Week 6 – Weather Whiplash in Full Effect

After dealing with frigid temps and an ice storm last week, this week we had a “heatwave” as the thermometer showed temps in the 50s! Of course this morning we woke up to snow falling once again. Honestly, Mother Nature just pick a lane, LOL.

My hip flexor got a little cranky this week, so I dialed back on the running, and even took a full rest day. Here’s a quick look at how things played out.

Week 6 – Weather Whiplash in Full Effect

Monday — Flash 15 full-body strength, Shadow Boxing, Core & Stretch
Tuesday — Peloton Ride, Core & Stretch
Wednesday — 3.1-mile run & Stretch. The weather was just picture perfect, and with a very full schedule of Zoom calls, this midday run was just what I needed!

Thursday – Rest day. I was surprised to wake up feeling sore all over – my right hip flexor was especially unhappy. So rest day it was.
Friday – 1.3-mile walk & Yoga. While I had planned to do my Thursday run, the flexor gave me pause.
Saturday — 4.1-mile run, Core & Stretch
Sunday — On the plan, Peloton Ride, Stretch…and shoveling!

While Saturday’s hilly route definitely challenged my flexor, all is quiet today. Hopefully, things will stay that way as I’d like to start adding in a 4th run day in the upcoming week. I’m also looking forward to diving into Marcia’s Let’s Run Toward Spring Challenge, which starts on Monday.

In case you missed it:

Five Races I Hope to Run in 2022

Tell me about your week. Is anyone else dealing with weather whiplash?

I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down. Join us!

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February Coffee Talk

Happy Friday! It’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday!

I’m so ready for the weekend and happy to kick things off with a little catch-up over coffee with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. Grab a mug of your favorite hot beverage and let’s chat a little.

Over coffee, I would have to mention the weather. Would you believe after last weekend’s blizzard that left over 2 feet in its wake, we’re getting another storm today?! This time it will be icy rain and sleet. Thankfully, school has been canceled so there’s no need to be out on the roads.

Source: Boston Herald

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m two weeks into the new job and really enjoying it. I’m definitely in that information-overload phase where you’re trying to learn “all the things” and the lingo, acronyms, etc., but it’s all good, and everyone I’ve met so far is super helpful.

And speaking of the new job, over coffee I’d tell you that I made a trip into the office last week for an in-person senior team meeting. I can’t even remember the last time I commuted to an office! It was kinda comical on just how out of practice I was trying to organize my things and make sure I was dressed professionally head-to-toe vs. just enough to pass the Zoom call test.

Over coffee, I would tell you how challenging it is to shop for a new car these days – thanks to supply chain issues, blah, blah, blah. I finally found the model I wanted at a nearby dealership and was planning to head over for a test drive, then the blizzard hit. I thought for sure this would bide me a little time, but would you believe snow and all the car sold 🙁 Back to hunting…

What would you tell me over coffee?

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WRD – 4th of July Edition

Heat and Humidity – that was the dominant theme of the week and then suddenly Mother Nature decided to flip the switch! We were under an extreme heat emergency at the start of the week and then finished the week in the rainy 60s. I’ve given up trying to figure out what the weather will serve up next. Nonetheless, the workouts happened…here’s a quick look at how things played out.

Weekly Run Down – Week 26

Monday — Kicked off the week with a lower-body strength day. I did a couple of Glutes & Legs Peloton classes, with a core class in between. So many variations on squats and lunges – thankfully my hip had no complaints!

Tuesday – 20 mins stretching otherwise a rest day. Didn’t sleep well, woke up with a headache  – toss in ridiculous heat and humidity (hello feels like 109!) and I waved the white flag on this day.

Wednesday – An early morning 5K through town to close out June. I still have no idea what my mileage was for June.

Thursday — 25 min Ride, 20 min Upper Body and 10 min Core.

Friday — 3.5 miles. The rain and cooler temps rolled in, but a short workday gave me the chance to wait out some of the heavier rain. Everything about this run felt so good and I was rewarded with negative splits!

Negative splits = Happy runner

Saturday — 20 min Core and 20 min Glutes & Legs. The day was a complete washout so I took advantage of it to deep clean the house – it was a workout after my workout!

