Sunday, August 25, 2019

Adaptability. Flexibility. Going with the Flow.


Adaptability. Flexibility. And going with the flow. That was the theme this week...

That's life, especially when you're a runner.

Weather was a factor. The muscles had their moments of crankiness. And there was a shift in routine, due to travel. Alas, everything worked out just fine.

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. We love reading about everyone's 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...please don't link-drop & dash ;-)

Here's what went down this past week:

Monday
My standard #nevermissaMonday run (at least during this MCM training cycle) has been a 5K distance with speed surges (near the final 1/4 mile of each mile). Why mess with a great thing? I keep these runs fairly short (because I'm just coming off the weekend, and there's always a long run happening there), but I add in the surges to give the run a little bit of intensity. So far, so good. This week, I came upon some beautiful sidewalk chalk art. Seen on my run, quite literally.
Image may contain: 1 person, smiling

Tuesday
Well, my weather app showed thunderstorms happening at 5:00 for Tuesday morning...and for the first time (like, in forever), it was accurate. So much for the 10-mile bike ride I'd planned on doing in the early hours. Thankfully, I'd made a backup plan of doing a stair workout, so that's what we went with as the storms raged outside. I did three sets of 20 flights and 20 push-ups, mixing in 20 walking lunges (each side) after the second set. I finished with 10 bonus flights...all told, 70 total flights, 60 push-ups, 20 lunges and all kinds of glistening and glowing going on, all within a matter of 22 minutes. Max is not a fan of storms, so he accompanied me on the first 40 flights (up and down), then planted himself on the steps, giving me an awkward obstacle to step over. Nice of him, right?
No photo description available.

Later that morning, the rain halted and the sun came out...and stayed out. Since my planned 10-mile morning ride didn't happen, due to the storm, I decided to make it happen after work. I met up with Barb, and we wound up riding for 16+ miles (about 18 miles for her).
Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, standing, tree, shorts, outdoor and nature

Wednesday
The time had come. With the sunrise happening later each week, it was time to suit up in the Noxgear vest. The temps were reasonable (mid-60F's), but the air was horrendously humid. That said, at least it wasn't raining. I was a dripping mess when I returned home from another successful early morning 5-miler with my friend, Barb.
Image may contain: 1 person, outdoor

Thursday
On tap: speedwork. The plan: hill repeats. And I had the perfect place to make it happen with the "little" block across the street. Three laps are equal to a mile in total distance. There's hills on opposite corners, so running nine laps (three total miles) netted me 18 short (but steep) hills. Thankfully, at 5:15 a.m., there's no traffic (and hopefully no one is watching). It's crazy how fast those three miles go when there's intermittent sprinting, but my hammies were toast by the time I finished.
Image may contain: one or more people and shoes

 As the day wore on, the hammies continued to get more angry (no surprises there). In all honesty, I didn't know if it was DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) from Tuesday's stair workout or the morning's hill workout...or (most likely) a combination of both. I decided to go for a post-workday ride with Gustavas (my bike). Seven miles later, things felt much better. Problem solved.

Friday
Ugh. Have I whined about the dark mornings yet? Michele and I met up at 5:15 for a ride out to the lake. We didn't see the start of daylight until just before the turn-around. The majority of the ride is on a bike path, so there isn't much (if any) traffic to worry about, but the hills are a little freaky in the dark. None the less, this weekly ride out to the lake has become a great ritual...even with the dwindling morning light.
Image may contain: 2 people, people smiling, outdoor   Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, bicycle and outdoor

Saturday
The hubby and I took an impromptu weekend getaway to Lake Okoboji (northwest Iowa). We arrived Friday night, so my long run was due to happen in an unfamiliar setting Saturday morning. The hubby came along (on his bike) and served as my Sherpa and tour guide. Thankfully, it was a scale-back week, because those 12 miles were hilly (for both of us)! The run went well, though my 9:50 (average) pace was a bit faster than what it should have been....maybe because I was following the hubby on his bike (?).
Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, outdoor

