The Summer Heat Meets the Street

Baby, it done got hot.

In the state of Iowa, that is. Don't worry, I'm not complaining (though a tad less humidity would be nice).

As I've said a time (or ten) before, I wait upwards of 10 months for summer weather to arrive. I don't spend much time indoors (other than for working and sleeping), so the heat and humidity are just part of the reality. I'm good with that.

I was able to take all my workouts outdoors again this week, so there was plenty of sweat equity deposited in the fitness bank. I'm totally fine with that as well.

Before I share all the details, let me extend a warm (quite literal) summertime 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 ;-)

Anyways, here's what went down in my little world of fitness this week:

Never miss a Monday

With the UN-Canceled Project's 5K's in the rear window, I was excited to return to my regular Monday routine. I did a simple 3-mile run (instead of a 3.1-mile time trial), I ran a different route, and I left the Garmin at home. Go me! The air was muggy, the skies were looking dark, and the clouds were a bit menacing, but I made it back home before the rain hit.

Not my typical Tuesday

I usually keep my Tuesdays on the down-low...walking (or elliptical in the winter), and not much else. Somehow, I had it in my head to go for a ride, though. The sunrise was like nothing I'd seen in awhile...the colors and the highlights/shadows on the clouds were breathtaking. I rode 10 miles and my legs appreciated the flush-out that biking gives them. I also walked a couple miles later, over lunch and after work.

Another double workout Wednesday

More muggy temps set the scene for the weekly #5at5 with Barb. Just as we were about to meet at our spot, a train came through, blocking the intersection...at 5:00a.m.! In all our years of running at this early hour, we've never encountered a train. Fortunately, we were able to see each other (in between the passing train cars), and we signaled each other to run "parallel" with the train...she had a sidewalk, and I had a parking lot (hey, desperate times). All told, we only lost a couple minutes before the train cleared, and we were able to officially "join up" and run our route.

Later, in keeping with our newest endeavor, the hubby and I returned to the outdoor stairway after work. This week, we did 50 flights. Holy heat, Batman! It was warm, but we had a nice breeze so it wasn't unbearable.

Upper-body strength for Thursday

Again, I had a HIIT workout all ready to go, but my legs said "Please, let's not." In all honesty, I'm kind of getting a good dose of HIIT (with cardio and lower-body strength as a bonus) from the recent stair workouts. Instead, I did about 20 minutes of arm/shoulder/back work, outside on the patio. I'm thankful to have options, especially in terms of taking the workouts outdoors. I take one set of hand weights (these are my 12-pounders) and vary the reps (depending on the intensity of the move) instead of using dumbbells of multiple weights. Doing the moves slowly increases the intensity as well. No gym? No excuses!   

Fighting Momma N Friday

With intermittent rain on tap all day, I decided to beat Momma N at her own game. I grabbed the umbrella and got outside for an early morning 2-mile walk before work. After all, I've run marathons (and ultras!) in the rain, walking is easy-peasy. By mid-afternoon, most of the rain had moved on, so I walked another 2-miles after work (this time with the hubby). 

Long run Saturday

Even though I got a good night's sleep (six hours! That's an "extended"night for me LOL), and I woke up before my alarm, I felt sluggish on Saturday morning. The temps were warm (upper-70's with 81% humidity) so I donned the hydration vest for the first time in 2020. Barb and I met at 6:30 with the hopes of knocking out 10 miles. Let's just suffice it to say this run felt tough from the get-go. We had a few rolling hills, but nothing treacherous. We didn't have much for shade cover, either, nor was there any semblance of a breeze. One of my water bottles was leaking (faulty cap?), so I had to carry that in my hand to keep it from soaking up the hydration vest. It wasn't until the eighth mile that I finally felt a little bit of mojo kick in. I had entertained the option of quitting at eight miles, but that little bit of mojo (and some shade cover, at long last!) motivated me to finish out the entire 10. 

I was a major "glistening & glowing" mess when I made it back home. The hydration pack was thoroughly saturated as well (mostly from me LOL). Both bottles were depleted (one had contained water, the other had Nuun). I drank another bottle of Nuun, this one for recovery/re-hydration, and it took a good 20 minutes, and a slow walk around the block, to cool off. You know it's hot when I'm feeling its effects, right? That said, we all have tough runs. I'm thankful I have the grit to soldier through them and the wisdom to respect them for the lessons they teach us.Thankfully, they don't happen very often.

Recovery-for-the-win Sunday

After feeling zombie-like following that 10-miler, I felt much better as the day wore on. I'd gotten a mid-afternoon nap, and taken a 2-mile walk after dinner. I even went out for a short 5-mile bike ride, just before sunset. As per usual, I ran a short-2-mile recovery run early Sunday morning...and felt like the previous day had never happened. Everything felt great, even with the 95% humidity. The hubs and I went out for an 8-mile ride after I returned home. Then, we took Max for a quick 1-mile walk before the rain moved in (scary clouds!). 

So, all in all, it was a decent week. Running had 20 miles, walking had 19 (with more on tap for later Sunday), and biking had 25 miles. One upper-body workout, which felt great. And, I'm so glad to have weekly stair workouts back in the mix; for myself, they're a great alternative to lower-body strength work. Current stats on the Great Run Across Iowa has me at 154 miles of the 315 grand total ... which includes both running (82) and walking (72).

In case you missed out, here's what all went down on the blog this week:

Cruising into the Solstice

My Summer Running Essentials

Runfess? I Think YES!

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair! Friday was horribly humid, which translates to sub-freezing temps inside our air-conditioned office. I love my sleeveless dresses, but #brrrr!  Instead of the standard cardi, I grabbed my denim jacket this time. I love the distressed wash of the fabric, and the dragonfly brooch represents my blog's namesake, so that's always appropriate LOL. 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).

We celebrated Father's Day, last weekend, and were able to have all three kids back home for the afternoon. Sigh...why do they have to grow up?

And, finally, I almost wet myself when I saw this meme. Jerry Seinfeld is a comedic genius, in my opinion. The reference to Newman is on-point with the 2020 situation. 

So, that's the latest! How was your week? Is it getting hot hot hot where you're running? Did you run long, in the humidity, this weekend? Are you a Seinfeld fan?

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