Saturday, October 22, 2022

Weathering the WHIPLASH


So, yeah. The weather, in Iowa, was anything but smooth this past week.

Extreme shifts in temps were the norm. We're talking mid-winter "feels" with the sub-freezing mornings and psychotic wind. There also was a much welcome 50-degree jump in temps, which catapulted us back to the heat of summer (minus the humidity).  

Figuring out the clothing situation was a major guessing game. But, the good news? At least it wasn't snowing!

Before I dis on the deets, 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 world of fitness, amidst this week's weird weather: 

Sunday: partly sunny, with a chance of a 5K
Temps were in the low-40F's for the start of the Principal 5K Road Race (as part of the IMT Des Moines Marathon weekend). Overall, the race went about as well as could be expected given the grumpiness of my right glute (and vicinity). I probably got in more than a mile of miscellaneous walking before and after the race, and took an official 2-mile walk in the afternoon. Maybe it's because I've run the half marathon so many times (nine times, if we're counting, LOL), but I spent the rest of the day feeling and acting like I'd actually run 13.1 miles (instead of the 10-mile shorter distance).


Monday: moderately cold, with recovery in the forecast
It was freezing outside (literally), so this #NeverMissAMonday started with a 10-mile ride on the stationary bike. I also took a quick 1-mile walk before getting ready for work...and that was it for Monday's fitness. Yes, for the first time in a LONG time, there wasn't any running on Monday, and I was alright with it (I was that tired).


Tuesday: continued winter-like temps with high wind
Baby, it was cold outside (again) so I kept it inside. Don't be fooled by the light hand weights (three pounds each), after 20 continuous minutes of non-stop action (two of Tunde's workouts, via the Peloton app), my arms and shoulders were on fire. After work, I braved the still-frigid weather for a 2-mile walk.


Wednesday: a near record-setting morning low with a double workout day on tap
Umm, this morning the temps were 19F, with a 10F feels-like. I can handle such temps in the dead of winter (you know, when I've had a couple of months to acclimate to them)...but when they happen practically overnight, no thanks. Instead I heated things up, quickly, on the stairs. I did a repeat of the stair/push-up workout from a couple weeks ago: 100 total flights of stairs, done in sets of 20, with 20 push-ups in between each set...thus, 100 flights and 100 total push-ups (and, according to the Garmin,  2,989 "steps" already done before I even hit the shower). I also hopped on the indoor bike for a 5-mile "cool-down."


Later...it had warmed up since morning, but it still felt chilly under the cloudy skies. I was eager to test out the grumpy glute, after a long day at the office. I got in a 3-mile run and called it good. Nothing hurt, but things are still feeling kind of tight (but did loosen up by the last mile). I also had a 3-mile walk in the evening, and that felt good.


Thursday: A warming trend was on the way
The morning started with a heated stack of Barre, core, and arms/shoulders (ever heard of the Steering Wheel?). Since Thursday's forecast had shown warmer afternoon temps (with much less wind), Amy and I had pushed back our weekly ride, and rode a day later. Spoiler - that was a smart move! It definitely wasn't as warm as a summer ride, but it was comfortable. Fifteen more hilly miles in the biking bank, and ride #24 was in the books.


Friday: the warm front arrived, bringing with it plenty of sunshine and heat
What's the sign of a thorough sweat sesh on the bike? When the scent of yesterday's perfume nearly clouds your vision, LOL. Yikes, it got a bit steamy in the basement! We started with 12 miles (and two Peloton cycling classes), followed by a 1-mile "cool-down" walk outdoors. Also, there was a mid-morning 1-mile walk in the BEAUTIFUL 76F temps (and a couple of bonus miles in the late afternoon)! 

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Saturday: Daytime highs in the mid-80's
Wowza! How do early-morning temps in the low-60's sound? Pretty sweet, thank you very much! Nothing grandiose on the fitness roster...just an easy 2-mile run, amongst the beautiful fall foliage. The grumpy glute was feeling alright, but I didn't see any sense in pushing things further. Also, a 1-mile walk with Mr. Max, was recorded.


...and what's on deck for Sunday?
With more unseasonably high temps (upper 70F's and low 80F's!!!) in the forecast, there will most definitely be some joyous outdoor time. For certain, there will be plenty of walking at the minimum and (hopefully) some biking as well. There is more wind in the forecast, which can be a game-changer on the bike, so stay tuned....

So, it was an interesting week, jumping around (and sometimes hiding from) from the wacky weather. I also played a bit of the Recovery Game. keeping things pretty low-impact. The running mileage was very conservative (ummm...a whopping eight miles!). Walking was a bit on the conservative spectrum, as well (14 miles). Even the biking took a bit of a hit (42)...and that was alright. I was happy to hit the stairs again this week, and the upper-body strength work was legit. Going forward, I currently don't have any races on the calendar until the spring...but I may register for the Hillbilly Hike (5K or 10K) on November 5th (the jury's still out on that decision at the moment).

