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It's that time of year I look forward to and dread at the same time.
Enter Off-Season.
We've all been there. It's not necessarily a time to be slack with our fitness, but definitely a time to scale back a bit. My body not only needs recovery from a busy season of activity (hello? four half marathons and a full in less than three months), but it also needs a time to rebuild.
For myself, winter is the optimal time for such an endeavor. The past week (with its cold weather and continued cranky & fatigued body issues of late) kicked off my off-season. Here's what went down...
Monday
Coming off a relatively easy weekend, I got out for a couple of early morning miles in the running shoes. I've said it many times, but there's nothing like a few miles in the morning air (even when it's butt-cheeks-freezing cold) to wake up the mind, body and spirit. Even when I climb out of bed, craving more sleep, I almost always return home from my outing rejuvenated and ready for the day. My #nevermissaMonday routine never lets me down.
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| Happy Monday! Happy New Week! |
Kettlebell 15's (15 reps/15-lb. kettle bell/15 minutes)
*15 regular squats
*15 upward rows
*15 biceps curls (each arm, individually)
*15 sumo squats
*15 push-ups
*15 triceps extensions
*15 jump squats
*15 burpees
*15 lawn mowers (each arm)
*100 leg lifts (50 each leg)
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| feeling the 15-minute burn |
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Overall, it was a busy week for me, though pretty mild in terms of fitness mojo. The funny thing is that I'm totally okay with this week's minimal running (six total miles!! Whoop!). I keep saying I'm gonna add more strength work and HIIT's back in...but I'm just not feeling either of them right now. I am doing all kinds of daily walking (16 miles for the week), as well as my November goals (see below), so all is good. Apparently my fitness mojo needs a (brief) off-season, too. Onward!
A good indication it was time for an early start to my off-season happened on Tuesday morning. I fell back to sleep (a rarity for me) and didn't wake for another hour. And when I did wake back up? I still felt like a zombie who had barely survived a nasty train wreck. Everything felt groggy and achy. I even skipped my usual fasted-cardio party and did nothing (except making a chai latte') before leaving for work. And you know what? I felt ZERO guilt in doing so. When the body speaks, it's always best to listen and pay attention to what is being said.
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| Never mind the bed head.... |
With the promise of warmer temps in the afternoon, I postponed my run for later and opted for a 1.5-mile power walk in the wee hours instead. Later, after work, I suited up and headed out. Isn't it crazy how 33F can feel (somewhat) tropical this early into the cold weather season? Apparently, my body and mind (?) have already acclimated to the winter-like temps...and it isn't even officially winter for another five weeks. Anyways, those four miles felt great as I chased the dwindling daylight.
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| Happy with a fantastic feel-good run |
Not much on tap for Thursday...some serious planking and stretching and a whole lot of walking. That evening, I attended an informative running clinic which, coincidentally, focused on recovery/rebuilding in the winter. How timely! I got a lot of great suggestions and tips for making the best of my off-season.
Friday
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As the temps continued to fall, and the wind maintained its presence, I kept up with my daily walking (1.5 mile in the early morning, and 1.5 mile after work). I had toyed with the idea of doing a HIIT workout, but just couldn't summon any mojo to make it happen. Oh well.
Saturday
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| early mornings are (usually) my jam |
There was a dusting of snow on the ground Saturday morning, as well as a slick layer of something underneath it. Opting, yet again, for a power walk instead of a run, I took Max out for a short ways, then continued on for a total of two miles before breakfast. I had to really step with caution to avoid slipping or sliding. I could feel all kinds of "dormant" muscles in action and was really glad I had bailed on running (I'm starting to see a pattern here...).
Sunday
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| welcome to winter |
Holy Brrr, Batman! Again, no desire to run, but I was ready, willing and ever-so-able to go for a 2-mile walk in the extreme cold Iowa air. It's true...you're only cold when you're standing still (or taking a selfie). Thankfully, the wind was very minimal and the sunshine was brilliant!
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| Winter warrior...by default |
In case you missed them, here's my posts from last week:
In other news:
Did you catch my #FridayFashionFlair on Instagram? I realize that fashion is not everyone's gig, but it's always been a fun and creative outlet for me. I'm especially interested in mixing and matching various color combos and coming up with "new" outfits...such was the case with the teal and tan outfit I featured on Friday. I picked up the open-toed tan booties before the marathon, but was afraid to wear them (blisters and heels are not a good mix for me LOL), but now they're a favorite. Anyways, as per usual, you're invited to join me on Fridays...post a pic of a favorite outfit, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and drop me a tag (@Runningonthefly).
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And, finally, there are a couple of fitness events I'm looking forward to doing, one of which is our annual local Turkey Trot, on Thanksgiving morning. This is the seventh year! A fellow fitness-minded friend and myself have been the main organizers since the event's inception in 2012. It's been fun to see the number of participants increase , each year, as well as the food (and monetary) donations.
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| Turkey Trot 2017 |
The other event coming up is the Jingle Bell Run on December 1st, which is affiliated with the Arthritis Foundation. It's just a short 5K, but I'm hoping the weather will be nice and my mojo will be back in full force by then.
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| Jingle Bell Run 2017 |
So, there you have it! Another week wrapped up and the official start of my off-season. How are things in your world? Cold weather? Have you ever taken an off-season? Any seasonal races on the roster?
I don't really have an on-season so don't get an off-one - I've only scaled massively down when recovering from a race or sick. But I am like you - I listen hard to my body and if I don't want to run it's a good sign I shouldn't do ... so I don't. It's not been too cold here but temps are going down in the week apparently.
ReplyDeleteThese cold temps are colder and earlier than usual as well. I hope it's not an indication of what kind of winter is headed our way...
