Sunday, August 2, 2020

Enjoying the Sun; Getting it Done


Have I ever mentioned how much I embrace the sunshine?

Even when the temps are warm (or hot & humid), there's something about the sunshine that brightens my day, literally and figuratively. Seeing a sunrise always brings a smile, and guarantees a great start to the day.

Or, is that just me?

This week was full of sunshine, pretty much everyday. And, those sunrises! The #artgeek in me had plenty reasons to smile.

Before I give you the lowdown on my week, 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 - Never miss a Monday
There had been rain in the forecast, but it was a no-show. I got out for three easy miles before heading to the office. Don't be fooled by the "cool" 71F temps, because the 89% humidity cancelled them out. There also was a 2-mile walk after work. 


Tuesday - Double-Biking Day!
Are you sitting in a tip-over-safe chair? For the first time, ever, I scored a double-biking day! The first ride happened in the early-morning, amidst chilly temps and a nice (not) wind. It wasn't a long ride (seven miles) nor was it a challenging ride either. But, still a great start to what I thought would be a recovery day.

As the day played out, and the temps rose (as did the wind), I made the decision to ride out to the lake after work. With Max's upcoming surgery and at-home recovery (see below), there probably wouldn't be any more opportunities for such a ride this week. So, 16 miles later (14 miles to the lake and back, plus a couple of bonus miles in town), and I was good for the day. Oh, there also was a 2-mile walk afterwards as well. So, that's 23 total biking miles for my "recovery" day. Worse things have happened.

Wednesday - All by myself (sort of)
I met up with Barb for our weekly #5at5 (five miles at 05:00).  The temps were comfortable (mid-70F's) and the run went well...but, it suddenly was obvious how much daylight we've been losing. Gone was the subtle hint of a sunrise at 5:00, and instead it was black as night until we were about two miles into our run. Yes, this happens every year, but it's always a gut-punch when you notice it. 

I dropped Max off at the vet at 7:45, and wouldn't be seeing him for the next 24 hours (#sadface). After work, I went for a hot and muggy 3-mile walk since I had nothing waiting for me at home (the hubby was also out of town).

Thursday - Doggy Nurse Duty: Day 1
Knowing my day was going to be dedicated to full-on doggy care, I got out for a 5K power walk at 5:30. Have I ever mentioned how nice it is to have the streets (mostly) all to yourself? You can even snag a selfie right in the middle of the street. If you look closely, though, you can see a #twilightzone car in the background of the pic...it was not there when I set up my phone, and it wasn't there 15 seconds later when I finished. Just saying.

Friday - Doggy Nurse Duty: Day 2
Not sure how the day would go, I decided to set Max up by the glass door to our patio (so he could see me and I could keep an eye on him). It had been awhile since I've done a barefoot strength workout, and I don't think I'd ever done one on the patio outside. Ever tried that? It's amazing how much harder it is to balance without the benefit of shoes underfoot. Other than a few random acorns, the workout went well and I was done in just over 30 minutes. Later, my father came over and hung out with Max for 30 minutes so I could get out for a walk.


Later, after the hubby returned home, we carefully "coned-up" Max and left him secured in a small room, barricaded, to keep him safe. We headed over to the outdoor staircase for the weekly stair workout. Even though the temps had gone done slightly (low-80F's) and the humidity had plummeted (49%), this still was a pretty hot adventure. We did 50 flights (900 total steps) and called it good. 


Saturday - Keeping things (somewhat) low-key and simple
Friday night with Max was really tough. He was especially restless, which meant I was too. Usually, I can function with limited sleep, but Saturday morning I was exhausted. Thankfully, Barb and I had decided to move our long run to Sunday, so I had planned on only running 5-6 miles on Saturday morning. It was not a tough run, but things just felt off and my legs felt heavy (possibly a result of the stair workout 13 hours prior). I made it to five miles and elected to end it there. No sense pushing through an awkward run, especially when there was a longer run on tap for the next day. Once I got home, I went out for a short 5-mile bike ride, and returned home feeling almost 100% better.


Sunday - Long run
After another night of compromised sleep, I woke up feeling extremely fatigued. I had the bright idea to sleep with Max, downstairs, on a body pillow. Not my best idea...Max slept much better than the previous night, but I could not get comfortable. I didn't want to move to the couch for fear he would follow me, and then there would be the risk of him jumping down without my knowing. So...upon wake-up, with a rickety back and (still) achy legs, I got dressed and met Barb. We kept the 8-mile route mostly flat (key word: mostly), but it felt like a struggle-bus adventure on my part. At least the temps were cooler (mid-60's), but the humidity was at 93%. Not sure how I managed an average pace of 10:08, because it certainly felt a lot slower, but I am grateful I can do hard things. And, I am grateful that I can choose to do them.

