Sunday, January 31, 2021

A Wintry Mix


It's definitely Winter in Iowa.

For the first time, in a long time, I had to mix up my weekly routine to accommodate (or avoid) the crazy "seasonal" weather conditions. Believe me, I'm no hero. It's something we all have to do on occasion, and not just in Iowa. 

Besides, change is good. It's kind of fun to switch things around. No harm, no foul. And all that jazz.

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 fitness world this week:

Never miss a Monday, even with an altered routine.
With a big storm headed our way (the forecast showed upwards of 12 inches of snow), I flip-flopped my Monday workouts. Instead of an early-morning bike ride, I ran my #nevermissaMonday run in the o'dark thirty hours. My miles, my streets, my Monday...three miles done! After work, I spent 10 miles with Sebbe (my indoor bike).

By the way, I'm pointing to the street, not giving it the bird

Inside is alright for Tuesday.
It was icky cold outside, and the snow was still coming down. I'm usually inside, with Ellie, on Tuesday mornings anyways...so we did our usual five miles and I took my time getting to work. All told, we got somewhere between 8-10 inches of snow.

another sweet sweat sesh on the elliptical

A whimsical switcheroo for Wednesday.
With plans in place for a Thursday morning ride, and frigid conditions outside, I opted to "HIIT" it UP, inside, on the stairs instead. Here's what happened:

**10 flights, double-stepped
**10 quick burpees
**10 push-ups
**10 more flights (also double-stepped)
**10 more burpees
**1-minute wall sit

***repeat three more times, subbing in mountain-climbers, jumping jacks, and plank jacks for the burpees. Full disclosure - I meant to do five circuits, and would have subbed in jump squats, but I white-flagged it LOL. I still got in a good 34ish minutes of heavy cardio and stair work, so all was well. 

With Thursday's forecast looking even colder, I spontaneously chose to lace up and go for a run after work . The late afternoon daylight (and sunshine) is looking and feeling really good these days (see title pic). Three miles were over and done rather quickly. It wasn't until I was almost to my driveway when I realized I'd only run three miles...and the 4-mile distance has been my mid-week go-to lately. I didn't feel like turning around and running further (and my face was feeling slightly frozen)...so, I runfess that I fired up Milly for that fourth mile. I think she liked the attention since I've been neglecting her the last few months.
hUMp day HIIT

Thursday's Full Moon Kick-Start.
After Wednesday's antics, I spaced off seeing the (almost) full moon that evening. When I let Max out, before my FaceTime ride with Debbie, though, the moon was shining ever so brightly Thursday morning. Truth be told, the brisk temps didn't feel too bad in a tank top...but then it was down to the basement for 16 miles of riding and chatting (and some core work afterwards). Sorry, but I'm not sorry for loving an early-morning cardio fix. Later, there was a 2-mile post-workday walk, and it was a total face-freeze. 

those 16 miles went fast!

Finally Friday!
As per usual, there were five elliptical miles for my morning "coffee." Another 2-mile walk after work, to assess the "route" for Saturday's 5K (virtual race), and that's all she wrote
this is my coffee...

Double-Duty Saturday...
Cold temps and crazy wind, but a mostly flat "race" course...that was the setting. I left the house, at 6:45, to knock out the Allstate Hot Chocolate (virtual) 5K, then met up with Barb for a couple of miles afterwards. Normally, I'd just run a virtual race (such as this) as part of our Saturday run. I knew if I ran with her, though, I'd fall victim to her pacing me LOL, and I really wanted to do this on my own. After all, this was my first official race (on foot) since my stress fracture. Holy! I didn't try to sprint (ha ha!! Like my body would even let me do that with no speedwork since forever), but I did try to keep a strong and steady pace. I ran a modified version of the route I'd used for all those 5K time trials, so there were 12 corners to turn. I also had 15mph wind in my face whenever I was running east or south. So, although I have run many faster 5K's, I'm pretty happy with this finish time. Rally-back races feel so good (I'll be sharing some thoughts on this rally-back race experience in a few days...stay tuned)! After I returned back home, it was time to regroup, change clothes, and hop on the bike for another 12-mile Zoom ride (see below). Also, there was an upper-body strength workout in the evening.
 


Snowed-In Sunday.
After an afternoon of rain, and an evening of snow (with it still coming down at daybreak), I opted to stay inside Sunday morning. It was a perfect setting for five miles of elliptical action, so that sufficed. Depending on the continued snow and icy conditions, there may (or may not) be an outdoor walk in the afternoon. Maybe Milly will get the honors of entertaining me later. Not a crisis; glass half full.
 

