A Lot of Snow
There was unfortunately a lot of indoor time this week due to the snow. Usually we get a dusting of snow, maybe one or two days in the winter, but it’s been years since we had this much.
I believe we had somewhere in the neighbourhood of 10 inches of snow (here it was around 20cm but in some places it was up to 30cm). Since we are not used to it, the roads and the paths aren’t cleared for at least a couple of days (if at all) so it’s not really something I want to go out and run in – too risky for the knee right now.
It’s been quite fun and smile-inducing to see so many people, of all ages, having so much fun in the snow! It’s well known that The Netherlands is a flat country in general, but we do have a few hills here in the East, and specifically in Sonsbeek Park (where I walk and do my notparkrun).
Finally around Friday the natural waterways, canals and ponds started freezing and everyone has been out ice skating (which is nice but it’s also been crowded and that to me is a bit disappointing. – we always seem to forget there is a pandemic when something “fun” comes along).
Check out the instagram account @ingelderland for more amazing landscape shots of the province I live in!
Time for the Weekly Run Down
Deborah and Kim are the amazing hosts for the Weekly Run Down! Feel free to join in as well to wrap up your week in fitness!
WEEK 31
Plan vs. Actual
Monday – 3.25KM walk, GLI gym 1 hr intake – no workout (appt w/different PT), 3.5KM biking
Tuesday – 3KM walk (office day) to and from train station
Wednesday – 3KM walk, W6R1 run, 6KM, GLI 1 hour, gym 55 min
Thursday – 2.22KM walk, gym
Friday – 2.75KM walk, W6R2 run , gym 55 min
Saturday – 2.5KM walk, parkrun in Alkmaar 5KM, 17/17 Dutch parkruns done!
Sunday – 2KM walk, long run W6R3, 1.4KM w/u walk, 10KM run (!!!)
Week 6 In Review
Monday – 3KM Walk
Tuesday – RPM 79
Wednesday – 6KM Treadmill Run
Thursday – 30 Min Shovelling Snow
Friday – 9.65KM Walk (outside!! Finally!!)
Saturday – 3.3KM Walk, RPM 80, 40 min “cool down” zoom bike ride
Sunday – 7.65KM Walk
Running
Not a lot going on in the running department. I struggled with the 6KM this week on the treadmill and would have preferred to run outdoors. This weekend was the NNRunningDay Valentine’s Edition and I was signed up for the 10K (what was I thinking??). Due to the conditions outside, I have decided to DNS this virtual race. On to the next!
Walking
It felt like I walked less this week and got less steps in general; While I decided to not worry about the 10K steps per day, I dropped my average a bit this week. After Monday’s really slow walk I just didn’t venture outside again until Thursday when I had to dig the car out to take one of our cats to the vet. Friday was beautiful out – sunshine and blue skies – so I once again combined my errands with a nice long walk. I’d already decided there would be no notparkrun on Saturday, so I had a walk that morning to get some fresh air, grab a coffee and pick up a few items for dinner.
By the time Sunday rolled around, it had definitely warmed up a bit and the paths were a wee bit clearer. I thought I might manage 10KM but about half of this walk was still a bit icier and slower than my normal walking speed. At 5KM I was feeling a bit “done” so I made sure to take the shortest route home from there. I certainly did appreciate the sunshine though, that’s for sure!
Strength and Spin
Did RPM twice this week and joined the Blogger Bikers after Saturday’s session, so about 40 min “cool down”. with Kim H, Kim G, Debbie, Coco, and Michelle. I didn’t actually record the time, mileage or calories burned of the cool down and I live to tell the tale!
