Sunday, August 9, 2020

Kinda Outta Kilter


It was one of those "outta kilter" weeks.

Isn't it crazy how when things get tough, they multiply (and/or just keep getting tougher)? Fortunately, tough times makes us tougher. Once the battle is over, we're much stronger for the fight...but it can seem pretty ominous at the time. 

Such was a peek into my life this past week.


Before I share 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 ;-)


Anyways, here's what went down in my little corner of the universe...

Never miss a Monday

Can you say brrr? I totally respect a lot of peeps (most of them? LOL) are eager for the summer heat to end, but I'm not one of them. Monday morning greeted me with 59F temps, I kid you not. These temps will feel golden in a couple months, but I think August is too early. I just cannot wish my summer away. That said, the four "breakfast" miles did feel much better than the previous day's eight struggle bus miles. But...that disappearing daylight is a buzzkill.

By the light of the Knuckle Lights...

A TLC Tuesday

After three consecutive days of running (17 cumulative miles), my body was feeling a little beat-down. We did some stretching and yoga in the morning (and again in the evening), as well as two treadmill (walking) miles after work. 

sometimes you feel like the windshield, sometimes you feel like the bug

Whoa, a 10K Wednesday...with Milly

You read that right. With the hubby out of town for the week, I was the chief doggy nurse on duty, and could not leave Max alone. The usual #5at5 was forfeited for an impromptu 10K virtual race, via the treadmill. My spring break race (cancelled due to COVID, as well as our trip to Tampa Bay) surprised me with my swag packet this week. So, why not do the distance, right? After all, I received a shirt (in the pic below) as well as a medal...I might as well "earn" them. With a 4:47a.m. start time, Milly and I knocked out the 6.2 miles in just over an hour. I kept the incline flat, and varied the speed between 6.0-6.3 (just under a 10:00-minute average pace). It wasn't as bad as anticipated, but certainly wasn't the least bit enjoyable either. Ugh, this felt SO hard to me! It was a slower pace than my usual 5-milers with Barb, but there's no way I could have carried on a conversation for the duration. That said, this 10K was a new PR in terms of distance for Milly, so there's that. I can assure you, this PR will hold for a long, long time.

Yes, I wore the event shirt (but not the bib)

Early morning stairs and upper-body intervals for Thursday

It had been awhile since I've done an indoor stair workout, so I mixed in some intervals of upper-body strength work...just to make it interesting.

**10 stair flights (double-stepped)

**10 push-ups

**15 shoulder/upper-back reps

**20 arm reps

**1-minute wall sit 

Five total sets netted me 50 flights of stairs, 50 total push-ups, 75 total shoulder/upper-back reps, 100 total arm reps, and five cumulative minutes of wall-sitting. Total time was around 35 minutes (including a short water break in between sets). 


Double workout (sort of) for Friday
Still on doggy nurse duty, my early morning walk had to happen indoors. Two miles with Milly, again (I sincerely hope she's not getting used to this). I upped the speed to 4.3 (incline on 2), so we knocked out those two miles in 28:54. Hey, these long legs can move!
My cheesy Flex-It Friday pose

By afternoon, the hubby had returned! He took over the doggy nurse duties, so Barb and I took on the hilly bike path out to the lake (and back). This was my fourth jaunt to the lake this season, and every ride has been blessed with wind, lucky me (don't be jealous). Remember what I said about tough things making us tougher? Yeah, this was one of those examples. Fourteen miles on the bike path (10 of which encompassed the 12 hills), and then three bonus miles (back in town) on flat ground.
we don't just battle the hills, the heat, or the wind on foot

Long run Saturday

With a lack of races, Barb and I have been doing most of our long runs in town...and we're getting pretty bored running the same streets over and over again (and again). We decided to head to Des Moines (an hour away) and take part in another group run. Temps were warm and balmy (mid-70F's with 86% humidity), but we had quite a bit of cloud cover. My legs were a bit cranky for the first 3-4 miles (from the hilly bike ride, no doubt), but we got 10 miles done and made a few new friends along the way. But...it wasn't until we'd changed out of our super saturated clothing and were in the car, headed home, when I realized I'd forgotten to get the requisite post-run selfie! And I call myself a blogger LOL. Another first world problem...

We ran 10 miles in the vicinity of Gray's Lake, I pinky swear!

Sunrise riding on Sunday

You all know how much I love my sunrises. With the hubby gone most of last week, I had not been able to witness any sunrises (yes, I realize that's another #FirstWorldProb). Come Sunday morning, the sunrise was beckoning. I felt really good (no post-long run DOMS), but decided to take a pass on running and hit the street with Gustavas instead. The usual wind was there (seriously!), and the temps were balmy (but bearable on the bike). We did 12 miles, and returned home feeling totally refreshed. I even snuck in a 2-mile power walk before our church service came on (still live-streaming).


