About Me

Saturday, August 26, 2023

Holy Sweltering Sweatfest, Batman!


It's been said, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

Well, I say, "Go ahead and face the heat, and smile as you do so."

Yes, I completely acknowledge and accept that I'm in my own party with that notion, LOL. That being said, this past week was a hot one in Iowa! We had triple-digit feels-like temps, daily, that started Saturday (of last weekend), and the heat didn't break until Friday (overnight) of this week. Yes, I did get outside everyday, and I had the daily laundry to show for it...but at least it wasn't snowing. 

Before I dis on the heated 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 blog as well...please don't link-drop & dash ;-)


Anyways, here's what went down in my little corner of the universe, in terms of fitness and fun...

A sunny Sunday...
There was lots of glistening and glowing to be had. It may have looked like a jungle out there, but it felt more like a tropical rain forest on my early morning 2-mile walk. The temps were sitting in the high 70F's, with the humidity flirting with 95%. It was steamy!


A short while later, I met up with a friend for some Sunday morning biking. We finished around noon, and by then the temps had risen to the 103F feels-like range! It may have been #HotHotHot, but not impossible...lots of water (with electrolytes), a somewhat easy pace, and a few stops along the way made for a nice 40-mile ride. Later, I got out for a 2-mile walk with the sis, after the sun had set.


A Never-Miss-a-Monday like none other!
This wasn't just any Monday, but Day-1,000 of my #OptOutside streak. It started with a tempo-ish 3-mile run in the wee hours (73F, 90% humidity) and a post-workday 18-mile ride with Barb (91F, feels-like of 103F). Full disclosure...I later realized this was actually Day-999, LOL.


Typical (though hot and humid) Tuesday
Nothing grandiose...a 2-mile pre-sunrise walk, then some upper-body strength and core work. Also, a mid-morning 1-mile walk at work, and we took a pass on any afternoon stuff due to the heat.


Double Workout Wednesday
Oh, was this a major "water works" ordeal! I met Allison and Barb for a #5at5, and this had to have been one of my hottest runs, ever. I was a major "glistening and glowing" mess when I arrived back at my driveway. The day was so hot (and off-the-charts humid) that we only did the mid-morning walk (one mile) and white-flagged it for the afternoon.


By the afternoon, the temps were even crazier. We decided to avoid the hills on the bike path (which would have been a nightmare coupled with the 111F feels-like temps and the 13mph wind). Amy opted out, but Barb and I braved the late afternoon weather and kept the ride in town (and on fairly flat terrain), for 18 miles. As I have said many times, biking is a great option in the heat...you still will sweat plenty, but you also get a bit of a breeze as you pedal along.


Another Thankful Thursday
It was a balmy 78F for my weekly 4-mile walk & talk with Deb. Although the humidity was still heavy, it was showing signs of easing (in comparison to the previous five days). 


After getting back to the house, I hit the cool basement for some intense lower-body work and a short arms/shoulder workout. It was another day with just a mid-morning walk at work (one mile) and another pass on any afternoon walking.


Friday free-for-all...
Oops, I did it again...another accidental sleep-in, that is. As per usual, when these sleep-ins do happen, they're probably warranted. No harm, no foul. I was able to squeeze in a quick 2-mile walk before heading to the office. The 78F temps still felt a bit balmy, but the 11mph wind was refreshing. We got in our 1-mile mid-morning walk at work, and that's all she wrote.  

An action-packed Saturday!
It's no surprise I love jumpstarting the weekend with plenty of action. The morning began with a 6:00 meet-up with Barb, for eight miles on foot. The 67F temps were a bit of a shock to the system, but the humidity made up for it. Afterwards, I had time to do some stretching and (pancakes!), then I met Amy at the hilly bike path around 9:00. We'd postponed our mid-week ride, due to the heat, so it was now or never. The temps felt great, but the wind (13mph, out of the north) was viscous. You'd think a crosswind would be manageable, but WRONG! It was a struggle staying vertical. After we parted ways, I continued riding and ended with 25 miles of pedaling action. Garmin was ever so kind, and rewarded me for both my running and biking efforts, LOL. I also added some arm/shoulder and core work in the evening.
   

...and what's on tap for Sunday?
Gosh, the forecast is showing temps in the low 60F's for the morning hours! I might need a jacket, but I do plan on getting outside for either an early walk or possibly a shakeout run (I need to bring those back to the fitness regimen, with a half marathon (officially!) on the roster. There might also be some afternoon biking, just because.

All in all, this week was a success. It wound up being a little heavy on the cycling (umm, 101 miles!), but the running was moderate (16 miles) and walking was a bit conservative (18 miles). Funny how it always manages to balance out. The strength training was adequate, but I am looking to increase those workouts a bit, to keep things in check, as I prepare for the IMT DSM 13.1 (mid-October).
 
In case you missed out, here's what went down on the blog this week:

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. Not everyone is a fan of the brown and black color combo, but I like it. Why? It's unexpected! Have you ever known me to keep things "traditional" (aka, #boring)? 


It was rather ironic, but this Facebook story popped up in my memories on Friday. Apparently, these split squat holds were the lower-body strength workout, a year ago, on  August 24th. Things that make you go Hmmm...


And, last but definitely not least, Saturday was National Dog Day. Technically, we celebrate this on the daily, but I don't shy away from showing a pic of my little prince, Max.