DeleteIt sounds like your body is ready to back off a bit so its good that you're listening! In the past I've done races in November and then after that my off-season starts. Winter is such a good time to back off since the weather can be hit or miss.
ReplyDeleteI usually scale things way back in the deep winter...I still run outside on occasion, but I don't have any particular rhyme or reason for specific distances.
DeleteI always take an off-season, except I call it Runbattical. This year will be different though, with Tokyo and London looming. I'm proud of you for keeping your run mileage low! It does a body good!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited for your Tokyo and London training...but certainly not envious of all the cold weather training on tap ;-) It's all for two very worthwhile causes, so that will make all those long (outdoor?) runs bearable, right?
DeleteI do scale back a bit on intensity and distance from mid November to January. The not feeling guilty part I am still working on but I know my body needs it. Have a great week and Happy Thanksgiving my friend!
ReplyDeleteWell, I do have a little bit of guilt LOL Ultimately, though, I know my body needs the lighter intensity for the time-being.
DeleteI don't know if I have an on or off season these days. I'm trying to do more running since I have a 15K December 9th. After that, I may do mostly indoor workouts until I start panicking about my March races. I think it's good to mix things up and have different focuses, and you do a great job of that.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to have different workouts/goals to focus on periodically, too. It's called "balance," right? ;-)
DeleteI love how you get out for a run or walk early in the morning despite the really cold weather.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a great Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving!
Thanks, Kim!! I really like the fasted-cardio routine I've established....it's far better than any caffeine for getting my mind and body ready for the day ;-)
DeleteI don't really have an off season, since I keep my miles pretty low anyways. I usually back off in between half marathons, tho.
ReplyDeleteGood on you for listening to your body.
The fact that I have just not been "feeling the fitness" like I usually do is a message I need to pay attention to. I don't think I'm burnt out, but I definitely need to regroup a bit.
DeleteIts hard to do intense training during the winter in the midwest, that's for sure! Good time to take a step back. We had a bit of a warm-up on Wednesday evening too, in the 30's, but I totally get how that feels warm after single digits :)
ReplyDeleteWednesday's temps felt so nice! And then it was all downhill from there ;-)
DeleteLove your kettlebell circuit, saving!
ReplyDeleteGreat warrior
I'm opposite you, 33F feels frigid now but downright tropical come February
I think if I were going for an off season, it would be summer. In some ways I did that this year, but might make it more focused next year because the races then are just garbage
We don't have much for races in my area this time of year. Even the number of holiday-inspired races have diminished to almost nothing. It's hard to stay motivated to train in the cold season when there's nothing to train for.
DeleteThat was kind of me in late summer. Besides my dislike of heat & humidity, few Halfs. Just one in NJ and one in Staten Island because everyone local is gearing up for the Marathon. There are a handful of 4M/10Ks - we bizarrely ramp back up in Decemberr, January then March
DeleteWelcome to the off-season! I couldn't wait to get here after the MCM! I am also working on planking and push ups. Your kettle bell workout sounds intense!
ReplyDeleteThe kettle bell workout was more intense that I'd imagined. I usually use 12-pound hand weights, but just those three extra pounds made a huge difference!
DeleteWell, you know I took a big off season this summer. And, it was kinda hard to come back to regular training. I'm still struggling with it. I'm sure you'll be able to create many ways to stay fit as you take your off season. I hope to do our Jingle Bell 5k run too. I usually miss it as I'm typically down at the beach running the PCB half. Thanks for linking!
ReplyDeleteAlthough it's only been a week or so, the good ole walking has been my go-to. It's so easy and accessible for me. I still might do the run streak (Thanksgiving-New Year's Day), but I'm gonna wait and see how things go for the turkey trot. Even though it's only one mile/day, it's still a daily commitment.
DeleteLooks like you're still doing a good job of keeping active even during your off season!
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't like sitting idle ;-) Besides, this is a great time to rev up those PT exercises that aren't always my focus (but need to be).
DeleteSpeaking of off season I've all but decided not to do our annual Christmas run this year (due to needing time off) but now that I see you mentioning yours I kind of want to change my mind!
ReplyDeleteI have to ask, what time do you go to work? You always get so much done in the mornings! I'm sorry I missed the last two Fashion Fridays! I need to get better with that.
I love the early mornings...it just works out great for me to get up and get it done before work. I work at 8:00, so I try to get my workouts done before 6:00 so I can have a little "computer time" before getting ready for work.
DeleteIt's been so windy lately. And of course it's the wind that hits you in every direction. Enjoy the off season! I call it the fun season because I do whatever it is that I want!
ReplyDeleteThe wind in Iowa is usually pretty crazy, and although it's usually out of the north (or NW), it does feel like it's from every direction, too ;-)
Deletewinter's normally my off season too, and this year is the first in maybe 5 years I need to train through it. I know it's not going to be easy, Saturday being proof of that.
ReplyDeleteThe cold weather definitely makes it harder for me to motivate myself to get outside! I'm impressed with all your outdoor walks :) The Thursday running clinic sounds really interesting.
ReplyDeleteWinter is great for strength and HIIT but both of those are also high intensity- I think it's wise to take a week or two to truly recover with walking and more rest, as you are. My body's been asking for that too!
ReplyDeleteKicking off my off season training this week too. I love taking this time to focus on enjoyment of running and mental break the structure of training can sometimes bring.
ReplyDeleteWell... I am ready to be done with my forced off season lol. But I love how you keep up your walks on off days - that's something I need to do more.
ReplyDeleteI have the same mixed feelings about the off-season but your body obviously needed some rest...and I'm sure still does. I also LOVE the crisp air on a cold winter morning run. There's nothing like warming up from the inside out as the miles pass by!! Love it!!
ReplyDelete