Well, at least that’s the story from this week. Although we did have some pleasant afternoon temps, the mornings were chilly, the air was crisp, and the wind returned with somewhat of a vengeance.
I know the summer-like temps aren’t completely in the rear-view mirror, but ugh. Why, oh why, is Summer such a painfully short season in the Midwest? It’s a good thing I have perseverance and grit, both of which are crucial in getting outside (still) on the daily.
Afterwards, I hit the weights for some glutes, legs, arms, and shoulder strength work. 
Saturday - Game Day!
It’s been awhile since I’ve shared a pic of my sweet little Max. He’s just as cute (and playful) as ever, despite his 15-1/2 years of age.
I know the summer-like temps aren’t completely in the rear-view mirror, but ugh. Why, oh why, is Summer such a painfully short season in the Midwest? It’s a good thing I have perseverance and grit, both of which are crucial in getting outside (still) on the daily.
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, heres what went down in my little world of “fall” fitness and fun this weeek:
Sunday - fitness on the inside and outside…
There was a 400K Garmin badge up for grabs, and I wanted to get it done before heading to church. It was too cold (and dark) in the wee hours for outdoor cycling, so I summoned the spin bike to pedal-out the remaining 21 miles. There also was some walking around lunchtime (three miles). I’d had another late night, so an afternoon nap may have also happened.
Never miss a Monday
You heard it here first, my fiends, but I actually had a slight sleep-in, on a weekday nonetheless! Well, it was Labor Day, so there’s that. I’d gotten some new shoes over the weekend, so I was eager to break them in with a 4-miles run. Can I just say the mid-morning temps were fabulous, and the entire day was beautiful. Max and I took a couple of short walks and I spent a good two hours viciously yanking a garbage bag’s worth of thistles and weeds from my yard.
Take-charge Tuesday (and keep it low-impact)
Yikes, the morning came quickly and my body was feeling quite fatigued upon wake-up. I got out for a brisk (short) walk before work and walked a little over lunch. After work, I found myself in an urgent care facility, seeking answers to what looked like a weird infection in my left thumb (swollen skin, which felt hot to the touch, painful with limited grip strength, ugh!). Then, pharmacy #1 was closed, so I had to have the clinic re-route the prescription to another place. I didn’t get home until almost 8:30PM! I was mentally wiped-out, but needed some “cool-down-and-relax-the-mind” time…so I squeezed in a 2-mile walk before calling it a day.
How about a triple workout Wednesday?
We had awesome (mild) weather for our weekly 4:45AM run (and we successfully beat the forecasted rain!), but my body was still feeling tired. We ran the three miles called it good. I had time for a short walk Max and a quick upper-body workout before hitting shower and heading to work. I have really been loving my lunchtime walks (in the skywalk), and had time for two miles. I hadn’t done much biking all week, but it was windy and cold after work…so back to the basement I went for 15 miles. Yeah, desperate times!
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Thankful (triple threat) Thursday…
It was another chilly morning (48F, thank you very much), so I decided to hit the spin bike (yes, less than 11 hours since the last ride, LOL) for the weekly virtual meet-up with Deb. I woke up early, so I got a head start on my 17-miler.
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| Pic from Deb |
My place of work had a company outing at the Iowa Cubs vs. Omaha Storm Chasers baseball game in the afternoon. It was a fun time, the sunshine felt amazing and the Cubbies won! That said, I didn’t feel like heading to the Thursday night group run. I opted to just run the usual three miles on my own. No regrets.
Finally Friday!
Brrr! The mid-50F temps were feeling chilly with the crazy wind. I didn’t have a lot of time, so I kept the walk short (1-1/2 miles), but made sure to wear my Iowa Hawkeye gear. I was able to get a 2-miles walk done over my lunch break, then Max took me for another 1//2-miles walk after work. With a busy weekend on-tap, and a full moon run to squeeze in, I decided (kind of randomly) to seize the opportunity and do the run an evening early (see below). Besides, there was a clear sky! Ironically, despite a long day at work and tailgate food-prepping, this 4-mile run felt really good! And, a bonus is that I wouldn’t need to finagle an early-early run Saturday morning. Win-win!
