Sunday, November 10, 2019

A Filtered Fall-Out



It's been a week of meh. Not a crisis, but my current reality.

Let's just say the weather has been un-seasonal (and not in a good way). Though the calendar still shows November, the temps have been as cold and crazy as January. The sun has been playing Hide and Seek. The wind has been blowing. The snow has been falling. I could go on....

But, I've been honoring my MCM recovery (and am feeling {almost} 100% brand new). The running was very low-key this week. Definitely not a deal-breaker, but an odd shift in routine compared to the past 14 weeks of 26.2 training.

And, did I mention the weather?

When things feel blah, I do my best to un-blah them...which may (or may not) explain my small #filterfetish this week.


But, before we get this party started...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 ;-)

Monday - #nevermissaMonday
Fresh off a pretty epic weekend (hello, 13.1 PR for Voldy at the Hillbilly Hike), I awoke to cold temps on Monday morning. The drive to get outside for any kind of physical activity was ZERO, so I stayed in. After work, the temps were slightly warmer and my body had an additional 12 hours of rest...so I got in an exhilarating 2-mile run, among all the fallen leaves, in the lingering sunshine.
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seen on my run
Tuesday - #insideaction
Tuesdays have been a rest/recovery day for me forever...and that trend continues. I got in 15 minutes of fasted cardio with Ellie (my elliptical), and did some walking with Max later.
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low-impact cardio
Wednesday - #WowzaOnTheWeather
An early 2-mile power hike through the hilly'hood...with a hint of daylight happening as I finished.

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As I monitored the weather, things were turning cold and snowy and windy. Barb and I decided to meet after work for five miles, but we kept it in town, hoping for some shelter from the 17-mph wind. Holy blustering wind, Batman! Old Man Winter and Momma N were sprinkling voodoo dust on us!
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yes, that's snow blowing sideways!
Thursday - #mileswithMilly
As forecast, but only colder, it was frigid Thursday morning. How do 14F temps (with 2F feels-like) grab you? Thankful we got our run done the evening prior, I fired up Milly for some early morning walking and did some core work later. Brrr.

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Baby, it was cold outside
Friday - #notjustarunner
After some elliptical time, I got back to my strength work and worked my arms and shoulders before heading to the office. Upper-body strength-training is my favorite! I love feeling that burn! Besides, skinny arms are so yesterday, right?

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don't call me skinny
Saturday - #HolyHillsWisconsin
The hubby and I road-tripped (after work on Friday) to the Madison area for the Iowa-Wisconsin football game. Saturday morning treated me to a very hilly 3-mile jaunt, complete with snow-dusted streets. Let's just say everything, from the waist-down, got worked-over on that run! No Badgers threw any rocks at this visiting Hawkeye, so it was all good.
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bonus points for my lipstick matching my gloves
Sunday - #rest101
Post game traffic didn't have us on the road, headed home from Madison, until nearly 8:00. Needless to say, there wasn't a whole lot of get-up-and-go on Sunday morning, even for this early-morning riser. But, it's my off-season (LOL). I did some planking and walking before we headed to church so there's that. There may be some napping on tap for the afternoon as well.
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check out that bedhead!
So, that's a wrap on my first official week of off-season fun. Not much for running (10 miles), but that's all well and good. Walking was a bit dismal as well (9ish). But, there were two elliptical sessions and a good upper-body workout. That's all well and good as well.  Another week or so of low-key rest/recovery time, and I'll get back to more "focused" fitness. Stay tuned.

In case you missed out, here's what all went down on the blog this week:
Focusing on Recovery
2019 Hillbilly Hike Half Marathon
PMDD - Post Marathon Distress Disorder

In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair! Have I mentioned that's it's been cold and frigid in Iowa? My go-to means of keeping warm is embracing sweaters and all things hand-knit. Scarves, ponchos, and cowls do wonders for brightening up my outfits and brightening up my day. You do what you gotta do, am I right? As always, feel free to join the party! Post a pic on Instagram of a featured outfit, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and be sure to tag me (@runningonthefly). Easy peasy!