Sunday
Due to the traveling (and a little unexpected rain), there wasn't much time for a recovery run in the early morning (whomp whomp...but it will be happening later, after we return back home). Stay tuned....
Image may contain: shoes and outdoor

Over all, there was a lot of adjusting and altering my workouts this week, but (somehow) I got things done. Total running tallied at 25 miles; biking miles were 46 and walking was a meager 10. My hammies got a major overhaul with Tuesday's stair workout and Thursday's hill repeats. Saturday's unexpected hilly 12-miler certainly made things interesting. Oh well, with the scaled back (long run) mileage, it all balanced out.

In case you missed out, here's what went down on the blog this week:
This week's fitness? All kinds of F-bombs!
8 Tips to get you Race Day Ready
Biking - Running's Perfect Partner

In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair...it feels great when the temps remain warm as the humidity disappears. Last week there was a nice reprieve from the extreme heat, but it was a challenge to dress accordingly. Warm outside usually translates to freezing cold inside...or is that just at my place of work? Anyways, I'm a fan of cheetah print and I love bright colors, so the turquoise cardi serves me well, year round. It's just a bonus when the sandals match. Go ahead and join us...post a pic of an outfit, grab the hashtag(#fridayfashionflair) and give me a tag (@runningonthefly).

Finally, as mentioned, the hubby and I enjoyed a quick last-minute trip to the northwest corner of the state. That meant adjusting the blogging time (via wifi accessibility), as well as all social media play, but that was all good, too. It's okay to unplug periodically.

So, that's the latest! Summer is winding down, and the fall season is just around the corner...how did that happen??? The training continues, the long runs are getting longer and MCM is two months out...even though that seems like a ways away, the reality is that the next 5-6 weeks will bring me peak mileage in the running shoes.

Your turn....How are things in your world? Cooler weather? Are the shorter daylight hours affecting your training? Ever had to adjust your "ideal" routine due to weather or travel?

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55 comments:

  1. Unplugging is one of my favorite things to do. Although I sometimes am still reading on the Kindle, there are no pop up alerts to distract me from just being. Glad you had a great getaway.
    Given your early morning runs and the time difference, it's as if we're running together sometimes. love it. So excited for my down week next weekend. Waking at 530 to meet at 730 nad having it dark has been weird.
    Love your argyle arm warmers

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    1. Thank you, Cari ;-) The arm warmers are getting a lot of action lately with the cooler morning temps. I burned through a lot of my data this weekend, even unplugging as much as possible.....first world probs, right? ;-)

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    2. I have almost no data plan. It's bizarre but also wonderful.

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  2. Boo to the dark mornings! I've been wearing a reflective vest for a few weeks now and recently stopped using headphones, next up is knuckle lights and after that the treadmill.

    Congrats on the 12 miler!

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    1. Yes, the dark mornings are a buzzkill, right? I've been using the Knuckle Lights most of the summer (most of my early runs would start in the dark, if only for the first mile or so), but now the they're on for most of the duration. UGH. I want my summer back ;-(

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  3. wow another solid week for you-you did lots of double workouts as well. You have so much energy! Hope you had a nice weekend away together

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    1. The weekend away was nice, but the intermittent wifi was a stressor in getting this post done LOL I had a lot of it done before we left (up through "Thursday"), but there was a lot more to add in. I like the double workouts...I think I sleep better when I can get in some cardio/fitness after work ;-)

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  4. You are working hard and well. The cross training is a very good solution. I am sure you will have a fall full of good results.
    Here the weather is hot and humid again (no problem, longer swimming and shorter running). The shorter daylight hours don't affect my running because, after the retirement, I can run when I want.
    Have a good week.

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    1. Thank you ;-) I have done so much biking this summer (well, at least in the past eight weeks). It's been a real good thing for my recovery, I'm hoping it serves me well in the next eight weeks as I do the final prep work for my marathon

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  5. The dark mornings are bumming me out too! And your Wednesday run sounds like one I had this week, too. Humid and then rainy!

