Summer's End

Disclaimer: As a member of the Brooks Running Collective, I receive complimentary gear and shoes in exchange for social media sharing.

I was out of town last weekend and didn't post a recap, so this week, you get 2 recaps in one post. I apologize for the length. I really tried to limit myself. There is just so much to share! With summer coming to an end, I tried to pack as much in as I could. 

Weekly Rundown:

Sunday: Ice Age Trail Run 7.6 miles/1000 feet

Monday: CrossFit

Tuesday: Fluid Running

Wednesday: run 8.25 miles

Thursday: travel to Alabama, waterskiing

Friday: waterskiing

Saturday: waterskiing

Sunday: waterskiing

Monday: CrossFit

Tuesday: Fluid Running

Wednesday: Run 7 miles

Thursday: Posterior Chain workout

Friday: treadmill run 5 miles

Saturday: waterskiing, SUP

August miles: 76

We were still up at the lake on Sunday. Since it was cloudy and cool in the morning, I laced up my shoes and headed to the Lodi Marsh segment of the IAT for a run. It had been a while since I'd run there because this time of year the biting flies like to hang out. I figured with the cooler temps they'd leave me alone and I was right! The foliage was thick and tall and running on the trail felt like running through a tunnel in some part. It was very humid and the seeds from the plants were sticking to my skin. As always, there was lots to see--some cool mushrooms and plants. I snuck down to the marsh and wasn't disappointed-- it was as beautiful as always. A fallen tree kept me from going the entire distance. Overall, this was a really nice run! The weather didn't allow for waterskiing that morning, so we headed home. 

Ghost Pipe 

Monday's CrossFit was a shoulder-focused WOD. The strength portion had 15 minutes on the clock with 4-8 ring dips (I did mine with a band), 30 seconds handstand hold, and a 30 seconds leg throws with a partner. I did 3 rounds of this. The MetCon was 4 rounds of 250m row, 16 single arm dumbbell snatches, and 16 single arm overhead lunges. I used a 15# dumbbell--probably could have gone heavier but i was worried about those lunges. I finished in 10:36!

It was back to the outdoor pool on Tuesday morning. There was a full moon over the pool, but it was a cool morning and yes, the water was cold! I did a brand new Fluid Running workout, which kept me moving, but I'm not sure I ever warmed up!

With my trip to Alabama coming up, I wanted to get some pavement miles on Wednesday with a goal of 9 miles. I knew we weren't going to be running there! It was 58 degrees when I headed to the bike path. I was wearing new gear and shoes, the Ghost Max 2, courtesy of Brooks. I struggled quite a bit with this run, stopping frequently to take photos and get water. On the way back home, my hamstrings and calves were really hurting. I finally stopped at 8.25 miles and walked the rest of the way home. 

I left Thursday morning for Alabama and my weekend with Holly. I was feeling pretty beat up from my run on Wednesday. Thankfully, the soreness didn't affect my waterskiing! Holly bought a new ski boat and we spent a lot of time on the water. I didn't bring my ski and Holly generously let me use one of hers. Between that and the new boat, I mastered a skill I never thought possible for me: turning back into the wake. Oh my goodness, it was SO much fun and I couldn't get enough! I have quite a few photos, but I don't want to bore you, so I'm only sharing two. 

I woke up Monday morning pretty sore and definitely not feeling like running. The WOD had some running it and it looked like a good fit for me, so off I went. The strength portion was a 10 minute E2MOM with 8 front squats (I build to 65#) and xx chest-to-bar pull-ups. I don't have those, so I did chest-to-bar pull-ups from the barbell in the rack with one foot on the floor. The MetCon was an 8 minute AMRAP of 6 plate hop burpees, 8 plate ground-to-overhead, and 100m run. I did 4 full rounds and finished right before the last run when time was called.

Early Tuesday morning, I went to the outdoor pool for the final time of the summer to do my pool running. It was a steamy morning and the water felt good. We had some storms overnight and on Wednesday, I headed out early for my run. While it was still very humid, the air felt relatively cool at 72 degrees. It really is all about perspective. For the first 5 miles of this run the run felt easy, but by mile 6, the sun peeked out from the clouds and the temperature started to rise, forcing me to stop to walk a few times. Again, I was running in new shoes, this time the Hyperion Max 2, courtesy of Brooks, and this run overall felt great! 

I woke up later than normal on Thursday and still felt tired. After looking at the WOD, I decided to work out at home, doing a posterior chain workout from Feisty Menopause's Carla DiGirolamo. She's a CrossFit instructor and a women's health expert who has an excellent blog called Athletic Aging. This spicy little HIIT workout targeted the core, glutes, and hamstrings. After doing the prescribed warmup, which felt like a workout itself, I did 21-17-12-9-6 jump squats, v-ups, and KB swings (25#) followed by a Tabata of 8 total hollow holds and supermans. Whew!

My usual Friday morning run on the bike path took place on the treadmill after thunderstorms rolled through. Still not feeling well, I took it slow and called it at 5 miles. I did a lot of soul-searching on this run and have decided to pull out of my half marathon in November. I think I am done with long distance road racing. I don't feel bad about it, which makes me think that this is the right decision. 

On Saturday, we drove up to the lake and by 9, I was behind the boat. The air was cool but there was no wind. I skied under a beautiful blue sky. It's nice to go early when there's very little boat traffic. While skiing behind my hub's fishing boat is quite a bit different than behind Holly's MasterCraft, it was just as enjoyable!

Off the Road/Out of the Water

Holly and I didn't just waterski--she and I visited the cute, historic town of Wetumpka near her home and wandered around the gift shops. We also drove to Jackson Lake Island, which still has some buildings from the movie Big Fish, shot there and in the town back in 2003. While the little movie village was very cute, I was completely enamored with the large goat population living on the island. They were mostly friendly and curious--or maybe hungry. I couldn't get enough of them!

We also spent some non-waterskiing time in the boat, going to the marina for gas and eating lunch there. The sunset cruise is always my favorite, reminding me that indeed, life is better on the water.

The week ended with my sister and her husband spending time with us at the lake house. We went boating, and paddleboarding, and ended the day with a fire in our fire pit. It was so much fun to have them up there!

How have you been? Are you trying to squeeze as much in as you can before summer comes to a close? Do you have any plans for the holiday weekend? 

The party isn't over yet...I've got some big plans for September! Coming up next weekend is Brooks Hype Fest. It's being held in Chicago and you know I'm excited about that. Check out my IG for more! 

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