Sunday, May 15, 2022

Time for a Break

This week, we went from below normal temperatures and rain to above normal in one day.  With my upcoming Ice Age Trail Race on Saturday, I watched the forecast like a hawk. As happy as I am to see it warm up, I do not like to run in the heat. As the week went on, I reduced my mileage so as not to tax myself too much before Saturday's half.


Weekly Rundown
Sunday: trail run 9.25 miles
Monday: pool running
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: trail run 4.5 miles
Thursday: strength training
Friday: run 3.5 miles
Saturday: Ice Age Trail Half Marathon

Running

The sun was out on Sunday morning!!! I could not wait to head to the trails for a run. It was beautiful and yes, it was muddy. I ran on both the main trail and the single tracks, noting the foliage filling in along the trails. I didn't see any deer, but I did spot an oriole! 



I woke up on Wednesday to 76 steamy degrees. I quickly dressed for my trail run and packed a bottle of Tailwind along with a bottle of water. I had hoped for 6 miles, but after the first mile, I knew that would be a stretch. There was still mud but not as much as last week. Lots of deer and birds were out--I even found the flamingo and a few unicorns, lol. I won't lie though--this warm run did not make me feel confident about my upcoming race. 


For Friday's run, I took my feet on a short little run around my neighborhood. It was warming up quickly, but since I had only planned on 3-4 miles, I pushed my pace a bit. 


On Saturday, I finally lined up for the Ice Age Trail Half Marathon. I'll share a full recap next Sunday, but briefly, this wasn't the race I hoped for. The unseasonable warmth had temps in the mid-70s when the race started. A good deal of the race was in full sun. I really struggled, but I wasn't alone. I had good company for the second half of the race and we kept each other going. I made my 'C' goal of finishing under 3 hours. Brutal. 


Now that I'm done with my spring races, I'm going to dial back my mileage a bit and give my legs a rest. I'm tired!

Strength Training

Sammy Jo and I continued the focus on upper body this week in order to save my legs for my final spring race. It was a hard, satisfying session. I did assisted strict pull-ups with 5 second descends. 3 sets of 4. We also worked on push jerks, something I have struggled with forever. Push jerks are similar to push presses with one subtle difference: pushing the bar overhead while bending the knees into a slight squat position, then pushing up to standing. I finally got it and she piled on the weight, having me do sets of 5. The last set was 70#. We finished up with some technique work on overhead squats and dare I say they finally don't feel awkward anymore?

Off the Road

After my race on Saturday, I drove from Whitewater to the lake house where my hubs and Cocoa were waiting for me. I might not like to run in the warm weather, but I sure do like it for boating. Cocoa especially enjoyed her boat ride! 



And yes...I went waterskiing. This is the earliest I've ever waterskied in Wisconsin! The water was warm and it felt great--the perfect end to a great day!

It's blurry because my hubs took photos while he was driving the boat, lol

How was your week? Did you warm up? Did anyone race this week? Do you struggle with running in the heat? 

I'm linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Rundown. 




38 comments :

  1. I'm sure being in a boat with a ball is pretty much nirvana for Cocoa! So fun! What are the odds of it warming up like it has? Sounds like you made the best of the weather mom nature threw at you for the race. That's a win at any pace.

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    1. A lot of DNFs at all 3 distances. I'm glad I was able to finish!

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  2. the return of the heat and humidity is not welcome over here either. Makes it very hard on race day! You never know what the weather will be so we have to train in everything. I am looking forward to reading your recap of your race. Every finish line is a win! How fun to be out on the water already

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    1. I was amazed at how warm the water was for this time of year. Definitely out of the norm!

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  3. Best Dog Photo Ever - Congrats With Your Overall Strength And Health - You Are A True Inspiration - Big Hugs

    Cheers

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  4. That photo of Cocoa!

    I'm sorry the half was such a bear. It's always so hard when it's suddenly hot. Hey, you have nowhere to go but up (most likely) because I'm imagining you'll be back. 3 hours sounds like a great time for a hot trail half to me!

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    1. I think I would have struggled at the temperature even if I was acclimated. I just hate running in the heat.

