Thursday, March 24, 2022

How About a Few SpringFessions


Well, just like that, we're facing the first Spring 'Fessional Session of 2022.

Although the calendar shows Spring, this first official week of Spring has felt a bit more like late Fall. The sunshine has been hit or miss, and the temps have been a bit chilly. Of course, that annoying wind has been unrelenting...but all is well. The increased daylight neutralizes the weather whiplash. At least we're now on the bright side of the Equinox!

Anyways, shall we get to the 'fessing?

If you don't mind, I'll go first... 

For starters, I'll MaxFess that things have been less-than-ideal with his recent ACL repair surgery. I wish I was fluent in dog talk, so I could communicate with him. Honestly, he's 12 years old, but acts like a 6-month old puppy with his energy. Trying to keep him "immobile" is more stressful than bringing home your first newborn. The hubby has had a lot of evening meetings (and a long-weekend business trip), the past two weeks, so I've had to arrange for my parents or sister to babysit Max anytime I've wanted to leave the premises. I love this little furry guy, but I'm ready for the house arrest to end. Fortunately, the sutures were removed Thursday, and the cone is history. He should be fully recovered within a month. Onward!


Moving on, a couple days ago, I noticed a really odd "taste" in my mouth, mid-morning. Then, I had a quick awkward uh-oh moment...I MemoryFailFess that I couldn't remember if I'd brushed my teeth before leaving for work. Rest assured, I brush my teeth frequently (morning and night, at the minimum), but I couldn't recall actually doing it that particular morning. Fortunately, I have a toothbrush and paste in my desk at work. Crises (somewhat) averted.

Can we talk about first world problems for a second? I had two biking workouts (via Peloton) on tap for the early morning, on Wednesday. I wasn't even half way through Tunde's Tabata workout when my bike's screen went blank (ummm, #batteryfail). Just like that, the onscreen stats had gone *poof* (mileage, RPM's, pace, elapsed time, etc.), and I no longer could adjust the resistance level (and didn't have any more D-size batteries in the house). For about 10 seconds, I BikeFess that I was on the verge of panicking. Then, I decided to just continue on...after all, I could still pedal, and I could do some pretty fast sprints with little (to no) resistance, LOL. I estimated I'd done about 14 miles in those 50 minutes. But, it gets better...after work, I repeated both workouts, almost 13 hours later! It turns out my 14-mile guess was pretty close, after all. Ending the day with four bike workouts (two of which were Tabata-based!) and over 28 total miles, I slept pretty soundly that evening.   

**Tabata is a type of HIIT workout that's just four minutes long. In Tabata, you cycle through eight rounds of 20 seconds of intense work and 10 seconds of rest. This particular workout had three "sets" of Tabata over the course of 20 minutes (with recovery periods between each set).


I haven't said much about it, but I'm really excited for the upcoming Drake Relays Road Races Half Marathon (April 24th). I've done this race numerous times, so I'm not nervous about anything. I RaceFess, though, that I've kind of let the event sneak up on me. I have a solid base, and I've done a couple of 8-mile long runs, so I will be half-marathon-ready in four weeks. This is a hilly race course (and the weather is almost always cold, windy, and damp), so gunning for a 13.1 PR is pretty unrealistic, though last year I came close to a course PR. We shall see...

Finally, I've mentioned my daily #OptOutside streak before. This all began on Thanksgiving 2020 (with that year's RW Winter Streak). After that streak ended (January2, 2021), I decided to keep getting outside, everyday, for some form of fitness. Many days, it was just a short walk, but all those short 1-mile walks counted (as well as my runs and bike rides). Anyways, Day 500 is approaching, on April 8th! I RunFess that it's been great getting outside, daily, no matter what the weather is doing. That meant a couple of quick 1-mile walks, this week, in the rain...but there are worse things, am I right? As much as I detest less-than-perfect weather, it's pretty empowering facing it head-on instead of cowering inside.


As always, it feels oh so liberating releasing another set of 'fessions. Kind of a spring cleanse, LOL. Thanks for indulging me.

Surely, I'm not alone in this. Do you have any 'fessions that need sharing? Have you done any walking in the rain, yet, in 2022? Ever forgotten if you've brushed your teeth? Would you re-do an entire workout, for the sake of verifying just how far or intense it was?

