You know, when you’re just not quite “feeling it.” There has been some residual fatigue (from the previous week’s antics, perhaps?). Random achy muscles. A few days of blah weather.
But there also was some end-of-week sunshine, an empowering Friday morning strength session (and an outdoor bike ride!), and a much-needed hair appointment. And, a visit from the North Carolina daughter, as well as a birthday celebration.
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 my little corner of the universe this week:
Sunday: dealing with the weather…
The forecast was looking rather dreary, but there was a small window of “dryness” upon wake-up. Not wanting to test fate, I headed outside pronto and barely beat the rain with a 2-mile walk (I didn't beat the wind, though). I also got on the bike, in the evening, for 16 miles and finished with some core work before lights out.
Never miss a Monday…
The morning weather was all kinds of yuck, but the after-work forecast looked better (at least in terms of sunshine), so I opted for more indoor biking (8 miles) and some upper-body strength before heading to work.
Mid-day, I got out for a 2-mile (windy) lunch walk. Then, after work, I battled the wind (again) for my 2-mile run. Ugh.
Tuesday - Not feeling the fitness...
The plan had been to go for an early walk, but the weather outside was icky. The bike had ZERO appeal as well. I cued-up a glutes/legs workout, via Peloton, and that wound up being a struggle bus endeavor (a true sign I need to get back to a better routine with such strength work), I did get out for a 2-mile walk over lunch, and also 1-mile walk mid-afternoon. So the day wasn’t a total loss.
Wednesday - Let’s have a rebound!
After Tuesday's somewhat fitness fail day, I was ready for redemption, and the sunrise was the ticket. The sky was beautiful, beyond words, and the weather was near-perfect. My only regret was not getting out earlier, but the 2-mile run felt amazing. There also was some daytime walking (1-mile mid-morning and two miles over lunch), so this day felt like a total-180 from Tuesday's ordeal. Mojo restored!
Thankful Thursday...
After a bit of a rocky start (ahem, one of us may have snoozed a few minutes too long, and even had a full dream within those few minutes, LOL), the weekly hour of cardio power with
Deb was a great kickstart to the day. She walked and I rode the bike for 15 miles.
Afterwards, I did a short arms/shoulders workout (Peloton), which involved a lot of bent over flies and kickbacks and presses (oh my). The day was full-on rainy, though. I managed a quick 1-mile walk over lunch (in the wind, go figure), and that was a good thing. I had a hair appointment, after work, which ran very late, and it was dark and rainy by the time I returned back home...so that daily
#OptOutside streak came close to ending.
Friday - all kinds of fitness fun!
Busy days warrant early mornings. Case in point, I was on the bike by 4:40AM for 12 miles, and finished with some core and arms/shoulders strength, via Peloton.
There also was a 2-mile walk, over lunch, amidst the beautiful sunshine and awesome temps. But, the highlight of the week happened after I got home. I took Krystal out of hibernation, and we hit the Chichaqua Valley Trail for eight miles. Wow, did it feel great to finally have some biking-friendly weather!
Long run Saturday...
Even with a wet day in the forecast, I was hopeful the rain would be MIA. Ha! No such luck, as I awoke to rain and thunder. Truth be told, my body was still feeling fatigued, so the idea of an 8-mile run was daunting. My weather app showed a dry window, though, after 8:30, so I waited...and finally headed out. It was windy (17mph), and the first 3-1/2 miles were a struggle. Once I made it to the turn-around, though, my mojo surfaced. I was purposefully running the same route I had biked 10 hours earlier, so I knew I could cut the route short if need be...but all went well. I finished and felt triumphant for (1)fighting the wind, (2)dealing with the damp air, (3)missing the rain, and (4)conquering the procrastination demon.
…and what's on deck for Sunday?
I'm hoping to get out for a morning walk, then hang with my daughter (who’s visiting from North Carolina). Maybe an afternoon bike ride will also be happening, depending on how the day plays out.
Overall, this week had me feeling pretty fatigued. Maybe it was the dreary weather? I’m thinking the past few months of stress and lack of sleep are finally catching up with me as well. Nonetheless, the weekly miles weren’t dreadful (albeit lower than ideal). Running logged 12 miles (most of which were from Saturday’s long run. Walking saw 12 miles (I blame the rain). Biking, though, was strong with 59 miles (some of which were outdoors!).
In case you missed out, here’s what went down on the blog this week:
In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair. The weather was beautiful! I might have changed into shorts for my lunchtime walk, it was so nice outside! Anyways, I call this sparkly shirt my "Bon Jovi shirt" because I wore it to one of their concerts. I felt it was only appropriate to pay tribute to the band in honor of the documentary that dropped last weekend. Have you seen it?
Long before May 4th became known as a big Star Wars day, it was my dad’s birthday. We had a nice birthday dinner with him, my mother, my sister and the visiting daughter.
