A Running Renaissance

Ever experienced a renaissance of your own?

I distinctly remember my 8th grade art class, when we had a unit on the Renaissance movement. My teacher told us that "renaissance" meant "rebirth; rediscovery." Although I am not especially fond of the particular art from that era, that definition of reinaissance stuck with me.

Fast forward to my 2018 winter running streak, this past week in particular. My own kind of renaissance was front and center, via my running shoes.

It started with my #nevermissaMonday. The temps were forecast to be warm and sunny later, so I fired up 'Milly for 20 minutes of power walking, first thing in the morning. Fasted cardio inside...it happens once in a great while.

nothing spectacular about the mud room where 'Milly resides...gotta use a filter LOL

Later, over my lunch break, I headed outside. Look closely, I'm wearing shorts! Although the low-40F temps are not especially warm, they almost felt tropical in comparison to the sub-freezing temps of late. Of course, there's also the fact that my body (and mind) have acclimated to the cold air, so my tolerance for all things winter has broadened.

even my Christmas socks were sparkling

Then, there was my #two4Tuesday run. Another runch was on tap (following an early  morning walk through the 'hood). I had every intention of only running one mile (truly, I did), but the weather was so beautiful and my body felt great...so I ran two miles instead. Sorry, but I'm not sorry.

I may have even over-dressed in the red vest (but it looked good with my socks)

Next, Wednesday's #5at5 went well. Let me remind everyone, the five miles at 05:00 have been a staple of my routine for almost two years. Ever since the marathon (two months ago), though, they haven't happened. There's been scaled-back running (on my part), busy schedules (with my early morning running buddy) and a "let it go" attitude. Also, with the Streak being my main focus the past (almost) five weeks, I have been keeping my runs short. My friend, Barb, and I decided it was time to resurrect our weekly early morning ritual. I had only run one 5-miler since the marathon (a mere three days prior), but I just had a feeling my body was ready for a little more mileage....and my hunch was spot-on.

I even nailed the layers correctly

My #Thursdaythriller left me feeling oh-so-good. Let's just say. I had planned to run just a short 1-miler for my daily streak run (again). After all, I had already run two 5-milers in a short time span (after having not run that kind of distance in the past couple months). I hadn't even gone 1/4 mile and my gut told me to run two miles instead. So I did (again). Everything felt good and I returned home feeling fully charged for the day.

Oops, I did it again....

Then it was #finallyFriday. Even though I had the energy, I thought it best to take an easy day with my running. I laced up, headed out, ran a simple mile and returned home. Then, I shed the jacket and got (somewhat) busy on the stairway....20 flights later, and I called it good. Another fasted cardio workout in the books.

Another adventure in the Santa leggings

The #postSolsticeSaturday had me meeting up with Barb for a 6-mile run. Neither of us had been out to the lake in a long time, so we detoured through Central Park and made our way to Arbor Lake. Last year, someone had decorated a couple evergreen trees on the backside of the trail around the lake...and someone had done it again this year. What a nice gesture to spread holiday cheer!

Do I look like Mrs. Claus?

And, then there was that #sensationalSunday run. I felt a little stiff and rickety when I woke up, but as soon as I hit the road, everything felt amazing. It was one of those runs that kind of "tempo-paced" itself. My legs just wanted to go-go-go, so I let them. My only regret was not having my Garmin with me to see what my actual pace was. Two fast miles with some euphoric strides for the finish, followed by a brisk power walk with the hubby and Max...total bliss.

small town living isn't so bad when the local college sprinkles art along your route

So, this was a fantastic week for my running! With total mileage (Monday through Sunday) coming in at 19, it was my highest mileage week since the marathon. I realize these numbers are very conservative (in comparison to what a lot of other runners are cranking out), but for me they are substantial this time of year. Thus far, with a mere nine days remaining, this running streak has been a great experience for me. The post-marathon crankiness in my glutes/hammies/tendons has been minimized, making me feel like a runner reborn (renaissance, anyone?). 

As this post goes live, my streaking mileage (since Thanksgiving Day) is at 67. Last year, I was able to tally 103 miles during the Streak. It's VERY unlikely I will surpass the century mark before New Years Day this year, and I am totally at peace with that (last year, I wasn't recovering from a tough marathon LOL). I will not hit 1000 (running) miles for 2018, either. I'm on track to finish in the mid-900's, and I'm totally alright with that as well. If I added in all my walking miles, I would be flirting with upwards of 2000 cumulative miles "in my shoes," which includes a lot of fasted cardio and early mornings. For myself, that's a much more satisfying accomplishment. To each his (or her) own, right?

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

Totally Acclimated

Taking it to the Stairs

Five things I'm currently Loving 

In other news:

Did you catch my #FridayFashionFlair post? I think I have worn red or green (often times, both) almost everyday in some capacity for the past couple weeks. This has been both in and out of my running shoes. Traditional cranberry and hunter, or contemporary tomato and lime...I love them all, and am not afraid to wear them. Please consider playing along....post a pic of a favorite outfit, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and drop me a tag (@runningonthefly). We're not in workout gear 24/7, right? It's fun to see what my fitness friends look like in "street" clothes.

Seeing the decorated trees at the lake totally made my day. It's beautiful when people go out of their way to brighten the world around us. The fact that these two trees are located on the "backside" of the lake means the elf that decorated them had to haul all the stuff around the lake to do so.

And, lastly, I wish all the best to all of YOU, my dear blogging friends! Even though we may not all celebrate the same holidays, it still is a time of good will and reflection as we prepare for the new year. Besides, we made it to the Winter Solstice! That's such a huge milestone for me in my winter survival.

Anyways, enough about me. Tell me something about your week...seasonal weather? Upcoming races? Time off for the holidays? Are you as thrilled as me to be past the Winter Solstice?

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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