Sunday, February 23, 2020

A Winter "Wonder" Land



Ever wonder, really wonder, exactly what season is happening outside?

Well, this was such a week. It was cold. It was windy. There was fog. And rain. And more snow. But, there was sunshine. And it got warm.

Talk about your "wonder"land.

Before we get into all the nitty gritty details, 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 in my little world of fitness this week:

Monday - How about some precip? And fog, for good measure?
When you're just not feeling the run in the wee hours, and the early morning rain ain't exactly calling your name, what's a runner to do? This runner painted her toe nails (because, eewww, they needed some TLC) and did 60 flights of stairs while the polish dried.

With the run postponed until after work, the great outdoors were still looking bleak. The temps had been flirting with sub-freezing/above-freezing all day. The streets were still damp with intermittent black ice lurking. And, there was fog, lots of fog. You can probably see where this is going...I decided it was best to keep the run inside with Milly, but I still selfied outside afterwards. Two #nevermissaMonday miles of running and a mile of walking (for the cool-down). Gotta love those  double-workout days!

Tuesday - non-impact/recovery day inside 
As per usual, the indoor Tuesday routine continued. Twenty minutes of elliptical (and 20 flights of stairs) to greet the morning. Max and I had a couple of short walks (at lunch and after work) and I walked a little more on the treadmill before dinner.

Wednesday - a cold & windy #5at5
Dang. In case there was any doubt, Winter was still very much a reality in Iowa. At least it wasn't snowing and the streets were clear for the weekly early-morning adventure with Barb. Glass half full!

Thursday - another arctic blast outside = HIIT inside
I posed the question on Facebook and Insta...Cardio, coffee or cryo for a thorough wake-up? Hands-down, it's cardio for me, and with the freezing (-13F) feels-like temps, it happened inside. But that brief post-workout cryotherapy certainly was pretty effective as well.

Here's what went down:
*40 total squats
*40 total push-ups
*40 total "Spiderman" mountain climbers
*40 total burpees
*40 total stair flights

Doing four circuits (sets of 10 for each move) netted me about 30 minutes of sweat equity. I also did some upper-body strength work in the evening (no pics, but I pinky-swear it really did happen). I'm kind of liking these double workout days!

Friday - easy-peasy recovery day, complete with wind and sunshine
I have gotten into a routine (during this non-26.2 cycle) of keeping my Fridays low-key. There's usually a semi-tough workout on Thursday, as well as a long-ish run on Saturday, so an easy Friday is a perfect fit. Thank goodness! Remember those squats from Thursday? There were only 40 of them, but I must have done them with vigor, because my glutes and hammies were a little cranky come Friday morning. I walked a mile on the treadmill and climbed 20 stair flights, and everything felt much better. There was also some stretching on tap for the day.

Saturday - a chilly, hilly and windy 8-miler in the sunshine
I met up with Barb and we set out for eight miles. The hammies were still entertaining some residual DOMS, but they were manageable. The temps were cold at 7:15 (31F with a 22F feels-like), and the wind was a little naughty, but that sunshine! We even shed the gloves, a couple miles into the run, because it didn't feel that miserable once we had the wind at our backs. Then, as the day worn on, the temps climbed into the upper 40F's!

Sunday - more sunshine and mild temps
I woke up Sunday morning feeling a bit stiff and tired (despite actually getting more than six hours of sleep). So, I went for a 2-mile recovery run. As predicted, I came home feeling so.much.better. Maybe it was the bright sunshine? Or the fresh air? The crisp (mild) wind in my face? Honestly, I wish I would have figured out the magic of recovery runs much sooner. Everyone's recovery strategy is different (duh, it has to be LOL), so I'm glad I figured out what works for me.  Movement is magic.

So, a decent week. Running capped out at 17 miles. Walking had 11 (intentional) miles logged. As I've mentioned in previous weeks, I'm focusing on stair-training this month (in prep for the Fight for Air Climb, on March 29th), and 200 flights were climbed this week. As for other cross-training, there were 20 minutes of elliptical, one HIIT workout and some upper-body work. Variety, anyone?

In case you missed out, here's what went down on the blog this week:
Can You Say Daylight
2020 FreezeFest 5K race recap
10 Special Keepsakes from 10 Significant Races

In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair! I've mentioned my fondness for puffer vests a time or two. With Friday's windy  (but not-too-cold) temps, a puffer vest was a perfect fit...warmth from the wind, without the bulk of a full jacket. Plus, the funky, colorful pattern is anything but boring. As always, you're welcome to join me on Fridays...post a pic on Instagram, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and be sure to tag me (@runningonthefly).

