About Me

Saturday, December 30, 2023

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:

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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24 comments:

  1. How nice you got an extra PTO for Tuesday! I did work on Tuesday and my drive to work was great - not many people on the road! Not many people in my office either, so it was perfect for catching up on email after being out of office. Happy New Year!

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    1. We have Tuesday off this week as well, so next week is gonna be a harsh reality, LOL. Happy 2024!!

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  2. It's definitely nice to have the extra vacation, but it can come at a sort-of price (and first world problems, for sure).

    So much rain here this week --- would you like some?

    You're doing great with your streak, as usual. I can remember maybe five or six years ago running in a skirt on Christmas -- even though last week was unseasonably warm (most days), it wasn't THAT warm this year. Not much you can do about that!

    Happy New Year!

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    1. We had crazy cold weather last year, and I was on the treadmill for several days over the holidays...so this year was a nice change!

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  3. That was so nice of your work to give you Tuesday off. I took PTO on Tuesday and Weds and after hosting a very lively Christmas Day dinner for 13, I needed it! That full moon rising was spectacular, wasn't it?

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    1. The full moon was such a nice surprise; a true gift after the damp and dreary day leading up to it.

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  4. Yay for extra PTO!
    we also had some warm weather - I ran in shorts on 12.24 to 12.26. It was 50s-60s ! We are back to normal now of course. Happy New Year!

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    1. Yeah, I was back in 'normal" winter gear most of this week...oh well! At least it wasn't the extreme weather like we had last year.

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  5. LOL on the Elf on the Shelf. Our elf was quite lazy and didn't move from one spot all season. At least a certain little guy isn't old enough yet to notice.

    Here's to a healthy and fit 2024 with many more chatty virtual workouts together!

    I think an orange scarf with that matchy-matchy maroon outfit would look great! Just sayin'... ;-)

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    1. Ha! I'm not sure if I have an orange scarf (that would be an easy problem to remedy...after I finish this latest sweater). I'm looking forward to many more virtual sessions together as well ;-)

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  6. Lots of sweaty time, extra time off and holiday family time- looks like a fab week all around. Happy new year to you Kim!

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    1. Thanks, Deborah ;-) It was a great week, we gotta celebrate them when we get them, right? Happy 2024 to you!

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  7. An extra day off is always a good thing! The day after Christmas is Boxing day or a UK holiday already, so I appreciated it!

    Happy New Year to you! Wishing you all the best in fitness and fun in 2024! Thank you for hosting the link-up!

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  8. Sounds like a really nice week! I guess when you have three kids, getting all three of them home at the same time is pretty tricky. You still had a full house though, and it must have been fun. And nice job on the streak- it ends tomorrow, right?
    Our weather is now AMAZING. I guess it has to be cold up north for it to be pleasant down here. I hope you have fun tonight. Happy New Year!

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    1. The two older kids have taken their turns with living out of state, and both returned (on their own accord)...fingers crossed the youngest one winds up back in the area someday as well. At least with technology we're able to stay in pretty close contact.

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  9. No snow here, just lots of rain but when you are not running, the weather doesn't matter. Funny how that is.

    Congrats on your streak... you are dedicated!!

    Happy New Year!

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    1. I agree with the weather! I'm headed out for my final streak run in a short while, and tomorrow I will not be the least bit concerned with the weather, LOL!

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  10. I can't believe how mild our weather has been but it's got to get cold sooner or later. I took a few extra days off but wowza I really had to work hard while I was at work to get everything done.

    Happy New Year!!! Here's to all of the great things in store for us in 2024!!!

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    1. I have another 3-day week this week as well. It's nice to have the time away, but we all have a mad scramble when we return. At least ALL of us have the same work load, unlike when it's just me taking the time off.

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  11. Christmas Eve, Christmas, and the day after were warm. And then winter came and it has been gloriously cold. We even had a freeze last night. I know it's not your fave, but it's such a treat for us. I'm so glad you had a nice Christmas, and that your daughter was able to join you virtually. We are so lucky to have so many opportunities to connect! And yay for an extra day off!

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    1. I was in Florida, two years ago, for the month of January...and it was very odd to have such cold weather there! We had warm weather the first week or so, then it was pretty cold (by Florida standards) most of the month. At least it was warmer than it would have been in Iowa ;-)

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  12. The 26th is an official second Christmas Holiday in Germany (did you know that?) and I embrace it fully. So cool that you got an extra day of PTO. It sounds like a great week and I am so glad you got to see two of your three kids (I am the one on "FaceTime" in my family, but at least it feels like you can virtually sit at your family's table when you join via Video Call :)).

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    1. It is nice we can virtually be together, via technology. I don't always embrace technology, but it does have its perks ;-)

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