Saturday, September 5, 2026

The HEAT is still ON!



Oof, the heat is back on!

Mind you, it didn’t disappear for very long, but it certainly returned with a vengeance. We were flirting with triple digits most of the week, along with extreme humidity. As I’ve said before, at least it wasn’t snowing. 

Before I get to the nitty gritty deets from the heat-infested 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 this week, amidst the sweltering heat-infested conditions:

Long Ride Sunday!
After Saturday’s ride was deemed a rainout, we were able to treat Sunday as a rain check. I got out for a short walk before church, then it was off to the Raccoon River Valley Trail! We met-up with Mike and Amy, and spent almost 30 miles on the trail. It was warm and humid, but the cloud cover kept things quite comfortable. Oops, this was (perhaps?) my first-ever group photo fail. There also was a short upper-body workout that evening (no pic from that /either).


Never miss a Monday
With the afternoon forecast looking especially hot and steamy, the early hours were far more optimal for running. The work day was crazy, only allowing time for a quick 1-mile walk during my lunch break. My car was showing 95F on the way home, so after Max’s (shortened) walk, we were in for the evening. 


Low-Impact Tuesday
Honestly, is there anything more breathtaking than a beautiful sunrise? Tuesday’s was a major display of color! After a morning walk, I hit the mat for some core work, via Pilates (Peloton). 


There was a 2-mile lunch walk and a post-workday walk with Max. Then, it was back to the Chichaqua Valley Trail for 10 easy-peasy miles on the bike.


Wednesday - more early morning miles
As per usual, several of us early-risers hit the streets at 4:45AM. The mid-70F temps were steamy, but we did have an ever-so-slight breeze out of the north. We kept a pretty steady pace for the 3-mile route, and I stuck around for two bonus miles. I also logged a couple of lunchtime walking miles. 


Thankful Thursday
It was business as usual for Deb and myself come Thursday morning. I managed four miles of walking while we played our weekly game of Catch-Up in the wee hours (she had a much prettier sunrise). 


After we parted (virtual) ways, I hit the basement for 20 minutes of intense upper-body strength work. Amazingly, I had zero DOMS the next day, but everything was burning and throbbing when I finished..

 
Early Morning Friday Fitness
With immediate weekend plans beginning right after work, the early hours were the only time for getting in any fitness. I opted for a 3-mile run, and was happy to finish with negative splits. I also walked a couple miles over the lunch hour. 


Saturday - Game Day!
It was Game Day in Iowa City, as the Iowa Hawkeyes hosted Northern Illinois. It was one of the hottest days in football history, with temps in the upper 90’s, and the heat index was well into the triple digits. My Garmin showed over 8,600 steps for the day, which I would estimate to be around 3-3.5 miles of walking (and stair climbing in Kinnick Stadium). The Hawks came away victorious, with a final score of 40-0.
 
Is it obvious it was the annual Gold-Out day?

…and what’s on-tap for Sunday?
I’ll be toeing the start line for the NewBo 10K in the morning. I’ve run the half marathon twice, in years past, but this will be my first time running the shorter route. 


All-in-all, it was a hot week, but a pretty active one. Running saw 10 miles (with another 10-ish miles added with Sunday’s race). Walking had 20 miles. Biking came in with 39 miles.  

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

In other news:

Friday Fashion Flair. As mentioned, there was football happening on Saturday. We had a Team Spirit Day at work, so I repped my Hawkeyes. Although this I top is more casual than dressy, it has a little more style than a simple t-shirt. 


The heat has been pretty intense! It’s been wreaking havoc on my naturally bone-straight hair, LOL. I haven’t bothered with much product (other than shampoo and conditioner) because the heavy humidity just refuses to place nice. First World Probs, right?



Finally, Friday’s Wordle was simply rude. Nuff said.
So that’s the latest! We’re surviving the heat, and are grateful for air conditioning! This next week is looking warm, as well, but not quite as extreme. I’m content, though, because we all know how much I detest cold weather.

How was your week? Has the heat (and humidity) continued to be a factor in your fitness endeavors? Any races? Did you have any football games getting your attention this weekend?

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1 comment:

  1. Oh, that Wordle! I'm glad my dad gave me a tip: "to bet". That helped!
    Despite the heat, you still managed to squeeze a lot of activity into the week! Enjoy the NewBo 10k today!

    ReplyDelete