Typical February Week: 2/15 – 21 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy

Snow. Ice. Cold. Not nearly as much as forecast, though — in fact, much, much less (except the cold part). I was able to run outside twice. My heart goes out to my friends in Austin, even while I’m actually glad (for once!) that we live here and not there. I’ve been without power. I’ve been without water. Neither is fun. Throw into that burst pipes — yikes!

I am ready for some good news, I truly am!

bwrd

I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and easing slowly back into running and strength training.

Workouts update

  • Monday: Yoga (40 min), PB Legs (11 min), Dogwalk
  • Tuesday: Yoga (20 min), PB Balance + Core (10 min), 2.5 TM, 4.5 SB, Shoveling, Yoga (20 min)
  • Wednesday: Yoga (30 min), PB ST (10 min), Dogwalk, Yoga (20 min)
  • Thursday: Yoga (30 min), Easy 3 miles, Dogwalk
  • Friday: Yoga (30 min), PB Legs (10 min), A little touch up shoveling, Dogwalk
  • Saturday: Yoga (20 min), PB Arms (10 min), Dogwalk
  • Sunday: Yoga (20 min), 4 miles easy, Yoga (20 min)

Running Mileage: 9.5 (+1)

JY = Jasyoga
PB = Killer B
TM = Treadmill
YFR = Yoga for Runners*
WU = warmup
CD = cooldown
SB = Stationary Bike
YFPR = Yoga for Pain Relief
YTU = Yoga Tune Up Lower Body*

*Disclaimer: Amazon affiliate links; I will make a small amount of money if you buy through these links

Running Update

This is how it looked by the afternoon when the temps had risen above freezing and the ice was melting. Made the shoveling easier, but I stuck to the mill in the morning.

Tuesday Intention: just a touch of speed + more time
I chose a 45 minute intervals run today. I’ve been using 45 minute runs, but just running for 30 minutes. I continue to slowly increase time and length of my runs, so this week I wanted to run for 35 minutes. Which I did.

Another cool ice photo. Makes plastic mesh look like chain mail!

I kept my “speed” relatively low, walked the last 10 minutes, and then cooled down with a 10 minute indoor bike ride. I’ve been doing 15 minute cycles, but it was getting really close to lunch and no one wants Mr. Judy hangry.

No killer storms here but lots of days with just a few inches of snow & lots of cold means the snow stays. Until next week when we’re supposed to get more seasonal temps.

Thursday Intention: opt outside + easy miles
No wind for the win again! Which is good because it was just barely above 22F. Definitely took it easy, but a good run overall. Except for when I turned around at the end of one street and almost literally ran into a woman running on the wrong side of the street — I had no idea she was there. Otherwise uneventful except for V02 Max nudging up a little and my last mile being a pretty normal pace.

Typical February scenes

Sunday Intention: add some more distance (again!)
Another cold in the low 20s run, but wind not too bad and bright sunshine! It still felt more difficult than Thursday’s run. No idea why. Back up to 4 miles. Woohoo! Although I did stop after mile 3 to make sure Mr. Judy had been out to walk Bandit — he just won’t walk if I’m at home and Mr. Judy takes him solo, but he usually will walk if I’m not at home. Looking for me, no doubt. I was worried I’d get home and then have to go back out to walk him — which I do a lot — but I just wasn’t feeling that today. He’s such a weird dog.

Rarely seen sunshine outside; but no way to get Vitamin D from that sunshine so gotta get light somehow

Favorites of the week
I want to thank everyone, again, who took time out of their love day to wish me a happy birthday last week; I am grateful to each and every one of you.

Mr. Judy actually put his thinking cap on and got me a great gift: a new light box for the mornings. I’ve had a small one for many years, but the rechargeable battery was slowly dying. The new one is much larger. I still get tired in Winter, but I do think it helps! I also asked for something like a water pick — food is always getting stuck in my teeth — and he got me that, too. It took some getting used to but my teeth feel so good after using it.

He also chipped in with his family, and there are some new Yoga props on their way, too.

Of course birthdays aren’t about what you receive, but it’s always nice to know that people are thinking about you.

Favorite recent birthday gift?

How’s your motivation holding up as Winter grinds on?

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a free virtual Yoga class here! 

GWY Yin Yoga Hamilton

ICYMI: It’s a Hamilton Yin Yoga practice! I had so much fun working on this. You’ll deeply stretch your whole body. I will give you a quote from the play for each Asana (posture). I can’t play music from the soundtrack due to copyright, but maybe you can entertain yourself with it in your mind as we practice together. You’ll find the video here. If you’re looking for some inspirational morning reading I’ve got some suggestions here.

I’m running a fun challenge in my private Facebook Group. I’ll be trying to help you get into the “routine” of practicing something calming each morning. I will be raffling off a free thirty minute private Yin Yoga class via Zoom. You can join here. You can only enter to win if you’re in the Facebook group, and you have until the end of the month to enter. No pressure, it’s supposed to be fun!

Coming up on Tuesday: I’m wrapping up February (just a few days early). Friday it’s time for some runfessions!

42 thoughts on “Typical February Week: 2/15 – 21 WRD”

  1. Oh nice thoughtful gifts, I love that. Interestingly, Mr Liz told me yesterday that his SAD has been less bad this month – he usually really struggles in February. He has been able to get out for a walk most mornings in the week and gets the early light then (as well as his lightbox at home first thing) and it seems to have helped. So that’s a fight to not have him go back to the office, as he gets natural light all day at home, too.

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    1. Well, I think I struggled enough for Mr. Liz this month. It’s definitely a hard time of year for me.

