Week in review June 21-27: Through hell(ish temperatures) and high water

You say boring, I say consistent.

It's been A Week. It started off as most weeks do, with an easy trainer ride and supplemental work, and a run on the coolest day of the week. Even my husband came with me for a few miles.

Then, someone turned the furnace on and the Midwest became a relentless inferno. I made it to the pool once on a day I got lucky dodging rain clouds. In two separate incidents, we had to rip out drywall and repair a water line leak (!), and we had severe thunderstorms that caused flooding and kept my husband busy all day Saturday. I don't care if I don't see another drop of water for a while.

I wasn't in a great mental place Friday and ended up passing out on the couch early-ish while watching Parks and Recreation reruns, so I skipped a workout that day. One of our dogs is terrified of storms, so she kept us up most of the night Friday into Saturday. Saturday, a lot of friends were dealing with flooding and property loss, which was difficult to see. We ended up on the lucky side but it was still a rough weekend.

I knew the weather was only going to get hotter as the day went on Sunday so I went out for a long run mid-morning. It was "feels like" high 80s by the time I finished but I had enough ice water and just gutted it out. I came home to coffee (yes I drink it hot all summer long) and bacon, so it was a pretty good way to wrap up a summer run.

I'm still not signed up for any races, so I think this mix of a few runs in the heat, some bike trainer rides, a swim here and there, and my usual weights, PT, and yoga routine, and maybe a complete rest day here and there, is just fine for the time being.

A decent amount of training this week, considering.

Overall, training was:

Bike: Three times, all on the trainer, for 58.5 trainer "miles" in about 3:35. I would have liked to go out for a road ride Saturday, but the highways were and still are flooded, so no one's going anywhere for a while.

Run: Twice, both on the road, for 20 miles in about 3:24. This was one easy mid-week run and one 12.5-miler in the heat, just in case I want to jump into a half marathon this fall, haha.

Weights: Three times -- my usual core Monday, a mid-week video, and my Saturday heavy/body weight routine -- for about 2:50.

PT/Pre-hab: Five times, three mobility and two PT sessions, for about 2:45. I did skip one of my usual PT sessions for my sanity. 

Swim: One 1600-meter swim of drills and 200s for about 44 minutes.

Yoga: Twice, both Down Dog app, for 30 minutes total.

Total: 16 sessions for about 13:47. A good summer week that included some easy workouts and a rest day.

I'm not setting any records right now but I am getting out and enjoying summer when I can. I still have to take my bike out on the road and go run trails, but I'll get those done eventually. In the meantime I'm maintaining my consistency and sanity in the air conditioning when I can.

Week in review June 14-20: Hot and muggy to kick off summer

Another week with a pretty good variety of activity.

I've been meaning to come here and do a mid-week update once in a while but I'm having trouble finding an extra few minutes here and there. My schedule has been walk dogs, work, train, cook something healthy, stay up too late watching something (lately it's Black Sails), go to bed, start over.

I'll be going back to the office a few times per week soon (I tried to go in today but forgot I need a negative COVID test first) so I'm really trying to keep my run-or-bike-then-PT-after-work routine going as long as I can. I made it to the pool once last week (two weeks in a row!) but didn't make it out for an outdoor ride or trail run. That's OK; I got to spend time safely with friends on Saturday and relax before a nice trainer ride and weights routine.

I'm only running three times per week right now and that's OK. My Friday and Sunday runs were hot and muggy. I've been bringing ice water and stopping to drink every 2 miles to stay safe. I'm not training for anything specific so I really don't care right now. I'd rather lose a little fitness than have heat stroke.

I did everything in groups of two last week, apparently.

Anyway, last week was:

Run: Three times, all on the road, for 24 miles in about 3:49. This was an easy run, a speedy-ish run of descending miles on a hot day that almost made me barf, and a medium run before heading off to a Fathers Day barbecue.

Bike: Three times, all on the trainer, for 59 fake trainer miles in about 3:37. Nothing out of the ordinary here. I would have liked to get outside Saturday but I just got too late of a start. That's OK; my body needed a bit of extra rest that morning.