There wasn’t a lot of time for messing around. I was hoping to be on the road by 7:30 to get to the big tailgate for the big game. I was able to get out for a quick power walk in the pre-sunrise hours (and mid-40F’s temps)…two miles with an average pace of 14:25 (yes, I was bookin’ it, LOL). There also were a a couple of miles walked to and from the tailgate site. Great day (even though the Cyclones claimed the traveling Cy-Hawk trophy)!
…and what’s happening on Sunday?
Another busy day on-deck, with similar chilly early morning temps. I’m hoping to knock-out a pre-church walk, or maybe (another) indoor bike ride. Stay tuned…
Over all, it was a fun week, but the weather did keep me guessing. Ugh, at least it never snowed (I know, I use that phrase a lot, but it keeps me focused on the glass-half-full aspect of the Iowa weather). Running saw 14 miles. Biking had 53 miles, all of which were indoors (sigh). And, walking had 22 miles. All good! The daily wall sits and planks are still a go, so that’s good too.
In case you missed out, here’s what went down on the blog:
In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair. With the big Cy-Hawk game happening on Saturday, we were encouraged to wear our teams’ gear at work. Well, that’s a no-brainer! This is probably the biggest game of the season, for both my University of Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones (our inner-state rivals).
It’s been awhile since I’ve shared a pic of my sweet little Max. He’s just as cute (and playful) as ever, despite his 15-1/2 years of age.
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As mentioned, there was a full moon run on Friday night. It’s always nice when the legs just go (with little effort) and the miles go smoothly and feel oh-so-good!
So, that’s the latest and greatest! Rumor has it the weather will be reverting to summer-like conditions this next week. I say, “Bring it!”
How did your first week of September play-out? Any upcoming races on the roster? Great workouts? Cooler-than-seasonal weather?
Chilly mornings, windy rides... all the autumn vibes already!
ReplyDeleteGlad you got in so many miles despite the weather playing tricks, and love that Max is still such a star companion. Fingers crossed for a smooth week ahead - how is the thumb doing?
While I'm not completely ready for fall, I have to admit these cooler temps feel pretty good right now. I hope your hand has gotten better!
ReplyDeleteI watched that Iowa game and I was thinking of you!
ReplyDeleteMy son is up in Illinois now, and he was THRILLED with the cooler temps! He couldn't believe it- he's only lived in Florida and Texas, so he's never seen weather like that in September.
Sounds like you had a great week in spite of the chilly early mornings! 48 degrees and windy is pretty cold. I imagine you'll still get some warm weather before fall sets in for real.
Wow that is chilly! I haven't been outside in the 40° yet, but it has dipped into the low 50s. I love the picture of max! He really is such a cuddly cutie.
ReplyDeleteOur weather has been nothing short of amazing. It's cool but not cold, and the fall colors are starting to come in. I can't get enough of it!
ReplyDeleteIn a perfect world it would be warm enough and there would be enough daylight for outdoor fitness but when it isn't thank goodness for the basement! And it really sounds like you have a perfect setup with your lunchtime skywalk.
Doggo says hi to Max!
Glad that you got a good full moon run in and a great picture to document it!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that your Hawkeyes lost (we watched part of the game). My Hokies looked great the first half and then imploded the second half. What's up with that?
The weather here in Virginia had been delightful until the heat and high humidity returned on Friday and Saturday. Today is dreary, but this coming week looks really nice again!
It has been a pleasant week in Ohio with the cooler temps! Arm warmers made an appearance again for my long run. It was perfect! You really were booking it on that walk. Way to get it done!
ReplyDeleteThe cooler mornings are really nice! Hope that thumb thing cleared up. Always nice to see your Max
ReplyDeleteIt's getting painfully chilly in the mornings here too! I'm grateful the day still brings some decent temps, and 100% yes to "at least it didn't snow..." I'm having a hard time accepting that summer is over so that will be a good mantra in the coming months. I hope your thumb is better!
ReplyDeleteYour temps definitely give fall vibes, although I really enjoy the high 50s for running (not so much any wind!).
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun company outing at the baseball game!
Max does not look at all 15 1/2. He still has such a puppy face! Cutie.
ReplyDeleteIt was cool for a minute (if we are counting 72F as cool), but now we are back up again. Boo. Not a fan.
Hope you had so much fun at the tailgate and the game. Our weekends have been so crazed that we haven't had time to really think about hosting or entertaining. It's just one of those crazy seasons.