Weathering the Week

Momma N was in quite a mood this week.

We were treated to the heat and humidity of summer. There was a fair amount of wind and rain. And, we flirted with winter-like temps as well.

It would be nice if she could just pick a lane.

But enough about the weather already...


Welcome to the Weekly Run Down! I love hosting 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 the run down on what happened this past week:

Monday - Flashback to summer!
After a mileage-heavy weekend (17-mile run on Saturday and 5-mile Mollie Tibbitts tribute run on Sunday), my body was dog tired. Nothing was achy or sore, but things definitely were tired. I kept the #nevermissaMonday run to a simple two miles, though I would have loved to have gone longer in the summer-like temps! After work, in anticipation of a rainy Tuesday, I also went for a 10ish mile bike ride with Michele.

Tuesday - here comes the rain again
Rain was in the forecast, so I went to bed Monday evening with the plan of an elliptical workout happening. Well, the forecast rain was MIA...so I went for 2-mile power walk instead. All of that forecast rain? It didn't make an appearance until late in the afternoon, and then it dumped 4 inches of rain on us in a matter of a couple hours.

Wednesday - #5at5
Cool temps, damp streets and a lovely breeze (NOT!)...how does that sound for a setting? The weekly early morning 5-miler went well, despite the chilly, humid and foggy air.  In the evening, I also did 20 minutes of elliptical sweating before lights out.

Thursday - "misted" out
The early morning temps weren't uncomfortable (51F), so I headed outside with the intention of a 2-mile power walk through the hilly 'hood. Only there was a rather heavy mist in the air. It resembled swirling snow under the street lights. After the first mile, I bailed...I headed back inside, dried my hair (briefly), changed into dry shoes and fired up Milly. UGH. It had been a long time since I'd even looked at her (she's my treadmill, BTW). I set the speed at 4.5, put the incline on 3 and had at it. Granted that's a pretty fast-paced walk, but it felt just like old times - painfully slow and horribly boring.

Friday - early autumn or early winter???
With an 8-hour road trip on the agenda (to Ann Arbor, for the Iowa vs. Michigan game), Friday morning was my only option for a long run. I took the day off from work, and was out the door by 5:30...suited up in winter-like gear. The temps were 41F when I left the house (#BRRRR). For the first time in several days, there was no precipitation and a clear sky. I don't think I've ever had to wear a stocking hat (or a flannel-lined base layer) for a long run, and didn't know how that would fare for 18 miles. It turns out that I had the layers nailed with perfection. Some of the middle miles got a little strenuous, and I honestly didn't know if I'd have the mojo to do all 18 (and would have been content to cut it short at 15 miles, or even 13). Once I got to 15, though, I got my second wind and was able to finish all 18! Oorah!

Saturday - a (hilly) shakeout run pre-game
Good morning, Ann Arbor! After more than eight hours in the car (with several rest stops for walking/stretching/foam rolling), we arrived in Michigan late Friday evening.  After we found parking, Saturday morning, I hit the streets for a 2-mile shakeout run while the hubby (and our son and family friend, Paul) got the tailgate stuff organized. It was fun seeing all the tents set up along the streets near Michigan Stadium (also known as the Big House), and several fellow Iowa Hawkeye fans clapped, cheered and high-5'd me as I ran by. An awkward fork in the road, though, took me a little out of my way. I was able to navigate my way back, but an extra mile got added to my "short" run in the process. OOPS. Thankfully, all things felt good considering the previous day's 18-miler and long car ride (as well as the somewhat hilly route I wound up running).

Sunday - the reality check
After the whirlwind trip to Michigan (oh, and that 18-miler on Friday LOL), my mind and body said a big "No way!" to running. My hip flexors felt a bit grumpy and my mind was a bit foggy from lack of sleep. I got out for a refreshing 3-mile power walk before church, though, and things felt much better (body and mind). It's hard to say farewell to Summer, but the breezy 44F temps certainly gave me some perspective...the sunrise is still beautiful (even if it's happening later and later), and I do have quite a colorful collection of fleece jackets and pompom hats. I'll be just fine.

So, the week of roller-coaster-like weather played out alright. It was a constant guessing game on whether I'd be running (or  on what day), and if so...how far? That said, the mileage worked itself out. Running miles came in at 28. Walking was a bit lack luster (thanks to all the rain), and totaled out around 12. Biking, also a victim of the weather, ended at 10 (but there may be a ride happening Sunday afternoon). I'm on the fence about doing one more long-long run this next weekend. I'm quite content with Friday's 18, so getting in that "20-mile-benchmark" run is not a priority. Besides, I'm doing a 10K next Sunday, so a shorter long run will serve me just as well.

In case you missed out, here's what all went down on the blog:
Peaking out the Mileage
Favorite Features of Favorite Races
Coffee Talk? Chai Chat? Call it what you will

In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair. We all know I  love summer, and I wear the white skinny jeans at least once a week. I actually wear them year-round (white is a color after all, and doesn't need to be showcased only in the summer months). Since it's officially the autumn season, I mixed in the red and black buffalo plaid with all the white. What do you think? As always, you can join me on Instagram on Fridays...post a pic of a featured outfit, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and be sure to tag me (@runningonthefly).

#Pushuptober Challenge
It's been awhile since I've done a monthly challenge. Somehow, in the midst of everything else, I've been slacking on doing routine push-ups, so I'm doing them on the daily for October. I'm only doing 10/day, so I can focus on my form without over-doing it. Care to join me?

September miles
No doubt, my September saw plenty of action. Marathon training will do that to you, right? This is the highest mileage I've had in a long time, even higher than some of my high-mileage months last year when I was training for the Cannonball Marathon. Take a good look, because you will not see that kind of mileage again for 2019.

Iowa vs. Michigan football game!
We lived in the East Lansing area for several years, but I never made it over to Ann Arbor for a football game. The hubby is on a quest to visit all the Big Ten football stadiums (not all in the same year, thankfully), so we road-tripped to Michigan this weekend. We did our best to cheer on our Iowa Hawkeyes, but unfortunately we did not cheer loud enough. I'll just leave it at that. But, we still had a great time seeing the Big House (where the Michigan Wolverines have kicked a lot other opponents' buttocks as well).

So, there you have it! Another week done, and another week closer to the MCM start line.  How did your week play out? Crazy weather as well? Any significant races coming up? Have you been to the Big House?

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