A Run In The Sun

It wasn't a "Perfect" week, but it was a damned good one!  I missed one (bike) workout, but crammed in an extra swim and after months of being confined to the treadmill, I got to do my long run OUTSIDE!!!!!

Monday was the usual: On the bike before sunrise, work, quick warm up run before training, training session, mad dash home to eat and get a few things done before crashing into bed.  The added bonus of Monday was the restocking of the Shot Blok stash. We were down to 1 pack of tropical punch bloks and 1 pack of mountain berry bloks - and I think the mountain berry ones taste really gross. I much prefer black cherry, citrus, or margarita!

I got a rude awakening on Tuesday morning when I woke up and couldn't move my left arm without a lot of pain.  I'm pretty sure I strained a tendon or something on Monday night while attempting to do pull ups, but not being able to straighten my arm completely sucked and made doing simple tasks rather difficult.  For example, my coffee cup usually sits to my left when I'm at work.  Not today!  I had to move it to my right side so I didn't wince every time I went to take a drink!  It improved somewhat by Tuesday night, so I was able to do a short yoga practice and fold a mountain of laundry.

That's just the workout clothes from the previous week

Wednesday started with a really good interval workout on the treadmill before work and ended with a really interesting swim.  The pool was really busy, so everyone was sharing lanes.  I shared with Mr. R&R and between him and the 6 other bodies in the pool, the water was actually choppy!  At one point I remember turning my head to breathe, getting a face full of water, and thinking 'Huh, it's just like racing.'  It never hurts to be reminded that the water isn't always going to be flat calm and I'm not always going to have as much personal space as I'd like!

I had really good intentions of getting on the bike on Thursday night even though I felt like I was going to fall asleep standing up, my arm still ached it I tried to hyperextend it, and my legs felt like lead sticks.  I even went so far as turning on the heater in The Cave and walking upstairs to put on bike clothes - and then decided that my body was screaming for rest, so I put on my pajamas and called it a lost cause.

Mr. R&R hit The Cave for his workout and I figured that since I wasn't going to ride, I could at least put together a decent dinner.

Shrimp Burrito Bowl

After looking at the weekend forecast I opted to join Mr. R&R at the pool on Friday night and do my long run on Sunday (when the temperature was predicted to be in the low 60's!).  I've never been in the pool at that particular gym location, but I can tell you that I'm going to become a regular fixture there.  The water was rather chilly, but it was really clean feeling, and apparently that combination made me rather fast!  I ended up doing the longest swim I've done in quite a while - 1750 yards (although my Garmin decided to skip 25 yards in there somewhere, so I only get credit for 1725).  We came home, had a late night snack, and crashed hard.

I enjoyed my usual leisurely Saturday morning activities of lounging, reading, and bunny-petting while Mr. R&R went to the gym for his training session and then it was time for my weekly long ride.  90 minutes of leg destroying over/under FTP drills while watching Twister - which holds up surprisingly well for a 20+ year old movie.

I was actually excited to do my long run on Sunday.  As promised, it was 60+ degrees, sunny, and not windy!  I haven't run outside since early November and that run was absolutely terrible. This one was anything but terrible!  I got to wear my favorite running shoes (too filthy to wear to the gym) and ran a route that I normally don't get to run by myself since I usually run alone and at night I feel after sticking to well lit, busy streets.

Graffiti Under The Bridge

My route took me down the Monster Hill, under a bridge, and onto some gravel/dirt paths.

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I It's been so long since I ran outside that I forgot how hard running on concrete is and how good those paths feel.  Parts of the paths were a little flooded/muddy, so I did my best to pick my way around those sections without soaking my feet, and kept a pretty consistent pace for the majority of the run and only felt bad when I tried to chug my way back up the Monster Hill. I ran for an hour and finished with even filthier shoes, mud spattered on the backs of my legs, and a huge smile on my face.

My run ended about 3/4 of a mile from home, so I had plenty of time to enjoy some extra sun and fresh air - and now I can't wait for spring!

The sun actually felt WARM!

How's the weather in your neck of the woods?  Did you get outside this weekend?

Sweet Spot Week 5 Stats:

Swim:    3,325 yards (1.89 miles)
Bike:      30.49 miles
Run:       11.04 miles
Yoga:      1 Practice (20 minutes)
Strength: 1 Session

Total Time:        6 hours, 50 minutes
Total Distance:  43.41 miles

Cumulative Distance:  256.79 miles - roughly the distance between Milwaukee and Windsor, Ontario (assuming one could drive or swim directly across Lake Michigan!).