Did you know Thursday was National Love Your Pet Day? I also heard Saturday was National Walk Your Dog Day. Well, I don't know who is making up all these "national" days, but they are kind of fun. We walk Max a lot (when it's not extremely frigid outside), so there's no need for even more pics of that, but I did post this favorite pic of him on Thursday. As many know, we adopted him from a nearby shelter five years ago, and it's been such a great ride. He's a fun, crazy, energetic (and sometimes mischievous) little dude, but he's also quite a charmer.

So, talk to me! How are things in your fitness world? Any races happening, or coming up? New cross-training endeavors?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter

48 comments:

  1. It was a little chilly yesterday for long run day but the sunshine was off the charts! Where I am with my fitness right now, I feel like I need complete rest the day after a long run, but I know that a lot of runners dig the recovery run and I'm definitely taking notes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Recovery is SO personal. I have had so many people shame me for not taking complete rest days, but my body needs daily movement (even if it's slow and easy-paced). It took me awhile to figure out what worked for me didn't necessarily have to be what worked for others. Our sunshine has been crazy bright and beautiful these past few days, too ;-)

      Delete
  2. Wow, you've had all the weather there! We've just had a third consecutive weekend of storms and high winds although today wasn't as harsh as yesterday (when I was timing parkrun while trying to keep the Finish sign upright with my leg after the lady holding it up had to stop!) and nothing's been as scary as Ciara two weeks ago when I was too frightened to run!

    I've been through some slightly crappy times with the new cats having health worries etc, so have missed out on everyone's posts - will link a short update when the link up is open.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was glad to see your cats are doing better! It's scary and so stressful when our pets aren't feeling well...

      Delete
    2. It is, thank you for understanding that, and we are on high alert having been through awful times with our previous cat. It helps that we've agreed we got them too soon after that, and husband is working from home one day a week to equal out the cat care, which is also helping.

      Delete
  3. Overall it's been a mild winter here, but we had some sub-z wind chills last week and I'm over it. Looks like the cold will rear its ugly head again later this week but this weekend so far has been glorious. Every day is love your pet and walk your dog day here! I suspect the same for you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, every day is love thy pet day :-) I'm so over the cold weather, too. Just because this winter has been more mild than extreme doesn't give it license to stick around for several months LOL

      Delete
  4. Your pedicure/ stair climbing routine always gives me a chuckle! Multitasking for the win. Glad you finally ended your week with some warmer temps and sunshine

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, a gal has gotta do....the toe nails needed attention, and the stairway was the perfect place for them to dry and set ;-) The temps this weekend were so nice! That's my kind of winter!

      Delete
  5. Max is so cute! We really need a guest blog by blogger dogs theme.
    Darlene and I channeled you with the stairs up to the light house. You'd love BErmuda for your stairs/hill work -- there isn't a flat inch.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bermuda certainly did look like a good time! I'd love the stairs and hills ;-)

      Delete
    2. I have no doubt. You might have turned the lighthouse run into a run up and down and run. The views were amazing

      Delete
  6. I'm such a klutz that if I were to paint my toesies and then run stairs, I'd get polish all over the front of the stairs as I tripped over random ones. LOL

    It got quite cold here for a couple of days (cold as compared to the rest of our winter, but nothing compared to what you experienced). Even though it's been an extremely mild winter, I'm so ready for spring!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, in full disclosure, when I'm barefoot I'm not "running" the stairs too quickly. I know my limits, and coordination and grace are NOT my strong suits LOL I'm ready for Spring, too!!!

      Delete
  7. I'm having short dates with my stationary bike lately. The glorious weather today made up for that frigid blast of air earlier in the week!

    The first thing I did when I got home from run today -- before I put away my groceries -- was walk the dogs. They LOVE when they don't need coats!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Max gets so excited when I ask him if he wants to go for a walk! I can barely get the harness/leash hooked on him ;-)

      Delete
  8. I think I spent National Love Your Pet Day at the emergency vet, ha! Love the pic of you and Max.

    All this melt and refreeze is making running a challenge! I'm ready for clear paths and hot sunny runs please :)

    Great week, thanks for hosting the link-up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree, the melt/refreeze is annoying! SO many of the sidewalks are sloped enough that there's constant puddles that keep refreezing...and I have to avoid them on my o'dark thirty runs. Thankfully, the streets are free of traffic (for the most part) on those mornings.

