Last Minute Stocking Stuffers for the Runner in Your Life

December 17, 2021 by 14 Comments

Anyone else in a last-minute scramble to finish checking off their “gifts to buy list?” (Please don’t tell me it’s just me!)

If you still find yourself with a runner on your gift list, here are a couple of last-minute stocking stuffer ideas. This post contains affiliate links.

Photo by David Everett Strickler on Unsplash

Last-Minute Gift Ideas for the Runner in Your Life

OCOPPA Rechargeable Handwarmers – I have shared this before and it continues to be a favorite! As someone who suffers from Raynaud’s, my biggest challenge for winter runs is keeping my hands warm. This rechargeable handwarmer offers 3 heat settings and fits nicely in the palm of my hand.

Balega Running Socks – Seriously what runner doesn’t need a pair of high-quality socks? Balega is one of my favorite brands – their comfort and durability cannot be beat!

Flex Fixx Foot Care – And speaking of taking care of your feet, this 3-piece foot massage set is the perfect solution for over-worked feet!

Looking for some last-minute gift ideas? Check out my 5 stocking stuffer ideas for runners! #FitFiveFriday #RunnerGifts Share on X

Audible Gift Card – While I admit that I prefer to listen to music when I run, I have been loving listening to audiobooks on my walks. Audible has thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and original content so there’s bound to be something to fit everyone’s tastes, with a choice of 1, 3, 6, or 12-month memberships.

Knuckle Lights Advanced — This is actually on my wish list 🙂 I’ve had Knuckle Lights as part of my gear for as long as I can remember. This newer model features an ultra-bright, wide flood beam making them the perfect companion for a walk or run.

What’s on your wish list?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Gifts for runners

Week 49 – Tis The Season of Busyness

December 12, 2021 by 10 Comments

The “busyness” of the season hit full stride this week! No complaints – all good stuff happening! Suffice it to say the days have been full, but the workouts did happen.

Here’s a quick look at my week in workouts.

Weekly Run Down – Week 49

Monday — Peloton Bike, Lower Body Strength, Core, & Foam Rolling. Started the week with a focus on the legs. I hadn’t taken one of Emma’s cycle classes in a while, and this was a great warm-up before the strength classes. This ride was part of Peloton’s new series of “Stacking Stuffer” classes – short classes for the busy holiday season.

Tuesday – 1.5-mile walk & Yoga

Wednesday – 4-mile run, Core, & Stretch. I had an extra early start to the workday but was able to slip in a midday run ahead of the forecasted snow.

Thursday – 3.2-mile run & Stretch. Busyness dominated the day, but I was determined to carve out some time for a run. I finally hit the mill just before dinner. I took advantage of 2 more of Peloton’s Stacking Stuffer classes combining a progressive run and HIIT run – this really helped to make the mill miles pass quickly

Friday – 3-mile walk

Saturday – 2-mile walk, Upper-Body & Lower-Body Strength, Core, Peloton Bike, & Stretch. A poor night of sleep left me feeling a little off so I moved my run to Sunday. Still managed to get a solid workout done along with a lot of Christmas prep and shopping.

Sunday – 4.25-mile run done. Yoga is planned for later.

12 Days of Fitmas Starts Monday!

I’m looking forward to joining 11 of my fellow bloggers in hosting the 12 Days of Fitmas! This will be a fun fitness challenge with a new move added on each day. The fun starts Monday so I hope you’ll join us!

In case you missed it:

Fit Five Friday – 5 Benefits of Cross Training

How was your week?

I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down.

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Filed Under: #12DaysofFitness, Weekly Run Down

Fit Five Friday – 5 Benefits of Cross-Training

December 10, 2021 by 19 Comments

Runners, obviously, want to run and often forgo all other activity in the name of “logging all the miles”. With winter weather settling in (at least here in the northeast!) and many runners shifting into the “off-season”, now is the perfect time to incorporate some cross-training into your weekly workouts. So for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m sharing 5 reasons to cross-train.

Fit Friday Five – 5 Benefits of Cross-Training

Reduce your risk of injury – Many running injuries are the result of overuse. Runners tax their Joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons through repetitive, linear movement. Cross-training provides the opportunity to engage a variety of muscle groups, giving those overused running muscles a break while awaking and strengthening some under-used muscles. Better muscle balance helps to reduce your risk of injury.

