Easy Does It

 Sometimes, taking things easy just happens, all on its own. More often than not, that's a good thing.

My body wasn't feeling especially tired, and my motivation was fine (even with the questionable weather), but the (running) miles stayed somewhat low...and I'm alright with that. Besides, I had  plenty of other things to keep me active.

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 noon on Monday. 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.

Here's what went down this week:

Monday - BRRRR!
As you can see, the temps were sitting at 51F at 5:45 a.m. First world problems aside, Momma N seems to be confused on the current season. She was very generous with the sunshine, though, so I'll give her that. I got out for a couple of easy-paced miles, bright and early, and took Max for a walk when I got back to the house. The temps did warm up throughout the day, though, and Max and I enjoyed more walking after work and in the evening.

#nevermissaMonday

Tuesday - WALKING!
Who says runners don't walk? Even when I'm ready for a little bit of rest and recovery (from the four previous days' 16 miles, and 5+ hours of garden squats/lunges over the weekend), I still enjoy an early morning fasted cardio fix. I walked 2.5 miles before work, a mile for each of my morning and afternoon breaks, and then took Max out for 1.5 after work.

#runnerswalktoo

Wednesday - SWEATING!
The early morning weather was cold and mucho windy. I did a pre-workday walk with Max, and postponed the day's sweat session until after work. Good call.

The wind was still strong (22 mph), but the sunshine was beautiful and the 70F-ish temps were perfect. I grabbed my 12-pound hand weights and walked over to the outdoor stairway on campus (about a 10-minute walk with said weights LOL).

I'm not sure if I'd classify this 30-minute workout as a HIIT circuit, crazy cardio combo, or full-body strength (or all of the above...I'm not OCD-ish on specifics). It left me saturated with sweat, my arms burning, and my legs felt like noodles...

5 sets:
*10 flights (18 steps on the elongated stairway)
*10 push-ups
*15 lower body reps (squats/lunges, some weighted)
*15 upper body reps (with the 12# weights)
*20 sets of mountain climbers
*20 plank jacks

#majorsweatequity

Thursday - RUNNING!
Suspecting there was a strong possibility of some DOMS showing up (resulting from the stair workout), I thought it best to get a run in early Thursday morning. Barb wasn't able to run, so I was running solo...which meant I may have dawdled a bit in getting out the door. Ugh...temps were sitting at 50F, which is great for running, but chilly for mid-summer (in my ever-so-humble opinion). Overall the run went well, but my lower back felt a bit cranky. Although there weren't full-on DOMS in my glutes, I definitely could feel the start of something going on. All told,  I got four miles done with even splits (9:56/9:58/9:55/9:50)...how's that for consistency?

#4at515

Friday - OUCH!
As predicted, by Thursday afternoon, the glutes were on fire. I'm glad I know my body and what an intense stair workout will do to it. I got out for a 2-mile walk before work, and another 2-mile walk in the evening with the hubby and Max. Fortunately, every achy muscle felt much better by bedtime.

#activerecoveryfortheWIN

Saturday -SUCCESS!
Our town hosted the annual Grinnell Games on Saturday. This event has been going on for several years (8 years, I believe), and I have participated in some capacity every year. This year, I did the 5K (along with the hubby), but there also was a half marathon and a kid's warrior run. I wanted to get a few more miles done, though, so I headed out for a 3-mile warm-up (timing it to arrive at the start line downtown about 20 minutes early). Next, I ran the 5K race, and then ran the extra mile back to my house. I was pretty happy with my finish time! This event is not huge...I finished 16th out of the 69 5K participants, which got 3rd place in my age group. Did you get that?  Three of us in the top 16 were in my age group. Apparently I'm not the only "old gal" out there still moving and grooving.

#stillmovingandgrooving

Sunday - SMILING!
Oh was my body achy on Sunday morning! I'd run the 5K fairly hard, so my glutes and legs were feeling a little tender. Saturday evening, the hubby and I went to a company outing (from my place of work), which involved an hour-long bus ride (to and from) and a 4-hour arena football game. We had a great time, but my long legs do not enjoy cramped stadium seating, nor does my lower back (from the constant shifting in seating positions). None the less, I got out for a short 3-miler in hopes of loosening things up (spoiler-->SUCCESS!). While running through the Grinnell College campus, I noticed the chalk art on this outdoor chalkboard, and I instantly forgot my aches and smiled. Seriously, shouldn't we all smile more often?

#saycheese

Overall, the week was somewhat conservative in running miles (16), but there was plenty of walking (25). The stair workout was pretty tough, but I love getting creative with my fitness. The 5K on Saturday served as a speed workout for me, and I'm good with that as well. MCM training starts soon...Onward!

In case you missed out, here's what went down on the blog this week...
Feelin' the Heat on the Street
Early Morning Running is Where It's At
Where to Run...And How far?

In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair on Instagram! Friday's temps had me shivering in the 70F temps with all the wind and rain. At least it wasn't snowing, right? Anyways, I've always been a sucker for floral prints, and if the top has a funky neckline, I'm all over it.  What do you think? Floral prints? Unique necklines? Yay or nay? As always, feel free to join me on Fridays...grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and tag me (@runningonthefly).

Earlier in the week, I was tagged by a friend to play the 10 Things About Me game on Instagram. It's fun reading trivial facts about all members of my online tribe.

So, that's the latest and (somewhat) greatest from my little corner of the universe. How was your week? Any rain? Any racing? Did you get tagged on Instagram, too?

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