A Week of Beauty

Fall is my favorite season, and this week once again reminded me of why I love it so much. Warm, sunny days and cool, crisp nights are the best. We've really had a nice fall again this year, and I just can't get enough of it! 

Weekly Rundown:

Sunday: Ice Age Trail Run West Bend Segment 15.5 miles/1950ft

Monday: PT/Strength Training

Tuesday: Fluid running

Wednesday: Trail run 5 miles

Thursday: Strength training/PT

Friday: Power walk 4 miles

Saturday: Full Moon Hike Ice Age Trail Gibraltar Segment 2 miles

Mammoth Hike Challenge trail miles so far: 39 miles plus 10 bonus miles

I was on the road at 6 am Sunday morning for my 105-ish-minute drive to West Bend, Wisconsin, with plans to hike the entire segment, out and back. It was beautiful with bluebird skies and bright sunshine, but it was chilly, 43F, and there was a brisk wind. I knew it would get warm, but I didn't count on wind. I was wearing shorts and a long sleeve top, and knew that my hydration vest would provide a layer of insulation. I grabbed a pair of dollar store gloves (I always have some in my car) and headed towards the trailhead. 

The West Bend Segment did not disappoint. Located in the Kettle Moraine National Forest, there is plenty of evidence of the glacial movement from the Ice Age. Kames, Eskers, and Kettles make up the landscape with lots of steep ups and downs. There were a few glacial lakes, and the bright sunshine lit up the foliage lining the shores. The trail was covered in leaves, which was pretty, but made it hard to navigate--there were a few times that I got off trail and needed to use my Far Out app to get me back to where I needed to be. If I had any complaints about this trail, the yellow blazes that guide hikers were few and far between. 

The trail took me through forest, a few parks with real bathrooms (yay!), and at the north end, the town of West Bend. I walked up above an area filled with fast food restaurants, which was a little jarring (and tempting), but it was a short section of the trail, and once past that, it was very rustic again. I didn't see many creatures on the trail, but I did see a group of deer and had a wild turkey land near me. What a beautiful trail--it's definitely on my top 5 favorite segments right now!

I missed the morning strength class--I went to see my grandson! So I went at noon to work on my lifts. Today's 'heavy' lift was the back squat: 

#1: 5 reps at 65# (40% 1RM)

#2: 3 reps at 80# (50% 1RM)

#3: 1 rep at 100# (60% 1 RM)

Deadlifts 5 x10:

#1 10 reps at 45# (30%)

#2 10 reps at 60# (35%)

#3 10 reps at 80# (40%)

#4 10 reps at 90# (45%)

#5 10 reps at 100# (50%)

Bench Presses 5 x10: rep scheme as noted above

#1 10 reps at 27.25#

#2 10 reps at 32.35#

#3 10 reps at 37.35#

#4 10 reps at 42.5#

#5 10 reps at 47.5#

Wednesday morning was another winner, weather-wise. I got to the preserve as the sun was coming up. While the bright sunshine made photography a challenge, I managed to get some beautiful photos. I mostly walked, but I did test out the knee for a few miles. It felt good during the run, but was a little sore later. I saw one deer--I was grateful for that- and also saw this amazing spiderweb! What a great morning to be outside!

Strength training followed the same rep scheme as last Thursday: 

Bench Press: 5-3-1 for load: the weights are based on a percentage of my 1-rep max; they will increase as we move forward! Let me just say that all the math involved in this scheme, calculating the lifts and loading the barbell, has got my brain hurting!

#1 5 reps: 45#

#2 3 reps: 55#

#3 1 rep: 65#

Deadlifts: 5-3-1 for load:

#1 5 reps: 95#

#2 3 reps: 115#

#3 reps: 135#

Back Squats 5 x10 ascending weights:

35%:60#

40%: 65#

45%: 72#

50%: 80#

55%: 88#

PT has been working me hard, and when I woke up Friday morning, my knee was feeling a little sore and swollen. I also felt a little achy--thanks, RA. With more miles coming up this weekend, I decided to do a power walk instead of a run. I popped a few ibuprofen before heading out the door. It was foggy, which always makes for fun photos, and I headed to the bike path hoping to catch a foggy sunrise. No such luck...the fog was so thick, it obscured the sunrise. The cooler temps helped me push my pace to a sub-14 m/m, which made me happy. My knee didn't hurt either! I'm hoping to throw in a few pickups on my next run. Stay tuned. 

On Saturday, the hubs and I drove up to the lake. My plan was to wrap up my miles on Sunday for the Mammoth Challenge. I also needed to visit one more trail town, so we went to our favorite brewpub in Baraboo for lunch. Tumbled Rock never disappoints. On the way home, we stopped at an orchard for some apples and took the long way home through the valley that meanders through the Baraboo Hills. We stopped at Natural Bridge State Park. It was a short walk from the parking lot to see this sandstone arch in the middle of the woods. This area is full of natural wonders from the Ice Age!

Later, I attended another Full Moon Hike, this time on the Gibraltar Segment. My friends Rachael and Melissa, who I actually met on this trail a few years ago, joined me. It was another really cool experience!

Off the road...

It was a pretty uneventful week for me! While I was hiking on Sunday, I received a few texts from my son and daughter-in-law about my grandson--he was having some eye drainage. I was pretty sure it was a blocked tear duct-so common in young infants- and told them what to do. They were pretty worried, though, and I went to check on him Monday morning after my PT appointment. He looked perfect to me! And so much more awake than the last time I saw him. What a little love bug!

How was your week? Are you enjoying some beautiful fall weather? Running any races? What was your favorite workout/run of the week? I can't pick one--but I loved my time on the Ice Age Trail on Sunday! I'm going to wrap up the Mammoth Challenge tomorrow on the Lodi Marsh Segment--one of my all time favorites!

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