A 
No strength training this week, but I did do a fitness assessment to start a strength training program next week! I had to do (and film) several “basic” exercises so that my coach could see how well I did. Windmills, some lunges, a plank and more. More on this subject in the coming weeks…
Home Improvement
Mostly worked on the downstairs room this week – basically it’s “done’ now except for a few touchups here and there. Our floor guy needs to come back to finish the laminate and baseboards and we need to now start unpacking the rest of the boxes to put things in their place (and likely give more things away). So, yes, we finished the room but NOW we have other work to do…
We also bought and finally hung matching lamps in the living and dining room! It took me 15 years to make decisions about the lamps in the previous apartment and I didn’t want to drag my feet with this house! So when I saw these lamps I knew we had to just go for it. Originally I was thinking to get only one for the living room and a different for the dining, but Wendy (of Wendy and Vincent) convinced me that it would be better to have the same. I’m glad I listened!
I bought these from a local shop (Spyk71) where I actually saw them hanging and then was able to order online! The owner delivered them herself!
We also decided this week to get rid of our living room table because it’s just too massive for this space. So we decided on this:
We bought this from MADE which carries furniture and home accessories that are created by independent, established and also up-and-coming designers. So this beauty won’t actually be with us until June…
This will however make it so much easier for me to just pick up the table, move it to the side and do my strength training in the living room. The table we have now is probably 2.5 times heavier. We are getting rid of it (either selling or giving away) as soon as possible.
Stats this week:
Walking 23,61KM
Running 6KM
Bodypump 0
Spin bike 2x RPM, 40 min ride with the Biker Babes
Total steps: 63,634 (avg daily 9,090)
That’s a wrap!
So much snow and cold weather here too. All of my workouts were indoors too.
The photo of spin class Barbie just made me lol. That’s how I feel after all of my workouts, especially outdoor runs in the summer.
So nice to see you yesterday and ride virtually with all the other ladies. It’s a highlight of my week!
haha yes Barbie could be pretty much for any workout and my mascara! Hopefully we have some good outdoor time in our future!
We had to move our coffee table out of the family room area and put an ottoman there instead since Grayson would hit his head on it. The ottoman is actually working out pretty well. We have had some snow lately but also ice which is more of a problem. I hope your weather improves soon!
actually an excellent reason to move the coffee table. my friend came over today with her 2 year old and I was watching him like a hawk so he wouldn’t hurt himself on the table! We don’t have a toddler-proof home anymore that’s for sure.
LOL on spin class barbie — that’s how I’d look if I bothered with eye makeup (that could run) anymore. :-P We didn’t have much snow this week, but we had rain, freezing rain, and hail, and it all freezes overnight. Love your new lights!
It’s so fun riding with you over Zoom.
My mascara is not supposed to run Coco! hahahaha! Thanks – I’m still really enjoying the lights :)
Looks like you all are crushing it on the new home DIY area! I wish we were better at that. How great it will feel when you are done. Although, really I am not sure if you are ever done in a house ha! Interested to hear about how your coach assesses your strength training moves and designs your program. Have a great week and thanks for linking
I’m sure the work will never be done in this house! Ha! It’s early days with my program but already excited for the new week!
Ha! Our large coffee table is too big for our sectional, but instead of getting a new table, we’re getting another piece to make the sectional bigger. My husband has issues letting go of furniture. Yikes. Your house looks amazing. So fun to have a new place!
OMG more sectional so that the table isn’t too big! LOL!!! Ron is the opposite. He could get rid of pretty much anything. Thanks so much Wendy!
Love the new light fixtures, very unique! They look great.
I saw some footage of people skating the canals, so cool! You live in an amazing place!
Thanks! And yes in nature it’s amazing, but I’ve also seen some really crazy things on the ice as well!
it took us many, many years to get proper chairs for our dining room table. Now they’re falling apart. :(
We just don’t have a coffee table at all! Mr. Judy grumbles about it but oh well.
The south right now is having some very uncharacteristically cold weather. I get how it’s hard when you live in a place that isn’t used to it.
I grew up skating on a pond opposite Vasaar College! When we first moved here, before I started to run, I used to skate once a week. That stopped once I started to run!