Sunday — 5 miles. I was definitely feeling yesterday’s strength sesh when I headed out this morning so this run was slow and easy. I had the roads to myself and, best of all, the rain held off!

And, now as I sit here sipping my coffee, the sun has actually made an appearance! Looking forward to cooking out and enjoying the day with the family.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe 4th of July!

In case you missed it:

Fit Five Friday and July Coffee

I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down.

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Light at the End of the Ice Tunnel

While there was more snow and ice to contend with this week, a quick peek at the forecast ahead has me downright giddy!

I Spy 40’s!!

Ah yes…light at the end of the ice tunnel! OK, so before I get ahead of myself, here’s a quick recap of this week’s workouts.

Weekly Run Down Week 7

Monday — 2-miles, 10 min core, 15 min strength, and 10 min stretch. I had the day off for Presidents Day so it was nice to have the chance to sleep in a little. The weather was a mess of icy rain so it was another short treadmill run. I really enjoyed Jess’ Flash 15 workout – she knows how to make the most of a 15 min strength session!


Tuesday — 20 min ride, 20 min core, and 10 min stretch.
Wednesday — 10 min core, but otherwise a rest day. I woke up feeling really off and struggled to get moving so I took a pass on my run. A visit to my massage therapist after work was the perfect remedy.
Thursday — 3.5 miles, 10 min core, and stretch. Another gray day but 27 degrees felt balmy! Following Wednesday’s massage, my legs felt fresh and I really enjoyed the playlist from Matty’s BHM Motown run!

Friday — 2.5 miles, 15 min core, 20 min ride and there was shoveling…again. The snowstorm that was supposed to hit Thursday made an all-day appearance on Friday. I wasn’t motivated to be on the treadmill for long so I hopped on for the last of the Year of Yes runs for just a couple of miles. I wanted more cardio so I took the BHM Broadway Ride – this was my second ride with Ally, and again I found her to be too theatrical for my taste…for me, it detracted from the ride. On the plus side, I loved the soundtrack! This was also one of my favorite core classes of the enCore28 Challenge – I bookmarked it and definitely plan to take it again.

Saturday — 4 miles, 10 min core, and 15 min upper body strength. With the roads and sidewalks still a mess, it was another date with my treadmill. The back-to-back Peloton runs helped to keep the mill miles tolerable.

Sunday — As I draft this post I’m still undecided. After 3 straight days of running, I had planned to ride today, but the sun is out and the lure of another run is strong. The compromise may be a walk for some outdoor time. Day 21 of the enCore Challenge is also on tap, along with an extended stretch session or yoga.

Is the weather forecast improving where you are? 

In case you missed it:

Running Pet Peeves

Five Quick Tips to a Good Night’s Sleep
I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

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RtR Week 7 – Here Comes the Sun

Well, after wondering aloud last week if it was time to build an ark, Mother Nature took pity on us and finally dragged the sun out of it’s hiding place! Not having to dodge raindrops did make running more enjoyable!

Run to Remember Training Week 7

Monday – Rest.

Tuesday – 4 miles and the first glimpse of the glowing orb!

Wednesday – Strength work focusing on PT exercises and core work.

Thursday – 5 miles, plus a massage!

Friday – A short yoga session.

Saturday – 9 miles.

The highlight of this week was definitely the running. I logged 18 miles and best of all, in the sunshine! This was also the first week in a long time with early morning runs – this is one of my May goals so it was nice to start to make the shift.

On the whole, the runs felt pretty good, though to be honest the last of 2 miles of Saturday’s run included more walk breaks then I would have liked. I am clearly out of practice with my fueling for both pre-run and during for a longer distance and it showed in those final miles. I’ve got a double-digit run next weekend which will give me a chance to practice before race day.

On another note, I cannot let today go by without wishing my wonderful mom and all of my fellow mother runners a very Happy Mother’s Day!

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down link-up.

 

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RtR Training Week 6 – Time to build an ark?

The story of the past week around here was the weather – honestly, it rained or was overcast every day! It’s been more than a week since we’ve had a nice sunny day and I’m starting to think if this keeps up, building an ark would not be out of the question!

