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Happy Easter
To those celebrating Easter, may all the joys and blessings of this beautiful season be with you. May the renewal of life at Easter bring hope, love, good health, happiness, and peace to your family and loved ones.
Overview of the Week
Before discussing each day’s workouts, here’s an overview of my workouts from this past week. Scroll down for daily details…
Sunday
After severe storms and torrential rain during the previous 24 hours, the sun came out around 1:30 PM and I headed out for a run. Almost as quickly as I started running, the clouds thickened and a light drizzle started to fall. At 62° it was very muggy and I regretted not wearing a tank.
The 1-mile long gravel road had been severely damaged and where there weren’t deep ruts, water was pooled several inches deep. Just as I was wrapping up my run and got back to the mailbox, the start and finish line of my double loop, I realized that I’d forgotten to restart my Garmin (affiliate link) after I’d stopped to talk to the VDOT driver who was was out assessing the storm’s damage. Of course I did what any good runner would do and jogged back about a quarter mile to the point of our conversation, restarted my watch, and ran back to the mailbox. My overall pace for my 4-mile run was 10:12, not bad considering that my run consisted of dodging deep ruts, running through ankle deep water, and slogging through mud.
Rivulets of water running down the middle of the road…
Rushing water carved out huge ruts in the road…
Once home from my adventuresome run, I stretched and foam rolled with my Grid roller (affiliate link). It’s very handy to have for traveling, but takes longer to use since it’s half the length of my Rumble roller (affiliate link) and I have to do each leg individually. The grid is also not as intense and great to use when first getting into (or back into) rolling.
Monday
With a total chill day, I resisted the temptation of pulling out Mom’s dumbbells and exercise bands and stuck with my plan to rest from strength training for a week. I religiously strength train three days a week and every once in a while I like to give myself a break. Last Friday was a travel day and the start of my rest from lifting.
I’d planned a solo gravel adventure on my bike; however, with the condition of the gravel roads, I opted to skip my ride. Instead, I spent the afternoon gardening and dug up peonies to transplant into my garden at home. Peonies from the farm will be much more special than any purchased at a nursery even though they’ll take a couple of years to establish (peonies don’t transplant well, especially in the spring).
Not peonies, but beautiful all the same…
Tuesday
Since Mom and I needed to leave her house around 10:30 AM for an eye appointment, I was out the door for my run by 7:20. I expected the road to be muddy from the weekend’s storms, but was surprised to see how much water was still flowing across the road in places – the road was in the best shape in the particular place where I stopped to take a picture of the sun first hitting the hillside.
Wednesday
I woke up to steady rain and ditched any hopes of an early morning walk. My alternative plan had been to walk in town while my mom’s car was being given the once-over during its state safety inspection, but with the steady rain continuing, I hung out in the shop’s waiting room where I struck up a conversation about trail running with the guy behind the desk. I learned that he was an avid runner prior to a back injury. Sound familiar?
Thursday
Once home from our six-hour drive from the farm, we were both exhausted. Bill for good reason since he’d driven home on Sunday and back down on Wednesday evening to pick me up – he’d hoped to stay the entire time, but something came up at work…
I needed to move my body so I planted the peonies I’d transplanted from my mom’s garden. So far they look great and here’s hoping they do well and bring a smile to my face and make me think of Mom each time I see them. As any good gardener knows, one thing lead to another and suddenly two hours had passed.
Friday
Back home and in my routine, I saw my first client at 6:30 AM and then easily fit in my own strength training workout in my free time before my next client appointments began. I also got in 15 minutes of stretching during the balance and stretching class I teach on Facebook Live. Immediately after finishing with my clients I spent the afternoon playing catch-up from being out of town for a week, and hit up Costco, the grocery store, etc. in preparation for Easter. I finished the day more exhausted than I’ve been in ages and went to bed early.
Saturday
With overnight temps getting down into the 20’s, Bill and I didn’t leave for our ride until late morning after it started to warm up. Even with the air temperature at 46° (felt like 42°) at our start in Middleburg, the wind cut right through us and we stayed cold for most of the ride even though the temperature climbed to 54° by the time we finished. It wasn’t until we were back in our car that we finally warmed up completely.
I definitely plan to recap this ride later in the week because I want to be able to refer back to it and never do it again! The ride included climbing Bull Run Mountain on gravel, but that wasn’t the hard part, it got even steeper later with two almost mile-long climbs at ridiculous grades and both on loose gravel. We climbed a total of 2,800 feet over a mere 27 miles.
The scenery was beautiful, though, and like most rides in western Loudoun and Fauquier Counties, history was all around us.
