Weekly Rundown- The Longest Week
Somehow, this week seems like it was 100 years long. The highlight was my back-to-back long run adventure- but that seems so long ago. Was it only a week? Yes… yes, it was. I’m linking up as always with Kim and Deborah for this Weekly Rundown (thanks for hosting, ladies!) Let’s go waaaaay back to New Year’s Eve, when it all started. Sunday Long Run #1!! The weather was absolutely beautiful- 50s and sunny- and I had no other obligations this day, so I opted to drive about 30 minutes away, to the edge of the Everglades. From there, I had multiple trail choices, and I did parts of all of them! This run would have been perfect… except for my left arm. Remember how I hurt it last week (presumably doing pull up negatives?) Well, about four miles into this run it was hurting, and it got worse and worse as I went on. I tried all sorts of things, like holding it very close to my body and swinging it minimally. That helped, but it still hurt… a lot. I was pretty bummed that this sore arm was “ruining” my run, but I tried to look at the big picture. Everything else felt good, I had plenty of energy, and, well, sometimes things hurt and you have to deal with it. I had planned to go 22 miles on this run, but opted to cut it short at 20. I wanted to figure out a better way of managing my arm before Long Run #2. I walked a mile just to flush out the legs, and then was done for the day. Monday Okay. I taped my arm with KT tape and was ready to go! It was another beautiful day. I walked a mile to warm up, and then, this time I ran to a nearby park with a large grassy field and cross country trail- my race in February apparently has a lot of grassy areas and I want to be ready. My arm felt okay! It still hurt, but was more manageable than the day before. Again, I felt good. As the run went on, I felt normal “long run fatigue,” but I couldn’t really tell I had run 20 miles the day before. This run was 16 miles. My original plan was to run 22 the first day and 14 the second… instead I ran 20 and 16. Overall I was REALLY happy with the way it all played out. And as you can imagine, the rest of the day was spent relaxing on my couch (with books, football, and my cat.) Yay! Tuesday Leg day at the gym- JUST KIDDING. Ha- I was pretty sore when I woke up. I did my daily mobility routine, but other than that it was a day off. Wednesday Still sore, but I ran 4 miles. Thursday Not as sore… I contemplated going to the gym but instead did strength at home. It turned out to be a great decision, because I discovered that my legs were still deeply fatigued. I did squats (with dumbbells- not as heavy as what I do at the gym) dead bugs, and Runners Touch. Runners Touch involves only bodyweight, and even that felt challenging in my hips. Well… I’ve never done back-to-back long runs and didn’t know what to expect. But I’m learning! Friday Another 4 mile run, and starting to feel back to normal… almost. Followed this run with planks and dead bugs. Saturday Day off- I know, I just had a day off on Tuesday, but that’s just the way the week worked out. At night I did start Ben Patrick’s “Knee Ability Zero” program, which I’m going to do for the month of January (at least- I’ll continue if I feel that it’s helping.) It’s all bodyweight (hence the “zero”, as in, you need zero equipment) and I could do the first three exercises without pain. The next one hurt, so that’s where I stopped. I’ll do a full post on the program sometime this month! Sunday Okay seriously- today really IS leg day at the gym. I think I’m all recovered, and I need to get to the gym, because next week I won’t be able to go. I have another long run planned for Wednesday morning, and then we leave for Tampa! There is a gym in our hotel, ahem, but as we all know, hotel gyms are hit-or-miss. How was your week? Did it seem unusually long or short?
New Year, New Coffee Date
Well, the Christmas tree is gone. The rest of the decorations are coming down gradually, and I’m still drinking out of my holiday mugs (that’s allowed until January 6th, right???) But it’s a new year, and time for the first Ultimate Coffee Date, hosted by Coco and Deborah. Get out your holiday mugs one last time, grab a delicious beverage (always Earl Grey tea for me!) and let’s get started. If we were having coffee (tea) together, I would share one last “fantastic” photo my daughter sent from Rome. I would love to put them all together in a collage, “Angie’s Trip to Rome.” It would be special! She had a good time, although traveling to a different country can be eye-opening. You appreciate first-hand the hardships people go through- like, did you know people in Italy are actually forced to drink room temperature water??? Yes! There’s NO ICE. No ice in the hotel! No ice in the restaurants! If you order a soda, it comes in a can, and it’s kind of cold but not really, and there’s no glass full of ice to pour it in! You can’t imagine how much I’ve heard about the lack of ice in Rome. Well, hopefully this harrowing experience will make her appreciate life in the US more. My daughter has a few days to recover from her jet lag, and then it’s back to school… for two days. On Wednesday of next week we’ll be off to Tampa! Angie is playing in the high school All-State band; my husband will be attending various band director conferences for professional development, and my son and I will be enjoying some rest and relaxation. Last year when we went to Tampa I sought out a trail for an adventurous run… but this year, I’ll be doing a long run on Wednesday morning before we leave, so my time in Tampa can be more chill. I plan to stay close to the hotel, read my books, visit the Starbucks… and POSSIBLY have a blogger meetup (ooh! Exciting and mysterious… who lives in Tampa???) The last thing I would share over coffee is my new wall calendar, which I found while randomly browsing at Barnes and Noble: Seriously? CATS AND BOOKS??? It’s like someone made this specifically with me in mind. Here’s the January picture: I love it so much! 2024 is going to be a great year!!! Do you use a wall calendar? Room temperature or ice water?- Room temperature is actually better for your digestion, but I know it’s hard to drink if you’re used to icy cold. Header photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
