Surviving the Swamp

Oof, did it get swampy this week!

I’m fortunate to have a pretty high heat tolerance. The humidity doesn't seem to affect me as much as it does a lot of others, but that doesn’t mean I love it

Nonetheless, I persevered... 

Before I get into the deets from the humid week, 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, amidst the swamp-like atmosphere:

Sunday- the swamp-like conditions arrive in full steam

There wasn’t much action unfolding. I got out for a 2-mile walk before church, and took a container to score some mulberries from the numerous trees lining the trail. They’re messy, but tasty! 

Never miss a Monday

Did I mention the heat and crazy off-the-charts humidity?  Well, it was waiting for me upon wake-up on Monday morning. My pre-workday 2-mile walk was a steamy one. My noontime lunch walk wasn’t much cooler, even in the skywalk.

 

That evening, I headed out to log a couple miles under the Strawberry Moon. I wasn’t able to get out until after 11:00PM, and it was still a muggy mess at that late hour. I think it took me nearly 45 minutes AFTER my shower to finally stop sweating.

 

A very low-impact Tuesday

Tuesday’s early morning conditions were a repeat of Monday’s. My cool basement felt quite refreshing after my sunrise walk, although the core and upper-body strength session didn’t keep me cooled off for very long. 

A Welcome-to-July Wednesday 

It was just Hannah and myself logging the early morning miles this week. We had a decently cool breeze for the first mile, then we turned the corner and it became another sweat fest. Nonetheless, we kept a steady pace for those three miles. I even stuck around for a fourth mile.

after returning home, I stacked a couple of Peloton strength workouts. We all know I’ve been skimping  on lower-body strength work in recent months, so I attempted to rectify that faux pas. The lower-body workout had a lot of squats and lunges, and 1-minute bridge holds. The second workout had my shoulders, back and biceps ALL burning by the time I finished. 

Thursday 

I was on my own this week, and took advantage of a bonus sleep-in (90 extra minutes of slumber!). I almost headed out for a walk, then had a lightbulb moment and decided to go for a quick ride instead. It’s not very often the timing and/or the weather allows for a pre-workday ride outside, so I had to take advantage! So, five miles with Gustavas (my mountain bike, LOL), some core work, and a 2-mile lunch walk were my fitness endeavors for Thursday. 

Friday Fitness on the road (literally)

The main focus on Friday was to log some miles for RAGBRAI training. I had the day off from work, due to the Independence Day holiday weekend), so Scott and I hit the Cedar Valley Nature Trail. The forecast had shown afternoon clouds and a chance for rain, but things looked bright and sunny when we got on the trail. We did get hit with a couple sudden downpours (and had a place to shelter each time, thankfully). All told, we knocked out just over 32 miles.

Saturday…holiday-themed racing (and some bonus miles in the saddle)

First on tap was the Fifth Season Races 8K. With a lightning delay, the race got moved back to an 8:00 start time, but all was well thereafter. The air was humid, but the temps remained very tolerable during the morning cloud cover. Afterwards, we knocked out a bonus 13-mile bike ride in the early afternoon sunshine. 

…what’s on tap for Sunday?

With similar weather in the forecast, I’m anticipating an early morning walk, and possible more walking in the afternoon. After the heavy biking, and Saturday’s race, I’m keeping the fitness low-impact. Active recovery at its best!

Overall, it was a busy week, and I’m happy with all the workouts. The humidity was off the charts, but that’s Iowa in the summer. Running saw 11 miles. Walking was mediocre with only 15 mile this week. Biking was solid with 50 miles. . 

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

Getting My Groove Back

A Star-Spangled Coffee Chat

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. With a big American holiday happening over the weekend, I was sure to don the red, white and blue. I’m always proud to wear the patriotic colors!

We’re five weeks into the Des Moines Corporate Games and our team is still in first place! This is my first time working for a company that has participated, and it’s been fun following all the events and our progress. I still have the cross country race next Saturday, and the 5K road race on the 18th, so these games are far from over.

Finally, as I mentioned on my coffee post, June 29th was Voldemort’s ninth birthday! It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a decade since that life-changing experience. Although it was a scary and frustrating ordeal, it did give me a great perspective on the significance of one’s attitude during times of crisis. I’m quite grateful for the happy ending I was afforded. 

So, that’s a wrap on the humid weather week. It was muggy outside, but I managed to get the workouts done. I’m happy to get outside, even if the conditions aren’t always comfortable.

How was your week? Did the humid weather hit your area as well?

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