Waiting It Out

It was another week of Spring in Iowa...and it's left me (still) waiting for Winter to take a hike.

We did have an itsy bit of sunshine, so it wasn't all gloom and doom. But there were falling temps, rain, non-stop wind, and even some of the white stuff (I refuse to call it by name this time of year).

Sigh.

There's a lot to be said for being #IowaTough, so I wasn't completely stuck inside. But I'm eagerly waiting for some warm spring weather to arrive (and stay).

Before I dis on the 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 in my little world of fitness while "in waiting:"

A Sunny Sunday

After a semi-tough weekend of lingering DOMS, I felt the urge to do a short 3-mile run, amidst the sunrise. Wow! Talk about setting the mood (and the mojo) for the day! Afterwards, I pedaled for 12 miles with Sebbe (my indoor bike), and met Amy for a 4ish-mile walk (late morning) before the sprinkles set in.

Another Never Miss a Monday 

The forecast was showing warmer temps, less wind, and full-sun by late afternoon, so I opted for a breakfast of biking (10 miles) and saved the run (two miles) for after work. There also was some core work and a 1-mile mid-morning walk at work.

Tuesday Toner with Tunde

The day started with a 2-mile power-walk with Tunde (Peloton app). Basically, I stack two of her 10-minute arms/shoulders toning workouts and continue walking (on the treadmill) until I reach the 2-mile mark. In all honesty, this has become a weekly favorite, and I'm considering keeping it in rotation after it warms up (because I'm not too excited about taking the hand weights on an outdoor walk). There also was another 1-mile walk at work.

Triple Threat Wednesday

The forecast rain got pushed back a few hours, so the usual #5at5 with Barb was on...but we ran our route in a counter-clockwise pattern to avoid some of the wind.

After work...

Remember last week's 50 flights/50 push-ups interval workout? Well, this week, I upped it to 60 of each. That was followed by 10 miles on the bike and a quick core workout with Matty (Peloton app).

Thankful Thursday

More rain in the forecast (this was Day-3), but I was able to get out for a fast and furious 2-mile walk before work. Originally, I'd thought this was Day 500 of my #OptOutside Streak, but later realized I'd miscounted and that magical day would be Saturday. Oops.

After work, I got busy in the Glistening & Glowing Den Down Under (my basement, LOL). I stacked a couple of strength workouts, both of which wound up being more intense than I'd anticipated. The lower-body (courtesy of Andy) was very lunge-focused, and the upper-body (with Rad) had me chest-pressing to failure (Holy OUCH!). I followed those up with another 10-minute toner with Tunde (this time on the bike, for six s.l.o.w miles) and a repeat of Wednesday's core workout (with Matty).

Finally Friday

The rain had left the premises, but we were greeted with snow at wake-up instead (see pic below). I started the morning with 15 miles on the bike and ended with a windy 1-mile walk after work (20-30mph wind all day, thank you very much).

"Long Run" Struggle Bus Saturday

Ugh. I played the procrastination game, thinking by waiting-it-out (a couple hours) the slightly warmer temps (and slightly less wind) would be beneficial for my 10-mile run. The thing is, my body and my mind much prefer the early-morning routine. Waiting around, until 8:15, did reward me with slightly more desirable weather conditions (and full sunshine!), but it also threw off my mojo. Also, the DOMS (from Thursday evening's lower-body workout) had two bonus hours to really make their presence known (and felt). None the less, I plodded along with a better than expected pace, but I could feel my feet starting to shuffle (a lot) around the 6-mile mark. I realized pushing on for another four miles was not in the cards, so I headed back towards home and finished with eight miles. This run was a very exhausting endeavor, but I felt quite accomplished when I reached my driveway. While this run was a tough one, I was thankful for the privilege of being able to run those eight miles. After all, there was a time, way back in my early days, when a 5K felt even tougher. It's all about perspective, right? Later, I did a short core workout and rode 10 miles on the bike (for recovery, and as an aid in flushing out some of the DOMS). 

   

What's on deck for Sunday?

We have another nice day in the forecast, so I might do a short (very short, LOL) recovery run in the morning and some biking (indoors, due to the wind). There will also be some afternoon walking in the sunshine.

So yeah, it wasn't a great week, weather-wise, but I'm happy with all the sweat equity banked. I'm thinking of bailing on the lower-body strength workouts until after the Fight for Air Climb (May 7th) since I'm doing extra stair-training right now. I also have the Drake Road Races 13.1 on April 24th, and those lower-body DOMS are kicking my buttocks, literally. 

This week's totals:

Running - 18 miles (in the ball park)

Biking - 63 miles (borderline high)

Walking - 11 miles (crappy weather, again)

Stairs - 100 flights (40 of which were from pre-run warm-ups)

Strength workouts - upper-body (3 sessions), lower-body (one session), core (4 x 10-minutes)

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

Sometimes You Gotta Just GO With It

About That Sunny Sunday Run

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. While we finally had some warmish weather on Friday, we still had crazy wind. I'm glad I have numerous layering options at the ready. I'm also grateful for this basic denim shirt that goes with everything.

As mentioned, we woke up to a fresh layer of "white" Friday morning. Seriously, I think Momma N is on crack. At least this white stuff was history by mid-morning.

Finally, it is nice to see a few colorful signs of Spring. The crocus just bloomed this week, and the daffodils are emerging!

So, that's the latest and (somewhat) greatest from last week. We have more rain in the forecast this next week, but temps are looking better (in the 50F-60F range). Fingers crossed this upward trend, in the temps, continues!

Your turn...What's been happening in your world? Is Winter still holding strong, or is Spring pushing through? Any great workouts that bear bragging about? Upcoming races?

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