The Great Equinox Escape

Don't we all need a little escape, from time to time? 

Well, I certainly do. This past week blessed me with such a treat. After all, Winter was coming to a close (according to the calendar at least), and this called for a celebration! 

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 ;-)

So, here's what went down this past week:

Never miss a Monday.

After an extended taste of Spring, Momma N blessed us with an overnight dumping of wet snow. Nice of her, huh! I didn't want to fight the wet, slushy streets (in the dark), so I rode 15 miles with Sebbe instead. A lot of the snow was gone by afternoon, so I got out for two miles after work. And I crossed my fingers that this would be my last puffer vest run for several months.

Back to my regularly scheduled Tuesday...

My mind and body were ready for a light, easy-peasy Tuesday, just like in the "old days." I had run every day, for the past 10 days, and logged 34 total miles in doing so. Those numbers are peanuts for some peeps, but they are a lot for me (especially as I rebuild my post-stress fracture recovery mileage). So, I reunited with Ellie (my elliptical) for four early-morning miles. There were also a couple of walking miles after work, and that was it.

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A whacked-out Wednesday.

The o'dark weather conditions were looking cold, wet, and miserable. The rain forecast had diminished, but the air was still misty and foggy. With little sleep, low energy and a crazy headache, I didn't feel it was in my best interest to attempt the usual #5at5 with Barb. Instead, I cued up Sebbe for a 12-mile interval ride...and my mojo returned by the time I finished. Woot!!! So, I layered up and took a 2-mile walk before heading to work. Later, the hubby and I boarded an airplane and the Great Equinox Escape was underway.

Ahhhh....a very thankful Thursday.

The previous evening's 5:30PM departure didn't happen until 6:45PM, since we had to wait our turn for de-icing before takeoff. Hence, we didn't arrive in Florida until almost 10:00PM. After getting our luggage and securing our car rental, we didn't get to our lodging place (friends in Tampa) until after 11:00. Don't forget I'd been up since 4:30ish, so I awoke Thursday morning feeling significantly jet-lagged (for lack of a better word). But, we'd made it to Florida! The hubs and I decided to walk (3-mile round trip) to a place for breakfast and enjoy the warm air and bright sunshine. And that's all she wrote, except for some ab/core work in the evening.

A Fun Florida Friday!

You know the drill...when in Florida, find a friend to to run with. Or is that just me? As luck would have it, all the stars, moons and planets aligned and it worked out to meet up with Montana  (Pretty Lil Mudder) for an early-morning 7-mile run. One of the great things about a blogger/friend meet-up is that it feels more like a reunion than a first-time get-together. We got to chat, laugh, run and witness a breathtakingly beautiful sunrise over the bay.

Simply Saturday.

Even though I was on vacay, I wanted to squeeze in a short lower-body workout before the morning officially started. Nothing fancy and nothing grand, but every little bit builds a little more strength. So, here's what went down, literally:

*20 basic squats

*10 push-ups

*20 walking lunges (each side)

*20 sumo squats

*10 push-ups

*20 back-step lunges (each side)

*20 jump squats

*10 push-ups

*20 side-step lunges (each side)

Short but sweet, this little workout took all of 12 minutes and had me glistening and glowing. The hubs and I also took a short walk before commencing the day.

Sun-seeking Sunday.

The sun isn't always visible, even in the sunshine state...but I know it's there, behind the clouds. What's a little bit of mist anyways? I got out for a 3-mile recovery run (of sorts). Remember the squats and lunges from the day prior? Yeah, so did my hammies and glutes. Alas, the DOMS indicate muscle work and growth, so all is well.

 

So, it wasn't an intense week, by any means, but there was enough action to keep me moving. After 10 consecutive days of running (most of which were 3.14-milers with the Week of Pi Challenge), I thought it wise to have a bit of a cut-back week. Running saw 12 miles, walking had 9 miles (more on tap for Sunday afternoon), and biking logged 27 miles. Also, there were a couple of ab/core workouts, one upper-body and one lower-body workout and one elliptical. Yadda Yadda Yadda.

 

In case you missed out, here's what else went down:

The Meltdown

Week of Pi Challenge 2021

In other news:

Coming up, I have the Chocoholic Frolic 5K  next weekend (Iowa City, IA). It's a live race for me, but there's also a virtual option available. I ran this for the first time in 2019. Last year it had to go virtual, so I'm looking forward to running this in person again! If you're interested in joining me, code CHOCKIM will save you $5 on your registration. There's some sweet swag to be had! 

I realize that center parts are trending right now...but UGH. I gave it a try this week, but it's (still) totally not my gig. Even with an attempted side pony, it still was not a flattering look. Once and done LOL.

And March Madness has been quite maddening. The Ohio State Buckeyes totally blew my bracket, then Purdue and Tennessee followed suit. I won't even touch on the heartbreak from Michigan State. 

...but the Iowa Hawks are still going strong!

So, that's the latest and greatest. We head back to Iowa Monday morning, so I'll be hit and miss on reading/replying to the link-ups...fair warning. I will get back to everyone, but it may not happen as timely as desired. 

How are things in your world? Are you following the March Madness with the NCAA tournament? Center hair parts...yay or no way? Did the spring weather arrive? Exercise on vacay: do you make an effort to get it done, even if it's not as intense?

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