Mammoth Challenge Complete!

On Sunday this week, I wrapped up the Mammoth Challenge with a run on my favorite trail. This year's Mammoth Challenge was challenging for a couple of reasons: I had only 3 weekends to complete 46 miles and visit 3 trail towns, and I have been having issues with my knee. But I got it done, thanks to the great fall weather we've had and the cooperation of my knees, which have been improving with intensive PT. Instead of running the whole thing, I hiked more miles than I have in the past and found that I didn't mind it at all. Slowing down gave me time to see a lot more interesting things. I just have to allot more time to cover the distance. I explored new-to-me segments, and I plan on doing a lot more of that after I retire in May. 

After pushing hard the last 3 weeks, I was tired, and I dialed it back. I did more walking than running on Wednesday's trail run. I'm going to continue to focus on healing my knee. PT has been so helpful--running feels good--and I'm making a promise to myself to continue with the exercises at home once I'm discharged. 

Weekly Rundown:

Sunday: Ice Age Trail Run Lodi Marsh Segment 7.5 miles/1100 ft climbing

Monday: Strength Training, PT

Tuesday: Yoga with Adriene

Wednesday: Trail run 6.75 miles

Thursday: Strength Training

Friday: run 3 miles

Saturday: rest

Mammoth Hike Challenge Compete: 46 miles

Bonus miles: 10

Elevation Gain: 5210

Trail towns: 3

After my Full Moon Hike the night before, I was up before the sun and out the door as it began to rise. I drove to my most favorite IAT segment of all, the Lodi Marsh Segment, to finish out my Mammoth Hike Challenge miles. It was another perfect fall morning--warmer than it should be, but who's going to question that? 

I started with a brisk hiking pace, but once I got to the top of the hill, I decided to try a run. I felt a brief twinge in my knee, and then it was gone. I kept running, waiting for the pain to return, and it didn't. There were a few walk breaks to take photos of the beautiful fall foliage, which was at its peak. I also stopped to pet all the dogs, most of whom were pheasant hunting with their owners. What a wonderful morning to be out on the trail!

Monday's 'heavy' lift was the back squat: 

#1: 5 reps at 75# (45% 1RM)

#2: 3 reps at 90# (55% 1RM)

#3: 1 rep at 105# (65% 1 RM)

Deadlifts 5 x10:

#1 10 reps at 80# (40%)

#2 10 reps at 90# (45%)

#3 10 reps at 100# (50%)

#4 10 reps at 110# (55%)

#5 10 reps at 120# (60%)

Bench Presses 5 x10: rep scheme as noted above

#1 10 reps at 38#

#2 10 reps at 43#

#3 10 reps at 47.5#

#4 10 reps at 52.5#

#5 10 reps at 57.5#

Wednesday was another perfect fall day, and I laced up for a run on the trails at the preserve. I saw one little deer along the preserve road, but otherwise, it was just the squirrels and me on the trails. The colors were at their peak, the sun made them pop, and the temperatures were pleasantly warm. I didn't want this run to end!

No PT today because I had to drive out to my parents' to take my mom to her semiannual appointment with the neurology NP. Strength training continues. This week SJ told me not to do the bench presses since I did them on Monday. Call me confused...

Deadlifts: 5-3-1 for load:

#1 5 reps: 100#

#2 3 reps: 120#

#3 reps: 140#

Back Squats 5 x10 ascending weights starting with 40% of 1 RM and increasing by 5% per lift. These got spicy!

65#, 72.5#, 80#, 87.5#, 90#

On Friday, I had to push myself to go out in the dark to do this run, but I reminded myself that fall is coming to an end. I'm so glad I went because wow--what a beautiful morning I experienced! With the time change, I will hopefully see a few more beautiful sunrises before the darkness returns. 

Off the road...

My father-in-law has been dying to see his first great-grandchild. We made it happen on Sunday. My little grandson is more awake now and cute as a pumpkin...

I took my mom to her neurology appointment on Thursday. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that her cognitive score didn't change much. She seems more confused to me, but she isn't wearing her hearing aids, and I think that may be a big part of it. My dad did a lot of complaining when I arrived, and I offered to schedule appointments for him with his doctors, but he declined. I guess it's easier to complain. My quiet quitting and not pushing him anymore have helped me a lot. You can't force someone to do something they don't want to do....

Here's a photo of my little pumpkin from Halloween!

How was your week? Are you dialing back on your running mileage and/or your routine for the winter? How do you feel about turning back the clocks? I asked this on my IG--as an early riser, I am a fan of the extra light in the morning, obviously, but I am in the minority!

