Saturday, January 14, 2023

Can't Stop; Won't Stop



There's the saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Or, in my case, the tough keep going, LOL.

Yeah, well, this was one such week. Momma N didn't feel like cooperating, unforeseen hurdles popped up along the way, my lower back decided it was time to have attitude, and there was a Friday the 13th to beat all. It's a good thing we have our fitness vices on standby, am I right?

Alas, things were challenging, but I kept on keeping on...
Before I dis on the crazy 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 little crazy corner of the universe:

Sunday: oops, another Slight Sleep-in Sunday
I'm not sure how this has (somewhat suddenly) become a Sunday morning thing, but (again) I succumbed to the warm confines of the bed and didn't rise and shine as early as usual. Honestly, all is well...I realize if my body is feeling tired, it's best to simply honor the fatigue and indulge in a little extra shuteye. Once I was up and moving, I hit the bike for 15 miles of pedal power (because who needs the real caffeine anyways?). There also was an invigorating 3-mile walk in the afternoon, while chatting with a friend on the phone. 


Never miss a Monday!
A stretch move I've been doing, via PT, is the good morning. It's a simple forward-fold, with a bar held over your shoulders for stability. My lower back was feeling especially cranky upon wake-up. A few minutes of these stretches had things feeling much better. I also hopped on the bike for seven miles of cycling (via  Peloton) and did a short arm/shoulder workout before heading to the office.


Over lunch, I opted to get the Monday run done while there was plenty of sunshine. The temps were flirting with low-40F conditions, and the wind was mild for two quick miles of runching. If only this kind of January weather could stick around until mid-April. After work, I had a chat with Deborah while power-walking a couple of miles before dinner.


Typical Tuesday...sort of...
This day had stress written all over it (in boldface, with a permanent marker...for lack of a better metaphor, LOL). I got in five "miles" of cardio on the elliptical (in the early morning) and a stress-burner 2-mile power walk (in the late afternoon).


Double Workout Wednesday
Have I ever mentioned how much I love HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts? The morning started with a couple of Peloton cycling classes, one of which gave me a good dose of those feel-so-good HIIT vibes(10 total miles on the bike). Next, at PT, I did another mile on the bike (for a warm-up) and we focused on back strength and stretching. The day temps were cold, but sunny and calm (in other words, single-digit wind), so a friend and I were able to squeeze in a 1-mile walk mid-afternoon.
 

By the time my workday ended, though, the clouds and mist came in and the sun went hiding. I wanted to go for a longer run, or else I could have done another 2-miler over lunch. Instead, I headed out around 5:15. Although it felt cold and damp, this 5K endeavor really went well. I would have liked to have run further, but needed to get back home for a phone call. Anyways, that was 3.1 miles for the #WednesdayWin


A very Thankful Thursday
Truth be told, I'm thankful on a daily basis (I think it has something to do with my #GlassHalfFull outlook). But, starting the day (at 05:00, none the less) with a friend is a gift. Deb and I rallied for 75ish minutes of chatter and laughs, via FaceTime (and 16 miles of pedaling). I also added on an upper-body workout and a core routine afterwards. After work, I layered-up and bundled-up for a short 1-mile walk through the 'hood (the daily #OptOutside streak is still going strong).


Finally Friday...
I don't very often wakeup feeling more fatigued than when I'd gone to bed, but my sleep was all jacked-up this week. Most evenings had me falling asleep on the couch and waking up after midnight...only to then lie awake for a long while before eventually falling back to sleep. Come Friday morning, I thought it best to pass on the routine "cardio breakfast," and instead kept things low-key and low-impact. I stacked a Barre workout with a core workout and finished with an upper-body strength session (all on the Peloton app).


 A Saturday Switch-up...
Having spent the night in Des Moines (see below), I was eager to check-out the city in my running gear. I'd learned of weekly Saturday morning group runs, via a local running store. The store was less than a mile from the daughter's place, so my plan was to walk to the store, run the 5-mile route, then walk back. This week's theme was "eagles," and we were encouraged to be on the lookout for bald eagles along the trail portion of the routes (there also was a 3-mile option). Although the temps were crazy cold, there was enough wind shelter from the downtown buildings, and also the trees along the trail, so I never felt uncomfortably chilled until the walk back home afterwards. The five miles felt good, the sunshine was much appreciated and several bald eagles were spotted. Side note: one does not run near the state capitol without pausing for a selfie, right?


 and about Sunday?
After returning home, Saturday afternoon, from all my Des Moines shenanigans, my left foot was feeling funky. The "top" of it had some odd discomforts (?) when I'd step "down" on the heel. I don't know if I strained it, while running on Saturday morning, or if it was just a weird tweak of some sort. It felt fine in the evening, but I think I'm going to go easy on it in the morning and summon the bike for some early morning cardio fun. The forecast is looking cold and windy (though sunny), so maybe I'll venture out for a walk after lunch. Stay tuned...

