So this is Spring

Spring in Iowa. Hmmm…

It certainly has its moments, and it keeps me guessing. It keeps me pretty humble as well.

This week saw a little bit of everything (you know…crazy weather, early morning fitness, and DOMS). Hey, I guess that keeps me young, right?

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

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Anyways, here’s what went down this week, in my little corner of the universe:

Sunday - A change in the weather

The morning started with a very breezy (and somewhat chilly) 2-mile walk before church. Brrr.

By early afternoon, though, the sun had lost its cloud cover and the temps had risen. It still was windy, but the bright sunshine had me losing the gloves after the first mile or so, and the top layer was gone before I’d reached the halfway mark on my 10K run. 

Never miss a (windy) Monday

The early morning was moderately chilly, so my 3-mile walk required long sleeves. The afternoon, though was a balmy 76F, but with 25mph wind. Talk about your wind resistance! My body was still feeling cranky from Sunday’s 10K, so the 2-mile run felt like I was moving in slow motion.  

Tuesday - How about some low-impact/heavy strength

My hips were still feeling somewhat strained from Sunday’s 10K, so I thought it best to keeps things easy-peasy on the lower-body. What’s a gal to do? I found a 20-minute upper-body workout on Peloton! Yowza, those new heavier weights are seeing some serious action! Over lunch, I took a 2-mile walk, this time with the weighted vest. Max and I did some walking (late afternoon), and I got out for another 2-mile walk in the evening. 

Wednesday - early morning fun!

I met Bill and Hannah for the weekly Wednesday morning run. Bill peeled-off after three miles, but Hannah joined me for a bonus mile. I was still feeling good (great, actually), so I did a bonus-bonus mile, ending the morning with five miles and no remaining muscle fatigue. It wound up being a beautiful spring day, complete with a 2-mile lunch walk and extra walking with Max in the late afternoon.

Thankful Thursday for the win

I was out of bed and in the basement shortly after 5:30, for the weekly virtual cardio hour with Deb. After 15 miles of spinning and chatter, I cued-up a 30-minute Peloton glutes/legs workout (holy OUCH!) and a tougher-than-anticipated shoulder-focused strength workout. I took a pass on the evening group run (the cool damp weather just wasn’t enticing me to lace-up), but then I wound up walking a couple of miles anyways. Oh well…

Friday - keeping it low-key

Have I mentioned how much I’m loving the morning daylight? That said, don’t be fooled by the bright sunrise captured on my 3.5-mile Friday morning walk. Shortly after I snapped the selfie, the clouds took over and the rain came shortly after I made it back home. The intermittent rain was very light, but continued most of the day. I did get out for a 2-mile walk after dinner; the rain had long since stopped, but the temps were chilly (again) and the air was really damp.

Long Run Saturday 

The 46F temps could have been warmer. The 9mph wind could have been more mild. The air could have been much less damp. The sun could have been shining. If we waited for ideal conditions, though, we might not ever leave the house, LOL. Alas, it’s an awesome test of our perseverance and grit just getting out there and getting it done, regardless. This 8-miler was a perfect example…I’d intended to run 5-6 miles, but thought going for seven would be an attainable feat. The further I ran, the easier the miles felt, so I just kept going. My Garmin showed an average pace of 10:01, which was decent (with some lingering lower-body DOMS nonetheless). I also added a short upper-body strength session (after some post-run stretching) upon my return to my house. I love it when the endorphins kick in and carry me! I also got out for a 2-mile walk, before dinner, because the temps finally warmed up and the sun was out.

…and what’s on deck for Sunday?

Long before May the 4th became the designated Star Wars Day, it’s been my father’s birthday. Needless to say, there’s a small celebration, via a family lunch, on the roster. I’m gonna try to get in a long bike ride (indoors) before church, and possibly a walk after (since the temps will be warmer). 

I guess you could say this was a “Things-That-Made-Me-Go-HMMM” kind of week, but in a good way. The running miles were a solid 25. The walking logged 24 miles. Biking…ummm, well it was the bare minimum (15 miles). The strength training was productive with three good sessions, two of which utilized those new heavier weights.

 

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

Keeping in Motion

Grand Blue Miling and Smiling - 2025 recap

A Cappuccino Chit Chat

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. It was a chilly and damp day. It also was a semi-casual day. That said, those circumstances called for some bright colors and sparkly shoes. And a little bit of lipstick never hurt no one.

So, that’s a wrap on last week! Coming up, I’ll probably keep the running miles short and easy-peasy this next week, saving them for the Market-to-Market Relay (on Saturday). Next, DAM-to-DSM 13.1 is happening on May 31, so there will be a few more weeks of long weekend runs on the calendar. Never a dull moment!

How about you? Did you have a successful week of fitness? Any races this weekend, or coming up soon?

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