Sunday, June 13, 2021

A Humid Heat Kind of Week


It was one of those "it's not the heat, it's the humidity" kind of weeks.

Believe me, I am no stranger to these, especially once the temps start climbing. Do I love the heat? Yes! The humidity...not so much. But, it's my reality and I'll take it any day over the frigid temps of winter.

And, I'll gladly run in it without too many complaints. After all, at least it's not snowing. Glass half full, and all that jazz.

Before I share all the summer-heat-induced 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: 

Never miss a (sticky) Monday!
I much prefer to start the week off with some action, and this week was no exception. I got out for an early-morning 3-miler (with 1/4-mile surges, and some bonus strides...just for kicks). Let's just say my messy bun was every kind of messy in the humid and windy air. After work, I met up with Barb, and we cranked our 22 hard-fought biking miles against the wicked wind.


Easy-Peasy Tuesday.
Nothing too wild or crazy for my usual recovery day...some power walking before work (1.5 miles) and some biking after work (10 miles) on the new bike (See below)!


Double Workout, Double Whammy Wednesday.
The temps weren't too warm yet at 05:00 (68F), but the humidity was already quite high (87%) for the weekly #5at5 with Barb. After work, I met up with another friend, Amy, for my first trek out to the lake on the hilly bike trail (15-mile round trip) of the season. We had much warmer temps by then (low-90F's) and equally high humidity...but the wind was pretty much MIA. Oh my...those hills were oh-so-much easier on the new bike than on the mountain bike! 


Low-maintenance Thursday.
After the previous day's humid run and intense 15-mile late-afternoon ride, my legs had earned some downtime. I got out for a 2-mile walk in the early hours, and did another 1-mile walk during my morning break at work. And that was it for the day.


Fast Fitness Friday.
How about some speedwork to kick-start the day? It had been awhile since I played on the 2-block expanse of sidewalk on campus...so it was time. This a segment of pavement that is the length of two city blocks, but it's all part of one BIG block on the central campus, so there are no streets to cross or traffic to worry about. Basically I "sprint" the sidewalk in one direction and then jog back (as a recovery). Back and forth, five times, nets me approximately two miles in total distance. My splits were decent and consistent (1:26/1:27/1:26/1:28/1:27...not bad for a 91F morning, with 97F feels-like), hence the ninja jump LOL. With the 1/2-mile warm-up run to get there (and then back home), I ended the morning with three total miles and was back home in less than 25 minutes. There also was a little more walking (morning break at work) and upper-body strength work (evening).


"Sun-kind" of Saturday.
Full disclosure...my right hammie has been a little cranky as of late, and it was in a mood on Saturday morning. Also, my "recovered" foot (the one that hosted a stress fracture almost a year ago) has felt a little funky (maybe due to the humidity?), and it didn't want to play nice either. I had a full day on tap, so it just made sense to do a short-ish run and not overdo anything. Barb and I met up for 5 (or 6) miles at 6:00...and all went much better than anticipated. After the first mile, everything felt "normal" (I know that's a very relative term LOL), so I was comfortable doing  that extra mile.


 
Soon after, the hubs and I made our way to Des Moines, for a beautiful (though quite emotional) celebration of life service for a friend who had recently passed (#StupidCancer). Afterwards (mid-afternoon), we'd arranged to hook up with some friends to explore another part of the Raccoon River Valley Trail. Just shy of 39 miles, this ride was a great one! The temps were warm, but the humidity had lightened and the headwind became a fabulous tailwind on the return back from the turn-around.


   
Sun-sational Sunday.
Ironically, as we were driving home from Saturday's ride, another friend texted me...inviting us to go for a "short" Sunday morning ride. Well, who are we to refuse checking out (yet) another new-to-us nearby trail? So, as this post goes live, I'll either be en route to, or on, said trail. Stay tuned...I'll check back with an update afterwards.
**update: The ride went well! Just shy of 20 miles on the Linn Creek Greenbelt Rec Trail, with the hubby and another couple. We'll definitely be heading back to that trail!


