It WAS a week.
There was a frost advisory that lasted for several days. There was a mini heat wave. There was recovery from Sunday's race. And, there was a bit of a taper for a last-minute race on Saturday.
And...how did all that play out? I'm glad you asked; read on...
Before I hash-out all 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 this week as I walked a thin line between recovery and taper:
Sunday: Back on the Blue Oval
Most know by now that I spent Sunday morning in Des Moines, running the Drake Road Races Half Marathon. In a nut shell, the temps were chilly, windy and sunny. As for the hilly race? It went much better than expected (can you say course PR?). After returning home, I enjoyed a bit of downtime on the couch. My calves were in agony from all the hills, so there was a lot of stretching and Theragun'ing. I didn't track my walking, but I'd guess there was at least two miles walked with all the back-and-forth trips to the car (before and after the race).
Never Miss a Monday (#check)
...and never under estimate the magic of a recovery run. I got out for a short (2-mile) and easy (10:20ish pace) amidst the sunrise. As always, I returned feeling much better than when I'd left the house. Later, there were a couple of 1-milers walked at work, as well as a 3-mile walk before dinner. And that's all she wrote.
Ride The (recovery) Tide Tuesday (#checkandcheck)
Nothing ground-breaking...eight easy miles on the bike and some light upper-body work in the morning. A 1-miler walked at work (afternoon break), and three more miles walked after work.
Active recovery for the win.
Double Workout Wednesday.
This was Day-5 of the continued frost advisory (#eyeroll). My sunrise walk had me back in my winter jacket, thick gloves and fleece headband (title pic, above). But, the wind was at the bare minimum after work, so Barb and I met for a 12-mile outdoor bike ride!
After the ride, I spent some time in the Sweat Den Down Under. Seriously, upper-body strength work is my favorite!
Another Thankful Thursday
You know the drill...an early morning rise and ride with
Deb (16 miles in the saddle), followed by some Barre and core (Peloton app). I also got in more recovery walking before work, over lunch, and during my afternoon break.
...and, after a 3-day sabbatical, I hit the streets for another easy-paced 2-miler after work. Hey, I had to test out the new Brooks Launch GTS-9's. Sorry, not sorry.
Friday: A Finale to the Recovery-Taper Duel...
The morning began with 10 miles on the bike. The forecast had shown rain for the day, so I seized the moment and got out for a quick walk before the rain hit. The joke was on me, though, because the rain never showed. Later, I road-tripped to Iowa City and got in a walk after dinner.
Saturday's Scenario: The Kewash Trail Half Marathon!
After stalking the weather most of the week, I registered Wednesday evening for the half marathon. Having stayed in Iowa City, I only had about a 20-minute drive to the race cite in Washington, IA. The weather was near-perfect (albeit windy). Though there was a bit of a crash into the proverbial "wall," about halfway through Mile-11 (major fatigue and light-headedness...dehydration?), I was very happy with my finish time (2:08:59). Stay tuned, the recap is coming! Back home (late afternoon), I napped and did some walking (two miles) and indoor biking (10 miles) in the evening.
...and what's on deck for Sunday?
Depending on the weather, and my morning's energy level, I might try for a short recovery run. Then again, I might just go for a walk or do some cycling. I'm definitely planning on keeping the day very low-impact.
So, yeah, it was quite a week. I kept most everything low-key. The running miles look unusually high because both Sunday's and Saturday's races are figured into the grand total (30 miles #gulp). Walking was big because movement is magic for both recovery and tapering (20 miles). Biking was steady with 56 miles logged. As for strength work, my physical therapy sesh (Wednesday morning) was heavy on the glutes/hammies, so I focused on upper-body work at home (Tuesday morning and Wednesday evening).
In case you missed out, here's what went down on the blog this week:
In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair. The day may have been gloomy, but the spring temps felt nice. This open-weave (hand-knitted) sweater, with the white denim and fringy sandals, may have screamed "SUMMER," but it was perfect for the mild spring weather.
So, what's next? I have three weeks until the Market to Market Relay, and then DAM to DSM 13.1 on June 3rd. I plan to keep things in maintenance mode for the time being. Well, I will allow some more recovery time this week, but I won't need any long-long runs in the interim.
