Saturday, February 22, 2025

This is the Way

This was the week that winter almost broke me. The theme of bitter cold and wind continued. This is the kind of cold that penetrates, even through clothing. A few weeks ago, I layered up but was apparently underdressed, for my run on the Ice Age Trail in the bitter, windy, cold and it almost made me cry, it hurt so much. We had that kind of cold again this week and I had to dig deep to get myself back outside. I knew I could have defaulted to the treadmill, but decided to take my chances because I really needed some fresh air and nature. 

I say winter almost broke me because it didn't. There were a lot of positives despite the cold. It was sunny every day and that helped to lift my spirits. Making sure to dress appropriately, I got outside for all my runs and was pleasantly surprised by how much stronger I felt when I ran. The auxiliary strength workouts at the gym seem to be paying off! That's why mixing things up or, as they say at the gym, periodizing your training is important. Keeping the body guessing: this is the way!

Even better: we're starting to warm up! 

Weekly Rundown
Sunday: run 5.75 miles
Monday: CrossFit/strength
Tuesday: Fluid running
Wednesday: Trail run 6 miles
Thursday: CrossFit/strength
Friday: run 6 miles
Saturday: rest/up at the lake


After a snowy Saturday, I woke up Sunday morning to a fresh dusting of more snow. Not a lot, but enough to make me decide to run the roads of my neighborhood. I know, ugh, but a runner's gotta do... I chose the Glycerin Max and they performed well in the snowy conditions. It was 27F when I started my run, but the wind picked up and it got pretty blustery towards the end. I was happy to be done!


Week 3/4 of the second set of strength workouts was a repeat of last Monday. The goal was again to build from last week. We had the same movements from the past 2 Mondays to do in 3 sets in 40 seconds or less:
Set 1: pick a weight in which we'd hit failure in 8-12 reps 
Set 2: drop the weight and complete 8-12 reps to failure 
Set 3: drop the weight and complete 8-12 reps to failure. 

I went a lot heavier this week except on the lunges. 
 
Movement 1: Dumbbell deadlifts 60#, 55#, 50# 
Movement 2: Barbell backward lunges  65#, 60#, 55#
Movement 3: Dumbbell strict press: 25#, 20#, 15# (all strict press; I had to give myself a little assist with the 25# on the left last couple of reps)
Movement 4: Bent over barbell rows: 65#, 60#, 55# (lighter than last week for some reason)

We finished up with a Tabata of jumping rope. 


I slept in on Wednesday, hoping for warmer conditions so I could run outside. My wish came true! I mean, 7F is 14 degrees warmer than the -7F we had on Tuesday. The sun was shining, but it still was cold, so I bundled up and headed to the trails. I had some regrets at the beginning of the run, but I kept telling myself that if I kept moving, I'd warm up and yep, it happened! This turned out to be a very enjoyable run on the snow packed trails at the preserve. The deer were out too. It felt good to be outside, in nature, and my mood lifted as the miles passed!



On Thursday, I had a work meeting in the morning, forcing me to miss class. Fortunately, I was able to attend the 12p strength class and work on my own. This strength workout was a repeat of last week's. Again, we were expected to push to failure on the first set of each movement and do drop sets for reps with the last 2 sets. 

Set 1: Bulgarian Split Squats: 30# each hand-again x 8 reps, I could have done more! Who am I? 25#, 20#
Set 2: dumbbell bench press: 25# x8,  2o# x8, 15# x12
Set 3: Hip thrusts: pushed it to 135# x 8, 125# x8, 115# x10
Set 4: Pull-ups: 3 red band with push off, 4 blue band unassisted, 5 green band unassisted

The sprint work was different from last week. I did 3 :20 sprints on the assault bike with :90 rest between, then 3 :20 banded high knee sprints, with :90 rest between. Those were kind of fun!

Friday morning was cold but oh that sunrise! There was no way I was going to miss it. I bundled up and out the door I went, heading to the bike path with the hope of catching that sunrise. I wore my Hyperion Max and as I had experienced before, my legs sprung into action. I felt strong and fast. Just how I like it. It was also so nice not to run in the dark. What a great start to my day!



Off the road...

I needed those stronger runs this week because I started to fully tackle my mom's medical management. Last Sunday, I was talking with her on the phone and she sounded perfectly fine. But when we started to go over her medications, she became very confused. I discovered that she was missing a few medications and needed some refills. I ordered refills of all her medications, save for one. I could not for the life of me figure out who ordered this medication. Using her patient portal, I did a deep dive into the visit notes. I messaged all the doctors she's seen over the past year and no one admitted to prescribing it. Her primary refused to refill it--I know, I have questions too. Based on my mom's history, I don't think this medication is necessary right now. I will address it with her primary when we go to see her. 

I also asked for a referral to a home health agency for a nurse to visit my mom 1-2x/week to do medication management and blood pressure checks. The primary did finally give me a referral for that. I can't count on my dad and want someone objective to check on her. My mom is seeing speech therapy twice weekly for cognitive training and I have arranged for an appointment with an occupational therapist to evaluate her ability to drive. She had a neuropsychiatric evaluation last fall and it was determined that she should not be driving. She is very upset about this, so the neurologist offered this evaluation as an olive branch. It's out of my hands because if she fails this, the neurologist will report it to the state. 

