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. 

My Turn

The past 6 months since my mom's fall have really taken a toll on me, physically and emotionally. While I have kept up with my workout routine while managing my parents' care, I neglected the maintenance needed to keep this old machine running. I'm paying for that now, with that knee injury. Now it's my turn to take care of my needs. My dad has pushed me away and is now refusing my help, as well as not going to any of his appointments, and while that is troubling, we have enlisted our care manager to try working with him. I'm 'quietly quitting'. I will continue to manage my mom's care and accompany her to appointments. 

I'm happy to report that my knee is improving with my conservative workouts, physical therapy, and the gel injection I received this week. The PT has me doing some deep hamstring and hip flexor stretches, and movements to strengthen my hips, adductors, and quads. We're also working on balance. 

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. 

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.

Rain, Rain Go Away!

It's been a rainy, stormy week--again! But like the good runner that I am, I stalked my many weather apps to find dry moments to get my outdoor activities in. I didn't always dodge the raindrops or even the lightning, but I got it all done. We had plans to go back to the lake this weekend, but with rain once again in the forecast, we decided to stay home.

I'm heading into a week off work, at home this time, and am looking forward to some much needed downtime. I do have some appointments, and I'm planning to do some decluttering around the house. Not my favorite thing to do, but it's long overdue!

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...

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. 

It Was A Good Week

I'm happy to report that I'm starting to feel better. Not fast enough for me, of course. Friday's run was especially promising. I think you all know that I'm not a patient person, but as it was my body putting on the brakes, I had to listen. I haven't minded slowing down as much as I thought I would--as you'll see below, I was rewarded on Wednesday's trail run for my meandering pace. 

In retrospect, it was a good week!

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.

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!

Getting My Groove Back

After the turmoil of the past 5 weeks surrounding my mom's fall and my dad's subsequent fall apart, I stepped back to focus on my mental health. With my mom at home and all her care in place, my dad continued to badger me about removing the caregivers from the home. The conversations were a never-ending loop. I continue to provide supervision of my mom's needs, but will now utilize our geriatric care manager to share information with my father. I also reminded myself that the agency will contact me if anything concerning is happening.

I won't lie, stepping back has been difficult, but mentally, I realized how much of a toll this has taken on me. As the week went on, I started to feel more like myself. I reminded myself that I can't be good to anyone if I don't take care of my needs. 

Stormy Weather

Wow, did we get rain this week! Along with the rain, we had severe storms every night. This week alone, we've received almost 4 inches of rain locally — some areas had much more —and there is flooding everywhere. It's been wild. After a final round of storms on Friday night, the summer-like conditions moved on out, and we're back to cool, calm weather again. 

After being off the past 3 weeks to care for my mom (and dad) and prepare for her return home, I resumed work this week. I thought I'd be starting with a full schedule, but we are in a brief seasonal lull and a break in the high demand for appointments. It was the perfect way to return after the recent period of high stress. Was it nice to be back? Yes and no. I found it difficult to focus completely on the job. Despite some really good runs and workouts this week, I still have a lingering unease that I can't shake. Oddly enough, after seeing 3 patients on Saturday morning, the power went out, and we had to cancel clinic for the rest of the morning.