As far as training weeks go this one was pretty uneventful…

Monday – Rest

Tuesday – Strength training – upper body

Wednesday – Started May off with 3 miles

Thursday – Rest

Friday – Strength training – leg day

Saturday – 5 Miles

Despite all the rain, the trees are pretty!

Sunday – 4 miles – derailed by a bad stomach!

Sunday’s run was supposed to be 8 miles but for some crazy reason when my alarm went off this morning my stomach was churning big time. I kept pushing off the run hoping things would improve, but eventually, I knew I needed to get out if I was going to attempt the distance and get back in time before heading out to see Avengers Endgame with my family (The movie was excellent, by the way!). My husband J offered to pick me up if I needed so off I went. In the first half mile, it was pretty clear that I wasn’t going to make it to 8 so the goal was to just keep going until I couldn’t…and did I mention it was raining … again?! So as they say, some miles are better than no miles, and 4 miles was it.

We might actually see the sun on Tuesday otherwise it looks like another washout of a week. While I’ve been trying to avoid stormy conditions, I’m trying to stick with outdoor runs – one, I’m no fan of treadmill running, and two, you never know what race day will bring!

Tell me, are you seeing the sun where you are? Rain runner yay or nay?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

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Weekly Wrap – Dealing with Mother Nature’s Antics

The theme for this week was definitely dealing with Mother Nature’s Antics.

Here’s how the week went down….

Monday — After a serious workout hauling the snow and ice that arrived on Sunday, I was feeling every ache and pain – DOMS was in full effect. Since it was MLK Day, I had the day off from work, and with the bitter sub-zero temps and weather advisory, it was the perfect recipe for a rest day.

Tuesday — 4-mile run. The roads and sidewalks were coated in ice so it was time to hit the mill.

Wednesday — Strength workout.

Thursday — Mother Nature decided to warm things up but threw in relentless wind and driving rain. Thankfully, I had plans to meet Coach Marc at the gym for some treadmill work. Marc videotaped me again and said he was really pleased with the progress I was making and the improvement in my form. We worked on a variety of drills before calling it a day with 4 miles done.

Friday — Fridays are usually my rest day and I was really feeling the need to lay low. So I embraced my rest day and made sure to pay a visit to the acupuncturist.

Saturday — Another ridiculously frigid morning. The plan was for 6-miles, but the reality was 3.25. It was just one of those runs were nothing felt good and despite all the layers, I couldn’t seem to warm up. I was just cold and miserable so instead of beating my head against the wall, I cut the run short.

Sunday — It was 32 degree which felt downright balmy! Time to get those missed miles from Saturday – 3 miles done. I followed up my run with another round of acupuncture.

The alternative theme for this week could have been dealing with the shoveling hangover! I felt really tired and achy most of the week  – it was like I had a shoveling hangover from last Sunday and never shook it. I tried to be smart with the extra rest day and a couple of sessions with the acupuncturist. I still need to work on getting more sleep so heading to bed earlier will be a big focus this week.

And that’s a wrap!

I’m joining Wendy and Holly for the Weekly Wrap.

How was your week? Are you dealing with the polar vortex too?

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Trying to Embrace the Heat

Coming off of last weekend’s 10K, I felt like I needed to back off just a bit to give my cranky hip & hammy a break, and Mother Nature quickly obliged by sending the temps and humidity sky high. Nonetheless, I did get some decent workouts in!

Monday –  Kickboxing class
Tuesday –  Still feeling the effects of Monday’s class I took a pass on my morning run but enjoyed a great 4-mile walk with my friend E. I also got a much-needed massage!
Wednesday – 3 miles on a somewhat cool-ish morning


Thursday – Rest day
Friday – Yoga
Saturday – 5.5-mile slog-fest followed by 4 hours or so working on our new patio project
Sunday – More hours baking in the heat working on the patio – Yeah starting a landscaping project given the weather forecast may not have been our smartest move, but when I’m enjoying a cocktail on it one evening soon it will be worth it!

I have learned to master the front loader!

This week also wrapped up the strong Abs & Arms Challenge hosted by Rachel. I really liked the timed vs. set number of reps approach and definitely felt like my arms especially benefitted.

