Sunday, December 9, 2018

What a Difference the Sun Makes!

This week, I continued on my plan of recovery after my last half marathon. I still feel good with minimal symptoms of RA, but with another half marathon coming up in January, I'm looking to ramp up the miles once again. I have to play it smart and I'm going to try not to run 2 days in a row this time. Thankfully the cold weather didn't bother me much--symptoms of RA were really minimal.

Talking myself into heading out into the cold was a challenge. The gray skies were not inviting at all. Towards the end of the week, the sun came out.

We haven't seen much sun at all the last couple of weeks and wow! It sounds corny but what a difference the sun makes. People were kinder and overall everything felt...easier. With that, the week definitely ended on a high note!

photo credit to my husband

Running
There were 4 runs this week! Sometimes that happens. I ran a fast paced 4 miles on Monday. It was cold and gray. On Wednesday, I went out for 6 on the bike path. That cold west wind was blowing and it was really nice to turn around and have it at my back. My splits reflected that as well. I guess it's one way to get negative splits, right? 

The wind at my back.
On Saturday, I ran a holiday 5k, the Cocoa Classic. I'll recap it on Tuesday, but I will share that I ran 26:16, which was enough for 2d in my age group! The sun was shining, so I'm sure that had a lot to do with my ability to push the pace and not stop to walk.

CrossFit
I love deadlifts. I really do! Coach Sammy Jo pushed me hard this week. I lifted 155#, doing 4 reps x 4 sets. It was heavy. She thought I had more in me. I wasn't so sure. So we held off on upping the weights, instead doing more upper body work. I also had to pick up and carry an 80# wreck bag around. Tall and strong with the core engaged. 


Bootcamp was ridiculous. I'll just leave this here:



Yoga
Nothing new here--on Monday, I did a Detox Flow class. This was surprisingly hard. I need to do more vinyasa, apparently.  On Wednesday, I did Five Parks Yoga's Post Workout Class for Sore Tired Muscles.  There was a final yoga workout on Sunday, as I needed some recovery after my race the day before. Since I have been feeling the need for more vinyasa, FPY's Go With the Flow Class was just the thing. There were quite a few arm balances in this class and I skipped them all except Crow. One thing I love about Erin's classes is that she always has at least one new-to-me pose. Today, it was Twisted King Dancer.

Twisted King Dancer
You've got balance and twisting all in one handy dandy pose.
Whew!

Off the Road
You all know I like a celebratory beer after a race. On Saturday after my race, my husband and I decided to try a local microbrewery. Before we did that, we stopped for lunch at Firkin, a bar with an excellent beer selection and an eclectic menu. We were not disappointed. I had a Pipeworks Blood Orange Guppy IPA, which was excellent. It wasn't at all sour--there were just hints of citrus, which blended well with the bitterness of the hops. The beer went well with my Chimay Grilled Cheese with arugula and prosciutto. 

The holiday lights at Firkin were to die for! This picture just doesn't do it justice.
After that, we went to the taproom at Tighthead Brewing, a local craft brewery. The owner used to be a rugby player, hence the rugby name. My youngest wanted a rugby ball from the brewery for Christmas, so it was the perfect excuse for us to check it out! I had a beer flight so I could sample all the beers. We enjoyed our beers and the laid-back vibe and will definitely go back. On the way home, we stopped at another local taproom to sample some of their beers. They weren't nearly as good as the ones we had at Tighthead and so I'm not sharing them here. 

R--->L: Mellifluous IPA, Everybody Loves Hops IPA, Sweet Potato IPA, Chily Waters IPA.