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    1. No rain for us on Wednesday, but the humidity was crazy!

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  6. What a great week! I've noticed I get to see a sunrise when I'm on my pre-breakfast bit of my work day now, which is good for photos but does tell me the days are getting shorter. I love you did your long run with hubby cycling alongside, that's great. It's got hotter here again, weirdly - up to 87 this afternoon and only a bit cooler this morning for our run!

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    1. The long run went well, considering it was in a strange place and super hilly. The hubby grew up near the area, so he was a fantastic tour guide.

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  7. Nice job on your workouts this week! I love how you have really taken to bike riding this summer. All of that cross training is going to be great for your marathon training!

    Awesome job tackling that hilly 12 miler yesterday and I love that your hubby joined along on the fun too!

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    1. Had I known those 12 miles would encompass 30(??) hills, I might have been dreading the run. Ha...it's a good thing ignorance is bliss ;-)

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  8. I'm at 19 floors at the moment, most of them courtesy of my trail race. 70 is insane! For me, anyway. Poor Max. Good thing you didn't trip over him!

    Glad to hear the hammies recovered well. I am tired from just the 10k, but nothing is complaining, knock on wood. Nice job, Kim!

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    1. Yes, Max was freaked out by all the storming outside, and did not want to leave my side...at least for the first series of stairs ;-)

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  9. I am also whining about the dark mornings - starting at 5 am before coaching Tuesday mornings means that I saw the moon and stars that morning. Yeesh! This week was also a go with the flow week for me - luckily it was a cutback week so I was able to flex some days. Hope you and your hubby had fun!

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    1. Well, we did see all the stars (and some of the moon) Wednesday...it was storming like crazy Tuesday morning in my area. It was fun doing the long run with the hubby alongside (via his bike).

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  10. This week will be my first week of running in the dark again. Womp, womp, womp. It's always a sad sign that summer is closing. At least we have some time before the daytime chill sets in. Holding on tightly to whatever I can get!

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    1. Yes, I'm holding on tightly to any semblance of summer I can get.

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  11. Love that sidewalk art from your Monday run! I love it when I find something unusual, beautiful, or profound on one of my runs (or money, I love to find money too). That pretty eye and the words that go with it are all three.

    I am starting to panic about not having enough time to get my long runs in for MCM. Flexibility, just like you wrote, is the key to successful running!

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    1. I have to thrive on flexibility or I'd be in a constant state of panic. This weekend was stressful, in regards to getting my blog post finished...but I did my best to OCD over it and tried to enjoy every moment for what was happening in the present ;-)

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  12. The growing darkness is so depressing. 2 months out from MCM doesn't sound like a lot to me at all. You've got peak weeks then taper. Time flies so fast. Hope you had fun on your getaway!

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    1. Right? I have a slew of long runs (each one getting longer LOL), then taper will be here....

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  13. I hate that we are losing precious light.

    I'm training for my first full - pretty scary but I survived my first 14 miler.

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    1. Great job on the 14-miler! It's crazy how that extra mile (and all the subsequent ones coming) just happen like routine...

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  14. Good for you for getting in your 12 miler out of town! I am too scared to ride my bike in the dark (even with headlights). I'd be worried about debris on the trail ... or critters! On one of our rides this week a squirrel ran into my front wheel. My husband said he just sort of bounced off ....

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    1. It is a little freaky in the dark, especially on those hills on the bike path. SO far, nothing has jumped out at me...so far...

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  15. When I saw the picture of the Lake Shore Drive sign on Instagram, I assumed you were in Chicago! Glad you got it all in while out of town. It can be tough, but we always figure out a way, don't we? On many Saturday mornings in Blacksburg Bill and I started our long run at 5 AM so we could get to our 10 AM tailgate for a noon game.

    Thanks for the linkup!