PT/Pre-hab: Five times, three mobility and two PT, for about 2:45. I skipped two days for a swim and getting too late a start for a run, but I've been pretty consistent otherwise.

Weights: Three times; one core, one barre app, and one heavy-body routine; for about 2:45. Normal week here.

Yoga: Three times, all with the Down Dog app, for 45 minutes total.

Swim: A mile of drills and splashing around in about 44 minutes. Just getting back into feeling the water here.

Total: 18 sessions in about 14:24. Not a bad week.

I'm still not signed up for anything but I have a few races on my radar; I don't know if the 5K I do every summer will be happening or not, and there's a triathlon nearby I'd like to do later on, but everything is still up in the air right now. So I'm mostly going to keep training to stay in shape and hopefully be fit enough to jump in something if and when the opportunity presents itself.

I hope you're all staying safe, cool, healthy, and fit out there.

Week in review June 7-13: It was hot and I swam

It was SO hot last week. All of my runs were in heat ridiculous enough that they all became 2-mile repeats with drink breaks. Dog walks were quick. And even when I made it to the outdoor pool for the first time this season, it was hopping even for being a weekday. We all wanted to stay cool.

Other than making it to the pool and the heat, it was a pretty standard week. I gave up one trainer ride to swim. I would have liked to ride outside, but we had a birthday party to go to on Saturday, and it was just too dang hot. I didn't want to take my life in my hands riding on the road at the state park, dealing with beach goer traffic, or with families rollerblading on the road closed to traffic on Saturdays. I'll make time to tune up my bike this week so hopefully I can get out for a real road ride next weekend.

I really considered doing nothing on Sunday and being lazy in the air conditioning, especially after a slow morning watching tennis and drinking coffee, but I decided a long run would be better for the spirit. I drove out to a path I don't get out to that often anymore, and it was just what I needed. I left cold water in the car and refilled at mile 8, doing 12.5 running miles total. This also ended up as 2-mile repeats with drink breaks, but the change of scenery did me good.

Overall, it was a decent week:

Decently even distribution for run, pre-hab, and bike.

And not bad volume, either.

Run: Three times, all on the road, for 26 miles in about 4:14. Lately I've been doing one easy, one speedy, and one medium or long, and it's working for me.

PT/Pre-hab: Six timex, three mobility and three running PT, for 3:45. My standard.

Bike: Three times, all on the trainer, for 59 fake miles in about 3:36. I skipped my fourth trainer ride to swim.

Weights: Three times: one core, one video, and one heavy/body routine, for about 3:50.

Yoga: Three times, all on run days, for 45 Down Dog app minutes total.

SWIM: Once for 1600 meters in about 43 minutes, including drills and rescuing some wayward flippers that had sunk to the bottom of the deep end. I've only swum once since last fall and I was surprised I felt as non-terrible as I did.

Total: 19 sessions in not quite 16 hours. A good week for me!

Summer is kind of going bonkers right now, as the heat and humidity seem to have broken for much cooler temps this week. This week I'd really like to swim at least once, preferably twice; ride my bike outside; and maybe make my speedy run a trail run instead. I know that might be pushing it considering I have to do boring things like work a full-time job (yuck).

Whether you're getting outside or staying inside in the air conditioning, I hope you all are staying safe and healthy out there.

Week in review May 31-June 6: Almost equal splits of run, bike, and PT

I missed a bike trainer ride last week, but it was for a good reason:

My husband's family decided on a balloon outing. It was super fun! I'd been up in a balloon before, but that was more of a quick jaunt, and this was a nice, relaxing ride in the sky. We made every dog bark in a 100-mile radius, waved at the kids watching us from their back yards, and even scared a deer.

I had already planned on taking that Friday off work for a personal day/summer Friday, so it wasn't TOO big a deal that we got home late, and I definitely enjoyed farting around and savoring my coffee all morning. That day, and the other two runs last week, had weather-related issues: I got wet on Wednesday, and Friday and Sunday were hot hot hot. Summer is here, even if it isn't officially here.

