Savoring the Good

I will never complain about the gorgeous fall weather we've been having this year. Yes, we need rain. But I know what's coming--plenty of precipitation as we move into late fall toward winter. I'll take this. Especially when you consider what's happening in other parts of the country.

My heart goes out to everyone affected by both hurricanes Helena and Milton. If you've followed me on this blog over the years, you know that my family has spent a lot of time on the Gulf Coast of Florida, especially on Anna Maria Island. It just breaks my heart to see the level of destruction. I can't imagine facing the rebuilding process. 

Weekly Rundown

Sunday: Ice Age Trail run 8.4 miles/1500 ft

Monday: CrossFit with 2000m running

Tuesday: Fluid Running

Wednesday: CrossFit

Thursday: Ice Age Trail run 8.5 miles

Friday: Yoga with Adrienne

Saturday: run 6.5 miles

Mammoth Trail Challenge Miles: 25/44

We were still up in Wisconsin on Sunday and I wanted to get more miles for the Mammoth Challenge. After Saturday's trail run and impromptu waterski, I didn't know how my legs would feel. They felt surprisingly fresh! I ran one of my favorites, the Gibraltar Segment. It was a beautiful morning, but it was really windy, especially at the top of the bluff. I enjoyed all the fungi I spotted along the trail. I hoped for more signs of fall, but it was still mostly green! But what a beautiful run!

I looked at Monday's WOD before signing up for CrossFit. There was running in the MetCon! Having just run 21 miles over the past 3 days, my legs twitched in protest. But off I went! The strength portion was a 16 minute EMOM with 4 rounds each of 1 10m seated sled pull, 40 seconds goblet squats (25#), 8 strict pull-up progression (I used a lower bar closer to the ground), and toes-to-bar warm up, which was 4 different warmups on the bar, starting from easiest to toes-to-bar. I stopped at step 3, which was knees to chest. The Metcon was a 15 minute AMRAP of 12 TTB (I modified with 6 knees to chest), 10 hang power cleans (45#), and 400m run. I finished 4 rounds of this when time was called.

With plans to hit another segment of the IAT on Thursday, I went to CrossFit on Wednesday. I'm so glad I did because we worked on our 3 rep max for bench presses. My 1RM is 95#, so I used that to base my target of 85-91%. Working with 2 partners, we rotated through lifts, hitting 75#, but failing at 80#. I won't deny being disappointed. I think we built too slowly and did too many reps, leading to fatigue when the bar got heavy. SJ said 75# was 82% and a good effort. The MetCon was a 15 minute E3MOM of 8 cal bike sprints. My sprints were consistent: 27 sec, 26, 24, 26, 27. This was hard!

I hit the road before the sun came up, hoping to beat rush hour traffic in Milwaukee on my way to the Holy Hill Segment of the Ice Age Trail. I have never run this segment before! The main attraction was the historic basilica atop a glacial peak that borders this trail. The weather was just perfect. This segment is located in the Kettle Moraine National Forest and there were lots of ups and downs, which is characteristic of this region as well as some piney woods. 

My biggest frustration was trying to find the spur trail that would take me to the basilica. For some reason, it was not on the map. While most of my time was spent on trail, I did some running on the main road to try to find my way to the basilica. I mean, how hard could it be to find the thing? I finally stopped to ask a guy who was meditating in front of a statue of Mary. He directed me to a paved path where I could find statues of the stations of the cross. I ran along the path, stopping to admire the statues, before finding my way up to the basilica. 

It was definitely worth the struggle. I climbed 178 steps to the very top and was rewarded with panoramic views of the area. I also popped in to see the main church. A mass was taking place, so I left. It's a very beautiful place in a serene setting. I really enjoyed my morning on this segment of the IAT and would love to visit it again!

After dropping Cocoa off at the groomer on Saturday morning, I took my shoes to the bike path, accessing it at a point near the salon. Bordering a golf course, this is a much prettier section of the path than where I normally run. I started out with heavy legs and seriously considered bailing. I knew how bad that would make me feel, so I kept on chugging along, feeling better as I progressed. It was such a pretty day! I didn't see many other runners--probably resting up for Sunday's Chicago Marathon. One guy on a bike rode up behind me and said I 'made it looked easy', which was nice to hear, even if it wasn't true! I also saw some painted rocks with encouraging words. Every little thing helped me finish this run, nice and steady with a strong push to the finish!

Off the Road

My youngest sister has been here all week, working hard to get things sorted out with my parents. Her background as a social worker provided a different perspective; as the week progressed, she found a Geriatric Care Manager to work with my parents. Initially, I had mixed feelings about hiring someone to help with my parents, but it's become clear that they can no longer manage on their own. I knew that my mom's dementia had been progressing and that she does a really good job of covering it up, but with my sister staying at their house, it was much worse than we knew. Both Lisa and I live about 45 minutes away and with both of us working, it would be impossible to take on the job of managing their medical and financial needs along with everything else. In addition, there has been tension between the 3 of us, as we all have different ideas of what is best for my parents. I think this would likely increase as my mom's condition deteriorates. Having an objective qualified professional monitoring their conditions and needs will hopefully mitigate some of that. She is a very knowledgeable person as well and it's nice to have someone savvy with regards to resources for my parents. 

Life doesn't get any easier, does it? We're still waiting for the spine specialist to outline the next steps for my husband. He had his CT scan this week and I'm thinking surgery is imminent. Stay tuned...

I need running and nature more than ever! How was your week? Have you been enjoying fall? Have you ever heard of or used a Geriatric Care Manager for your parents?

As you read this, I'm volunteering at the Chicago Marathon this morning with my Trail Sisters! We're going to be at Aid Station 1, which is right on State Street outside of Macy's. It's going to be so much fun. Check my IG later for photos!

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