Back in Black (and gold)

Well, this definitely isn't the taper I had in mind.

Had the Air Force Marathon not gone virtual, I would be basking in my second week of 26.2 taper bliss. Alas, with the big Cy-Hawk football game (the Iowa State Cyclones vs. the University of Iowa Hawkeyes) on deck for Saturday, this week also would be full of black and gold bliss...so that's what I chose to focus on instead.

So how did that work for me? In two words: quite well! 

Before I share all the black and gold 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, in my little world of fitness and fun:

A simple Sunday

Having traveled to the hubby's hometown (class reunion), this Sunday morning started with a 2-mile walk (in very brisk temps) before we hit the road for the drive back home. After the 5-hour drive back, my legs were craving some action, so Gustavas (the mountain bike) took me for a 10-mile bike ride. All better.

How about a (spontaneous) 10K for Monday?

I opted for a refund from the Air Force Marathon (for the 26.2 event), but I still wanted to take part in some capacity...so I registered for the virtual 10K. I met up with Barb, and we got it done (actually, I ran seven full miles, but stopped my Garmin at the 10K mark). I don't typically run farther than three miles on Mondays, so this 10K was a bit of a struggle for the first 3-4 miles. I was very glad to have someone to chat with or I might have bailed on the second half. Thankfully, my legs loosened up and the last few miles felt pretty good. The day also involved some walking (three miles, with the hubby and Max) and seven miles of late-afternoon biking.

  

Tired Legs Tuesday

Yep, the legs were feeling fatigued at wake-up, so there was a 2-mile walk in the pre-work hours, and another 1-mile walk on my morning break at the office. I contemplated some post-workday biking, but the wind was psychotic. Barb talked me into walking instead (it was a pretty easy sell), and four miles later, all was well. It's been a hot minute since I've had a day with nothing (fitness-wise) other than walking, so those seven miles were pretty legit.

Another crisp & cool Wednesday

By the dawn's (not so) early light...Barb and I knocked out another early-morning 5-miler. We don't usually see much traffic at that early hour, but this week I counted at least 15 vehicles while we did our thing. 

Thursday's Double #Brrr on the Bike(s)

The morning's 8-miler (with Gustavas) was very chilly in the 53F temps. I'm just glad I had that beautiful sunrise (and my Iowa 1/4-zip to keep me warm). Later, we weren't able to meet until 6:30PM for the weekly ride (my fault #HairAppointment). Amy, Barb and I ventured out to the lake, and Holy Brrr, Batman! When the sun sinks that low in the sky, all those valleys (in between all those hills) feel rather frigid. Just saying. Fifteen additional miles for the day, these with Fritz (the hybrid).

Feelin' fine Friday

The legs had earned an easy morning, so there was some upper-body strength work and a 2-mile walk with the hubby and Max (also a 1-mile walk at work). 

Then, after work, I took Fritz out for a 10-mile ride. He'd been a little under the weather, recently, so the hubby had taken him to the bike shop for a quick check-up (turns out he just needed a screw tightened somewhere). This ride felt so refreshing! Seriously, this is my kind of happy hour.

A day of remembrance 

Every year, on September 11th, I find some way to honor the day. I have run (or walked) for 9.11 minutes. Last year, with my stress fracture, I biked for 9.11 miles. I have run 9.11 miles in the past, and it only seemed fitting to do that again this year. Barb was on board with the idea, so her and I met up at 6:00 and got it done on a beautiful morning. Like most people, I will never forget where I was (or what I was doing) when the attacks happened. As frightening and heart-breaking as those events were, 20 years ago, I did find a lot of strength in how our country (and other countries) pulled together and got through such a tragic experience. It's my hope that humanity can rise to the current challenges we're facing and find some sense of unity again.

  

So, for the first time in several weeks, my mileage was back to a more desirable maintenance level. I'd like to get back to running four days each week, but there's really no big hurry (nor an immediate need) for that. It will happen when it happens. This week saw just over 21 miles of running, and all things are feeling pretty good. Walking (finally) got back in the groove and had approximately 22 miles this week. And biking. Sigh. While the recent biking streak did come to an end (it had only been going for about three weeks LOL), this week's 50 miles all felt fantastic. I'm so grateful to have biking in my little arsenal of fitness favorites, especially for recovery purposes. 

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

A Breath of "Fall" Air

Who's Your Real Competition?

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair! Did I mention there was a big football game happening this week? Yes? I'm a strong believer in paying homage to one's alma mater, so I wear a lot of black and gold during the football and basketball seasons.

I played around a little bit with an old pair of Brooks Adrenalines and a fairly new pair of Brooks Glycerins this week. I swapped out the laces between the shoes and Sharpie'd-up the soles of the Glycerins to give them a little funky punch of pink. The thing is, after Monday's 7-miler, there were traces of the pink on my ankles. Oops!

  

Finally, the climax of this Black and Gold Week was the Iowa vs. Iowa State football game Saturday afternoon (trust me, this is like the Super Bowl for the state of Iowa LOL). Never mind the fact that I'd already run 9.11 miles. We tailgated with the two daughters (and the older one's new husband), then the hubs and I headed to the game. While our son (now living in Maryland) is also an Iowa alumni, our two daughters are ISU Cyclones (one is a 2016 grad; the other is starting her senior year). It was a long day, the temps were very warm (upwards of 90F, with all kinds of humidity), and we had a good 3+ miles of walking to and from Jack Trice Stadium. But, the Iowa Hawkeyes came away with (another) victory against their big instate rival. 

So, the big game is over and done, and my week ended on a very happy note. All is well, no regrets.

How did your week play out? Any big training runs that need mentioning? Any weekend racing? Did you do any kind of a tribute for September 11th?

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