Sunday, March 1, 2020

All is Well that ends Well


All is well that ends well, especially in terms of the weather!

But, Holy Brrr, Batman...we had to wait for it.



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 - kind of a daily double
My Monday routine (as of late) has involved early morning stair-training (with a few push-ups thrown in), then a post-workday outside run. Why mess with a good thing? 40 flights and 40 push-ups in the early hours, and a feel-good 5K after work (with 10 bonus flights of stairs before and after). Works for me!
      

Tuesday - easy does it
A double workout day on Monday means an easy, no-impact day for Tuesday. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and the usual 20/20 (stairs and push-ups), and I was good for the day.

Wednesday - the usual #5at5 run
Another cold morning, Barb and I met up for our weekly 5-miler at o'dark thirty. I kept seeing fog everywhere...only to realize (duh) it was my breath hovering under the glow of my light-up hat. It remained pretty cold all day, so I walked a couple miles on the treadmill after work instead of layering up to do so outside.

Thursday - another stairway HIIT workout & another double workout day
I've said it many times, but I seldom do the same workout twice. Such was the case with Thursday morning. I came up with this to "up" the intensity on the stairway with a few more intervals.

All About the 5's HIIT Extravaganza
***5 sets (obviously)***

*5 push-ups
*5 plank jacks
*5 burpees
*5 stair flights (double-stepped)
*5 push-ups
*5 mountain climbers
*5 jump squats
*5 stair flights (double-stepped)
*1-minute wall sit

Final totals: 50 stair flights, 50 push-ups, 5 minutes of wall-sitting, and 25 of all the other moves. Total time was 27:31, and I was wide awake when finished. The wall sits acted as a brief recovery period between the sets. This workout wound up being more intense than it looked on paper (at least for me), so a brief cryotherapy fix outside was warranted afterwards. There also was some upper-body strength work in the evening (but you don't need to see another pic of my biceps curling LOL) .

Friday - recovery day
Nothing grandiose...20 minutes on the elliptical, 20 flights of stairs, and 20 push-ups. Less than 30 minutes of action, just enough to wake up the body and mind. I've been fielding a lot of questions about my stair-training, and the time commitment of doing 20 flights a day (at the minimum). Friday's 20 flights took all of 4:36 minutes (which includes both going up and coming down). Similar to run-training, I don't "run" them fast very often; I just take the steps "by two's." It's really nothing strenuous, but just enough stair action to keep my endurance in peak form for the Climb.

Saturday - a preview of Spring...as the day progressed
Temps were forecast to be in the upper-40F's by afternoon, but it was a different story in the early morning. Barb and I met up for nine miles and had the great idea to run some roads on the edge of town (in other words, in the open air without the benefit of buildings to act as a wind barrier). All I can say is the 5mph wind on my weather app was a big fat liar, and those miles were a lot of work. Everything hurt, from the armpits-down when I finished. Granted, that was my longest run since my last half marathon (Hillbilly Hike, early November), but UGH.

Sunday - recovering in the Spring air!
After lots of stretching, rolling, and couch time (Hey, there were some GREAT basketball games to watch!), I awoke on Sunday morning feeling better. Still a bit stiff and rickety, but much better than 12  hours prior. I headed out for a 2-mile recovery run before church...and  WOWZA! What a beautiful morning in the sunshine! Within a very short time, I knew my body was back on track. Not everyone embraces that kind of action the morning following a long run, but movement is magic for me.

So, the week played out decently. Running miles totaled out at 19, and walking miles were 10. The elliptical saw 50 minutes of action and the stairs dominated with 190 flights. I've been doing 10-20 flights as a warm-up/cool-down for my runs, which has been a good strategy. There also was one upper-body workout and all kinds of push-ups (190). Onward!

In case you missed out, here's what went down on the blog this week:
A Winter "Wonder" Land
Winter...A Tricky Test of a Runner's Tolerance
First, Let Me Runfess

In other news:
Although the weekend had a big warm-up in the forecast, it wasn't happening yet on Friday. The sky was grey most of the day, and there was an abundance of wind (I ask you, WHAT'S new???).  Anyways, sometimes you gotta bring your own sunshine and brighten the day with some color and pattern. At least that's my strategy. 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).

