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Sunday, June 2, 2019

In a DAZE of the DOMS


The DOMS? I get them from time-to-time, but this past week the DOMS were front and center.

Good old reliable Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. We've all had them. Although they can be rather burdensome, they are not necessarily a bad thing. Life goes on, and so does fitness...

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.

Here's the latest Weekly Run Down:

Memorial Day Monday
For the past few years, a bunch of local peeps have gathered at the lake on Memorial Day morning.  We run a few miles around the lake and then run through our local cemetery (which is right near by). We keep the run on the down-low, and are respectful of the location. This Monday, though, there was rain coming down. Barb and I were the only two to show, so we just took a walk through the paths/trails under our umbrellas. When I got back home, the rain had stopped, so I headed out for just a short 1-mile run....
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Then, the hubby and I headed to the gym to take part in the local Murph Challenge. More details are on the blog post (HERE),but let's just say it was pretty intense! It's a specific workout most CrossFit enthusiasts do on Memorial Day Weekend in honor of fallen Navy Seal Lt. Michael Murphy. It involves:
**1-mile run
**100 pull-ups
**200 push-ups
**300 squats
**another 1-mile run
(many do this with a weighted vest)

All told, I did both of the 1-mile runs and managed the 100 pull-ups (though those were modified, as pictured). I white-flagged the push-ups after 130. Since I had a race happening later in the week (DAM to DSM on Saturday), I chose to do just 150 of the squats (half of the allotted 300). I seriously do not remember when the last time was that I sweated SO MUCH from strength work, and I felt like quite the #badass, even though I (technically) didn't complete the entire workout.
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Totally Tough Tuesday
The Murph workout gave me a ginormous supply of endorphins, and although things felt sore Monday night, I didn't feel any outrageous aches or pains. Fast forward to Tuesday morning, and it was a much different story. Everything from the waist-up hurt, and it took me several minutes of grunting and deep "cleansing breaths" to get my pajama shirt off because I could not move, lift, or contort my arms. By mid-afternoon, my quads joined the DOMS party (probably from all of those deep squats). All I managed for fitness that day was a 1-mile walk with Max, and lots of yoga/stretching/foam rolling.
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Wonderful Wednesday
The temps were forecast to be warmer by afternoon, so Barb and I postponed our run until after work. I did get out in the early morning, though, for a walk, and my legs felt so much better. My upper-body, though, was still feeling grumpy.
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By afternoon, things were feeling better. Barb and I rallied, and did our #5at5 run after work (so, technically, another #5at5PM). I think I had a continuous smile on my face from the moment I laced up my shoes because (1) the icky, damp day turned warm and sunny, (2) all of the lower-body DOMS were gone (though the upper-body still felt compromised LOL), and (3) running with friends is the best! Wouldn't you smile, too?
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Low-Impact Thursday
Max and I got out for an early morning walk before I headed to the office. We repeated said walk after I got home. Then, we went for a 2-mile walk with the hubby after dinner. Five total miles, thank you very much...and nothing else since my upper body was still DOMS'ing.
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Finally Friday
Early morning shake-out run in the early morning sun! Finally, all muscles and body parts were feeling back to normal! By the way, did you know Friday was National Smile Day? I hope you celebrated!
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A Dam great Saturday
The day began with a 3:50 a.m. wake-up and a 4:35 a.m. departure to get to Des Moines (an approximate 50-minute drive) for the DAM to DSM 20K. Being a point-to-point race course, all runners need to ride shuttles to the start line, and the last bus leaves at 6:00. Scattered storms were in the forecast, but the morning was pretty clear when we arrived. The air was quite humid, though, and some light rain did break through for a short while, but it was minimal. None the less, the race went great under the new management company! Not a PR for me, but definitely one of my better finish times (especially considering the heat, humidity, hills and numerous photo op stops LOL). Stay tuned, I'm hoping to have the race recap posted in a few days.
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A Simple Sunday
A short shake-out run in the early morning (in the new D2D race shirt, none the less), and all things felt great. Seriously, this is my coffee...a beautiful sunrise, ZERO traffic, plenty of birds singing and no aches/pains from the previous day. There's also some extra walking and plenty of garden squats on tap for later. Don't be jealous.
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Even with the DOMS taking up residence for most of the week, I still was able to stay somewhat active (albeit a bit on the conservative side). After the Murph workout on Monday, there was no more strength work happening (umm #ouch), but yoga, daily stretching and foam rolling were paramount. Running capped out at 24 miles (12.5 of that was from Saturday's race), and there was plenty of walking (23ish miles). On a side note, my May miles totaled out at 83, which is the highest monthly miles I've had in awhile and, knock wood, things are feeling good and injury-free. Lots to be thankful for!

