After a really fun and busy 10 days away, I returned home Sunday night. I did my best to jump back into my routine, but as I write this, I'm feeling grateful for a rainy Saturday to put my feet up and recover. Our weather has certainly been strange this year! This summer has been abnormally warm, wet, stormy, and at times tornadic. On Monday, we had severe storms with more tornadoes in the area. I was home with Cocoa, and we watched the storms roll in around lunchtime. They blew up quickly, and there was no indication of how severe they would become. My area was spared the brunt of the storms--not everyone was so lucky.
I'm ready for fall...
Weekly Rundown
Sunday: waterskiing, travel home
Monday: Yoga with Adriene, strength training
Tuesday: Fluid Running
Wednesday: trail run 7 miles
Thursday: Yoga with Adriene, strength training
Friday: run 3 miles
Saturday: much needed rest
I was still in Alabama on Sunday, and Holly asked me if I wanted to go for one last ski before we had to drive to the airport in Birmingham. You know I said yes! Conditions were pretty near perfect, and I rode the ski for as long as my body would let me! It was my longest time behind the boat all weekend. Holly skied after me, and that was that. We had a wonderful time, and I can't believe I have to wait another year to return.
While we were on the lake, I spotted an Osprey in its nest! I also saw a Great Blue Heron. It's fun to see birds that I don't normally see at home.
I wasn't too sore when I woke up on Monday. But it was really steamy outside-it felt as if I had brought the Alabama weather back with me to Illinois! I had to push myself to go to the gym for my strength session. I reminded myself that the work I do in the gym is what allows me to do the things I love, like waterskiing! So off I went. We started a new 4 week strength cycle; this week is drop sets. For each movement, we did 3 sets of lifts, the first heavy, and then dropping the weight with each set following. The goal was to lift to failure each time. I could have gone heavier than I did, BUT it was extremely warm in the gym (no AC), and my heart rate kept skyrocketing. So I kept it light. Hopefully, it will be cooler next week.
The lifts:
Dumbbell Deadlifts: 50#x 8, 45# x8, 40# x10
Barbell Lunges: 45# x10, 40# x10, 35# x12
Strict Press (I did barbell as no light dumbbells were available): 45# x8, 40# x10, 35# x12
Bent over barbell rows: 65# x 8, 55# x8, 45# x10
We finished with 5 x:20 assault bike sprints, which weren't as bad as I expected!
I was back in my running shoes on Wednesday and on the trails. It was a beautiful morning for a run--lower humidity and cooler temperatures. My favorite sighting was a large buck in the woods off the trail. It seemed as if he was posing for me. A pair of women runners stopped to admire him as well. I recognized one of the women from the trail there, and we introduced ourselves. I have met so many nice people on these trails!
Thursday's strength sesh followed the same format as Monday's:
-Bulgarian Split Squats: 25# x8, 20# x12, unweighted x16
-Dumbbell Bench Press: 25# x8, 20# x10, 20# x10
-Hip Thrusts: 155# x8, 135# x8, 125# x 8
-Pull-ups: lower bar x4, lower bar x4, assissted x4
No sprint work because we ran out of time!
I overslept on Friday!!! My alarm went off, but the volume was turned down, and I didn't hear it. I wanted to try out a pair of Shokz Open Run 2 headphones that I had won through an IG giveaway. Luckily, I had just enough time for a brief 3 mile run. My legs were still fatigued from my trip to Alabama and my strength work, and this run was a struggle. No matter, I enjoyed the music, the sound quality of the new headphones was awesome, and I headed to work for what was a very busy day!
How was your week? Do you try to jump back into your routine after a vacation? Who else feels as if they need a vacation after a vacation? Do you enter Instagram giveaways? Have you won anything?
Have a great week! I'll be sharing my July reads on Tuesday.
It sounds like you had a wonderful time with Holly! I love that you keep up with your annual visits — and the waterskiing!
ReplyDeleteI usually have to jump right back into work as soon as I get home, and it usually feels good to get back to my routine.
I was reflecting on how quickly time off passes and then it's back to the real world. Sigh.
DeleteSo glad you had such a nice time away! You deserve it. Yes, I really look forward to jumping right back into my routine after vacations. Yes, I do often feel like I need recovery as well but I crave routine. No, I do no normally enter IG giveaways bc it gets me on too many mailing lists
ReplyDeleteI haven't noticed any extra mail, lol
DeleteI am glad you got one last ski in before heading back home. I could not believe how cool it was in Chicago Tues-Thur! I was almost a little chilled as my body is not used to the low 70s. I am glad it wasn’t super hot as that would have made my nausea even worse.
ReplyDeleteI am usually quick to jump back into routines after a vacation. I am such a creature of habit that I am usually so happy to be back home and back to normal eating and workouts and such. And I often do feel like I need a vacation after a vacation if we traveled with my kids. The exception is our family trips to my parents lake home. But we don’t go anywhere besides maybe a visit to a local toy store 30 min away. Otherwise the pace of life is very slow there which I crave since our lifestyle is kind of hectic at home with early departures from home at 7 during the week.
It did feel good to get back to work after an extended time away. But now I'm ready for more time off! :p
DeleteOMG, needing a vacation after a vacation is so me, and this year it was more than ever!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely you could do all the waterskiing! Nice work in the gym as always, and your attitude is spot on - it's the strength work that allows us to do what we do. But sometimes it's tougher than usual, that's been the case for me too this week.
Oh for sure--sometimes I really have to push myself to go to the gym. But I'm always glad when I do!
DeleteYou're easing back nicely, Wendy!
ReplyDeleteSo good that you're getting to know the runners on your trail! The other day, I saw a runner in a Cape Town Marathon t-shirt and I waved and shouted "yay for Cape Town" and he waved and smiled back. Later on, I thought it was stupid of me not to stop and chat to him! I'm sure it would have been interesting.
Hey, you acknowledged him! Which is more than a lot of runners would do!
DeleteOof- I also got back home last Sunday and it was tough getting back into the swing of things this week. I know all about your big storm- my sister and her husband were in their basement, hiding under a bed because the house was shaking. They thought they were bing hit by a tornado, but it turns out the tornado hit one town over. They had four huge trees come down on the property though (no damage to the house, luckily!) You've really had quite a summer so far.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful trail photos, as always!
Thank you! Yes, it's been a wild and kind of crappy summer, lol
DeleteI won a foam roller on IG and some omega 3 vitamins (and ewww, so fishy). I'd much rather win some Shokz! I LOVE mine. I hope you enjoy yours. Yay on the waterskiing. You do look so happy doing it!!
ReplyDeleteI was thrilled to win the Shokz. And yes, if I could waterski all the time, I would!
DeleteNice score with the Shokz earphones! I seldom enter contests because I’m not very lucky…but I guess you don’t win if you don’t enter. I spent the week jumping back into routine, as well, though my only vacay was two days of RAGBRAI.
ReplyDeleteI usually only enter the IG contests if someone tags me! But occasionally, it pays off!
Delete