Friday, January 26, 2018

Now That's More Like It


Ah, now that's more like it.

The mild weather. The increasing daylight. The on-going fitness. Life is good.

What all went down this past week, and why are things feeling pretty good?


Well, on Monday, our temps climbed up to the mid-40's in the afternoon hours. Granted, that is not a heat wave by many people's standards, but for an outdoor runner who has withstood much colder temps for her dear sport...those mid-40's felt tropical. A couple miles in the bright sunshine, sandwiched in between two sets of 40 burpees, was my #nevermissaMonday reality.
Outside. Capri leggings. No gloves. #win
Tuesday was a pretty low-key day. A 4-minute plank in the early morning hours, and some arm work in the evening.
Another daily plank in the bank
As has been my Wednesday ritual for several  weeks, I started the day with some cardio, via my stairway. I mixed in some intervals of lower-body strength work (squats, leg lifts, lunges) as well as four sets of (20) push-ups. Yowza, that was tough, but a fun quest to conquer.
Taking it to the stairs...again
Thursday wound up becoming a double workout day, starting with no less than 90 burpees. As I said in my Facebook and Instagram posts that day, it IS possible to do burpees with a smile (who'da thunk?), but the post-burpees hair may make you wince.
Scary hair....don't care
Later, I met up with my friend, Barb, for a non-traditional #5at5PM. We usually do our #5at5 runs (five miles at 05:00 a.m.), but this time the 5:00 p.m. option worked better for our schedules. I don't know if it was possible DOMS from Wednesday's stair and lower-body workout, after effects from that morning's burpees, or just general fatigue, but those five miles left me feeling exhausted and sore all over when I returned home.
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That would be a fake smile hiding the total body exhaustion...
When Friday arrived, I knew my body needed some serious rest and recovery time. I knocked out a 4:30-minute plank and that's all that happened. I seldom take complete rest/recovery days, but I thought this was well earned.
How do you like that bed head?
Saturday brought me to my first race of 2018! This was my fourth time running the Chamburrrrr Scurry 5K (in a nearby town), and I was eager to pin on a race bib and have fun. The race didn't start until 9:00, so Barb and I arrived early to get our race packets and made the command decision to do a 1-mile warm-up run. We'd originally planned to run a couple of miles after the race, but since we had ample time, we thought it made more sense to get in a brief warm-up run instead of just standing around. 

The 1-mile warm-up felt good, but the race itself was a bit of a challenge for me. The race course involves a 1-mile loop around a community college campus, then an out-&-back segment on the team's cross country course, and a repeat 1-mile loop (around the campus) to the finish line. We had decent temps (in the low 30's) and plenty of sunshine with a tiny bit of wind...but that segment on the cross country terrain was tough. Couple that with the fact that I ran my first mile of the race in 8:20 (usually, that's too fast for a first mile for me), and it was a struggle to get my energy back. My finish time (official 27:11, 8:46 av.pace), surprisingly, was decent considering (1) the too-fast start, (2) the challenging middle mile, and (3) a few intermittent walk breaks... so I am quite content. 
Rocking the red, white, and blue for Team USA
My splits were 8:20/9:36/9:01. We also did an extra mile around the course after the finish line, for 5 total miles for the morning. At first, I was a little disappointed with my finish time (since I'm "usually" in the high 25's/low 26's). In checking my stats from a month ago, though, this was my fastest average pace in awhile, especially since my surgery. Even though I don't consider myself a racer, it's nice to see some of my "speed" easing back (even without any speed work happening).

Sunday morning was so bright and sunshiny that when my weather app showed cold temps, I though it was a malfunction. Then, Max and I headed out for a walk, and brrrrr. Thankfully, I grabbed my winter jacket and put Max's sweater on him. Yes, I realize I live in Iowa, and, yes, it is still January...but a 30-degree plummet overnight is just plain cruel! I had contemplated doing another 5K with Barb, but opted to stay home...and I'm glad I did. My body felt fine, but I thought an extra day of relaxation would be a smart call. Besides, I have 100 burpees on deck for Monday morning, and those are not gonna be a cake walk.
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Max and me...back in black
So, that's a wrap on last week. My running miles (Monday-Sunday) ended at 12, and the Burpees & Planks & Push-ups Challenge kept me busy on the non-running days. My off-season is winding down, so I'll be gradually upping my weekly mileage. Also, I have a half marathon happening in mid-March, so my current "long" runs (of six miles) will be increasing as well in February. Perfect timing, right?

