Moving and Grooving

It was a pretty monumental week, on so many levels.

To put it in runner's terms, it was comparable to a marathon...only this was the second half of a challenging course en route to that epic finish line. Having survived the previous week (leading up to Prom, and all the necessary preparations), this week was all about recovery (for myself, from the Drake Half Marathon) and dance recital rehearsals (for the daughter and myself).


How did we fare?

Well, on Monday, we were blessed with beautiful, sunshiny weather. Although I felt pretty good considering the previous day's half marathon, my lack of sleep was still at play. I suspected my body was a lot more exhausted than I was  aware, and when I headed out for my #nevermissaMonday run, all suspicions were confirmed. Nothing really hurt, but everything certainly felt like it was moving in slow-mo. None the less, after two easy-paced miles, things felt better. And I slept like a rock (after several hours of dance rehearsals) that evening.

On Tuesday morning, my body (mainly my hamstrings) still felt a bit stiff and angry, but gradually came back to life as the day wore on. In conjunction with Sunday's half marathon, Barb and I headed back to Des Moines to run the Grand Blue Mile that evening. Touted as the USATF 1-mile championships, this was the 9th year of this monumental 1-mile speedy journey through downtown Des Moines (more than 3,500 participants were there!), and it was the first time for both Barb and myself to take part. Also, all the 1-mile racers who also had run the 13.1, 10K, or 5K on Sunday would be awarded with a Bulldog Double medal (we all had yellow-colored bibs indicating that we'd run one of Sunday's events).

Anyways, having never run a 1-mile race before, I had no idea of a strategy. I knew it would be a fast race, though, due to the distance and relatively flat terrain of the course. Barb and I did an easy 1-mile warm-up run before hopping in line right as the race began. My hope was to run that mile in (or around) eight minutes. I have had some mile splits in the 8:05-8:20 range (usually inadvertently, at the start of a downhill race), but I have never maintained that kind of a pace for an extended period of time or distance. This race was pretty crowded. There were runners, walkers, strollers...all lined up with no rhyme or reason (by the way, this was the "recreational wave," there was also a competitive wave and an invite-only elite wave). Thankfully, we were towards the front of the herd, so the necessary weaving was minimal.

When I made it to the finish line and saw the 7 lit up on the clock (indicating I was under 8-minutes), I was in so much disbelief. I glanced at my watch, and there it was...7:56 (somehow I managed 1.01 mile in distance). But when I noticed my actual pace showing 7:52, I was in even more disbelief. I didn't bother sticking around for awards (because not only did I have more dance rehearsals to get back for, I assumed there were others much faster than me for that short of a distance). I later learned that I finished 3rd in my age group (of 74), 182 (of the 1,275 females), and overall 603 (out of the total 2,386 1-mile participants)! The gal who won (overall), though, finished in 4:35 so my ego is still very much in check.

A very successful Bulldog Double!

Wednesday was a day of low-key fitness, and some much-warranted rest. Well, I guess there was that 5-1/2 hour dress rehearsal for the recital. I did get out for an early morning walk to shake out the legs a bit.

Screw calm, go running

I met Barb, on Thursday, for our weekly #5at5 (five miles at 05:00). Nothing really hurt, but I could tell my right hip was still feeling a bit funky. It had felt a little "off" prior to the half marathon on Sunday. I'm pretty sure my lack of sleep compromised my form over the course of those 13.1 hilly miles. The speedy 1-mile race on Tuesday probably didn't help either. My hip felt better by the time we finished, but still not 100% great. But, returning back home, in the daylight, rewarded me with the first daffodil of 2018 in bloom!

Finally! Some of the spring flowers are blooming!

Not much on Friday other than an early morning walk and a few random strength exercises and planking. Dance recital performance #1 was that evening with the daughter. After three weeks of numerous practices and rehearsals, the Mom/Daughter dance went off without a hitch!

 Saturday had me up and out the door for another early morning walk. Since the hip was still feeling a bit wonky, I didn't want to overwork it. Besides, I still had another recital performance that evening and wanted to be in top form for that.

Saturday's clear, blue sky and sunrise were amazing!

Sunday was a no-alarm-set morning, but I still was awake before 6:00. I headed out for three easy miles, and was happy that the hip felt even better. I'm still not going to overdo things, though. My next event is 76-mile team relay in a couple of weeks, so I really have no need for excessive mileage anyways.

gotta love the open road

All told, this week was another busy one, and had me in constant motion. My mileage was minimal (12 miles in the running shoes), but I am quite at peace with that. The half marathon warranted some rest, and the 1-mile race (two days later) was pretty intense. My body needed some down time (or, at the very least, a reprieve from the running shoes), and I felt ZERO guilt in honoring that.

In case you missed them, here's last week's posts:
Not My Typical Week
Drake Relays Half Marathon 2018
Runfessing the latest

In other news:
Did you catch my #FridayFashionFlair post of Instagram? As much as I love my bright colors, I also love the crispness of white. I actually am not afraid to wear it year-round, because why not? Adding brightly colored pieces to your white outfit enhances BOTH the white and the accent colors because of the contrast. Play along! Post a pic of your Friday outfit (or a favorite outfit from the week), use the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair), and drop me a tag (@Runningonthefly).

As mentioned in recent posts, I danced in my first-ever recital this weekend. It was the first time our studio ever had a Mom/Daughter dance in the program (there have been Daddy/Daughter dances a few times in years past, though). Also, it's our daughter's senior recital, so this was a very bitter sweet experience. Let me just emphasize there's a reason I run marathons and do not dabble in dance...it's much easier to run for several hours than to move my body in a rhythmic and graceful manner.

This was so much fun!

I'm having some difficulty getting the video to load, but this link (HERE) should give you a preview of the dress rehearsal. It's not the best quality (sorry!). I'm dead center, beginning in the back, and the daughter is to my right. No laughing!!

Last of all, my magnolia tree is blooming! These buds appeared a month ago or so, but have endured numerous overnight frosts and snow this past month.

So, that's a wrap on the past week. Although it was super busy, I wouldn't trade all the activity for anything. 

How are things in your world? Ever had back-to-back weeks of craziness? Ever run a 1-mile race? Ever danced in a recital?

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!