BTW, if we were runfessing, I'd tell you that I prepared a Halloween IG post of all the creepy things I've seen on the trails this year, saved it to my draft folder, and FORGOT TO POST IT! So there it sits, until next year, I guess...

I'll be sharing my October Mini Book Reviews on Tuesday!

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

Busy busy!

It was a busy week for me! Between my new grandson, work, and fitness, my days were full!

Weekly Rundown:

Sunday: trail run 4 miles

Monday: Yoga with Adriene Yoga for Sensitive Knees

Tuesday: Fluid running

Wednesday: Trail run 5.5 miles

Thursday: Yoga with Adriene Hips and Low Back

Friday: 12-3-30 (10-3.5-30) on treadmill (1100 ft, 2 miles)

Saturday: Ice Age Trail Dane County Chapter Hike-a-Thon 14.5 miles/1450 ft

I had plans on Sunday morning to go to the hospital with my hubs to see our grandbaby. I also wanted to run at the preserve. I was out the door before sunrise and went to the smaller part of the preserve, where I hoped to see some deer. Spoiler alert: I did! But not before I found a deer skeleton in the woods. Oh my heart. Seeing the live deer made me happy. I hope they survive the outbreak.

The conditions were picture perfect and my knee didn't bother me at all. I did smell something rotten in a few spots around the woods, so I know that EHD is still out there. My run ended on a positive note. I caught up to another runner, and we ran together for our last mile. She's injured too; she's having knee surgery after the marathon. Hopefully, I'll see her again in the future!

Because I had a PT appointment at 9:30, I hit the trail with the sunrise again on Wednesday morning. And wow, what a gorgeous morning for a run! Besides all the fall foliage starting to pop, I saw quite a few deer frolicking in the woods, which made my heart happy. There were signs that a few more had succumbed to EHD. I didn't go too far--I wanted to save my legs for my big hike on Saturday!

On Saturday, I participated in the IAT Dane County Chapter's annual Hike-a-Thon. They offer 3 distances, and with my eye on miles for the Mammoth Challenge, I chose the longest distance. We took shuttle buses to the Cross Plains Glacial Passage trailhead and started our journey, continuing onto 3 more segments: Valley View, Madison, and Verona. The first segment was hands down my favorite--the trail took us up, down, and around a beautiful valley with amazing foliage. It felt magical! My photos can't do it justice.

The rest of the hike took us on trails and connecting roads, which I mostly ran because hiking on the road is boring. The weather was spectacular, with bluebird skies, bright sunshine, and warm temperatures. My goal was to finish all 14.5 miles in under 4 hours--mission accomplished! What a fun experience and a great start to this year's Mammoth Challenge!

Off the road...

You probably figured there would be baby photos! After my run on Sunday, the hubs and I brought breakfast to the new parents, who were still hospitalized with the baby while we waited to see if his bilirubin came down. He was discharged later that day and has been doing well at home! On Monday, I went with her and my son to his first appointment--he saw the pediatric nurse practitioner--and received the RSV shot. He was so sad, but my DIL calmed him down quickly. I just adore him!

I had my first PT appointment on Wednesday, and the good news is: I can still run as long as I'm not having pain! I can also do most of the workouts at the gym, with modifications. The knee strap keeps everything in place, and she told me to listen to my body. Interestingly, my right leg/hip is much weaker than my left. I was sent home with exercises to do to strengthen my glute and stretch my hip flexor. I go back next week. 

I also saw the orthopedic surgeon/sports medicine specialist on Thursday, which was a completely different experience. He basically told me that the reason I have tendinitis in my right knee is that I have no cartilage behind the kneecap, and that I need to stop running. He also told me I need a knee replacement. While I have no doubt that's down the road, I don't think it's imminent. I'll be getting a second opinion.

How was your week? Are you finding yourself busy this time of year? Did you race this weekend? It's a big one!

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

Oh Dear, Deer!

When I was in the woods on Sunday, I noticed a foul smell in several locations. I suspected dead animals, but didn't see any on my run that day. On Wednesday's run, I discovered the reason for the smell when I spotted a dead deer next to one of the creeks. My heart sank. I have been reading about EHD-epizootic hemorrhagic disease--in deer in Wisconsin and learned that it has also affected deer in northern Illinois. I suspected EHD in the deer and reached out to the forest preserve district office to inform them of what I found. I received a thoughtful answer to my concerns. I was hoping they'd remove the deer to keep the disease from spreading throughout the herd, but I was told that the disease doesn't spread from deer to deer. Instead, the disease spreads via infected 'midges', which I was told will die off during the first frost. 

