Don't Count Me Out!

This week was remarkable for our wild weather! We had terrible thunderstorms on Monday and Tuesday night--the sirens were blowing and while we didn't have a lot of damage, others around the area were not so lucky. By mid-week, the weather calmed down and we had some really pleasant conditions. I had to move my runs around to accommodate the conditions as well as some lingering soreness from a tough mid-week workout. I got it all done, though, and wrapped up the week with a really good run. At this point in my life, anytime I can finish a 10k in under an hour is a win.

What a way to make me feel like I'm still a runner!

Running is Leaving Me Breathless

The heat and humidity continue! I've been committed to getting up and out the door early, but despite my best efforts, I've been struggling on my runs. After a couple of miles, my heart rate spikes and I have to slow to a walk. The heat has never been my friend, but this is the first summer I can remember consistently having issues with high heart rate and breathing. I'm blaming the weather, but I'm considering programming run/walk intervals back into my runs. I'm going to see how this week goes. Stay tuned. 

More Rain! More Mud! More Humidity!

The title of this post is not a wish list. It's a lament. I only wish we could get a break from this relentless moisture.

While we aren't getting rains that Wisconsin is--more on that in a minute--we've certainly had more than our share. When it isn't raining, it is oppressively humid. I try to find the good in everything and yes, the flowers and foliage are lush and beautiful. But it's hard to breathe when I run and the mud on my trails is making me slip, slide, and fall. The biting flies are loving the conditions and my repellant isn't as much of a deterrent as I hoped. I broke down and ordered a head net to keep the flies out of my eyes. 

The other bad news is that my upcoming trail race, Dances with Dirt, scheduled for next weekend in Devil's Lake State Park in Wisconsin, has been canceled. This is due to all the rain, which has led to poor trail conditions and flooding in the park. I've been wanting to run this race for years! I signed up for the 10k to see what it's like. I was hoping to run a half there next year. I have to decide if I will defer or run it virtually. 

Wisconsin has had so much rain that last week our lake was a 'no wake zone'. Boats and piers were freely floating in the water. The water has receded some, but more rain is on the way. The storms just keep tracking across that same area. You know how bummed I am about not being able to ski much this summer! I sure hope things improve.

A Very Wet Week

What a strange summer we're having! We've had a lot of sizzling record-breaking heat and a lot of rain. The humidity has been off the charts. This summer has been kind of a bust so far--I hope things shift to something more outdoors-friendly! Fortunately this week, I was able to get all my runs done outside. 

Time on the lake? We're home this weekend. After last weekend's flooding rains in Wisconsin, piers are underwater, boats have become unmoored, and as of this writing, the lake is still a no-wake zone. I'm starting to wonder if there's going to be any waterskiing this summer!

Running Out of My Comfort Zone

I'm not being dramatic when I tell you it has been fire outside. We are still in June and if this is what summer will be like, take me back to winter. Sure the sun is shining, but it burns if you are out there too long. While I do love summer, I do not like the extreme heat. We've been in the 90s all week--we even broke a few records. We had some storms Saturday night, which brought a lot of rain and cooler temperatures. 

Meanwhile, I did get all my runs done outside! I just started a lot earlier than I normally do. A runner's gotta run, am I right? Running teaches us to push outside of our comfort zone and this week reminded me of that!

The Heat is On!

This week gave me the opportunity to cut back on my miles and give my legs some much needed rest. I'm still trying to acclimate to the heat! Every summer I go through this and I don't know if I ever do get used to it!

I'm Smoked

Disclaimer: This post contains an affiliate link.

It's a silly title for this post and I'll probably get all kinds of spam from smoking websites. But let me explain. When he's tired, which is pretty much all of the time, my dad likes to tell everyone how he's 'smoked'. So much so, that it's become an ongoing joke in my family. When someone is tired, we say we are 'smoked'. 

Yep, I'm smoked. 

Not stoked. 

I haven't bounced back from the Blue Springs Trail Race I ran a few weeks ago. I took it easy the week after the race and I don't think I've been pushing myself excessively. My body is telling me something different. If I want running to feel good again, I need to listen to my body and give it a little more rest. You can imagine this isn't making me happy. Let's hope it's not long before I'm feeling light on my feet again.

What A Week!

