Summer Smiling While the Sun is Shining

There's been a lot of smiling happening.

Believe it or not, we had an entire week of sunshine! 

We also had an entire week of summer temps and humidity, but it's a package deal and one I'm quite content with. I was able to see the sunrise most mornings, and that always ensures an awesome start to each new day.

Before I share all the sunshiny 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 8:00AM (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 this week:

Sunday sunshiny Sunday

For the first time, in a very long time, I took a pass on a post-long-run recovery run. I did, however, get out for a vigorous 2-mile "recovery" walk, amidst the rising sun. A short while later, the hubs and I loaded-up the bikes and met Mike and Amy for a 45-mile ride along the Chichaqua Valley Trail. We've ridden this trail a lot, last summer/fall as well as this season...it's a rail trail, and has a decent amount of shade cover. Later, we learned it was National Day of Ice Cream, so we let Max lead us on a 3-mile walk to the local hangout after dinner.

Another Never Miss A Monday (for the #DoubleWorkout win)

After Saturday's 14-mile extravaganza and Sunday's 45-mile ride, my legs were still feeling a bit fatigued. I ran a different route for my early morning 3-miler, and skipped the usual 1/4-mile surges and strides. There also were a couple miles walked (at work, and after dinner) and Gustavas took me for an 8.5-mile ride after work. 

Easy-Peasy-Walk-With-Me Tuesday

The beautiful morning afforded me a 2-mile walk before work, and another 1-miler mid-morning. I also snagged a 2-mile walk as the sun was setting. A good (recovery) day to have a great (walking) day.

Double-the-fun Workout Wednesday

It was another balmy morning for the weekly early-morning 5-miler with Barb. Oh well, a little sweat never hurt no one.

Later, after work, the hubs and I met Mike and Amy at the bike path. The temps were definitely hot, but the humidity was moderate. The wind was barely an issue this week, which made for a much easier adventure on all those hills. Fifteen total miles for the day, 12 of which were on the hills. BTW, don't ever dare me to lift my bike over my head...

Thankful Thursday

Another recovery day for the legs...just some upper-body strength work and walking (4 total miles). I'm thankful for these non-running/biking days, and so are my legs LOL.

Flirting-with-the-sunrise Friday

I haven't done much early morning riding this summer. If I'm not running, I'm usually walking in the early morning hours (then sometimes biking after work). Friday morning, I decided to change that...just six miles to keep things low-key (in prepping for the big weekend), but that sunrise was a show-stopper (and so was the moon...see below).

Long Run Saturday

How do you say you're an Iowa runner without saying you're an Iowa runner? You pause, at mile 6.5 of your 10-miler, and strike a pose in front of some cornstalks. All kidding aside, these 10 miles were challenging...the temps were warm (79F, 81% humidity) and my body just wasn't feeling like moving faster than a slug on its own struggle bus. No aches or pains (thankfully!), and I did have water with me, but this run was more about distance than it was speed LOL (and that's alright).

Gearing up for a big Sunday!

The hubs brainwashed me into riding the first day of Ragbrai with him on Sunday...so we'll be on the road, pedaling our bikes 84ish miles for Day-1 of this annual ride across the state of Iowa. Stay tuned...I'll be delayed with all things blogging until Sunday evening, but I will try to drop a few pics/stories on Instagram via my bike. 

Although the temps (and humidity) were nice and high this week, I was able to stay pretty active outdoors. Honestly, our summers are too short in Iowa, so I'm trying to take full advantage of every sunshine-filled moment, no matter the heat. So, in anticipation of the Ragbrai ride, the running got scaled back a bit - 21 miles in the running shoes. Walking had 17 miles. Biking had just under 75 miles. And, 40 flights of stairs (running warm-ups) and one upper-body strength workout. Yadda yadda yadda.

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

Desperately Seeking The Sunrise

It Seemed Like a Good Idea...

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair! I'm all about the basic black and white, but a little bit of turquoise can't hurt. Just don't forget your lipstick.

My favorite lily. This beautiful lily came with the house, and for  many years it only had one bloom. There were a few summers, though, when it didn't bloom and I'd feared we'd never see it again. Then, in 2017, I'd just gotten home from a week's stay in the hospital, and the bloom had reappeared. The following year, it had three blooms and every year since it's had four blooms. This year, it's blooming a couple weeks later than usual, but the blooms are looking bigger than before and they smell so sweet.  

And, finally, did anyone else catch the full moon? It was just the moon, myself and me Friday evening. It was another warm run - three miles in similar temps to Saturday's run, but the evening was so  peaceful and tranquil! The moon had a beautiful reddish-orange glow, but it looks white in the pic (it's right below my pinky finger). I'm really loving these full moon runs...this is my third one in a row, and I hope to keep up this monthly ritual for awhile.

Anyways, that's another week done and dusted. Summer really seems to be going fast this year; hard to believe the solstice was a month ago already! I haven't really noticed much of a difference with the daylight yet (or maybe I'm just in denial)...have you?

How are things in your fitness world? Any races happening, or are you training for a big race on the Fall calendar? Has it been unusually humid in your area this summer?

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