I've mentioned before that we love NCAA football, and the hubby and I are on a quest to visit all the Big Ten stadiums. We made it to the Big House (Ann Arbor, MI) last month, and this weekend we hit Camp Randall Stadium (Madison, WI). Despite the disappointing outcome of the game, it still was a fun time seeing a tiny peek of Wisconsin's capital city and a glimpse of the UofW campus.


A new challenge for me this month has been daily wall-sits. Have you given these a try? They work your quads! On Saturday, while waiting for the game to begin, the hubby and I explored Camp Randall Stadium...climbing all the steps (there were a lot of them, and they were quite steep in some sections). I also propped myself alongside a wall and "sat" for a bit. I set a new wall-sit PR, making it to two minutes!
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Last, but certainly not least, it's Veteran's Weekend. I'm so honored (and extremely proud) that three important men in my life have donned the uniform and served: my father, my late father-in-law, and my husband. A huge thank you to all vets out there!



Tell me about your week? Winter-like weather? Great workouts? Rest/recovery? Any races coming up? Have you ever struck a wall-sit in a public setting?

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40 comments:

  1. Oh it has gone SO COLD here, it turned on Saturday and we're down to the mid-30s which is a bit sudden. A friend had ice for her lake swimming up a bit further north and I froze doing officiating. It's OK to be cold but it's sudden! Love the hand-knits, I have a good few lovely items and they're sooooo cosy.

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    1. Our cold weather is pretty sudden, too. It always gets cold in Iowa this time of year, but never this extreme. UGH. I hope it's not an indication of what's to come when the "real" winter season begins...

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  2. We are having the same weather and are looking forward to snow tonight and record cold this week. Yay! Can't wait!

    Isn't Madison amazing?

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    1. Snow for us tonight as well. It's too much winter too soon. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see much of Madison, but it did look nice near the Stadium. We had an amazing view from atop the Stadium, when we were exploring before the game. Pretty cool seeing both the lakes, etc.

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  3. What happened to fall? Two weeks ago at MCM it was 80. This week it is in the teens. Ugh! Your run in the cold and wind sounds tough! It felt good for me to get back into strength training after not doing it in the month before MCM. Your ripped upper arms are so impressive!

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    1. Our fall was short and rainy. It's supposed to be cold again this week....I'm glad all of my "have to" runs are done for awhile ;-)

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  4. I love how you fight back against Momma N. Last winter when I first found your blog I loved your outdoor selfies and now I'm digging your fall filter. We've gone from the beautiful red, orange, and yellows to just plain old brown. The s-word is coming tomorrow so I made sure to get out today for 4 miles just to tell the weather what I think about that. I'll join you for the daily wall sits challenge!

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    1. We're into the browns, for the most part, as well. There are a few remaining reds/oranges...but it's been so cold and so windy (and rainy!), that there has not been ample time to enjoy the limited color change this year.

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  5. way to roll with it all Kim. I find it cold enough here and to be honest it's not even really cold! I've never done a wall-sit in public but I have foam-rolled in a rest stop parking lot, does that count? :)

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    1. Well, this was my first wall-sit outside of my house LOL Not sure it will become a regular thing...though I have done plenty of push-ups at rest areas and restaurant parking lots while traveling.

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  6. It does seem chilly everywhere and early for all the winter gear to come out. I love how you both are such college football fans. Super fun!

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    1. Winter is way too early!!!! We need to figure out the next Iowa-Indiana football game and make plans!!

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  7. We had some flurries on a very brisk Thursday, but no snow sticking yet. That may change big time next week. Or not, who knows?

    That leaf looks enormous in your photo!

    Trying to decide whether it's worth sweetalking Mr. Judy into a road trip for a half this month or next . . . it's probably a hard sell & most likely not happening, but I'm kind of sad I'm really pretty much there. Perhaps my short-lived foot pain today is a sign that maybe it's not the right time. Well, we'll see.

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    1. Our snow has not really stayed...it snows, hangs around until lunch time or so, then gradually disappears.Though, tonight, there's 1-3 inches in the forecast. UGH.