I was home this week to work on continuing education. In the past, I would travel to attend an in-person conference, but my CME allowance has been cut substantially. My pediatric nurse practitioner professional organization allows members to attend their annual conference virtually, so I did that, which was a much more affordable option. The conference content didn't disappoint and I was able to obtain over 20 CME hours. I even spent one of the days sitting outside on my deck while watching lectures--it sure beats sitting in a conference hall! I also liked scheduling my sessions around my workouts. 

My week wasn't without some bumps in the road, though. On Sunday, I was scratching an itch behind my ear and felt a sharp pain. I asked my hubs to look at it and he told me it was a pimple. I had him snap a photo and sure enough, I had a tick bite behind my ear. I didn't see a tick in the lesion--hopefully, I dislodged it when I scratched it. Just to be safe, on Monday, I contacted one of my partners at work and asked her to call in an antibiotic for Lyme disease prophylaxis. The area behind my ear hurt for several days and it was a good reminder that I need to apply repellant not only to my arms and legs but also to my neck and behind my ears. And to wear a hat!

On Friday, I drove my parents downtown to Northwestern University Medical Center so my dad could see a neuro-ophthalmologist. A few weeks ago, he woke up in the middle of the night with a sharp pain on the left side of his head. The next morning, he had double vision. I sent him to the ER, where they did a CT scan and an MRI, which showed no pathology. Since he's still been having issues, his local neurologist recommended he see the specialist. The good news is that he said my dad didn't have a stroke and that the double vision should resolve soon. I'm so glad for the positive diagnosis. We were stuck in heavy traffic both in and out of the city, which gave us a lot of time to catch up. It was nice to spend the day with them.

I Can Do Hard Things

I think this is my new mantra. Last weekend's trail race (did you read my recap?) really forced me to dig deep and keep going when I wanted to give up. That strategy came in handy this week when I did the full Murph workout at CrossFit. 

I'm so grateful for what my body lets me do and what my mind pushes me through.

The Make-up Race

It was race week and I was ready! I had some great runs leading up to Saturday but I didn't push myself too hard. I wanted to keep my legs fresh. I did notice an area of concern--my left glute is not firing. I noticed it on Sunday. My right glute was really sore after my run and while I was running, I felt like it was doing all the work. At my race on Saturday, I stumbled way more than I should have--catching my left toe and nearly falling multiple times. I didn't fall, thankfully--that would have been tragic on this trail, as it's really rocky and rooty. But it reinforced that I need to get back to basics with some posterior chain work, focusing on that side.

This week I learned that I received a complimentary entry to the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon from Brooks! The race is November 9. I've always wanted to run this one and November is a good time of year for a long distance race. A couple other teammates will be joining me.  I keep saying I'm done with long distance road racing, but here I go again.  People who've done it say it's a 'fast course'. We'll see about that!

Don't Worry, Run Happy!

The family drama I wrote about last week spilled into this week. I keep wishing it would go away, but I don't think that is going to happen. Thank goodness for running and my workouts. I was able to sweat out a lot of my stress again. We had beautiful weather for most of the week, and I fully enjoyed my trail runs. There's just something about being in nature that makes me so happy!

Sweating it Out

Once again, running and my workouts were there to help me get through a stressful week. This week, my parents were the main source. My dad has been having some minor health issues but made them into everyone's problem. I won't go into details, but I did get a glimpse of what the future looks like for my sisters and me. It's not going to be pretty. 

On the plus side, Cocoa has completely recovered from her surgery! I bought her some new tennis balls this week and we've been busy chasing them around the backyard. She also chased a big opossum out of our yard. Yeeeesh....

Running was my salvation. So was CrossFit. There's nothing better to relieve stress than to sweat it out. As always, I am grateful that my body still lets me push it.

Ups and Downs

This was a tumultuous week! Weather aside, I had a lot of ups and downs. I've been feeling unsettled since Cocoa had her surgery, and life threw some curve balls my way this week. Did you see the full moon this week? It was HUGE and I'm blaming everything on that. Oh, and Mercury has been in retrograde if you believe that stuff. Normally, I don't, but I needed some explanation for all the chaos of the past couple of weeks! Thankfully that's all behind us and the week did end on a high note. 

My trail friend whose race recap let me know that I missed my race, reached out with an opportunity to redeem myself after my unintentional DNS.  She told me about an upcoming trail race on May 18 on the Blue Springs Segment of the IAT. The distance is listed as 'about 12 miles', which is perfect for me. It sounds really laid back and there's locally brewed beer at the finish line! After triple-checking the date,  I put the race on my calendar. I'm looking forward to it!

