Returning to Winter

It was bound to happen...

After almost an entire month of unseasonably pleasant temps, it was back to life (in Iowa) and back to the reality of winter. At least Momma N kept the precip to a minimum and waited until after Christmas to have her way with us. 
 

Despite the usual busyness this time of year, this was probably one of the least stressful holiday seasons on record. The bulk of gifts were bought (or sent) ahead of time, most of the baking was done a couple weeks ahead of schedule, and I only needed a handful of last-minute grocery items. Whew!

Oh, and the run streak continued on its merry way, as did the other non-running fitness fun. All in all, it was a great week! 

Before I get down to the nitty gritty 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 blog as well...please don't link-drop & dash ;-)

Anyways, here's what went down in this final week of 2023...

A simple Sunday...

After a bit of a sleep-in, I headed out for a couple miles in the mid-morning 50F temps. I joked (on social media) that I was the Elf on The Run because the Elf on The Shelf was overrated. There was some unnecessary wind, just saying, but I had no complaints since the streets were still clean and ice-free.

Never Miss a Monday...

It's true...the Monday runs even happen on a non-traditional rainy Christmas morning. I don't think I've ever had to dodge night crawlers on Christmas before...

After my quick 1-mile run, I got busy in the basement. How does of 30+ minutes on the elliptical (5-ish miles) combined with 20 minutes of upper-body strength sound? My son said he couldn't hear the elliptical, but my breathing was what woke him up. All I know is my arms and shoulders were on fire for several hours afterwards, LOL. 

A tough back-to-reality Tuesday...

My place of work generously gifted us a bonus day of PTO, so it was nice to have a weekday morning 2-mile run in daylight...even if the weather did a prompt pivot back to its "seasonal' norm. Sorry, although I knew the real winter temps would inevitably return, this 30-degree plummet was a bit unnecessary. 

A what-day-is-it Wednesday...

There were plans for a full moon run in the evening (see below), so I kept the fitness inside upon wake-up. Ten miles on the bike, then back to the office after a 4-day weekend. Talk about a brain-burn, though. The 4-day Christmas weekend looked awesome on paper, but the days leading up to it, as well as the upcoming 4-day weekend (for New Year's Day and the day after), make for a lot of stuff to get done before the end-of-year.

Another thankful Thursday...

I was "meeting" Deb at 5:00 (for our weekly cardio/chat session), but woke up before my 4:30AM alarm. The forecast was looking dreary (for most of the day), with increasing wind and continued falling temps. So, what's a run-streaker to do? I promptly got dressed and headed out for a quick 1-mile run before getting on the bike (I rode 14 miles while Deb ran/walked). Ironically, the full moon was still shining bright, so I took advantage and grabbed another selfie with it.

Afterwards, I got busy with a Flash 15 (combined cardio and strength) and 10 bonus minutes of upper-body burning. I even managed a cold and crazy windy 1-mile walk at work with Michele...before the wind got even more intense, LOL.

A feelin' good Friday...

The forecast was looking sunny by late morning, so I decided to hit the elliptical for 32-ish minutes (and 5-ish miles) in the early hours. Saving the streak run for lunchtime proved to be an excellent choice, as the temps were in the 40F's and the sunshine was oh-so-bright. The 2-mile run (title pic, above) even gave me a sweet negative split (9:24 vs. 8:47), and rewarded me with my fastest streak run pace (9:05) of the season. With only a few runs remaining, I had ZERO guilt and ZERO regrets in shunning an "easy-paced" run on such a beautiful day.

  

Such a sunny Saturday...

I purposely waited until I had daylight (and the sunrise), then took it all in on my 5K run. WOW. It had been far too long since my last sunrise run. Sorry, the sunrise just isn't as spectacular through a window (IMO), and this one was a beauty. Afterwards, I hit the bike for 10 miles before getting my busy New Years Eve-Eve underway.

...and Sunday?

The forecast is looking cloudy, cold, and (of course) windy. I'm going to keep the run short (1-2 miles), and do some early morning indoor biking. Then, it's off to welcome 2024!

As mentioned, this was a definite feel-good week. The runs all went well, the weather held up (though it did turn cold), and the cross-training was just right. Running saw 16 miles. Biking logged 34 miles. And, poor dear old walking...one mile, LOL. I suppose I could count my elliptical "miles" in there somewhere (there were 10 of those this week), since it's a very similar motion as walking. 

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

Continued Smooth Sailing

Some Final 'Fessions for 2023

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. Look closely, I'm wearing matchy-matchy burgundy on the top and bottom. Anyone who knows me can attest that I prefer to break up the color scheme on most occasions (it makes things more interesting and much less predictable, LOL). But, sometimes I go main stream.

Two outta three ain't bad, at least in terms of having my kids in-house for Christmas. The missing child (the youngest daughter, who is in Charlotte, NC) was able to join us for awhile, via Messenger, so we were able to get a group pic. Technology does have its good points.

L-R: the oldest (with Lola), myself (with the youngest, on the phone), the son (with Max)

And the full moon run! All day Wednesday was cloudy, with intermittent rain. The evening was looking to be overcast, though dry...but, we got SO lucky! The moon actually was visible for almost the entire 5-miles while Barb, Allison and myself ran and chatted. Lesson learned: take the selfie within the first mile to ensure the moon will stay visible for the duration of the entire run, LOL.

And, there you have it: The final run down of 2023!

How did the final week of 2023 play-out for you? Did your weather take a turn for "norm" as well? Did you catch the full moon? Are you ready to celebrate the arrival of 2024?

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