You know, I could almost live without a coffee table. Ron’s reasoning though “where would we put our coffee?” Good point. I skated when I was very young and loved it. I don’t know why I don’t skate anymore. When I was really overweight I remember trying to rollerblade and it was just so hard. So I think mentally I just crossed of all activities like it. Silly, really.
We have a little cube pouf next to the recliner & couch (actually, the couch has a thing that folds down, but someone never uses it, although I use it as my “desk” on the other couch. anyway, that’s just big enough for the remotes, the phone, & a couple of mugs.
My husband isn’t really crazy about it, but I like the fact that there is one less thing to bump into and clean. Not to mention how would Bandit jump up if there was a coffee table in his way, LOL?
I love those light fixtures! My art geek self has a tough time making command decisions with decorating. I’m always holding out for the next great inspiration…and lots of time passes with nothing to show for it LOL Always great seeing you (and pedaling with you) on Saturdays ;-) Stay warm!
Oh believe me Kim I have a hard time deciding on stuff like this because I never feel like it’s exactly right. However I was very excited when I saw these in the shop in November and only thought about it for a couple of months before I pulled the trigger.
No way would I skate on natural ice! I don’t have that kind of trust LOL!
Your new lights are gorgeous! We need to update some light fixtures in the house, but we just did so much work, and we still need to finish our master bath and the kitchen, so it’s not super important.
I love your new table – can’t wait to see it in place!
haha I know Jenn! I don’t trust the ice anymore. When I was a kid we did it of course – we were invincible! Thanks for the compliments on the house stuff :)
Yep, holding a plank will slow down time immediately, ha ha!
I’ve never ice skated on a natural surface. When I was younger they would flood and then freeze the field at our school, and then we would go out and ice skate for P.E. The good old days!
So you have a strength coach? I’ll be interested to hear all about it!
Sometimes I think I’ve already done a minute and look at the stopwatch and it’s 20 seconds haha! When I was young we’d drive up to the ski area where they had little frozen flooded fields as well for us to skate on. It was definitely the good old days! I am working with a coach at the moment for strength and flexibility. It’s early days but I really like her and already worked with her previously on nutrition.
We had the same snow as you of course, it was a bit shocking! I missed my run on Tuesday as I cancelled it, rearranged my day then of course the pavements were clear when I would have gone. Then I did three days in a row to take advantage of the no ice. As you do. Anyway all OK. All the lakes were frozen but no skaters here.
It was definitely shocking, all the snow! And the Dutch were apparently born on a bike with skates on their feet so you know the minute it freezes they are allllll out there!
I moved my coffee table to the other side of the living room and not it is in the hallway going down the stairs. Now my Peloton is in that area which makes the room look a bit bigger. Ha, more room for the cats. I love seeing the home improvements. It is all looking great!
gotta make room for the Peloton! priorities! ha! Thanks Zenaida!
What pretty lights and I love your new table too. We redid everything except the kitchen two years ago so our living room and family room coffee tables are newish. We will tackle the kitchen, hopefully, when we head back to Chicago. That’s crazy you got so much snow!
Thanks Marcia! I know people who never redo anything in their house and are perfectly good with that. But I do like a change every few years! Even a different paint color is nice. I know your kitchen is just going to be amazing – can’t wait to see how it turns out!
I am so over the treadmill! In a weird way I’d kind of like to see if I can get my mileage way up there this week just to show off but I’ll probably end up backing off and taking it easy.
I totally get being over the treadmill. I stepped on it exactly two times this past week now because I just didn’t want to deal with it.
I love your new light fixtures (and the one in your workout room)! I really like the coffee table you ordered – very cool design! Our family room coffee table is about 18 years old, but our basement family room table is maybe three years old. We got it when we bought the sectional. It’s big and heavy like your current one, but it has hidden wheels in case it needs to be moved.
That’s a great plank meme and spot on!
Have a great week! Hope to see you again on Saturday morning (morning for me) for another Zoom ride!
Thanks Debbie! Oh man I wish our table had wheels! Maybe I would keep it then!