Overview of the Week

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

 

Sunday

Cycling: 50 miles
• Average speed: 11.9 MPH
• Bike: Salsa Warbird
• Surface: gravel
• Elevation gain: 3,648 feet
• Start time: 10:29 AM
• Location: 2023 Grinder Nationals course
• Weather: 48° (feels like 43°) and sunny with 12 MPH wind, climbing to 58°
• What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, arm sleeves, light jacket, ear warmer headband, fingerless gloves over nitrile gloves (took nitrile gloves off about half way into the ride)

Physical therapy stretches: 3 times per day

It was a beautiful day, but the wind surprised us when it hit us in the face whenever we turned north. Even with the wind slowing us down, I rode the same route a little over a week ago at the same speed, but without wind that day so it seems I was a little stronger on this ride.

 

Monday

Strength training: 1 hour of total body

Walking: 5K
• Average pace: 14:36 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 136 feet
• Start time: 8:25 AM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 46° and sunny, climbing to 55°
• What I wore: capris, s/s shirt, nylon shell, ear warmer headband, gloves, and mittens

Physical therapy stretches: 3 times per day

I rescheduled clients so I’d be home and able to enjoy watching the solar eclipse (my part of Virginia had 88% coverage during totality). I took the top sun picture before the eclipse even started and the bottom two pictures were taken by one of my clients. For some reason my eclipse pictures didn’t show any changes in the sun – I have a lot to learn about taking pictures of solar eclipses, but I have 20 years to figure it out before the next total eclipse in the USA.

 

Tuesday

Walking: 2 miles
• Average pace: 15:48 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 63 feet
• Start time: 5:47 AM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 52° and clear, dropping to 49°
• What I wore: capris, s/s shirt, nylon shell, ear warmer headband, gloves, and mittens

Walking: 5K
• Average pace: 15:03 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 164 feet
• Start time: 10:42 AM
• Location: neighborhood trails
• Weather: 71° and partly cloudy, climbing to 75°
• What I wore: capris, s/s shirt, and visor (I got too hot and should have worn shorts)

I’d had a procedure done on Monday and was told to keep my exercise light for two days so I had to skip my weekly hill workout on my bike (of course the weather was perfect for riding). Instead, I’d planned to go for a midmorning walk, but when I woke up at 4:34 AM and couldn’t go back to sleep, I got up at 5 and fit in a walk before logging on with my first client.

Later in the morning after wrapping up work, I headed back out for another walk while stopping to take pictures of the beautiful flowers along the way.

 

Physical therapy stretches: 3 times per day

 

Wednesday

Strength training: 10 minutes of easy core work

Walking: 5K
• Average pace: 14:59 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 133
• Start time: 7:10 AM
• Location: neighborhood trails
• Weather: 62° and overcast, drizzle toward the end
• What I wore: capris, s/s shirt, nylon shell and gloves (took gloves off half way through walk)

Physical therapy stretches: 3 times per day

 

Thursday

Walking: 4 miles
• Average pace: 15:32 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 201 feet
• Start time: 5:59 AM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 64° and cloudy
• What I wore: shorts, s/s shirt, nylon shell, and gloves (took shell and gloves off after first mile)

Cycling: 22 miles
• Average speed: 13.5 MPH
• Bike: Salsa Warbird
• Surface: paved
• Elevation gain: 623 feet
• Start time: 10:05 PM
• Location: W&OD Trail
• Weather: 66° and mostly cloudy, climbing to 68°
• What I wore: bike shorts, s/s jersey, arm sleeves, light jacket, and fingerless gloves over nitrile gloves (took jacket and nitrile gloves off after 5 miles)

Physical therapy stretches: 3 times per day, plus 1 hour of physical therapy

Able to resume regular workouts, I met Kim for our weekly early morning virtual cardio chat session. We both walked outside until the wind blew her back inside and onto her bike.

 

Later, after wrapping up my morning clients, I got outside before the rain hit for my weekly interval workout on my bike – this time I did 10 x .7-mile intervals with a long warm-up and cool-down. Naturally, after 3 windless days, the pesky wind found me as the storm blew into our area.

 

Friday

Strength training: 1 hour of total body

Balance and stretching: 45 minutes

Physical therapy stretches: 3 times per day

 

Saturday

Cycling: 70 miles
• Average speed: 12.4 MPH
• Bike: Specialized Roubaix Comp
• Surface: paved
• Elevation gain: 3,412 feet
• Start time: 8:32 AM
• Location: W&OD Trail Sterling/Purcellville loop with Hillsboro and Round Hill tours
• Weather: 55° and partly cloudy with 19 MPH wind from the north, climbing to 65° and sunny with 14 MPH northerly wind
• What I wore: long bike pants, l/s jersey, light jacket, ear warmer headband, and fingered gloves (switched to fingerless gloves with about 20 miles to go)

Physical therapy stretches: 3 times per day

This was a miserable ride, but I kept telling myself that it was making me mentally stronger. We rode into a 19 MPH headwind the first 30 miles and traffic was unusually heavy during the 19 miles we were off the trail and on roads. I wasn’t familiar with the roads which made that part seem to last even longer. When the wind wasn’t directly in my face or at my back, I often had to fight to keep my bike upright leaving my hands exhausted from gripping the handlebars so tightly.

 

On the upside, we stopped for a late lunch/early dinner about 2 miles from our house and afterward I started a new ride, giving me 72 miles on the day.

 

Last Week’s Blog Posts

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

 

Questions:
  • • Were you able to see the solar eclipse where you live? ~ We had a nice day for viewing with 88% coverage at totality.
  • • At what stage are your spring flowers/tree blossoms? ~ It’s full on beautiful here!
  • • Did you run in race this 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!

 

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