The Calm Before...

...THE WEDDING.

EEEK! It's here!

Next week is my oldest son's wedding. All the planning is done and the big--very big--event takes place next weekend. This week will be all about preparing for the big day. I am excited and also anxious! I've been asked to give a speech at the wedding, and I have it written. I'm only working one day this week. My future DIL and I have plans on Wednesday for a mani-pedi, which will be relaxing and a chance for us to decompress. And yes, the workouts and runs will continue, right up to the big day. 

It feels like a marathon, with all the pre-race jitters! 

Weekly Rundown

Sunday: hiking in Wisconsin ~5 miles

Monday: Ice Age Trail run 6.5 miles

Tuesday: Yoga with Adriene

Wednesday: trail run 6.6 miles

Thursday: Auxiliary strength, running 1000m

Friday: run 6 miles

Saturday: Yoga with Adriene

My poor sister and her husband...on Sunday morning, I made them get up early and on the ferry so we could hike Parfrey's Glen before the masses arrived! There were a few early risers at the trailhead as well. As always, this reverent space did not disappoint. There had been a lot of rain last week, so the creek and the waterfall were flowing well. The glow of the sun in the gorge was just spectacular! 

After we finished Parfrey's Glen, we drove to Devil's Lake State Park with the hopes of sharing some of the fun rock formations with my sister and her hubs, but the hike was too much for my hubs, so we turned back. I will be back! On the drive to the ferry home, the parking lot for Parfrey's Glen was full and there was a line of cars parked on the side of the road. Glad we got there early! We enjoyed another boat ride and then said goodbye to my sister and her hubs. What a fun weekend!!

Before we left for home, I laced up and went for a run on the Lodi Marsh Segment of the Ice Age Trail. You may remember that the last time I attempted a run here, I was attacked by biting flies. With an air temperature of 49 at the start of this run, there was no risk of that! This was simply a wonderful run. I went early enough to catch the sunrise. Just as on the day before, there was a layer of fog which made everything so interesting!

I saw lots of mushrooms, wildflowers, and berries, too. A friend on IG commented that I could have made a salad! Although I'm not sure if anything I saw is edible.

The cooler weather has been such a gift! I can't remember the last time I had such a strong run. Garmin approved, too!

My former BRC teammate Keegan drove out from the city to run with me on my trails on Wednesday. He's a city guy, but is open to adventure. This was his second time meeting me for a run, and just like last time, we had fun! It was cool but very humid, and after a couple of miles, we slowed to a walk and never started back up. Our slower pace gave us plenty of time to catch up on life. He also indulged my need to photograph the mushrooms, which have returned to the preserve. We only saw one deer, though. I shared a fun reel on IG if you're interested in seeing some of our shenanigans.

On Thursday at the gym, we worked on back squats, the final lift of the trifecta that we will be working on in preparing for the fall powerlifting cycle. We started out with a review of proper form and worked on that using PVC pipes instead of barbells. Following that, we paired up with compatible lifters and loaded up the bars for 4 sets of 3 back squats. My lifts: 85#, 105#, 115#, 125#. I didn't get as low as I should have on the last one, and that will be my goal going forward. I'm still in my head about squats, and I need to get over that!

We finished up with 200m runs x 4. I chased some of my classmates, and we finished each run in just under a minute.

Friday morning was bright and sunshiny! But it was cool and it was windy. I ran out into the headwind, which continued to increase. By mile 3, I was pushing hard and that was reflected in my split time. But when I had a glorious tailwind on the way back and it literally blew me home. This was my fastest run since last spring. And if it takes a tailwind to do that, then I'll take it.

How was your week? Are you having cooler conditions? Do you get nervous before a big event? How do you manage your anxiety? 

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