It looks like the heatwave we’re in will continue until at least Friday, so there doesn’t seem to be much choice except to get out as early in the morning as possible and embrace it. As I was slogging through my run on Saturday, I started playing this mental game of trying to list off things I was grateful for instead of listening to the whining in my head. As I made a list in my head the one I kept coming back to was “I’m grateful I can choose to do this.” Yes it was miserable out and yes I was moving ridiculously slow, but given the alternative of not being able to run at all, I’d take it every time. I’m going to try to hold on to that thought this week!

I’m joining Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap.

How are you holding up in this heat?

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Coffee and a Nor’easter

The winds are still gusting here following yesterday’s Nor’easter, and if my neighborhood is any example than I can only imagine that there are tree branches and other debris all over the roads. Happily, our power’s back on so I can fire up the Keurig and snuggle up on the couch with a mug of hot coffee and have a little catch-up. I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date, so grab a mug of your fave hot beverage and let’s chat.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I cannot believe that Thursday I was on Cape Cod for a meeting and it was a beautiful day in the mid-60s, then yesterday we got hit with a raging Nor’easter. The winds were so fierce at times that it literally sounded like a roar. You know it’s bad when I opened the door to the mudroom to let my dog out and he just sat there looking at me like I had to be joking.

And, while on the subject of the weather, if we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’m already stalking the forecast for my  “race”, aka training run with benefits, scheduled for next Saturday. I’ve been such a fair-weather runner this winter and I’m hoping that doesn’t come back to bite in the arse. So far the forecast shows a clear day in the 40s – fingers-crossed that will hold up.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that my son’s been hounding me to sign him up for driver’s ed, and meanwhile, I’m having a hard time processing that he’s inching ever closer to turning 16. A couple of the neighborhood kids recently got their licenses and every time one of them drives past me on our street it throws me for a loop because in my mind’s eye all I can see are the little kids who use to run around my backyard.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’ve been feeling super stretched lately. Things on all fronts seem to be running in high gear all at the same time and it has left me feeling drained. “Busy” has quickly become a four-letter word but I’m working on regaining some sense of balance.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that while I usually enjoy watching the Oscars I don’t think I’ve seen one movie that has been nominated this year. In fact, I haven’t paid attention at all to the awards season and have no idea who are supposed to be the favorites. I’m not sure if I’ll watch on Sunday, but I’ll probably tune in to catch the red carpet – which is often more entertaining than the Oscars themselves 😉

What would you tell me over coffee? Did you deal with the crazy weather yesterday? Will you be watching the Oscars?

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Weekly Wrap – Return of the Polar Vortex

A huge thank you to everyone who checked in with kind words last week – much appreciated.

I was grateful for my workouts last week – while not always pretty they were a good distraction!

Monday:   Another snow day for the kids and more shoveling for me
Tuesday:   3 mile run
Wednesday:   T25 Speed 1.0
Thursday:   3 mile run plus T25 Cardio
Friday:   T25 Lower Focus — holy squats and lunges Batman!
Saturday:  4.25 mile run
Sunday:   Opted for yoga over T25 Stretch

Polar-vortex-2016

Thanks to the return of the Polar Vortex, the temps around here have plummeted. With the windchill, it reached negative double digits this weekend, so aside from trips to the gym, I just enjoyed some much needed down time with the family. Saturday was all about video games, movies, reading – and of course I watched the Olympic Trials! While I was disappointed for Kara, I loved watching the teamwork of Shalane & Amy. And, watching Meb run always makes me smile! Valentine’s Day is always low-keyed here – we celebrated with our traditional sushi dinner, and of course a little chocolate! chocolates

It’s school vacation week here for my youngest son, so I’m definitely going to have to be flexible with when I get to workout this week. In fact, I’m going to take advantage of my husband being off from work today and head to the gym now….

How was your week? Are you dealing with the polar vortex?

rp_WeeklyWrap-1-300x300.jpgLinking up once again with Holly of HoHo Runs and Tricia of MissSippiPiddlin for the Weekly Wrap – be sure to stop by and say hi and check out the other weekly recaps.

 

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