…and here we are

Well, what do you know?

The holiday season is officially in full swing, the winter temps are pretty much locked-in, and the 2024 Runners World Winter Run Streak is underway. 

This week had a lot of activity keeping me busy. It can be a challenging juggling act staying on task. There’s not only one’s day-to-day busyness, but let’s not forget the fitness and wellbeing we all need as well. 

Somehow, I managed to get it all done…

Before I dive into 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 in my little corner of the universe:

Sunday had it feeling like spring!

The morning was chilly, so I stayed inside for 20 miles on the bike, upper-body sweat, and a solid lower-body burn. The afternoon, though, blessed us with temps in the mid-50’s! I got out for three miles of walking, and pretended we’d fast-forwarded to spring. 

Never miss a Monday

Things were dark (obviously, LOL), chilly and crazy windy upon wake-up. I decided the time had come to test out the treadmill running situation. Despite the cold temps in the garage, I worked up a thorough sweat over the course of two miles. The run wasn’t euphoric, but not horrible either. After work, Max and I persevered through the cold and windy conditions for a 1-mile walk. 

Tuesday? Things were feeling rather winter-like.

Not the least bit enthused by the continued coldness, I opted inside, via the elliptical. After work, Max took me on another brisk walk, amongst all the neighborhood holiday lights. 

Wednesday was cold, crisp and calm…

Despite the sub-freezing temps, the lack of wind made this early morning run bearable. My hair desperately needed washing, so I called it good  at three miles and hustled home to take care of business…then on to face the long (and busy) day at work. 

Thursday: time for trotting!

Thanksgiving 2024 came with a lot of changes, the first of which was a new turkey trot to experience! Instead of running my former local trot (a 2-minute walk from my former house), I made my way to downtown Des Moines (about a 20-minute drive). I’d volunteered at packet pickup in previous years, and had run it virtually (in 2020, thanks to Covid), so I was excited to actually run the Des Moines Turkey Trot in person this year. It was cold and windy (I know, big surprise!), but the five miles went better than expected…and I may have finished with a 3rd place AG. There’s a short recap coming, so stay tuned for a few more details. 

Friday was absolutely freezing!

I had every intention of walking (virtually) with Deb, but the sub-ZERO feels-like temps (and 16mph wind) had me heading back indoors after two miles. Our workout had a few hiccups (phone issues, and other unforeseen circumstances). There was a brief “pause” in our chat time, so I ran a quick Streak run on the ‘mill. After we reconvened, I continued on the bike for 15 miles…

…and then hit the weights for some additional  upper-body strength work. Yes, it was a busy, action-packed morning! 

Saturday saw some much-appreciated sunshine

After a non routine sleep-in, l summoned the requisite layers and headed out for a 3-mile run. Despite the cold temps, the wind was much more “runner-friendly” and the sunshine was optimal. Dare I say, I actually over-layered, LOL (yeah, it happens even in sub-freezing conditions). Things actually felt so good, I added a bonus mile before heading back home. Go me!

…and what’s on tap for Sunday?

The forecast is looking cold, but gradually warming a bit by late morning. I’m planning to save the streak run for those warmer temps and hit-up the bike in the early hours. Also, I’ve been fitting-in lower-body strength work on recent Sunday mornings, so why mess with a good thing? 

Anyways, the week played-out well. The winter-like temps weren’t great, but ‘tis the season. This is the Midwest, after all, and the warm seasons are on hiatus for awhile now. Running logged 15 miles, most of which was due to the start of the Streak. Biking saw 35 miles. Walking was very minimal with seven miles. Strength-training was on-point with several sessions. Onward! 

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

Winter = Wildcard

‘Fessions (with a side of thanks)

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. With the annual Black Friday match against Nebraska happening that evening, you can bet I was decked-out in the black and gold of Iowa. Let’s just say that played-out well also, as the Hawks kicked a field goal in the final seconds and came away with a victory over the Cornhuskers!

Finally, a big shoutout to all the fabulous fitness-minded gals in our network! Many of us “flocked” together and trotted, near and far, on Thanksgiving morning. 

So, that’s the latest! I’m not quite sure how we’re already into the final month of 2024. Yikes, that came quickly! 

Tell me about your final week of November… did you enjoy winter-like weather as well? Are you opting outside, or keeping it inside? Any turkey day trotting?

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