Sunday, November 11, 2018

Just Ch-Ch-Ch-Chillin'


Baby, it's been cold outside!

As much as I dearly love my hot summer days, I can tolerate the cooler days of autumn. Heck, I even enjoy being outside in the crisp air. The fall foliage is nothing short of dramatic. Running in the cold air leaves one feeling invigorated. It's (usually) all good.

But, seriously. Momma N seems to have catapulted us a couple months into the future with the colder-than-normal temps this past week. Again.

Not only was I chillin' in the cold temps, I was still chillin' with my fitness and taking things moderately easy...you know, #earlyoffseason and all things #recovery.


NeverMissAMonday
Up and out the door to start a new week! I ran a couple miles around the college campus and got to enjoy the start of day breaking. I have to enjoy the hint of a sunrise for now because in a few weeks the sun will be rising long after my early morning routine(s).

Not a Typical Tuesday
What a chilly day! I got out with Max in the early hours. Let's just say he took us for a vigorous power walk, but I made us stop at no less than 10 lamp posts, a fire hydrant and a random pile of leaves. Then we did some stretching back at home.

That night, after feeling cold all day, I decided to create my own heat...and reignited my love for the stairs. Sixty flights of double-stepping, how's that grab you? Maybe if I add 50 push-ups and 100 leg lifts to the mix? There, all better.

Another wacko Wednesday
Holy wind, Batman! Another freezing cold day, quite literally. Max and I did our morning walk around the campus, while the hubby did his (indoor) workout. At least there was daylight (because we got out about an hour later than usual), lots of autumn color and oodles of fresh air. Glass half full.

Thursday...
My hamstrings (on both legs) have been feeling a bit wonky recently (tendinitis?), so I have been taking things easy with this marathon recovery period. No big deal, but I have been feeling a bit restless with the lower mileage via the running shoes. Anyways, the temps were cold (again), but actually felt quite refreshing in the early morning hours. That Iowa wind can make or break a good (or bad) run, and it was almost non-existent. Total win! Not sure of an exact mileage for the morning....(see below), but I was attempting a #4at5 (4-miles at 5:00 a.m.).

Freezing Cold Friday
In keeping with the chilly cold theme this week, Friday treated me to my first snowfall of the season. Actually, it had snowed briefly a month ago, when I was in North Carolina (but it was all gone by the time I returned). Yes, SNOW. Already, in the first week of November. I took Max for a walk (in the daylight) before heading to work, and he was far more excited to see the white stuff than I was.

A Sunny Saturday
As if it couldn't get any colder, the temps plummeted even more on Saturday. Thankfully, the wind was very minimal, so the cold temps didn't feel too miserable. I did have to dig out the thermal tights (for a base layer) and find some thick arm warmers. I met up with Barb and we knocked out six miles in the bright and beautiful sunshine.
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Sunday's Simplicity
For the second day in a row, I slept in. Mind you, I was still awake before 7:00, but that is almost a 2-hour "sleep gain" for me. As mentioned, the hamstrings have been feeling really stiff and ornery. My solution? A 2-mile power walk in the awesome sunshine and fresh air. The temps were still cold (18F), but the wind wasn't a factor. I returned feeling totally refreshed and recharged. It's amazing what a little bit of fasted cardio in the fresh air will do for your mind and body.
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Not a lot of busy action this week, but enough to keep me active. Total running mileage was approximately 13 (see below) and walking mileage was around 12 (again, see below). Tuesday's stair workout felt oh-so-good! Hopefully, this week I'll be able to bring back some HIIT or focused strength work (I've been holding off on lower body stuff until the hamstrings feel less wonky). I need to get back on a better sleep regimen as well.


In other news:
#FridayFashionFlair...Did you catch it on Instagram? I featured an outfit that was all about burgundy. Although it's more of an autumn/winter color, I do love the richness of it (and usually wear it year-round). Most of you know I have a small (#understatement) scarf fetish, so I'm never without accessory options. How about you? Care to join us? Post a pic of an outfit (it does not have to be what you're actually wearing that day), grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and drop me a tag (@Runningonthefly).

A year ago this weekend, I was in Las Vegas with several running/blogging friends for the RnR LasVegas Half Marathon. What an amazing weekend! Not only was it a fun meet-up with a bunch of awesome friends, it also was a celebration of my rally back from that surgery

Thursday's run left me scratching my head. My Garmin gave me credit for four miles, but it felt like I'd run farther...at least 4.5 miles. Upon going through my splits, it showed my first mile was 15:19. There's nothing wrong with a 15:19 mile, but I usually can walk a mile at that pace (or faster) with my long legs. Although I was feeling kind of sluggish (cranky hamstrings), I knew I was still running pretty steady and strong. It wasn't until later that I checked the pedometer on my phone...and that told a much different story, giving me credit for 5.7 miles. Granted, the pedometer reading also included a short walk for a cool-down (2 city blocks) and my walk from the parking lot to my office (but that's not even 1/10 of a mile). So, what's up? I mapped out my route (after the fact), and it did come to about 4.5 miles...so, is it possible the GPS on the Garmin took a 5-6 minute timeout? But, where did that extra mile come from on the pedometer? Technology totally gives me a headache LOL.

