A Cold Streak

The weather has been most frightful this week, at least in terms of temps.

Although the calendar indicates December, technically we still have three--count 'em, THREE-- weeks remaining of autumn. But, who's counting?

All of my running has been happening outside, none the less, in all kinds of cold weather. I'm kind of stubborn in that regards.


A freezing chilly Monday
Mondays (and also Fridays) are usually guaranteed to be full days at the office for me. If I don't do my run in the wee hours, it usually won't happen until after I return home at the end of the day. Besides, I'd rather start my week off with a run, right out of bed. That said, when I awoke on this particular morning, I just wasn't feeling it. I hung out under the warm blankets and had several debates with myself...Run now? Run later? Skip the run and just walk? Do nothing? Eventually, I got layered up and headed out. Know what? I felt 100% better when I returned. Anybody else love it when that happens?

#nevermissaMonday

Another cold day on Tuesday

I opted to postpone the run on Tuesday morning, though, and did a power walk instead. It had been a long time since I'd done a "runch" over the noon hour (you know, gone for a short run over my lunch break). Wow! I'll definitely be doing that more often, especially this month as I continue to work my way through  41 days of streaking. Don't be fooled by the bright sunshine; it came with some cold and windy temps (21F with a feels like of 9F).

one of my favorite post-run stretches

Doubling up on Wednesday
Since Tuesday's early morning walk/noontime runch went so well, I repeated the routine on Wednesday. Holy brrrrr! These temps feel more like January than November, but I think I am succeeding on nailing the proper layers.

go bright or go home

...and later, after work, I was craving some more cardio and arm work. Have you ever experimented with side-stepping on the treadmill? I routinely do warm-up drills involving zig-zag steps, so I thought I'd try these on the 'mill. I had to turn the speed WAY down (like, from 4.4 to 2.2) and just do short lateral steps (NO zig-zagging for fear of face-planting). I could feel my glutes and hips getting a good workout the short time I did them. I also did some "regular" power walking, for about 20 total minutes of cardio.

That followed with about 20 minutes of arm work. I did three sets of the circuit below, all with 12-pound weights):

10 hammer curls

10 upright rows

20 tricep extensions

10 cross-body bicep curls

10 (standard) bicep curls

10 lawnmowers

not just a runner

Thursday...
The warm blankets won a short battle on Thursday morning. When I finally got outside, almost a full hour later than usual, I had almost total daylight for my run. And, just when I was starting to doubt whether the run streak would be continuing on, this 2-miler happened. My pace was quicker, and everything felt great. The wind was a no-show, too, so the 20F temps actually felt quite pleasant. Yes, it wasn't even December yet, and it felt like my body had already completely acclimated to winter running. I'd love it if every run felt this amazing!

here comes the sun

...and another runch for Friday
Didn't I say this runch thing would be happening more often? I love my early morning runs, but being out in the daylight, at lunch time, has been a nice change of routine.

Saturday's showdown with Momma N
The Jingle Bell Run 5K was on tap for Saturday morning, and the weather forecast was not good. Holy rain, wind (24 mph), sleet AND snow, Batman! Even though it was "only" a 5K, it was quite the challenge battling all those elements from start to finish. As most people know, I refuse to give in to Momma N and her evil games on race day.  Besides, you just might bring home a 2nd place AG medal for your efforts. Onward!

No finisher medals this year...but AG medals instead

Snow (finally) on Sunday
It was bound to happen. Sunday morning treated to us to golf ball-sized snowflakes. Sometimes you just gotta embrace the journey, right? If it's gonna be buttocks-freezing cold, we might as well have some snow to show for it. Although we've had a couple brief snowfalls, this was my first official snowy run. A couple more miles to add to the run streak, now at day 11.

jumping for (running) joy

So, overall, the week played out alright. My mileage is still pretty minimal, but it's been working just fine for me, especially since I'm doing the  Streak. My November miles (for running) topped out at 40, which has been my lowest month since my surgery (June 2017). I pride myself on recognizing when I need a break or, at the very least, need to scale back, so that's just what I did for most of November. The  walking has taken over, especially in terms of cardio...53 miles for the month (and approximately 10 for the week). The strength-training is returning and I might be adding some more HIIT stuff in this next week. I'm feeling good and am eager to end 2018 strong.

In case you missed out, here's the three post from last week:
Well Rested; Quite Thankful
Winter Running...are you Vested?
Runfessions...Can We Talk?

In other news:
Did you catch my Friday Fashion Flair post? This happens every Friday...I feature an outfit for the week, just for fun and kicks. I'm always cold, especially at work. I'm stationed at the front desk, so I feel every draft as people come and go throughout the day. A favorite, lightweight go-to for me is a blanket shawl...and this one has lots of fun colors in an exaggerated plaid pattern. Of course, you all know I love my white skinny jeans, and this colorful shawl not only compliments the white jeans, but keeps me warm. As always, please consider joining us...post a pic on Friday, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and drop me a tag (@Runningonthefly).

I mentioned there's been all kinds of walking going on in my fitness world. Well, with the crazy cold temps this week, I not only did my early morning (fasted cardio) power walks outside, I also did some extra power walking in the evening hours... inside. Yes, these evening walks were with 'Milly (my treadmill). Shocked? I actually don't mind walking with 'Milly, but don't worry, I have not done any running with her this season. One night, I cranked up the speed to 4.8, and set the incline on 3, and she took me on a very super-charged cardio session, via power walking.

The streaking. Thus far, I am 11 days into the 2018 RW Winter Streak. Total streaking miles are at 19 (as this post goes live) and I am feeling really good. I have been doing a lot of 1-mile days, but this last week I discovered running two miles (intermittently) actually felt much better. I might try experimenting with that this next week. I think it's good to vary the distance each day, as well as the terrain/route. Anyways, so far, so good. Streaking is not everyone's gig, but I enjoy it briefly this time of year when I have nothing else going on.

 And, finally, I am doing the Advent Word Challenge again this year. This was a fun endeavor last year, and requires no extra time (just a little extra thought LOL). Feel free to join along on Instagram, more info here --> Advent Word.

So, there you have it! The lastest and (somewhat) greatest goings-on in my little corner of the universe.

How about you? Busy week? Cold temps? Any snow? Holiday-inspired races?

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!

Are you following me on social media?

Let's connect : Facebook Instagram  Pinterest Twitter