It's been a good week! How about you? Are you enjoying the holiday preparations in spite of the cold? Do you run any holiday races? How do you celebrate a good race? Have you done Twisted King Dancer pose before?

~~~~~~~~Welcome to the Weekly Wrap~~~~~~~~
This is a great place to share your race and/or fitness recaps! Holly and I are excited to host the linkup. If you're new here, be sure to check out the rules above. Remember to link back to both of us and comment on our posts. Thanks again for supporting all your fellow running bloggers who link up here on the Weekly Wrap!







55 comments :

  1. Lovely yoga poses and superb 5k time - well done! I really don't like running two days in a row and that is why I will be adjusting my ultra training!

    No real Christmas preps here yet although I have bought and received my two secret santa gifts, just have to mail one off (the other is for a book group meal, so just needs wrapping). I need to stamp some brown paper to use to wrap things but I am TIRED.

    In fact thank you SO MUCH for posting your wrap post early today so I can turn the PC off now. Happy next week's running and intense boot camp terrifyingness!

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    1. I'm so glad you got to link up early (for you anyways!). Now take it easy for the night!

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  2. The twisted dancer pose looks challenging, I should give it a try (but will not be video-taping LOL). We finally had some sunshine this weekend, too. Gosh, it DOES work wonders for body and mind. Great job on your 5K!

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    1. Regular king dancer is hard enough, balancing, and trying to keep your hips level! The twisted dancer is a whole different animal.

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  3. It's Honolulu Marathon weekend here on Oahu! We hit up the expo on Friday (it's a 3 day event) and I got a pair of Aftershokz! I tried them out for 10 miles yesterday in pouring rain and loved them. I had tried on a pair in the store a while back and was unsure. I got the minis and they didn't bother me at all. The sun came out for the marathon today and I enjoyed hanging out with the Cycling Escort team. We've been up since 3:00 and now it feels like nap time.

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    1. How fun!!! Glad to hear you like the Aftershokz. It's nice to hear the outside world and listen to music.

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  4. What a fun week you had! Awesome job getting in those 4 runs and other workouts. Also congrats on your 5K this weekend - you totally killed it!

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    1. Ooops! There were only 3 runs. When I wrote this post, I was planning on running Sunday. That didn't happen...

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  5. The sun does make a huge difference to me as well. As long there is not a crazy wind I don't mind the cold. I feel so much better when yoga is in my life. I am trying to get in 2 per week

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    1. I've been doing a lot of recovery yoga, but I need more vinyasa. I've been struggling with pushups and upward dogs, which means I'm not doing them enough!

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  6. Congrats on the age group
    It's funny how the sun can be. We had a sunny day for yesterday's race and it was colder than last year's snow. But yes, sun makes outside way more welcoming.
    Agree re: not running in a row. I can do two, but trying not to do two after a hard/hills. Swear running is part art & science. Good luck with your training for January - when is your half? Mine is January 20

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    1. My half is January 10. I'm going to try not to run 2 days in a row--I want to keep my poor legs fresh! After than, I'm taking it easy until my next race in April.

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  7. Awesome 5k time! So jelly. We recently went to a tap room/pizza place that had the bitterness rating displayed on their beers. That certainly helped a lightweight like me make a decision. I haven't seen the sun in a few days. Sigh...

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    1. Yeah, the sun was gone for so long here that when it came out, everyone was like, what is that? Seriously!

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  8. Congrats on your AG placement! Obviously, I'm with you on the sun. And how tough it is to motivate out there when it's cloudy out there. Oy!

    Sounds like a great week!

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  9. Glad you had a good week! Congrats on the race and AG award. I really like trying different beers. Thats a great way to celebrate after a race!

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    1. It's amazing how many good beers there are now! Why would you drink anything commercial when you can drink these?

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  10. Congrats on the AG place! Nice going! That Twisted King Dancer looks intense. I will have to try that FPY class. I want to begin to work more yoga into my workouts. Your beer flight looks so pretty. Great colors.

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    1. I really like that there are more advanced classes available on YouTube. I so enjoy them!

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  11. Congrats! There was a holiday race series yesterday, and I decided not to sign up after the weather we got the weekend before Thanksgiving. I didn't want to jinx it and get bad weather to DNS again.

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    1. Sometimes you just have to throw caution to the wind and go for it!

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  12. Can't wait to hear more about your race. Hooray for a good week. The sun and a little milder temps make all the difference. We went to Firkin the summer before last and it was disappointing. Good to hear they got their act together!

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  13. That's an intense boot camp! I love a good workout after its done, but sometimes I think boot camp coaches take pleasure in trying to kill us haha.

    Weather does make a huge difference when running. I do much better in sunny and cold temps compared to humid and hot temps.

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    1. It was a really hard boot camp! But there's definitely a certain satisfaction in getting it done.