Guess who came out of hibernation? With the (somewhat) warmer temps on Saturday afternoon, the bike (remember Gustavas?) and I did five miles on the dry streets. My post-run legs appreciated the flush-out from pedaling around town in the fresh air. Besides, I'm pretty sure I've never done a Leap Day ride, or even a February ride for that matter.

Last of all, February was an action-packed month in my fitness world. My running mileage is starting to increase, with the upcoming March races on tap, and the stairs were well-utilized (Fight for Air Climb is March 29th). I'm on the fence if I'll continue with the daily push-ups...I might consider doing them a few times/week since I did get a little burnt-out doing them on the daily. Stay tuned.

So, that's a wrap on the final week of February 2020.

How are things for YOU in your fitness world? Does it feel like Spring yet? Is Winter still hanging on, for one last hurrah? Any big or fun fitness achievements this week? Upcoming races? 

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45 comments:

  1. If I have anything to say about it, winter is over! We had another big ol storm and freezeout this week and mild temps in the forecast for next week. I'm so excited for spring races!

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    1. Yes, Winter needs to be over. Thankfully, we have a nice week on tap (after tomorrow)...

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  2. A great work-out week, as always! I love your stair workouts. Quick, efficient, always available.
    You getting out your bike reminded me that I haven't been on the bike for a full 2 months! I don't have a bike in Cape Town and I sorely miss it. Looking forward to getting back to it in April.

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    1. I was really surprised how easy the bike ride felt...it had been a solid four months since the last time Gustavas had seen any action. Even the "saddle" didn't hurt afterwards LOL

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  3. I would have thought 20 filghts of stairs would take longer. Nice week of workouts! I love that you have a routine when you're not on a training plan. I'm so clueless without structure in my week of workouts. My bike just went to the shop for a tune up. I'm sure it will be a bit before I get out and ride though. I am looking forward to my summer riding again!

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    1. Since doing the Fight for Air Climb for the past several years, the stair-training fits perfectly into my winter routine. I have a sprinkling of short road races, but nothing that requires any hardcore mileage, so the stairs are my focus. Lucky me LOL

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  4. I love your shirt on Friday.
    One minute wall sit, wow. You are my hero. I'll get there.. eventually.
    While I don't mind afternoon/evening runs, I was so sore yesterday. Likely like you said, the flush is a good thing. I meant to do legs up the wall, but that position post sushi wasn't happening.

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    1. I had forgotten how good a bike ride felt for my legs following a long run! Although we have a stationary bike, I have ZERO interest in dusting it off... so there has been no cycling since October.

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    2. I'm a fan of the bike at the gym when I need/want to read. It's funny because it was my primary exercise for a long time, and now it doesn't generally feel intense enough to be exercise.

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  5. Crazy weather. Spring. Then snow. Rain predicted for the week

    Can’t wait for warm weather and no layers.

    Kudos on another full week of workouts

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    1. Knock wood, our week is looking warm and dry (well, it's gonna be chilly tomorrow...), so I'm hoping the residual mud dries up. I'm ready for full-on Summer....

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  6. I almost prefer cooler temps and no wind. The wind is ridiculous today. I'm just over it.

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    1. The wind is such a downer, especially when the temps are cold and the air is damp. I'm way over it, too.

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  7. Your stair routine is looking like it's back in full swing! Nice week of workouts for you. Spring is almost here

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    1. Yep, the stairs are going strong ;-) The Climb is four weeks from today....

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  8. Unfortunately for me & my long run, the warmer temps are not coming along until tomorrow. This weekend was sunny, but brutal.

    I averaged 13 flights a day last week according to my Garmin. But not all at once. :)

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    1. We have a decent week on tap...so I'm excited for more outdoor walking and (hopefully) more biking.

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  9. Your "recovery day" routine doesn't sound very restful! :) And your HIIT extravaganza...Whew! You are a serious workout fiend. And I mean that in a good way. Great week!

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    1. Honestly, my recovery days are restful for me LOL I like the elliptical for the cardio aspect, but I don't find it to be too challenging or strenuous. And the stairs are not a big deal because I just do them out of habit...