An Unintentional DNS

Remember that trail race I recently signed up for? Run From the Taxman? Apparently, I put the race on the calendar for the wrong Saturday. I thought the race was taking place on the 20th, but it was last Saturday the 13th. When I saw one of my trail friends sharing her results on Facebook last Saturday, I had the strangest feeling of disbelief come over me. How could this have happened? That I mixed up the date on such an important event really bothered me and the unease was hard to shake.

This whole week was unsettling and it wasn't just the DNS that threw me off. I was home all week to care for Cocoa. She wouldn't leave my side the whole time. She also wouldn't eat or drink for the first couple of days. She was on quite a few medications when I brought her home and I wondered if they were causing her nausea. They also gave her a nausea medication but it didn't seem to make a difference. On Tuesday, I removed the fentanyl patch, thinking maybe that was causing some side effects. That helped a lot--she started behaving more like herself, wanting to chase her ball, and eventually eating more food.

Meanwhile, I tackled a lot of little household projects that needed to be done. Like washing the baseboards and the china cabinet. Organizing the closets. Gathering items for Goodwill. The interesting thing, at least to me, is that when you don't clean your own house (I have a cleaning lady every month), you don't notice what isn't being cleaned--until it becomes really gross. It felt good to get that stuff done! I also pulled weeds and old plants in my perennial garden and am trying to decide what I want to plant there.

I'm Glad I Went

I won't sugarcoat it--the weather was just miserable this week. Except for Sunday, the wind, rain, cold, and yes, snow, was relentless. I managed to get all 3 of my runs outside. It was hard to motivate myself, but that old saying is true: you never regret going for a run. I reminded myself about that trail race in 2 weeks. I didn't want to run on my treadmill. Who knows what the conditions will be on race day?

While I was glad to be done, I finished all of my runs with a smile on my face! Running in bad weather really tests my mental toughness and reminds me of what I am capable of! I am so glad I got outside for all my runs!

What's Your Idea of Fun?

My idea of fun is certainly different from most people's!  I love running and I love trail running the most. Getting muddy doesn't bother me. I also love lifting heavy weights and challenging my body at CrossFit. It's hard in the moment, but the reward at the end is a feeling of accomplishment. Of doing something difficult, wanting to quit, but not giving up. 

I have been struggling with finding goals for myself this year. What's a runner to do but to pick a challenging race? I signed up for a trail half marathon, Run From the Taxman, in 3 weeks on a segment of the Ice Age Trail. I ran there last fall during the Mammoth Challenge, so I know what to expect. It's really hilly, so I know it won't be easy. I'm already feeling anxious, lol.

Oh, but that finish line feeling is everything. And that to me is fun!

Just Keeping On

Our early spring was put on hold this week with the return of cold, windy, and snowy weather. By the end of the week, I was feeling a bit fatigued. I don't know if it was due to the cold weather, an impending illness, or just the toll of some very active weeks. I'm finally adjusted to the time difference and am sleeping better. Hopefully, when things warm back up, I'll find my mojo again!

Back to Work

From California to Wisconsin, I did some traveling this week! I won't deny it--between all the activity of last week and the time change, I was exhausted most of the week. I did my best to stick to my schedule and to my surprise, my runs and CrossFit felt good. Work was really busy and I dove right back in as if I had never left. 

It's funny how that happens, isn't it?

California Love

Long post alert!! I've been out of town all week, visiting my sister and brother-in-law in Palm Desert, California. You know how it is when you visit a beautiful place--you want to do all the things and that is what we did! By the end of the week, my feet were sore and I was tired. I'm heading home today, with one day to recover before I return to work and life on Tuesday. It should be interesting, considering the 2 hour time difference between California and Chicago plus the 1 hour time change this weekend. 

In the meantime, I've recapped this very full week here on the blog. Thanks in advance for reading!

The Real Deal

It sure seems that the groundhog was right this year! This false spring we've been experiencing may be the real deal.  We had some really strong storms this week with multiple tornados--a real rarity in February for us--a sure sign that the weather is shifting. I've been enjoying some nice runs and even got to run in shorts this week. We were above 70F this week and we're supposed to hit that again. If this warm weather pattern is wrong, I don't want to be right.