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    1. Yes, when I saw the Lake Shore Drive sign, I had to get a pic ;-) I thought the world needed to know there wasn't just one Lake Shore Drive LOL

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  16. Great week! And nice job with the double workouts! Nice that you got a little getaway - and for you for still getting your long run done!

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    1. Thanks, Michelle. When the hubby sprang the last-minute weekend thing on me, my first thought..."What about my long run?" Thankfully, he grew up in the area, and his family vacationed there frequently, so he offered to be my tour guide ;-)

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  17. Sounds like a great getaway and it's always fun to do the long run in a new location!

    The dark mornings are so sad :( At least it's still warm!

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    1. This long run did go well, and it was nice doing it somewhere other than the streets in my town. The dark mornings are a major buzzkill!

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  18. I am not liking that its so dark in the mornings now! I feel like that happened so quickly. That sounded like it worked out well to have you husband ride while you ran, especially since you were in a new place.

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    1. I agree...it seems like the "late" sunrises just started a couple weeks ago and have zapped most of my early morning daylight ;-(

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  19. Sounds like a busy week! When Holly and I hosted the WW, posting on Sundays when I was out of town was always a challenge!

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    1. This was a HUGE challenge because there was limited wifi and even more limited time to get the post written. A big first world prob LOL

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  20. Great job with the flexibility and getting those workouts in! It looks like you saw some cool artwork on your runs this week :)

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  21. As always, you are absolutely dedicated to getting it done! Weekend posting can be really difficult. I always struggle when we are crazy busy. I just squeezed this one in under the deadline, too LOL!

    I love that your husband rode alongside you so you can get in some miles. That's some teamwork!

    And I love your animal print! It's definitely on trend this season and I don't know if I can pull it off!

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    1. The great thing about busy lives it that it forces us to prioritize things...and somehow the important stuff gets finished.

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  22. The darker mornings are making it hard for me to get out of bed! But I'm doing it. The added thought I need to put into my outfits now are making it a bit slower to get out the door too - Noxgear for the win! My hammies were a bit irritated last week by my speedwork too. I need to take it back a notch. Good job getting your workouts all in!

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    1. The Noxgear will be well-utilized from here on out...for the next nine months LOL My friend, Barb, got them for us at Christmas time. It seems like a (seasonal) rite of passage....

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  23. So I think you know my ideal weather has nothing to do with summer - LOL :-) I'm loving the cooler temps with zero humidity we have had here over the past few days - yay!!! I also love your comment about your weather app finally being right about the storms! It's so true - I have two different weather apps and they are both usually wrong!! Also love you got to get away and do a long run in a new place and having your husband ride along is such a bonus!! Mine would never do that!! Looks like you had a great week overall. Be careful riding those hills in the dark for the next few weeks!

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    1. ha ha ha, yes we are polar opposites on the "ideal" weather, but that's okay. I have two weather apps, too, and they seldom are in agreement (and neither are usually right in what really happens regarding the precip). I'm afraid the early morning rides will be tapering off soon....I just need one more to get to the coveted 10. Then we might do them on a weekend afternoon until it gets too cold.

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  24. It was almost like two different weeks... so hot and humid the first few days and then finally cool and perfect running weather after that....

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    1. 2019 has been quite a year in crazy temps! We've have both extremes, sometimes within the same week.

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  25. I am not liking the dark early morning hours. :-( However, I do like the cooler weather.

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  26. Ugh, I know the dark mornings have started! Summer went by entirely too fast, however Fall is my favorite time of year to run!! Great week of miles Kim :-)

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    1. I do like fall, I just prefer the long days of summer. Summer did go faster than usual this year.

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  27. I wish we could have both bright mornings and cooler weather! That's so fun that your hubby rode with you while you ran - what a great way to enjoy vacation together while still getting in a long run!

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  28. Looks like you had a great week! Glad the bike helped your legs feel better!
    It is not getting much cooler here in TX yet, but I am ready for a bit of fall weather. Although, I am not a fan of the darker evenings.

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