      Delete
  9. Awww, Max is so cute! It was funny (or sad?) that when I wanted to find a picture to post of my missing cat last week, I didn't have any on my phone!! I do need to take more pictures of my pets. Painting toenails is just a summer thing for me. No one sees my toes during the winter, and heck, I'm growing back all my toenails due to marathon training season anyways. (ewww)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, my toes ALWAYS need polish. I don't get black toe nails, but some of the nails have gotten "thick" and simply need a pretty color on them to distract from their ugliness (IMO). #RunnerProbs

      Delete
  10. Our weather has been wonder-ful here too. And wonderful -- unless you like snow! You are so brave with the wind! That is one thing that keeps me inside if I know about it in advance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The wind is definitely NOT my favorite weather condition to face...but at least I know it's in my face only for part of my runs. We've had a lot of S/SE wind this winter, and it's felt cold...usually the wind out of the south is more balmy than freezing. I'm just done with Winter LOL

      Delete
  11. I love your short, short (2 miles or less) recovery runs. What a great idea. Your stair climbing is just amazing. I am such a klutz. I think I would face plant on the stairs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The short (and easy-paced) recovery runs have been a great thing for me. There's only been a few times when I haven't felt better from doing them, or have had to cut them short. It's just a great way to stretch out the legs, or ease out any weird "kinks" from the previous day. Not everyone's cup of tea, but they work like magic for me.

      Delete
  12. That Thursday workout looks intense- way to go!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love doing HIIT workouts with stair work mixed in...just a fun way to mix up the cardio with a bit of lower-body strength.

      Delete
  13. You are really Baddass with all your workouts.

    I went to Montreal and it was almost spring-like. Crazy weather but loving it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. It seems like Jack Frost has a hold over your part of the country this month - so darn cold! I think it's been colder there than here in CT which is super strange, lol. Despite the weather, I love how you mix it up between outdoor and at home workouts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Kim!! I love being/staying active...there really is no excuse to be sitting still LOL It's a fun challenge finding ways to work out when the weather conditions aren't always favorable to be outside.

      Delete
  15. Isn't it amazing how that Sunday recovery run made you feel so much better? And then some sunshine, too, that's a perfect way to close the week. Well done on the variety, too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes!! It took me awhile to even try the recovery runs...I was too afraid of needing rest and not recovering "properly" if I did anything that involved exercise. I had a friend, who has run many ultras and is a much stronger athlete than myself, tell me that a big workout (or long run) is really taxing to one's body and it kind of throws your body into shock when you stop. The body, often times, needs movement to help the recovery process...and all I know is that it works for me ;-)

      Delete
  16. It seems like the weather is all over the place these days! But thats better than day after day of freezing weather. I think I would be too nervous to climb stairs after painting my toenails- I would worry I would miss a step and mess them up (plus get polish on the carpet lol)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've said it many times, but the weather has been so crazy. Last year was insane, and this year has been more mild, but still not predictable in the least.

      Delete
  17. Kudos for your double workout days! Ha, I can barely get one done. :-) I know right, who comes up with these holidays? I love my pets every single day. They make me laugh and smile. Sometimes I like to do a recovery run and sometimes I prefer not to run and take a complete day off. Everyone one is is different.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The double workout days are fun, but I'm careful to not do them on the daily LOL

      Delete
  18. 60 flights of stairs?? Dang you're stepping it up...literally haha. We got a "cold front" too but it was in the 40s which for you is probably spring! It's warm here for another few days then supposed to be cold again by Thursday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The 40's feel downright balmy to me at this moment...shorts weather ;-)

      Delete
  19. It was super cold and windy here, too over the last few days. Little man went camping and it was in the 30s at night (he was about an hour southwest of our house). Brrr.

    Love that puffer! So cute!

    I have stepped up my gym game and am spending a lot more time on the treadmill and the elliptical. It's been good.

    ReplyDelete
  20. The temperature was all over the place last week, but we had lots of sun. So much I got a sunburn.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, no sunburns for me, but I did LOVE all the sunshine over the weekend ;-)

      Delete
  21. Sounds like some crazy weather last week! I love that colorful pattern on the puffer vest :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The weather has been very crazy...a constant guessing game!

      Delete
  22. "Wonder" land - love the play on words. It has been an odd winter. We've had 40s & 50s the last couple of days, but of course temps will be plummeting again and it looks like rain and sleet most of this week :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our temps are dropping, too...but I think most of the precip is gonna be south of my locale. Fingers crossed!

      Delete
  23. good week for you Kim, rolling with the crazy Iowa weather! We just have storm after storm. Saturday we were on our way to Amsterdam by train when it all fell apart - a tree fell on the tracks and people were stranded and detoured! I wish I would have recorded the mayhem.

    I never know about any of these "national" days. Which nation? Sometimes I see that stuff here too and I think, huh? And National Walk your Dog day? don't you do that every day? Max is the cutest <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow...that tree on the tracks would be freaky! Yes, almost every day (except when it's too cold...we do a quick backyard "business trip") is national walk your dog day for us ;-)

      Delete