So, kind of a weird week. Knowing I'd be on doggy nurse duty Thursday and Friday, it just made sense to have those days be recovery days...which meant I packed in a lot of fitness early in the week. Running capped out at 21 miles, walking had 18 (with more on tap for later Sunday), and biking had 28 miles (probably a few more happening Sunday as well). Also, let's not forget Friday's stair workout and strength work. I don't mention this every week, but I'm still planking daily, as well as doing daily leg lifts and push-ups.  

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

In other news:
Friday FashionFlair! Being home all day with Max, I kept things pretty casual. The shirt I'm wearing is unique in that it has a twisted feature on the front...the left side is actually the "underside" of the right side. I thought that was a neat, funky detail until the first time I tried ironing it. Oh well. I still love the colors. Go bright or go home! 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).


On the home front, our dog, Max, had surgery on Wednesday. He'd dislocated the kneecap on his back right leg a couple weeks ago. We'd hoped it would self-correct, but it didn't, and actually lead to a torn ACL as a result. I was able to bring him home Thursday morning, and it's been an interesting experience caring for a "being" whom you cannot reason with or explain things to. He's supposed to have limited mobility for the next several weeks, which means no jumping or stairs. He usually sleeps in our room, and periodically goes back and forth from his dog bed to our bed during the night, so that has to change temporarily. I'm trying to keep him out of the cone while I am with him, but the cone goes on at bed time or if we leave him alone in the house. I swear, caring for a newborn was easier! 

 

So, that's the latest and greatest!

How was your week? Similar temps? Any rain? Still staying motivated to run, even with no races on the horizon?


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

47 comments:

  1. We've started to get some breaks with the weather. All it takes is a few nice days here and there and then I have more energy to throw at the hot days. As far as motivation, I waffled for a bit but I'm back in more of an optimistic place now that the pandemic is not going to last forever. I hope Max heals up fast, he's basically in the same situation as any athlete with an injury, minus the part about being able to understand that rest = healing.

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    1. Right? I wish I could get Max to understand the rest = healing concept. At least the pain/anti-inflammatory/antibiotics are making him act a little mellow.

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  2. Your post has a lot of the same themes as mine this week! Awww, poor Max in a cast! I don't think I've seen a dog in a cast before. I'm sure that must be very confusing for him. Hope he's 100% soon.

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    1. We definitely were in sync! It looks like a cast, but it's actually several layers of bandaging...I can't imagine how uncomfortable it must feel!

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  3. Poor Max! And what a cutie. I hope he gets better soon. ❤

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    1. Thanks!! We're hoping for a speedy and successful recovery...it will be nice to get the bandaging removed and sutures out (in another 10 days).

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  4. Poor Max! I hope his recovery goes okay. Glad he has such a caring nurse taking care of him!

    It sad to see how the daylight hours are already dwindling, but going to try to focus on cherishing August as much as I can :)

    Thanks for hosting the linkup Kim!

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    1. Yes, I'm doing my best to focus on what daylight we still have as well. Summer is too short!!!

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  5. Aw, poor Max! And poor you! It can seem harder taking care of a pup, since they can't tell you what's wrong and you can't explain things to them. I don't know if I've ever had a double bike day, not even at the beach. Way to go!

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    1. The double bike day was a fun challenge, but dang! I was ready for bed not too long after returning home!

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  6. Oh poor sweetie! I'm sure the surgery and recovery is stressful for all of you.
    Nice week of workouts as usual!

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    1. Thank you, Marcia ;-) Yes, I feel like a new mom 24-hours postpartum.....

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  7. Hot, humid runs have worn out their welcome with me. Too bad they're going nowhere quickly.

    When Chester had his surgery, he was still actually a puppy, so he thankfully healed up quickly. He was really only one limited mobility for a week -- which I distinctly remember, because we actually brought Lola home on the last day of that week! Trying to keep them from playing together was interesting.

    I just share that to let you know that I'm sure Max will heal up just fine. It's hard when you're going through it (like so much other stuff these days) but someday it'll be in the rearview mirror & Max'll be back to his old self.

    I have spent SO many sleepless nights with furkids . . . for years!

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    1. Thanks Judy, that's reassuring ;-) Our vet told us up to six weeks...I'm hoping that's a worst case scenario. The hubby has to be out of town most of this week, too...so single "dog" parenting for me. Not sure how much sleep I'll be logging.

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  8. You had a really great week of workouts! Poor Max :( I'm sure this all has to be confusing for him too. Hopefully he continues to rest and heal.

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    1. Thanks, Kim ;-) That's what is the worst...I have no idea what he's thinking. Thankfully, all the meds are keeping him pretty mellow for the time being.

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  9. Poor Max! I hope he heals quickly. Cocoa is still limping. I know I'm going to have to bite the bullet and take her back in.

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    1. It's so hard to know what to do. The vet thought this would self-correct because it's a pretty common thing, but the ACL tear caught all of us off guard. Hopefully Cocoa's condition isn't as severe...

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  10. Oh poor Max and poor you. We've just been through a round of parasite treating and then testing with our cats (parasite NOT caught on our watch but before we even got them) and that's stressful enough.