In case you missed out, here's what happened on the blog this past week:
Here Comes the Rain...Again
My First Murph
So...Let's Runfess Already

In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair on Instagram! Did you see this week's featured outfit? They're not everyone's gig, but I love cold shoulder tops! I'm especially drawn to the more dressy blouses....because they can be "dressed-down" with the right accessories. Of course, I'm all about distressed denim, open-toe booties and chunky jewelry as well. As usual, you're welcome to join me on Fridays...grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and play along.

Friday morning, the sun was especially beautiful, thanks to the smoke from the recent Canadian wildfires. Although it looks like its usual yellow self in the pic, it actually had a funky orange/reddish glow. Too bad my phone camera couldn't do it justice.
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So, that's the latest in Kim's world of fitness. Although it was a challenging week of DOMS recovery, it was nice seeing (feeling?) what muscle groups need a bit more consistent work. Glass half full, right?  I'm also looking forward to getting back to a bit more cross-training this week, and possibly some HIIT or speedwork. Stay tuned...

Tell me something about your week... Great workouts? Tough runs? New race(s)? Canadian smoke?


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50 comments:

  1. Love the D2D shirt. Congrats on an amazing week. I was scrolling through social on Monday and it was amazing to see people of all walks doing the Murph. Amazing way to keep someone's memory alive. One of those instances that really puts DOMS in perspective.
    Bet Max enjoyed all of Thursday's quality time

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    1. I had heard of Murph, but since I don't do CrossFit, it wasn't on my radar. I'm glad I found out about it in time to participate!

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  2. I managed to get some DOMS from squatting down, weeding the garden path yesterday! All worked out with my run, though. I'm not keen on cold-shoulder tops as can never work out what to wear with them and the UK requires layers, plus I tan really really easily so would have an even odder than usual!

    Love that medal, it's so cool! Look forward to the race report. What a nice distance to race!

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    1. I spent most of my afternoon weeding my garden (well, one of my flower gardens....still plenty waiting for me to finish). I have a feeling I'm gonna feel this tomorrow ;-)

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  3. I think it's awesome you took on the Murph Challenge! And despite those well-earned DOMS you had a great week! Looking forward to your race recap.

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    1. Thanks, Michelle! I"m happy with my week...I did what I was able LOL

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  4. I guess DOMS is the price you pay for all those endorphins! It's a bargain we all strike with our bodies. ;-) So glad the race was well-run under new management,

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    1. I agree! The DOMS are painful, but always well-earned!

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  5. That's great that you enjoyed the race under the new management so much!

    My guess is if I did Murph I'd definitely be sore for days. No, no Canadian smoke. Thunderstorms, though (thankfully the race was yesterday, although the storms were in the afternoon today anyway).

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    1. We had thunderstorms in the forecast for yesterday, so the light rain was no big deal at all. Despite yesterday's humidity, though, today has been so nice...sun, light breeze, and no humidity. (I probably shouldn't say that out loud...Momma N may want to intervene LOL)

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  6. DOMS I suppose is a small sacrifice for those who lost their lives in the military. The Murph is not child's play for sure! you pushed through and kept your glass half full! Looking forward to your race recap!

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    1. Totally agree...the DOMS from Murph is a minimal sacrifice on my part.

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  7. Eventhough you were dealing with DOMS most of the week you had a super active week of workouts!
    That MURPH workout - wow! I am committed to trying to do it next Memorial Day and I'm already scared lol

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    1. You should go for it and do Murph next year! I'd recommend doing routine push-ups and shoulder work, though, to get your body (somewhat) ready ;-) I do push-ups frequently, but not usually 200 within an hour LOL

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  8. Wow! Your Murph Challenge sounds intense! You ARE a badass!!! Congrats on a dam good race. I will look forward to reading your race recap. You get a lot of fitness in a week! Way to go.

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    1. It didn't seem like I was doing much, since I was laying low on strength work...but I tried to keep the walking/running/cardio going (since I couldn't do anything else LOL)

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  9. The Murph Challenge sounds awesome! I didn't know what that was before. Way to go! And congrats on the race as well, that's a famous one!

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    1. I've done Dam-to-Dam the past 11 years, so I was eager to do this new variation of it. It's my favorite race every year ;-)

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  10. People who do the Murph Challenge AMAZE me. That is such a feat! I would definitely be sore for days.

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    1. I knew I'd have some "soreness," but certainly didn't think it would last for so many days. Humbled again!

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  11. The Murph! You are amazing!! The only time I had DOMS was a run with really steep downhills.

    Congrats on the D2D! Glad you enjoyed it and had a good finish time. Win. Win. Can't wait to read the details.