New Year’s Runs and Resolutions
Hey, guess what- I DID IT! Back-to-back long runs on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. I ran 20 miles the morning of New Year’s Eve, and then 16 miles on New Year’s Day. The weather was beautiful, and I can’t think of a better way to ring in the New Year! While I was running I listened to some interesting podcasts. In this episode of the James Altucher show, James recommends having “quests” rather than “goals” for the New Year. He describes a quest as something that might sound slightly crazy, and that you might not be able to complete- like becoming a chess grandmaster or running a marathon in every state. Or, a quest could be a little more realistic- like visiting every lighthouse or Frank Lloyd Wright house in your area (Hi Elisabeth! Hi Beckett!) I would even say a quest could be something like reading every book by a certain author. I guess quests are more fun than goals. Then, I listened to this episode of Sally McRae’s podcast, “Overcoming Fear and People Pleasing.” She said most people fail to pursue their dreams out of fear- fear of what other people will think, and fear that we don’t know enough or we’re not ready. Well… the older I get, the less I care what other people think; and I’m more and more likely to throw myself into something and figure it out as I go. It’s always good to have a reminder though. You might be thinking, “This is all well and good- but what ARE your goals for 2024?” Okay, okay… I have some. First, I don’t have a word for 2024- I have the phrase, “Every Day Counts.” I’ll continue to work on appreciating every day, instead of wishing the day away or wasting it by worrying or ruminating. I also have some specific goals: Read 50 books. I set this goal every year, and always fall short because my reading takes a huge hit in November and December. I have a good feeling about 2024 though- the year is off to a great start with my “book flood.” Focus on sleep. I realize this is too vague. I need to analyze what’s going on and come up with concrete solutions. One place to start may be eating dinner earlier, so I can shift my evening activities earlier as well. Get organized with my strength training. Again, vague. I’m toying with the possibility of following a program- possibly the one on Sally McRae’s app. OR, to start with, the program in Ben Patrick’s Knee Ability Zero, which I just got for Christmas. My running goals are more like quests. No one is telling me I have any business running a 50 mile race, but I’m doing it anyway! Possibly two of them! Those are quests, not goals. By the way, the top photo is my new planner. It was literally the first one I picked up in TJ Maxx. It has everything I need: Plus about 20 pages of notes in the back. I was actually kind of disappointed because I had been looking forward to browsing leisurely through planners (I was also going to Barnes and Noble that day) – I was like “Darn! This first one is perfect.” I’m linking up this week with Jenn and Zenaida for their Tuesday Topics! Check them out- their theme for this week is “What’s Your Word for 2024?” Do you have your 2024 planner? Do you set New Year’s goals?
Weekly Rundown- Between the Years
It’s the last Weekly Rundown of 2023! The week between Christmas and New Year’s sometimes feels kind of “blah” to me, but this year I’m enjoying it. Our weather has been cooler than normal (yay!) my son is still home (yay!) and although I do have to work, my daughter is away on a band trip so everything feels… easier. I also took an extra day off exercise because I’m getting ready for two big runs. Thanks as always to Kim and Deborah for hosting! Let’s see how this week played out. Monday Christmas Day-off! I thought I might do a short run in the afternoon, but instead I took two naps. No regrets! It was a really nice day. Tuesday 4 mile run, followed by obligatory core work (dead bugs and planks.) This was the start of our week of incredible weather- down to the 50s every morning. Wednesday This would have been a great day for the gym, but it was also the day my daughter left for Rome, and all I could muster the mental energy for was another 4 mile run. Thursday Okay, the gym! I pushed and pulled the sled, did squats and deadlifts, then finished with the leg curl and leg extension machine. I’m still having a nagging pain in my right knee- I need to read the “Knees Over Toes guy” book I got for Christmas! Friday Another 4 mile run, followed by core. Saturday Off, other than mobility (this is the routine I do every day) and stretching. Yesterday I shared that I asked my daughter to simply send us photos from Rome if she didn’t feel like texting, and she’s proceeded to send the worst photos ever. Here’s another beauty: I would be wondering if she even made it to Italy, but luckily the chaperones are posting pictures from Pompeii, Mt. Vesuvius, the Pantheon… I can catch glimpses of her pink hair so I know she’s there! I’m not sure if she took me very literally and thought this was what I meant by “send photos” (she is a very literal person) of if she knows these are terrible and is chuckling evilly to herself. Sunday On tap- Long Run #1!!! Long Run #2 coming up Monday morning. I told my husband and son all I’m doing for the next two days is running, reading on the couch under a blanket, eating, and sleeping. My husband said “Oh, all your favorite things!” Yes! Eliminate the fluff! There will be none of this “going to work” or “cooking dinner.” Pare it down to the essentials. Are you celebrating tonight? – I’ll be living my dream of staying home and reading on New Year’s Eve. Happy New Year! Header photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash.