Give Me Some Zzzzz's

It's been a l-o-n-g week for this gal.

My body was tired, my glutes were sore and my mind was fried. I'm not a nap gal, but there were a few of those happening this week....which means they definitely were needed. If there's one thing I pride myself on, it's listening to my body (and checking the ego at the door). My body obviously needed some down time, and I obliged.

Here's what went down (literally) this past week...

#nevermissaMonday
Another thing I pride myself on is my devotion to never missing out on a Monday run. These runs are never fast, nor are they far, but they enable me to start my week on a positive note in my running shoes. Most of them are done in the early morning (before I head to work), but that wasn't the case this past week.

Having run a rather tough half marathon the day prior, my body was still in a bit of agony come Monday morning.The weather was also a bit iffy (#rain), and since I didn't have to work (due to the Labor Day holiday), I post-poned the run until later....which was a gold-star-earning maneuver. I finally got out after lunch (after a short nap), ran a couple of easy-paced miles (in the sweltering humidity) and all felt fine. I have been doing 3-mile runs on most Mondays, usually with a "moderate tempo pace," but I kept these two miles nice and easy and they served me well.

Not my #typicalTuesday

Tuesdays are usually a non-running day, but I have been sneaking in a HIIT workout now and then. Not this week, though. The glutes were feeling much better, but still were a bit achy. I got out for a couple of early morning (walking) miles, and that was all she wrote. I think I even took a nap when I got home from work.

Wednesday's workout

Momma N tried to not play nice...my weather app had showed rain happening through most of the overnight, and thunderstorms beginning around 5:00 a.m. Definitely not ideal for those of us hoping to run five miles at 5:00 a.m. When I got up around 4:20, though, all was calm outside. It was misty and damp, but nothing was falling from the sky. Barb and I decided to stay close by (our usual Wednesday route takes us slightly on the outskirts of town) and, instead, run a couple of laps near the college campus so we wouldn't have too far to "escape back home" if need be. Well, we did get a bit of light rain, but no heavy downpours, and I unsuccessfully navigated my way around a puddle (twice)...but we got our five miles done. The light rain actually felt quite refreshing given the humid air and muggy temps.

Thursday...what to do???

I have been doing speedwork on most of my Thursdays this summer. Although the glutes were FINALLY feeling almost recovered, I didn't want to risk a relapse. I also skipped my HIIT on Tuesday, don't forget, so I was feeling a bit antsy. I came up with a basic HIIT workout, probably not one of my more intense ones, but four sets of the circuit gave me 30+ minutes of action and plenty of sweat equity for the bank.

Basic HIIT on the side patio:

10 burpees

15 arm reps

10 push-ups

15 shoulder reps

10 "step" jumps

15 jumping jacks

1-minute plank (**different position for each circuit)

Finally Friday

Wouldn't you know? More rain on Friday! Not a deal, since it was a rest day, but a slight buzz kill none the less. I had hoped to get out for a 3-mile power walk, but settled for a 1-1/2 mile walk instead (with the hubby and Max) before the heavy stuff started coming down.

Saturday's redemption!

With a tough 15-miler (2 weeks ago) and last weekend's rough half marathon still fresh in my memory, I was a little nervous about Saturday's long run. We decided to shoot for at least 16 miles, but set our sights on 18 if all went well. Granted, 18 was a pretty aggressive jump in mileage, but we also knew our base mileage could probably support it. I left the house just after 5:30, and met up with Barb a short while later. As we ran, we discussed various strategies on possible routes...three loops of our usual 5-mile route (and add a few extra out & backs)? Do a 6-mile loop (three times), but risk getting burned out a few miles short and having to walk back? Just keep running until we reach 18 and hope for the best?

We wound up doing our 5-mile loop, added some out & backs, then ran the 5-mile loop in reverse, more out & backs, took a different 4-mile route, added a final small loop and made it to 18! My glutes felt a little stiff at the start (but nothing like they had been), but they loosened up and behaved nicely. The final four miles did feel a little tedious, and I caught myself doing a few awkward "dancing shuffle moves" with my heavy feet, but those 18 miles left me feeling like an accomplished distance runner again. They weren't easy, but they were manageable. Mission accomplished.

Sunday, sunny Sunday

Despite the 18 miles on Saturday, I woke up Sunday morning feeling pretty good. Still fatigued (probably from the previous week as well as all of Saturday's non-stop action), I slept in a little later than usual.  I kept my 2-mile recovery run simple and easy, and returned home feeling totally refreshed, recharged and rejuvenated. I'm a strong believer in recovery runs, and they always leave me feeling better than when I left the house.

All in all, it was a pretty good week. Granted, I felt more tired than energized most days, but by easing up a bit on the daily stuff and doing a whole lotta foam rolling and extra stretching, I made it through. My mileage came in at 27, but 18 of that was from Saturday. My walking totaled out at 20. I'm still not definite where all those aches/pains in my glutes came from last weekend, but I think they're on the mend. Saturday's long run was a huge confidence boost. I have the RnR Philly Half Marathon next weekend, then the big 20-mile long run the following week...then it will be time to enter the Taper Zone for the Cannonball Marathon on October 13th ((gulp)).

In case you missed them, here's my posts from last week:
Let There be Sweat
NewBo Run Half Marathon Recap

Falling our of Summer

In other news:

My #FridayFashionFlair post (on Instagram) was well received. As mentioned above, Friday was a rainy and rather damp and dreary day. My solution? Bright colors! Turquoise and hot pink do wonders to balance out the grey skies overhead, right? Cheetah print flats are always my favorite go-to when it's too chilly for sandals, and I never forget the lipstick (LOL). As always, you're welcome to join the Friday party...post a pic on Instagram, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and give me a tag (@runningonthefly).

Can you say, "Beautiful Sunset!!!" This was what we witnessed Friday evening after the dreary day of rain. No filter was needed for this colorful display in the western sky.

The NewBo Run pics were released this week, and the downloads were free. Not only are free downloads a nice perk...check it out! I actually look "normal" in both of them. No awkward bent legs or scary facial expressions. Other than my outward-striding feet, you'd almost never guess how much distress my glutes were feeling.

And, lastly, Saturday's adventures didn't end after the 18-mile run. Oh no, we headed to Iowa City (an hour away). We stopped in to see the college son briefly, ran a few errands in town, and met a few local friends at a tailgate. Our Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Iowa State Cyclones, our big inner-state rivals. We didn't go to the game, but listened to it on the radio in the car and celebrated with Max when we got home.

So, there's the latest and greatest from last week. How are things in your world? Any rain happening? Ever had an especially exhausting week? Recovery runs...yay or no way? Favorite college football team?

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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