Can you say Recovery?

Recovery? That was this week’s reality.

Before I dis on the deets, welcome to the Weekly Run Down!

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Anyways, here’s what went down in my little world of recovery this week:

For starters, there was Sunday’s half marathon…

I arrived downtown Des Moines around 7:20, allowing plenty of time to hit the porta-potties, chat with a few friends, and line-up for the 8:00 start of the IMT Des Moines Half Marathon. Overall, the race went well. Inadvertently, I ran the first three miles just slightly slower than a 5K pace (major #oops), and that caught-up-in-the-excitement move came back to haunt me seven miles later, LOL, with lots of walking. I finished with a smile (and vertical!), but I was totally wiped out upon crossing the finish line. Details & recap are forthcoming, stay tuned. 

 

Then there was my usual Never-Miss-a-Monday routine…

Even after 20-ish hours of recovery, my body was (still) in a world of post-finish line fatigue and crankiness upon wake-up. I opted for five miles on the bike and some lower-body mobility work (title pic, above). I got out for a 2-mile lunch walk and a very slow, mucho easy-paced 2-mile run after work. Things were still stiff, but much less so after that short run.

And Tuesday was very low-key, by necessity…

It was a day of PTO, so a slight sleep-in may have happened (obviously there was still some fatigue going on, LOL). I finally got out for a windy 2-mile walk, mid-morning, before tackling a lengthy to-do list. 

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Wednesday finally had me feeling recovered 

I was up and at the meeting spot by 4:45 for the weekly early morning run. Wow, it was refreshing to have my legs back! Kelly and Hannah took off after the usual three miles. Since my body was finally feeling more Ike itself,  I stuck around and ran two bonus miles. 

But I still kept Thursday easy-peasy 

Not wanting to push the recovery, I opted for more low-impact action. I started n the bike (10 miles) and finished with some upper-body work (via Peloton) before heading to the office. The day was windy, but fairly warm, so I walked a couple miles over lunch and added another mile, mid-afternoon, with Susan.

Friday followed suit with low-impact fitness as well

Nothing crazy… 20-ish minutes on the elliptical (supposedly three miles), some upper-body strength and core work before heading to work. It was a cold afternoon, with plenty of cold wind), so I limited my #optoutside streak to a lone 1-mile walk because I just wasn’t in the mood for layering-up. There will be plenty of opportunities for playing the layering game in the coming months, LOL.

Come Saturday, I was ready for a little more action…

With things feeling (dare I say?) fully recovered, I was tempted to test the waters with a mid-length run. It was a cold morning, though, so I started on the bike (in my warm basement) before a big morning errand (see below). Later, I got out for the much-anticipated run, and settled on a 4-mile distance. Ironically (?), it looks like I’m already back to that 9:4X pace (this run had a 9:44 average pace), and it was actually quite a bit warmer than anticipated. Have you ever had to peel-off not just one, but two, layers while running? This may have been a first time for that, LOL.

…and  what about Sunday?

The forecast is looking chilly(38F), though sunny and seasonal. I saw there’s a 40K Garmin cycling badge up for grabs. Since my cycling has been very minimal as of recent, I’m thinking Sunday morning will be an optimal time for some long-ish distance biking. I’ll save any outdoor action for the afternoon.

So, how did this recovery week go? I’m feeling satisfied with everything. The extended fatigue from the race took me a bit by surprise, since I’m usually feeling (almost) brand new within 24 hours of a 13.1 finish line. I thought it best to stay active, but with minimal exertion. Mission accomplished. Total running tallied at 24 miles, most of those were from Sunday’s race. Walking was a very low 10 miles and biking was also on the low end, with 25 miles. There were a couple of short, but intense upper-body sessions, and daily core work. 

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

Let’s Taper, Shall We? 

‘The ‘Fessions Are Falling

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. Yes, it was another Friday, and there was another Hawkeye game happening the next day. It’s a given there would be some black (with a little bit of gold) repping my favorite team. 

As mentioned in Friday’s Runfession post, there was a new member joining my household this weekend! This was my first-ever vehicle purchase made, all on my own. Yikes, it made for a stressful week (these big purchase “adulting” things can be very taxing, just saying, LOL). Anyways, I brought “her” home Saturday morning, and the jury is still out on a potential name selection. The big thing I learned through this, was that it as was empowering knowing I was in the driver’s seat (quite literally, LOL). I was doing the dealership a favor in buying from them…and I had the power to walk away if they didn’t ultimately work with me. That said, I’m glad to have this experience done!

So, there you go. A successful race done, and an equally successful recovery following it. 

 

But enough about me. How was your week? Any racing? Upcoming events on the horizon? Ever bought a car, all on your own? If so, did you find the experience intimidating or empowering?

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