Sunday, December 22, 2019

My Kind of Winter


When it comes to Iowa weather, you never know what you're gonna get.

We have hot summers, damp and windy springs (usually with residual snowfall), and sporadic autumns. Winter is a crap-shoot all its own.

This week, we had a taste of everything.

Before I reveal the down and dirty, 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 what went down this week in my little world of fitness and whatnot:

Never miss a Monday
I started the day with 30 minutes on the elliptical. My left Achilles (and vicinity) had been feeling a little wonky, so I wanted to give it a little more time in between runs. Besides, it was cold outside! Later, after work, I headed out for two miles...and everything felt great. The Christmas lights were shining bright at our town's central park display.

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Take it easy Tuesday
The temps were 22F (with a feels-like of 12F), but there's a beautiful tranquility of the early morning hours. Tuesdays are typically a rest day, so just a 1-mile run to keep the run streak alive.

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Even in the cold, I love that early morning tranquility
Double workout Wednesday
Another brisk morning (with too much wind), I decided to keep it inside. Upper-body strength work to the rescue (and 20 minutes on the elliptical).  After work, I did another 1-mile streak run through the 'hood. Nothing grandiose, but it was already day 21 of the run streak!

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High-stepping it Thursday
Another weekly #5at5 run with my friend, Barb. The temps were chilly (22F, with a 14F feels-like), but bearable. The weather really turned nice by lunchtime, though, so I took Max for a short walk over the noon hour. Later, after work, we went for another walk together and I continued on for two additional miles. It had been awhile since I'd taken a long walk outdoors, so it was a nice change of routine.

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Double fitness Friday
The morning temps were moderate, but forecast to be beautiful by lunchtime. I started the day with some fasted cardio, via a lower-body focused HIIT session. It may not look like much on paper, but it was a solid 20 minutes of sweat equity.

four sets: 
*10 squats
*10 mountain climbers
*1-minute wall sit
*10 plank jacks
*10 regular jumping jacks
*10 burpees

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Coach Max kept a watchful eye on me
 Over my lunch break, I got outside for two glorious miles in the 48F temps in the sunshine! Now, this is the kind of winter weather I like. It's not every day I can comfortably wear shorts - in  December - or take a pass on gloves.

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Sensational sunny Saturday
Holy Chilly Sunrise, Batman! The temps felt colder than anticipated, but only for that first mile. A big day ahead (ahem, the son's collegiate graduation!), so I met up with Barb for another 5-mile (somewhat) early morning run. Nothing like fresh air, conversation with a runner friend, and a beautiful sunrise...am I right? Later, the temps climbed to the 50F's...that's downright balmy for Iowa!

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Simply sunsational Sunday
With the unseasonably warm temps the day prior, Sunday morning greeted us with a fresh layer of frost everywhere. With our annual "Under the Holiday Lights" group run happening at twilight, I opted for some power walking with the hubby (after we took Max around the block for his morning business). I was really glad to NOT be running on the slick, frosty pavement...walking was tricky enough for this klutz queen (#glasshalffull).

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Is it obvious which set of legs are mine and which are the hubby's?
Later, a few of us met up for a 5-mile run around town, canvasing the holiday lights. The temps were near-perfect (low-40F's,  but with a bit of wind), and the lighted displays were beautiful.


So, it was a decent week in my fitness world. It felt good to get back outside for some walking (8 miles). The elliptical saw 50 minutes of action. Friday's HIIT was a nice reminder of how much I like those early morning sweat sessions. Total running tallied at 21 miles (including those five miles on  Sunday evening). I mentioned my left Achilles being a bit wonky. What I didn't mention was hitting the inside of my left ankle on an obnoxious bolt sticking out from our futon (on a dark morning LOL)  almost two weeks ago. No bruising, but it hurt something awful. I think my Achilles suffered because I was compensating for my ankle (without knowing it). After wearing a compression wrap on the ankle most of this week, everything feels better...both ankle and Achilles. I'm keeping my "long" runs at 5 miles for the remainder of my streak (ending on New Years Day) as a precaution, though.

In case you missed out, here's what went down on the blog this week:
Back to the BRRR!
Just Cool It...and don't skip the cool-down
2019 - Looking Back, Moving Ahead

In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair on Instagram....Tis the season for holiday-inspired fashion, right? The ugly sweaters have staged quite a comeback, by being "fashionably unfashionable," I'm hoping the same isn't true for my handful of holiday-patterned dresses. In my defense, I only get to wear them a couple times each year, so I choose to embrace the brightness.  As always, you're invited to join the fashion party on Friday...post a pic, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and be sure to tag me (@runningonthefly). It's fun seeing our fitness friends in "real" clothing, right?