Improve your overall strength – Cross-training via some strength training provides runners with multiple benefits to improve overall performance. I’ve shared the benefits of core work before, but runners can also benefit from both bodyweight workouts and lifting weights. Studies have shown that incorporating resistance into your cross-training can improve your running economy and your overall performance vs. just running exclusively.

Maintain or enhance your aerobic capacity – Many cross-training options provide a great cardio workout so you can maintain or maybe even enhance your aerobic capacity without taxing your joints.

Provide active recovery – Many runners struggle with the idea of taking a rest day so low-key cross-training can be a great alternative. Moderate cross-training helps to promote blood flow to your muscles, aiding your recovery.

Avoid Burnout – Cross-training gives you a great opportunity to explore other workouts apart from running. This helps to keep things fresh and helps you to avoid both mental and physical burnout.

Of course, cross-training is not meant to replace your running, but to supplement it with workouts that will hopefully help to make you a stronger, well-rounded athlete.

Do you consistently cross-train as part of your routine? What’s your favorite cross-training activity?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!


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Click here to enter


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Cross-training

Hello December!

December 5, 2021 by 20 Comments

Here we are at the last month of the year…can you believe it?! I’m looking forward to soaking up all the festive vibes this month has to offer!

As always, I’m setting a couple of monthly fitness goals to help finish the year strong. But, before I get to my December goals, here’s a quick peek at my workouts this week.

Weekly Run Down – Hello December!

Monday — Peloton Ride, Core & Stretch. This was my first time taking a 45 min ride and, as always, Robin delivered a great class! It was a long day back at work after having last week off, and this ride gave me the boost I needed.

Tuesday — 1-mile walk and Yoga Flow: Hips. Way too much time sitting at my laptop left me feeling creaky – time on my mat helped!

Wednesday — 3-mile run, Core & Stretch. Kicked off Day 1 of the #3for31 Challenge hosted by Peloton instructor Robin – the goal is to walk or run 3 miles each day or move for 30 minutes daily from December 1 -31. I’m already participating in the #FFHolidayChallenge with 30 mins of movement daily from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, but I couldn’t pass up a challenge hosted by one of my favorite Peloton instructors so I’ll be double-dipping.

Spied the last bit of fall color on Wednesday’s run

Thursday — Peloton Ride, Lower Body Strength & Stretch.

Friday — 3-mile run & Stretch. The wind was wicked and I just didn’t have it in me to face it again, so I hit the mill for the first time in I cannot even remember how long!

Saturday — 4-mile run, Core & Stretch. Mother Nature showed some mercy with the wind and I was very happy to get back outside.

Sunday — 3-mile walk & Stretch. My husband J and I continued our Sunday morning walk streak before prepping for a busy day of decorating.

December Goals

  • Complete the #3for31 Challenge and the #FFHoliday Challenge – This means at least 30 minutes of movement every day.
  • Continue to keep my right hip happy — Things have been going well with my right hip so of course, I want to keep doing the things that are keeping my hip happy focusing on lower body strength (especially Peloton’s Strength for Runners classes) and daily stretching/yoga.
  • Extend my “long runs” to 6 -7 miles. I’m still in base-building mode but would like to see my overall mileage nudge up just a bit.

Any goals to finish the year? 

I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down. Join us!

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Filed Under: goals, Weekly Run Down

Fit Five Friday – December Coffee Catch Up

December 3, 2021 by 13 Comments

It’s that time again for a little catch-up over coffee with Deborah and Coco for the Ultimate Coffee Date. And, of course, it’s Friday so that means another Fit Five Friday link-up! So grab a mug of your fave hot beverage and let’s chat.

Fit Five Friday – December Coffee Catch Up

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m looking forward to slowing down and embracing this time of year. 2021 was another wild ride, and while we’re far from “back to normal”, I’m all in to enjoy the holiday season as much as possible!

Over coffee, I would tell you that I am giddy at the thought that my son will be home in just two weeks for his winter break! It felt so good to have him home for Thanksgiving, but 4 days was far too short of a visit. This time he’ll be home until mid-January.

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m excited to see the Van Gogh Immersive Experience later this month.

Over Coffee, I would tell you that while I love seeing all of the 2022 race announcements arriving in my inbox, I’m holding off on taking advantage of all of the “early bird” registration specials. I am optimistic that there will be many more in-person races next year, but given all that is happening in the world right now, I’m taking a wait-and-see approach before shelling out money for registrations.