Doggy update. Poor Max! He’s a little dog, and 14 years old. His health is still good and he’s as active as a 6-month old puppy most days. But, due to his size and age, the dental stuff is not great. He went in for his dental cleaning Friday (yes, dogs need dental care too), and they wound up pulling 12 of his teeth! He still has plenty of teeth remaining, but the poor guy…
So, that’s this week’s update. The fatigue caught me off guard because I seldom feel tired, but I know I need more sleep. The early mornings are a necessity with my work schedule, so I’m going to make a better effort to get to bed at a more reasonable hour (at least during the work week). I’m both an early bird & a night owl, so this might be a tough transition. Wish me luck.
How was your week? Do you ever struggle with getting enough sleep? Does dreary, wet weather sometimes put a damper on your fitness mojo? Have you been on an outside bike ride, yet, in 2024?
Maybe all the stress of the move, etc finally caught up with you? Hopefully, you'll feel more energetic this week. It was a gloomy weather week here too. The sun is out this morning and I'm getting ready to hit the trails!
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned, I absolutely think the move is a huge factor. I guess all my adrenaline finally was tapped out, LOL.
DeleteWe have had rainy days the last few as well and it looks to continue. Moving is definitely stressful and tiring. Sounds like some extra sleep is just what you need!
ReplyDeleteThe extra sleep will be a big challenge for me. My body (and mind) is used to getting the bare minimum. I did get a nice 90-minute "siesta" this afternoon, though.
DeleteI hear you! I eventually had to transition from being an early bird and a night owl because the lack of sleep was catching up with me. I prefer my early mornings over my late nights so I eventually started going to bed earlier and earlier. I still don't get as much sleep as I should, but it's getting better.
ReplyDeleteI've been out on my bike at least once a week since last fall. Most days during the winter it was fine here in Virginia, but I was selective on which days I rode.
We've got rain in the weather forecast for the next week, including for Saturday's race. There's still plenty of time for the forecast to change...
It's currently looking pretty dry here this next week (except for possibly Wednesday). My Market to Market Relay is Saturday, and fingers crossed, the sunny and warm temps hold!
DeletePoor Max! It's a dog's life. I hope he heals up fast.
ReplyDeleteWe''ve had a few days of shorts weather and it is so nice. I love summer so much.
I did not know about the Bon Jovi documentary - I've got to check that out ASAP.
The documentary is on Hulu/Disney, and is a 4-parat series. I'd seen other interviews and biographies over the years, but this had a lot of new stuff (in the last decade or so) that I hadn't seen. I love the band, and Jon is quite an icon ;-)
DeleteUgh i feel you in the lack of sleep department. I got 4 hrs on Thursday night and am still suffering. I'll feel better at the end of May when things slow down!
ReplyDeleteI can usually function on 5-6 hours of sleep, but this week was a different story. My mind and body both were in zombie mode...
DeleteLove that sunrise from Wednesday!
ReplyDeleteI had a roller coaster of a week emotionally/stresswise, but am trying to relax and take it easy today.
I was able to crash for a little while this afternoon, and it felt good! Maybe that's a good start to the sleep-catch-up my body us needing.
DeleteYay! An outdoor bike ride! Spring is here. I also felt a little more fatigued than usual this week- I think I was fighting something off.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to your dad! And poor little Max- 12 teeth, ouch. I'm sure he'll deal with it like a champ. Glad his health is good otherwise!
Yeah, I was really surprised when they told me they had to remove 12 teeth! I knew he had a few bad ones, because he's been having difficulty chewing some of his treats...but 12 was an insane number. The outdoor biking, though, #ahhhh!
DeleteI was supposed to be watching the first ep of the Bon Jovi documentary as a treat tonight after completing my half-marathon but our weather suddenly turned hot yesterday and the HM was a struggle so I am going to bed instead! I transcribed an interview with JBJ last week for work (swoon!) and found out about the docu then. Fun fact: heard Living on a Prayer being played twice as I did the half today! I'm sure the fatigue is the move catching up with you - hope all the sorting out is going OK.
ReplyDeleteOh, I hope you're feeling better, Liz! The documentary was really interesting, and I agree...Jon is swoon-worthy ;-)
DeleteI wouldn't have guessed Max is 14! He looks so bright eyes and bushy tailed! I'm sure he's feeling much better with those teeth pulled.
ReplyDeleteI"ve been pretty tired this past week, as well. I blame Mercury in retrograde or something like that.
I haven't seen the Bon Jovi documentary, but I bet it was good.
And happy birthday to your dad!
DeleteMax already seems to be feeling better, which is a relief!
Delete12 teeth! Poor little guy. Best to have them removed though than to get infected! I'm sure he'll be okay! 14 years though, its hard as they age, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful sunrise picture! Glad you could get out for a bike ride!
Knock wood, Max is still very active. I do notice him napping a lot, but I think that's just a dog thing, LOL.
Delete