgetting the short Peloton workouts pack the most punch, LOL! It was a nice surprise when the bulk of the DOMS were limited to my upper-body (hello, pecs!), but I think some of that was due to the easy 11 cycling miles after work (flushing-out the legs from all the lower-body work).  


Finally Friday.
We'd gotten several inches of snow the day prior, and a little more overnight (maybe 5-6 inches total). My body was feeling a little sore from the day prior, and I had ZERO desire to layer-up and fight the snow-covered streets...so I opted for a short Milly run. I sandwiched 2 miles of running in between two sets of 10-stair flight "circuits." It was just enough to feel like a substantial workout without overdoing it. After work, Max and I took a 2-mile walk, and I rode five quick miles (on the bike) while watching the start of the Iowa-Nebraska basketball game.


A slow-start Saturday.
It's very rare for me to sleep in on a Saturday morning. It's even more rare to postpone a Saturday morning run. The morning temps weren't extreme, but the forecast was showing slightly warmer conditions after lunch, and less wind. So, after some extra Max snuggles and a chai, I started my day with 10 miles on the bike with my gal, Tunde. Holy! Don't be fooled by her bright lipstick and fancy nail polish, she's a #badass! After the MSU-Purdue game, I (finally) got outside for seven miles. Wow, all that sunshine!!!


On tap for Sunday?
I've been rocking the Sunday morning (indoor) bike rides, recently, so I'm planning some miles with Sebbe upon wake-up. With the warm-for-February temps expected, I'll be getting in some walking miles as well. Bring on the pre-Spring weather!

So, things played out favorably this week. We definitely had some cold weather (ugh, #WinterInIowa), but we also had quite a bit of sunshine and a marked increase in daylight. Walking is still low-key (10 miles), but that will be on the upswing (forecasted temps in the 50F's most of this next week!). Running was decent (17 miles), and biking saw 64 miles in the saddle. Tuesday's and Thursday's strength workouts were a perfect mix of bodyweight and heavy resistance. Core work, daily planking and push-ups are still happening...lots of fun stuff to keep me busy. 

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

In other news: 

Friday Fashion Flair. A look I play around with, on occasion, is the mixing of patterns. My take is that as long as the colors all coordinate, the multi-patterned-look works. Besides, an extra layer of hand-knit warmth, via a bulky cowl, feels cozy this time of year. Your thoughts?


It's a well-known fact I'm a big fan of Big Ten sports, especially football and basketball. I'm also a proud Iowa Hawkeye. Tuesday evening, Iowa hosted the Michigan State Spartans, and I was honored to be in attendance at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Having lived in the East Lansing, MI area for seven years (many years ago), I'm also an honorary Spartan. Thus, when these two teams play against each other, I'm satisfied with whomever wins. Iowa pretty much spanked the Spartans on Tuesday, and went on to defeat Nebraska Friday evening. But, the Spartans came out victorious, on Saturday, against #1 Purdue...so, it was a week of Big Ten basketball that came full circle. 


So, that's the latest and greatest! 

How did your week play out? Any more snow or continued winter weather? Have you noticed a marked increase in daylight? Did you celebrate Twos-day?


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33 comments:

  1. My son had a Twos Day celebration at school - so fun! I love your mixed patterns, the scarf is a great addition to your outfit. Nice job this week - yay for sunshine!

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    1. Yes, I am embracing all the sunshine!!! The dark days of Winter, hopefully, are soon-to-be in the past ;-)

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  2. It sure will be nice to see some warmer temperatures! The sunrises have been spectacular, haven't they? Congrats to your Hawkeyes--I'm pretty proud of the Badgers who are as of today #1 in the Big 10!

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    1. Yes, the Badgers can thank Sir Izzo and his Spartans for knocking the Boliermakers down a notch, LOL The Big Ten tournament is gonna be interesting....

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  3. It is nice to start seeing more more daylight upon wakeup and in the afternoons. We had a lot of rain this week but it has been warmer. I don't think we will get more snow this year but you never know. Nice mix of workouts this week. So glad you are enjoying Peloton so much :)

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    1. I'd LOVE to say we'll get no more snow. A few years ago, on April 2nd, we went prom dress shopping in a snow storm, LOL...so we're not out of the (winter) woods yet.

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  4. I've been able to get at least one outside run each week by putting my runs off until the afternoon when the roads are clear and the temps are warmer. It's definitely not my preferred way of doing things but it works. Runners do what runners gotta do!

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    1. Yes, we runners have got to be flexible and adaptable. My Saturday run was far form ideal (due to the awkward time of day)...I know my fueling was off, and probably my hydration as well. My legs were a bit compromised from the morning's bike ride, and I still had plenty of wind to battle...but I also had full sun, so it was a win.

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  5. Hey, two weights for twos-day counts in my book :) It was fun to see all of the interesting 22222 events on Facebook. I'm looking forward to the warmer temps too, although I will miss the snow. Your colorful cowl is so pretty! I am a fan of scarves in the winter. I'm always cold! Good workouts for you this week!