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  8. Ok, i was going to complain about our cold temps but FEELS LIKE 2 is just too much. We were feels like 15 one morning and I didn't want to leave my bed! Way to go in getting in some awesome workouts and what a great variety.

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    1. It's supposed to be feels-like in the single digits tomorrow, too. I might just do my Monday run early, when it's dark, so the cold isn't as obvious (it always seems "colder" when the sun is shining and you can't actually feel any heat from it LOL).

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  9. You might enjoy the Madison Marathon or Half....just saying. The Big 10 stadium goal is a fun one! Typically I don't mind winter but when it shows up in early November I MIND!

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    1. I have been seeing stuff about the Madison races, actually! I have not done any Wisconsin races yet...so I definitely need to add that to the bucket list ;-)

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  10. I HATE the COLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was kinda glad that it was during a week that I was resting after the marathon...but it's supposed to get worse next week :(

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    1. Right? I'm kind of glad the cold happened during a recovery week, so the temptation was ZERO for getting outside LOL

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  11. I love the cool weather...COOL not COLD lol. It's been in the 50s and 60s this week and I've been loving it! That's Florida winter though. I'm not sure I could do 14! As much as I hate the treadmill, I'd probably get on one in that weather too!

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    1. I agree...cool weather is bearable, but cold is no bueno.

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  12. AHHH - Go Badgers! I loved football games when I was a student there, the student section is a blast and I love how the whole city celebrates the game. It might be an urban myth, but I once heard that during Jump Around, Camp Randall registers on the Richter Scale LOL

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  13. I'm sure your body needs a break after your amazing "season" of running that seems to have stretched all year! Congrats again on the PR at the Half.

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    1. Thanks!! It's such a paradox...I feel recovered, and am a little bit (just a tiny bit LOL) burnt out from all the miles...but I do kind of miss the routine.

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  14. Oh my goodness, that is COLD! It's gotten down into the high 20's here a few morning, but it's bounced back up to reasonable weather during the day. That cold blast from Alaska is headed our way this week, though. Brrr!

    Thanks for the linkup!

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  15. It's been cold here but we haven't had the temps like you yet. Although we did have a dusting of snow on Friday. I'm extremely excited for snow season to kick in. We've got big skiing, boarding, snowshoeing plans. And of course, I love to run in it!

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    1. I don't mind the snow, etc., it's just too early for it (in my ever-so-humble opinion). It's super windy here, so that makes the winter tough to deal with on some days.

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  16. Yep, the temps have been dropping. Today was actually really nice out and the high was 50. I think a lot of people were taking advantage of the temps and putting up Christmas lights. I wish I had!

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  17. We've had some cold weather too, and some windy and rainy days. I'll admit I hid indoors on the really cold morning. (If I had run later in the day I think it would have been fine to be outside). We need a few more weeks of fall before winer really starts!

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  18. The wind has been horrible here too! Luckily the temps are not as bad so it's been manageable but I also live above a lake and oh man brrrrrr!!!! I love your pics from the Iowa game. I'm not a huge fan of college football (I love NFL!) but I did watch the Alabama/LSU game and whoa!!! Hope you have another great week :-)

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  19. Snow today. Why!?!?!? Don't like it. Wall sits are hard. I don't remember the last time I did those.

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  20. I can't believe you have snow!!!! Meanwhile, in Florida, temps dropped into the 50s and we put our heat on. Oh, the shame LOL.

    That being said, the running weather has been glorious (when it hasn't been raining), and I am taking full advantage.

    I love wall sits. I think I'm going to pop one out right now!

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  21. Ugh, that weather does sound tough. Good job on pushing through and getting it done anyway :) That's a good idea to add in wall sits, I haven't really given those a try before.

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  22. It is way too early for snow.
    I love your Sunday plank mani. What color is that?
    Hope the meh is just weather related and passes relatively soon

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  24. Thanks to your family for their service!

    Congratulations on the half marathon PR, and look at that snow!

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  25. Winter has rolled in way too soon. I don't usually mind the cold, but I feel like I got gypped on Fall. Good job not letting the weather slow you down!

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