About Me

Saturday, July 2, 2022

Heavy on the Pedals


It was a Heavy On The Pedals kind of week, and the timing was immaculate.

After all, my right hip has been in a funk recently and I have a couple of races coming up. Why not give the compromised body parts a rest and have a little more fun on the bike(s)? 

Besides, the bike therapy is three-fold: my endurance is enhanced, my legs are strengthened and the creaky joints get some recovery time. Honestly, it's a triple-win!

Read on for all the deets...

...but first things first: 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 corner of the universe this week:

An action-packed SUNday!
The morning started off on the chilly side (sorry, Momma N, but 59F on a "summer" morning just won't cut it in my world). Thankfully, the sunrise was on-point for my 3-mile walk.


By mid-morning, the temps were on the rise as we loaded the bikes and headed to Solon (about 70 miles down the road) for a day of riding with our friends, Mike and Amy. Of course, in true Iowa fashion, we had plenty of wind on the return trip of our out-and-back trek along the Hoover Trail.


Never miss a Monday!
Similar to Sunday, it was another chilly morning (54F). I got out for a couple of easy-paced miles, amidst the sunrise. There also were two miles walked at work, then 13 miles (with Gustavas) after my work day had ended.


Tuesday's  upper-body burn...
Holy ouch! I treated myself (I use that phrase rather loosely, LOL) to a major muscle meltdown (upper body) in the wee hours. I also did some walking...one mile before work, two different 1-milers (at work), and then a laughter-filled 2-mile Pride Walk with Matty's drag persona, Mara (via the Peloton app), after getting home.


Double-Ride Wednesday (and Happy Birthday to Volde)
Gustavas and I caught another sunrise, while knocking out 12 miles, on another unseasonably cool  morning. By mid-morning, the temps had risen (a good 30ish degrees), so our morning "walking" break (at work) wound up being the only one for the day.


Later, after work, I met Amy for our weekly (hilly) ride. It wasn't just hilly, but it was hot and crazy windy as well. Have you ever attempted a hilly ride against a 16mph headwind? Suffice it to say, there's no downhill coasting, LOL. As mentioned, this day marked the 5-year anniversary of Volde entering my life (he's the 6-inch scar on my knee). No, we didn't commemorate the day with cake or ice cream, but we did take a 2-mile walk, following our hilly adventure in the late afternoon wind.


Thankful Thursday: Iron for breakfast
It's amazing how much "damage" a 10-minute Glutes & Legs workout can do. Adrian totally fried my backside with this EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute) concoction. He had us doing a 1-minute "activation" then 10 weighted squats (five each leg) and 10 weighted reverse lunges (also five for each leg)...for the remaining nine minutes. Doing the math, that would be 180 total reps (not counting the pulses from that first minute of warming up). Yeah. The two 10-minute arm workouts were (almost) easy-peasy after all those lower-body reps. After work, Barb and I headed to nearby Ankeny for a  sponsored group run (see below).


Friday...Can you say DOMS???
I was already feeling the start of some major DHDD (Dreaded Heavy-Duty DOMS) during Thursday evening's run, so it was no surprise to have things in full-blown OUCH Mode by morning. I got out for a quick 1-mile walk before work, and it was laborious, LOL. After work, I took Krystal out for 12 miles, and the biking worked some magic on my grumpy glutes. I also walked another two miles, so things were feeling more mellow by bedtime. Whew!


Saturday: All Kinds of Summer FUN!
Saturday blessed us with fabulous weather! It was a bit humid in the morning, but the early-morning temps were sitting at 60F when I headed out for a 6-mile run. I was a little tentative, given the recent angry state of my hip, but all went well. The tightness was still there, but much less bothersome than it had been. I did take brief walk breaks at each mile-mark, and made it back home in just over an hour.


...then, we loaded the bikes and headed to Bondurant (about 45ish miles due west) for the Bicycle Brew BBQ ride. This was our third consecutive year taking part, and this year the event fell on Independence Day Weekend. Mike and Amy joined us (and Barb was there, too!). The ride began at 11:00, with a stop near the 6-mile mark. The lunch stop was just short of the halfway mark (around 11.6 miles). There was one last stop near the 21-mile mark before ending back in Bondurant with 24 miles completed. Amy and I decided to ride a bit further, though, and did eight bonus miles, ending with 32 miles for the day.

...and what's on deck for Sunday?
I'm hoping for maybe an early morning walk, or possibly a short bike ride. Our son is back in the area  for a visit, so we're hoping for a family get-together with him and the two daughters at some point. The weather is looking a bit sketchy, so nothing is official at the moment...

Overall, not a bad week! I was a good girl, took my own advice, and stayed out of the running shoes for the most part. After Monday's 2-miler, I held off until Thursday evening before hitting the pavement, and I think that was a good call for me. I ended the week with 12 miles of running, 19 miles of walking, and 116 miles on the bike(s). My two strength sessions were intense, but short (just the way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it).

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

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. The day was a little on the dreary side. We didn't have any rain, but the sky looked like it was on the verge of down-pouring until late in the day. My solution? Wear some bright colors and bring your own sunshine. This sleeveless sweater is one of my hand-knit creations, and is a great lightweight piece for summer. 


