What A Week!

What a week, indeed! So much drama. Family strife, environmental threats, and another fall for my mom kept my anxiety in the red zone. Surprisingly, I'm sleeping well, but I wake up exhausted. My heart rate has been high on my runs. But those runs are giving me what I need: a respite from the craziness of my life right now, and I am oh so grateful for that. 

Weekly Rundown

Sunday: Ice Age Trail Run Gibraltar Segment 7 miles, 1100 feet

Monday: Yoga with Adriene, Strength Training

Tuesday: Fluid Running

Wednesday: Trail run 7 miles

Thursday: Yoga with Adriene, Strength Training

Friday: running 3.65 miles

Saturday: rest

It was 49F on Sunday morning! We were still up at the lake, and I wanted to ski. Even though I have a half wetsuit, my boat driver (the hubs) wasn't excited about driving in the cold. So off I went to Gibraltar Rock — a run I tried to do 2 weeks ago, but was stymied by that corneal abrasion incident. It was a gorgeous morning--bluebird skies and bright sunshine. Even better, I had the segment to myself. I've been feeling anxious lately and was looking forward to soaking in those views from the top as well as getting some endorphins. It was a wonderful run--I saw some pretty foliage, fun mushrooms, and a hairy woodpecker!

I also wanted to soak in that view for another reason. Less than a month ago, local residents learned that there were plans in the works to install 20 stories tall electrical towers across the area, including directly below Gibraltar Rock. The towers were being built across the state to provide energy to data centers in southern Wisconsin and Illinois. No one had been informed of this plan--it was as if the company was trying to sneak it in. These towers could be built in designated utility paths, but someone decided it would be better to use farmland, private property, and natural areas for this project. Make it make sense. There has been an uprising across the state, and I hope these efforts are not in vain. The grassroots efforts worked in Minnesota when there was a deal to begin copper mining in the Boundary Waters, a deal that has since been canceled. We need to protect our natural resources!

Try to imagine these views with 20 stories tall electrical towers present.

Monday's strength work continued with the pyramid scheme (lol):

25 min on the clock; we had to increase by 1 rep per round until halfway and then go back down by 1 rep per round: 

1 dumbbell press (15# each hand) + 2 barbell (35#) upright rows + 3 single leg v-ups + 4 slamball good mornings (30#)

I did 8 full rounds before the halfway mark. Reflecting on this workout, I could have gone heavier with all the weights. When I was setting up, I wasn't sure how I'd do with heavier weights on the higher reps.

On Wednesday, I took advantage of a break between raindrops to run my local trails. I had no goal but to shake off the pervasive anxiety that I've been struggling with this week--the family drama has amped up again. Grateful for feeling good, I ran hard and only stopped for photos. The sun even peeked out for a while! Summer is winding down, and signs of fall were everywhere!

Thursday's strength training was another pyramid scheme :P

On the clock 20:00, increase 1 rep each activity per round:

1 barbell bicep curl (35#) + 2 Push Ups + 3 AbMat situps + 4 Slamball (20#) kickstand squats

I made it to 7 rounds by 10 minutes and finished a little before time was called.

I caught another beautiful sunrise on Friday morning. While the air was cool, it was really humid. My heart rate was high for this run, and I had to stop multiple times to walk. But even though it wasn't a great run, it was good enough to clear my head after the events of Thursday (see below).

Off the road...

I feel like a broken record--does this reference date me, lol?-- when I say that the family drama continued this week. Actually, things amped up this week after my youngest sister came to visit for a few days. She stayed with my parents and provided her perspective on their situation, which fired up the group texts. It was tense. 

On Thursday, I took my mom to an appointment with the nurse practitioner at the geriatric practice. The appointment went well, and my mom really liked the NP. So did I. We left feeling happy, and on the way back to their house, I put on some music that my mom used to listen to when I was a child. It was a fun trip down memory lane, and we were singing along--not very well, which made us both giggle. 

We were riding that high when we returned to their house. As we walked to the front door, my mom bounded up the brick paver stairs and, in the blink of an eye, tripped and fell on her face. As she does, she panicked. Her mouth was bleeding. One of her fingers was bent oddly, and I bent it back, snapping it into place. Yikes. I tried to calm her down and finally was able to convince her to roll over so I could get under her arms to lift her up. She told me no, but I used my nurse voice, had her put her feet flat on the ground, and yep, I got her up. We walked to the kitchen sink, and I had her rinse her mouth. I looked her over--she had a small laceration on her inner upper lip from her teeth. There were abrasions on her knees and ankles. Once I cleaned her up, I walked her to the couch, put her feet up, and gave her some Aleve. While she seemed ok, I offered to take her to the ER, but my dad promised me he would watch her and take her if anything seemed off. When I called later that evening, my mom and dad were drinking milkshakes that he made, and she sounded like her usual happy self. 

This was a reality check for me--my mom is physically very strong, but the dementia has really affected her depth perception and judgment. I'm so glad I was there when it happened. I doubt my dad would have been able to lift my mom up and would have had to call an ambulance. I've talked to my mom and dad several times since this happened, and she sounds like herself. For that, I am relieved. 

The discourse continues between my sisters, my dad, and me regarding the amount of care my mom needs at home. One could argue that this most recent fall is proof that my mom needs more supervision. But I was literally right behind her, and there was nothing I could have done to prevent the fall. My dad doesn't want someone in the home all the time. One of my sisters does. I don't know what the right answer is. 

How was your week? Do you use running to help you 'outrun' stress? Have you had to make decisions about your parents with your siblings? 

We're having flooding rains this weekend, and I don't even mind--I need some time off my feet.

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