As stressful as all this sounds, it actually feels better being in control and on top of this. I've added a calendar to mine for all my mom's appointments. My dad and sisters are comfortable with all my interventions and that feels good too. I'm so grateful for my medical background and that my mom's physicians have Epic, which is the EMR we use at work. I'm able to access all her medical records and send messages to all her providers in one place. I can only imagine how difficult this would be if I had to call each office and wait for callbacks. For now, we are in a good place. 

For now. 

We had a beautiful sunset up at the lake. Since the ice is so thick, I walked down the channel to catch a shot over the lake. This lake brings me so much peace. 


How was your week? Has winter broken you? Or are you finding ways to cope? What was your favorite run of the week? 

Next Friday, I'll be posting my monthly book reviews! 

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


23 comments :

  1. Great job on your runs! I am glad it is finally warming up. I don't like this cold weather. I can see how stressful it has been managing the medical stuff for your mom. I also use the same portal, and having all the information in one place has been helpful.

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    1. From the medical perspective, we also like the portal--it's an easy way to communicate with our patients!

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  2. You fought back and you had a great week of workouts! Great strength training and strong runs. Well done, Wendy!

    What do the deer eat? Looking at the forest, there is nothing there except dry twigs and branches. Are they being fed some hay/dry grass?

    So good for your parents and sisters that you have a medical background! It must be a great comfort to them all.

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    1. The deer always seem to be munching on dry grass and foliage, so I guess they have plenty to eat!

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  3. Thank goodness for epic! It makes it so much easier to communicate with physicians. I’m sure your Family is so appreciative of your medical background. My uncle is in the final stages of battling stage for cancer and my mom has been handling a lot since she was a nurse. I know her family really appreciates that she can take charge of things and communicate with doctors and such.

    We had a horribly Cold weather here as well. My son’s school was canceled on Tuesday since the windchill’s were -30. I was cooped up more than usual since my son was sick so I was tending to him, but I got a risk uphill walk in on a treadmill in a hotel on Wednesday and got out for a walk yesterday as well. It will warm up here today, so I plan to take a walk midday to get some fresh air! I’m on a big pause from running but will get back to you once the weather warms up and the sidewalks are clear.

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    1. I cannot wait for it to warm up! I'm just ready to be done with winter.

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  4. That is a gorgeous sunset!
    We had cold temps last week but might seethe 60s this week!!
    It is great that you can sort out your Mom’s meds and I agree that it would be even better to have a third party be checking on her. Wonder where that mystery Rx came from?!

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    1. Most likely from an ER visit; not sure why my mom's primary didn't pick up the slack. It seems like that happens in the adult world...

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  5. Winter kicked my butt his past week and I just pivoted to indoor workouts except one day. Looking forward to a taste of spring this week. It is really hard to watch our parents declining. My parents are still doing a good job staying on top of their own meds and appointments for now. It is a lot. My dad is having another heart procedure tomorrow fingers crossed.that goes well. Sounds like they are lucky to have you on their health care team

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  6. Everything sounds great- except for the weather, lol. But sunny days really make a difference even in the bitter cold. I remember my winters up there being incessantly gray. It must feel good to get outside in the sunlight.
    Nice job with your mom's care- your family is lucky to have you with your medical knowledge. It would be a nightmare to manage without that.
    I love all the photos! You make winter look ALMOST beautiful...almost.

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    1. It's been unusually sunny, which is really the only good thing about this winter!

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  7. No doubt, this week was BRUTAL for us Midwesterners. This next week’s warmer temps will be a much-needed reward for what we’ve endured. That sunshine really makes the bitter cold a bit more bearable.

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  8. Love your sunset pics... so peaceful.

    Your mom is so lucky to have you.

    And yes, this winter is the worst. Why did I sign up for 3 half marathons???

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  9. You're so brave going out in that cold. With all that snow it looks like the outdoors is screaming "stay inside!" but that's me, haha!
    I can imagine it's less stressful to actually have control over your mom's meds and other things yourself. Good for her too.
    Looks like some good strength workouts this week! I hope the forecasted better weather comes asap.

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    1. I don't mind the snow as much as the cold! We're having a thaw this week and the snow will probably be all gone by Wednesday.

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  10. I agree with you on the Epic system. It was comforting for me to be able to see my Dad's information. I went to several appointments with my parents and neither one really heard what the Dr was saying (before my Mom got hearing aids)! At least with the app I could look back and then investigate the medical stuff as needed. My Dad was also taking a med at one point which really whacked him out. As you know, it's so important to keep on top of that stuff. I'm glad you are able to do this for your parents. :)
    I'm sure all of that winter trail running is great for your leg strength! I had to run on some uneven snow covered trails this week and it was challenging for me.

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    1. The most frustrating part of helping my parents--my mom remembers nothing we discuss and then gets upset with me when I remind her of it. It's been a real eye opener.

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  11. Oh, Wendy. That has to be so hard. You are all lucky that you have medical background and you know what you're analyzing and seeing. This is so difficult to see our parents age and your parents are so lucky to have your help and dedication. Big hugs to you. I'm so glad that you were able to get that lake time and those beautiful views. I'm sure it is soothing your soul.

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  12. That sun! Even with the cold, it's so pretty.

    Navigating the US healthcare system is so so complicated. The UK definitely doesn't have it perfect though- nothing really seems linked here. There's no epic!

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