Staycationing
This year, we decided on a change of pace and spent spring break enjoying the comforts of our own ‘Airbnb’ at home. The house was full and lively after Pablo and his family arrived Thursday, followed by the rest of the crew on Friday. We spent the week exploring local gems, hiking through parks within an hour’s drive, and enjoying plenty of dog-friendly patios at lunchtime. We even made it into DC for a trip to the National Zoo! For the most part, the weather cooperated with beautiful spring temperatures before the late-season chill returned.
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
Hiking: 3.04 miles
• Average pace: 21:23 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 46 feet
• Start time: 10:32 AM
• Location: Shenandoah River Trail
• Weather: 65° (feels like 61°) and cloudy, climbing to 68° (feels like 62°) and mostly cloudy
• What I wore: capris, s/s shirt, and nylon shell
Pilates: Peloton Emma Lovewell 10-Minute Core Strength
Stretching: Peloton Emma Lovewell 5-Minute Full Body Stretch
Our first family event for our staycation style spring break was to drive to the Shenandoah River Campus at Cool Springs Battlefield where there’s a paved 3-mile loop trail that winds around the wetlands next to the Shenandoah River. After our hike we stopped for lunch at an outdoor restaurant where Pablo could enjoy hanging with the fam. Later in the afternoon we grilled chicken and steak purchased from at our favorite local butcher.
Monday
Strength training: 1 hour of total body
Pilates: Peloton Emma Lovewell 10-Minute Core Strength
I was in my basement gym by 5:30 AM to fit in an hours worth of strength training followed by a Peloton strength class before we hit the road at 7 AM for a trip to the National Zoo. Not only did we beat rush hour traffic, but we arrived right as the zoo opened at 8 AM and got to see the animals out loving life right after eating their breakfast. The pandas were particularly playful and put on quite the show!
Tuesday
Cycling: 8.22 miles (Tunde Oyeneyin 30-Minute Progression Ride)
• Bike: Peloton+
• Average speed: 15.7 MPH
• Surface: N/A
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Start time: 7:35 AM
• Location: basement
• Weather: 62° in the basement, 43° and cloudy outside
• What I wore: bike shorts and sports bra
Pilates: Peloton Emma Lovewell 5-Minute Core Strength
Hiking: 2.02 miles
• Average pace: 24:36 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 65 feet
• Start time: 9:52 AM
• Location: Great Falls Park
• Weather: 59° and sunny, climbing to 70°
• What I wore: capris, s/s shirt, hoodie, and baseball cap
After an early morning indoor Peloton ride, I headed to Great Falls Park with the family. The falls were absolutely roaring from the recent rains! We even got to watch river search and rescue teams practicing, gunning their motors to battle the swift current as they fought their way upstream to the base of the falls. As for Pablo, he was in his glory once again, enjoying a long walk with all his favorite people.
Wednesday
Strength training: 1 hour of total body
Stretching: Peloton Adrian Williams 15-Minute Full Body Stretch
We chose a down-day and hung out at home, taking Pablo out for a walk later in the afternoon. The temperature rose to 85° and we were under a tornado watch from about 3 t0 8 PM. We eventually had a short period of heavy rain followed by a rainbow, but nothing more serious.
Thursday
Walking: 4.12 miles
• Average pace: 15:40 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 179 feet
• Start time: 6:08 AM
• Location: neighborhood circle
• Weather: 53° (feels like 41°) and cloudy, dropping to 44° (feels like 29°) and raining
• What I wore: shorts, s/s shirt, nylon shell, poncho, and mittens over gloves
Pilates: Peloton Emma Lovewell 10-Minute Core Strength
What crazy weather I had for my weekly virtual cardio workout with Kim! With imminent rain in the forecast, I decided to wear a clear plastic poncho for my walk and started with the hood down; however, a little over a mile in, the rain began and I raised the hood over my head. Poor Kim said it sounded like I was crinkling aluminum foil in her ears!
During my walk the temperature dropped significantly, the wind picked up, and by the time I finished the feels like was down to 29°. I stayed toasty warm, though, and with rain, then sleet, and finally snow sticking around for much of the day, I was thrilled to have gotten outside!
BTW, everyone but Pablo left – he’s staying with us until Monday afternoon.
Friday
Strength training: 1 hour of total body
Pilates: Peloton Emma Lovewell 5-Minute Core Strength
Balance and stretching: 45 minutes
Saturday
Walking: 6.03 miles
• Average pace: 14:33 minute/mile
• Elevation gain: 188 feet
• Start time: 11:29 AM
• Location: neighborhood trails
• Weather: 48° (feels like 36°) and partly cloudy, climbing to 55° (feels like 43°) and mostly sunny
• What I wore: capris, l/s shirt, down vest, visor, and mittens over gloves (took vest and gloves/mittens during second mile)
Pilates: Peloton Emma Lovewell 5-Minute Full Body Stretch
Gardening: 2 hours
After somewhat of a sleep-in, I used the excuse of waiting until it warmed up to go out for my walk and do some gardening (pictures in the collage are from my walk, not my garden). I’d neglected fall cleanup in my largest perennial bed and as a result had to tread carefully to avoid stepping on hyacinths and peonies poking their heads up through the sparse mulch and dead leaves. Pablo loved basking in the sun while I worked in the garden!
In actuality, I was in the middle of a book that I couldn’t put down and used the weather as an excuse to continue reading. 😉 As a result, I worked in the garden later than planned and didn’t finish or make it to church. This morning after church, I’ll be back out in my gardens continuing with a fall and spring combined clean-up.
Garmin Badges Earned
Three Garmin badges made their way to me this week.
Last Week’s Blog Posts
In case you skipped checking in on my blog this past week, here’s what you missed…
Questions:
- • Have you ever staycationed? ~ We haven’t staycationed since our sons were young, but I have recently taken days off to get house or yard projects completed.
- • When was the last time you were at a zoo? ~ Other than a few little petting zoos, I hadn’t been at a full sized zoo since my sons were in elementary school.
- • Which workout did you enjoy most this past week? ~ Sunday’s hike at the Shenandoah River was especially fun, but so was Great Falls Park!
And that’s my rundown… Have a great week!
*********************************************************************
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.
I have not been to the zoo since my kids were little! You did make the most of your week. My parents live right down the street from GF park and I drive by it all the time but have not been inside for years. I should go back. It was a weird weather week here for sure!
It was a great week! I enjoyed the zoo far more than I anticipated. I hadn’t been to Great Falls Park since early Covid when we rode our bikes down Georgetown Pike and into the park.
We used to hit the Milwaukee County Zoo, every summer, at Pat’s annual meeting for work. The company hosted a huge “garden party” and rented out the zoo on that Sunday evening every year. So many great memories at that zoo! But, that’s was several years ago, LOL.
That sounds like a great venue for a garden party – as long as the animals are downwind of the humans. LOL
Spring break at home but still packed with adventures… that sounds like the best kind of staycation. And Pablo is a lucky dog!
And that Thursday walk – getting the miles done with a poncho is commitment!
I hope you had some kids with you at the zoo! I don’t think I’ve ever seen pandas in real life. They sound hilarious!
The pandas were absolutely hilarious with their antics! They’re cuddly looking, very playful, and apparently quite clumsy! They entertained us doing summersaults, but sometimes they’d misjudge, hit a log, lose their balance and roll down the hill. And yes, you bet we had the little ones with us!
I do love a staycation–it’s fun to play tourist at home! I used to do that with the boys all the time. I think the last time I was at a zoo was when the boys were little! I do get uncomfortable seeing the animals confined. I like that zoos are making their displays more natural and spacious. That lion is gorgeous. I’ve never seen an actual panda!
We got really lucky and had great weather for early March which certainly helped us have a fun staycation. The pandas are adorable and so fun to watch!
Well, you live in a great area for a staycation- you have lots of great places to hike, plus access to a major city. Sounds like you had a great week- it must have been so fun to have the kids and Pablo there.
To answer your question- oof, it’s been ages since I’ve been to a zoo. It’s definitely something to do with kids (or grandkids!!! : )
It was so fun to have everyone in town! And you’re right, we do have a lot of wonderful places to explore.
Sounds like a great week! We did a legitimate staycation after my son started college and had a good time. I have not been to the DC zoo in ages. Does running through the Denver Zoo as part of the Colfax Half Marathon count? I did stop to watch them feed the tigers.
Yes, running through the Denver Zoo counts!
Staycationing can be so much fun! It’s nice to explore things in your local area. That looks like some great hiking areas, and it looks so spring-like, especially with the waterfalls.
There was a bear park near where my parents live, where they also had tigers and lynxes. We went there with my parents in 2009. Much of it was interesting and it was a nice walk around to see the different bears in their habitats, except the polar bear that seemed like a prisoner to me. Then a few years ago a staff member, a young boy, was attacked by a bear and died, and eventually they closed down. I’ve been to tropical house places with reptiles and spiders if that counts!
We got really lucky and had fantastic weather for early March!
Oh my, what a sad story about the young staffer getting attacked and killed by a bear at park near your parents.
Nice Garmin badges! I probably went to the zoo in July last – we were going to go in December but it was so cold!
Ah yes, with little ones that makes sense!
Pablo! He makes any holiday great!
We live near a tourist destination, so it’s easy to staycation. We don’t do it during “high season’ though. Traffic is a beast.
I haven’t been to our zoo in a minute. They just built and opened a new manatee rehab facility so it’s going to be bedlam there for a while. However, it is a beautiful zoo, and I would like to see what theyve done. You know me: I’m all in for the animals.
How great to have a manatee rehab facility in the area. I can just imagine how busy it must get with everyone clamoring to see them, though.