Rebounding?

At long last, this week had me flirting with a possible rebound from all the hip crankiness of late.  

Yes, you read it here first! 

Although, it’s still too early to fully assess, I’m feeling pretty optimistic. Read on for the deets…

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

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Anyways, here’s what went down as I navigated the potential rebound:

Sunday - some heavy lifting (amongst other things)

Waking up to cold temps, I opted to stay inside for the early morning hours. After a 5-mile warm-up (on the bike), I grabbed the heavy weights for some upper-body work. Oof, the arms and shoulders definitely were throbbing (that’s a grimace, not a smile, LOL). I also got out, mid-afternoon, for a refreshing 2-mile walk when the temps were warmer.

Never miss a Monday

The day began with 11 miles on the bike. Later, I was able to knock-out a 2-mile walk over the lunch hour. 

Then, after a zip around the block with Max, I headed out for a relaxing 2-mile run. It was nice to still be in shorts, but the feels-like temps were about 10-degrees colder with the 14mph wind. Just saying. 

Another low-impact Tuesday

After a “3-mile” warm-up on the elliptical, I hit the weights for some upper-body work. Yikes, I could not believe the impact from two “little” 8-pound dumbbells. There were numerous slow-motion moves and static holds, with not much recovery time between sets. And there was plenty of muscle burning happening. No regrets! Also, there were 3-1/2 total miles walked (including lunch and after work). 

(Slightly) Wild Weather Wednesday

It was a mutual consensus to skip the 4:45AM group run this week, but I still was awake in the wee hours (I blame my body’s accustomed early wake-up routine, LOL). I saddled-up the bike, and rode for 15 miles. I had some music videos for entertainment, and didn’t realize how fast my pace was until I finished.  Yowza! I also walked a couple miles in the skywalk over lunch, and then another mile after work.

It was a triple-threat Thankful Thursday…

As per usual, Deb and I joined forces in the early hours. I was awake earlier than typical, so I got on the bike around 4:40. Turns out, Deb was already on her bike as well, so it was an earlier-than-normal start for both of us. We parted (virtual) ways an hour later.  I stayed on for a little longer, finishing with 20 miles done.  

Collage courtesy of Deb

Afterwards, I stacked a couple of Peloton strength workouts. It had been awhile since I’d done any focused  lower-body work, and there were numerous weighted squats to be done (and even more jump squats as well). I subbed-in heavier dumbbells for the upper-body session. Again, I’m always amazed how heavy 8-pound dumbbells can feel when you do high reps with no recovery time between sets. Holy Burn, Batman! Everything was on fire!

Then, after work, I was eager to test the “rebounded” state of my hips. Amazingly, things felt very good. Still not completely healed, but the nagging tightness felt so much better. Instead of two easy miles, I kept going and finished with three miles (with a pace I had not seen in awhile). 

Active recovery for the Friday win

Even though the hips weren’t as cranky as in recent weeks, the glutes were on fire. Ugh, can you say DOMS? It’s always something, am I right? I thought some lower-body TLC was in order, so I found a Pilates workout and called it good for the morning. I walked 2-1/2 miles over lunch, and a couple more after work. Go me, LOL.

Saturday - Dealing with the DOMS and all that jazz 

Yep, the DOMS are not to be messed with. With the Des Moines Turkey Trot (five miles) happening next week, I was planning on a 4-mile run for Saturday. After a humbling “crawl” out of bed, I thought a short bike ride would be a good strategy to loosen-up the glutes and hamstrings (spoiler: good move!). This run went better than expected, given the cold (but sunny!) conditions. I’m not excited for the winter temps, but there’s no denying they’ll be my reality for the next few (or several?) months. 

…and what about Sunday?

The morning forecast is looking similar to Saturday (chilly, in the “freeze” zone), but it’s looking beautiful and sunny by late morning. I think there will be some biking in the early hours, and outdoor walking later, in the 50F temps and sunshine. Stay tuned!

So, not a bad week! I’m still keeping the running on the conservative spectrum, with nine miles this week. Biking was significant, with 56 miles. Walking showed 18 miles. The strength-training was somewhat intense this week, as I opted for heavier weights for the three upper-body sessions. Thursday’s lower-body workout was good, but those DOMS were no joke on Friday and Saturday!

Side note: I’ve been taping my foot, for the past almost two months. I didn’t think anything was broken, but thought keeping things somewhat stabilized was a good move to allow the bum pinky toe (and vicinity) a better chance at healing. I took the tape off Tuesday evening, and almost immediately, my wonky hip felt better! I’m guessing the limited range of motion (though minimal) was enough to alter my foot strike which, in turn, affected my hip region. Things are still not 100% great, but are much improved. And the bum toe is feeling almost good as new (it’s still a little swollen, but substantially smaller than it’s been the past almost three months). I’m calling that a win! I can tell my foot strike is still a bit altered, so that will take some time to correct itself, but I’m feeling very optimistic.

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

What’s with the Weather?

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. With a game on the roster for Saturday, against the Michigan State Spartans, it was only proper to wear some Iowa Hawkeye gear. This is a basic 1/4-zip, from a discount store. Confession: I bought the “I” patch and had it sewed onto the jacket, and #presto! I have my own, one-of-a kind piece of  University of Iowa logo’d attire. Have you ever attempted such a thing? By the way, the Hawks pulled-off a victory in the final seconds!

Raise your hand if you’re a Wordle player…anyone? Tuesday’s word was a doozy, and I was a big failure, LOL! (What does “opine” mean? I can’t say it’s a common word in my daily dialogue).

Finally, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in my office building. I work on the top floor (eight stories!), and we’ve been watching the security peeps install the garland on all the railings in the open area. The huge tree (which is two stories high) went up in less than three hours. They’re difficult to see, but there are several large “ornaments” suspended from the high ceiling as well.

So, that’s the latest and greatest in my little world of fitness and whatnot. Fingers crossed, the bum toe (and compromised hips) will continue their journey on the road to recovery.

How did your week play-out? Any turkey-trotting training to speak of? Great workouts that need mentioned? Ready for Thanksgiving?

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