I Got This (I Think)

 

Sometimes the universe speaks to us.

Often times, it's a gentle whisper. Other times, it's a loud exclamation, urging you to take a halt. Ugh.

Any guesses what my message was, this week, and how it was delivered?

Before I divulge the deets from the week, 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:

Sunday - Recovery From Riding: 101

Last weekend involved a lot of car time (seven-plus hours on Friday, and those same seven-plus hours on Saturday). Also, Sunday had a family gathering on the roster, which included nearly five cumulative hours (up and back). Ugh! My long legs do not enjoy so much idle time in cramped conditions. I got out for an early morning 2-mile walk (title pic, above), then took Krystal for a 15-mile ride (on our favorite trail) after finally getting back home in the late afternoon.

Monday - Seizing the moment = Seizing the day

With the super full moon (a blue moon, none the less!) happening, I thought it best to just seize the moment, upon wake-up, and get the obligatory run done. Besides, I wasn't too excited about postponing the run until evening (the forecast was looking cloudy anyways). Nothing spectacular about this 2-miler, but the moon was so beautiful (though it looks so tiny in the pic). I was able to get in a lot of day-walking done as well...two different 1-milers (morning and afternoon breaks) and a 2-miler over lunch. 

Tuesday - Business as usual...

Typically, I try to keep my Tuesdays fairly low-key, low-maintenance, and low-impact. I started the morning with some Barre, core, and upper-body strength work (via Peloton app). I got in a couple of walks at work (both 1-milers) and another 2-mile lunch walk. 

Later, after work, I rode the 15-mile route on the trail, just as I'd done on Sunday. Side note: I started noticing some weird scratchy throat stuff going on as the day progressed (hold that thought).

Wednesday -Whoa! Something's definitely not right...

Although I had zero issues getting up  early for the 4:45AM group run, my head felt like a gunky mess and there was some major brain fog going on (see below). It was a beautiful day, though, so I couldn't resist a lunchtime walk (two miles) nor a short 1-miler after dinner).

Thursday - Taking a (slight) breather

Again, rising and shining (and riding, LOL) wasn't a problem, but there definitely was some viral nonsense at play with my sinuses and my voice, as well as ongoing coughing to clear the gunk from my throat (sorry, #TMI). I did the usual virtual meet-up with Deb (she walked and I rode 14 miles on the spin bike). I added some upper-body strength afterwards, and got out for a couple of 1-mile walks at work. But, I also hit the urgent care clinic over lunch to get some feedback on my situation. Not only were my sinus symptoms driving me crazy, but I had also been feeling achy and feverish in the evenings. Oh, and let's not forget the weird ongoing achiness on my left foot. This had been an on-and-off thing for the past couple months, and I was starting to worry it might be a possible stress fracture. I'd been playing the denial card long enough and thought it was time to get that addressed as well.

Friday - More low-impacting

Since my "viral" symptoms were slowly improving, there hadn't been any prescription meds ordered. The X-ray tech hadn't been onsite, so I had to go to the hospital for the scan on my foot...which meant I hadn't heard back (as of early Friday morning) of the results. So, I opted for some walking, amidst the beautiful sunrise (instead of running). Shortly after getting to work, though, I got word that my X-ray came back negative, so no stress fracture(s) after all (Whew!). With a great sense of relief, I added more walking to the day (because, why not?)...a mid-morning walk and another lunchtime walk (three cumulative miles). That evening, Jim and I spent a few hours at the World Food and Music Fest (downtown Des Moines). I don't know how many more "miles" we may have walked, but my Garmin showed over 70 minutes of intermittent "walking" through the crowds of people, and my total step count for the day was 19,188.

Long Run Saturday (sort of)

With all the viral crap my body had been fighting, as well as a late night, I had ZERO desire to rise and shine as early as I usually do on Saturday mornings. Ironically, the later I allow myself to sleep-in, the more fatigued I feel (call me crazy). I woke up around my usual time, and since it was still dark (ha! like that's a surprise this time of year), I tried to fall back to sleep...and actually succeeded! It wasn't until 9:00 or so when I finally got out the door for my run (like, 3+ hours late, LOL). The temps weren't too hot yet (high 60F's), but the humidity was in the upper-80's. I thought a 10K distance would be a good fit, since I need to start upping my mileage for my October 13.1, and also there was a Garmin badge up for grabs. Long story short, this run wasn't a cake walk, but not a struggle bus endeavor either. Full disclosure, I did filter in a few walk breaks to make things manageable (because my body is still feeling groggy and a bit fatigued). Overall, I'm calling it a win. 

Later, I got out for a little more cardio, via the bike. The temps had definitely risen, as had the humidity. Alas, 10 more cycling miles for the week and a bonus Garmin badge that I’d forgotten about (the 2024 Cycling - Stage 3; 675K of cycling activities from July 1 - September 30). 

…and how about Sunday?

I have nothing concrete on the plans for Sunday (yet). There's a heat advisory hitting us in the early afternoon and lasting until the evening, so the morning is my best option for anything "intense." I have been known to go cycling in the heat, though, because it's a great option if you keep it low-key and manage your hydration. Stay tuned; I'm not sure what the day will have in store for me.

So, it was an interesting week, with a few unexpected unknowns thrown into the mix. I'm grateful I was able to persevere through it all, and come out (seemingly?) on top. Running was at the bare minimum (due to my energy level and caution with the foot issue; so 11 miles! Walking took center stage, also due to the state of my compromised health and body parts...20 miles. Biking was decent, but nothing stellar considering the nice weather we actually had this week; 54 miles in the saddle(s). Strength training was also at the minimum...some Barre, core and a few sessions of upper-body work. I hope to be back on a more normal routine this next week.

In case you missed out, there was only one post on this blog this week:

Busyness: 101

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. Anyone who knows me well knows I seldom go with monochromatic anything. Although I like a sleek “summer chic” look, I usually can’t resist adding a flash of color. Also worthy of noting: you can’t see them, but the red cardi has bejeweled buttons, so they coordinate with my sandals, LOL. 

We had visible sun dogs here Friday morning! I’ve seen these numerous times in the winter, but never in the summer. They’re caused by the sunlight reflecting through ice crystals, but apparently they can happen year-round (though they’re most common in the winter). Nonetheless, it was a nice surprise seeing them on my morning commute. 

Finally, this ridiculous virus! I seldom ever get sick, so this episode really had me in a funk. Thankfully, I only had a scratchy throat on Tuesday (Day-1) and major brain fog on Wednesday (Day-2). I definitely burned through a lot of tissues, though! I only had body aches or fever-like symptoms in the evenings of Day-2 and Day-3 (Thursday). The doc told me there was a current virus making its rounds and hitting people hard. Bingo. 

Anyways, another week all wrapped up, and I survived all the ridiculousness of it. Whodda thunk?

How did your week play-out? Nice weather? Great training and/or workouts? Ever been hit hard with a surprise virus?

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