Um, ok, but don't those infected midges bite other deer and spread the disease? Oh dear, deer...

Usually our first frost occurs in mid-October, but with climate change, who knows when it will happen. I'll just keep my fingers crossed that it's sooner rather than later. Who knew I'd be wishing for an early cold spell!

I've been running in these woods since the pandemic, and I've become very attached to this preserve and all the creatures that live there--especially the deer. You all know I just love seeing them on my runs. I hope that this disease does not wipe out the herd. It's so heartbreaking! 

Weekly Rundown:

Sunday: Trail Run 7 miles

Monday: Yoga with Adriene, Strength Training

Tuesday: Fluid running

Wednesday: Trail run 7.8 miles

Thursday: Yoga with Adriene, Strength Training

Friday: Run 3.8 miles

Saturday: Ice Age Trail Full Moon Hike 1.8 miles

It rained nonstop all weekend. I didn't mind being stuck inside on Saturday because I was exhausted from the week and the family stress. But by Sunday morning, I was ready to go outside. It was still warm-ish, so the rain didn't bother me at all. It was quiet, although I did see a few people on the trails. I also saw a few deer, including the triplets sans spots. They're getting so big! Mama was in the background, keeping an eye on them. I also saw this doe who 'charged' towards me, trying to intimidate me, I guess! I didn't move, just smiled and snapped a few photos. She finally got bored and moseyed off through the woods. It was fun watching her! 

Looks like an album cover, lol

Fall is slowly moving in, but I still found some colorful mushrooms and fungi hanging on. The berry game is strong, so the deer will have lots to eat as the weather cools down. What a wonderful morning on the trails!

On Monday, we started a new, abbreviated strength cycle to prepare for powerlifting in 2 weeks. YAY!

We rotated through 4 stations 4 times:

-4 x8 per leg landmine clean and press (45#)

-4 x10 goblet squats (20#)

-AMRAP ladder drills

-Laps slamball broad jumps

We finished up a Tabata of 1-leg V-ups alternating with push-ups. This got spicy in a hurry!

I was excited to return to the preserve on Wednesday for another run! I felt like I was coming down with something and was feeling fatigued, so I decided to do a run-hike, taking it slow and being a 'noticer', as one of my running friends calls me. I did see a deer running through the woods, but she was flying--so fun to watch--and I didn't have the opportunity to get a photo. I saw a red shouldered hawk--a new hawk to me-- and lots of squirrels gathering nuts and dropping them on my head, lol. A dragonfly landed on my wrist--it matched my shirt-- and a yellow jacket stung my ankle. Yep, it's fall.

Not sure why the colors in the photo bled onto my skin

Thursday's strength work was 3 rotations:

-4 x8 seated press (20#) per arm

-3 xMax effort (5 banded) pull-ups

-4 x10 per side medball (12#) twist throws

This was followed by an E3MOM of :20 assault bike sprints x5

When I stepped out the door for my Friday morning run around the neighborhood, I could not believe the sky. Instead of my usual route, I sped off to the baseball field, about a 1/2 mile away, to catch this amazing morning sky. I snapped some photos before heading down the road towards the big park where I take so many of my running photos. By the time I got there, the red skies had cleared. I felt so grateful that I was able to witness that beautiful sky! The rest of my run was uneventful--in fact, I took it easy on this run before heading home to get ready for work. 

We were up at the lake on Saturday, and while I wasn't feeling great, I decided to participate in the Lodi Chapter of the Ice Age Trail's monthly full moon hike. It was something I've been wanting to do. The conditions were near perfect--just a few scattered clouds, so I joined about 40 other people and hiked the 1.8 mile loop on the marsh side of the trail. I'm so glad I did--the moon showed up for us!

40+ hikers!

Off the trail...

By the end of the week, the virus took hold and instead of staying home to run with my Trail Sisters, the hubs and I went up to the lake. The weather was beautiful--seasonally cool, but sunny. We spent the afternoon outside to soak up the sunshine and later took the boat out on the lake. Summer sure flew by, didn't it? I packed away my waterski. Until next summer....

How was your week? If you were to give the triplets a band name, what would it be? Have you ever heard of EHD? Have you ever done a full moon hike? How are you enjoying this beautiful fall weather?

I'm wrapping up my September reads and will post my Mini Book Reviews on Friday!

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

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. 