In case you missed the posts from last week:
In other news:
***As mentioned, the Burpees & Planks & Push-ups Challenge (courtesy of Rachel) has been my reality this month, and will be concluding in a few days (#happydance). It's been a great test of my grit and determination (and my sanity as well), but I can really see substantial gains from it. Mind you, I still do not love burpees, but I hate them a little less, so there's that.

Here's what happened with the challenge last week:
Monday-80 burpees
Tuesday-4-minute plank
Wednesday-80 push-ups
Thursday-90 burpees
Friday-4:30-minute plank
Saturday-90 push-ups
burpees & planks & push-ups, oh my!
***Did you catch my #FridayFashionFlair post on Instagram? Even with the warmer than usual temps, I still had a high school basketball game to go to, so I dug out a favorite sweater featuring our school's colors. What's really special about this sweater is that I not only knitted it myself, but I also designed the pattern. Knitting has been a hobby of mine since I was a kid, and it keeps the #artgeek and #colorfreak in me quite happy. Please consider joining the party...post a favorite outfit on Friday, use the hashtag #FridayFashionFlair, and tag me (@runningonthefly). I love seeing all of my fitness friends in non-fitness attire once in awhile. 
Orange and Black for the win
***And. last but not least, we celebrated Max's Gotcha Day on Wednesday (January 24th). Three years ago, this little guy came home with us from a nearby shelter, and we've had so much fun with him. I did not have a dog growing up, so Max is my first-ever experience with a family dog. As any one with dogs in their family can attest....they are not simply just dogs, but family members as well.
My favorite pic with Maxton McArthur
Talk to me! How was your week? Any fitness goals achieved? Races? Warmer weather?

I'm linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. This weekly check-in is such a great place to connect with fellow fitness-minded peeps. Please join us! 

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44 comments:

  1. Still really hasn't been warm here or if it has, it's been raining. That being said when it has been sub-zero, 40 feels incredibly warm.

    Congrats on your 5k.

    You're BAAACK!!

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    1. Well, sometimes I feel like I'm back...other times, I feel like I'm not quite there yet. This 5K felt a lot tougher than it actually was LOL

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  2. Awww, I love that picture of you and Max, too. You just reminded me to put Pablo's gotcha day on my calendar for next year!

    I keep forgetting to participate in #FridayFashionFlair... I should add that as a reminder on my phone as well. ;-)

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  3. Temps in the 40s really do feel amazing lately! Great job hit with the 5k...running an out and back on that terrain sounds tough!

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    1. The terrain was really rough. My ankles were twisting and turning in every direction. I don't know if would have been any better if the ground hadn't frozen because then it would have been a muddy mess.

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  4. Huge congrats on your 5k finish time! I think a 5k is the hardest race to pace anyway. Rachel's challenge was a great way to stay fit and have fun during your off season. Thanks for linking!

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    1. 5K's just seem to keep getting the tougher, which is such a paradox since I have been running for so long. Granted, I seldom ever train for that specific distance so I have no idea what my starting pace should even be. I'm certainly never in contention for winning, so it's not a priority anyways ;-)

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  5. I did not realize you knitted that sweater when I saw it on IG. That is awesome. You are so talented!

    I am loving the warm up here. I got to run in short sleeves this weekend but I doubt this warm up will last. Fingers crossed!

    Oh, and you work so hard every day, you deserved that rest day!

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    1. I felt ZERO guilt in taking that rest day. ZERO. I guess that's a sign of maturity, huh LOL

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  6. Great job on your 5k-that's a great finish time.

    Have a great week!

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    1. Thanks. The 5K distance is such a demon to figure out....

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  7. Wow! You made that sweater?I It's beautiful! I can barely sew (I can sew a button!) so I highly doubt I'd be able to pull off knitting.

    Great work on your 5k! I have done the same to myself in the past - going out too fast - and it's so frustrating. But, you hung in there and made it a great workout! Your speed is probably increasing from the strength training and those burpees - another reason to love them. :)

    Giving your body time to rest and recover is never a bad thing. Have fun with the burpees tomorrow!

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    1. Well, my sewing skills involve (limited) sewing by hand (I simply do not have the coordination to run the foot pedal of a machine LOL). But, give me some yarn and a pair of knitting needles, and I can work some magic ;-)

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  8. You are seriously crushing that burpee challenge! Do you think that it is having an impact on your fitness -good or bad? congrats on your race! I would be very happy w those paces myself :)

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    1. That's an interesting question...I would think they are definitely making me more tired (because we have been doing so many of them), but I also have to believe they are making me stronger. I can really feel my core engaging.

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  9. The change is weather has been great - I like only wearing 2 layers of clothing instead of 3, lol.

    Congrats on your 5K!

