Gloomy Is As Gloomy Does

Gloom is a state of mind, and quite a subjective one at that.

No doubt, things continued to stay nutzo with the #covidcrazy pandemic. The weather, though not uncomfortable, certainly wasn't all sunshine and warmth either. And, although I felt humbled at times, my fitness endeavors kept the sweat flowing and my heart pumping. After all, I get to do fitness endeavors, no matter how tough or challenging. That's always a good thing!

Before I lay it all out, 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's non-gloomy snow...
Don't adjust your screens, that is snow! We had nonstop snow from Sunday afternoon until late Sunday evening. As I said (via social media), it doesn't matter if we're only a couple days into Spring, Iowa weather doesn't usually follow the calendar. I have to admit the snow did look pretty and made for a very tranquil setting, so I laced up and got out for an early-morning #nevermissaMonday 2-miler before work. I've been doing my Monday runs after work (for the past few months), so it felt great to do something different. And that snow? It was gone a few hours later. No harm, no foul.

Tuesday's non-gloomy recovery day
I'd had a busy weekend. There was the COVID 19-miler virtual run (Saturday), an hour of loading/carrying a couch and love seat to our son's new condo (through two sets of stairs, none the less, also Saturday), a 2-mile recovery run on Sunday morning, more loading/unloading items for the son (Sunday late afternoon), and that 2-miler on Monday morning. I had  ZERO regrets for all the action, but my body definitely was ready for some recovery time. I spent 30 minutes on the elliptical (to loosen up the legs), and that's all she wrote (well, except for some stairs).

Wednesday's non-gloomy #5at5 in the fog
As per usual, Barb and I met up for our weekly run. It looked (and kind of felt) like the set of a horror movie. There was thick fog, plenty of damp mist in the air, and even some wind (you know, for good measure). Actually, though, the run went very well despite the eery, less-than-desirable atmosphere. Oddly, we saw a lot of traffic...usually we're lucky if we see one vehicle during those early morning miles.

Thursday's non-gloomy HIIT/plyo and upper-body strength
It had been a few weeks since I'd done any HIIT or speedwork, so it was time. I wrote up a workout before bed (on Wednesday) and awoke the next morning eager for action.

I'm calling this my  "Fast & Furious 4 Sets of 5" ((ahem))...
**5 stair flights (double-stepped)
**10 burpees
**15 jump squats
**20 mountain climbers
**25 plank jacks
**1-minute wall sit (as recovery)

Trust me, this looked a lot easier on paper than it was to execute (LOL), but that's all good. I can do hard things, and I'm quite grateful. The four sets took me less than 24 minutes, and everything was thoroughly awake and alert (and on fire) when I finished. That's a good thing, too. I also did a 20-minute upper-body strength workout after dinner (sorry, no pics).

Friday's non-gloomy recovery day
I woke up Friday morning expecting some DOMS to be ready and waiting for me...but they were MIA! I fired up the elliptical for 30 minutes (of leg flushing) and called it good.

Saturday's non-gloomy #8at8
There were all kinds of rain and storms (and even a tornado watch later in the day) in the forecast. Imagine my surprise when Momma N blessed us with a window of "non-activity" (which hadn't shown the evening prior). Barb and I, respectful of social distancing (again), knocked out eight miles. It was a similar scenario to Wednesday...heavy fog, nonstop mist in the air, numerous puddles. Also, there were millions (upon millions) of worms. Everywhere (all together now..."EEEW!").  The run went well, though I was a saturated mess (from the puddles and all the mist in the air) when I got home. And, I discovered I'd worn an old pair of shoes by mistake. Oh well.

Sunday's not-too-gloomy Fight for Air Climb, via virtual
I got the email, late Friday afternoon, that the Fight for Air Climb would not be rescheduled after all. Instead, the organizers were encouraging all participants to climb together virtually on Sunday morning, which was the Climb's original date. I had already planned to climb the 76-floor "distance" on my own anyways, but it was a real buzzkill to now know this would be the grand finale for the 2020 event. Not gonna lie, that was a bit of a gut punch...but it is what it is. Even though going up (and down) my stairway 76 times isn't the same as climbing the four buildings in downtown Des Moines, it still honors all the work of the American Lung Association. To smack this COVID-19 (in my own way), I continued on to 100 flights (instead of just the 76). No finisher medal this year, but I do have seven others and over $1,100 in (cumulative) fundraising in my name. And that will do for now.

So, another interesting week. Honestly, I have nothing to complain about, other than a couple more races going virtual (that had previously been postponed)...and that's not even a valid complaint, given the current situation. Running was a bit scaled back (after the previous weekend's high mileage), 15 total miles for this week. Walking had a big upswing with the hubs and I walking a couple miles almost every day, as well as some extra walking on my own  (14 miles). There were two elliptical workouts (60 total minutes), one upper-body workout, and 205 stair flights climbed. And let's not forget Thursday's HIIT/plyo extravaganza.

In case you missed out, here's what went down on the blog this week:
Spring Break: BROKEN
My 2020 Spring (empty) Bucket List
Runfessions...because somethings never change


In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair! Although it's not an easy time (or a happy time) for some of us, I'm doing my best to keep things bright and cheerful and colorful. After all, our attitude is one thing we have 100% control of, right? 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).

This is not an easy time, by any means...but there's a lot of things that have kept me optimistic. Fitness, especially running, has played a big part. It's a big "constant" for me, usually on a daily basis. It's in my control, and that hasn't changed. I am well aware of all the negative out there, and the seriousness of this virus. I'm not ignoring any of that...I'm just choosing to focus on all the good. For myself, that's time and energy better spent.

 And, who doesn't love Dr. Seuss?

The first week of the 19 Minutes for 19 Days Challenge has gone well! Thanks to everyone for participating! It's not too late to start...anyone can join at any time. Let's do this together!

#19for19Challenge

Finally, when I got home from my Saturday long run, I was taking off my wet shoes, and felt a little disgruntled to see how much the soles were already worn. I've had these shoes since just before Christmas and had really hoped to get a lot more wear out of them. Then I realized they were shoes from almost two years ago (yeah, DUH!)! I've hung on to them for walking and elliptical, or really short runs (2-3 miles, max). Thank goodness the new shoes are still in prime condition. Can you see the similarities between the two pairs? (Thankfully, at least I had a matching pair on!)

new shoes on top, old ones on the bottom

So, that a wrap! I hope all is well in your household and you and your family are staying safe.

How was your week? Any new at-home workouts? Are you able to work onsite, or working at home for now? Virtual events?

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