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

No, it's not Christmas. It's late summer/early fall--my favorite time of the year. The days are still warm; the mornings are cool, and the foliage is turning colors. It's also marathon season, and the memories of my final training runs before the Chicago marathon always fill my thoughts on my fall runs. Mother Nature hasn't disappointed this week, even though there was some light rain. There's always so much to enjoy on my fall runs!

Trail Sisters Leadership Summit!

Last weekend, I attended the first-ever Trail Sisters Leadership Summit in Buena Vista, Colorado. Since I was away over the weekend, I didn't post a recap last week, so you get a recap of the summit with a little bit of my activity from the rest of the week. And as you might expect, tons of photos, none of which will do the Colorado scenery justice. 

Mycelium, Steroids, and a Staycation

This week was a staycation for me. I had a long to-do list--but I may have misjudged my body's ability to tolerate what I scheduled for myself. I still accomplished a lot, but thanks to a 'robust' reaction to the steroid injections I had on Monday to help relieve pain and stiffness in my knees, most of my work was from the couch. The side effects continued into Saturday. The household purge will have to wait.

A Moist Week

As much as I look forward to summer, I can't help but be disappointed when we have a summer that brings us lots of rain and moisture. I summerfess that I have spent more time indoors than I would have liked this year. Don't get me wrong, I've gotten all my runs done outdoors, but the humidity has limited my distance and/or my enjoyment. I'm glad I'm not training for anything! 

I'm looking forward to fall--it's my favorite season. I know what comes after that, so I plan to enjoy it as much as I can!

Another Whirlwind of a Week

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...

Vacation Time!

I worked Tuesday and Wednesday this week, and then I started my stretch of 10 days off. WOO HOO! I got a lot of busy work done on Thursday, and on Friday, we hit the road for a long weekend with the boys and girls in Door County, Wisconsin. You may remember my parents had a lake house up there for many years. Sadly, my parents decided a few years ago to sell it. It was really hard to say goodbye to a place that was part of my life for so long. My youngest son was sad as well; he has returned there several times since. 

Earlier this year, he proposed a family vacation to my hubs and his brother, citing the big changes that will be affecting them this fall. He will be starting medical school, and his brother and wife will be welcoming their first child! Life will certainly be different for all of us, and he thought it would be great for all of us to go away together. The hubs and I told him to look for a place, and he found one, on Lake Michigan. It's time to make new memories!

An Uneventful Week

What? Uneventful? It was nice to get a break from the daily onslaught of family drama. I don't think it's over yet, but it was nice to focus on other things. 

It was back to running for me on Wednesday! The blister has mostly healed, and shhhh... my knees have been quiet. Now if the humidity would drop...

My 20 Mile Hike...and the rest of the week

What a week! It started off well, with my successful completion of the 20 mile Mammoth March in Wisconsin on Sunday.  But when I returned home, I discovered a very large blister on the back of my heel. My tendinitis in my right knee also flared up. I took a rest day on Monday and went to the pool on Tuesday, which helped me feel better. There was no running this week, while I allowed myself to recover. A brutal heat wave arrived on Monday, with 'feels like' temperatures into the 100s, making it a lot easier to lie low!

In My Head

I dialed my miles back this week in anticipation of tomorrow's 20 mile Mammoth March Wisconsin. I'm also nursing a few niggles and did not want to make things worse. Off the road, the family situation continues to weigh on me, and I believe that the stress is taking a physical toll. I didn't realize it until someone pointed it out to me, but my confidence has also dropped (see my strength fails below). 

I'm looking forward to a full day in the woods, off the grid. Hopefully, this will help me reset. I'll share all the details on my IG and in next week's blog post.

Still She Persevered

I'm not exaggerating when I say that I had DOMS all week. From Sunday's run to Monday's strength training class and forward into the week, I struggled with soreness, tight muscles, and limited mobility. It's not as if I was doing anything more extreme than usual. But the DOMS, once they hit, wouldn't let go. I'm pretty sure our wacky weather added a whole extra element to the pain. Yet I persevered...

It's Summer!

It sure felt like summer this week, with the heat, humidity, and storms! Still, I was able to get all my runs in. This time of year sure humbles me when I lace up my running shoes. All the strong running of the spring--POOF!-- is gone. I keep telling myself that these summer miles bring strong runs in the fall. Stay tuned for that!

Weekly Rundown:

Sunday: Trail Sisters run 4 miles

Monday: Yoga with Adriene, strength training

Tuesday: Yoga with Adriene

Wednesday: trail run 7.2 miles

Thursday: strength training

Friday: run 4 miles

Saturday: rest day

Celebrating Global Running Day on the Trails

On Wednesday, runners all over the world celebrated Global Running Day. Global Running Day was started as a movement in the US in 2009--do you remember National Running Day? It eventually evolved into a worldwide celebration of running and has grown in size and popularity over time. 