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  14. I agree so much - the sun changes my mood significantly. I always get beer flights too - I find that I struggle to drink on big glass of a beer and instead just want tastes.

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    1. It's fun trying all the different beers. The flight is the way to go!

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  15. Sounds like you had a great week all the way around. Congrats on the 5K finish time and AG award. That beer looks yummy.

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  16. This week we didn't have any rain and the sun came out for most of it. It makes a HUGE difference! And on my run today, every time our faces faced the sun, I felt my lashicles melting away. It's the little things, right?

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    1. It really is the little things! I'm heading out in a bit for my run and the sun is shining again!

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  17. So true about the sun...that's one of the many reasons that winter is so tough! I might need to buy one of those happy lights. There was sun today in Minneapolis and it was in the upper 30's. Everything just seemed so much better :)

    Great job on your 5k!

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    1. I find that if I get outside for activity, even on the gray days, I can manage that seasonal blah feeing much better.

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  18. Your boot camp sounds incredibly tough! You're one tough cookie!

    I'd not even heard of the twisted king dancer pose before you mentioned it. I don't like beer so that's not an attraction for me after a race. In fact, if I truly race it and leave it all on the course, I don't really want anything other than water for several hours after a race.

    Thanks for the linkup!

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    1. That boot camp was ridiculously hard. There was a guy looking pretty pale--I was hoping not to have to do CPR!

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  19. WOW another great race for you -congrats! And all your workouts are always so inspiring. Your yoga is amazing. And boot camp, ouch! I do like beer after races, especially if it's a good IPA or stout.

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  20. I couldn't agree more about the SUN! We finally had some over the weekend and it makes a big difference!! And I seriously want to do a beer tour with you if and when I ever make it to Chicago. That first one (and that first place with all the lights!) looks fantastic. Congrats on a great week...

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    1. That bar was amazing! Come visit me and I'll take you there and anywhere else you want to go!

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  21. Congrats on the AG in your 5K! The sun does make such a difference - honestly, after living in Seattle, I will take all the snow and cold if it means some sunshine in the winter months! There was one winter in Seattle we only had three days of sun from October to April and that was so depressing - I felt it in my mood and in my training. I do love a good IPA!

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    1. I read once somewhere that Seattle has the highest rate of depression in the country. I crossed Seattle off my list of places to live...

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  22. That boot camp class looks intense! All your yoga always reminds me I need to get more in. I've been better at adding in 10-15 minutes here and there, but I should get back to a full class. It feels so good!

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    1. Yoga does feel good--until you overdo it like I did with that Sunday class! Ouch!

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  23. You are my cross fit hero! You have inspired me to try it out even though it sometimes scares me! I LOVE it!

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    1. I am so glad to hear you love CF! I try to stay away from some of the crazier stuff, but overall, it's been a great experience!

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  24. Great job on the 5k! (And you think you're going to stop running...Ha)
    Do you use a video for yoga? I need to start doing yoga again, my low back and hips have been so tight.
    I wish I could get a taste for beer but yuck! I do love the sun though! Hope you get more of it!

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    1. I do Five Parks Yoga on YouTube. She's got a ton of videos and they're really good.

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  25. You probably won't believe it but it's been cold here. And the sun does make a world of difference.

    I'm not a beer lover - I always get a headache from anything richer than a Bud Light. It's a shame because we have so many great craft breweries here and one of my friends is actually a brewer. Boo.

    I am loving the holiday season so far. This is right up my alley with decorating, giving, baking and all the other -ings. We have a big surprise coming up this year, too and I can't wait!

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    1. Isn't it funny--Bud Light and all those commercial beers give me headaches! LOL! I can't drink a lot, so it's nice to really splurge on my beers.

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  26. Sounds like a great week! That bootcamp workout looks crazy hard! And, congrats again in your AG - looking forward to your recap.

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  27. Congrats on the 5K! Um, I can barely get my opposite hand and foot together from low lunge...I don't think the twisted dancer is happening any time soon!

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  28. What a fun week and congrats on your race :) I've been trying to listen to my body after a marathon in October that went really well, but left me needing to back off more than I did initially (I'd REALLY missed my running buddy and underestimated the challenge of an "easy run" pace wise, but not distance wise for less than 2 weeks after the marathon at 7 miles- lesson learned!). Finally got up to 25 miles last week feeling pretty good. Ran in a small 5K less than a mile from my house that ended with a first place female finish so that was fun :) This week, it's all about cheering on my December fitness challenge participants! If anyone wants to join the info is in the link up. I even have 25 sparkly pieces of hardware for those who complete the challenge ;)

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