Spring Ain't Here...Yet

Nope, it ain't Spring yet.

As much as I'd like to curse the groundhog, it's really not his fault. He did see his shadow, right? Doesn't that (supposedly) predict another six weeks of winter? If that's the (folkloric) case, then (technically) we still have another week to go...so I'll cut him some grace (for seven more days).

But, first things first....

Welcome to the Weekly Run Down! I am so excited to host this link-up with Deborah (from Confessions of a Mother Runner). If you write a fitness-based blog, you're invited to join the party. The link-up opens at 1:00 (EST) on Sundays and remains open through Monday (noon). Please share your weekly fitness endeavors, training highlights (or low lights) and race recaps. We ask that you link back to both hosts, and we encourage you to read/comment on the other linked blogs as well.

Anyways, even with the still cold temps, this past week felt like things are at least moving in the right direction towards Spring. The increased daylight has been wonderful, and the snow and ice are becoming less and less. And, I have been able to get outside an itsy bit more. Glass half full.

Monday
As seems to be the trend (at least in recent weeks), my body felt kind of tired and achy upon wake-up. Not a big deal. I did a quick 1.5-mile power walk (on the 'mill) and saved the running until later. After work, though, I put things in motion. Most of my #nevermissaMonday runs are easy-paced endeavors, usually short (2-3 miles) and are meant for jump-starting the momentum for the new week. I decided to switch things up this week and made that simple run into a (somewhat) fast and furious sweat session with Milly.

Here's what happened:
1200m at 5.9, 400m at 6.3 (10:06)
1200m at 6.0, 400m at 6.4 (9:53)
1200m at 6.2, 400m at 6.6 (9:35)
1200m at 6.3, 400m at 6.7 (9:25)

Four total miles! And, I can honestly say I thoroughly LOVED this run with Milly! Believe me, I have not had such gushy thoughts or feelings towards my treadmill in a long time (if ever). The thing is, the challenge of upping the pace with each mile (both for the 1200m AND for the 400m surge) was pretty euphoric. It didn't feel like an all-out effort, but it was a challenging test of my endurance. My pace was near 9:30 in those final miles, and it felt tougher than it should have. Remember that fast 5K I ran a couple weeks ago? My average pace was around 8:20 for that...more than an entire minute faster (per mile), and that 5K felt much easier than this treadmill run felt...even with the aid of the moving belt underfoot. I only had the incline turned up one notch, so I really cannot figure out how these treadmill runs feel so much harder than my outdoor runs do. That said, I am pretty thankful to finally have a treadmill run leaving me feeling quite giddy for the experience.

Tuesday
Mostly a rest/recovery day. I did an early morning 1.5-mile walk on the treadmill (while the manicure dried) and a short upper-body strength session in the evening.

pretty nails, ugly Voldy scar

Wednesday
As luck (or Fate? or Karma?) would have it, my time with Milly on Wednesday morning was anything but pleasant. My legs felt a little cranky (possible DOMS from Monday's run?), and I just couldn't get my mind to embrace the run like it had done two days prior. I finally pulled the plug at the 4.5-mile mark instead of continuing to suck it up all the way to 5 miles. I gave it a thumbs down because I quit early, but also a thumbs up because I really wanted to quit at 3.5, but was able to stick it out for an extra mile. Although my hamstrings loosened up, and nothing else hurt, my mind was totally bored. After Monday's intense speedwork, I didn't think it wise to do 400m surges or push the pace too much, and I was out of ideas to make the run any less boring. Oh well. No apologies, no guilt. Onward!

...but look at that steam rising off of me outside

Thursday
HIIT  in the early hours:

**four sets of the circuit**
-5 stair flights (double-steps)
-10 burpees
-15 mountain climbers (each leg)
-20 plank jacks
-1-minute wall sit
-10 slow-motion push-ups

All told, this workout netted me 20 flights of stairs, 40 burpees, 60 mountain climbers, 80 plank jacks, 4 cumulative minutes of wall sits and 40 slow-motion push-ups. Not bad for about 30 minutes of work in the wee hours.

Friday
Another rest/recovery day for me. There was an early morning 1-mile walk with Max...outside!! Truth be told, I think HE took me for the walk; he was so excited to be on a leash again (instead of just doing his morning business in the back yard). I also did some stretching and some planking. And that was it.

Saturday
My second race of 2019 was on tap, and Momma N didn't want to play nice. Granted, she did give us above-freezing temps, but she also blessed us with non-stop rain. Oddly, those less-than-ideal race day conditions may have worked in my favor because I didn't want to waste any extra time getting to the finish line. I have run the Leprechaun Chase 10K for the past six years, and I was finally able to score an age group finish (second place). Stay tuned, I'll post a brief race recap in a couple days with a few more details.

Sunday
The morning was cold and windy (flirting with single digit feels-like temps), but there was bright sunshine! I had to dodge a lot of ice patches, but a short shakeout run felt amazing following the previous day's 10K. I almost always do an easy-paced recovery run the day after a challenging run or race, and I usually come home feeling better than when I left the house. This run was no exception.

cold, wind, ice...but I got outside

All in all, it was a decent week on the fitness front. Running mileage was just over 16, walking (intentional walking, not stats from a motion device) tallied around 6 miles, an upper-body workout and some HIIT. I'm good with that. I'm also trying to do a little ab/core work each day, as well as daily push-ups, this month.

In case you missed out, here's what was posted last week:
Sorry Winter...You will not break me
A Treadmill Catharsis
Strong Women - let us CELEBRATE them

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. Did you see it on my Insta? Temps are (slightly) above freezing, but still a bit chillier than I prefer (I like my summer weather, don't forget). My solution, keep the colors bright and the patterns fun...mixing in some denim with the leopard print gives it some funk, and I'm all about that. If you want to play along, (1) post a pic of a featured outfit on Friday, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair), and (3) be sure to tag me (@runningonthefly).

Lastly, as most of us know, Friday was International Women's Day. I kind of have mixed feelings on this, since I don't think we should single out just one day to honor significant people (women OR men) in our lives. People who have lead, inspired, and supported us should be acknowledged on an ongoing basis (in my humble opinion). None the less, there are a lot of important women whom I value, and I'm ever-so-grateful for their influence and encouragement.

So, that's another run down on another week. Although I have appreciated the increased daylight in recent weeks, I'm really excited for the time change. And I'm eager to spring ahead to warmer weather.

Enough about me, tell me something about your week....Any weekend races? New training? Has it been warm enough for you to get outside more often? Did you remember to set your clocks ahead? What do you prefer...springing ahead or falling back?

Thanks for joining Deborah and myself for the Weekly Run Down!

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