Despite the crazy stuff this week, I'm happy with all the workouts that saw me through any and all turmoil. Running didn't have especially high numbers, but the 10 miles run all felt good. Walking (again) is really taking a hit lately, with 12 miles this week (I blame the cold temps and psychotic wind). Biking was decent, though on the conservative end of the spectrum, with 49 miles. The upper-body workouts continue to be my favorite strength work, but I'll be phasing in some more lower-body focused work in the next few weeks.  

In case you missed on checking the blog this week, you didn't miss anything because there was only last Sunday's WRD post:

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. What do you think of this puffer vest, with its mix of colors and funky patterns? Most know I'm not a bland and boring gal when it comes to color, so this puffer is a fun option on a cold day. I also love the numerous colors that I can highlight if I don't want to go the "bland and boring" route with black. 


I'm not catching too many sunrises these days, but Wednesday morning had a beauty. I grabbed this pic as I was walking into my PT's gym. Sometimes, it's the clouds that make the sunrise so breathtaking.


The Garmin badges continue to make me smile. The Active January popped up on Wednesday, following the morning's bike ride. The Step into 2023 showed up on Monday, after I'd finished my 2-miler over lunch. 


As mentioned, Friday was definitely Friday the 13th on so many levels. In a nutshell, the younger daughter had car trouble, and the other daughter had to help with transporting her back and forth (after the compromised car had been towed). I had a busy day at the office, and a small crisis with the turtle's aquarium as I was heading out the door. But, somehow the universe righted itself and all three of us were able to have a fabulous girls night out at an 80's tribute concert in downtown Des Moines. I don't know how much dancing we did, but my Garmin showed I surpassed my daily "goal" in steps (and there had only been a short walk with Max prior to the evening). No wonder I needed a nap Saturday afternoon!


Whew! That was quite a rundown of all the week's antics. Here's hoping this next week is a little less exciting, LOL. 

How was your week? Are you keeping active in the cold weather, or do you find yourself scaling back a bit in the off-season?


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33 comments:

  1. What a fun weekend with your daughters! And I love that you squeezed in local run. Love bald eagle spottings!

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    1. I have been meaning to get to DSM for some of these runs, but it just hasn't worked out. I do plan to try to get over there more often (it's an hour away; 45ish minutes on I-80), so it's not that far of a jaunt. and I can always see the oldest daughter and son while there (if they're up and awake after my run, LOL).

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  2. Glad you had that fun night out with your daughters! I'm sure it helped set things right after your week. We get to see a lot of bald eagles up at Lake Wisconsin! It never gets old.

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    1. The mom/daughter time was a blast. And, the best thing was I wasn't the "oldest" attendee at the concert ;-)

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  3. Nothing like a fun night out with the girls in the bid city :) Glad you got away and also ran with a new group. How was that? A little extra sleep never hurts and always helps. Hope you have a great week Kim!

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    1. The group run was alright. The majority of the runners did the 3-mile route, so the limited number of us doing the 5-mile were pretty spread out. I'm definitely hoping to get back there more often to do more of the runs.

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  4. Sorry for the stress this week, but yay for the fun night out with your daughters!
    I’m glad to see you are taking care of yourself and embracing extra rest and stretching — all that self care is essential, especially when life is stressful.

    The only hassle I had on Friday the 13th was oversleeping — but I still got up before 6 am.

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    1. We'd been tentatively planning this mom/daughters thing. When the youngest's car broke down, it almost threw a kink into the evening...but all worked out. WHEW!

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  5. So cool you got to see the eagles! It's s good reminder to me that I need to go searching for some near me! Sorry it was as stressful week but it looks like the night out with the band was a great time. What band's music did they play (or just 80's in general)?

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    1. This was a cover band that impersonates the lead singers...they did Styx, Journey, Def Leppard, Cheap Trick, etc. They were AWESOME!!!