So, there you have it! Another week all done and dusted...and how is it that we're almost to September??? Where is my summer disappearing to, and why so quickly?

Enough about me...
How was YOUR week? Did you have crazy heat and humidity as well? If so, did it keep you indoors, or were you able to proceed with caution outside? Any big races coming up?

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33 comments:

  1. Thankfully that crazy heat is not going to hit us. We continue to bounce back & forth between Summer & Fall, and I'm A-OK with that! ;Not like you can change it anyway.

    Great job being so active outside with such crazy heat! Max is a cutie LOL on your workout being the same year to year. :)

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    1. Yeah the crazy heat was...CrAzY! We always have days like that, but not (usually) for such an extended period. This morning's 59F felt downright frigid!

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  2. Like you we celebrate dog day everyday, but make a bigger fuss about it on our dog's birthday and Doggo Day. And YES YES YES to brown and black.

    And YES YES YES to making the most of summer while it lasts. I've been on an outdoor cardio kick.

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    1. We celebrate Max's birthday with grandeur, as well, and his gotcha day (which is just a few days later). He's pretty spoiled ;-)

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  3. Wow, what a busy week you had! Your heat and humidity sounded awful. It was very humid here on Friday, but the high humidity broke yesterday.

    Happy belated National Dog Day to Max!

    Have a great day!

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    1. Looking back, my week does seem a bit busy. I never notice that as it's happening, LOL.

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  4. As Judy said, we did not get your heat.... cooler temps with rain here and there.

    You are always so active... nothing holds you back.

    Same cloudy cool forecast for today so I may choose hiking instead of boating.

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    1. Today feels like a fall day...ugh! It's a welcome reprieve from the intense heat, but it was a pretty drastic drop in temps!

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  5. That is pretty much how our summer is all the the time! It is rough to get out in that humidity for me.Way to make the. Most of it!

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    1. I guess making the most of it is the best I can do. Like I've said, summer is too short of a season here, so I have to capitalize on every day we don't have snow, LOL ;-)

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  6. You can post as many pics of Max as you want! I hope National Dog Day was a good one for him.
    Yep, the heat. Cycling is a great option when it's that hot. But you timed your runs well- 5:00 am is the time to do it. I have to say I'm envious of your low 60s this morning! I'll bet that feels amazing.
    I like the brown and black combo!

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    1. Our temps actually wound up being high-50's! Can you say BRRRR? That was a shock to the system!

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  7. I'm glad you survived the ridiculous week. The media totally hyped it, but it sure lived up to the hype! The cooldown feels SO divine. Makes me a little less sad about summer heading out. Nice week!

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    1. Oh, I'm still sad about summer leaving the scene. It's just a bummer it was such a drastic change in temps...I'd much prefer a gradual transition (then I wouldn't notice the change as easily, LOL).

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  8. We had some heat but I run early enough it wasn't that bad. We had crazy storms though that made some of the runs hard!

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    1. It was ridiculously humid in those early hours here. We did avoid the intense heat of the day/afternoon (for running), but I was still a sweaty mess.

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  9. That’s a bummer about your not-1000 streak day, lol!
    Looks like you had an impressive week especially considering the heat. 111F! That’s a lot. I can imagine cycling would work well since you get a bit of a breeze. I’m impressed with your 101 miles in a week!
    I like the brown and black together, it has a nice autumnal feel to it.
    We got some summer weather back too this week! But more in terms of 22C rather than 43 🙃, nice though!

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    1. It really is nice how cycling feels alright in the heat, even the extreme heat. I'm glad it's a consistent part of my routine now ;-)

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  10. It was insane that the intense heat lasted so long! I'm just fearful it may have been summer's last hurrah, and I'm not ready for that.

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  11. Wow you were really in the thick of it with the heat & humidity! We've managed to catch a break here - though way too much rain :( Great job this week!

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    1. ...and we haven't had much for rain here. We really need it (I can't believe I said that out loud, LOL).

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  12. The humidity would kill me. I take hot over humid any day, but you get BOTH. Temps here have luckily come down a bit (into the 90s LOL).

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  13. Happy 1,000! That's amazing. I love that you love this weather. Please keep it.

    ~Cari

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    1. ha ha!! I truly love summer, but the heat was pretty intense last week, especially the humidity!

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  14. Max is such a cutie!

    I can ride in the heat, but when I’m done, I’m exhausted! I know it won’t be long before I’m saying it’s too cold to ride ….

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    1. Riding in the heat is definitely a HUGE perk of having a bike!

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  15. Aww, Max, such a cute pup!

    That is some heat- yowsa! Stay hydrated Kim :)

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    1. I'm glad I snapped (and posted) Max's pic when I did; he was the victim of a bad haircut this weekend...

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  16. Congrats on the 1000!!!! You had a very busy week.
    I'm so happy because this is the second rainy day in a row. Heat will come back but for now I enjoy this short pause!

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    1. Enjoy your heat reprieve! We're currently in the midst of one as well, but the 95F temps are slated for a return this weekend.

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  17. So hot! I can't bike when it's that hot - I feel like the helmet is going to suffocate me! We are always here for pics of Max! Always!

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  18. Wow on that heat!! We did not get temps that high, but I do see a 98 in our 10 day forecast! The outdoor streak is seriously impressive too. Well done!

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