Detour!

How about a plot twist, you know, just to make things interesting?

As if 2020 hasn't been crazy enough, the month of August has certainly thrown a few curve balls my way. Somehow, I've kept my big girl pants properly hoisted and have been able to soldier through (most of) everything. This week, though, got a little nutzo...

Before I go into the 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 ;-)

So, here's the latest....

#nevermissaMonday

A routine I have kept sacred is my Monday run. Often times, it's a recovery run from the weekend's antics. Sometimes, it's just a short run to wake up my mind, body and soul. It's always there, though, to jump-start the new week. This long-standing ritual came to a halt in 2017, following my knee surgery. After my 3-month recovery, the Monday runs resumed (in September of that year) and all was well. 

Fast forward to last weekend, and my foot had been feeling funky. It wasn't especially painful, but I knew a run would not be doing that foot any favors. Without hesitation, I went for a walk instead, and had zero regrets. Besides...that sunrise was too good to miss!  

After work, I took a chance on leaving Max alone (he's still recovering from his dislocated knee/ACL surgery), and got in a 10-mile ride in the beautiful afternoon sunshine. I guess you could say my #nevermissaMonday took a different form of fitness. By the way, it was now Day 8 without power (courtesy of the derecho from the previous Monday).

Double Ride Tuesday

Sorry, friends. I know everyone loves 59F temps for running, but they feel rather chilly on a bike. None the less, the fresh air is like none other, and of course, another sunrise is always worthwhile. I rode eight miles in the early morning, then rode another quick six after work.

#12at545 Wednesday

With the foot still feeling cranky, I took a pass on the weekly #5at5 with Barb, but we rode for 12 miles instead, waiting until 5:45 when we'd have a little more early morning daylight. With the running not in the mix, I was entertaining the idea of a biking streak ( I had also biked on Sunday, so this was Day 4).

#DownForTheCountThursday

In case you didn't see a pattern here, there had been no running happening since my 8-miler over the weekend (Saturday morning). There had been extensive yard work (derecho clean-up, still), involving a lot of trudging back and forth, dragging heavy (and awkward) downed branches to the curb. Our yard took a beating, and the uneven terrain was littered with branches and debris of all sizes. That said, I suspected I'd strained/sprained something on my foot and had foregone running to give it a rest. Only, Wednesday afternoon, I felt something "snap" as I was walking around at work. My foot instantly started swelling, and I couldn't bear weight on it or bend it. A trip to Urgent Care (and an X-ray) showed what appeared to be a slight stress fracture on the second metatarsal (near the first "little toe" on my right foot). UGH. So, I opted for some upper-body strength work, while seated on the floor.

#FinallyFriday

Thankfully, my Urgent Care doctor called me with some encouraging news. Her radiologist, upon closer examination of my X-ray, didn't think it appeared to be a true stress fracture, but it did look suspicious. She advised that we should treat it as a stress fracture anyways, as a precaution. I'm going back, in a couple weeks, for a follow-up X-ray and meeting with a podiatrist. Whew! But, in the mean time, I'll be klomping around in a boot. My first impression was this was something Frankenstein would wear...so, I named "him" Frank. Appropriate, no?  

#CatharsisComeToMeSaturday

The hubby, several friends and myself had been looking forward to a group bike ride/event. After some research, and numerous encouraging comments and feedback from fellow stress fracture veterans, I decided to give the ride a try. The route was a 14+ mile ride to a golf club, and then back for the after-ride party. I knew I had the option to turn around at any point if things didn't feel right, so why not? I couldn't wear the Frankenstein boot on the bike (duh LOL), so I taped the troublesome area on my foot (to keep it nice and compressed) and donned a pair of running shoes for support. PRESTO!!!! The limited walking I did was a non-issue, and the placement of my foot on the pedal (over the "back" part of my arch, instead of the ball of my foot) was ideal...no pain/strain/discomfort whatsoever. Dear old Gustavas (my bike) came through for me, as did all the friends in my midst, and those 30 miles felt incredible. Stay tuned...this may be worthy of a recap.

#SunirseRideSunday

Knowing that biking would now be a safe fitness option for the duration, as this stress fracture heals, I got out for an 8-mile sunrise ride. Can I just say how liberating it felt to be back outside, embracing another sunrise? I respect that a lot of people would rather catch an extra hour of sleep, but I need my early morning ritual...it's what I know and it's what my body is accustomed to. And, it won't be long before these sunrises will be coming well after my ideal early-morning ritual, so I'm grateful I will still be able to enjoy them for the time-being.

So, how's that for a unique, plot-twist of a week?  Running took a hit this week, and was a no-show (and will be MIA probably until October). Walking had a meager two miles logged before things went south on Wednesday. Biking, though, took a major upswing with 74 miles, courtesy of Gustavas. My daily walk streak ended on Tuesday (after 124 days). And, those weekly stair workouts are done for the time-being. Oh well....I'm just thankful I have biking, as well as my strength-training, to keep me in the game. Indeed, my glass is still half-full.

Don't worry, other than last weekend's Weekly Run Down (Riding The Storm Out), there were no other blog posts to miss out on this week. Since we were without power for a few days, and are still without internet service, blogging was least of my worries (not to mention nearly impossible to do via my phone). Another first world problem, right?

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair...After the out-of-sorts week I'd had, I'm glad I had some bright colors to keep my mind active and alert (did you know that bright colors actually have a stimulating affect?). I've said this before, but I'm grateful for a pretty lenient dress code at work, so I can wear shorts (within reason). This Frankenstein boot ain't exactly business casual. I'm glad it's still summer, so I don't have to deal with wearing the boot with pants. 

The clean-up effort  from the derecho was city-wide in our town, and it was (very much) a group effort. A group of high school football players even assisted us with our back yard on Monday. What they accomplished in about 80 minutes would have taken the hubby and myself another full day to do.

And, power was restored! Finally, our power returned Tuesday afternoon. Max and I were ever so grateful. As for Max, he's now at almost 4-weeks post-op, and is doing well. It's still a struggle keeping him as "immobile" as possible, but he's not as much a danger to himself (or his recovery) as he was in the first couple weeks.

Lastly, the boot. I'm thankful it is not as heavy as it appears, but it is SO awkward to maneuver around in. I'm not restricted to it 24/7 (can I get an Amen?), but it is good for comfort if I'm needing to walk anywhere. Trust me, walking is NOT fast (nor far), and I'm really not supposed to be on my feet anyways. And, with all of my fall races cancelled, there will be no DNF's happening. I guess if there was a perfect time to be sidelined, this would be it.

So, that's the latest! I'm sincerely hoping for a week with a little less drama...my fingers (and a few of my toes) are crossed.

How are things in your world? Still rocking the summer temps? Staying on track with fitness? Any virtual racing happening?

**FYI, as mentioned, we're still without internet service, so I will (again) be a little delayed in reading/commenting on posts. I appreciate your understanding and patience.  

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