What a great week! It was hot and it was, indeed, humid as Hades...but it's summer in Iowa, and it's my reality. Running wasn't anything grandiose (17 miles), but it doesn't have to be every week. Walking wasn't too grand either (9 miles), but that's alright as well. With one of my co-workers back in the office now, we're walking almost every day on our morning break, so that will up the walking mileage a bit here on out. Minimal stair work this week...40 flights (just for warm-ups before running). Some upper-body work (last Sunday evening and Friday evening). But the biking dominated...108 miles (including the 20ish miles from Sunday morning).

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

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair! As mentioned, Friday was a warm one and the humidity was a bit crazy. Personally, I could do with a little less humidity, but I'll gladly deal with the droopy hair and glistening skin. Besides, that's what barrettes, headbands, pony tails and up-do's are for...right? Anyways, as for fashion, I find skirts feel a lot cooler than shorts or capri pants. And, sleeveless tops are a given (same for sparkly sandals).


Did I mention the heat? It was a scorcher on Thursday!


And, Gustavas became a big brother this week!  Say hello to Fritz! The hubs has been wanting to get me a second bike for awhile, and he spotted this "baby" in our local bike shop. He's a hybrid (kind of like a lightweight road bike, but his skinny wheels have better treads). I had no idea how much harder I was working on those hills with Gustavas (he's a mountain bike) until I took Fritz out for a spin (see what I did there LOL). The gear shifts are different that those of Gustavas' so we're still in the "getting to know each other" phase, but things are going well! 


So, that's it for now. I'm keeping an eye (and a gentle tread) on the foot, and am banking all kinds of biking at the moment. The hot temps don't feel as hot on a bike, just saying, and the cranky hammie appreciates the movement. 

How was your week? Is it feeling hot hot hot? Any races on the calendar? Got any favorite hot weather cross-training options when it's too hot to run? 


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44 comments:

  1. Nice to meet you, Fritz!
    I think you're not truly living summer until your hair reflects it.
    Glad the hammy and foot settled down. So sorry for the loss of your friend

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    1. My fine hair totally is a droopy mess when the humidity shows up. Oh well ;-)

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    2. It's poodle season here, especially with the shorter 'do. Oh well.

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  2. Congrats to Gustavas for becoming a big brother this week! And welcome Baby Fritz.

    I will not miss the humidity when it's gone, but the fact is that regardless of the weather we're going to find a way to get our sweat on no matter what. Even though the heat is really hard for me, I'm enjoying this season of fitness.

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    1. Yes, the sweat happens regardless. Yesterday, the humidity was lower (in the 70%, I think) and it felt so "fresh" outside, even with the warm temps.

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  3. Uhh, Fritz is nice. The right bike can make a big difference especially on the hills. Phew-- I hear you about the humidity. It has been crazy here in MN, but the past two days humidity is down and there is a light breeze, not the wind tunnel from last week, so it makes everything summer perfect.

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    1. All I've ridden (since my biking thing started a few years ago) was the mountain bike, so that's all I know. The other bike is so much lighter and so much easier on those hills! Whodda thunk LOL

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  4. Welcome Fritz. I'm sure you will be very happy with your new owner.

    Glad you were not injured again.

    Sorry about your loss. I recently lost two friends to cancer. Horrible disease.

    I hear you about the humidity. Sun and heat is fine but humidity is what saps your strength.

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    1. My hammie actually feels really good after a bike ride, and is feeling better overall. My key is keeping the mileage conservative. Also, I really notice a grumpy demeanor after doing speedwork, so I have to keep those workouts fairly short and not overly intense.

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  5. take care of that hammie! Enjoyb your new bike-I am sure you all will become fast friends this summer

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    1. Fritz and I have already spent a lot of quality time together since his arrival on Tuesday. Now I just have to figure out a balance between riding him and the mountain bike, because I think both are beneficial (just in different ways).

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  6. Busy and fun week for you! Congrats on the new addition. Hope those niggles are nothing serious.

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    1. Knock wood, I think the niggles are nothing major yet...just keeping the mileage on the conservative side is my main trump card.

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  7. Congrats on the new bike! Who knows, maybe you'll even get clip in pedals...

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    1. Nope, probably not going to happen. Every friend who has had a bad crash, it's been from not being able to unclip quick enough. I know my coordination skills, and they're not strong LOL

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  8. Congratulations on the new addition to your family! Biking is a great thing in the heat (like you said, it doesn't feel as hot on the bike) and also for those days where you have those nagging aches and pains. Fritz will get a lot of use!
    Sorry about your friend. That service must have been rough.
    Enjoy your bike ride!

