Sometimes You Gotta Just GO With It!

Sometimes you gotta just GO with it!

It was a crazy week of weather, and there was a lot of pivoting and dancing to get things done. Alas, if you want it bad enough, you'll find a way. Momma N be damned.

So, yeah, there was wind, rain, cold temps, snow...and did I mention wind? Thankfully, there also was some intermittent sunshine thrown in for good measure.

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 ;-)

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

Long Run Sunday...

Saturday's postponed long run (due to sub-freezing temps and wind) came to fruition on Sunday morning. Barb and I met up around 7:30 for an 8-mile adventure. Temps were still cold (25F, with a 14F feels like), but we had full sunshine. The thing is, it felt like I never completely warmed up while running. Barb and I concluded the wind was coming at us from every direction (except from behind). The wind had been a mere 7mph when we started, but it was 14mph when we finished! After we parted ways, I circled back around the campus (for the requisite selfie, #priorities), and realized I'd be almost at 8.5 miles once I reached my driveway...so I tacked on a little more distance to end with nine total miles. Back home, I hopped on the bike for 10 miles, which loosened up my legs while it warmed up my freezing cold body.

Never Miss a Monday...

Full disclosure, my body was tired after Sunday's run. Those nine miles made for my longest distance in a few months, after all. Not sure how I'd gotten away from my "morning-after-recovery-runs," but I thought I'd give it a whirl...and WOW. These two miles, Monday morning, were absolute magic. The temps were cold (again), but calm. The sky was clear (the crescent moon was amazing!). And, it truly was a struggle to keep my pace slow because my legs felt so good. Later, there were a couple of 1-mile walks at work, and 10 biking miles before dinner.

Another Tuesday with Tunde...

I'd like to call this an easy-peasy endeavor (at least for my legs), but that's a total oxymoron when Tunde (from the Peloton app) is involved. Like in recent weeks, I knocked out two 10-minute arms/shoulders toners while power-walking with Milly (and kept walking until I reached two total miles). Yep, another #ShoulderSmolder. After work, I did a fast and furious fight-the-wind walk (one mile) in the 30mph wind.

Triple Workout Wednesday...

Things were looking "warm" when Barb and I made plans (the evening prior) for our Wednesday morning #5at5. I'd laid out shorts and a couple of upper-body layers, eagerly anticipating 57F temps. Only, upon wake-up, the temps were showing 43F. But...the 11mph wind felt pretty mild in comparison to the previous day's antics, and the "possible light showers" didn't show up until mid-morning.

After work, I got busy with a stair/push-ups interval workout. Nothing too crazy...just (five sets of) 10 flights of double-stepped stair flights alternated with 10 push-ups (less than 14 minutes of work...50 total flights and 50 total push-ups). I followed that up with 12 miles on the bike. 

Triple Threat Thursday...

Come Thursday morning, I was feeling a bit fatigued. I'd scheduled a few Peloton strength workouts, and knew it would not be wise to "show up" when things were feeling compromised. Instead, I opted for some stretching and saved the workouts for later. After work, I did a 1/2-mile walk, outdoors, as my warm-up, then cued up the postponed workouts. Holy ouch! Daniel's glutes/legs workout definitely would not have gone well had I attempted that earlier in the morning. Rad's arms/shoulders workout was intense as well. Next, I hit the 'mill for two more of Tunde's upper-body workouts. Let's just say I was a glowing and glistening mess afterwards (hence the before & after pics, LOL). Everything hurt.so.good.

A Friday #5at5...

With a rainy weekend forecast, Barb and I made the command decision to run Friday morning instead of Saturday. This was a great run...temps were a bit chilly (upper 20F's), but the wind was mild (4mph) and the sky was clear. Since I wouldn't be doing a "long" run on Saturday, I'd thought of doing a few extra miles after work...but the DOMS (from Thursday's strength session) showed up. I settled for a 2-mile walk instead.

A Late Start Saturday...

I'm here to tell you a late start is better than a no start, LOL. My body must have been tired, because it woke up almost three hours (3 HOURS!) later than usual without an alarm. Maybe it was the two #5at5's this week, the intense strength workout on Thursday, or the DOMS from said strength workout...but it's been a hot minute since that's happened. It was cold and rainy outside anyways, so when the bike called, I answered. I decided to ride for 15 miles (which included a 30-minute Peloton ride, filtered in), and then added another Tunde arm/shoulder (light weights) toner while I slowly pedaled for another two miles.  By mid-afternoon, the temps had risen and the sun had emerged, so I got out for a few miles of walking.

What's on tap for Sunday?

The forecast is looking dry and pleasant for the morning and afternoon. I'm planning on a short run in the early morning, as well as some (indoor) biking. There's a great chance of an afternoon walk as well.

All told, I'm happy with how the week played out. Although I got outdoors everyday, I really am hoping I can get more outdoor walking on the books as the weather continues to inch away from Winter. It's still a bit too chilly for outdoor biking, but I'm hoping that will change by the end of the month.

As for weekly stats:

Running - 21 miles

Walking - 12 miles

Biking - 49 miles

Stairs - 90 flights (40 of those are from pre-run warm-ups)

Strength - upper-body (6 classes), lower-body (1 class), core (only 1 class, but daily planking) 

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

Spring Has (sort of) Sprung

A Time for Chai and Chatter

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. Anyone else ready to break out the floral prints and open-toed shoes/booties? 

Momma N's April Fool's joke came a day early. We had rain most of the day Wednesday (thankfully, after I'd finished my run, LOL) and it turned into snow overnight. The lawns were completely covered, Thursday morning, but the streets were clear. Most of it was history by mid-afternoon.

For those who missed my coffee post, I mentioned the Fight for Air Climb. It's May 7th this year, and is happening (again) outdoors at Principal Park in Des Moines. This will be my ninth year climbing! If you're interested in donating to the cause, my fundraising page is HERE. Funds raised go towards supporting the American Lung Association in their efforts to assist those affected with lung disease. Needless to say, I'll be adding in some stair-focused workouts to my weekly fitness regimen these next five weeks.

So, that's the run down. This next week is looking damp, too, but warmer. Hopefully we've seen the last of the white stuff (that shall not be named).

How did March end for you? Any winter "precipitation" showing up in your area? Spring rain? Crazy wind? Any racing, this weekend or in the upcoming weeks?

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