Recovery or Taper?

It WAS a week.

There was a frost advisory that lasted for several days. There was a mini heat wave. There was recovery from Sunday's race. And, there was a bit of a taper for a last-minute race on Saturday.

And...how did all that play out? I'm glad you asked; read on...

An April 'Fession Session

And, here we are again.

Another month has flown by, at record speed, and it's time to come clean on a few things. You know, time to 'fess-up and clear the air. 

Shall we get this 'fession party started? 

Drake Road Races: Half Marathon 2023 recap

Some would call me a glutton for punishment.

I'm referring to my yearly return to the hilly race course of the Drake Road Races Half Marathon. While the route has changed a few times in the eight years I've been running it, it has ALWAYS been very hilly.

Given the time of year (ahem, #SpringInIowa),the weather has always been a wild card as well. I'm not bemoaning unseasonably hot weather either. Instead, it's usually unseasonably cold and crazy windy. Thankfully, the past couple years have blessed us with clear sunny skies, but there have been numerous years where it was cloudy, damp, rainy and gloomy.

And yet, I keep going back, year after year...

Wind, Be Gone!

Let's just say it's been a tad bit windy.

Thankfully, we did have some warm days this week, and we also had a fair amount of sunshine. But that wind! Most days brought us wind speeds in the upper-teens and 20's. Nonetheless, whether it was a balmy breeze out of the south or a frigid blast from the north, the wind was a beast to battle. 

Alas, it's a good thing I'm #IowaTough...

My Earth Day Endeavor

Has this ever happened to you?

On a recent long run, a portion of my route was a littered mess with not only garbage, but also numerous discarded "mini shot bottles." 

My conclusion was that some of the nearby tire plant's employees were either frustrated with their jobs or disliked whomever was waiting back at home for them, LOL. While it's not my place to judge people for their drinking habits, I did feel a strong compulsion to at least pick up some of their rubbish.

Hence, I deemed my Wednesday run a pre-Earth Day plogging endeavor. 

Welcome to My Day

How about a peek into a typical day in the life of me?

I work outside the home, which dictates an early start to most of my days. Lucky for me, I'm an early bird (and I'm also a night owl, LOL). I'm grateful to be a high-energy gal since I don't have coffee in my arsenal (nope, not a coffee-drinker).

Anyways, here's a glimpse of what goes on in my little world of work, fitness and fun...

*maintaining*

 

You know the drill...

We (or shall I say "I?") run a race, bask in a bit of recovery, and hang-out in maintenance mode until the next race. At least that's been my gig in recent weeks, and this past week's fitness fell right into place quite nicely.

It can be a bit of a tight rope, for lack of a better metaphor, keeping the strength and endurance in peak form while being cautious to not over-do things. Did I find a healthy balance? Let's take a look...

Is Spring My (current) Favorite?

Hands-down, I'm a summer-lovin' gal.

The long days. The heat. The flowers. The scent of fresh-cut grass. The simplicity. Sigh....

These first few weeks of spring, though, have been pretty sweet. It kind of makes me wonder if this (current) spring season might be my favorite?

Riding the Stride

Sometimes, it's in your best interest to just go with the flow and ride the stride.

Like, for example, the week following a crazy (and mucho stressful) week ... and this past week was a classic example of such. I'd spent the prior week tying up a bunch of loose ends, in prepping for my 4-day weekend (most of which was spent in DC). I'd had several continuous late nights (followed by early mornings). And, I'd run a 10-mile race. 

I have a lot of energy, typically, but my proverbial battery needed recharging...

A This & That Coffee Chat

(sigh)

It seems like it was just a few days ago we were gathered over our beverages of choice, chatting about this and that. How is it that we are already into April? Like, a solid WEEK into April, nonetheless! Time sure flies when you're having fun, huh!

I'm still on my hazelnut cappuccino kick, so that's what I'd be sipping. 

How about you? What would  be in your cup (or mug, or stein, LOL). Any news to share?

If you don't mind, I'll get this chat sesh started...

Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Mile - 2023 recap

It's been said that "the third time's the charm." 

I'd have to say the second time can be pretty legit, at least if we were talking about the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Mile. I first ran this Washington, DC event in 2019 (recap), and had been hoping to return. This past weekend, it happened.

E.D.I. (Easy.Does.It)

There's a lot to be said about Taper Week.

There's even more to be said about scaling things back (fitness and otherwise) and taking some TLC for oneself, especially in the midst of chaos.

Lucky me, it was nice to have all this going down at the same time, LOL