Not My Typical Week

This definitely was not a typical week for me.

Well, it's not like each and every week is a carbon copy of the others, but this past week was a doozy. Not necessarily in a bad way, but it was challenging none the less.

Shall we start with Monday?
We had crazy cold and windy weather (again). With all the excitement of the Boston Marathon, I had to dig out some warm blue and yellow gear for my #nevermissaMonday run. In years past, I'm usually in a tank and shorts, but not this year. Also, I couldn't help myself from having a few fleeting thoughts of the charity running program for the marathon. For me to earn a coveted BQ (Boston Qualifying time), I'd have to knock off a good 35 minutes from my marathon PR (which includes a couple extra minutes of buffer). I honestly don't think I want it that badly to invest all the time, expense, possible heartache, and potential injury to make that happen. I'm not sure I'd be up for the challenge of raising $5K for a non-local charity, either (assuming I'd ever get selected). Ha! Like I said, lots of fleeting thoughts!

The yellow and blue ribbons are still flying high in my yard as a tribute to the 2013 marathon bombings

Tuesday was a rest day. Well, there were 70 push-ups on tap for the challenge (courtesy of Rachel), some power walking in the early morning, and plenty of hip hop practicing in the evening. Fun times.

Max escorted me on my early morning walk

Wednesday's forecast (as of late Tuesday evening) showed rain, wind, and cold temps in the early morning hours, so Barb and I decided to post-pone our usual #5at5. Upon wake-up, though, the skies were (somewhat) clear and the air was dry. I took Max around the block, then decided to walk further....only to have the heavens open up and start raining after I had gotten several blocks from my house. Well played, Momma N. Well played.

Seriously???

Then, Momma N threw another wrench  in our already-compromised spring weather...and dumped some afternoon snow on us as well.

Yes, snow on April 18th!

Thursday was another day with an out-of-the-ordinary agenda. For one thing, the temps were nice in the early morning. I did some sprints on a neighborhood hill (seven uphill sprints & seven recovery downhill jogs) and enjoyed the morning air.

At long last, Friday morning blessed us with near-perfect temps for our (twice postponed) #5at5. Barb had to be out of town on Thursday, so Friday was finally the day to make it happen. Actually, the timing was perfect since we had our half marathon happening two days later anyways. Leaving the house in the dark, and then returning to almost complete daylight is such a great experience.

Is there anything more perfect than coming home to a perfect sunrise?

Friday night had the hubby, myself, and a couple of friends building the stage set for the Promenade of Couples for our school's 2018 Prom. This is my ninth (and final!) year of working my #artgeek magic for this annual event. It involves a lot of time (especially in the final week), and my legs take a beating from the numerous "painting and cardboard-cutting squats" in the final days. It's all worth it, though, and I truly have enjoyed my tenure as Promenade Coordinator.

The stage is set.....

I woke up Saturday morning feeling like I'd already run my half marathon. Apparently, I may have done one too many squats in all of my prom prep. Thankfully, Saturday was an intended rest day anyways, so no harm, no foul. I did a brisk walk and called it good...until the evening festivities began.

All is calm, all is bright...though my hamstrings are on fire

Sunday was merely a continuation of Saturday, since I had been up most of the evening working at the after prom (I was able to crash for about 90 minutes after I got home from prom duties). Then, I headed to Des Moines with Barb (thankfully, she offered to be the designated driver) for the Drake Relays Road Races Half Marathon. Oh my gosh.....there will be a more thorough race recap coming in a few days, but let me just say, "I did it!" Not the sub-2:00 in my original plans (before I realized I'd be running this the morning after Prom night), but considering the hilly course, my wonky hip flexor, and my state of little sleep, I'm quite satisfied with my 2:08 finish (which also includes a 2-minute porta-a-potty detour).

With Spike, the Drake University mascot

All in all, I did a decent job staying active, keeping busy, and logging mileage (23 miles and change, including the half marathon). I probably should have been doing a better job honoring the taper thing, but any exhaustion I felt was (more than likely) attributed to the extra hours spent prom-prepping.

In case you missed them, I only had two blog posts last week (due to all of my prom busy-ness):
Just Run
What I'm Gonna LOVE About Spring

In other news:
My #FridayFashionFlair post was very well-received! There were a lot of things happening (1) pink and orange (which some people would argue the two colors clash with each other), (2) a half-tucked top (that kept trying to untuck itself even more as the day wore on). (3) distressed denim (ever so cozy), (4) a side-buckled belt (to avoid the dreaded front & center buckle bulge), and (5) a colorful scarf to tie everything all together. Whew! Are you a fan of any of these fashion trends? Every Friday I post a featured outfit on Instagram...you're welcome to join the party--> post a pic of your outfit, use the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and give me a tag (@runningonthefly).

go bright or go home

Another non-typical event was Senior Night at Thursday's tennis meet...especially when the daughter is currently out of commission due to a sprained shoulder.

Yes, it was windy

As mentioned, I spent a lot of time working on Prom stuff. Not only did I spend most of Saturday evening engulfed in the festivities, the daughter was there as well.

And, finally, the Boston Marathon is a huge thing for all of us runners, even those of us who have never toed the start line in Hopkinton. Amid all the festivities and victories (go Desi!), though, let us not forget that tragic day five years ago.

#BostonStrong

So, that's a wrap! Not my typical week, but a fun, busy, and festive week, none the less.

How was your week?  Any signs of spring? Racing or running highlights? Ever pulled an all-nighter, then ran a race the next morning?

I'm linking up with Holly and Wendy (and their guest host,Teresa) 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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