So, a decent week despite (or, maybe because of?) the nonstop mixing of my routine. Running continues to feel good (12 miles this week), and Saturday's "speedy" 5K was a nice variation to what I've been doing this winter. Walking is keeping consistent, and it's something that I look forward to on my non-running days (seven miles this week, with a few more on tap for Sunday afternoon). Three elliptical workouts (15 "miles"), three bike workouts (38 total miles), one upper-body workout and one HIIT session on the stairs. Speaking of which, I'm glad to have stair workouts back on the regular, and am doing 10 flights as part of my warm-up before my runs; combined with Wednesday's HIIT, there were 110 flights of stair work this week. Onward!

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

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair! Friday was game day (technically, it was game-night), and my Iowa Hawkeyes had a basketball game against the Illinois Illini. Temps were still cold (hello, it's STILL Winter in Iowa), and I wanted to wear the team colors, so I swiped the hubby's flannel shirt from the closet. Do you ever rep your alma mater on game day? Ever borrow from you significant other's wardrobe, despite the fit? As always, you're invited to join me on Fridays...post a pic on Insta, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair) and be sure to tag me (@runningonthefly).


The indoor biking has really taken off! I was skeptical that it would be much like the treadmill (b.o.r.i.n.g), but it has been the polar opposite. Saturday's Zoom ride was already the fifth in this "series," and there have been a few other FaceTime rides mixed in on occasion. Whodda thunk? I'm thankful my stress fracture allowed me the opportunity to explore this other form of fitness. And, more importantly, I'm ever grateful for the fitness friends who share my passion.
 
Zoom riding with Debbie and Renee

Well, that's all for now. Winter has been alright (thus far). Even with all the snow this week, we're another week closer to Spring and Summer. It's all good.

Did you get some winter weather this week? Have you had to alter your schedule or routine due to the outside conditions? 


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44 comments:

  1. There was one day this week when I had to cut an outside WALK short because it was so slippery. I've told myself that I'm running inside for all of February and if the weather wants to do something different I will happily change my plans.

    I can't wait to hear more about your 5k...I'm getting itchy to start racing again and no I don't care one bit whether it's "real" racing or "real virtual" racing...it's all real!

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    1. I'm lucky to have the college campus nearby; the sidewalks are (almost) always clean and dry. This 5K, even though it was a virtual endeavor, felt much like a real race for me because it was a rally-back thing for me. YOU are lucky that you have a much better relationship with your 'mill than I do ;-)

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  2. Um yes, my schedule was thrown off this week in many ways, for a variety of reasons. That moon was amazing though. One of these weeks I hope to make it back for a Zoom ride!

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    1. That moon! It looked so bright and beautiful Thursday morning...my pic did not do it justice. Yes, we'd love to have you Zooming with us!!!

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  3. Yes it was cold here - sub zero. I don't have (or like) a tm so I did venture outside. It was sunny and had a friend to run with so not so bad.

    I did run the 15k but not a race...I think it took us 2 hours but we walked and talked.

    The only thing that keeps me indoors is sickness or ice. Have been lucky so far with both!

    As you know, I am craving sunshine and warm temps!!!!!!!! No layers!!

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    1. Like you, I'm outside as much as possible, even in the crazy winter temps. I'm glad I beat the weather, yesterday, for my 5K.

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  4. We did have a little snow this week, but nothing too bad. The biggest thing was the cold (of course we get sunshine with that) and sometimes the wind.

    Happy to keep power on through all of that. :)

    Nice mix of fitness, Kim!

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    1. Thankfully, we had a lot of sunshine this week as well...really takes the sting out of the cold!

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  5. Good job on the 5K! That's a great comeback. We just got snow today and I'm loving the fresh look of it. Even more so because I decided to stay indoors today :)

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    1. I have to agree that the snow does look pretty...and that's where it ends LOL I finally got out for a late-afternoon walk, though. It wasn't icy, but wet/slushy (and, of course, windy).

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  6. Our weather is a TEENSY bit different than yours, and my bike tried to kill me this week... but running-wise we're in a pretty similar place with our newly-healthy feet! Even our paces are similar- I also haven't done speedwork in forever (sigh!)
    Congratulations on such a great week- if I lived up there I think I would have spent the week whimpering under the covers!

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    1. Ha ha...I just make do with whatever the weather brings me. I detest being inside, so it's just a matter of grinning and bearing it LOL I was pleasantly surprised at my pace for the 5K, given the fact that I have not done any "fast" running in over six months.

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  7. Congrats on your 5K! I didn’t realize there was a full moon this week. I’ve been laying low inside the past few days.

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    1. I knew the full moon was coming, because I'd seen it a few days prior, but had forgotten about it. When I saw it Thursday morning...WOW!

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  8. Great job changing things up this week! We are getting snow today so I probably won't be running outside for a couple of days. Its definitely nice to have indoor options during the winter months!

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    1. All of our snow that came seems to have been dealt with on the streets. It was really wet/slushy when I went for a walk earlier. It may be a frozen mess by morning, though...

