The (weather) Pendulum Swings Back...

Seriously, We keep going from one extreme to the other.

Momma N is up to her old games again. Last weekend, it was bitterly cold...like sub-ZERO with "feels like" temps. And, this weekend, we entertained late spring-like weather. Mind you, I am NOT complaining about the warm up, but a little transition between the two extremes would be appreciated.

As I have said before, if you can't beat Momma N, call her bluff and face her head-on.
Here's how I stayed in the game...


We awoke on Monday to some more snow, freezing wind, and sub-ZERO feels-like temps (again). I'd had a pretty active weekend, so my only fitness plans were the 60 burpees taunting me (as per the Burpees & Planks & Push-ups Challenge). Not too eager to do too many miles, I opted to run three laps around the "little" block across the street (netting me one mile in total distance), and do intervals of 20 burpees between each lap. Yes, indeed. I did those burpees on my front patio (after the hubby had cleared the snow)...I think only one neighbor may have seen me at that early hour, though. Whew! My #nevermissaMonday obligation had been served and I was done.

Doesn't everyone burpee on the front porch?

Not much on my roster (fitness-wise) for Tuesday, and still feeling a bit fatigued from the weekend, I did some arm work in the early morning, and knocked out the day's BPP goal of a 3-minute plank. I hosted a lunch for one of my clubs, so my day was action-packed with work and playing hostess. And that's all she wrote.

planks and weights for breakfast

The temps were chilly on Wednesday morning, but were forecasted to climb 20-degrees by the afternoon. As has been the recent routine, I opted for another double-up-day workout. I post-poned my run until later, but did some intervals of stair work (40 total flights) and push-ups (60 total) to get my cardio fix for the morning.

up and at 'em...literally

As was predicted, the temps were 20-degrees warmer by the afternoon, so I ran a couple miles over my lunch hour. Granted, the temps were still chilly, but the sunshine and bright blue sky were wonderful!

The sunshine makes it all better

Thursday morning, the hubby and myself were on the road by 6:00...destination: the Windy City! We arrived downtown Chicago around 11:30. He headed off to his seminar meetings, and I headed outdoors! Our hotel was along the river, on Columbia, so the Bean was only a few blocks away. Dang, they don't call Chicago the "Windy City" for nothing! The temps were in the low 40's, but with the wind, it was a bit frigid....until I turned around (near the aquarium) and headed back with a glorious tail wind and ample sunshine. I ran about four miles and finished the final 10 (of the day's 70 total) burpees in front of the Bean. When in Chicago, right? Doesn't everyone do burpees in front of the Bean?

I never grow tired of seeing the Bean

We had a nice time at the company mixer on Thursday evening. Lots of great food, drinks, and lively conversation with fellow business associates. And, "dress-up" attire!

The hubby surprised me by bringing his running shoes along....and asked about doing some stair climbing. So, Friday morning, we did some stairs! How does 28 floors (down and then back up!) sound? Most of my stair training is done in my house, on my ONE and only stairway. I've done 28 flights of stairs many times, but climbing 28 continuous flights is a much different animal than climbing one flight (up & down) 28 times. Suffice it to say both of us had some achy calf muscles the next day.

Don't you love having access to a "real" stairway?

Our Chicago excursion was a short one. In fact, we were in our hotel room less than 24 hours, and back on the road after the hubby's final session that morning. Although I got to explore some of the city via my running shoes, there wasn't enough time to meet up with any of my Chicago-based friends...so that was a bummer.

Saturday was such a beautiful day back in Iowa! I met up with Barb (my running gal pal) around 7:00, and we knocked out six miles in the glorious warmer temps and sunshine. You know it's been a freezing cold winter when low 30's (which later climbed into the upper 40's) feels almost balmy and tropical. No fleece or thick gloves...just normal running gear. Ahhh, it was euphoric and effortless.

Not only was it my warmest run of 2018, it also was my longest!

With all the week's activity (and all of those %#*& burpees and push-ups), my body was dreadfully tired come Sunday morning. It's rare that I take a total recovery day, but I knew it needed to happen. I did my routine 2:30 plank in the morning, and took Max for a walk before church, and that was it. And, I'm quite alright with that.

The temps were a bit damp, but still warm!

 So, that's a wrap on the crazy week of extreme weather. Total miles (Monday through Sunday) tallied at 13. Let's not forget all the burpees, push-ups, and two stair workouts as well. So much for an off-season, huh. At least I'm keeping the running mileage low.

In case you missed them, here's my posts from last week:

NonStop Action

No Gym? No Excuses!

What's to Love about Winter

In other news:

***As mentioned, I've been doing the Burpees & Planks & Push-ups Challenge (courtesy of Rachel). Holy crumpets, the sugar is getting real. Here's what we did last week:

Monday--60 burpees

Tuesday--3-minute plank

Wednesday--60 push-ups

Thursday--70 burpees

Friday--3-1/2 minute plank

Saturday--70 push-ups

I did my 70 push-ups outside on Saturday afternoon

***My #FridayFashionFlair post on Instagram featured the Chicago backdrop. The temps were a bit warmer than Thursday, but still windy (go figure LOL). Thankfully, I had my favorite grey wool sweater and tartan plaid scarf along with me. Everyone knows I'm a sucker for any kind of scarf because they instantly give your outfit a boost, even if you're just wearing jeans. Do play along with us on Friday...post a pic of a favorite outfit, hashtag it (#FridayFashionFlair) and give me a tag as well (@runningonthefly). 

The Chicago architecture is breath-taking

***Friday was our little Max's 8th birthday. He joined our family almost three years ago when we rescued him from a nearby shelter. Don't let his adorableness fool you...he can be a little stinker if we forget to put the trash back under the sink cabinet.

This is what greeted me when I returned from my Saturday morning run

***And, last of all...oops! I did it again. I added another race to my already-filling-up race schedule (don't you hate it when that happens?). Not only is this another St. Patrick's Day-themed endeavor, it's a half marathon. I've never run a 13.1 race this early in the season, so this will be a fun adventure.

This is what's happening on St. Patrick's Day!

So, enough about me. How was your week? Still enjoying the winter temps, or did you have a warm up as well? How often do you take complete rest/recovery days? What's the highest number of burpees you've ever done in a week?

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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