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    1. I wear a lot of scarves, too. I'm always cold...which is reason #1 that Winter is my least favorite season, LOL.

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  6. Aren't these longer days fabulous? And I saw some snowdrop flowers blooming on my walk yesterday. Spring really is just around the corner!

    Twos-day also happened to be my hubby's birthday and National Margarita Day! Even though we'd talked about it being 2-22-22 prior to his birthday, I hadn't heard it referred to as Twos-day until that morning on the radio.

    Have a great week!

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    1. I totally missed national Margarita Day, so I'm working on "rain-checking" that day with a few friends ;-)

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  7. I’m definitely loving the morning light! I didn’t do anything two-ish on Twosday, but I did make sure my kids were aware of the significance of the day. ;-) I’m hoping to ride outside today - would be my one and only ride in February.

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    1. Just this morning, I noticed almost full daylight by 6:15! With our temps flirting with the 50F's, maybe I'll get in a few short outdoor rides this week. I like my indoor bike, but I'm craving more outdoor action!

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  8. Ha, I also couldn't think of anything clever for Twos-day. That's okay- we can start getting ready for Pi week (although I like it better last year when 3/14 fell on a Sunday!)
    One of the (many) great things about running is that you get to appreciate the change of seasons fully. Only if you're out there running around will you notice the sun rising a little earlier each day. Hope you have some warmer temps this week!

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    1. Yeah, I'm on the fence with my Pi Week gig...I like having it end on March 14th, but Monday is kind of an awkward "grand finale." I'm thankful I get to experience so many sunrises, in person. I realize (and totally respect) that's not everyone's priority, but the sunrise really brightens my day (no pun intended).

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  9. I runfess I'm jelly of your weather in the 50s. We got nothing of the kind, but hopefully this week. I am READY FOR SPRING already!

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    1. Last weekend's 50's was a bit of bait and switch maneuver, but I'm ready to enjoy it this week! I want these cold temps (and conditions) outta here!

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  10. 50! What a treat. But also a tease followed by winter/snow! I really hope March is kinder to us runners weather wise.

    I've been doing the Tunde arm challenge and I really like her. She's so sweet but her classes are hard!
    thanks for hosting the link-up!

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    1. I should check out Tunde's arm challenge! I love upper-body strength work, and she's such a badass (I mean that in the most awe-inspired way, LOL).

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  11. Our warm weather was pretty short lived. It's not frigid, but I still wore my long down coat to walk Bandit today. I was with you -- yup I could've run outside but I didn't want to!

    Oops on almost missing Twos-day, LOL!

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    1. We're in for some nice weather this week...finally!!! I know it's only a temporary thing, but I plan to get outside and enjoy it to the max ;-)

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  12. Great mix of workouts Kim! I chuckled at your Tunde comment - she is fierce! Definitely check out her Arms & Light Weights - they are deceivingly hard (in the best possible way!).

    It has been glorious to see more daylight! Ever closer to Spring.

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    1. I will check out Tunde's arms workouts! I have a feeling I'm going to LOVE them ;-)

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  13. We've had a few lovely days of bright sunshine, it does make a difference (and husband's SAD might lift soon, you never know). I have been posting once a month but really had a very routine running month, however, we've been having trouble at running club with someone who wants to take part but not do the necessary admin to do so, then one of my running friends has been having health problems and there was a risk she'd have to stop running (she's OK), and another friend collapsed while volunteering with me at parkrun last weekend, so it's not felt like one I've wanted to write about. A good strong week for you and I'm glad!

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    1. Oh, that's a bummer that you've had some challenging situations. I've been in groups before where there have been "free loaders" who want to take part, but refuse to follow the rules. They really make it tough for the rest of us! I hope you friends' health issues are on the mend <3

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  14. Yes on the snow - storm on Friday... still cold but occasionally a heat wave which means above 40. Still I go outside to run and never regret it.

    Very happy with NYC not having any snow today!! And sun!!

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    1. I'm ecstatic to be back outside for all of my runs! We have a nice week in store for us in Iowa, and I plan to take full advantage.

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  15. Ugh. It's still SO cold here. But we are currently planning a trip down to South Carolina, which makes it slightly more palatable to endure.

    I definitely notice the longer days and it makes SUCH a difference (though we need blinds in our dining room and now that it's light at supper time, I'm really feeling to push to get this done). It's light when the kids eat breakfast before school now. Sometimes it always seems to happen overnight. Like one day it's dark and the next it is light. I know this isn't actually the case, but it feels that way?!

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    1. I agree...it seems like just in the past 10 days, the daylight has quadrupled in length ;-) (not complaining!!)

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  16. The longer days do feel pretty great, although I am not looking forward to Daylight Savings Time in two weeks and losing an hour of sleep :(

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    1. At least when DST begins, it doesnt take too long for the daylight to "catch up" to the time change ;-)

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  17. I didn't have anything for Twos-day either. I was focused on getting out of my funk and getting our new puppy. Twos-day was for everyone else this year.

    Great week. We just had another nasty cold front, so I hope this is the end of them.

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