Back on the (weather) roller coaster

Well, this is Iowa.

Have you heard the saying that if you don't like the weather, give it a few hours? Yep. Iowa. I don't know where that quote originated, but it probably was an Iowan (or at the very least, a Midwesterner) who penned it.

This past week was a roller coaster ride in terms of weather.

Monday, following a very warm weekend, the temps were a bit cooler and damp. A tiny bit of rain was in the forecast (and a long day at the office was on tap), so I got out the door and ran a quick mile before work. You know, I do have to fulfill that #nevermissaMonday obligation or my world will come to an end.

I was loving those outdoor miles in shorts!

Tuesday, we had our beloved record-breaking temps back. I worked most of the day, but was able to head out after work for a new workout...on an outdoor stairway. This stairway is situated nearby, on the college campus, by the outdoor track and golf course. There are 18 steps, and they are "longer and wider" than my usual indoor stairway, thus the incline is not as steep.

Sounds easy-peasy, right? WRONG! The longer steps require a longer stride, so even though the incline was easier, the long-stepping required more effort. The single steps felt like "doubles," and the doubles felt like "quadruples." No kidding. After 70 flights (up and down), I netted an approximate mile in total distance and everything from the glutes-down felt fatigued. The clincher was the Garmin stats....the "87 calorie burn" obviously is going on distance and not effort (at least that's what I'm choosing to believe).

Wednesday, my usual active rest/recovery day. Nothing grandiose to report, but I did get a great 45-minute power walk over the noon hour.

Another February day in shorts

And I may have celebrated National Margarita Day (some things are just necessary).

National Margarita Day!

Thursday, Barb (my running partner and gal pal) and I reignited our #5at5 routine. We met up at 5:00AM and ran our 5-mile route. And, it was amazing! It felt great to be out of bed, laced up, out the door (and back), and done before my work day started. Let's just confirm that I'm eager for Grandma's Marathon training to get underway.

I love those early morning miles!

Friday, ugh. Remember that roller coaster I referred to earlier? Well, the ride took a turn for the worse (though expected). The temps plummeted to the sub-freezing zone, the sky turned an ugly shade of grey, and the precipitation got busy. We had intermittent rain throughout the day, and by the afternoon, we had snow. Not a lot of snow, but enough to cover the ground.

My #Fridayfashion post (on My Instagram and My Pinterest) was all about the chill in the air. Back to the #brrrr. Back in leggings, booties, and a comfy infinity scarf.

Saturday arrived. In keeping with my new routine of 5-6 Saturday miles (evolving to longer distances  with my upcoming marathon training), I wanted to get outside. I also have been doing back-to-back runs on Sundays (though those runs have been just easy shakeout runs). The temps were in the mid-teens, with a "feels-like" of 1-degree (yes, you read that correctly...ONE degree above ZERO). Brrrrr (did I say that already?).

Back in a puffer vest and double-layer tights!

I made the command decision to switch my Saturday long run for my easy Sunday run instead. Sunday's temps were gonna be warmer (and less windy), so it was a no-brainer. I ran an easy three miles and called it good. Although the air was cold, the wind wasn't as bad as I anticipated. And the sunshine? Extremely beautiful!

Sunday, as promised, the long run went off without a hitch. Barb and I met around 7:30 and were done by 8:45. Eight (and a half) miles in the books, and that will do nicely as I prep for the next three weekends (two 10K's and a 10-miler). We had another day of sunshine with a crazy wind coming out of the southwest...but it's always a win-win when you conquer the "layering game" with the crazy weather.

Most of the snow had  melted, but the wind was still in full force

My week (Monday-Sunday) ended with 17.5 total miles in the running shoes. There also was that mile on the outdoor staircase and a few random miles walked here and there. Daily planking is a given, and the push-ups have continued as well. All is good!

In other news:
It was time for my 8-week hair appointment. Yes, already! You know you've got a great stylist when you don't notice the cut growing out, right? My dark roots, however, that's another story. Granted, I'm very thankful I don't have any grey (at least not any that I can spot). I swear, though, my natural hair color just seems to keep getting darker...what's up with that?

Ahhhh, that's all better!

The husband is whisking me away this coming Thursday on a surprise destination adventure. I won't know any details until we board the airplane. He did tell me there's a 10K race on Saturday morning....so, heads up! Any blogging (and commenting and replying back) may be delayed due to my whereabouts in a few days.

In case you missed them, here's my posts from last week:
Yay for the sunshine!

Three Running Wishes

Warm Weather...So, what's there to Runfess?

As usual, I'm linking up with some awesome ladies and their awesome link-ups:

Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap

Ilka and Angela for the Sunday Fitness & Food