Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links

 

 

Wishing You and Yours 

A Very Merry Christmas

And

A Happy New Year!

 

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

Drive home from the farm

 

Monday

Strength training: 1 hour of total body

Running: 5K
• Average pace: 9:35 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 58 feet
• Start time: 5:33 PM
• Location: neighborhood streets
• Weather: 34° F (feels like 28° F)
• What I wore: tights, l/s shirt, nylon shell, gloves, mittens, and ear warmer headband

I saved my run until the evening so I could admire Christmas lights throughout our neighborhood. I’ve learned that many people turn their lights off at the end of the evening and the streets are far less festive during my pre-dawn runs. Check out my Instagram for pictures of more exciting displays than the simple lights on our Japanese maple.

 

Tuesday

Cycling: 15 miles
• Average speed: 16.8 MPH
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 7:46 AM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 63° F
• What I wore: bike shorts and jog bra

Foam rolling: 10 minutes

Stretching: 10 minutes

I was so busy after my run the previous night that I didn’t have time to do much more than shower so I skipped rolling or stretching with the promise to myself to do both the next morning. I kept my promise, and boom, they were both completed after riding my spin bike (affiliate link).

 

Wednesday

Strength training: 1 hour of total body

Cycling: 1.27 miles
• Average speed: 12.6 MPH
• Bike: Salsa Warbird
• Surface: paved
• Elevation gain: 59 feet
• Start time: 4:38 PM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 38°
• What I wore: capris, l/s shirt, fleece jacket, nylon vest, and gloves

Santa brought me a new gravel bike a few days early! I bought a Cannondale Topstone in August 2021, but it just never felt like the right fit even though the shop owners worked with me to try to get it adjusted correctly. My husband had been on the lookout for a replacement and when he stumbled across this Salsa Warbird (my dream bike), he ordered it. We’d checked this fall, but the local Salsa dealers were sold out and didn’t expect any new shipments until March 2023.

Even though it was 38° I took it out for a quick spin around our neighborhood, shivering and smiling from ear-to-ear the entire time! The Warbird is so responsive and handles really well. Perhaps it will make me faster!

 

Thursday

Cycling: 20 miles
• Average speed: 16.9 MPH
• Bike: Life Fitness Lifecycle GX Spin
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 6:01 AM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 62°
• What I wore: bike shorts and jog bra

Kim and I hadn’t worked out “together” in forever so we planned a 6 AM (5 AM for her) FaceTime ride on our spin bikes. We had so much to catch up on that the miles absolutely flew by. I am so grateful that my blog has brought Kim and other friends from around the world my way.

 

Friday

Strength training: 1 hour

Balance and stretching: 45 minutes

 

Saturday

Running: 5K
• Average pace: 9:20 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 45 feet
• Start time: 10:37 AM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 11° F (feels like -2°F ) and mostly sunny
• What I wore: tights, l/s shirt, nylon shell, gloves, mittens, and double ear warmer headbands

Walking: 1 mile
• Average pace: 14:33
• Elevation gain: 0 feet
• Start time: 12:11 PM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 65° F
• What I wore: tights and jog bra

Foam rolling: 10 minutes

Stretching: 10 minutes

As grateful as I am to have a treadmill (affiliate link), I only use it when running or walking outside is not an option. After seeing posts of local friends who had run outside in the very frigid weather, I knew it would be fine for me, too. Luckily, I had the flexibility to wait until it had warmed up a tad and had a pretty comfortable run.

After my run I returned inside to my treadmill for a short walk. I can run in the cold, but the temps were a little too cold for a walk.

 

Last Week’s Blog Posts

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

 

Questions:
  • • Are you experiencing extremely cold weather? ~ After rain all day Thursday and early Friday, we watched the wind pick up and the temperature plummet as the rain moved out (their paths crossed for about an hour and we were treated to sleet).  Our low on Saturday morning was 7° with a feels like of -5°. That’s cold for December here in our part of Virginia.
  • • What was your favorite workout of the week? ~ No doubt my favorite workout was riding bikes virtually with Kim!
  • • Did you run in a race this past weekend? ~ No

 

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.