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?

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