      Unfortunately it’s been super cold in the mornings, so our walks usually don’t happen until the afternoon. Although I usually do get my runs done in the mornings — late morning, though.

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  2. I got my parents something similar for Christmas this year but I keep forgetting to ask how they like it! Its hard to not get natural vitamin D and sunlight in the winter. So glad you had a good birthday!

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  3. That’s nice that Lloyd is so thoughtful. We don’t exchange gifts anymore. We both just buy what we need when we need it…and I think we have more than we need. Though your gifts sound interesting since I have neither. My hubby and I are so low tech I have to laugh sometimes. I mentioned Alexa and he said NEVER!

    I hear we have snow coming but then a warm up. Hooray for little pleasures.

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    1. We also usually buy what we want, but it’s nice to be surprised occasionally.

      We have Alexa hooked up to the lamps in our bedroom, so when it’s time to go to sleep, I can just tell her to turn off the lights. Which is really helpful — yes, I can reach the one by my side of the bed easily — but the one on the other side not so much.

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      2. You need a special plug, the bulbs are regular bulbs. Well, they’re salt lamps so not quite regular — but they last a really long time.

        I appreciate it when I’m cozy in bed & can just turn over & go to sleep!

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  4. Mother Nature must be very angry with us because the weather this month has been so icy, windy and snowy! Fingers crossed that we don’t get anymore snow next week!

    So happy that you had a great birthday! It’s always nice when you receive thoughtful and useful gifts.

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  6. I’ve gotten the suggestion to get a light box–but I do get so much natural light, I wonder, will it make a difference? Glad you had such a good birthday.

    Aren’t all dogs a little quirky?

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    1. Where both of us live — I actually commented to Mr. Judy just today I could run naked outside & I wouldn’t be making any vitamin D.

      It is literally impossible at our latitudes — well, I know for sure at ours, but I’ll bet yours, too — to make Virtamin D in the Winter. I do supplement, but Winters are really hard on me.

      Some dogs are quirkier than others . . . ours have gotten progressively quirkier, actually. Someone I know recently got a rescue dog, and he sounds awesome. We attract the hard cases.

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  7. It sounds like you had a wonderful birthday! and that light box sounds really cool! a couple of years ago Bill surprised me with a Garmin for my bike. Now that he knows I like stuff like that (GoPros, etc.), it’s much easier for him to surprise me.

    Great job on your workouts last week. I’m hoping to get at least two runs outside this week. There’s freezing rain in tomorrow’s forecast, but it’s supposed to warm up after that.

    Have a great week, Judy!

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  8. My motivation (for fitness stuff) doesn’t seem to have waned with the cold, but ugh. I am definitely ready for warmer days ahead. The hubby just made the comment about how pretty the snow does look (it’s still snowing here), but he’s tired of driving in it, too. I took Max for a walk around the block one day last week, and he was so excited that I could barely get the leash clipped onto his collar…he misses all that walking!

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    1. Luckily we really don’t have the need to be anywhere when it snows. That makes it much easier. 🙂

      Bandit isn’t happy when he doesn’t get his walks either. Of course he’s not really happy walking when it’s really cold and slushy either!

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  10. Glad you had a nice birthday and it sounds like Mr J got you some very sweet gifts. I really should think about getting a light box. I get outside plenty all winter but the sun just isn’t there. It’s soul sucking.

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  13. It sounds like you had a great birthday! The light box is nice for winter. Fortunately most winters here are pretty sunny, although this year has been much more overcast than usual and I’ve definitely felt the effects from lack of (as much) sun.

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  14. So you feel like the light box really makes a difference? I grew up ear Chicago but ended up in Florida because I had terrible SAD. Every once in a while I wonder about moving (neither one of my kids wants to live in Florida when they’re grown- go figure) – maybe the light box could be a solution?
    BTW, I noticed one of the commenters referring to your husband as “Lloyd.” If that actually is his name it’s a weird coincidence because my parents’ names were Lloyd and Judy!!! Not exactly super common names either.
    Glad you got some good running in!

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    1. I think the light box helps — a little. Even with that I struggle in winter.

      The grass is always greener! I couldn’t wait to leave NY, but yet here we are again.

      Yes, my husband’s name is Lloyd. Although when I was growing up, Judy was a VERY common name! There was almost always another Judy in my classes. I know it’s not as common now.

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  15. I love my water pik lol! Such a great gadget. I am so glad you had a nice birthday.

    Bandit is the cutest. Isn’t it funny how particular pets can be.

    With hurricanes, we have lost power and water, together and separately. It’s miserable, and I don’t know if it’s better to be cold or hot while it’s happening. I guess there are pros and cons to both, but I do hope to never experience it again.

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    1. Towards the end of our stay in TX, our AC was dying (not surprising, we were in that house 15 years).

      Being without AC in heat & humidity is brutal for me! I know people who never use AC & I can’t wrap my head around it.

      I’m not sure I’ve ever had to endure that long an outage and that cold temps — even up here (thank you, generator!).

      In VT we had a wood burning stove & that really heated the house — in fact it overheated it.

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    1. Husbands are really hard! I try to give mine experiences more than gifts (a Lutt tricky during the pandemic).

      We didn’t get a lot of ice & it warmed up just enough to melt pretty quickly. We’ve been really lucky, most of the snow has stayed south!

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  19. A friend of mine has been using a light box for years! She swears by it! I think most of us need the extra light/ vit D for sure. Glad you did actually make it outside at some stage! Always the best!

    the best gifts I’ve received are not things, though there are things that I’ve received that I’ve loved. hard to explain but when I have a memory that lasts forever, that’s when it’s a great gift. That’s not to say I do love that my husband started a pandora tradition since I turned 50 haha!

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