Admittedly, I often choose movement over rest, and this week was no exception. In fact, this week really had my fitness world in a bit of a tailspin.
I have zero regrets, but yowza, I’m feeling a bit fatigued…
Tuesday - ready to ride (Guthrie Center to Boone)!
Wednesday - more riding (from Boone to Marshalltown)
I discovered this bird’s next a month ago or so. Just last week, I noticed these two babies. Saturday afternoon, I noticed the birds were gone, but they left a huge mess of bird droppings for someone to clean up (most likely Yours Truly).
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 world of little sleep this week:
Sunday -active recovery (sort of)
Fresh off of a busy Saturday, I obediently started the day with a slight sleep-in. That was followed by a 2-mile walk in the (still hot and humid) mid-morning sunshine.
The evening got a little crazy, in the best way possible. My musical taste has morphed, in recent years, to more of the heavy metal / classic rock genre. We traveled to Clear Lake to see Tom Keifer (from the 80’s glam band Cinderella) at the Surf Ballroom. As many know, this is where Buddy Holly performed his last show before his plane crashed a few minutes after takeoff. The Surf Ballroom is full of musical memorabilia! This concert had us moving and grooving, accounting for over 12,000 steps showing on the Garmin by nights end. I even scored a guitar pic!
Oops! I “missed” a Monday…
Suffice it to say morning came early, LOL. Although I got out for an early morning walk, the usual Monday run just wasn’t in the cards this week. After work, I had to get my bike to the company rental truck, for RAGBRAI, then there was a “team” dinner to get to. When I left to drive home, it was like a typhoon outside… so there was no running happening. Besides, I needed to finish packing my gear in preparation for the next two days of RAGBRAI biking!
Morning came early on Tuesday as well. I had to be downtown to board the company-charter bus by 6:30. We arrived in Guthrie Center around 8:00, checked our gear and bikes, took a quick group pic, and we were off. Destination: Boone (approximately 60 miles). Overall, the day went well, but that 15mph north wind was pretty brutal! I arrived in Boone, found Scott, then we met up with Carol and Mark for the evening. There also may have been another concert happening, this time it was a favorite tribute band, Hairball! Garmin showed 12,556 steps by nights end…not bad for zero “intentional” walking steps, LOL.
…and another early morning (following another late night)! We didn’t hit the road until 8:30, though, because there were tents to take down & air mattresses to deflate (fun times!). The mid-60F temps felt chilly in comparison to the previous three weeks of extreme heat, especially on a bike, but it wasn’t too uncomfortable. This was Scott’s first-ever RAGBRAI ride, and he got to witness my first-ever flat tire at mile-15. I was able to keep pedaling without much difficulty (fortunately it was a “slow leak”) to the next pass-through town, Gilbert (three more miles). I found a bike repair vendor right away, and he had my tube changed-out within 30 minutes. No issues thereafter until the final 15 miles going into Marshalltown…hills, nonstop hills, and more hills! But we made it with no “walks of shame” and almost 70 miles showing on the Garmin. Believe it or not, we were tired!
A very thankful (and restful) Thursday
Finally, I enjoyed a not-so-late night and a slight sleep-in. I’d taken PTO for the morning, in anticipation of a fatigued body, and it was a wise choice. I got out for a sunrise walk and was able take my time in getting to the office. After work, Max took me for a short walk. I also walked a couple more miles after dinner, then crashed for the evening.
Friday - an easy-peasy, low-impact active recovery day
Still feeling a bit groggy, I got out for a short walk upon wake-up. I was a little short on time, but I was craving a strength session. I stacked a core workout with an upper-body workout and felt more like myself (did you happen to notice it had been an entire week since my last strength workout?). Also, my first lunchtime walk since Monday was on the agenda. All better!
Saturday - still recovering
My #GoodGirl goal was to respect the recovery following RAGBRAI (did you notice I stayed out of the running shoes all week?). That said, by Saturday, I thought a little bit of biking would be a sensible fitness fix. Besides, there was a 40K Weekend Biking badge up for grabs (Thank you, Garmin), so why not?
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| Success! (This popped up Friday evening) |
…and what’s on-deck for Sunday?
Since there has been zero running since last weekend’s Corporate Games 5K, I’m hopeful I can get in a few sunrise miles before heading to church. We’re currently under a heat advisory, but it is expected to become an “extreme heat warming” by noon on Sunday. It’s in my best interest to get any running miles done as early in the day as possible. Stay tuned!
So, this week was a bit out-of-the-ordinary for me with RAGBRAI happening (there’s a recap coming soon). The running came in with zero miles, and I’m totally fine with that. July has been a busy month with four races (all of which were very hot and humid), so this week “off” came at a good time. Walking was decent despite the busyness on the bike, and showed 16 miles. Biking, obviously, dominated…157 total miles were tallied on the Garmin. My strength training took a bit of a backseat as well with only a couple of short sessions. I’m fine with that as well.
In case you missed out, here’s what went down on the blog:
In other news:
Friday Fashion Flair.
With the warm outdoor temps, we have the polar-like temps indoors. Those such conditions are perfect for longish sleeves, and if there’s a funky print on said sleeves all the better. And, a little flash of silver accessorizing never hurt no one. That’s my story.
As mentioned, this was the week of RAGBRAI in Iowa. Now in its 53rd year, it’s a a big bike ride across the state, with a different route every year. RAGBRAI is an acronym for the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (sponsored by the Des Moines Register). This was my fifth time riding, but I only rode part of the week.
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Finally, Garmin threw a a few badges my way this week. Is it ironic three of the four were biking-related?
So, that’s what I’m sharing this week. Although it was a fun, action-packed week, I am eager to get back to my usual routine this next week, which will include a full moon run when the Buck Moon appears Wednesday evening. We did enjoy a few days reprieve from the recent extreme heat wave, but that all came to a close on Saturday afternoon.Alas, it IS July in Iowa, LOL.
How was your week? Any races happening, or any on the horizon? Has your weather been extremely hot, or did you get a slight break from it as well? Ever heard of RAGBRAI?
Congrats on getting two more days of RAGBRAI under your belt, and congrats to Scott on completing his first! Can't wait to read your recap AND hear all about it next time we chat!
ReplyDeleteI love your Friday outfit. That's a super cute top and it looks great paired with silver.
Have a great rest of your weekend, Kim!