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

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. We all know it's October, and most of us are wearing pink. With the awesome temps, I didn't even need a jacket! I paired the hot pink button-down with cinnamon skinnies, and added the cheetah-print shoes. Why not? 

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 Lastly, in an effort to become more Garmin savvy, as well as getting back to the routine of wearing a watch regularly (as opposed to constantly checking my phone for the time of day), I have been wearing the Garmin (mostly) on the daily. I have learned a few new-to-me features, so that's all good! I'm working on a blog post that will highlight some of the struggles with this learning curve...so, stay tuned for that as well.


Whew! It's been quite an interesting week! It's always nice to look back and see what all went down and have gratitude for having persevered through it. Am I right?

How was your week? Did your weather have a few (or several) wacky moments? Any training highlights? Upcoming races?

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27 comments:

  1. We had up and down temps, too, but nothing 19F yet. Ew! I love that stair workout idea!

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  2. We have that warm up coming this week. It is a challenge to dress for this ever changing weather. Some days, we have multiple seasons in a day.Hope some lower impact exercise will help your aching hip and glutes as well

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    1. The hip is feeling good, the glute is showing significant signs of improvement. I'm gonna just continue to keep things low-impact (and low-key) for a bit longer.

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  3. Yeah we had the same crazy weather but you know what? I'll take it. It's a beautiful time of year. I'm looking forward to another warm day today and the week ahead looks pretty decent too.

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    1. It definitely is a beautiful time of year...just wish Winter would exercise a little patience in staging its grand arrival...

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  4. Congrats again on your race!
    Yikes on 19F! We had a few mornings in the mid/upper 30s but then it warmed up again.
    Oh, that steering wheel exercise is hard!

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    1. I don't think I'd ever done the steering wheel move...it did not take long for the burn to happen!

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  5. crazy weather here too... 30s yesterday and then almost 70 by the after noon.

    I am stubbornly sticking to skirts.

    Congrats on your race.

    Glad to hear that lowering your running mileage has helped but you are still more active than most. lol

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    1. What's crazy is that I saw it was going to be 39F one morning (Thursday?) and I thought it would feel "warm." What the WHAT??? IT's too early for me to have that kind of a winter mind set, LOL

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  6. It looks like I will miss most of the warm weather BUT I'm enjoying the warmer weather of California, so there's that, lol. Congrats on your race!

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  7. That's crazy- you went from a feels-like of 10, to 80s??? I can see why you'd be confused about what to wear! I'm looking forward to your Garmin post. My husband just got the same Garmin I have, and he's showing me all these features I didn't know about. I asked him how he figured it out and he said "I READ THE INSTRUCTIONS." Oh... that.
    Glad your glute is feeling good! Maybe the curse of the glutes is lifting.

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    1. I think the Curse is still hovering...but it's definitely starting to ease-up on its grip, LOL

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  8. Okay, 19° (FL 10°) is just too cold for this time of year!

    Yeah, I pretty much use my running Garmin as a stop watch using only the start stop features so I'm looking forward to your tutorial!

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    1. Well, I'm not sure how much of a tutorial I'll be offering (ha!!)...but I'll be chatting about a few things this tech-challenged gal has figured out ;-)

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  9. It's so crazy how high and low the temperatures have been this week! I am loving it right now though, so no complaints. It's just a challenge trying to pick the right clothes! My Garmin is being kind now, with a Productive status for training but earlier this week it was Unproductive, which is always a bit disappointing to see!

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    1. The temps are tough to dress for, no doubt! We've already had the "winter wind" pay us a few visits, and that just complicates the dress code even more...

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  10. Our weather was thankfully not quite so schizoid this week! We got close to freezing, but not quite there and certainly not under!

    You know I do wear my Garmin 24/7. :) I always forget that my husband no longer wears a watch at all (but is glued to the damn phone).

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    1. It's tough to get used to having it on my wrist daily...feels kind of heavy and obtrusive, LOL

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  11. Wow your weather was really all over the place! Congrats again on your race!

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  12. My best friend lives in Cleveland and we were just texting this morning about how the weather felt drunk this past week, lol. We had everything from rain, winds, frost, cold weather and then sunny temps yesterday. Oh, and we have leaves everywhere too.

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    1. We have tons of leaves on the ground now...still plenty of color in the trees, but I'm not banking on that lasting much longer.

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  13. Have you got one of those Garmins that's rude to you and says your run was unproductive yet you need to rest for 5 days? Fortunately mine's a lower level one than that! Glad you enjoyed your race although brrrrrrrr. We just have rain now, seemingly forever ...

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  14. Brrrrrr. I'm curious what you keep your heat on in your house that you can wear tank and shorts inside! I hope your stair climbing helps with all your crankiness and aches and pains. Love hot pink. It's such a trend right now.

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