All Mixed Up

I was all confused this week--my work schedule was altered to accommodate my 3 partners who were all out of the office this week. Plus, I had to drive my parents downtown on Monday for a doctor's appointment at Northwestern. More on that below. Besides my work schedule, the only other thing consistent in my life is my workout schedule, and I had to move things around to fit into my days. I got it all done, though! I think that is what kept me sane. I like to think that I'm pretty flexible, but this week I didn't know if I was coming or going!

Is anyone else hearing the Cars' song All Mixed Up running through their head right now? Or is it just me?

Weekly Rundown

Sunday: trail run 5.6 miles

Monday: Auxiliary Strength

Tuesday: Trail run 5 miles

Wednesday: Auxiliary Strength

Thursday: Fluid Running

Friday: run 6 miles

Saturday: Yoga

On Sunday morning, my trail sisters were volunteering at the Chicago 13.1, so I was on my own. I couldn't join them because I planned to attend my future daughter-in-law's bridal shower. More on that below. So off I went to my preserve to enjoy the beautiful sunshine and cool morning temperatures. My legs felt tired--so I took it easy with plenty of stops for photos. I ran into a few running friends on the trails--human and deer. The mushroom game was strong. What a great morning for a run!

I had to drive my parents downtown for a doctor's appointment, so on Monday, I was at the gym by 6 am to do my strength workout. 

We started a new 4 week strength cycle, repeating the second cycle we did back in February. We had 4 different movements to do in 3 sets in 40 seconds or less:

Set 1: pick a weight at 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. 

Except instead of dropping the weight, I did it backwards, building weight on each set. Reading instructions at 6 am is hard. Shhh...don't tell SJ...

 

Movement 1: Dumbbell deadlifts 40->50#, 35->55#, 30->60# 

Movement 2: Barbell lunges 60->35#, 55->40#, 55->45# (I went lighter on these since last time my left knee did NOT like the 60#. I could definitely have gone heavier today.) 

Movement 3: Dumbbell strict press: 25->15#, 20#, 15-.>20# (I failed the 25#)

Movement 4: Bent over barbell rows: 55->50#, 50->55#, 45->60#

After this, we did 5 sets of :20 sprints on the assault bike. The goal was to be consistent. I did well! Last time I felt queasy after I did this, but today I sailed through it!

Tuesday was predicted to hit 90F, so I laced up and hit the trails very early. The humidity made my run feel like a slog. At least that's my excuse. It's been so cool this spring that I'm just not used to summer conditions. It was a pretty morning--the smoke from the Canadian wildfires have made for some interesting sunrises. The woods were pretty quiet--no baby deer seen yet. I did see a few deer in the woods--one of the young bucks is sprouting some fuzzy nubs on his head, and he was all puffed up about it, stopping his foot and snorting as I approached on the trail. The hawk was flying overhead, too. 

With my mixed-up schedule this week, I switched my Thursday strength workout to Wednesday. I had planned to go to the gym early Wednesday morning before work, but my alarm didn't go off. I decided to do the workout at home with the equipment I have. I made modifications as needed and got a darn good workout in. How do I know? I was sore on Thursday and Friday. In the best way!

The rep scheme for this class was the same as Monday, 3 sets, 8-12 reps to failure, dropping the weight each set, and no longer than :40 per set. 

Set 1: Bulgarian Split Squats:  I did 25#, 20#, and 15 #; I felt that I could have done 30#, but I only have 25# and under.

Set 2: dumbbell bench press: 25#x10, 20#x 12, 15#x 12

Set 3: Hip thrusts: My sketchy barbell set only goes up to 95#, so that is where I started. 95# x10, 85#x 10, 75#x 10

Set 4: This set had pull-ups,  but I don't have a pull-up bar. I subbed in dumbbell rows: 25# x10, 20# x12, 15# x15. 

We followed this with sprint work: a E2MOM x 12 minutes:

6 single arm dumbbell push press (20#)

6 goblet squats (20#)

6 burpees

My takeaway from this workout is that I could have gone stronger on all the movements, which is a great feeling. I guess I need to buy some 30# dumbbells!

Friday's run felt hard, but that was due to the smoky skies. Smoke, you ask? We've been getting smoke from the Canadian wildfires. While it's made for beautiful sunrises, it's made the air a little 'thick'. I took it easy, even though my magic shoes wanted me to go faster. This was a fun run, as I ran into a few friends on the bike path and saw one of my future DIL's besties flying down the road on my way back. There's always something good about a run, am I right?

Off the Road...

After my run on Sunday, I went from feral to fancy to attend my future DIL's bridal shower! Hers is a family that does things in a big way--over 80 people were in attendance, almost all friends and family of the bride. Most of the people I invited couldn't attend--this is such a busy time of year--but 2 of my trail sisters were there, one after volunteering and one after running a half marathon that morning. I was so grateful for that. It was a beautiful event, held at a local hotel. My son arrived with a giant bouquet of long stemmed roses--who is this guy anyway? There were some fun games and lots of gifts. I'm so happy for them!

On Monday, I drove downtown to Northwestern with my parents so my dad could see a hematologist who specializes in myelodysplastic syndrome. This guy was so freaking smart. He took a deep dive into the latest research on MDS, including genetics. My dad has tested positive for a gene that is linked to cancer, and we discussed the implications of that. There will be more testing, and once that comes back, we'll learn about options. The good news is that since my dad's blood counts have been relatively stable, we have time to sort it all out. We left the appointment feeling grateful that I speak medicine. I can't imagine how people who don't have a medical background do it!

Meanwhile, speaking of my parents, after spending the day with them, taking them out of their comfort zone, and bringing them to a giant medical center, showed me just how much they are declining. Mentally, my dad is still pretty sharp, but physically, he moves slowly. On the other hand, my mom was really quiet and when she did speak, I could tell that she was struggling mentally. She was pretty confused and is still self aware enough to realize it, keeping her thoughts to herself. My youngest sister has been working on getting some help for them--a part-time caregiver, which they are resistant to, and an occupational therapist to go to the home and help keep my mom oriented. It's been a challenge to find help because they live out in the boonies. There just aren't a lot of resources out there. The saga continues. 

How was your week? Are you a creature of habit, or are you able to just roll with the changes? Have you been affected by the Canadian wildfires? Did you do anything for Global Running Day? I did not--it was pouring rain in the morning and I had to work. I think running will forgive me...

Don't forget to track Catrina as she runs the Comrades Marathon today! She's bib 21706. 

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