Are We Ready?

 

Here we are… on the verge of kissing  2025 goodbye, while awaiting the arrival of 2026! 

I think I’m ready, are you? 

Before we get to the nitty gritty deets of 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 in my little world of fitness & whatnot this week:

Sunday - Ready for the week 

It was a cold morning, and I had a busy afternoon on-tap. The best solution was an early ride (obviously inside). Later, I got out for a couple miles of walking, in between my pre-holiday prepping. 

Monday - Ready for a warm-up!

The day began with a few miles on the elliptical, and a couple miles of skywalking were added over my lunch hour. 

After work, the temps were in the mid-40F range, hence “tropical” conditions for Iowa. Running in shorts (two miles), in late December, is kinda euphoric. 

Tuesday - Ready for some low-impact fitness

I keep my Tuesdays low-impact (and pretty low-key), so the morning had five miles on the bike, along with some arms/shoulders strength work.  I walked over lunch and after work (4-1/2 total miles).

Wednesday - Ready for family time!

It was an early start to the day, meeting Hannah at 4:45 for the weekly run. Next, I worked until noon, grabbed a few last-minute groceries (and gift cards), and then picked up the youngest daughter at the airport. The oldest daughter (and BF) arrived a few hours later and the son (and GF) joined us for dinner. It was a long day, but a great day and evening with my kiddos!

Thursday - Ready for a full day of family fun

Even with a long day prior, I was still awake early. I had a few food things to finish, then got out for a couple miles (and a short upper-body strength session) before getting everyone up and ready for the day. 

Friday - Ready for a day of holiday recovery 

Since Deb  and I didn’t meet on Christmas Day, we made it happen on Friday. I hit the bike for 12 miles, then Deb and I walked a couple of miles (virtually) together. I was also able to get out later, for another 3-mile walk over lunch. 

Saturday - ready for a little bit of everything

Originally, I passed on running due to the foggy conditions. Instead, I did 15 miles on the bike and finished with a 2-mile walk. By mid-afternoon, though, the temps were sitting at 46F. I’d be crazy to not take advantage, so I grabbed the running shoes and ran a spontaneous 5K in the “tropical” Iowa temps. 

…and what’s happening on Sunday?

The morning is looking a bit iffy, but I’m going to try to get out for walk in the early hours. Then, there’s more family time on the agenda, before the out-of-state kids depart. 

All in all, the week kept me busy (and not just in terms of fitness). The running saw 10 miles this week! It’s been awhile since I’ve had double digit miles in the running shoes, so this was a nice accomplishment. Walking was minimal, with only 15 miles (only two full days in the office, so limited skywalk access). Biking was  respectable with 57 miles.

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

Are We Feeling Festive?

A ‘Fession Finale for 2025

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. I’m usually doing high-contrast with color, but sometimes it’s fun to pair tow colors of similar intensity. Your thoughts?

 

There were only two Garmin bandages this week. No big deal, but these were fun to add to the collection.

Finally, this week rewarded me with some valuable family time. The two daughter both live out-of-state, so it was great having them here for an extended weekend (Wednesday through Sunday). The son lives nearby, so I’m able to see him pretty frequently.

So, that’s a wrap on the week’s festivities. It was nice getting the workouts done, having decent weather, and the family time was a huge bonus. Suffice it to say there was much to be thankful for!

How did your week play-out?  Were you able to get together with family? Any significant fitness workouts or achievements? 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter