'Tis the Season!

'Tis the season for:

- snow, which we've had twice already and it has melted both times,

- holiday prep, which I've been embarking on this weekend. I already have some shopping done, the tree is waiting for decorations, and I'm planning on baking today,

- holiday fun! I had two fun events planned for this weekend,

- holiday themed runs--I don't have any on the calendar this year...yet,

- sneezin'. I'm battling a cold virus and trying to power through it as much as I can. On Saturday, I had to bail on my planned 3rd strength sesh and plans to go to the holiday light show at the Botanic Gardens with my sister. 

 

  

Weekly Rundown

Sunday: Ice Age Trail Run 4.5 miles, 800 ft

Monday: CrossFit

Tuesday; Fluid Running

Wednesday: trail run 6.2 miles

Thursday: CrossFit

Friday: treadmill run 6 miles

Saturday: rest

November miles: 77

I woke up to snow on Sunday morning. We were at the lake, and I was excited to hit the IAT for some snowy miles. It was the last day of deer hunting season, so I was limited to where I could run--the marsh segment was closed for hunting. I dressed in blaze orange, just to be safe, and took my shoes to the Gibraltar segment, which was really the best option anyway. With the fresh snow, it was slow going and I did a lot more walking than I wanted. But the scenery was worth it! Since I'm not training for anything, I took my time and a lot of photos. This run made my heart so happy!

This is the final week of heavy lifting at CrossFit. While I'm not participating in the powerlifting meet in 2 weeks (I did this back in 2020), that is the goal for many of my fellow lifters. Today's lift was deadlifts, 3 sets of 2, at 86-92%. This put me at 185# and after warming up well, I hit all 3 sets. Next week is an offload week (like a taper for us runners). For the MetCon, we had a 9 minute AMRAP: 3 sets of Devil's Presses, 6 box jumps, and 9 GHD sit-ups. I did 5 full rounds and a partial 6th--I just didn't get in the sit-ups.

Heavy lifting is so glamorous! 

Wednesday's run was a little rough. I waited until it warmed up a bit to head out. As I expected, the trails had a lot of ice on them. Even the single tracks had a lot of ice, although most of it was broken into chunks. This made it hard to get my footing, so I had to take it slow. I'm fighting a cold, so I actually didn't mind. Even though it was pretty nice out, I had the trails mostly to myself. People don't know what they're missing!

SJ was out of town on Thursday, but it was good timing, considering that this week was the final build for the powerlifting cycle. Back squats were on tap, 3 sets of 2 at 86-92%. Heavy squats have always been my nemesis, messing with my head. The coach had us do a slow build, which went really well. But when I got to my goal weight, 150#, I struggled on the first lift and had to bail on the second. Was I disappointed? Of course. I have no doubt that this was mental since all the other lifts were fine. I'll re-attempt it in 2 weeks when we go for our 1 RM. We finished up with a Tabata workout: superman scissor kicks followed by switch lunges. My legs were trashed after this class!

My bail, pushing the bar off my back

With rain, wind, chilly temps, and dark skies, I took Friday's run to the TM. Since I moved my TM to my sons' former playroom, I'm not minding running on it so much anymore! There's something to be said for having a dedicated workout space. My goal for this run was to run 6 mile continuously without stopping. I set the speed to a leisurely 5.5 (I think it's about 10:30m/m). If I get into Chicago, my goal marathon pace will be about 10-10:30m/m, so it was nice to try it out. I need to work on this pace on pavement, which is always a challenge for me. My legs seem to dial into a faster pace. Any suggestions?

Tis the Season!

I kicked off the holiday season on Friday with a ride into the city after work to join my boys and their girlfriends for a Krampus parade! Do you know about Krampus? He's the anti-Santa that German parents use to keep their kids in line for Christmas. We are German and when I saw this event on Eater, I had to check it out. Thank goodness my boys are always down for an adventure. My hubs was not. We started at a German bar, Dmen, where the parade was to begin. We got some food there--a gyro-like wrap that was delicious and a holiday ale made by Revolution Brewing especially for the event called Fist of Krampus. It was really good! We followed the parade to the brewery, a few blocks away and enjoyed another beer while the band played New Orleans-style music. Krampus made his rounds, playfully hitting people with his broom. This was one of the more entertaining holiday events I've been to--everyone else agreed!

The cold virus that came out of nowhere on Friday escalated overnight. I spent Saturday on the couch with tissues, saline nose spray, Sudafed, and Cocoa. She's not feeling so well herself--her allergies have been out of control and she's licked her paws raw. I'm so glad I went out Friday night--at least the weekend wasn't a complete wash. I hope this is as bad as it gets and I will be on the mend quickly! Cocoa too.

How was your week? Are you getting ready for the holidays? Did you do a holiday-themed race? Any fun holiday events? Have you ever been to a Krampus parade?

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