The hubby and I scored tickets (from work) to the Iowa State vs. Baylor football game (Ames, IA...70 miles from our driveway). Holy Brrrrr!! All of the morning sun had disappeared by game time (2:30). We weren't that cold in the stadium, other than our toes, though. As much as we love college football, we bailed after halftime and headed back home (in our warm car with heated seats). And, the Cyclones came out victorious, beating the Bears 28-14.
Image may contain: 2 people, including Kimberly Busse-Hatting, people smiling, people standing and outdoor

And, finally, it's Veteran's Day! Not only am I huge patriotic person, I have strong ties to the military. My father served in the Army (before I came into the world). My father-in-law served in the Air Force (before the hubby was born). And, then there's my hubby...he served in the Air Force (active duty) and the Air National Guard for over 32 years of cumulative service to our country. I'm proud to be an American, and I am humbled and honored to live in this great country. I'm also very thankful for all of those, past and present, who have protected our freedom.
Image may contain: 3 people, people smiling, closeup

Anyways, enough about me and my week!

How are things in your little corner of the universe? Seasonal temps? Any snow yet? Ever had issues with your tech toys showing very different results?

I'm linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly WrapThis weekly check-in is such a great place to connect with fellow fitness-minded peeps. Please join us!
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47 comments:

  1. Snow! Yikes! I love your outfits and I totally have to photograph my stairmaster of stairs workout soon.

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    1. My stair pics are tricky LOL....I try to prop my phone on something so it's tilted "down" but it doesn't always stay in position by the time the timer goes off. Still a work in progress ;-)

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  2. We had a dusting this morning and it snowed all the way to the race, but then thankfully cleared up & was nice. But the winds here yesterday were fierce! And lots of cold rain this week. AGAIN!

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    1. Thankfully, our wind over weekend wasn't bad considering how cold the temps were. I know that's not gonna be the norm for much longer...

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  3. I have been enjoying our fall weather in the 50's here but I have a feeling after this weekend that is gone! If I would have woken up to snow I would be all ready to put my Christmas decorations up...haha. I guess snow just gets one in the holiday spirit a little earlier. Enjoy it!

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    1. I appreciate a white Christmas...but if it doesn't snow until Dec. 20th or so, I'm good ;-) Although, if it's gonna be so buttocks-freezing cold, we might as well have something to show for it, right?

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  4. We had snow here on Friday, but that's a total rest day for me, so I didn't get to run in it. It's still here...

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    1. Our snow is pretty much gone...a few traces of it remain in the shaded spots of our lawn, but that's it.

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  5. I had to use my phone pedometer when my fitbit was dead earlier this year and it's comically off. I'm going with your Garmin took an unauthorized nap.
    Love your Friday fashion scarf and of course the Monday run top -- adorable matching of photo frames

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    1. The irony of my phone pedometer is that it's usually way short on distance...it only gave me credit for about 24 miles at my recent marathon! Ummm, no...I painstakingly did 26.2 miles that day LOL

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  6. No snow yet, thank goodness, but we did have freezing temps over night. I had quite a frigid bike ride today. I guess it's time to dig out the scarves!

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  7. we have had much cooler temps but nothing near what yours have been. Ours are still in my happy place. My kids also had snow over in Indy but we never get snow that early in DC. Stay warm! Have a great week

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    1. Our autumn temps were "perfect" for about three weeks...and that's all she wrote. It was really cold in September and some of October...and now it's winter-like.

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  8. I've had issues with my Garmin before, and when I look at the map I can see where it was off. It's getting colder here too! (but not as cold as it's been for you) The wind we had on Saturday was quite a shock.

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    1. I thought something was off with the GPS because I glanced at it when I thought I was approaching 2-miles, and it only showed 1.4 miles. I was on familiar streets, but was doing some "figure-8's" and varying the directions, so I at least had an idea of where my mileage should have been. It was just odd to see those numbers LOL

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  9. Please please please let this not be winter in the midwest already! I am very nervous about slipping again, but I didn't expect to be on the treadmill in November.

    That's weird about your Garmin- annoying! Hopefully a one-time error.

