A Very Wet Week

What a strange summer we're having! We've had a lot of sizzling record-breaking heat and a lot of rain. The humidity has been off the charts. This summer has been kind of a bust so far--I hope things shift to something more outdoors-friendly! Fortunately this week, I was able to get all my runs done outside. 

Time on the lake? We're home this weekend. After last weekend's flooding rains in Wisconsin, piers are underwater, boats have become unmoored, and as of this writing, the lake is still a no-wake zone. I'm starting to wonder if there's going to be any waterskiing this summer!

Weekly Rundown

Sunday: Ice Age Trail Run 2.75m/600ft

Monday: CrossFit; Fleet Feet Pride Run 3 miles

Tuesday: rest

Wednesday: trail run 8.5 miles

Thursday: CrossFit

Friday: run 6 miles

Saturday: Strength/Yoga

After a very stormy night that brought multiple tornadoes to the area and 3+ inches of rain, I got up early with hopes to run the marsh segment of the IAT. After coffee and a bowl of oatmeal, I drove towards the trail, only to detour when I saw a sign directing me to the strawberry patch. Yep, it was the last day to pick strawberries and I was greedy and wanted more. On my way to the farm, I passed the Fern Glen segment of the IAT and spontaneously decided to run there after I finished strawberry picking. The strawberries were soft from all the rain and it took me quite a while to pick the 4 pounds I ended up with. 

The Fern Glen segment is a short little trail, so I don't run there often. I was worried that after all the rain we had the night before the trails would be a mess. As soon as I entered the woods, I saw the washout where the water from the rain came through. There was a downed tree that I had to pass under. Once I got through there, the trail was fine. I had forgotten how much climbing I'd have to do on this short trail. I reached the other trailhead and immediately slipped into some deep, thick mud. Ugh. Once I got myself back up, I headed back the way I came. I was happy to see my car!

I always check the WOD before I go to CrossFit and on Monday, I almost didn't go. The strength portion was a snatch complex. The coach took us through an extensive and very comprehensive warm-up, so I felt good going into this one. I started out with the light bar (15#) and built 5# with each round, finishing at 45#. I couldn't do the overhead squats at that weight--my arms were just too tired--but the coach complimented me on my form with the snatches I did! The MetCon was a 21-15-9 with 2 minutes rest then 9-15-21 of bike calories and burpees. We had 20 minutes to do it and I almost made it, finishing with all the bike calories and 2 of the final 21 burpees. This was a tough workout!

Later on Monday evening, I was excited to head into the city for Fleet Feet's Pride Run! But first, I met my sons and their girlfriends for an early dinner and a beer at Forbidden Root in Ravenswood, on the north side of Chicago. It's always a treat to spend time with them! I left them to drive down to Lakeview for the main event. Brooks sponsors this event and 4 of my Chicago teammates were there! We ran a 3 mile out-and-back to the lakefront. It was a warm evening and we were a sweaty mess by the time we got back to the store. There was water, sweet treats, and salads for all. What a fun event!

It was super humid and overcast when I hit the trails on Wednesday. I made a poor wardrobe choice for this run, wearing a pair of brightly colored shorts. The muddy trails took a toll on them. Yes, there was a lot of mud and the creeks were high. I slipped on the mud multiple times but mostly stayed upright except on one creek crossing when I slipped off the log and fell in, catching myself with my hands on the bank. What a mess! On the plus side, I saw a few deer including a fawn running through the woods. There were some very cool mushrooms too. I earned my shower on this run for sure!

On Thursday at CrossFit, the MetCon was a 12 minute workout of 1 lap banded side steps, 5/5 around the worlds holding a kettlebell (25#), and 10 banded face pulls. I completed 4 rounds of this. The MetCon was a 15 minute EMOM of box overs, pushups, goblet lunges (25#), bike cals, and rest. This was a spicy one!

I woke up to light rain on Friday, which felt refreshing as I headed out on my run. The humidity was off the charts, but the rain and a gentle breeze out of the east kept me cool. The only issue I had on this run happened during the last mile when I struggled to catch my breath and my heart rate shot up. Since this seemingly came out of nowhere, I wonder if there was something in the air to cause this?

On Saturday, I took a walk around the neighborhood and then came home to do a new-to-me strength workout on YouTube. I'm always looking for posterior chain workouts and this one by Kaleigh Cohen was just what I wanted! I finished up with a yoga for flexibility class with Adriene.

How was your week? Have you been getting a lot of rain? Do you like running in the rain? Did you attend any Pride events?

It's hard to believe that June is coming to an end! On Tuesday, I'll have my monthly mini-book reviews. 

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