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    1. The warmer temps were SO welcome after the nasty cold January has brought us.

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  10. woohoo for the warm weather! It was so nice here this weekend but we are also heading for a temp drop through the week ending with more snow and teen-degree temps. Great job with your workouts! You are crushing it!

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    1. My workouts have been keeping me busy! I need to figure out some new challenges for February to keep my body guessing.

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  11. I'd be really happy with that 5k time, but then again my PR is 28 minutes, so that would be a great time for me! I also tend to go out too fast in the first mile and have to recover. I'm really hoping my pacing this weekend will be better.

    Weather wise, its been nice here in Florida these last few weeks. I didn't love the 20 and 30 degree weather we started the year off with, but now its a more mild 50s-60s and I'm loving that! That weather can hang out with us for a while!

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    1. It's absolutely crazy how cold it's been everywhere, especially in the south! I'd love to have some of your 50's and 60's!

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  12. Allie's Gotcha Day is 1/25. She was scared the first night, but then she settled in pretty quickly. I think it helped that I brought home a kitty condo, which she claimed after 5 minutes.

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    1. Max settled in pretty quickly with us. He was a perfect dog for us since he was past the puppy stage (he was 5 when we got him), so the transition to becoming a dog family went pretty smooth.

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  13. That picture of you and Max is so cute! Great week of workouts and congrats on your 5K!

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  14. The BPP challenge cannot end soon enough. Actually I don't mind the planks and push-ups at all. I joined for the burpees and those have been the challenge. Congrats on your race!

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    1. I'm really surprised how much easier the burpees have gotten. I'm actually having trouble with the push-ups; I can't seem to get a good range of motion. I can't do them on my knees anymore (thank you, Voldemort), so I have to teeter on my toes or do them on an incline (bottom of stairway). Humbled again.

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  15. It sounds like a great start to the year! It's not always reasonable to expect to keep your usual pace on a given course, especially one like that! I think cycling is teaching me to take each race/event on its own terms, because I never have specific pace expectations on my bike, but roll with the hills, traffic, etc.

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    1. That's why I prefer outdoor running to treadmill torture...the weather, air resistance, and terrain all are great training tools. I have to laugh at how my overall pace looks so much nicer than those individual splits LOL

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  16. I wish I could do 5 am runs...just not happening right now. But come spring/summer I'll be doing really morning runs for sure!

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  17. Gotcha day! I like that! I actually do know both Lola's & Bandit's but we rarely celebrate them. Mostly because I just don't think about it.

    That does sounds like a tough 5k mentally -- but you did great. You can't really expect to hop right back in where you left off, but you're really not far off. You're doing great.

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  18. I've got some catching up to do with the challenge but I'm no gonna lie ...I won't miss those dang burpees! Lol

    Congratulations on your 5k! That really is a great time and I know it felt good just to pin a bib on again. You've come a long way from your surgery and have every reason to be happy about that time!

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  19. Can you believe it’s 80+ deg in San Diego?! Congrats on your first 5k of the year! And WOW on the plank and burpee challenge!!!

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  20. Glad the weather has been pleasant for you! A 27 minute finish time for a 5k is awesome! Congratulations! I admire y’all doing Rachel’s challenge. I refuse to do burpees!! Lol

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  21. Glad you have better weather, seems the temps are tolerable. Congrats on rocking your first race of the year!

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  22. Happy Gotcha Day to your sweet boy! Thats's awesome! Our Molly turned 14 this week, so it's a big week for the pups!

    90 burpees! That's crazy! But awesome! Congratulations on getting this challenge done!

    Way to get your race done. Some days, the distances just don't come as easily, but it seems like you are doing a great job with your progress!

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  23. Congrats on the 5K! Cross-country running is so challenging. I am down with trails, obviously, but running across grassy fields is something else.

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  24. Dang, those planks are awesome!! I struggle with 30-second planks! Lol. Way to rock it.

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  25. I'm envious of your nicer weather! It will be a few more months here in Maine before the weather warms up!! Great job on the planks!!

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  26. What a blessing you have in Barb as a friend and running buddy! Fitness is so much better with friends. :)

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  27. The sweater that you wore to the game on Friday is absolutely adorable. I'm not a huge fan of winter in terms of the weather, but I do like it for all of the adorable sweaters that I can wear during this season.

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  28. Would love the sweater pattern ! I used to knit a lot before running took up my spare time. lol.

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  29. you still do a lot for your off season. to be honest I'm glad you took that needed break on Friday especially since you had a race the next day!!

    I love your sweater! I'm terribly not-creative and not sure I could even knit a sock!!

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