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  10. This is our first day where our temps are really "spring like". Yesterday was nice and sunny but still in the teens when I ran and never got warmer than low 30s. Busy week for you as usual!

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    1. It was a little disheartening how cold it felt yesterday morning...not as warm as forecast (until mid-afternoon). Today was very pleasant...wish it would stay just like that for the next six weeks.

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  11. A great week, well done!! It has been sort of spring with us, with some flowers etc but yesterday's run was freezing and wet and it hailed in the afternoon!

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  12. Your recovery days always make me laugh because you're still so active, lol. Great job this week on all of your workouts.

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    1. Thanks, Kim ;-) Honestly, the recovery days do feel very low-maintenance since there's just minimal stairs and the elliptical (which doesn't feel very strenuous).

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  13. That's a lot of push-ups - nice work! The wind you dealt with yesterday seems to have made its way here today. Definitely makes every run feel so much harder. Great job on fighting through it and getting 9 done!

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  14. How funny that I asked who's riding outdoors this time of year, and you talked about your first winter ride. How did you feel temperature wise? Did you stay warm enough?

    I'd definitely recommend not doing push-up more often than every other day. Your muscles need about 48 hours to repair and recover before you challenge them again with the same exercise or they'll remain stagnant and you won't see the muscle growth (strength) you're looking to achieve. That's one of the things that a lot of the challenges don't take into consideration - rest, recovery, and repair days for the muscle groups being challenged.

    Thanks for the linkup and have a great week!

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    1. My thoughts exactly on the push-ups. I had them as my February Challenge, but don't typically do them daily year-round. I'm thinking of keeping them as a MWF thing, or sneak in a set of them with my HIIT's on Thursdays (then omit them on W or F). Thanks for your input!!!

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  15. The wind is always a liar...I would prefer to run in any other type of weather (well, probably not hail).

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    1. I agree...the wind can be such a deal-breaker. It definitely is my least favorite "weather challenge" to fight.

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  16. That's a killer HIIT workout! I'd get confused doing push-ups and stairs twice in one round -- I tend to get lost in the moment when I'm working out. It was great to see you get your bike out!

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    1. ha ha! I had the workout written down, and had to check it off each time I completed a round LOL I think I accidentally skipped one set of push-ups the first time through, so I did a few extra when I was done.

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  17. I know we talk about it every week but...this weather! It's wild. It feels like spring one day and then the winds kick up and we freeze our cheeks off. ;) I've seen a few of my friends out on their bikes lately. It's been so mild and dry so why not?

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    1. The weather definitely is a factor, that's why we talk about it LOL One of the things I wrote about in last Tuesday's blog post about Winter was how it seems like I'm constantly acclimating to the cold, then it warms up (briefly) then I have to re-acclimate all over again. Just give me Summer, please!!!!

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  18. I'm amazed by how consistently you come up with new ideas for at home workouts! I feel like you are always trying something new! Probably keeps you from being bored.

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    1. Well, I do get bored LOL Also, I think it's good to mix things up and keep the muscles guessing :-)

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  19. 650 push ups for February! My hero! Another action packed week for you and I was pleased to see Gustavas out and about again! I'm looking forward to seeing the races you've got lined up for March!

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  20. I actually think it was colder here this week than it during most of the winter. Not a good way to welcome March! You are doing great with those stairs!!

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  21. good week, heck - good MONTH! you're smashing it as per usual! nice you got a ride on as well!! The weather has been so bad here I've hardly even rode my bike to work! UGH. Ready for better weather. Love your Friday top!

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  22. That sounds like a tough run Saturday but that's great news you felt so much better on Sunday!

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  23. Love those 5s and love that your bike made an appearance!

    The weather has been gorgeous here - I actually got some windburn on our Sea World field trip, which was crazy. The pugs are loving it outside, and I wish I felt secure enough to go for some exercise walks on my own.

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  24. I have been following you on instagram all this time and just realized you had a blog : ) Yay! New discovery! Looking forward to reading more....and welcoming spring soon!

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  25. Great week of workouts, as always! It did not feel like spring last week, but this week it does! I hope the nice weather lasts!

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  26. Another awesome week for you! 650 pushups? Wow! I think I did 50 wall push ups. :-)

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