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  6. Those eagles are stunning. It's always a treat to spot them. Glad you're leaning into your running and workouts during this time of stress. Hope the funky foot is nothing serious. I only have solid color vests but that pattern is fab! A girls' night out sounds perfect and so fun!

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    1. Thankfully, the foot felt fine this morning, so I postponed the ride (until the Iowa vs. Maryland BB game in the afternoon) and went for a walk instead. Thank goodness!

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  7. It sounds like you had a really fun weekend with your daughters! And yes, always yes, to a selfie with any capital building, or any cool building for that matter.

    It was fun to bike with you on Thursday. I'm on my bike now and it's lonely, but at least I'm catching up on blog reading. :-)

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    1. I did a little blog reading, on my bike, during halftime of the Iowa vs. Maryland BB game. Hey, it's a great way to multitask ;-)

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  8. Hmmm! So you were out dancing with your daughters- what kind of shoes were you wearing? Could that have anything to do with the foot issue?
    The "eagle' run sounds really fun. I love little adventures like that! Oh, and my low back was also a little cranky this week- I think it's okay now but maybe I'll try those "good mornings" if it acts up again.

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    1. Ha ha...we were doing all kinds of "dancing in place" during the concert (seriously, who goes to a rock concert and sits/stands perfectly still? Not me, LOL). My back has been all kinds of cranky recently...I probably need to see the chiro, but UGH...the cracking totally creeps me out.

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  9. Aww, that night out with your girls looks amazing! I've been having some fun times out with A, and it's the best. Great week of fitness! That positivity of yours is always going to get you through!

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  10. Sounds like a fun weekend in Des Moines with your daughters...
    I am always amazed at how much fitness you fit into each week,,, I feel like a "slug." LOL

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    1. Well, Darlene, you're pretty active yourself. I have a hard time sitting idle (I know you can relate, LOL), so I just keep busy being active ;-)

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  11. That is very cool that you saw the eagles! I can't wait until spring when I can start traveling again. I'm got a list of nature preserves to go to with my camera and I'm hoping to get some good shots.

    I haven't quite figured out what my "seasons" are now that I've stopped running. I think it's a few easy days here and there when I feel tired and harder days when I feel like going harder. It's a fun puzzle to figure out.

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    1. I can relate to figuring out a routine or regimen. I have my favorite things and fitness fixes, but sometimes the schedule shifts (due to weather, etc.) and I have to step back and realign some things.

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  12. I'm sorry for the stressful week. Love that you ended it with some fun weekend time with your daughters! Wishing you a better week ahead :)

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    1. Yes, the Friday night fun with the daughters made all the stress worthwhile ;-)

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  13. I'm sorry to hear about the stress and sleeping issues. Great you had some good time with your daughters over the weekend!
    How did you like the themed run? Eagles is a quite unexpected theme! Here we're going into another cold snap but it's supposed to be shorter than what we had in December. Knowing the weather forecast for the beginning of the week, I decided to go out for a run today instead. I'm a fan of warmer weather and can't wait to get into spring, but it's been ok lately for outdoor training.

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    1. I'm totally a warm weather gal as well. Thankfully, January '23 has been pretty mild, in terms of what we usually have (extreme cold and lots of snow)...but it is still NOT my favorite time of year.

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  14. So glad you had a great time with your daughters! An 80s event does sound like fun, definitely my kind of things.

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  15. Chatter and laughs are essential! Love that the run was themed, glad they even provided eagles :D
    Hope the foot is just a passing issue.
    I need to try the Good Morning with a bar, I do love that stretch.

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  16. Sorry about the crazy weather and your lower back pain :( I find that back injuries can be so nuts because they come out of nowhere!

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  17. I love that you've been listening to your body this week. It's so important to "hear the cues" and not always push through with whatever you had planned (although it's difficult - I know :)). I've been indulging in the occasional sleeping in lately (I think it's the still dark and wet weather around here) and I love it ;)

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  18. I feel you Kim! My problems last week (and apparently this week) are first world problems, but thankfully for the most part I've been able to sleep well. Although if I sleep to 6, that's pretty darn late for me,LOL -- but unlike you, I also go to bed early.

    Things will get better -- chin up!

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  19. I'm born on the 13th so all my life I've tried to convince myself it is the luckiest day ever! This year it actually falls on Friday so let's see how it goes, LOL! I didn't walk at all last week but happy I managed all four runs and a strength workout! I'm still enjoying the lower mileage but its really ramping up next week.

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