A Week That Had Me Going...HMMM...

Well, this was a week that kept me going HMMM on the daily!

The weather kept changing (not necessarily in a bad way). The recent (mild) drama with the glute and hip flexor took turns as to which was feeling better (sometimes it was both at the same time!). And the running staged a conservative comeback. 

Yeah, things that made me go HMMM, indeed.

Before I dis on the deets, 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 world of fitness:

SUNday had me feeling lucky...

It was a brisk 54F, but ever-so-sunny on Sunday morning. I got out for a very easy-paced 2-mile run (with 1/2-mile walk breaks). Overall, the glute/hip issues were feeling better (though definitely not cured). I even found a $5.00 bill on the road! I also got in three miles of walking and an 8-mile bike ride before the day ended.

Never miss a Monday had me feeling silly...

With warmer temps in the afternoon forecast, I opted for a sunrise-kissed 2-mile walk (title pic, above)  before heading to the office. After work, I did a quick manicure then hit the street for a short 2-mile run. Nothing hurt (yeah!!!), but oh, did my legs feel stiff. A short while later, I did a 3-mile walk (while chatting with a friend on my cell), and things felt much better afterwards.

This week's Typical Tuesday had me feeling strong...

The morning began with a stack of Barre, core and arms/shoulders (Peloton app). It's crazy how spent (yet beastly) one can feel after 45 minutes of work.

The forecast was showing rain for Wednesday, so Amy and I did our bike path ride a day early. I must have weather amnesia, because 73F really felt cold on the bike. Granted, we weren't able to get started until almost 6:00 (instead of our usual 5:15ish time), but still. Brrr. And, we were big time chasing daylight by the time we got back to town an hour later. Sixteen miles done; Ride #22 of the season. 

"Double" Workout Wednesday had me triple sweating... 

The #5at5 with Barb (which was going to be a #3at5, to keep it low-key) was a rain-out. Instead, I decided to hit the stairs. You know the saying "Go big or go home," right? Well, how does 100 flights of double-stepping sound? What if we do them in sets of 20,but add in 20 push-ups between each set? Sure, why not! Not bad for just under 26 minutes of work (BTW, I wore my Garmin to see what the distance would be, and it showed just over 1/4-mile of distance, LOL...not sure how accurate that is).

After work, I tested out the body with a 3-miler (short walk breaks at each mile mark). A little bit of stiffness, and a slower-than-desired pace, but things felt alright. I also saddled-up Gustavas (the lonely mountain bike) for a short 6-mile shake-out ride before the daylight was gone.   

Thankful Thursday had me recovering...

The morning started with some yoga and stretching, and a 1-mile pre-workday walk. The evening saw a 2-mile walk...and that's all she wrote. I actually wore the Garmin all day (because I was curious on what my steps would be), and it praised my recovery efforts. I wasn't expecting that!

    

Fitness Friday had me feeling fine...

Another morning with a Peloton stack, featuring yoga, arms & shoulders, and Barre (core-focused). A flu shot at work and a 2-mile power walk before dinner. A little bit of everything.

SUNsational Saturday had me feeling grateful...

Indeed, we got our first frost...temps were 32F (with a 27F feels-like) in the early hours. I met-up with Barb at 7:00, and I cautiously had my sights set on 4-5 miles. I walked the first minute or so (as part of my warm-up AND to avoid running the hill right out of my driveway), and all things felt decent. Still some tightness in the glute area (it feels like it's the Piriformis), but the hip discomfort was MIA. Five miles, done! I even had to lose the gloves for the last couple miles. A couple of hours later, the bike was loaded and I joined a couple of friends for 39 miles on the High Trestle Trail (about an hour west of town). Thankfully, the temps kept rising (as did the wind!), but the sun continued to smile on us.

...and what's on tap for Sunday?

There will most likely be an early morning walk, followed by a late morning/early afternoon bike ride. The evening will feature the October full moon run.

So, how to summarize this crazy roller-coaster-like week? Well, I'm feeling good; better than expected, actually. This week was a big improvement with 12 miles of running. Walking saw 17 miles, and biking (again) dominated with 68. I was almost ecstatic to return to the stairway, a sign that I really need to bring those workouts back more often. The strength workouts served me well, too. No complaints!

The IMT Des Moines Half Marathon is next Sunday, and it's too late for online registration changes so that gives me this next week to really assess my situation. I could probably push through and run 13.1 miles (no doubt with walk breaks), but it may be in my best interest to simply switch to the 5K (which I'll have to do at packet pick-up). Stay tuned. 

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

"Welcome" to Fall, Y'all

Coffee & Chai & Chatter and Whatnot

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. The temps began a huge plummet (complete with an overnight frost advisory #YIKES!), so we were fully covered, LOL. I even had to dig, literally, to find the black ankle booties. But, I was proudly repping the black and gold for my Iowa Hawkeyes, and feeling quite comfy in this textured high-low sweater.  

I had to get to work early, Friday morning, to oversee the "on-site" flu shot clinic at the office. Therefore, there was no time for a sunrise walk...but I caught a glimpse of the sunrise from my car. Mission accomplished.

Finally, an interesting tidbit regarding the Key West Half Marathon. I ran the virtual event last January, and the swag was killer (long-sleeve tech shirt, with artsy graphics, and funky medal, see below). The 2023 swag was recently revealed, and I found it kind of #meh. Fate really played in my favor for the 2022 event.  

So, that's it for this past week. As mentioned, although things are still iffy with my glute/hip "issue," Saturday's 5-mile run had me feeling like I've at least turned the corner. I'm going to continue to keep things low-key this next week...after all, I'm technically tapering regardless of which distance I run next weekend, right?

Your turn! How was YOUR week? Any training highlights? Any injury rally-backing that's left you feeling optimistic? What about your weather...any sub-freezing temps thus far?

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