Moving Forward, Scaling Back

Week One of Taper is complete!

And it was a week of scaled back mileage and sporadic weather. Welcome to my life...pull up a chair and I'll fill you in on the latest...

#nevermissaMonday

With the monumental 20-miler done and outta the way (the day prior), I awoke on Monday morning feeling (almost) like a new person. Thankfully, my body felt pretty good. I took Max for an invigorating walk and opted to save the recovery run for after work (because I knew the weather was gonna be exceptional). The temps had cooled down and the humidity was gone. Three refreshing miles, late in the afternoon, never felt so good!

3-mile recovery run...done!

Another typical Tuesday

We had cool temps (again) for Tuesday, and also some rain. I just couldn't get myself motivated to do more than walk in the early hours (besides, I'm tapering LOL), so I postponed my "real" workout until after work. Since I'm scaling back on HIIT workouts (during these few weeks of Taper), I came up with an upper-body/core workout. Probably not a true HIIT workout because it wasn't too intense, but it did give me a good burn.

20 jumping jacks

15 burpees

10 push-ups

15 arm reps (various strength moves)

20 scissor kicks

2-minute forearm plank (balanced  on foam roller)

Five sets netted me 100 jacks and scissors, 75 burpees and arm reps, 50 push-ups, and 10 cumulative minutes of planking. FYI- if you want to up your planking game, try balancing on the foam roller!

Back on the front porch

Wednesday's workout

Okay, each week I seem to proclaim that I've experienced the coldest temps thus far this season...and Momma N keeps testing my tolerance. How does 47F sound? At 5:00 in the morning? Although I did break out a fleece headband, it turns out the two layers of clothing were borderline too much. I was definitely warmed up after the first mile, but not uncomfortable. The cooler temps are tricky to dress for, especially if the dew point is high. Although the mid-40's feel somewhat frigid right now, they will feel quite tropical before long. The joys of Midwest living!

A clear, star-filled sky with a full moon!

Thursday...more rest!
Up and out the door for some early morning fasted- cardio, via power-walking on the college campus. I've mentioned it before, but I am very thankful to have a well-lit campus a few blocks from my driveway. There are street lights every 20 feet and plenty of sidewalks. 

Yes, that's a light-weight puffer vest...those temps feel much colder walking than they do running

Finally Friday
Another early morning outing, this time through my hilly 'hood. Yes, I'm really rocking this Taper and enjoying the lower (running) mileage. Let me ask you this, though...have you ever had a perfect selfie pose with optimal lighting, only to have a surprise gust of wind show up the split second the timer snaps? Of course, that wind had to be blowing from the wrong direction, giving me the most awkward hair ever. Oh well, I believe in keeping it real...

Awkward hair, don't care

Saturday's speed session 
My alma mater, the University of Iowa, was the host for the Kickoff to Kinnick 5K on Saturday. In scaling back my mileage, I designated my final speedwork session to happen on the streets of Iowa City with a race bib (in lieu of a long run). It was not an all-out race-to-win effort, but definitely the fastest pace I have run in awhile (in and among a rather crowded race course). Stay tuned, there will be a brief race recap coming in a few days.

Herky at the finish line, and a wave to the Children's Hospital

Miles for Mollie on Sunday

Most of you know Mollie Tibbetts lived about 20 miles from us, and she was a friend of our youngest daughter. Some of her local friends organized a tribute run in her honor (5+ miles of hills on Mollie's favorite running route) on Sunday morning. There were two flags (from Flags for the Fallen) that were carried during the run, and tons of people turned out for the event. Thunderstorms were in the forecast, but Momma N kept the weather at bay for the morning.  

#MilesForMollie #TheMollieMovement

All in all, my first week of Cannonball Marathon Taper went well. The cold and damp weather seemed to work to my advantage, being its coldest ( and dampest) on my non-running days. My running mileage tallied at 17 this week, for me that's an ideal Taper amount. My walking miles, though, were at 23...so you can see where the bulk of my cardio came from. Also, the modified HIIT of arms/core was a great cardio/strength bonus!

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

Are We Peaking Yet???

Shall We Taper?

Runfessing...again

In other news:

#FridayFashionFlair

This week's featured outfit showcased my love of cheetah print, the black and brown color combo, AND my new open-toed booties. Black and brown is a color combo that gets mixed reviews...some think the two colors don't have enough contrast; others think the two colors are both "neutrals" so neither gets much attention. Myself? I love the mix of brown and black...but adding in the cheetah print gives it a little more depth. The black looks darker and the brown looks richer. The booties...although they may be cute, they did give me a nasty blister on one of my toes. But, none the less, I still embrace the mantra Fashion Before Function. The good news? Usually once a blister happens, the skin toughens and said blister will not repeat itself. Glass half full! As always, you're invited to join me on Fridays....post a pic of a favorite outfit, snag the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and drop me a tag (@Runningonthefly).

Fun times!

It's always a fun time running for a special event. If the hubby comes along, all the better! He even brought along his very own football (and had to carry it for the entire 3.1 miles) because he wanted to have his picture taken throwing a pass in Kinnick Stadium.

Kindness

The Mollie Tibbetts tribute run was a beautiful experience. The temps were chilly, the air was damp and the route was hilly, but the entire event was sprinkled with numerous motivational/spiritual signs. This sign, about kindness, caught my eye....I believe we all need to make kindness a priority. I'm a strong believer in the Golden Rule, and have seen good come back (repeatedly) to those who give it out to others. The same goes for rudeness. Which would you rather receive?

May we all live by Mollie's example, exhibiting kindness to others...especially to those who need it most

So, that's a wrap on the past week!

What's been happening in your world? How's your weather...fall-like? Any rain?  What's your "perfect" weekly mileage? Ever carried a football for an entire 3.1 miles?

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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