Smiling Through the Snow

Yowza! Can you say "SNOW!"

We had an abundance of the white stuff this past week in Iowa. Let's be honest...it IS the winter season. Even though January treated us to some unseasonably (dare I say) warm temps and weather conditions, it was only a matter of time before the real winter arrived.

All is well, though. While I don't love the cold of winter, I can deal with it. On occasion, I can smile about it, too. 

Before I get to the nitty gritty, snow-filled 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 snow-filled world this past week:

Never miss a Monday! 

New month, new week, new morning. I kicked off February with 10 miles inside, on the bike, upon wake-up. Then, it was a chase-the-sunset 5K after work. Honestly, when the wind plays nice (or is practically MIA), these winter runs are a piece of cake. Our daylight is now going well past 6:00PM, and I am totally smiling about it!

Typical Tuesday.

Keeping things on the down-low, this typical Tuesday started with the typical five miles on the elliptical. A new focus for February is a planking challenge...in addition to the 2:30 daily (forearm) plank each morning, I'm also doing 1-minute (forearm) side planks, each side, in the evenings. Why not? Planks feel good, and they make my core smile.

Wednesday's wonderful wake-up.

There were zero visible shadows on Tuesday, for groundhogs or anyone else. Instead, there was ample fog (which lasted through most of Wednesday) and an extra thick layer of hoar frost on all the trees and brush. My 5:15AM 4-miler was rather peaceful (no cars) and more pleasant than cold. I kept most of the run confined to the hills in my 'hood, so there were numerous changes of direction to stay out of a constant headwind. It was a good 20F warmer in the afternoon, but the wind was 20mph stronger, so this early morning option was definitely worth smiling about. And, the 10-mile evening bike ride? That was pretty smile-worthy as well. 

Thursday's reality.

Sometimes one awakes with a cranky back. And a headache. A sleep-in happens by default. And a short (indoor) walk on the treadmill is all that happens. With another winter storm due to hit around lunchtime, I just wasn't "feeling" the cold weather anyways. Most of us left work at noon and stayed home. I logged a good 75ish minutes of back-breaking shovel action, before breaking for a 1-mile walk in the thick snow. This snow was the heavy, wet kind...and it felt like I was walking in sand with my boots. A bonus? It gave me a great core/strength/lower-body workout; that made me smile.

Feel-Good Friday.

Temps were cold (6F, with a -11F feels-like) and the streets were an icy mess with the previous day's snow and frozen slush. I definitely didn't feel like braving the outdoors. I summoned Sebbe for five biking miles, and - are you ready for this?- I fired up Milly for a couple miles of progressive 1/4-mile splits. I started with the speed set at 5.8, then went to 6.2, 6.4, 6.6 for the first mile. Feeling good, I did another 1/4 mile at 6.6, then did 6.8 and 6.8 before finishing at 6.6. Whew! Not sure what came over me, but the mini speed session felt kind of fun! And, in keeping with my inside run/outside selfie ritual, I took the requisite selfie on the front porch, and wore my red tank in honor of Wear Red Day.

Sensationally Sweaty Saturday!

With even colder temps (and wind) outside, it was a given Milly would see more action (for the third day in the row, none the less). Plain and simple, I cannot do a steady "long" run all at the same pace on the treadmill. I have to vary the speed to break up the monotony or the run won't last beyond a mile or two. My treadmill is approaching the 20-year mark, so it's loud and does not have very many bells or whistles. I cued up a few (or several LOL) music videos on my phone, and got five miles done without any cuss words uttered. I might have even smiled with each speed setting increase.  

Then, a few minutes after the outside selfie, it was time for the weekly bike ride. It was just Debbie and me this week, and ZOOM didn't knock us off after the usual 40 minutes! I made it to 20 miles, my longest indoor bike ride, ever. Suffice it to say my legs were tired when I finished, but I was smiling as a result.

A Sunday worth smiling about. 

So, the morning temps were (still) quite frigid (how does -12F grab you?), but the windchill advisory was due to end around noon. Not feeling like braving the cold (again), I postponed the morning walk and sweated with Ellie (the elliptical) for five miles. It may be Super Bowl Sunday, but it was also game day for my Iowa Hawkeyes (playing the Indiana Hoosiers), so I went with the Back in Black theme as I smiled through the sweat...wouldn't you?

 

It was one of the colder weeks, and we saw plenty of snow, but still a productive week in terms of sweat equity and fitness. With my podiatrist's blessing (see below), I can start upping my running game, both in terms of total mileage and intensity. This week saw 14 miles in the running shoes, which was my highest mileage week since mid-August (and we all know what happened then LOL). Walking was at the absolute minimum (6 miles, with more on tap for Sunday afternoon). The elliptical and the bike continue to be my BFF"s on my non-running days (10 miles and 45 miles, respectively). I did a lot of snow removal work on Thursday, and I challenge anyone who wants to question that as a legit workout...but I am going to sneak in some upper-body work during the basketball game today anyways.

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

A Wintry Mix

Allstate Hot Chocolate Virtual 5K

COFFEE TALK!

In other news:

Fashion Friday Flair! In tribute to Wear Red Day, and the sub-ZERO feels-like temps, I opted for my warm and toasty buffalo plaid blanket wrap. Let me tell you, that bright sunshine was more than welcome as well. As per usual, you're welcome to join me on Fridays! Post a pic of your outfit on Instagram, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair), and be sure to tag me (@runningonthefly).

The Illinois Criss Cross Virtual Challenge began November 5th. I finished the 224-mile West-East Route at the end of December. As of this post, I'm 169 miles into the North-South route, putting me approximately 39% of the way across those 435 miles. I'm on track to finish this "distance" well before the May 1st deadline. This week, the swag arrived, and it's pretty nice!   

And, how about a quick update on the stress fracture? I met with my podiatrist on Wednesday, and he gave me the green light to resume my usual running. Obviously, I still need to proceed with caution and cannot add excess miles or intense speed drills all at once. Friday's and Saturday's treadmill runs (which HAD to have some speed bursts to get through them) felt really good. I'm ready!

So, there you go! Lots to smile about, and we're another week closer to Spring (and Summer).  

How are things in your world? Cold temps as well? Did you have to bring it inside this week, or were you able to brave the cold? Did you wear red on Friday for Wear Red Day? 

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