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    1. It was an odd thing with the Garmin. It may have been because it was just so cold (?). I didn't glance at it until I was near (what I thought would be) the approximate 2-mile mark...so it may have been flickering on/off for some of that first mile. All of the splits seem "slow" LOL

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  10. No snow. In fact it was very warm until this weekend. Do you thing doing all the stair work aggravated your hammies? Whatever the culprit, I hope you can get that issue resolved soon. My Garmin is pretty accurate, more than any app I've ever tried. However, it will only stayed charged for about 2 hours now. Time for a new one! Thanks for linking.

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    1. My hammies have been a little wonky since before the marathon (which was a month ago now), and it's pretty equal on both sides, so I think it's just "wear and tear" and not really injury-related. None the less, I'm doing a lot less running than I'd prefer, but I know my body needs this break in action. Onward!

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  11. We got your cold temps this morning although not as low. I think it was mid 20s before the sun came and warmed up to a balmy 33. And the wind didn't help one bit. Maybe Mama N will get this cold streak out and be done with it? I know...wishful thinking!

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    1. Gosh, I hope this cold streak ends for a while! Winter in Iowa is pretty brutal, but it doesn't feel as miserable in January as it does in November...it's just too soon!

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  12. 60 flights?! Holy smokes! It's that time of year to dig out the winter gear for sure.

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    1. Yes, as much as I'd prefer to be in shorts and a tank...not gonna happen in Iowa LOL

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  13. There's something different about stairs. I usually jsut use mine for calf raises, or tricep dips. It has gotten cold, especially at night. I put my heating blanket on my bed, though I haven't plugged it in yet. That'll come at some point.

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    1. We have the flannel sheets on the bed LOL But haven't dug out the heated blanket...yet...

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  14. I thought our snow would've melted right away however it's sticking around. I was so hoping for a mild winter for marathon training. I'm holding out hope this recent cold snap is a brief aberration.

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    1. I'm hoping this cold snap is over and done for awhile, too. I don't embrace sub-freezing temps, but they are a little less painful in January...just saying.

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  15. Up North there was some snow. We've had cold temps and I HATE it!!

    Yesterday's race was quite windy but at least the sun came out.

    Worse than cold is rain and that's predicted for tomorrow. I wish I enjoyed a tm run but I'd rather not run.

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  16. The temperature sure did drop. :'(! Sixty flights of double-stepping would definitely warm anyone up though, haha. I wish we'd had more of a fall/more fall weather! I don't want winter weather here yet!

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    1. I'm in no hurry for winter, either. It lasts too long in Iowa.

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  17. Hope your hamstrings are feeling better! Yikes on the snow already. We've been having some cold temperatures and wind but no snow yet.

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  18. Do you have a Garmin Connect account (assuming your watch has Bluetooth...)? Once you upload GPS it will show you your route on a map - when my mileage is off there is usually some weird "scribble" during the first mile before the GPS was firmly connected.

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    1. I have no idea if I have Garmin connect...never tried to access it (#techmoron) LOL I do think it was just a bad signal or something, which is odd since it's never happened before.

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  19. First off, that stairs workout has me in awe! Second, oh man you win for having the coldest weather right now! I heard some places were getting snow but I'm trying to will it from making its way to Philly!

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  20. I love that you have strong ties to so many veterans. I have a good friend who was in the coast guard and my grandpa was in the air force. So I love anything patriotic as well.

    It's been SO COLD! I used to love stairs, I might have to follow your example on that one.

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    1. I do a lot of stair workouts, but have really scaled back in recent months with the marathon (and subsequent recovery). It was time to get back on the stairs ;-)

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  21. I can't get over the cold temperatures! We went to the beach yesterday! Granted, we weren't swimming, but we were in shorts and tank tops and people were standing in the water to fish! It's crazy!

    Love that outfit. Monochrome looks are so great and you pulled it off!

    We are going to two football games this season. I guarantee we will be sweating our butts off at both of them.

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    1. Iowa has been so psycho with weather this year. last winter lasted forever and was SO COLD (with not much snow). No spring. Now this winter appears to be arriving earlier than normal...with not much of an autumn. UGH.

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  22. I really admire your consistency in your workouts!

    Thankfully no snow yet, but Mother Nature has definitely given us a taste of winter temps. I'm not ready yet!

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    1. I don't mind winter...but not in early November, thank you very much LOL

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  23. Wow, great job as always this week! You are so inspiring with all of your early morning workouts!! The stairs workout sounds amazing!!!

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  24. I love that Veteran's Day photo - you should be very proud.
    We've had a shocking Heat Wave this week so I am very envious of your far chillier weather right now! Just praying it cools down slightly over the weekend - the kids and dogs are struggling!

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