I'm  linking this with Marcia for the monthly Runfessions link-up



I'm also linking this with MichelleReneeDarleneJenn and Zenaida for the Fit Five Friday Link-up.



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17 comments:

  1. Oh poor Max! I hope he is fully healed soon. Our walk streak started on March 13, 2020. I'll need to count the days! The rain has been soul sucking here this week!

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    1. Your walk streak is impressive! Our rain has finally moved east, LOL, but the wind and cold are sticking around. We have a wind advisory today (gusts up to 30mph and sustained wind in mid-20's mph range). At least we have a lot of sunshine in the forecast!

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  2. I have both walked & run in the rain this year -- and snow, for that fact -- but I'm okay on the rare day I don't get outside.

    Happy to hear Max is on the mend! I know the feeling of furkid nursing all to well. People don't always realize how tough it is! Unfortunately I've never lived that close to family so that they could help.

    Good luck with the half! I hope the weather surprises you!

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    1. We've never had to kennel Max, and I truly believe he'd freak out if he was confined like that. He'd probably do more damage, and injure himself further, under those conditions. So, yeah...24/7 supervision, and constant carrying up/down the stairs (and off the porch, etc. outside). Thankfully, the worst is behind us ;-)

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  3. I am thinking of some sort of outside challenge to get my daily walks back now that the weather is better. Poor Max I am sure he is itching to get back to being out there and active as much as you are. That is exciting that your Drake race is coming up again.You are definitely ready for a half!

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    1. Just getting the sutures removed made a huge difference with the range of motion on his affected leg, but he still needs keep things on the down-low for awhile. At least he like watching the basketball games with me, LOL.

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  4. I have given up thinking about PRs... I am so happy to be racing... especially after the Pandemic.

    I have walked and ran and raced in the race, snow... all things weather..

    I only go outside... the good news don't have to worry about batteries. I don't even wear a watch... so no I would never re-do a workout. It happened if I say so.

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    1. This bike isn't very old, so it's just odd it doesn't have a power cord. I'll have to remember that the next time we lose power ;-)

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  5. I'm all about walking and running in the rain. It's still a bit chilly but I think we're done with slippery stuff on the roads so now the outdoors is all mine.

    My half is on April 24th as well and I'm cautiously optimistic. I'm slower but my energy has been good for my long runs.

    Can I just tell you what a godsend WFH is for the little stuff? My toothbrush is in the next room and absolutely anything that I need is close by.

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    1. I don't mind the rain (much) for walking, but I do prefer warmer temps (and less wind). I never kept a toothbrush (or paste) at work until I was going through my Invisalign treatment. I had to brush/floss EVRYTIME I ate or drank anything other than plain water, so that really upped my attention to my dental habits.

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  6. Poor Max! I'm happy to hear he's on the mend. I can only imagine how challenging it is to keep the pup immobile.

    Your outdoor streak is awesome! I runfess that while I had planned to "streak" this month a couple of days of icy rain put an end to that for me. But you inspire me to consider starting again.

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    1. I cold never run streak this long (nor would I want to), but just getting outside does a body and mind good. The cold winter days are the most challenging, but they're doable.

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  7. Wow, day 500 of your streak! It sounds like you have no plans for stopping anytime soon. It must have been hard to manage with Max's situation (poor little guy- i'm glad he's out of the cone.)
    That's funny about the bike workouts. A lot of people in that situation would be like "Well, the battery died, I can't do my workout. C'est la vie!" But you not only finished it, you did it twice. You obviously don't let a little thing like a battery slow you down!

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    1. Well, for a few seconds, I almost did quit. It was raining/sleeting outside, so I did have the treadmill as another indoor option (but #YUCK)...but I decided to just keep going. All those resistance options are more of a luxury than a necessity (as are all the stats on the monitor).

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  8. I’m glad Max is finally on the mend! Our weather is crazy. I thought winter was over but I’ve heard it’s trying to make a come back.

    Good luck with your race.

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    1. ...and today, we have sunshine, but 30+mph wind gusts! It's just crazy outside!

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  9. I'm glad to see Max is feeling better. Poor guy!

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