Sunny. Windy.Chilly. Mix & Repeat.

It was a week! There was a lot of sunshine (yay!), an abundance of wind (buzzkill!) and frigid flashback-to-winter temps (brrr!). 

But the precipitation stayed away, so there's that.

It also was a bit of a taper week for yours truly. I still ran on my usual running days, but I laid off of the lower-body strength work, stairs and HIIT. I also did plenty of walking (and some biking) to keep my legs loose. 

Before I give you the down and dirty 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 week, in my little corner of the universe:

Another never-miss-a-Monday.

Paradox...early morning temps were cold (ahem, just above freezing) but there was promise of much warmer temps later (along with more wind). I decided to start the day with a 2-mile walk (and greet the sunrise) and save the run for after work. As forecast, it was almost 25-degrees warmer. Even in those temps, the 16mph wind was still a bit evil...but manageable for three miles.

  

Talk-about-cold Tuesday.

Holy yikes, it was 39F (with a feels-like of 32F! ) when I rose and shone for an early-morning walk. That said, even on an especially cold mid-April morning, the sunrise never disappoints. After work, I took another 2-mile walk...temps weren't quite as chilly, but the wind was even more out-of control.

Beat-the-wind Wednesday.

Again, it was cold (32F, but feeling like 25F), but the wind played nice (8mph) at that early hour. The sky was clear, Barb and I had our usual weekly catch-up, and those five miles went fast. We're starting to notice the hint of a sunrise now, in the final mile, so that makes those #5at5 endeavors even more special. Hard to believe I was in a tank (with arm warmers) and shorts just a week ago...

Side note - My place of work was hosting an onsite vaccination clinic on Friday morning, but late Wednesday afternoon I learned of a nearby drive-through vax site that still had vaccines available and no line. This was around 3:30PM. With my half marathon happening on Sunday, I was a little anxious about any potential after-effects plaguing me on race day. Spur of the moment, I logged out, jumped in the car and was at this site within 10 minutes. I got "shot-up," waited in my car for the allotted 20 minutes, and was back home before 4:30. Boom!  That evening, I snuck in my upper-body workout (which was on deck for Thursday), anticipating any post-vax body aches/soreness.

 

Half marathon Thursday (via the bike).

As feared, I woke up Thursday morning with my arm in a nasty world of hurt. Since my lower body felt fine, I hopped on the bike. Sebbe and I pedaled a half marathon distance, and I went for a 1-mile a walk before heading to the office. Another walk after work (two miles), and I was done for the day. Needless to say, I was quite grateful I'd had the foresight to do my upper-body workout a few hours post-vax, because there's no way it would have happened the next day LOL. 

Feeling (somewhat) better for Friday.

Temps were looking good (low 40F's), so I braved the outdoors in shorts (but with a fleece headband and gloves). I wanted a little something to shake out my legs, and this 2-miler did the trick. Without even trying, I made it out and back in less than 20 minutes, and that's with a few wasted minutes of "selfie attempts" mid-route.  The 6mph wind felt like a no-show, and I really like it when that happens! By afternoon, the wind had picked up, but the temps were warm enough that it was still quite comfortable. After work, Max took me for a 2-mile post-workday walk. Although my body felt pretty much back to normal, my arm was still entertaining a lot of aches and pains (from the vaccine). Raising (or reaching with) it had me wincing!

 

Simply Saturday.

Boy, did it feel weird to not be running on Saturday! The hubby and I went for 2-mile walk, just after sunrise, before driving to Des Moines for some errands and packet pickup. Feeling antsy, I did another 2-mile walk in the afternoon sunshine and some foam rolling and stretching. BTW, my arm was finally feeling normal by the evening. I'm really glad I was able to get the vaccine two days earlier than originally planned. Everyone seems to be reacting differently to the vaccine (I received Moderna). Since I tested positive for Covid, but was asymptomatic (early November), I was really paranoid what my experience would be. I was glad to have my post-vax aches/pains gone before race day.

 

Race day Sunday!

The plan of action: Drake Relays Road Races Half Marathon! I'm publishing this post early (since I'll be en route to the race Sunday morning), but I'll update after the finish line. Meanwhile, here's the Race Day Preview...

**post-race update**

WOW!!!!! Things went extremely well!!! Weather was perfect, course was its usual hilly self (LOL), Covid protocol was great, and I'm very happy with my finish time and performance. Stay tuned, I'll share more in a race recap this next week.

 

So, as mentioned, the weather was a little bit of everything, but that's typical for Spring in Iowa. My daily opt-outside streak is still going strong (I don't have the actual day count in front of me, but it started just before Thanksgiving). Although I did run my usual mileage this week, I kept all the other lower-body fitness at the minimum (except for plenty of walking). Running had 10 miles (with another 13.1 happening on Sunday morning). Walking had 15 miles (with possibly a few more Sunday afternoon, for recovery). Biking had 13.1 miles. And one upper-body session. 

 

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

Weather Forecast: FAIL!

Running With Friends Has Its Benefits

IMT Des Moines Marathon Weekend - Why I'm So Giddy

In other news: 

With the chilly temps, I dug out a favorite scoop neck sweater to keep me toasty. I thought of wearing a black sweater with the black pants...but that would have been too predictable LOL. The grey sweater just seemed like a more fun option, especially in contrast to the bright pop of fuchsia from my shirt. What would you have gone with...black or grey? AS always, you're welcome to join the party on Fridays...post a pic of your outfit on Instagram, grab the hashtag (#FridayFashionFlair), and give me a tag as well (@runningonthefly). 

Lucky us! We get to dogsit the grand-doggy, Lola, this next week. Don't worry, both her and Max are certain to keep me company...especially if I'm trying to spread out on the loveseat.

And, finally, this little gem caught my eye on Insta this week. I didn't create the meme, nor did I write the text...but it echoes my thoughts. All the hate and self-righteousness on social media is ridiculous these days. If you don't see me arguing, defending, or shaming someone for their own personal words, it's not because I'm indifferent. I just have better ways to spend my limited free time LOL.  

So, there you go! Another week is over and done, and we're (already) into the last half of April. That sure happened quickly!

How was your week? Any fun fitness endeavors? Crazy cold and windy in your neck of the woods, or are you enjoying pleasant temps? Any live races? 

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