A Great Week on My Feet

Disclaimer: As a Brooks Run Happy Team member, I receive complimentary gear. 

But...the RA flare that I mentioned in last week's rundown continued into this week. While I didn't let it stop me from doing anything, I was in a fair amount of pain at rest. You know...motion is lotion... and all that. While ibuprofen has been taking the edge off, I finally broke down and called my rheumatologist on Friday for a prescription for steroids. 

It's been a long time since I've had to take steroids and as of today, I haven't started them yet. As you read this, I'm on a 'field trip' with my Trail Sisters in Whitewater, Wisconsin on the IAT. Canceled due to rain. I'll see how I feel and if I'm still hurting, I'll start taking them. 

Stubborn? Yes. But I haven't had to curb my activities yet, so fingers crossed (and yes I can do that too) that this thing just burns itself out.

In spite of the flare, I had a great week on my feet! Read on...

Weekly Rundown

Sunday: Trail run 9.75 miles, 1300 feet ascent

Monday: CrossFit

Tuesday: Fluid Running

Wednesday: Trail run 6.25 miles

Thursday: Chicago fun run 4 miles

Friday: rest/yoga

Saturday: Iron Strength with Caroline Girvan

On Sunday morning, still up at the lake, I woke up early and drove to the Robertson Trailhead which is between the 2 Lodi marsh segments of the IAT. I forgot to pack my handheld, so I needed to stop at my car to rehydrate between segments. I was surprised to see 5 other cars there when I arrived! Usually, when I get there, I'm the only one there. It was a beautiful morning and I started off hiking uphill and was passed by a woman running. I was impressed! Only when I reached the top of the hill, was I able to start running. As I always do on this trail, I ran the downhills and walked the uphills. I was thrilled to be chased by Monarch butterflies and then to see them in the meadows, feeding eagerly on the wildflowers. This was a nice run and as always, I was so grateful to have access to this beautiful trail! You can click HERE to see more photos on IG. 

Sporting some new gear from Brooks' recent gear drop, on Monday, I was as ready as I could be for the WOD. It was 'Cindy' bookending heavy deadlifts. Cindy is 5 rounds of: 5 pull ups (I did banded), 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats. After completing this, we had 5 minutes to build to a heavy deadlift. I stopped at 185#. Then it was 5 more rounds of Cindy. Time was called at 20 minutes but I had just finished my 4th round of pull-ups. I was already feeling it that afternoon! But I was really happy with that deadlift. We haven't done much heavy lifting this summer and my 1 RM is 205, so I think there is the possibility of another PR once I start my powerlifting cycle. Stay tuned!

I love the color of these Brooks Chaser shorts, which are my favorite style that Brooks offers. These have a comfy waistband and a hidden pocket big enough to hold my iPhone 14. You can't see the Dare Racerback bra under my top, but it is the same color as the shorts. This is my favorite Brooks bra. The Sprint Free tank is light and comfy.

I was excited to try out more of my new Brooks Gear on Wednesday's trail run, especially since the gear was specifically designed for the trails. I also pulled out my new pair of trail shoes because they matched the outfit. I'm sure all the deer I saw that morning were super impressed! It was a pleasantly cool 57F when I started out and my legs felt light--something I haven't felt in a long time! I enjoyed seeing the deer, of course, but also the changes in the foliage. Fall is in the air!

The High Point Collection from Brooks.
The top is merino wool. The shorts are all technical fabric with 5 pockets. The Cascadia 16 GTXs matched perfectly and performed well. They were much lighter than my previous pairs and responded well to the trail. 

On Thursday, my friend and RHT teammate met me at my house to drive to Chicago. We had plans to meet our other teammate Frank for a Hawaiian-themed run in the city. While she hasn't announced it formally, Kristin is moving back to Hawaii and we wanted to give her a mini-going away party. Our first stop was in Millenium Park for photos. The iconic 'Bean' is undergoing repairs, but we were still able to see it. We took a ton of photos and you can see more on my IG HERE.

Then it was off to the Lakefront Path for a couple of miles to our next destination. Frank had spotted a Kona brewing sign between Oak Street and North Avenue beaches, which he thought would be a perfect spot for photos. 

From there we made our way to the Riverwalk for lunch and beers at the Island Party Hut, a tiki-themed spot. We snagged a table along the river and watched all the tour boats go by. The weather could not have been better, the Chicago lakefront never disappoints, and the company was perfect. What a fun day!!!

Since I missed Thursday's strength session, I had planned to do the WOD on Saturday at CrossFit. That is until I saw what it was. Lots and lots of pull-ups and work on the bar. I didn't think that would serve my achy body well, so I decided to check out Caroline Girvan's Iron Strength workouts--both Jenny and Jessie like them. I started with IRON series 30 minute Glute Workout, which was spicy! I made some modifications because of equipment issues, but I felt this one! I also did IRON series 30 min Upper Body Workout, which focused on shoulders, upper back, and chest. I liked both of these workouts and was impressed with the challenges. I am going to try to do an upper and lower body circuit of her classes once/weekly to supplement what I am doing in the gym.

How was your week? Are you racing this weekend? What was your favorite workout of your week? I think you know what mine was...that day in Chicago with my RHT teammates was really special and so much fun! 

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