Spring is coming...I think

Spring is coming...I think.

The calendar shows March and the days are getting longer. We're due to set our clocks ahead this next weekend. And, in Iowa, we have (almost) nonstop wind from November until June...but even that is starting to feel more balmy than bone-chilling.

A huge bonus, with the impending spring season, is being able to be outside for pretty much every run without the worry of ice or snow. And I was ever-so-happy that was my reality this past week. Here's what all went down...


Monday
The temps were cool but calm. Unsure of my afternoon work schedule (but with a basketball game in the evening), I knew the early morning was my best option. I had not done an early morning solo run in quite awhile (maybe before Christmas, when I was still doing my winter streak?), and I had honestly forgotten how refreshing that endeavor can be. I live in a relatively hilly neighborhood, so I ran some intermittent laps around the hillier blocks and netted two miles for my efforts. No distractions, no traffic, no regrets.

two miles of hills for breakfast

Tuesday
Nothing specific on the calendar for Tuesday (but the 100 squats for the Superman, Squat, and Twist Challenge). I had the afternoon off from work and the great outdoors was calling. Having run nine miles on Saturday, and two miles each on Sunday and Monday, I really didn't think a fourth consecutive day of running was in my best effort (especially since I planned on running the next morning as well). So, what's a runner to do? I laced up and hit the road WALKING instead. Three miles later and all was well. I had not been on a long power walk since forever (probably sometime before my running streak began on Thanksgiving), and it felt great to be using different muscles while enjoying the sunshine.

repping my alma mater, the University of Iowa Hawkeyes

Wednesday
Ahh, another #5at5 with Barb! Truly, I have really come to love these early morning runs! Even though a lot of them are in cold weather and the dark of early morning, there is something so tranquil about being out and about when almost everyone else is still sleeping. It is empowering!

5 miles at 05:00

Thursday
I have been in the routine of Thursday morning stair workouts for a few months. This year, in training for the Fight for Air Climb (care to support my fundraising efforts? click HERE), I have been doing circuit workouts instead of just nonstop up/down action on the stairs themselves.

My workout for this week:
*10 burpees
*10 flights of stairs (with double steps)
*10 squats
*5 flights of stairs (with single steps)
*1-minute plank

I had every intention of doing four sets. My body was fatigued when I began, though, and after the first set was not feeling any better. I realized I had not had any scale-back weeks since all of these workouts had begun...so I made the command decision to just do three sets instead. Although I still felt tired upon completion, I did have a solid 20-minutes of nonstop cardio in the bank, and I was completely fine with that. No harm, no foul. Onward!

Friday
Another rest day on tap, but I did a few push-ups, squats,and some planking.

Saturday
Long run Saturday. Ten miles on tap.  My body was tired  (and my back was an achy mess) from the constant travel back and forth from three evenings of basketball, and the 17mph wind was blowing something fierce. I met up with Barb at 7:30 and we got to work. This run was tough. Thankfully, I brought my water along (I had not done that for any of my other long runs) and a Honey Stinger gel as well.  We ran. We talked. We battled the wind. We soaked in the sunshine. We stopped for a bathroom break around the 7-mile mark. And we finished, somehow managing a 10:14 minute pace (those final two miles were smack dad into the wind, and were our slowest miles of the morning). Ten miles, done! That's my longest run since the R'n'R Las Vegas (mid-November), and it felt like a marathon distance in all that wind, but we survived.

SO thankful for the sunshine!

Sunday
Amazingly, Sunday morning dawned and my body felt completely new and recharged. The temps were chilly (and windy, again!),but the sun was strong. The hubby wanted to run a few miles after church, so I postponed my recovery run until then so I could run with him. Ultimately, he wanted to run a different route, so I did my two recovery miles solo. The temps had warmed up to the mid-50's but the wind was still crazy ugly. Thankfully, my body felt great and any last trace of fatigue seemed to be gone.

Yes, I still have not removed the D-tag from R'n'R Las Vegas

So, the week actually played out nicely considering how busy my non-running life kept me. My mileage (Monday-Sunday) totaled up to 19 miles. I also had plenty of bonus cardio (via the walking and the stair-training), so I'm good with everything.

In case you missed them, here's my posts from last week:
Gloomy, Not Doomy
February 2018 - Pass or Fail?
When your cup runneth over

In other news:
My #FridayFashionFlair post was all about casual. Our girl's high school basketball team
had three games at the State Tournanent this week, and Friday's theme was "blackout" for the championship game that evening. Even though a simple 1/4 zip is casual attire, I opted for pointy toe patent flats to dress it up a bit (I'm not a jeans-n-sneakers kind of gal anyways LOL). As always, you're invited to join me...post a pic of your outfit, use the hashtag (#fridayfashionflair) and drop me a tag (@runningonthefly).

casual does not need to be sloppy

I have naturally straight hair. I mean, extremely straight hair. My hairdresser insists I have a lot of hair, but it's fine...so it appears flatter than what it actually is. Anyways, on occasion when I don't have time to wash it, I will opt to swirl the straightener through it and give it a few "beachy waves." Then, it's not as obvious if the cowlicks are acting up or the base layers are outta whack. What is so perplexing, to me at least, is that the waves actually make my hair appear longer than when I wear it straight. Shouldn't it be the opposite?

crazy hair probs

Our little guy, Max, was long overdue for a day at the groomer's. Unlike me, he has very course, curly hair and he was resembling a woolly mammoth more than a dog. I almost didn't recognize him when I went to pick him up! I'm not crazy about his too-short doggy 'do, but I know it will look much better in another week or so. He looks like he lost 10 pounds of doggy hair right now.

Don't worry, Max, it will grow back...

For those who missed my Friday post....((drum roll))...I have found another marathon! I'm headed to Greensboro, NC for the Cannonball Marathon! I have been searching for a fall marathon (and was eager to get out of Iowa). Barb has a group of friends from her hometown who asked her about joining them...she then casually mentioned it to me...and the rest is history. Stay tuned, I'll be putting together my summer plan of action soon to get me ready for this race on October 13th.

Marathon #8 will be happening in October

 Lastly, I mentioned above that our high school girl's basketball team spent the past week playing at the State Tournament. No, we did not have a player on the team, but our daughter had a few friends playing, and we knew several of the families of other players. It was such a great community endeavor to see so many people at the tournament (it was an hour away, in Des Moines) for all three of the games (Monday, Thursday, and Friday). Last year was the first time our school has had a girl's team make it to the State Tournament (they lost in the first round), but this year they returned and made it to the championship game. Unfortunately, they were not able to keep their momentum going...but being the State runner-up team is nothing to be ashamed of. They represented the school and our community with dignity and grace.

So, that's my week! Lots of running, cross-training, several basketball games, and all kinds of busy-ness.

Talk to me...Does it feel like spring has arrived in your area? Have you ever done a scaled-back workout and felt ZERO guilt in doing so? Have you ever had a local sports team make it to a State Tournament?

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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