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  9. You definitely have a lot more challenges with your weather than we do! Way to mix it up and go with the flow. Congrats on your 5k I bet it feels so good to be back pain free. Have a great week and stay warm

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    1. And, this is why I much prefer the heat (and humidity) of summer ;-) The winters here are SOOO unpredictable. Yes, pain-free for the win!!!!

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  10. We've had wintry weather again - it snowed quite heavily yesterday but didn't settle on the wet ground, which also didn't freeze, so I ran 8 miles solo in the snowstorm, which was further than I'd done solo for months, let alone the snowstorm. Today it was icy but not as much as I'd feared, so I completed my 100 miles for the month and a bit more with my friend but am really quite fatigued now, which is annoying as there is enough fatigue going on without me adding to it by over-running! A day off running and a walk with a friend before I start again should sort me out, I hope! Well done on your range of activities.

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  11. 8-10 inches! That's craziness! Glad your commute to work was safe. That's a lot of snow for Iowa (or even for Minnesota, ha!)

    Glad you were still able to get in your virtual 5k!

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    1. No, the snow didn't show us much mercy this week. At least January is (almost) in the rear window ;-)

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  12. The weather has certainly been a little crazy in Iowa this past week, but you've done a great job at adapting :) I hope I can join the next virtual ride on Saturday (may need to adjust some things on my schedule).

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    1. This was a lot of snow for one week LOL I'm just glad I was able to still get outside, even though I had to re-arrange a few things. Yes, hope to see your smiling face on Saturday!!

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  13. Great job on all of your workouts and your 5K this past week! It was so nice to workout with you twice in one week! The miles just flew by!

    Thanks for the linkup and have a great week!

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    1. I agree, the miles went really fast! I've been playing with the lower resistance, thus a faster pace, so the rides were a great opportunity for that. Still a lot easier to talk while pedaling (than running) at a fast pace LOL

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  14. Wow, I'm impressed with your commitment to HIIT and all those stairs!! I would've woken my house up with that pounding. And also been too tired. Nice job adapting!

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    1. Amazingly, the stairs are pretty quiet (because of the carpet). I love my stair workouts...I'd rather do lower-body strength work with a little bit of cardio mixed in.

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  15. Winter is a good time to have choices, right? The big snows this week certainly pushed me to move things around too. Ready for spring, tho.

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    1. Yes, I'm done with all the "pretty" snow and eager for a good thaw.

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  16. Well done Kim! I found myself working around the weather a bit here too, and with snow and icy rain in the forecast it looks like it will be more of the same this week.

    I'm bummed work ended up interfering with the Zoom ride, but I will get back there soon!

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    1. I hope all the work issues got ironed out yesterday! That sounded like a big stressor!

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  17. Love the "face freeze" comment!

    We had some serious winter weather last week, in addition to a storm and tornado warning. This upcoming week, we are looking at some more lows in the 30s and awful wind. What can you do?

    I love that your zoom and virtual rides are going so well!

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    1. It seems like Momma N is wreaking havoc on everyone lately...

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  18. We were back and forth between cool and humid and downright cold for a few days! It keeps going back and forth. I prefer the "mild cold" 50s and 60s honestly. It's a bit hard for me to get up when its seriously freezing outside. I like it right in the middle haha.

    Usually when I have to alter schedule due to weather is summer because we can get some epic storms down here. I never run in lightning so I'll usually alter it for that.

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    1. I'm pretty much fully-acclimated, so I just go with whatever we get. That doesn't mean I'm loving it, though LOL

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  19. Fitness friends are the best
    The moon was spectacular. I saw it Thursday on my "get out before you're a Carisicle" run and wished I had my camera. It's the one way camera > phone. I settled on pretending I was in Asia and Sunday's run being Monday since I think we're going to be snowed in tomorrow.

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    1. Yeah, it sounds like the snow is gonna be a headache for you guys! Stay warm, and stay safe! The moon looked so beautiful Thursday morning, but my phone's pic didn't do it justice.

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  20. What is it with you running 5Ks and the wind? When I sign up again with Peloton I hope to join your Zoom rides. Great job with your workouts this week!

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    1. The wind just seems to find me on my "serious" 5K runs! As for the rides, we're not doing official Peloton classes (some are, for the workout aspect), but many of us are just pedaling on our own (creating our own individualized workouts) and chatting. It's been a fun way to encourage and support each other!

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  21. No real winter weather here, but it did get colder! You had a great week and always great to see you switching it up if need be! Great biking with you and Debbie on Saturday too!

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    1. The rides have been so fun! I really look forward to them each week!!!

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  22. ohh! and meant to say congrats on your comeback race!!

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    1. Thank you so much ;-) This really felt good...like the stress fracture hadn't happened.

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