    We had the UK's 3rd hottest day EVER on Thursday and I did run in the morning but before it got too bad. Have got onto the canals again which has been amazing but still a bit jangled from the row over group running to post a running blog post.

    Wishing you sleep and a good boy for the next week!

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    1. Thank you, Liz! I think once we get through the next 10 days or so (and the sutures come out), things will be a little easier. Wow...the third hottest day ever!

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  11. Was so sorry to hear about Max but glad he he starting to feel more comfortable.
    As usual, a great week of workouts for you! As you are starting to lose daylight, we are gaining it!

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    1. Okay...maybe I need to do six months in Iowa and six months in Botswana to capitalize on the daylight and weather. What ya think?

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  12. Poor Max! You are a good dog mom to take such good care of him. Happy to read that he is starting to recover.

    I always hate to see the days getting shorter too. I love when it stays light until 9:00 or even later around the Summer Solstice. I guess it's that time of year. My grandson just informed me today his favorite season is winter. Is he even related to me?

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    1. What? Winter????? Honestly, if winter wasn't so cold (and so l.o.n.g.), I'd like it a tiny bit more.

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  13. Poor Max, but glad it's something that they were able to address. Hope you both find a way to get more restful sleep. I feel you re: not being able to reason. Trying to explain to my neice (2) why I couldn't hug her was just.. NOT OK.
    That Tuesday. AMAZING.
    I'm with you on the sun - it's so restorative and I've come to love the runrises. I just wilt in the humidity

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    1. I'm not a fan of the humidity, either. I can tolerate it (most days), but it really is a buzzkill to summer.

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  14. I hope Max recovers well! Right now we seem to have more nighttime interruptions due to dogs than our 10 month old...including this week when one got sick in the middle of the night. I'm bummed to see the sunrises getting later! I don't mind the cold, it's just the dark of winter than I dread.

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    1. Oh, I do mind the cold of winter LOL I can tolerate it most days, but the sub-freezing stuff for endless weeks (months?) is not my gig. The darkness is not any fun, either.

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  15. Hope Max continues to improve! Poor little guy. Way to make the best of your workouts this week. I do my strength training barefoot sometimes now. I like it actually! Have a great week

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    1. I like the barefoot workouts, too. Not sure why I don't think to do them more often...

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  16. Oh poor Max - big hugs to you! Hope he recovers quickly.

    Another great week of workouts for you!

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    1. Thanks, Michelle ;-) Hoping this next week goes a little smoother than the weekend with Max. The hubs is out of town, though....

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  17. Give Max all the love!

    The days are totally getting shorter. I don't like the darker mornings one bit, but it's nice to get a break from the oppressive heat and humidity.

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    1. The darker mornings are a lot more noticeable...ugh. Not in any hurry for winter to come knocking...

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  18. I love how you planned ahead with your workouts knowing that you'd have to stay home more with Max. I hope he's recovering well and doesn't try to overdo it - poor little guy.

    We had some rain last week (Friday was a washout) and now we're keeping a close eye on Hurricane Isaias. We're under a flash flood watch through Tuesday at 11 PM.

    Thanks for the linkup!

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    1. and we need some rain! We've had some (overnight), but not as much as we need.

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  19. Hope Max is on the mend.

    Still an active week. You are amazing.

    I do hate to see the days getting shorter. I love SUMMER and sunshine!

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  20. Poor Max! I hope he recovers quickly.

    Kim, do you ever sit down? :-)

    I know I've been complaining about the heat but I do like the sunshine. When it is cloudy and rainy, it does not make me feel good.

    I have noticed that the days are getting shorter. No bueno.

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    1. The cloudy and rainy days are not much fun...total agreement on that!

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  21. I do agree that losing the daylight is sad. While you know how I feel about the heat, I wish it stayed lighter in the winter too. That's the one thing I dislike about autumn/winter.

    Looks like you're still going strong with your daily workouts! You have a good mix going, between the running, biking and strength work. Love that you get your husband to work out with you too! I can't wait until I can do that with my better half again soon.

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    1. Total agreement...losing daylight is such a buzzkill. I'd have a better attitude towards winter if we had a little more daylight that time of year (and slightly warmer temps LOL).

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  22. Sorry about Max! Hope he is feeling better. I always feel like the darker mornings become more apparent as soon as August hits. Our early morning daylight is so short-lived!

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    1. The summer season is so short-lived, which is why I choose to embrace it...heat and all.

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  23. Oh poor Max! I hope his recovery goes well and he's back to jumping up with you on the bed soon. Great fitness week in spite of having to change things around.

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    1. Thanks, Debbie! It's really tough seeing Max like this...I wish I was able to make him understand what's happening. We get the dressing removed/changed on Thursday, and the sutures out next Wednesday. I think it will get much easier (physically for him and emotionally for me) after we get past that.

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  24. Aww... poor Max. I hope he's feeling better this week and you're able to get more sleep :) I agree, I hate those signs of less day light. But at least we can enjoy it for now while we have it!

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