Spring Segues Into Summer

It ain’t summer yet (according to the calendar), but it sure feels like it! 

Personally, I’m quite alright with that. As I’ve said numerous times, the summer season is far too short in the Midwest. I totally embrace the extended daylight, the warmth, and even the humidity (when it’s not too extreme). 

This week certainly blessed us (me?) with all those summer feels….

Before I share 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, this week, in my little corner of the fitness universe:

Sunday saw a lot of fitness fun!

The morning began with a refreshing 2-mile run, complete with a few mulberries (you know, #refueling). Back home, I knocked-out 20 minutes of upper-body strength work.

Then, there was a mid-morning meet-up with  Amy and Mike (remember them?) and Jim. We spent several hours biking along the High Trestle Trail, with a few stops along the way. Lots of laughs, great weather, and 25 total miles in the saddle(s). 

Never Miss a Monday!

The morning was a bit chilly, but the sky was clear and the temps warmed up as the day wore on. My legs saw eight total miles of action, with a 2-mile early morning run, three miles of workday walking (morning break and over lunch), and three windy miles in the evening.

Tuesday - Low Impact  TLC

Nothing grandiose…an early-morning walk with some core and glute work. More walking over lunch and after getting home (five total miles on foot). 

A DOMS-laden Wednesday…

I’m loving my new early morning Wednesday gig, but the DOMS joined us for our 4:45AM meet-up. Holy Ouch! We ran our usual 3-mile route, but I tacked on two bonus miles after we parted ways. I also did a 1-mile walk (mid morning) and a short upper-body workout in the evening. Let me just say,  Holy Humidity Batman! Summer has arrived! 

Thursday? Sweat equity for the win!

Another early morning; I met Deb at 4:30 for our weekly cardio fix. The temps were already feeling warm, even before the sunrise made its appearance. Four miles of walking and chitchatting, done. Check-out the boat-shaped map of my route, courtesy of Garmin (down below).

After work, I headed over to Altoona (literally, less than a 10-minute drive) for the Thursday night group run. This group has been such a great fit for my schedule, and there’s always a good turnout. We ran a (somewhat) fast & furious 5K route. I was really impressed how many peeps showed-up considering how hot it was! 

FriYAY!

I had considered a short run, but spontaneously opted for the bike instead. It’s been a long time since I’ve had optimal conditions for a sunrise ride, so I simply had to capitalize on the moment. It was just a quick 6-mile ride, but it left me feeling like my day had already been made. I also got out for a sunny 2-mile walk over lunch. And then a bonus 1-mile walk in the evening, which morphed into a spontaneous 3-mile run afterwards.

Saturday? A bacon-enhanced long ride...

I met Barb (you all remember her, right?) over in Waukee, a Des Moines suburb on the west side of the metro. We saddled-up for 73+ miles of adventure along the Raccoon River Valley Trail, doing the Baccoon Ride. Holy Moly, Momma N! She brought us everything but snow. We're talking cold morning temps, wind, misty rain, full-on rain (with wind, no less), full sun, and 17mph wind for the final 20-ish miles. But, it was a great day and we will be talking about this for a long time (and we already want to go back and do it again next year). Recap is coming!

…and what's on deck for Sunday?

The weather is looking clear and warm, so I will definitely be outside for some of it. The jury is still out on whether I'll do a short early-morning run, or just take a walk amidst the sunrise. My bike needs a major bath after Saturday's wet and muddy ride, so I'll probably give biking a reprieve.

So, a decent week for Spring's (almost) final hurrah. Admittedly, the strength work wasn't anything stellar, but oh well. The running was alright, with 15 miles. Walking saw some good action with 19 miles. Obviously, Saturday's ride allowed biking to dominate this week, with 104+ total miles. 

In case you missed out, here’s what went down on the blog:

Meandering Back to Maintenance Mode

Back to the DAM - D2D 2024 recap

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair.

Anyone else celebrate Flag Day? I’m hopelessly patriotic, so there’s that. Also, I personally love the blue and red color combo. Total win-win.

When I got home from my Thursday morning walk with Deb, I got a good laugh out of the Garmin map. I was not trying to create any artistic route pics, but this boat has possibilities. 

...and a few more Garmin badges! I had seen there was the Weekend 5K Badge up for grabs, but was unsure when I could make it happen. When I got the spur-of-the-moment idea to run on Friday night, that just seemed like a perfect fit. The Rise and Grind Badge and the 2024 Cycling Badge both popped up after finishing the ride on Saturday. Although I keep a log of my cycling mileage, I really don't pay much attention to total numbers...hence, the 675K was a nice surprise. The Rise and Grind Badge was kind of a no-brainer, LOL, since I'm up and moving every morning.

Whew! I guess it was quite  a week, in retrospect! I love being active, and it just feels good to have such a great variety of fitness options to take advantage of. Believe me, I don't take any of this for granted.

How was your week? Is it feeling like summer, or still like spring in your area? How do you feel about spontaneous runs, on a Friday evening? Have you ever done a group ride where all kinds of food and fun was provided along the route?

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