Up and Down

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I hate to be that person who talks about the weather, but as a runner, it's in my DNA. While we in the Midwest are accustomed to wild weather swings, this spring has been more challenging than usual. Don't like the weather? Just wait--it will change. And let's not even talk about the ever-present wind. It's enough to send a runner to the treadmill! 

That may be an exaggeration, but I'm glad that I'm not training for anything. Content to 'just run', I got all my miles in this week. I'm always grateful for the sunshine, even on the cooler days. I also received some new gear, which always makes me happy!

Weekly rundown:

Sunday: Trail Sisters run 6 miles, yoga

Monday: Strength Training

Tuesday: Fluid Running

Wednesday: trail run 7.5 miles

Thursday: Strength Training

Friday: running 6 miles

Saturday: Yoga with Adriene

On Sunday morning, I met my Trail Sisters at one of the local preserves. The last time we ran there, it was snowing! The weather for this run was better, but still a little blustery. There were 8 of us, and we split into a fast group and a slow group--that was with me. We had a fun morning--some good conversation and a reminder of why I love/need this group of ladies. Three of the women are heading to Boston next weekend, and we were happy to have a great send-off for them!

There was running in our workout on Monday! But first, we did 3 rotations, 10 minutes each of:

Rotation 1: 4 x12 heavy (45# each hand) dumbbell deadlifts. Yes, I've done heavier, but these were sets of 12.

Rotation 2: 3 x5 1-1-3 tempo pull-ups (assisted): a quick up, chest to the bar, and a slow descent, 3 seconds alternating with 20 side plank dips

Rotation 3: AMRAP :20 dot drill alternating with 20 single-leg v-ups. The dot drill was easy. The v-ups were not. 4 sets total.

We finished with a 15:00 E3MOM, 100m run sprints. It was nice out, and we did this outside. This was FUN! I started in the first group, and this group was competitive. We all pushed each other, and I think a different person finished first each time, including me! 

Wednesday morning was just beautiful! Blue skies, bright sunshine...but it was chilly. No worries, I figured between the sun and running, I'd be comfortable. I kept my run to the west preserve with a plan to loop around and in and out of the woods, hoping for close to 8 miles. It wasn't long before I saw a large group of deer in the woods! They didn't let me get too close, though. A few minutes later, I figured out why when I saw a coyote. I looked for signs of spring. Some buds were on a few of the bushes, and patches of green grass along the single track, but the woods were still pretty barren. I enjoyed my journey around the woods with the songbirds as my soundtrack!

Thursday's strength sesh was so fun! As we have been doing, we had 4 rotations, 10 minutes each to complete an activity:

Rotation 1- AMRAP tire flips. You know I loved this! There were 2 tires-the one we usually use and a heavier, larger, flatter one that SJ said would be harder to flip. Since everyone else in the group went to the 'easier' tire, I challenged myself with the awkward one. It took me some time to figure out how to lift and flip it, but after a few flips, it was fine. I could really feel my glutes working, and isn't that the goal? I think I finished with 25 tire flips when time was called.

Rotation 2- 5 seated box jumps x 4 rounds. We sat on a box facing another box, stood up, and immediately jumped onto the other box. 

Rotation 3- 4 sets of 8 dumbbell (30#!) bench presses. This was a new PR for me!

Rotation 4- 5 sets of 1 length of farmers (20# DB each hand) carry lunges. This was much harder than I expected.

When I headed out for my run on Friday morning, the sun was coming up, and it was warm and humid. Windy too, naturally. When I turned around to head home, I saw the dark clouds rolling in, and it wasn't long before I heard thunder overhead. I didn't see lightning, but the lightning detectors in the area were alarming. I had to get home to get ready for work, so I picked up the pace and prayed I wouldn't get zapped. It started to rain. This whole adventure brought to mind that scene from Caddyshack when the priest was golfing in the storm. 'Best game of my life!!' he exclaimed before he was struck by lightning. Since you're reading this, you know I didn't suffer the same fate.

While I'm no longer a BRC team member, I am a Brooks affiliate, and to my surprise, I received a gear drop last week! I was happy to wear some of the items on Friday's run. The Glycerin 20s I received made it feel as if I was running on a cloud. I'm a big fan of Brooks' Luxe fabric, and the top was soft yet wicking. Underneath was the 3 Pocket Sports Bra, which I've never worn before. There's a pocket on the back and it was easy to slip my phone in and out, even when I got sweaty. The Chaser shorts were shorter than I normally wear, but no chafing made these a winner. The blue colorway for their spring line is just beautiful! I even purchased a few additional items because I just love the color.

Off the Road...

On Sunday afternoon, I headed to the gym for the last installment of the Women's Health Series; the topic was Mental and Sexual Health. Following the lecture, there was a yoga class. The speaker was a mental health therapist who also specializes in sexual health. Her presentation was very interesting! After the presentation, we all took to our yoga mats. The class was very challenging. If you have followed me for a while, you might remember that I used to do yoga regularly at a yoga studio. While I still 'dabble' in yoga, it's been quite a while since I've done a full session! I was surprised and pleased that I was able to do most of the poses! 

The hubs and I met up with my son and fiancé, her parents, and her grandmother at the wedding venue for the food and wine tasting! It's getting real! We were able to try a variety of salads, dinner entrees, sides, and wines, and choose what will be served at the reception. Then when toured the venue. This is a 100 year old  country club, and it is beautiful. The ceremony will take place on the terrace, pictured below. We're all very excited for the event! 

I cut my hair! I have been growing out my gray--the upkeep was just too much, as I am about 75% gray now--and I wanted a change. She cut off about 3 inches. I'm hoping the gray is grown out by the wedding. I'm not wearing makeup in the photo, but I like the cut!

And then there's my crazy dog Cocoa. Every spring, we get a lot of rabbits in our backyard. She likes to chase them but never catches them. On Thursday morning, I heard her barking incessantly. I looked out the window, and she was standing over an injured baby bunny. Oh no. I went out there to investigate and saw the injured bunny. As I approached, Cocoa picked up the bunny in her mouth again. I couldn't get her to drop it as she brought it to the house. I didn't want to touch it {{shudder}} and took a garden spade to try to open Cocoa's mouth. Then I scooped up the poor little creature and tossed it over the back fence. Meanwhile, Cocoa started doing zoomies around the back yard (my oldest son later called it a 'victory lap'). Yes, she was one proud pup. I felt queasy. Maybe she just wanted to play with the little guy?

How was your week? Are you still waiting for spring? Have you ever run in a thunderstorm? Dog owners, has your dog ever killed another animal? Do you have any friends running Boston tomorrow? A BIG shoutout to our friend Catrina, who will be lining up wearing bib #15785! I can't wait to see her crush it!

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