I also had Monday off for American Memorial Day, so I did a longer trainer ride that day and did some baking. I could definitely get used to a three-day work week! Alas, I must work 40 hours a week to pay for my running and triathlon habits.

When I wasn't up in a hot air balloon, last week consisted of:

Run: Three times, all on the road, for 24 miles in about 3:54. This was an easy run, a speed run of very hot half-mile pickups, and a long-ish run of 9.5 miles just as it was getting into the heat of the day. I really, really didn't want to wake up early so I suffered in the heat instead. Eh, we'll call it heat adaptation training.

Bike: Three times, all on the trainer, for 62 fake trainer miles (a metric century!) in about 3:53. This was a slightly longer ride on my day off Monday, my usual medium ride on Tuesday, and a longer ride on Saturday. My current Netflix show is Santa Clarita Diet, which I am really enjoying. (And Timothy Olyphant doesn't hurt, either.)

PT/Pre-hab: Six times, three mobility and three running PT, for 3:45. This is a big time commitment but I am making it work.

Weights: Three times including one core, one barre app, and one heavy/body routine, for about 2:45. Again, this is a time commitment, but I am making it work.

Yoga: Three times, all with the Down Dog app, for 45 minutes total.

Total: 18 sessions in a hair longer than 15 hours.

It wasn't an ideal week for training, but I took advantage of some down time and made the most of it. Getting used to the hot temperatures, getting outside for a bike ride, and getting in the pool will probably be my focuses for the next few weeks and months. Hopefully, I can get a race on the calendar soon.

I hope you all are staying safe and cool out there.

May in review: Not bad, even dipping out of town for a few days

Not a bad variety for May.

May included the first trip out of town I'd taken in a year and a half. Since I was gone almost a week, of course my training "suffered," but since I still got in a few runs and I'm not signed up for anything, that was perfectly fine with me.

May marked the second month in a row I've come in at just less than 100 miles. I was moderately bummed when I saw I'd come in right at about 95, depending on my last long run of the month, but not so bummed that I felt the need to get out on the 31st and run an extra 5 just because. The 17th also marked the first Monday that I have NOT done a core workout since Dec. 28. Again, I was moderately bummed, but not so bummed I felt the need to rustle up a core workout on vacation.

One other thing of note is the virtual half-marathon I did at the beginning of the month. It was 11 good miles followed by a 2.25-mile sufferfest in the heat, but I got it done, supported a local race company, and got some cool alien-themed swag in the process, so not all was lost.

Other than that, the rest of the month was pretty darn boring. That's OK. I've said this 100 times already, but boring is good right now.

And not bad volume, considering.

To wrap up May real quick, by the numbers it was:

Bike: 14 times, all on the trainer, for 260.5 fake trainer "miles" in an overall time of a hair less than 16 hours. This also included an FTP test during which I gained 8 more watts, which I immediately felt in my next workout. I didn't try to ride at all while I was out of town.

Run: 12 times, all on the road, for 95 miles in about 15:17. This was a virtual half at the beginning of the month, a bit of recovery, a bit of a break only running twice on vacation, and getting back into the swing of things. Fine by me.

PT/pre-hab: 21 times, 11 running PT work and 10 mobility, for about 12:45. This was my usual 6 times per week when I was in town.

Weights: 10 times, which worked out to be 4 core sessions, 3 videos, 2 barre apps, and 1 heavy/body routine, for about 7:45. I had a couple of strange Saturdays in there during which I couldn't make my usual heavy/body routine work, but this was still a decent amount of lifting.

Yoga: 12 times, all Down Dog app sessions on run days, for 3 hours total. This is still feeling really good and I'm going to keep "forcing" myself to do yoga on run days.

Total: 69 sessions in about 54:44. Not bad.

June started off busy (hence my not wrapping up May until five days in) but I'm already off to a good start with some runs and lifting. Hopefully your May was good and your June will be good too.