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    1. You've probably heard mention D2D numerous times...I'm just thankful the new mgmt company did it justice ;-)

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  12. DOMS got me this week too - mostly from heat and added strength, I don't think I could do a MURPH challenge! For races, I like point to point courses for the mental aspect. Looking forward to the recap.

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    1. Point to point races are fun! It's a bit tricky with logistics, but that's also part of the fun ;-)

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  13. Glad your soreness went away in time for your race. I was shocked that I didn't get the least bit sore after my 40-mile bike ride. That tells me that I could have pushed harder...

    Thanks for the linkup!

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    1. I'm glad the soreness eased up just in time, as well! I'm really glad I didn't do all 300 squats or that may have been a different scenario...

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  14. Remember when I told you that I never get sore from running? Well my body hates me right now my quads are not happy! In a good way 😊 look forward to hearing about your race

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    1. Ha ha!!!! We've all been there ;-) Running keeps us humble, right? It's all good!!

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  15. I love it - cleansing breaths needed to get your shirt off. Lol - I've been there before! The most sore I've ever been from running was from a mountain race I did last year. It was up/down x 2. My legs were fried for 4 whole days. I couldn't even tough my quads with a roller of any kind until day 4. I had never had that much DOMS in my life! Needless to say, I was just a tiny bit bummed when I couldn't do the race this year. hahahaha - not really!

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    1. Everything hurt to touch, for me as well, so foam rolling was torture....when my quads started hurting, they were a mess LOL It was all for a great cause, so no regrets!

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  16. Congrats on another successful D2D race, in spite of the never ending DOMS!

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    1. Thankfully, I timed everything well, and the DOMS all had dissipated by race day ;-)

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  17. That Murph looks intense. I have yet to participate but maybe next time it is offered I will take it on!

    That Dam to DSM medal is beautiful! How awesome for you!

    DOMS gets me after 9Round workouts. I am constantly working something brand new that results in soreness the next day, especially in my upper body. It's a good feeling, though. I don't mind.

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    1. I agree...the DOMS are a nuisance, but it's (usually) short-lived. It's usually a sign of new (or under-worked) muscles getting some action ;-)

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  18. Alright so thaaaat's where the haze is coming from! I noticed it but did not know about the Canadian wildfires. You've been a busy girl. Glad the DOMs have lifted. Will you return to CrossFit?

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    1. The jury is still out on CrossFIt...I see the benefit of it in a gym setting, but I can do a lot of it on my own, without leaving my house. My early mornings are crazy enough, the extra time in driving elsewhere is not too appealing LOL

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  19. I'm having my own DOMS this morning so I feel you!!! That MURPH workout is no joke and I give you ALL the credit for doing as much as you did - wow!! The race sounds great (besides that wake up time - yikes!) but I'm looking forward to the recap!

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    1. This race is my favorite event ever (I've done it 12 times)...but, this was the first year under a new management team, and I was SOOOO glad they did it justice ;-)

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  20. That is one strong week! Kicking it off with a killer strength workout and ending in a race- well done!!

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    1. Thanks ;-) Looking back, I guess it was pretty intense although it felt like I was in a constant state of recovery all week LOL

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  21. We also had the smoke here...too much for running in, at least for me. It blew out after Friday though. Hope you have gotten clearer skies too!

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    1. Our skies are still a bit hazy...but there have also been some genuine clouds and humidity, too. I'm just glad to have summer-like temps FINALLY.

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  22. That DOMS sounds tough! I'm glad that it cleared up in time for your race on Saturday :)

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    1. Yes, me too!!! Everything felt better by Friday, so the race on Saturday was pretty smooth.

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  23. DOMS are the worst! I jus t wrote a post about that. I gave myself a bad case of DOMS last week after CrossFit. A 20K race sounds like such a fun distance. Good job getting through it all even with DOMS!

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    1. Thankfully, the bulk of the DOMS (for me) were upper-body. Seriously, it hurt to bend my arms, and it hurt to straighten them LOL When I ran on Wednesday (my 5-miler), my pecs were constantly "throbbing" with every arm swing....CRAZY!

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  24. I said it before and I will say it again but I am impressed with the Murph Challenge!!! :-)

    I love how you continue to stay active week after week and pretty much nothing has been stopping you.

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    1. Thanks!!!! I just believe in staying active, of course within reason. When one group of muscles hurt (and need recovery), there's usually a way to work other muscles without over-doing it.

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  25. Congrats on the race! That's awesome also how May was your highest mileage month in a while! I definitely get more sore more easily with pregnancy, but the worst case of DOMS I had came after a net downhill marathon. I made the mistake of hiking the next day, and I was so sore that I could barely make my way down the mountain!

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  26. That Murph workout looks tough! I too would be sore after that. Great job! I'm sure keeping active all week help loosen those sore muscles.
    Love the open-toe booties!

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