Recovery

Much like the week after a marathon, I needed some time to recover from my son's big wedding. It really was like a marathon. I was exhausted both physically and emotionally. 

Friday was the rehearsal dinner, and then Saturday, the big day, which started at 8 for hair and makeup, followed by bringing lunch to the hotel to feed the groomsmen, and then helping my son get ready and take pictures. I went to the venue after that, but they didn't need me for about an hour, so I found a place to sit and read. When the bridal party went outside to the golf course for photos, I followed, taking many of the photos I shared in last week's post. The hubs arrived for photos, and once those were done, we walked to the clubhouse to grab something cold to drink. It wasn't long after that that the guests started arriving for the ceremony. 

I only cried once during the ceremony--when I hugged my son after we walked him down the aisle. He let me hug him so tight--something out of the norm for him--and when I sat down, the tears just flowed.

Time really flew after the ceremony! We were busy greeting the guests; then we made our big entrance! We sat down for dinner, but I was called to the floor to give my speech. I thought I'd be nervous, but I had practiced what I wanted to say, and it went well. My speech was followed by the father of the bride, the best man (my youngest son), and then the maid of honor (the bride's sister). The cake was cut and the party started! 

I danced with my son to Landslide and the bride danced with her father to My Girl. The bride and groom surprised me by dancing to one of my favorite songs, Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton. My son and I had gone to see him about 5 years ago!

The night flew by. By 10 o'clock, I told my hubs I was ready to go home. The party was going strong, but almost all our family and friends were gone by then. The next morning, I saw a lot of photos of what we missed, and it looked like things got wild! My youngest son did a back flip on the dance floor; the groomsmen carried my oldest son around overhead, and another video showed my youngest doing the worm through Tom's legs! I think I can say that a good time was had by all.

I've spent a lot of time this week going through photos and videos. What a wonderful wedding! And for all the boy moms out there, this was such an emotional experience for me, seeing my son so in love with his bride. He looked so happy!

Weekly Rundown:

Sunday: Cubs game with Holly

Monday: unscheduled rest

Tuesday: Yoga with Adriene

Wednesday: trail run 5 miles

Thursday: Strength training

Friday: run 6 miles

Saturday: waterskiing!!

I'm not going to lie--I was completely wiped out after the weekend! On Monday, I spent the entire day on the couch. By Wednesday, I finally felt sufficiently rested to lace up for a trail run. I planned for a shorter-than-usual run in the east preserve. It was a gorgeous morning, and before I even hit the dirt, I saw the mama and her 2 fawns. They must have crossed the busy street from the west preserve, and I was so happy to see them! Instead of running away like they usually do, they mostly ignored me and munched on foliage. I made my way around this section, including a very weedy single track that takes me back to the piney woods. There I saw a lot of deer, including a buck. 

For Thursday's strength class, we worked on power snatches. As with all the previous lifts, SJ broke it down and made this difficult lift doable. I'm grateful that I've done these in the past, but I was able to refresh my skills. After the warm-up and instructions, we did 5 x 3 power snatches, building with each set. I PR'd mine at 55#! And dare I say, these felt good? The extensive warm-up definitely helped. 

We finished with accessory work, 5 x 16 alternating dumbbell bench presses; I started with 30# in each hand, which is what I had done previously. It felt surprisingly heavy, and by my 3rd set, I failed after 6. So I switched to 25#. Even those felt hard! In between sets, we were supposed to do Copenhagen planks. There weren't enough benches to do these, so I did the alternative activity, which had one knee on the rower seat and the other foot braced against the rower. We slid the seat back and forth x 5, which was intended to work the adductors.

I had new shoes to try out for Friday's run. As you know, for the past year, I have been enamored with the Brooks Hyperion Max 2. I only run pavement once a week, but almost every time I do, it has been in those shoes. Brooks recently released the Hyperion Max 3s, and feeling the FOMO, I ordered a pair. Well, let me tell you that out of the box, these shoes were nothing short of amazing. I flew down the road towards the bike path. My first 2 miles were 9:05. It was warm and humid, and I couldn't keep that pace going, but it sure felt good trying! 

I ran into a friend of mine on the path who told me he's coming back from injury. He was running in the Asics Megablast, which looked comparable to the Hyperion Max 3. Like me, he was awed by the push he gets from these shoes. As an aging runner, it's a lot of fun to feel fast again!

On Saturday, we drove up to the lake in the pouring rain. We even saw a rainbow while we were driving! Fortunately for us, the rain stopped by the time we got to the lake house. The sun came out, and the hubs took me out on the lake for a ski. Yes, the water was chilly, but considering the time of year, it was tolerable. There's something really special about this 'extended summer' and I love being able to take advantage of it!

Off the road:

I could not sleep the night after the wedding. I think I was just too wound up. I almost regretted making plans to go to the Cubs game with Holly and her husband on Sunday. Almost. Her husband grew up in Georgia, watching the Chicago Cubs on cable TV, and when Holly was planning their trip up north, he told her he wanted to see the Cubs play. Of course, as lifelong Cubs fans, my hubs and I were excited to share this experience with him. We picked them up at their hotel and made the trek into the city. I've known them for 10 years now, and I'd never seen him so excited about something! He bought a Cubs hat at the ballpark and talked stats on and off for most of the game. The Cubs delivered a victory (whew!) and we stayed to sing 'Go Cubs Go' while they flew the "W" flag. It was so much fun!!

After the game, we took them to Lou Malnati's in Lincoln Square. Every time after I visit them in Alabama, I send them pizza from this iconic restaurant. But the pizza I send to them, while still delicious, isn't the same as the pizza you get in the restaurant, and let me tell you, they loved the real deal! The weather could not have been nicer, and we ate outside on the patio. This was the perfect end to a perfect weekend. I hated to say goodbye. 

Meanwhile, the wedding photos and videos have been pouring in! If you follow me on social media, you probably have seen them. I'm going to share a few here--thanks in advance for indulging me! These are from the photographer's 'sneak peek' album. I can't wait to see the rest!

How was your week? Would you liken a big event such as a wedding to a marathon? Have you tried any carbon plate shoes? Are you having an extended summer?

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