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  5. Congrats on your race. I would imagine it's hard when it warms up; but as a person who doesn't like the cold I walk father when it's nice weather and the wind isn't howling at me. My arthritis likes the warmer weather better too. Had to laugh when I read flamingo and then the picture....too funny. Can't imagine how cold the water still is in Wisconsin to be skiing. Burrrrrrrr. Enjoy a bit of a break, sounds like you more than deserve it.
    Sandy's Space

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    1. Surprisingly, the water was really warm! Felt like July and let me tell you, after that race, I wouldn't have cared if it was cold!

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  6. The first few runs in the heat are always tough until I remember the things that make it more bearable - more liquids and Hammer Electrolytes. We got up in the mid 90s yesterday and as people love to say, "But it's a dry heat." What they always leave out is single digit humidity is awful!

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    1. I think that the only good thing about the weather yesterday was the low humidity!

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  7. Yes, I'm sure a lot of people struggled in that race. You had zero chance to get acclimated to the heat! I guess on the plus side, it allowed you to waterski. I'm looking forward to the race recap! Hope you get a chance to relax this week.

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    1. I still can't believe I got to ski yesterday and it felt fabulous!!! We're heading south for a wedding at the end of the week--should be fun.

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  8. I love the look of glee on Cocoa's face. Sorry the weather didn't hold up for the race you were hoping for.

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    1. It was a beautiful day to be out on a boat--just not running a trail race!

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  9. The mid-70s?? Goodness! I struggled in the 60s in my first marathon, and that was after training in the warm over here but not expecting Iceland to be warm, so I can only imagine having that. Looking forward, does that mean you're nearly ready to doing a readalong of Running in the Midpack with me?

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    1. Yes!!! I have a few library holds to get through and then I am ready.

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    2. Fab, send me a Messenger message or something when you're ready to go!

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  10. Back on the water! I bet that felt very refreshing after the race! Our relay was tough on Saturday as well, especially throughout the mid-day hours, with the unusually hot/humid weather. Thankfully, all of our distance legs weren't much longer than five miles on that segment of the course.

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    1. We didn't have the humidity but it was 85 at the finish! Crazy hot--great for everything but running.

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  11. I saw your Ice Age Trail Half on Strava! Well done for persevering, Wendy.
    Running in the heat without much shade is brutal, especially after such a cool and rainy spring.

    From what I hear, Switzerland is a month ahead for the season. The snow that is still supposed to be on the mountains has melted. It's quite worrying.

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    1. A guy who ran with me yesterday was telling me about a race in Switzerland that is mostly on the road but finishes on a mountain trail? He couldn't remember the name of it but I'm sure you've run it! I hope you don't get hot weather like us.

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    2. That sounds very much like the Jungfrau-Marathon - 25k on the road and the last 17k very steep mountain trail. Can be gruelling if it gets hot!

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    3. That sounds exactly what he was talking about! Yikes!

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  12. I'm sorry the race didn't go as planned, but you did it! The heat can suck the soul out of race day, especially the first hot race of the season.

    Waterskiing looks amazing!

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    1. I couldn't stop smiling!!! It was the perfect reward for a hot day on the trails.

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  13. Sorry the weather didn't cooperate for your race - the quick jump to heat & humidity is never easy. Glad you got to do some waterskiing. Cocoa looks happy :)

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    1. Not much we can do about the weather, right? Grateful it worked out for some time on the water.

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  14. I'm so sorry that the race didn't go as planned :( It's always a bummer when Mother Nature decides to turn up the heat suddenly, especially after a harsh Winter.

    OMG that photo of Coca is just too cute! Thanks for sharing :)

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  15. Your legs deserve a break after how hard they've trained this past winter and spring! I can't wait to read your recap next week!

    How cool that you're already water skiing. You must have been in heaven!

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  16. Awww, Cocoa is so cute!! How warm is the water? It looks like you are waterskiing in just shorts? We just opened our pool but it hasn't been clean enough to swim in. I hear you on the racing in the heat. Ughh!! In addition to the runners struggling, I don't think any of the pacers at my marathon made their times either. That's tough!!

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  17. Too bad summer came when you didn't want it.

    It was Florida temps everywhere and I was in Florida.

    I ran a 5k there... I thought I would throw up!!

    Hooray for waterskiing!!!

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    1. I'm still recovering from my race--that was quite an experience!

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