Saturday was a busy day for our family. Our son graduated from the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business! So, yes, we have another Iowa alum in the family. We had a nice time celebrating his achievement, but we also paid tribute to Iowa's former football coaching legend, Hayden Fry (who passed away earlier in the week).

And, finally, I want to take a minute to thank each and every one of you for all of your support, encouragement and inspiration! I'm so grateful for all of my runner friends, near and far. I wish I could hug all of you in person.


Anyways, that's what happened last week. This coming week is going to be action-packed as the hubby and I head to California (via a detour through Arizona) to support our Iowa Hawkeyes at the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. I'm excited to check off a few more cities (and a new state) on my running journey.

How did the past week go for you? Crazy weather? Holiday happenings, races or fun runs?


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46 comments:

  1. Congrats on another great fitness week and for keeping up your streak! Another 9 days to go!
    A very smart move with the Achilles. I think it is the trickiest part of a runner's body and if you don't respect it, it will backfire horribly.
    Lovely picture of you and the family at the graduation! Congratulations to your son.

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    1. I have never had much trouble with either Achilles, so this had me perplexed for a bit, wondering WHAT I'd done. I think the issue has resolved itself, thankfully!

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  2. Congrats to your son! Sorry about the ankle/achilles, but glad it's doing better.

    It's been super cold here. Too cold to walk the dogs -- we got out for a very short one finally after several days of no walks. Plus, of course, more snow.

    Have a wonderful holiday, Kim!

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    1. I'm thankful the Achilles/ankle is almost null and void now. I ran five miles tonight, the last three or so miles relatively fast, and neither felt affected. WHEW!

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  3. Wow, that's so much warmer than here the one day - how odd! Lovely outfits including the dresses. I sported a Christmas buff today and I think I'll be running Christmas Eve but also want to wear my Christmas leggings to marshal at parkrun on Christmas Day - hmmmm...

    And thank YOU!

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    1. Oh and also congratulations to your son - sorry! And hope you have a safe and lovely journey.

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    2. I typically don't wear the obnoxious leggings for anything non-running related...but I might wear them to work tomorrow for the big "holiday dress-up" day LOL

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  4. I can't believe you're already in the homestretch of your streak. Time flies. Congrats to Ashton! What a wonderful accomplishment to celebrate!

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    1. Thanks, Marcia! We're really proud of him! Getting into the business college is pretty cut-throat, but he got in and stayed in...and now it's all done. The streak is so close to being done.... :-)

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  5. Congrats to your son!!! Congrats to the proud parents as it is also a huge accomplishment. So happy to see you running in shorts. It is supposed to b warmer this week so I am hoping I can run in shorts too.

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    1. I'm hoping for a couple more runs-in-shorts before the streak ends. I know I'll get a few of those when we're in Arizona and Cali...but there's a couple more Iowa days remaining...

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  6. Congrats to your son! It's always exciting to have another alum in the house! We have that with VT and our oldest son, but our youngest son went to a rival school.

    I hope your Achilles (and surrounding area) is feeling better.

    Thanks for the linkup!

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    1. Our oldest daughter went to Iowa State, which is Iowa's BIG inner-state rival LOL. It was a perfect fit for her, though, with her field of study.

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  7. Congrats to your son! Will he be staying local? Looks like you have a lot to celebrate.

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    1. He starts his first job on the 30th, at a bank in Des Moines. He's going to live at home for a few months (to save some money for a house down payment) while he figures out where to live in the big city.

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  8. Okay so I need those candy cane leggings - they are just too cute. Also I'm dying over the cute sweater that Max is wearing!

    Congratulations to your son - that's so exciting!

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    1. Thanks, Kim :-) The candy cane leggings are actually from Walmart LOL They're kind of thick (fleece-lined) and don't have much "give" to them...but they're fine for the few times I actually wear them each year.

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  9. Huge congrats to your son and all of you! Enjoy your trip to California and soak in all the warm temps

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    1. I'm looking forward to Cali! You know how much we love Iowa Hawkeye football :-)

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  10. We had a winter warmup in Minneapolis too! Not quite 50, but 40's felt great. I am not complaining about no white Christmas over here!

    Awesome week for you- lots of fun and double :) workouts!

