Erring on the side of Caution

Taking things easy...

That was the paramount theme of my final week of taper. No speedwork, no extreme HIIT workouts and no risky behavior. I know, it makes for a boring week, but it was necessary.

Here's what went down as I prepared myself for the Cannonball Marathon weekend...


#nevermissaMonday
With rain coming down (and the fear of risking sickness during race week), I fired up Milly. UGH. Her and I still have a rocky relationship, but I wanted a short, easy-paced run and she was my best option. I ran the two miles slow (even though I was tempted to go faster to get finished faster). Desperate times, right?

Desperate times, desperate measures

Not my typical Tuesday

Believe it or not, it was raining. Again. If I wouldn't have had a marathon happening a few days later, I would have taken my #fastedcardio power walk outside (with an umbrella). But, I kept it inside. Again. It's been a long time since I've had two consecutive days in Milly's company.

Don't think for a minute this was enjoyable...

Wacky weather Wednesday

Both of my weather apps showed not just rain (yet again), but thunder storms for Wednesday morning.  I waved the white flag and decided I would stay inside and just run a few miles with Milly. Again. I set my alarm for an hour later, only to wake up to total silence outside. Although the air was very humid, there was no rain coming down. I immediately laced up my new shoes (see below) and headed outside. So what if the usual #5at5 had to be a #4at5:30 instead? And, so what if I accidentally christened the new shoes in a hidden puddle? I was back outside, and all was well!

Ahhhh, back outside!

Also, on Wednesday, I met up with Barb after her evening class. We had an early morning flight to North Carolina and stayed with a friend near the airport. I dragged (quite literally) my 8-pound hand weights along so I could do an arm/upper body workout that night.

Thursday's travels

Not much to report fitness-wise. Some power walking through the airport, landing in Charlotte a couple hours later and then a 2-hour drive to Winston-Salem. Yadda Yadda Yadda. Although it pretty much was a designated rest day, I felt totally drained. Air travel does that to me. 

Herky, the U of Iowa's mascot, was there at the airport to see me off on my journey

Friday's frolics

Myself and the two Barbs were up and out the door as soon as we had daylight. We ran an easy-paced 5K shakeout through the (hilly) neighborhood, where we stayed while in Winston-Salem. We almost didn't know what to do or how to act seeing all that sunshine!  After our run, our host (Jane) took all of us on a tour of Winston-Salem and historical Old Salem.

Can you say, SUNSHINE!!!!!

Saturday...RACE DAY!!!

Seriously, we could not have asked for a more perfect day for a race! The temps in Greensboro (the site of the Cannonball Marathon) were in the mid-50's at the race start and in the mid/high 60's when we all finished. The race course, however, was less than ideal. We're talking non-stop hills (many of which were quite steep), limited aid stations and potentially dangerous segments on highways with minimal traffic control or signage as to where the route was headed. None the less, it felt like an Olympic victory in reaching the finish line. Marathon #8 will go down as probably my most physically and mentally challenging conquest in terms of all things running. The race recap will be posted this week...stay tuned.

***P.S. Thanks, Everyone, for all the well wishes for my marathon!!! My Insta and Facebook (personal and ROTF ones) are overflowing and I have not had time to properly respond to most of the messages. I will get to them ASAP ;-)

Hard fought; but glad to have another marathon in the books

Sunday's return to reality

Amazingly, all my body parts felt great Sunday morning! We had a 9:40 flight (out of Charlotte) back to Iowa, which had us on the road by 6:30 a.m. I suspect the DOMS may be making an appearance in another day or so. After all, my body did carry me through 26.2 miles of wear and tear. Stay tuned for that as well.

At the airport in Charlotte..ready to head home

All in all, it was a pretty easy week in terms of fitness. A couple of easy runs, some walking (when it wasn't raining) and an arm/upper body strength session....oh, and let's not forget those 26.2 miles on Saturday. Total running miles came in at 35.5; total walking miles tallied at 15(+/-). 

In case you missed out, I only had two posts this past week:

So, What's Up?

What (running gear) would I buy with $1,000?

In other news...

Did you catch my #FridayFashionFlair post (on Instagram)? It's been so chilly and it's been damp, so I had been living in long sleeves all week...might as well have fun with it, right? Black and white has always been a hit with me, especially if I add a splash of color...like with the burgundy skinny jeans. What do you think? Do you like black and white? As always, you're invited to join me on Fridays...simply post a pic of a featured outfit, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and drop me a tag (@Runningonthefly). Easy peasy. 

My new shoes arrived!!! After my joyous run on Wednesday morning, I decided these babies would come along to North Carolina with me. Aren't they pretty?

My trip to North Carolina was so much fun! There actually were five of us who ventured from Iowa to run the Cannonball....myself and Barb, and also Dick, Jennifer and (another) Barb. Dick's sister (and family) was gracious to host us in Winston-Salem. It was great seeing some of the local sights and landmarks.

And, last of all...I did have a fun, crazy purchase while on my trip, this neon green stocking hat! It pays homage to the University of North Carolina School of Art's Fighting Pickles! The irony of it is the fact that I do not eat pickles, though pickle juice has been known to be a great on-course delicacy for endurance runners.

So, that's the latest and greatest. The marathon has come and gone, the cold weather is growing more cold and life is good. 

How was your week? Any fun races? New races on the horizon? What's the farthest you have traveled for a racecation? Ever heard of the Fighting Pickles?

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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