Opting Outside!

Maybe it's been cold outside, but at least this past week it has been dry.

How's that for a glass half full outlook?

At the risk of whining (yet again) about the Iowa weather (that I cannot change), let me just remind you that it has been colder than usual this early in the season. It's kind of a crock that the official start of winter is a couple weeks away when it's felt like a full-blown winter (minus the snow) for the past several weeks. It is what it is, and it definitely could be much worse. For example, we should have had several inches of snow, but the two big storms that whizzed through Iowa recently missed my immediate area. First world probs, am I right?

Anyways, onward! Here's what down this past week:

#NeverMissAMonday
Mondays are usually a crazy, full day at the office for me. It just works best to get that Monday run done as early as possible so it won't get pushed back to the end of the day (when the temps are  typically even colder). None the less, Monday's short run did not disappoint...crisp air, the puffs of my breath, the crunch of my footsteps and the snow flurries swirling and blowing all around me. All of it captured the magic of an early morning adventure in all its grandeur; you will not get that kind of an experience on a treadmill.

Later, that evening, I was craving a bit more cardio. We inherited an elliptical from one of my sis-in-laws (because she no longer wanted it), but I had never climbed aboard to give it a try. I'm horribly uncoordinated, and it took awhile for me to remotely get the "simple" forward/backward (alternating!) moves mastered. It says I did 3.5 miles in 31 minutes...not sure how accurate that is. It didn't really feel like I was working that hard, and it certainly did not seem like I had gone that far either. I was a saturated, sweaty mess when I finished, though, so I guess the workout was worthwhile.

#Two4Tuesday

I had every intention of just running one mile Tuesday morning. Really, I did. But it was one of those mornings (and it was just one of those runs) where everything just felt great. The temps were cold, but not uncomfortable. My body felt well-rested. The air was calm and peaceful, and the wind was barely an issue with the route I had taken. My legs just wanted to go, so I let them. That single-mile run morphed into 2+ miles instead, and I probably could have gone longer had I not had a job to get to a short while later. Don't you love it when that happens?

#WonderfulWednesday

After several dismal, cloudy days, Wednesday rewarded us with a clear sky and lots of bright sunshine. I had done a fast-paced 20-minute power walk on the treadmill in the morning, but headed outside for a short run over my lunch break. Even though the wind was a bit wicked, it was so nice to see that beautiful golden orb in the sky. I even took Max for a long walk after work because the weather (temps in the upper 20F's) was so awesome.

#AllisCalmAllisBright

The dreary skies and brisk wind returned on Thursday. A new thing I had tried this week was to alternate my distance each day (running one mile/two miles on alternate days for my streak runs). Thursday was another 2-mile morning, and everything continued to feel good with this new strategy. Maybe my body has acclimated to these sub-freezing temps, but none of my daily runs have seemed ridiculously cold...yet.

#FinallyFriday

Ever since the marathon (almost two months ago), my hamstrings/glutes have been a bit wonky. Nothing painful or debilitating, but I have been taking things moderately easy and avoiding a lot of strain on the "region." In other words, my strength work has been more upper-body focused as of late. I decided it was time to get back to work on my lower-body. 

My solution? a Lower-Body Focused HIIT Workout:

*10 basic squats

*10 (weighted) squats

*10 burpees

*10 flights of stairs

--------------------------

*10 basic forward lunges

*10 (weighted) forward lunges

*10 burpees

*10 flights of stairs

--------------------------

*10 sumo squats

*10 (weighted) sumo squats

*10 burpees

*10 flights of stairs

--------------------------

*10 walking lunges

*10 (weighted) walking lunges

*10 burpees

*10 flights of stairs

I had every intention of doing this circuit two or three times...but white flagged it after the first round, which took me about 20 minutes. I then headed outside to cool down (quite literally) with a short run. Whew! Although I felt quite accomplished, I probably should have done fewer burpees or stairs, so I could have gotten in a little more actual strength work. Oh well, maybe next time. None the less, I got in a serious fasted-cardio burn.

#SensationallySunnySaturday

Remember that crazy lower-body HITT workout from Friday morning? Well, let's just say the DOMS came back to bit my buttocks on Saturday. I can't say I was surprised, after all it had been awhile since I'd done that much focused work on my lower body. Imagine my surprise when I headed out, albeit slightly reluctantly, for my streak run and everything actually felt like it was in full working order! Granted the first couple blocks were a bit tricky (which, coincidentally were uphill), but after that, the legs took over and things went well. The temps were mild, the wind was MIA, and the sunshine was ever-so-bright. In other words, it was a perfect setting for a perfect run (a far cry from the sleet, wind, and rain of last weekend). 

#SunnySundayRunday
Another chilly outing, but plenty of sunshine for my 3-miler before church. So what if I was wearing lipstick? I was also sporting candy cane tights, so anything is possible. Temps were hovering in the low-teens, but the wind (again) was MIA, so the run felt more invigorating than frosty.

All in all, I am quite pleased with the week. Although my running is still on the (very) conservative spectrum, I did manage a slight increase in mileage this week over last week (12). I'm glad I got in some bonus walking miles, and tried out the elliptical machine (stay tuned, I'm not completely sold on it yet). And that HIIT workout was intense, but it did my body (and booty LOL) good. 

As far as the RW Run Streak, it is going better than expected. As of Sunday, I have completed 18 days of streaking, bringing my streaking mileage (since Thanksgiving) to 31. Nothing spectacular, but I'm happy with it. It's technically my off-season, after all, and I have no intentions of going overboard with the mileage since I'm running on the daily for a few more weeks. All is, indeed, good.

In case you missed them, there were only two posts last week:

Jingle Bell Run 5K - 2018

A Cold Streak

In other news:

Did you catch my Friday Fashion Flair post on Instagram? It was "Christmas socks day" at work, so I embraced the opportunity to show my holiday spirit. I'm a sucker for all things bright, so wearing red is a no-brainer. So what if the Santa socks are borderline obnoxious, they match my red vest. As always, you're invited to play along...post a pic of a featured outfit (it does not have to be what you're actually wearing on that particular day), grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and give me a tag (#runningonthefly).

 Both the hubby and I are proud alumnae of the University of Iowa, and we LOVE following the football and basketball teams. We don't make it to many of the actual games in person, but we try to watch most of the action on television when possible. That said, Thursday evening was the annual Iowa vs. Iowa State basketball game, and we were there to see the Hawks defeat the Cyclones on our home court (at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena). And, would you believe Elvis was there? In full Hawkeye-inspired costume?

So, that's another wrap-up of another active week. Although the temps have been cold, they have been bearable...so far. I'm not a fan of the extreme cold, but it's my reality this time of year. Besides, the fresh air does a body and mind good. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

How are things in your area of the universe? Does it feel like winter? Any holiday-inspired attire you're wearing these days? Elliptical...yay or nay?

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