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    1. The 40's felt so warm...isn't that crazy! No white Christmas for Iowa this year, either.

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  11. I love your consistency! Sorry to hear about your ankle but I'm glad things are feeling better.

    Huge congrats to your son!!

    Have fun in California!

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    1. Thankfully, the ankle is feeling about 80% better. Injuries suck, especially when they happen due to clumsiness and not actual legit "activity."

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  12. I love your Santa socks! Congrats to your son

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    1. Thank you! I have another pair of Santa socks...not sure if I'll have a chance to break them out in the next couple days or not...

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  13. Congrats to your son! Have fun in California! And I'm glad your ankle is all better! I think that's enough exclamation points for one comment. :)

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    1. The ankle thing was weird....I was worried I'd broken it at first because it hurt so bad. Then I realized, if I'd broken it, I probably wouldn't be able to stand on it LOL

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  14. Congrats to your son! Glad your ankle is feeling better. I find that whenever I don't have adequate support in my right foot and my ankle pronates it wears on the Achilles. Happened on Sunday's race last week to me. A few days usually sets it right!

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    1. It wasn't until I realized my Achilles hadn't hurt until AFTER the ankle incident that everything made sense. I'm just glad it wasn't more serious...my ankle really hurt for the first few days.

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  15. Any workout with 40 burpees is some serious sweat equity! I love your santa socks. I'm glad that Momma N gave you a 50 degree December day, and it looks like she's sending some of that our way. Merry Christmas Kim!

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    1. Momma N certainly was generous this later part of this past week! maybe she's not so bad after all (?). I've gotten so I don't mind burpees,but I have to do them in sets of 10 (or less). Then the final set is usually a bit compromised on form...

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  16. Congratulations to your son! It sounds like you had a great week. I haven’t had to run in super cold weather yet this year because our coldest days have been icy too, and I don’t mess with that. Merry Christmas!

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    1. I've had a handful of super cold runs, but they've all been short. I know there's more on tap once January arrives....

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  17. Its always nice to have mild weather in December! I feel like if December is bad then we have no hope for the rest of the winter. Glad your ankle isnt too much of a problem.

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    1. I think our Decembers have been pretty mild (overall) the past few years. The Januaries (sp?), though, have made up for all them LOL

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  18. Congrats to your son.

    Hope you ankle is better...same with my foot.

    I hate the cold as you know but it's still better than not running. and geting out the door is the hardest part.

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    1. I'm not a fan of the cold, either...no surprises there LOL I can tolerate it, most of the time, but that doesn't mean I'm embracing it. But, yes, a cold run is better than NOT running. I feel your pain of being side-lined, even in icky weather.

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  19. Congratulations to your son!

    I’ve been to Iowa once. Well I actually ran there once. My son was living in Bellevue, Nebraska and when I realized Iowa was just across the river I ran there just so I could say I did it!

    Remember, if you find your travels from Arizona happen to send you east on Interstate 10 give me a holler. I’m thinking you’ll probably head south first and come into California on I8, but I want to put it out there. In any case, have a great time and go Hawkeyes!

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    1. I will keep you updated! I'd love to have a meet-up (or a run) with you :-) Go Hawkeyes!!

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  20. Oh, I love this! So fun! Congratulations to your son! What an accomplishment!

    I love your under the lights run. I'm really looking forward to next year so I can get in my holiday running again.

    Have the best time on your trip! I am usually all about staying at home on the big holidays, but sometimes, it's good to get away!

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    1. This is our first big trip (during the holiday season) sans kids. I do feel a bit guilty....but it was a last-minute decision. We're all getting together tomorrow and Christmas morning, and we all were together at the son's graduation. I'm just thankful everyone is in the area now, so we have many options for family gatherings.

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  21. Congrats to your son, and on keeping up the running streak! I've also been a victim of the rogue furniture bolt before - though in my case there was a bruise I noticed about a week later. Me: "Where did that come from? Oh...right."

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    1. I was really surprised there was no bruise, I whacked my ankle good!

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  22. Glad your ankle and Achilles are feeling better, and congrats to your son! Great job keeping that streak alive with the tough Winter weather.

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    1. Thankfully, our winter weather took a turn for the warm recently. There definitely were some cold days, though, early on.

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  23. Looks like a great week. I am going to have to try one of your cardio workouts soon. They look like a great workout! Congrats to your son. I love your dress - it looks a lot like the pattern on my holiday tights! I'm happy to have found this group of bloggers. Thanks for always giving me inspiration! Happy Holidays!!

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