So, despite the stressful week with Max (see below), I did come out alright on the other end. Running miles tapped out at 20. Walking saw only 13, most of which were done over my lunch break or on the treadmill. Biking was decent with 35 miles, and those all happened in the later part of the week. The stair workout felt really good, and sufficed as this week's lower-body strength work (I also did 10 flights on Monday morning, as part of my warm-up before my run). I'm working on adding another set of dumbbells to my "collection," but those are hard to find at the moment, so I'm just doing extra reps.

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

Enjoying the Sun; Getting it Done

Gimme A (coffee) Break

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair!  What do you think of distressed jeans? Myself, I love the shabby chic appeal of them. They can go casual or dressy depending on what you pair with them. I'm still in love with cold shoulder blouses as well...they're a great summer item because they offer a little heat relief without being too revealing. 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).

Max and me. We had quite a week. His recovery is going well, but it's a never-ending challenge keeping him "immobile." He had a post-op check-up this week, and the extensive bandaging came off. His sutures are now exposed (yikes!), so we're being extra cautious. He's already walking "like normal" most of the time, but still is 3-legged running a lot (and he's not supposed to be running at all, the little stinker).


Lastly, this week we celebrated my mother's birthday. That will conclude all the birthdays until November (we've had on-going birthdays since mine, back in mid-March).


Whew! I'm looking forward to getting back to a little more normalcy. The hubby is typically gone a couple nights each week, but that all came to a halt when COVID hit. Just in recent weeks, his routine has started easing back to normal, as well, and it just worked out he had a lot of out-of-town obligations scheduled before Max's surgery became a reality. But, ALL of us survived the crazy week. And I certainly feel stronger for the experience. Glass half full, indeed!

How are things in your world? Is the summer heat still a factor? Any more virtual racing? Have you ever felt overwhelmed with caring for a recovering fur kid?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

36 comments:

  1. This week cooled down here too! Not as cool as near you though. But it has been nice for running! I have a virtual race this weekend 😁

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was pretty much stuck inside for all the cooler temps, so I didn't get to enjoy them (other than Monday's run...and that felt cold because the temps plummeted so fast).

      Delete
  2. Most of the week was refreshingly cool, although I wouldn't say BRRRR just yet. It needs to be at least below freezing for that. All that said, the heat is back. I won't wish it away either. Summer is way too short here. Happy Birthday to your mom! Our next birthday extravaganza will be in September when my mom turns 80!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ha ha, I'll say BRRRR because they were so cold so fast LOL Yes, summer is way too short in Iowa as well, and winter is WAY too long.

      Delete
  3. Not to worry, treadmills never seem to mind when they get neglected;-) I'm glad that Max is making progress but this must have been the longest week ever for you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Milly is a 81tch regardless LOL And, she's probably gonna see some action again this week...UGH! Yes, it was a l.o.n.g. week with Max. It's crazy how much attention he needs...not because he's helpless, but because he doesn't understand to NOT run or jump on the furniture. If I tried crating him, I know he'd hurt himself because he's not used to being confined like that.

      Delete
  4. So glad Max is doing okay. What a sweetie. Congrats on the treadmill PR-distance! I have done at least 20 on mine on icy winter Saturdays but its not my favorite! But, good for mental strength, ha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are beast for doing 20 on the mill...more than once LOL

      Delete
  5. I love that white top w the jeans super cute. Glad to hear Max is on the mend. Happy birthday to your mom. Have a great week ahead

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks!! Max is healing well, but now he thinks he's "all healed" and he's not LOL

      Delete
  6. I can’t get over your 59F! Our coolest morning was 71F. The 50s would be a shock for sure! I’m glad Max is on the mend, and that you got on your bike.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was pretty cool here most of last week, especially in the morning...but I wasn't able to get out except for Monday (before the hubby left town). The bike saw plenty of action this weekend LOL

      Delete
  7. *HUGS* hope you have a saner week this week
    59F every morning forever please. LOL You know I had to say that. How about you & Jessie can have summer mornings and I can have the fall.
    I so love that pic of you and Max -- and pretty sure I said it on coffee/social as well.
    I'm eh on distressed jeans. Shorts they just feel like they're exposing too much and I sound like my grandma when I comment about buying things with holes, but they work for some people-I am just not some people. Then again, I'm loving a pair of stringy cutoffs so *shrug*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This week will be a bit more sane (the hubby is only gone Tuesday through Thursday LOL). I'm hoping once we get Max's sutures removed, things will calm down a little more; at least I'll feel less anxious about things.

