Back to our Regularly Scheduled Summer

Let me say it…”Ahhhh.”

After a pretty solid week of seasonal weather, I am feeling all those happy summertime vibes…and I’m loving (almost) every bit of it. Even the occasional sting of perspiration, seeping into my sensitive eyes, can’t downplay the euphoria of Summer. 

 So, yeah, it was a fun, busy, and (at times) warm and balmy week in my world. The #OptOutside streak is still going strong (1,662 as of June 14th). The running is maintaining. The walking is dominating. The biking is on a definite upswing. All good things!

Before I get into 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 in my little return-to-summer world this week:

Sunday - low-key, active recovery like a boss

Nothing too glamorous to report…an early morning 3-mile walk before church (amidst a spectacular sunrise). Some couch/nap time (three consecutive very late nights had finally caught up with me, LOL). A tranquil 2-mile walk in the evening. And, Garmin threw another badge my way for getting 100K steps knocked-out a week early, before the June 14th deadline.

Never miss a Monday

There was a full moon run happening in the evening, so I kept the morning on the low-impact spectrum with a 2-mile walk. Brrr! The air was chilly! But there were plentiful mulberries everywhere along the trail. The temps had warmed up substantially by lunchtime, so I hoisted the weighted vest and walked a couple miles. The evening saw the beautiful strawberry moon a day/evening early (see below).

Another Typical Tuesday

After a brisk 2-mile walk, I hit the weights for some upper-body and core work. The afternoon was a perfect warm and sunny setting for a 14-mile bike ride. The evening also featured some walking.

Wednesday - more early morning miles

This week’s early morning meet-up had three of us under a setting full moon at the start, with a rising sun at the finish. Bill split-off after three miles, but Hannah stuck around for a fourth mile. I hung around for a fifth mile after she left the scene. I also got out for a couple of short dog walks later in the day and did some shoulder-focused strength work.

Another Thankful Thursday

The morning commenced with a 3-mile walk, followed by an intense lower-body party (lots of lunges, in every direction, with some squats thrown in for fun). There was some core work and upper-body strength work happening as well as walking with Max.

Later, I headed over to Altoona for the Thursday night group run. The temps felt deceptively pleasant, but the humidity snuck up on us after the first mile. Still, it was a great night for an easy-paced 5K run. Let’s just say the eyes were burning something fierce from excessive perspiration seepage.

Friday - more easy-peasy fitness

With a day-long bike ride on the schedule for Saturday, I knew there would be no time for any running to happen. The solution? Sneak-in an early morning Friday run! Besides, there was a Weekend 5K badge up for grabs, courtesy of Garmin, LOL. I’d gotten about halfway through my run when Deb texted me, so we made it a virtual Friday fitness party. After my 3.1 miles of running were done, I walked an extra mile for a cool-down.

pic collage courtesy of Deb

Saturday - a full day on the trail

How does a full day of cycling with a favorite bestie sound? I met Barb at 6:45, and we were on the Raccoon River Valley Trail before the 7:00 (rolling) start of the Bacccoon Ride. We’d done this 71ish-mile ride last year, and both of us were eager to return. Last year, we had rain for most of the first seven hours, but this year we had full-on sunshine for most of the day (Global Wellness Day, nonetheless). The day was long, and the temps got really warm (low-90F’s), but we had a lot of fun. The theme was “Hog”warts, and there were a lot of great Harry Potter-themed decorations along the route and in the pass-through towns. Oh, and there was a lot of bacon-themed food!  Stay tuned, there’s a recap coming in a few days.

…and what’s on deck for Sunday?

The weather is looking warm again (yay!), so I’m hoping to get out for an early walk before church. My legs may be craving some TLC, after Saturday’s Baccoon Ride, so I’m gonna keep things low-key. And, I’m looking forward to a Father’s Day lunch with my dear daddy.

As mentioned, this week felt really good especially in terms of the summer season. I mean, we’re already halfway through June, it IS nice to have the weather finally reflect that. Running was relatively low, given the ideal temps, but 13 miles were all I was able to squeeze in with Saturday’s full day on the bike. Walking had a decent showing, with 21 miles. The biking miles came in at (almost) 88 miles, most of which were from the Bacoon Ride. The three strength sessions all were intense, but didn’t bring about any DOMS (yay for that as well!).

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

Now That’s More Like It

Rail-2-Trails 10K race recap

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. ‘Tis the season for sleeveless tops and bright colors. Truth be told, I’m guilty of wearing these pieces year-round, though. If you accessorize appropriately and add layers (in the cooler months), anything is possible. I also like the contrast of the bright pink with the “neutral” grey, but it helps that I have a perfect coordinating necklace to pull everything together, LOL.  

Yes, there was a full moon this week! The strawberry moon was bright and beautiful for several days. I opted to do the monthly full moon run a day (evening?) early since I always run on Mondays and knew I’d be running, again, on Wednesday morning.

Finally, remember that crewneck cotten shirt from the Rail-2-Trails 10K? Well, the art geek in me gave it new life as a funky tank top this week. I am so not a fan of t-shirts, especially unisex-sized ones. They are so unflattering! I gave this little number a better neckline, cut-out the racer-back, and finished with some fringe-cuts along the hem. Presto! 

So, that’s a wrap! My next race is the Midnight Madness 5K, which isn’t until July 18th. In other words, there’s nothing major on the roster for a while, so I’m planning on just running for running’s sake and enjoying the summer weather. I’m also looking forward to spending more consistent time on the bike (if the wind will cut me some slack).

How was your week? Any fun fitness endeavors or races? Did you catch a glimpse of the full moon? Ever taken the liberty to modify a race shirt into something that better suits your style?

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