Up to Speed

Where the heck is summer going???

I'm really having a tough time believing we are in August....didn't we just celebrate the summer solstice, like last week?

Anyways, it was another action-packed week for me. Even with a couple "sleepy" days, I managed to stay ahead of the game with my fitness endeavors.


Let me catch you up to speed....

Never miss a Monday
I have been doing the #nevermissaMonday runs for a couple years, and this summer I started upping the distance. These Monday runs used to be simply 1-2 miles of easy-based, just-make-an-appearance-in-the-running-shoes-to-jump-start-the-week outings. Now? I've been doing 3-mile runs at a moderate tempo pace, with pick-ups in the final 100-200 yards of each mile. These are SO fun!!! I have been debating between increasing the distance as I build my marathon training vs. just keeping them at three miles (with the pick-ups). I'm also doing speed training (usually on Thursdays), so I don't know if I need two fast-paced runs each week. What would you do?

Monday's 3-miler had me leaping for joy

Tiresome Tuesday

As was typical, Tuesday had me craving some rest/recovery. I had done 12 miles on Saturday, a couple miles on Sunday, and the 3-miler on Monday, after all. It was time for some active rest and recovery. The hubby and I took Max for a walk in the early morning hours...and that's it. There was the final 5-minute plank (for July's 5-Minute Plank Challenge), a few leg lifts, some additional walking...and that's it. 

Wednesday's workout
What usually happens on Wednesdays? I rise and shine even earlier than normal, and meet my friend, Barb, for our our #5at5 (five miles at 05:00). Personally, I find it a total crock how we only have a couple months of long daylight hours. Already (a mere six weeks post-summer solstice), it's blatantly darker each week for these early morning runs.  So.Not.Fair. None the less, I still LOVE getting out there at the wee hours of the day....there's a certain satisfaction in knowing you have finished your workout while most of the world is still slumbering.

by the light of my Knuckle Lights

Thursday:Thirst for Speed
As I have said in recent posts, I'm not quite sure who I am anymore. I'm totally loving speedwork now. I think it's because I have found a way to do the speed training MY way, and not in such a regimented manner as most training plans show. This week, I headed over to a span of sidewalk, two city blocks in distance (approximately 1/5 of a mile in distance), on the college campus. It's a perfect setting because there are no street crossings and limited pedestrian traffic (especially at 5:45 a.m.). I simply "sprint" one length as fast as I can, then turn around and run back (at an easy recovery pace). Five sets of these sprint repeats nets me two total miles in distance (plus the 1/2 mile warm-up getting there and the 1/2 mile cool down returning back home). My splits were 1:24:43 / 1:25:10 / 1:22:70 / 1:21:83 / 1:22:77. All said, I had three cumulative miles done in less than 25 minutes and felt like a sweaty badazz diva when I finished.

A couple of negative splits? Yes, I'll take them ;-)

Front Porch Friday HIIT
I was a couple days late getting in my weekly HIIT workout, but here's what happened this week on my front porch:

Arms & Legs 20's-15's-10's
*push-ups
*squats
*biceps curls
*mountain climbers (each leg)
*triceps dips
*walking lunges (each leg)
*push-ups
*plank jacks
*hammer curls
*burpees
*triceps extensions
*jump squats
***three sets of the circuit
***the first set had 20 reps for each move, the second set had 15 reps, and the third set had 10 reps

HIIT'ing on the front porch

Super Saturday
With a family reunion on the roster (with a 3-hour car ride to get there), my Saturday morning began with a 4:30 a.m. wake-up. Barb agreed to run with me, so her and I met at 5:15 and knocked out 10 miles. I could feel the beginning of some stiffness (no doubt DOMS'ing from the previous day's HIIT'ing), but it wasn't too bad. We had a beautiful sunrise and a slight breeze so the warm 70F temps didn't feel too heavy and the miles felt pretty effortless. And I was able to roll out my hammies and glutes in the back seat of my dad's car.

miling and smiling!

The Sunday slow-down
When I crawled out of bed Sunday morning, the DOMS were definitely clear and present. My glutes were oh-so-angry! I suspected I'd have some residual aches and pains from all that leg work on the front porch, and I'm grateful it didn't appear until after my 10-mile run. I'm pretty sure Saturday's 7+ hours of car time didn't help with the situation.

None the less, I got dressed and ready for my "day after" recovery run...only to have Momma N sneak in a surprise downpour just as I was about to leave the house. A split second decision morphed my recovery run into a power walk (with an umbrella!) and I postponed the run to later. No big deal. By postponing the run, the achy glute muscles would have a few extra hours to relax.

...just "walking" in the rain, I'm "walking" in the rain...

Over all, it was a pretty solid week. My running mileage (Monday-Sunday) is currently at 21, but there will be another 2-3 recovery miles happening later (after this post goes live). My walking mileage tallied at 17 (and there will be a couple more miles added to that total as the day wears on as well). I'm more than satisfied with my HIIT and speedwork, and I look forward to finding even more creative ways to to stay consistent with them each week.

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

Back in Training Mode

How About July!

Coffee Talk : Bottoms Up!

In other news:

Did you catch my #FridayFashionFlair post on Instagram? This week, I featured a favorite bright royal blue top juxtaposed with a neutral patterned skirt (and the required sparkly sandals). Sure, I could have worn a white or brown top (to "match" the skirt)...but that's kind of expected, and I like the element of the unexpected. What would you do? Anyways, you're always welcome to join the party...post a pic of a featured outfit, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair), and drop me a tag (@runningonthefly).

Don't forget the lipstick!

So, that's another week all wrapped up! How was your week? Any fun training runs to brag about? Have you ever done HIIT workouts? How do you feel about speedwork? When is the last time you experience DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)?

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!

Let's connect : Facebook Instagram  Pinterest Twitter