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    1. The bike ride went well! Yes, Fritz is already beckoning me for more attention than Gustavas...it's going to be tough to keep both in a good rotation (but I think that's a good problem).

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  10. You know, I don't really think it ever feels hot here without feeling humid. I remember when I went to Denver it was really hot but there was like no humidity, and it felt pretty amazing. Great job and congrats on thew new bike!

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    1. We have more humid days than not in Iowa, too. When I was in Las Vegas, in late 2017 for the RNR 13.1, it was crazy how the dry air felt. I was SO thirsty and my skin even felt dry (though I was sweating like crazy).

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  11. Another awesome week of workouts for you! I'm always amazed when you workout twice in the same day. You have so much energy!
    Congrats on the new bike!
    Really sorry to hear about your friend that passed away from cancer. It's such an awful disease :(

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    1. Thanks, Kim ;-) What I'm finding is the double workout days are a good fit for me, as long as I keep a couple of good "easy" days in the mix. Yes, cancer is nothing short of awful ;(

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  12. Congrats on your new addition!

    I'm so sorry about your friend. That hurts; hugs.

    Definitely a great mixture of workouts this week, Kim!

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    1. Thanks, Judy ;-) I'm glad how the week played out, especially with the biking. Our friend was diagnosed mid-May and was gone not even three weeks later...such a sad ordeal.

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  13. Hello, Fritz!! Looking great!
    You've gotten in so many biking miles- way to go!! Keep it up. I'm just running and walking in the heat here.

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    1. The biking miles were a great fit this week, since my hammie was a bit angry after the speed workout Friday morning.

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  14. Wow, you've been biking on a mountain bike on the roads! The new bike must feel amazing.

    When it's hot, it's HOT. That's quite a high temperature for a morning run. Great job sweating it out regardless :)

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    1. Yes, all the biking has been via a mountain bike until Fritz's arrival. Crazy how much easier the hybrid bike is!

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  15. Look at you logging all those cycling miles! I’m sorry to hear about your friend, though. I’m glad you got to attend the service.

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    1. I didn't realize how fast the cycling miles were adding up until after yesterday's long ride. Gosh, those miles are SO easy on the hybrid in comparison to the mountain bike.

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  16. good runs and rides this week Kim! so exciting you got a new bike!!

    Sorry to hear about your friend passing. Cancer really does suck. x

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    1. Cancer does suck. End of story. But, yes, the new bike is a big hit ;-)

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  17. I had a hair issue on my run this morning - I had it in a low ponytail then braided and the elastic at the bottom end started to rub the back of my neck. So I had to twist it round on itself to make a loop, with Claire dancing around going "Don't ask me, I don't know this stuff!) (she has short hair, her partner has short hair, her kid does!). It was only 66 here, too!

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    1. ha ha, we don't need those hair issues! One time, out of the blue, the hair elastic just popped and left me with nothing for my hair LOL I was wearing a cap, so I was able to kind of twist up my hair in a knot and stash it under the cap, but it kept trying to come loose.

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  18. Ah - new bike week!! What fun! It looks very pretty. Crazy humidity here too. I was thankful not to be running this week and enjoying it all on my bike instead :)

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    1. Our humidity was pretty high as well; it definitely feels easier to deal with on wheels than on foot ;-)

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  19. I'm so excited for you for getting your new bike - that Pat's a keeper! And I love how much biking you're doing. Who would have "thunk" we runners would embrace it so enthusiastically! And yep, it was hot, humid, and gross here last week.

    I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's passing. Sending virtual hugs your way.

    Thanks for the linkup and have a great week!

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    1. ha ha ha, right? Whodda thunk? LOL Biking has really been a game changer for me with my running...so no looking back ;-)

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  20. Congrats again on your new bike!

    I'm so sorry about the loss of your friend. Lots of hugs to you.

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  21. Congrats on your new bike!

    Sorry about the loss of your friend. Hugs.

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    1. Thank you...it's never easy losing someone, and this guy was gone in three weeks after his diagnosis.

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  22. Congrats on the new bike! What a bike in the weather department. I love your picture from Friday's run.

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    1. Thanks! Friday's workout made me feel like a warrior, so I felt the need to document it LOL

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