"Spring" Training

Isn't it April? Spring? Where are you?

As much as I have been  loving the longer days, I'd be especially over-the-moon joyous if the weather was a teensy bit warmer. And, how about the wind? Well, there could be a little less of that as well. But maybe that's just me?

Oh well. Even though the weather has been questionable, the training continues.

This past week was another action-packed one. There was running (obviously), walking, dancing (more details below), and oodles of cross-training. Life is pretty decent even if the weather is not so desirable.


Here's what went down:

Monday. I did get out the door for a short early morning walk, but postponed the #nevermissaMonday run until the afternoon, when I'd have daylight access to our college's track. In an effort to hopefully work my way out of my 13.1 plateau, I added a track workout to my roster. Although I only did (4) 400's, there also was an approximate 1/2-mile warm-up run to get there, and a 1/2-mile cool-down run back home (as well as the recovery runs/jogs in between each 400m lap). Oh, did I mention it was windy?  My splits got progressively slower (1:49/1:50/1:56/1:59), but considering the 21mph wind, I was alright with them. Speed is definitely not my specialty, so I don't usually have very high expectations. My hammies, though, did not like me very much for a few days following this short workout...apparently my legs were working much harder than I realized.

Three total miles , and some triceps dips...just for kicks

Tuesday. Even though it was a rest day, I got out for a couple walks and did a few push-ups (30) for the Triceps, Push-ups, Squats Challenge.

Wednesday. My usual #5at5 had to be postponed due to the extremely cold temps. I did get out for a short walk when daylight broke, and did some burpees and jump squats for the Challenge.

Those poor tulips at my feet just emerged from their slumber...hopefully they make it

Thursday. Ahhhh, temps in the 20's! Isn't it crazy how sub-freezing temps can actually feel warm when the wind is at the minimum? I met up with Barb, and we knocked out our weekly #5at5  in some of the warmest temps all week.

Five miles at 05:00, finally!

Friday. Another rest day, so nothing crazy happening in my fitness world other than some additional walking in the afternoon and the 40 push-ups for the Challenge.

Filters can make an otherwise boring pic (of push-ups, none the less) more interesting

Saturday. Another cold, spring day in Iowa! Thankfully, we had ample sunshine, so the single-digit feels-like temps were not too uncomfortable. Barb drove over, and we headed out at 08:00 for eight miles.

How's that for an #8at8?

A short while later, I had dance practice with the dancing daughter. Yes, you read that correctly, dancing. For the first time ever, there is a Mommy/Daughter dance for the recital this year...and the daughter asked me to join in the fun. Did I mention it's a hip-hop dance, none the less? Oh.My. Our session was for 45-minutes at the studio, then the daughter gave me an additional 60-minutes of one-on-one instruction after we returned home. Since coordination and grace are pretty much MIA from my natural repertroire of abilities, this felt much like an extreme boot camp endeavor, especially following that 8-mile warm-up run. Stay tuned...there will be pics to come at a future date.

Sunday. Another "chill" morning in Iowa. I headed out for an easy-paced 1-mile shakeout run. It's become my routine to do a short recovery run the day following a long run. I've been doing this for a couple years...the run is never longer than a couple miles, and it's always easy-paced. No matter how difficult the previous day's long run has been, these recovery runs always leave me feeling refreshed recharged and, often times, recovered.

Who needs caffeine when you can have fresh air?

After several months of training, the only thing on the agenda was tackling the 88 flights of stairs for the Fight for Air Climb in Des Moines later in the morning. Stay tuned...the recap is coming!

Another Climb!

So that's my week of fitness with (another) week of icky weather. Total running mileage came in at 17. Every run is a blessing, regardless of how frigid & windy (or hot & humid), so I have been trying to keep my complaints to a minimum. I had a major epiphany last summer when I was sidelined...despite one's circumstances, there are many who are not able to run at all, and they would gladly trade places with those who are able to run but are whining about it. I am choosing to be thankful.

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

A Break from the Weather

Well hello, April! What's Happening?

Five #hashtags Worth Chatting About

In other news:

As mentioned above, I'm participating in another challenge, hosted by Rachel. Every day we have triceps dips, or push-ups, or our choice of jump squats or burpees. Easy peasy, right? Often times, I have Max acting as my coach, supervising my moves.

...but isn't he cute?

Did you catch my weekly #FridayFashionFlair post on Instagram? despite the winter-like "spring" weather we've been experiencing, I'm doing my best to keep things bright and cheerful. There's nothing like a cheetah print scarf (or anything cheetah print, in my opinion) to liven up even a black sweater. I dug out the burgundy skinny jeans to stay away from the "Back in Black" look. As always, you're invited to join me...post a pic of a featured outfit, use the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and be sure to tag me (@runningonthefly)....I'd love to see YOU in a non-fitness-themed ensemble!

Don't forget the lipstick!

How about a new 'do? Somehow, my hair always seems to regress back to the flat, boring coif, even after a few cuts and trims. It was time to change things up a bit more dramatically...so my gal added several more layers and gave me a few more bangs. What do you think? Do you ever venture out of your comfort zone and try new things with your hair?

Somehow less is more...

And, lastly, I unveiled my April goals this past week. Nothing extreme, but just enough to keep me active.

So that's a wrap on the last week. How are things in your world? Has spring arrived for you? Has winter remained? Any new events on the horizon?

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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