Wind & Cold & Another Vortex, Oh My!

The Iowa winter continues, as does its less-than-desirable weather conditions.

As if the cold temps and blustery wind weren’t enough, Momma N upped her game and sent an intense polar vortex to the greater part of the USA late in the week. Although it’s been extremely cold and windy, the precip has been pretty minimal in my area…so there’s that, at least. 

But still, I’m totally not a fan of the winter season…

Before I get into the deets form 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 chilly little corner of the universe this week:

Sunday - somewhat stuck inside

With a frigid and windy morning outside, I kept things indoors. Similar to a previous stair workout, I added a fourth circuit to the party:

**20 flights (double-stepped)

**10 push-ups

**1-minute wall sit 

****repeat three more times

The end result was a thorough full-body sweat session, including negative splits with each interval. By mid-afternoon, the outside conditions were a tiny bit warmer, so I got out for a 2-mile walk (complete with sunglasses!).

  

Never miss a Monday…sort of

Nothing too grandiose to report…10 miles on the bike before work and a 2-mile walk over lunch (via the skywalk). After work, I layered-up and headed out for a run, and called it good after a measly mile (title pic, above). With no races on the calendar until late April, and a strong endurance base, I’m totally at ease with limited mileage at the moment. It is what it is.

 

Taking-It-Easy Tuesday

It was another typical Tuesday, in terms of low-impact fitness. The morning included the elliptical (3-ish miles) and some upper-body strength work (Peloton). My lunch hour featured the usual two miles through the freezing-cold skywalk. After work, I got out for a quick 1-mile walk before a great evening of basketball (the Iowa Hawks bested the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the MSU Spartans were victorious over the Oregon Ducks).

Wednesday-Wacky Weather up the Wazoo

It was yet another Wednesday with extreme wind (and sub-freezing temps), so we all took a pass on meeting for the weekly 4:45AM group run. Instead, I summoned the handy-dandy spin bike for 15 miles, and found a lower-body Pilates workout (Peloton) to do afterwards. There was another cold 2-mile walk over lunch, and an even colder (and windier) quick walk around the block after getting home from the office.

A very thorough, and very thankful, Thursday

First things first, I joined forces with Deb for 16 miles on the bike (while she walked). 

I was feeling adventurous after my ride, so I threw on some layers and headed out for a brisk walk while Deb and I were still chatting. Afterwards, I did some upper-body strength work then headed to the office. It was a busy day as we were setting-up for an afternoon retirement reception, and there also was a  company-wide lunchtime walk (see below).

Frigid Friday…

With extreme wind (14mph) and -12F temps (-34F feels-like conditions), I opted for another morning in the sweat den down under (aka my basement). It had been awhile since I’ve done a “longish” workout on the elliptical, so I thought 5-ish miles would suffice. I got in a speedy 2.5mile walk over lunch (when it’sreally cold, it’s pretty easy to up the pace, LOL). After work, I was good for a lap around the block, then headed back inside. Brrr. All the area schools were closed, and I assume a lot of people opted to work from home due to the limited traffic on my commute (which was a nice perk of the crazy cold weather).

Another Long Ride Saturday…

Yeah, I wasn’t too enthused about getting outside in the running shoes, so it was back to the bike. Honestly, I don’t mind being on the bike, but I really am feeling a bit out-of-sorts with the minimal running in recent weeks. Nonetheless, I persevered through 20 miles, then stacked a couple of Peloton workouts for a well-rounded morning of indoor fitness. The temps had warmed up to 3F by mid-afternoon, so I took advantage of the “balmy” conditions in the sunshine and walked a couple of miles. 

…and what’s on-deck for Sunday?

Sunday’s morning weather conditions are looking similar to what we had Saturday. My running club is doing a preview run of the 10K course for next weekend’s Groundhog Grind. It’s a trail race, so there will be probably be some wind shelter, but also numerous hills and rough terrain. It’s probably in my best interest to stay home and hit the stairs. The day is looking sunny, though, so I will definitely get out for an afternoon walk (or possibly a run?).

So, it was an interesting week. Did you notice there was but only one mile of running? Yikes, it’s been a hot minute since my running has been so lack luster, but oh well. These extreme temps and weather conditions will not last forever, so things will even-out soon. Walking was decent, with 18 miles, though. Biking had a respectable 61 miles logged. There were four strength sessions this week, and all of them left me feeling a good burn, and that’s just the way I like it.  

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

Another Cold Week #literally

Friday Fashion Flair. Yowza, it was a cold day! The best solution is donning multiple layers, even in an office setting. For me, this involved a cozy base layer, and an even cozier (and toastier) Sherpa pullover. As mentioned, I spend most of my lunch hours walking through the Des Moines skywalk and it can get pretty chilly with all the windows. Thankfully, there isn’t any wind, snow or ice, LOL.

We had a huge turnout for the Corporate Winter Walk on Thursday! I joined the Wellness Committee a few months ago, and it’s been great being affiliated with a company that has a strong wellness program for its employees. 

Finally, take a gander at my Amaryllis bulbs! Under Deb’s advisement, I put these in the dark storage space under my basement stairs. They had been in hibernation for several months when I brought them back out into the daylight, earlier this month. These pics were taken just two weeks apart.   

Anyways, that’s a wrap! This week was pretty brutal with the temps and wind, and next week is looking  similar at the moment. It is winter in the Midwest, after all, so these frigid conditions are the norm…but that doesn’t mean I have to love them, LOL. I’m hoping, at least, for better running conditions so I can get back out on the streets. Thankfully, the snow has been pretty minimal. Now, if only the wind would play a little nicer… 

That’s my story: another week of cold temps and unwelcome wind, but plenty of indoor options to keep me active and (mostly) happy. How did your week play-out? Are you getting outside, or staying indoors? Have you had to adjust any of your training as a result of the weather? How soon do you have 2026 races happening?

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