It's The Humidity

It's no deep, dark secret that I love summer.

The smell of fresh-cut grass. The beautiful flowers in bloom. The over-grown tomato plants in my raised garden. Summer running. The heat. But the humidity? Not so much.

Thankfully, the temps were not too steep this past week. The humidity, though, was crazy. I can take the heat of summer, and I can tolerate the humidity, but that doesn't mean I necessarily enjoy it.

Here's how the week played out:

#nevermissaMonday
After an especially challenging 12-miler on Saturday (that was meant to be a 14-miler), Sunday's recovery run felt good and Monday's 3-miler (with pick-ups) felt great. I headed out in the wee hours and got the miles done early in the moderate temps...but the humidity was already pretty thick and heavy. You can't really see it in the pic, but I was glistening and glowing all over the place (and dripping from every appendage).

messy hair, don't care

Typical Tuesday

I had every intention of getting out the door early (like, at 5:45 a.m.) to go for a long "fasted cardio" walk before getting ready for work. Only, having reset my alarm (after a late night at the Iowa State Fair), I inadvertently forgot to turn said alarm ON. No harm, no foul...Tuesdays are active rest/recovery days anyways, but my walk with Max was much shorter than I'd hoped.

A quick mile with Max

None the less, I still did a HIIT workout that evening. I opted for a stair workout I'd created earlier this summer:

Arms and Shoulders and Stairs, oh my!

15 biceps curls/hammer curls (on middle circuit)

15 push-ups

10 burpees

10 stair flights (inside the house)

15 triceps dips/extensions (on middle circuit)

15 push-ups

10 burpees

10 stair flights (inside)

15 shoulder presses/upright rows (on middle circuit)

15 push-ups

10 burpees

10 stair flights (inside)

Three sets of the circuit netted me 45 biceps reps, 45 triceps reps, 45 shoulder reps, 90 burpees, 90 stair flights and 135 push-ups....and tons of sweat equity. I did all of the moves outside, on my front porch/patio, except for the stairs (which I did inside my air-conditioned house). And I slept quite soundly that night.

yes, it was warm and the humidity was quite high (again)

Wednesday's weekly #5at5

Even though the temps were moderate, the 97% humidity was oh-so-heavy for our weekly 5:00 a.m. run. That said, I'd gladly do it all over again. The sky was also overcast, so Barb and I ran this in almost total darkness until the last mile or so.

By the light of my trusty Knuckle Lights

Thursday's dilemma

After all those stairs on Tuesday, my body just was not craving any extra speedwork come Thursday morning. After all, hills are like speedwork in disgiuse, and stairs are like hills on steroids...am I right? I had a long run on tap for Saturday, and I didn't think it wise to overdo it with my (recovering) hamstring/glutes. Instead, the hubby and I took Max with us for a 2-mile jaunt and I called that good.

Friday's (continued) taper

I have been treating my Fridays as rest/recovery days (usually from the previous Thursday's speedwork), but I also consider them like a mini taper in preparation for my long runs (which usually happen on Saturday). I got out for another early morning walk, and oh-my-gosh...it felt like I'd just trudged through a vat of pea soup (isn't that what especially humid air is often compared to?). Yuck.

yuck...more icky hair

Saturday's redemption run

With a busy day on tap (volunteering, mid-morning, for a local air show), my morning started with a 5:45 a.m. departure to meet up with Barb for our 14-mile adventure. Again, the temps weren't too bad, but the humidity was thick. Unlike last Saturday, though, all body parts felt like they were in working order this time. I had my hydration vest (with two 12-oz. water bottles) and kept sipping water at almost every mile mark. We ran a similar route as we'd done the previous weekend, but everything felt so much better this week. I'd had some oatmeal for breakfast, did some dynamic stretches, ate a Honey Stinger chew at miles 4 and 11 and took a SiS gel at mile 9. Although my body felt a little strained in the final miles, my energy was on-point. Also, these 14 miles were the farthest I have run since my surgery/recovery last year, so it was a PR for Voldy (my 6-inch scar)!

 My longest run with Voldy on my knee...14 miles for the win!

After returning home, I had to take Max out for a quick walk then do an even quicker shower and head to the local airport. The hubby had been there since around 4:00 a.m., setting up and working the fly-in breakfast, and I had a 4-hour shift at the information booth and helping park cars. I finished up just after 2:00, and promptly crashed on the couch (for a good hour) after getting back home.

two highlights of the day...the sky divers during the National Anthem, and watching the Chinook helicopter land

Simply Sunday

After a long (and warm & humid) Saturday, my mind and body were definitely needing a little extra slumber. I went back to sleep for an hour or so after my alarm went off, then laced up for a short recovery run before church. Seldom have I ever returned from a recovery run and not felt better for the effort. I never run far, nor do I run fast, but just getting the muscles a little bit of movement always feels good.

Ahhh, recovery runs! Why do they feel so good?

Despite the crazy humidity, all of my runs/workouts went off without any hitches this week. Yes, there was plenty of sweating going on, but that's all part of the equation (hello...it is summer after all). My running mileage tallied at 24, and all of my walking brought me 22 miles as well. I think the extra rest day (in lieu of the usual Thursday speedwork) was a key factor in my long run going so well. I may consider just doing bi-weekly speedwork, or simply skip it (or the weekly HIIT workout) on occasion if my body is craving a little extra R&R. I have another 6-7 weeks before I'll be tapering for my marathon, so I have a little time to modify my plan if need be. Stay tuned. 

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

Going With The Flow

HIIT Me Up

Five Fun Fall Races In Iowa

In other news:
Did you catch last week's #FridayFashionFlair?
Dang, it's been pretty warm and very humid. It never fails, though, the warmer it is outside, the colder it feels inside. I always have to have a cardi on standby or else I'm a shivering freak. What do you think? Would you go for a bright hot pink cardi for a "pop of color," or would you choose a black or white one to "go with" the black and white outfit? Anyways, you're always welcome to join the party on Fridays...post a pic (on Instagram), grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and give me a tag (@runningonthefly).

Go pink or go home

The great Iowa State Fair!

Monday night, the husband and I ventured to Des Moines (an hour away) for a date night. Every year, we try to get there for a concert. The weather is always warm. It's always humid. The crowds of people are crazy. But it's still a fun time.

Tenderloins, corndogs, funnel cakes...and a rock concert #datenight

What a #deal!

Are you a fan of compression? The jury is still out on if it helps with my actual performance while running, but I definitely know it's legit for recovery. Anyways, ProCompression had a grab bag sale last weekend on their compression sleeves, and I totally took advantage and totally scored. It's a bit of a gamble what you're gonna get with a grab sale (since you don't get to pick what goes in the "bag"), but check it out...I got royal blue, hot pink, and black. Total satisfaction, and the blue sleeves already have been initiated.

blue and pink and black, oh my!

So, that's a wrap. I'm happy with my mileage. The cross-training is keeping me fit. The achy-breaky hamstring did a complete 180 and feels brand new. What's not to love?

How was your week?  Hot and humid weather in your area? Ever hit up a state fair? Have you done any volunteer work lately? Are you training for any big fall races?

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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