That's my week, tell me about yours...
Did you have unusually "frosty" weather as well? Any significant workouts that need mention? Racing? Training? Recovery? Maintaining?
Congrats on another race! I'm still recovering from mine. This weather makes it hard to get motivated!
ReplyDeleteThis weather...32mph wind this morning. I definitely kept my recovery run slow-paced in those conditions, LOL
DeleteAll frost aside, it looks like you had a fun and active week! The warmer temps can arrive any time now!
ReplyDeleteRight? Those brief heat wave days have been so deceiving!
DeleteWow! Congrats on another Half. The lightheadedness does sound like it could be dehydration. Did you feel OK later?
ReplyDeleteI felt much better afterwards, but had no appetite until late afternoon. I typically don't feel like eating anything right after a race (even a long race) for a good hour or so, but I did force a little bit of food down and drank a bunch of Gatorade.
DeleteCongrats on another great half race! Sounds like a recovery week is a great idea
ReplyDeleteYes, another week of recovery; this one without any "taper" vibes ;-)
DeleteNo frost here- it was 90 yesterday. Nice job on another race- yes, two half marathons in a week will get that mileage up! I spent the week in a confused daze, but it was definitely a recovery week. I'm looking forward to the race recap!
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to the confused daze! I might have that going on this week...
DeleteWell done doing two half marathons in a week! And some other good workouts as well. I agree, upper body strength work is the best! Impressive that you did some cycling after feeling unwell during that second race. Hope you'll have some recovery during the next week.
ReplyDeleteThe cycling really helps my legs recover, whether it's on the indoor bike or outside. It's been too windy the past few days to even consider cycling outdoors.
DeleteNice job this week! WE had some frost too and cold mornings but then warmer afternoons. I am hoping we are done with snow for good this season. Nice job on your race and total mileage -- wow!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure we won't be seeing any more snow, but the frosty mornings could be lingering for a bit. I just hope they're not ongoing, for several days at a time.
DeleteGreat job on taking on another half marathon! Can't believe you're still dealing with frost advisories - enjoy your recovery week.
ReplyDeleteThis weather is SO confused! And the wind can cease to exist any day now.
DeleteCongrats on the half marathon! Be careful with dehydration..it did not serve me well either, though we still make mistakes with fueling and hydrating, even as experienced runners!
ReplyDeleteFrost advisory and a heat wave! What a week.
Thanks for hosting the link-up Kim. always enjoy staying connected this way!
Yes, looking back, I realize I didn't drink much water before the race. It's tricky when the temps are cold because I don't feel as thirsty in the morning, so the dehydration symptoms caught me off guard.
DeleteThere's no stopping you! Congrats on another half!! Wish I was in that shape. We have had some cold mornings here and I have to keep bringing a flower basket into the house to save it. Not sure why my Mom thought I could keep a hanging basket of flowers alive, but it was a nice gift from her.
ReplyDeleteWell, I didn't "race" both races with any grandiose goals in mind, LOL. I was still in recovery mode from last weekend's hilly half, so I didn't expect a spectacular finish time. That said, I did think I would have done a little better given the flatness of the course. But, the wind! UGH!!!
DeleteI can't believe you can run TWO half marathons in a week. Go you! Now rest!!
ReplyDeleteWe've had frost and the week before it was summer... now it's just gray and rainy.
I'm training sorta for a half on May 20 but taking a week off to go on vacation and relax in the sun.
Yes, this week will be all about rest and recovery ;-)
DeleteWow, two races back to back - congrats on successfully completing both. But don't you love the shorter 2-mile recovery/taper runs? I am always thankful for those. :)
ReplyDeletewhat a great week Kim! and you nailed the trail, though I'm sorry to hear you had a bit of a energy crash! keep up the great active recovery!
ReplyDeleteAnother great week for you Kim! A frost advisory for late April should be illegal. My friend that lives in Ohio said she got a weather alert for possible snow today...on May 1st...craziness!
ReplyDeleteAmazing week! You did great balancing races with recovery! Nice job! We have had WIND and storms. Tornado watches, nasty gusts, and even the threat of hail. It's been yucky.
ReplyDelete