As a longtime runner--I've been running for well over 30 years-- Global Running Day always reminds me to reflect on how important running is to me. I started running in my late 20s to help me manage my debilitating anxiety and panic attacks. Growing up as an anxious child in the 1970s, I didn't learn any coping skills. By the time I was in my 20s, I was struggling. Someone suggested that I try running as a good way to 'get rid of negative energy'. I didn't even know how to start. We were living in Chicago at the time, and I joined a beginner's running group with the Chicago Area Runners Association. We trained for a 5k--the Zoo run at the Lincoln Park Zoo--and I was hooked. 

Looking back on my life as a runner, I can say without a doubt that running has been a gift to me. Running has carried me through every season of my adult life--through infertility to pregnancy to parenthood (especially the teenage years) to grad school and now into my current era--gram to be, retiree to be, and caregiver for my elderly parents. Running saved me from myself. Running gave me confidence and strength--both physical and mental. Running has brought some of the best people into my life. I don't know where I'd be without running, and I can't imagine a life without it! I'm grateful that my body still lets me move like this, and I continue to be grateful for the gift of running.

A Strong Week

I started the week feeling strong, and since we were at the lake over the weekend, I was excited to run on my local Ice Age Trail segments. With my 20 mile hike coming up in a few weeks, I had been feeling less than confident in my ability to complete the distance. However, the two back-to-back strong runs on Sunday and Monday gave me a much needed boost and set me up for a really great week of fitness. 

Keep 'Er Movin

I had no plans for the week's workouts except to stick to my routine and keep 'er movin. I have a 20 mile hike planned for June in Wisconsin--the Mammoth March-- and I need to be ready for it.  

Guys, the stress of the situation with my parents is taking a toll on my health. My Oura ring continues to flag me for elevated resting heart rate and keeps telling me to take a rest day. I struggled with my runs and have just been feeling off. I had blood work done this week in preparation for my upcoming rheumatology appointment. For the first time ever, there were some abnormalities. Yikes. I'll ask her to recheck my labs next week before I start worrying. 

On Thursday, I drove out to my parents' house to take my mom for her ortho follow-up. She was still feeling pain, so I suspected that the fracture wasn't completely healed. The xray showed that I was right. When I shared the information with my dad, he didn't take it well. As if there was anything I could do to make it heal faster. I guess I need to find a magic wand.

Nature Therapy

Nature continues to provide me with plenty of stress relief. But the stress of the past couple of months is taking a toll on my physical health. I've been sick more than usual, picking up the random viruses that I'm seeing in my clinic, even with the usual precautions. I've been losing a lot of hair. I've been feeling really fatigued the past couple of weeks, struggling both with motivation and movement. I'm finding that I have to push myself to get out the door for my runs and workouts. And instead of feeling energized when I'm done, I feel tired. My Oura ring keeps sending me alerts. I've been dialing things back a bit to give my body some grace. 

To try to keep my peace, I've taken a break from talking with my father, instead, leaning more on the care manager to check in with him and make sure things are going well. The caregivers are doing their best to keep her safe. I did speak with him this week, and it went ok. He won't be happy until he gets what he wants, which is a return to life before my mom's fall. That's not going to happen. 

I never thought that my life would be like this; that my parents would act like children, that I would be in charge of keeping them safe, and that they would push back like teenagers. I thought I had gone through all that when my oldest son rebelled in high school. Who knew?

Trail Time!

Greetings from the northwoods of Wisconsin! My youngest son and I are on another hiking adventure on some new-to-us segments on the Ice Age Trail. We're taking advantage of a trail chapter shuttle on 2 of their segments. This enables us to complete the full segment point-to-point instead of doing an out-and-back. I'm sharing all the details below.

Earlier in the week, I started to feel under the weather. On Wednesday, I struggled with my run and called it quits earlier than planned. I felt achy, and by the end of the day, I knew I was coming down with something. Pretty sure I know which little cutie in my clinic gave it to me, lol. No shade at him--I should have worn a mask when I was in the room. I'm glad I was off work on Thursday and Friday to give me time to ride this thing out before the weekend!

On the parents' front, I had some good news this week! I took my mom to see her neurology NP for her semi-annual checkup. Although we had scheduled this appointment 6 months ago, the timing was perfect as it was 6 weeks after her fall. We did see a dip in cognition after the fall, but after her cognitive testing at the appointment, we learned that she had returned to her baseline. We were both so happy!