Here’s What You Might Have Missed
In case you skipped checking in on my blog this past week, here’s what you missed…
- • Sunday – Weekly RunDown: March 21 – 27 / A Change of Scenery
- • Thursday – Catching Up Over Coffee: Mockaritas, Car Alarms, and Saving $5
Questions:
- • Have you completed a ride, run, or hike and declared that you never wanted to repeat that route?
- • How’s the weather in your neck of the woods? Have you had torrential rain, high winds, snow, or perfect spring-like weather?
- • Did you run in a race this weekend? If so, was it live or virtual?
And that’s my rundown… Have a great week!
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I’m linking up with Deborah at Confessions of a Mother Runner and Kim from Running on the Fly for their Weekly Run Down. Be sure to check out not only the hosts’ posts, but those of the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on the blue product link and then make a purchase, I will receive a small commission for referring you. You will pay no more or less for the product; however, Amazon will show their gratitude for my referral by paying me.
Sounds like you had a relaxing week away with your mom. It is always funto run somewhere new despite the rain and wind challenges. Happy Easter to you and your family
Thanks, Deborah!
Oh my, the rain sure did a number on your roads. We had a freak snow storm this week but it looks like we have some potential tank top days later this week.
We drove through snow flurries several times on our trip home from the farm and Mom said it snowed much of the day down there. And, yes, it’s supposed to get warm here this week as well. Come on spring!
Wow, that looks like a challenging route with all the mud! The weather has just been crazy this week. That looks like such a nice place to go for a ride!
I do like running on the gravel road when I’m visiting the farm because the surface is softer on my joints, but the mud made it a lot more challenging.
Ironically, I just came in (about 30 minutes ago, as daylight was dwindling) from transplanting peonies! Ugh, that is major work because the roots are so thick (and deep). I’m much more exhausted now than I was after my 10-mile run yesterday. That road looks crazy with all the mud and water!
Kimberly Hatting recently posted……and out came the Sun!
Gardening isn’t for sissies! LOL Hopefully, we’ll both have beautiful peonies this summer!
That picture of you running through the mud puddle really says it all! Sounds like an active and challenging week. The bike ride sounds grueling- but those pictures of it are beautiful.
Happy Easter!
Jenny recently posted…Weekly Rundown- It Was a Weird Week
Thanks, Jenny! Happy Easter to you as well!
Yes several hikes I would not repeat that that time of year…one with ice and one with mud. Neither was enjoyable at the time.
Yikes on all that water. We had rain and some snow…snow is mostly gone except in shady places.
No race yet. two weeks!!!!
I don’t blame you, both hikes sound scary.
Wow on all that water everywhere! Good job getting that run done.
Peonies from your mom’s farm will be super special. My peonies took about 10 years to bloom — I think my husband may have cut them back in the Fall and I’m afraid I won’t get anything. 🙁 Although I’m not really an avid gardener — too much work!
I’m sure your mom was so glad to see you & so grateful for your help. Like I said, I’m really impressed that she’s still living on the farm!
Oh dear, I hope it doesn’t take 10 years for my peonies to get established and bloom, but when I researched transplanting them, it said it could take a few years… Mom cuts her peonies back to the ground each fall, so hopefully yours will be fine and bloom this year. And yes, having them from her garden is so special. I even dug one up for our son and daughter-in-law’s new back yard.
Mom and I had such a nice time. We got a lot accomplished in my week there!
that water is CRAZY!!!! I can’t believe all the damage to the roads!
I can’t wait to see all your peonies!
Happy Easter! Sounds like you had a great week!
The road damage from the heavy rain was pretty bad. VDOT brought a few loads of gravel for a quick repair, but when I left there was still a lot more that needed to be done.
Thanks and Happy Easter to you as well!
I love seeing your week this way, and admire what you accomplish. Pollen has taken out my zip for my renewed exercise routine, unfortunately. I’ll be back on it, but right now, it’s a struggle just to get through work!
Thanks, Eli! Yes, the pollen has been especially bad this year. I seem to get pollen alerts on my phone every day.
Holy storm, batman! That Sunday run and the whole rest of the week with the road conditions! CRAZY!
I have done a race that I’ve never ever wanted to do again. In fact, a few! The ones that stick out in my mind; Run Forest Run14K Trail Run (where I was last, got a blister half way and got lost), the New Years Eve Run in the Hilliest part of Berlin with tiny treacherous paths (didn’t know) and the Athens marathon… ugh… The start and the finish were amazing, the whole rest of it… AWFUL.
The weather here is ON DRUGS. Mother Nature isn’t drunk, she’s done a speedball!!
Renée @runlaugheatpie recently posted…WRD: Week 13: 2021 Just Blurgh
The Athens Marathon was on my friends’ and my radar several years ago, but we never ran it. You make me feel better about not running it.
Yep, that was one heck of a torrential rain storm (and electrical). I grew up living along that road and don’t remember ever seeing it wash out that much from a single storm.