      Delete
    2. Yay for some relief. Hope his healing continues to go smoothly

      Delete
  8. Happy Birthday to your mom!

    You've had quite the week with a lot thrown at you, and you still managed to do a great job with all of your workouts. I'm glad that Max is healing nicely and I hope that he continues to take it easy - tell him no chasing squirrels!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! I wish it was the squirrels that were the problem! He sees nothing wrong with scaling the stairway, or jumping off the deck, or helping himself to the couch(es). He doesn't appear to be using the injured/recovering leg, but I worry he may lose his footing and land on it awkwardly...

      Delete
  9. Glad to see that in spite of your dog mom duties, you were able to get everything else done. Hoping Max will be independent soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Max is already trying to be independent and doesn't understand that he needs to keep his furry butt still LOL He's like a curious toddler that you can't leave unattended...

      Delete
  10. I think you know my answer to that last question. Been there, done that, bought all the tx. Glad you husband is home & able to give you some relief!

    Glad you survived your treadmill walks/races. We were cooler, but no 50s in sight. I wouldn't mind a 50s morning, it would mean I could start my run later.

    Obviously you're doing something right because Max is doing great. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Judy! I know you understand my situation :-) I'm thankful Max is healing, but he still needs to be kept to limited mobility for a little longer (they told me 5-6 weeks, but I'm hoping it won't be that long).

      Delete
  11. Happy birthday to your mom! All of the birthdays in our family fall between November 27 (Bill's) and January 11 (mine). All 3 kids plus assorted nieces, nephews and even grand-nephews!

    Nice PR on the treadmill. It's TOUGH to run long on Milly! I get so bored I don't ever do it unless there is a blizzard or ice outside. I completely understand your reason for indoor running, though. Poor Max! I hope he appreciates all the TLC he is getting from you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I get so bored on the 'mill, too. There's no tv nearby, and my phone screen is not big enough to keep me entertained. Also, my long legs are not very treadmill-friendly, and my form/stride (?) always feels off...

      Delete
  12. My DVR is full of TV shows, which would indicate that it's almost time for me to head back to the mill soon! And, Big Brother has started again, so plenty of mindless shows. The cool mornings have been a great boost to my running for sure. I'm glad Max is doing so well!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, and forgot to add - I do love the look of the cold shoulder shirts, but I can't wear clothes with cut outs like that. It makes me too cold!! I know, odd.

      Delete
    2. Unfortunately, I have no access to a tv screen near my treadmill, so it's my tiny phone screen or my reflection in the window for entertainment LOL I'm always cold, but surprisingly, the cold shoulder tops don't bother me in that regard.

      Delete
  13. Yes, I'm with you, let summer linger as long as it likes... Millie can wait her turn! LOL

    I hope Max is continuing to recover well and doesn't run around too much.

    Thanks for the linkup and have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes!!! Long live summer!!!!! Milly is probably gonna see a little more action this week....ugh...

      Delete
  14. Congrats on your virtual 10k. A new PR is always awesome!
    Love that pic of you with your bike and the sunrise. So beautiful. I really love watching the sun come up on a run.
    Hope your pup gets better soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love seeing the sun come up, on foot and on my bike. It guarantees a great start to the day ;-)

      Delete
  15. Well done on juggling doggy care duties and your self-care exercising. That distance on a treadmill - argh! I mean, the year it was soooo icy here I used to 2 hours on a treadmill so must have got a fair bit done, but couldn't do that now! Love your sunrise - it's just a little too early here still but I shouldn't complain!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great job getting in your workouts with everything else going on. I'm impressed that you got in that 10k on the treadmill! I definitely don't want to wish away summer, but a few days of cooler weather here and there are a nice break that to get through the super warm and humid days. I don't think it's gotten below like 68 in months and the humidity is always ridiculous here.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Happy Birthday to your mom!

    I love your top with the skulls. I've seen a similar one from Headsweats. Or is that where you got it from?

    I don't mind the treadmill because I can watch a show on Netflix. There is always something to watch there.

    It cooled down last week but the heat and humidity is back.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Gosh. What isn't out of kilter these days?

    Hope your mom had a beautiful birthday!

    Glad to hear Max is recovering, even if he is running when he shouldn't. He just can't be held back, like his mama!

    I confess. Summer lasts forever here, so I am just so jealous of your cooler mornings.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Glad to hear that Max is doing well. 2020 has been that kind of year.

    You know my answer...keep the sunshine and warm temps. Winter is too long!!!!!!!!!!

    I have no treadmill or a gym... and I am not unhappy abut it.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Happy Birthday to your mom!

    Despite being on dog nurse duty you had a good week of workouts. I'm glad Max is on the mend.

    You know that I'm jealous of those cool mornings you've been having!

    ReplyDelete