As mentioned, Barb and I went to a sponsored group run Thursday evening. A Des Moines-based running store hosted the event at the Firetrucker Brewery in Ankeny, and the Altra rep was there. I've never tried Altras before, and found out they weren't a great fit for me. Of course, it may have been the 3-day running sabbatical, the hour-long car ride, the time of day, and (quite possibly) the extreme heat and humidity all worked against me as well. It was a 4-mile run (two miles out-and-back), and it was a major struggle. My Garmin also died, so I didn't know (until we finished) we'd been running a 9:12 pace! Major oops!


So there you go. Another week down, another week of fun in the summer sun. I'm hoping things continue on the upswing for my hip. I don't plan on overdoing the miles this next week, either. I have a  5K Monday morning, and a 10K Saturday evening...both events are ones that I've placed at numerous times before, so there is some self-inflicted pressure to continue that tradition (LOL). I bought a new Garmin Saturday (after our biking event), so I'm hoping to have that charged and set-up for these two upcoming races. Fingers crossed this new toy is user-friendly!

How did things go for you this week? Hot weather? Any great workouts? Struggle-bus runs? 4th of July races? 

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34 comments:

  1. Another busy week! 59 degrees sounds pretty nice for running to me! The heat really saps my energy. I'm going to pull the bike out tomorrow since CF is closed.

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    1. 59 is decent for running, but I was only going a couple miles, so it wasn't enough time for me to "warm up" like I'd prefer...

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  2. Nice week- love all thr pleasant weather. Hope your hip feels better soon!

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    1. The hip is doing better, but I'm still being cautious.

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  3. Glad your hip seems to be starting to improve. I had a really tight right leg on Tuesday but I've been stretching and it seems to be easing.

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    1. Oh that was me, don't know why I anonymised myself there. Or how!

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  4. Ooh which Garmin did you get??? I can't wait to hear all about it. I think you'll be amazed at how far the technology has come since the model that you had.

    I went looking for a new brand of shoe a few months ago and tried out Altras. I know that a lot of people love them but they felt so weird.

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    1. They were comfortable (and very cushy), but felt really awkward while running. I got the Forerunner 255 ;-)

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  5. Great week, Kim! I never take my bike out on a weekday — unless it’s a holiday. ;-) You are inspiring. That ride sounds fun! And did you really have beer?

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    1. I had a craft beer after the Alta run (Thursday evening)...ugh, still totally not appealing to me, LOL. That's a hard cider bottle propped by my foot in the biking pic...and yes, the ride was a lot of fun!!

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  6. I hope the rest from running does the trick for you, Kim! Extra time in the saddle is a great alternative. I was grateful for those temps in the 50s when I hit the track!

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    1. If I was running further than a couple miles (or doing speedwork), I'd appreciate the 50s also ;-)

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  7. You did get in some serious bike miles this week! Nice job. The cooler morning temps sound heavenly to me. I was really struggling this week w the heat and humidity.

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    1. We've had some pretty intense humidity the past few days, and the heat has topped the triple digits. Which is why those "cooler" mornings feel so cold, LOL

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  8. Sounds like a fun week and cycling was the perfect option for you! Altras don't work for me either; many people suggested them when I was having trouble with my feet because of the wide toe box. Fortunately there's something out there for everyone!

    Have a wonderful week!

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    1. Even with the wide toe box (which my narrow feet don't like), the length seemed short to me (?). I had to size up a bit, and that just made to toe box feel even more roomy adn awkward.

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  9. Bright colors are mandatory on gloopy days. Glad you've found something that keeps you mentally happy activity wise and your hip happy.

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  10. Yep, I also had a little twinge this week and a 5K tomorrow! I skipped a run and took it easy... fingers crossed.
    You have really had some crazy weather- but if you're looking for intense heat, don't worry... you'll have it for your race tomorrow (ha ha- it always seems to work out like that.). Sounds like you had a fun time on the bikes this week! I hope you're able to have your family get-together today- enjoy your time with the kids!

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    1. The family get-together was wonderful...and yes, we did get crazy weather for my race!

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  11. I'm sorry you're dealing with body crankiness, but sounds like you're doing a good job as always with the fitness. Cycling works so well for you!

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  12. I wear Altras because they have a large toe box which I need, but honestly, I think they look like clown shoes.

    DHDD is some serious DOMS. LOL, good one!

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    1. Clown shoes is a very accurate description! They felt very awkward on me (while running), but I cannot deny they were comfy.

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  13. Also, I'm sorry you've joined the club of keeping your running to a minimal for the moment. I hope you heal up quickly and can get back to running regularly.

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    1. The minimal running is no big deal for me. Things are feeling much better, but I'm still playing the cautious card.

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  14. Great week Kim! I'm glad time on the bike is such a great outlet for you - and bonus that it doesn't bother your hip.

    Looking forward to hearing which Garmin you bought. As you know, my days with the Venu Sq are seriously numbered!

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    1. I came home with the Forerunner 255. It's gonna take some getting used to because there's a few more bells & whistles than what my other one had.

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  15. Good luck in your races. I hope you hip holds up for you. Sounds like a great week of riding. Perfect cross training while you heal up. Have a great holiday.

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    1. Accidently anonymoused myself.

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    2. Yes, biking works wonders for me...physically especially!

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  16. Another awesome week of workouts for you! Sending you healing thoughts for your hip. Sounds like dialing down the mileage is the right choice for now.

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    1. Dialing down the mileage never hurt no one, right? ;-)

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