Gimme Some Summer

It was another week of questionable weather and whatnot.

In other words it was a guessing game (on the daily), questioning not only Momma N’s motives, but also the appropriate workout gear to wear in dealing with the outdoor conditions. If nothing else, that adds to the fun. It’s also quite nice when those conditions play-out better than anticipated. 

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 blog as well...please don't link-drop & dash ;-)

Anyways, here’s what went down, this week, in my little corner of the universe:

Sunday - from chilly to steamy…

After a chilly 3-mile walk in the early morning (title pic), things warmed up nicely thereafter. My 16-mile bike ride, mid-afternoon, felt oh-so-amazing. 

Never miss a Monday

The sunrise was nothing short of amazing (#CanadianWildFires). The temps were still a little cool, but comfortable for my 4-mile run. And, I scored some coin. I also did some walking after dinner.

Take charge Tuesday

The morning included a 2-mile walk and upper-body strength work. The evening included a short walk with Max and a couple hours volunteering with my running club at the local National Night Out.

Wednesday - a grand reunion!

After nearly a month of Tuesday night/Wednesday morning rain storms, our Wednesday morning group  (finally) reconvened. Hannah and I met at the usual 4:45 AM spot, and Bill joined us mid-route (and peeled-off early, before we could get a group pic with him, LOL). Five miles later, the sunrise was looking spectacular (again). After work, I hustled over to a nearby town, for a small birthday dinner with my parents. I also got out for a refreshing evening walk in the wonderful 70F temps.

Thankful Thursday

On the roster, a 5:00AM (my time) 4-mile walk with Deb followed by a quick pic with our dear doggies, Pablo and Max.

Next, I had some lower-body strength work on deck. Several split lunges, hip bridges, and goblet squats later, I was feeling the burn.

Low-key fitness Friday

The early morning temps gave way to some steamy afternoon heat! My 2-mile walk, amidst another stunning sunrise, was total bliss. My lunchtime walk happened indoors, courtesy of the Des Moines Skywalk (air-conditioning and no streets to cross #WinWin). 

Long Run Saturday (and then some)

There was a full moon run on the weekend’s roster, and three cloudy evenings in the forecast. I noticed the moon was shining bright upon wake-up, though, and made the command decision to go for it. The thing is…by the time I got dressed and let Max out, the moon had gone hiding behind the low-lying horizon cloud cover. I did spot a streetlight perfectly positioned where the Sturgeon Moon would have been, so I assumed a pose with the streetlight (aka #FullMoonPoser #DesperateTimes).. Afterwards, I had hoped to go for a long bike ride, but the forecast was showing rain happening soon. After a short recovery break (#pancakes), I hit the spin bike and knocked-out 30 miles. The joke was on me, though, because the rain never showed until an hour after I dismounted.

…and what’s happening on Sunday?

The forecast is looking damp upon wake-up (ugh), with a dry window for a few hours mid/late morning. On the off chance the rain is MIA, I’ll sneak out for a short walk before church. If it is raining, I’ll return to the spin bike or find some Peloton options.. Stay tuned.

All in all, I’m really happy with this week’s workouts. The running miles tallied at 15. Walking came in with 23 miles. Biking was conservative with only two rides, for 46 total miles in the saddle. The strength workouts were short, but intense (just the way I like them!). I’m still doing the daily planks and wall sits, so all is well. 

In case you missed out, her’s what went down on the blog:

To Humidity and Beyond…

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. The day started off pretty cool, but the temps were flirting with high-80’s by late morning (with the requisite humidity). It’s such a Catch-22 how the hotter it gets outside, the colder it feels indoors due to the A/C. As a result, I usually need a cardi of some sort if I’m sporting anything sleeveless. First world problems, right?

As mentioned, my mom celebrated her 88th birthday this week! It was nice having dinner with her and my father in celebration.

Garmin was busy handing out badges this week. I do sign up for these various badges, but usually forget about them until they appear after they’ve been earned. The 30 for 30 and Rise and Grind badges kind of happen without warning, LOL.

Another orchid update….I’m not sure what is going on, LOL. It has a root that is sort of winding its way up the support stick (instead of lying at the base) and the one true stem has three extra branches (?) coming off of it. I have never seen that before. It will be interesting to see how many blooms (if any) appear on these bonus branches.

So, that’s what happened in my little world last week. Cool mornings. Muggy temps. More heat. Intermittent cooler evenings. And a return to all things hot and humid by the weekend, LOL. At least it ain’t snowing. 

Did your weather keep you guessing this week as well? Are the Canadian wild fires affecting your air quality? Any favorite workouts this week, or milestones reached? 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter