Week of Pi - 2022 Recap

Recently, I took on an annual endeavor-of-sorts, for the third time...the Week of Pi Challenge. 

This quirky challenge coincided with the quirky National Pi Day, March 14th. For those not in the loop, the number pi is a mathematical "constant," used in physics and various fields of math. In short, it is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter (you're welcome). Approximately equal to 3.14, it's only natural that March 14th would be the perfect "National Day" to pay honor to it.

March 14th is also my birthday, and I am (and have always been) a bit of a math geek. How's that for a perfect coincidence?

For starters, this third installment of Pi Week, didn't have an ideal calendar placement. In 2020, when I first got the idea to do a week of 3.14-mile runs, Day-1 was on a Sunday, meaning Day-7 fell on a Saturday. A picture-perfect week! Last year, Day-1 was on a Monday, so the Pi Week still ended on the weekend. Not a bad scenario either. 

Enter 2022, and Pi Day (March 14th) falling on a Monday...well that threw my planning into a mini tailspin. Do I begin the Week of Pi on the weekend prior (then I'd either have to add a bonus day or end the week on the 13th, Pi Day Eve)? Nope, that didn't appeal to me.

Or, do I go with the seven day plan, as in previous years, and start on March 8th and end the challenge on March 14th? I'm pretty good at going with the flow, but this did feel a bit awkward starting (and ending) on an odd day (rather than a weekend day). 

Given the fact that 3.14 is an odd distance, though, I reasoned that it would be in near-perfect sync with the oddball "week." Alas, Pi Week 2022 commenced on a Tuesday and concluded on a Monday. 

Here are the happenings and highlights: 

Pi Preview on Monday, March 13th.

Since I'm an advocate for #NeverMissAMonday, 2022's Pi Week started with a Pi preview. I didn't run the full 3.14 distance in miles, though. Instead, I ran it in kilometers, LOL. Did you know that 3.14km is equal to 1.95 miles (or thereabouts)? This happened on a moderately not-too-chilly late afternoon, after work.

 

Pi for Runch...Tuesday, March 8th - Day 1

With questionable weather on tap, I elected to lace up and hit the streets over my lunch hour. Hey, why not take advantage of the midday sunshine, right?

Frozen Pi...Wednesday, March 9th - Day 2

For Day-2, I had to layer up for my after-work Pi run. I ran a somewhat new route, on the west side of town, but looped back to the familiar Grinnell College main campus.

A Double Pi Treat...Thursday, March 10th - Day 3

The afternoon temps were looking much less windy than the early morning ones. I decided to do an impromptu Pi walk (with Milly) while stacking a couple of Peloton arms/shoulders workouts. It was a good test of my coordination, but it proved to be a great multi-tasking workout.

After work, I donned my Iowa Hawkeye gear, in celebration of their win against Northwestern (game-1 of the Big-10 men's basketball tournament). I ran along the county road, north of town, and looped back near the college campus, finishing at my driveway.

Breakfast Pi...Friday, March 11th - Day 4

With the day off from work, I met Barb for sunrise run. The temps were cold, but the wind was calm.

A bonus Pi...Saturday, March 12th - Day 5

Silly me, I spontaneously registered for the Shamrock Shuffle race, forgetting it was happening during  Pi Week (#oops). After returning from the race, I had ZERO desire to head back out into the sub-0 temps (and accompanying psychotic wind)...but I still wanted specific Pi miles. So, I fired up Milly. Only, after one mile in, I was feeling horribly fatigued from the morning's race. I rationalized I could simply run the 3.14 kilometers (1.95 miles) and call it good. Upon approaching the 1.95-mile mark, though, I felt compelled to just finish out the 3.14-mile distance... and just walk the remaining 1.19 mile. Truth be told, I did a couple of "run intervals" to make the walking portion go a bit faster, LOL. But, I got all 3.14 miles done. And, of course, I took the post-Pi selfie outdoors! 

A Full Milly Pi...Sunday, March 13th - Day 6

The temps weren't unusually cold, but the hubby was out of town and I couldn't leave Max alone (he's recovering from ACL surgery, and needs constant supervision, to be as immobile as possible, as his leg heals). My best option was summoning Milly, again. It wasn't wonderful, but it was manageable. Onward!

A Sunrise Pi...Monday, March 14th - The Grand Finale!

After running the previous six days in daylight, it was a treat (believe it or not) to run just before the sunrise. The temps were comfortable, the traffic was minimal, and the wind was well-mannered. The hubby had brought me back some new running tights, with a festive Mardi Gras Fleur-de-lis pattern, so this final Pi run felt festive!

All in all, this third installment of my annual Week of Pi ritual went well. Admittedly, I was feeling a bit fatigued in the final days of this challenge, though. I attribute much of that to the Saturday morning race, but I don't typically run eight days in a row (I don't take many full rest days, but I do scale-back the leg work a few days each week). While I kept the cycling to a minimum, and skipped lower-body strength work, my legs were ready for a break in action the day after the grand finale. 

A crucial factor, that aided in the success of this challenge, was the weather. Even though the temps were quite chilly, I also had plenty of sunshine all week. I didn't have any precipitation to deal with, and that's always a good thing! 

And, as in years past, I had a slew of Pi Pals who took part in the festivities. Some ran just one day, others ran several, and many others walked the Pi distance throughout the week. There's so much strength in numbers, and we all know the running community is wonderful for encouragement and support. Thank you, EVERYONE!!

So that's a wrap! Another Week of Pi is in the bank, and I'm ready for the next challenge to come my way.

**You can read about the the 2020 Week of Pi HERE, and 2021 HERE.

What do you say? Have you ever taken on a quirky challenge, just for the sake of fun? Does your birthday coincide with any fun "National Days?" Do you ever do a tribute run on your birthday?

I'm linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up

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