It’s Been a Week

It’s been a fun and frightening week, read on…

 

Overview of the Week

Before discussing each day’s workouts, here’s an overview of my workouts from this past week. Scroll beyond the infographic for daily details…

 

Sunday

Walking: 5K
• Average pace: 14:32
• Start time: 10:13 AM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 78° (feels like 79°) and overcast, climbing to 80° (feels like 83°)
• What I wore: shorts, tank, and visor

 

Monday

Strength training: 1 hour of full body

 

Tuesday

Cycling: 42 miles
• Average speed: 15.5 MPH
• Bike: Specialized Roubaix Comp
• Surface: paved
• Elevation gain: 1,506 feet
• Start time: 8:11 AM
• Location: W&OD Trail with some side country roads
• Weather: 75°, sunny, and humid, climbing to 84° (feels like 87°)
• What I wore: bike bibs and s/s jersey

My friends Mary and Rob joined me for a ride on my usual weekday course on the W&OD Trail. I’d only ridden with Mary once this spring and hadn’t seen Rob since our Key West ride in January. I hadn’t ridden this course in over about 14.7 MPH in a year, but with Rob pushing me, I average 15.5 MPH. I was wiped when we finished, but in the best way!

 

Wednesday

Strength training: 1 hour of full body

Walking: 1.2 miles
• Average pace: 14:38
• Start time: 5:58 AM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 69° and humid
• What I wore: shorts and tank

Running: 2 miles
• Average pace: 10:09
• Start time: 6:23 AM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 69°, sunny, and humid
• What I wore: shorts and tank

Rolling: 10 minutes

Stretching: 10 minutes

My legs were tired from the previous day’s hard ride, but I had committed to running 3.2 miles in honor of a man who had dropped dead of a heart attack at the end of his run 45 years earlier at the age of 32 as his 7-year-old daughter ran into his arms. The daughter, a member of the Runners Over 50 Facebook group I’m in asked the rest of us 43.7K members if we’d be willing to dedicate miles to her father on the anniversary of his death. I readily agreed and as much as I wanted to run all 3.2 miles, I stuck to my plan and did a warmup walk , prior to my run which enabled me to complete the miles.

 

Thursday

Cycling: 50 miles
• Average speed: 14.5 MPH
• Bike: Specialized Roubaix Comp
• Surface: paved
• Elevation gain: 2,290 feet
• Start time: 6:01 AM
• Location: W&OD Trail with some side roads including climbing Thomas Mill and Woodburn
• Weather: 72°, climbing to 86° (feels like 94°) and sunny
• What I wore: bike shorts and s/s jersey

When my friend Chuck told me he didn’t think he was up for riding the Reston Century with us because he hadn’t been doing enough hill training, I planned the perfect course for our Thursday ride (I knew he could do the distance since we’d ridden a century together in late June).

I also invited Rob from Tuesday’s ride who was up for some kick-ass hill training as well. Both guys loved the course so I’m sure they’ll be joining me again. My average speed was faster than usual for this course thanks to being challenged by the guys and drafting off them… not on the two hills, though, because they left me in their dust!

The view at the top of Thomas Mill never gets old!

 

Friday

Balance and stretching: 45 minutes

I usually get up and lift either before my first client or during a break between sessions; however, I woke up to no internet and got distracted. I wasn’t surprised after the doozie of a storm that woke us up just after midnight – I’ve never heard a boom so loud!

It wasn’t until I walked into our kitchen and looked out at the upper deck that I realized the loud boom had been lightning hitting our stairs and upper deck railing. Thank goodness it hit the deck and not the house. So instead of lifting weights between clients, I spent my spare time filing an insurance claim and picking up shards of plastic shrapnel of all sizes that had been blown everywhere, including far into the back yard.

We think the lightning hit the lower post and ran up the stair railing. Our bedroom is right above those French doors so you can imagine how loud the strike sounded.

 

Saturday

Cycling: 29 miles
• Average speed: 11.7 MPH
• Bike: Cannondale Topstone
• Surface: gravel
• Elevation gain: 2,395 feet
• Start time: 9:o1 AM
• Location: Middleburg
• Weather: 73° and partly cloudy, climbing to 83° (feels like 91°)
• What I wore: bike shorts and s/s jersey

We planned a chill gravel ride with friends, introducing two newbies to their first gravel adventure. Both had a great time and I suspect they’ll be back for more gravel grinding. A relaxing lunch afterward was the perfect ending to our fun morning.

 

Last Week’s Blog Posts

In case you skipped checking in on my blog this past week, here’s what you missed…

 

Questions:
  • • What was your most fun activity of the week?
  • • What was your favorite workout of the week?
  • • Did you run in a race this weekend?

 

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!