Over Coffee, I would tell you that I’m teaming up with my brother to run the Great Wall Virtual Challenge. The Conqueror Virtual Challenge always comes up with creative medals! We thought this would be a fun way to log some miles as the winter sets in, especially since my brother has visited the Great Wall in person.

What are you looking forward to this month?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!


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Click here to enter


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Challenges, Ultimate coffee date

Weekly Run Down – Thankful

November 28, 2021 by 26 Comments

Happy Sunday!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. It was so nice to have this week off from work, to have my college boy home for a few days, and to spend time hanging (and eating!) with family. My heart is full and I am thankful.

As always, I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down link-up so here’s a quick look at my week in workouts.

Weekly Run Down – Thankful

Monday — Strength for Runners, Core, Peloton Low-Impact Ride & Stretch. The Strength for Runners classes have become some of my favorite classes on the Peloton app – so much single-leg work.

Tuesday — 3.3-mile run & Core. Despite the wind, this run felt really good – was it the switch to 5:1 intervals? was it the new shoes?

Trying out the Brooks Ghost

Wednesday –– 2.5-mile walk & PT exercises.

Thursday — 4-mile run, Core & Stretch. Thankful to virtually trot with these ladies!

Thanks to Kim for the collage!

Friday — 1-mile walk otherwise rest. This was a super lazy hangout day, but I did get 1 mile in for Day 2 of the #FFHolidayChallenge of 30 mins of movement a day from Thanksgiving to New Year’s.

Saturday — 4.2-mile run, Core & Stretch. The wind was just rude and made this run feel really challenging.

Sunday — 3-mile walk & Yoga.

In case you missed it:

Black Friday Runfessions

How was your week? Have you been battling the wind on your runs?

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Filed Under: Weekly Run Down

Black Friday Runfessions

November 26, 2021 by 21 Comments

Does anyone else feel like Thanksgiving kind of snuck up on them? In general, I feel like the fall has gone by in a blink, but these last few weeks have been a blur.

Now it’s the last Friday of the month which means Marcia has opened the runfessional. It’s also time for another Fit Five Friday hosted by Darlene, Renee, Jenn, Zenaida, and yours truly, so let’s get started.

Black Friday Runfessions

I’m sure that I have runfess this before, but I am not a fan of Black Friday mania. While I love a good deal, I want no part of the frenzied shopping in crowded stores – especially these days. Thanks but no thanks – I’ll stick to shopping from my couch.

And, speaking of shopping, I runfess that I’m am struggling with gift ideas for my teenage sons. Honestly, they have what they want, except for the ridiculously elusive Xbox Series X which is sold out everywhere and has been for months.

While I am usually an early morning runner, I runfess that I have been fully embracing the midday run lately thanks in large part to the weather. We’ve had a string of unseasonably warm afternoons that have been too tempting to pass up (<30 in the mornings vs. upper 50s and 60s in the afternoon). Mother Nature is starting to make it clear that this weather trend is coming to an end, but it was fun while it lasted.

What are you run-fessing? Do you shop Black Friday sales?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Please be sure to link back to your hosts, and share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Black Friday, Runfessions

Running into Thanksgiving Week

November 21, 2021 by 26 Comments

Happy Sunday!

That sound you hear is me exhaling after a very busy week. With a staycation on the horizon, I knew work this work would be extra crazy, but then throw in my youngest son home sick for a couple of days, parent-teacher zoom conferences, and life in general, and yeah I’m ready for some downtime. On the workout front, this was definitely a “do what you can, when you can” type of week, here’s how things played out.

Weekly Run Down – Running into Thanksgiving Week

Monday — Upper body strength and core courtesy of raking the never-ending collection of leaves in my yard. I woke up feeling sluggish so I opted to pass on an early morning workout. Nothing like old-school yardwork to work the arms, shoulders, and back.

Tuesday — Peloton Ride, Lower Body Strength, Core & Stretch. Robin’s live DJ ride offered a fun playlist.

Wednesday — 3.1-mile run & Stretch. Everything about this run felt hard…no particular reason why. As I posted on Instagram, some days you are the windshield, and some days you are the bug – this was a bug run.

Thursday — Rest Day. My schedule was cray cray, and I kept pushing my workout later and later, and eventually just waved the white flag.

Friday — 3-mile run, Core & Stretch. Wrapped up work early and took advantage of the mild mid-afternoon temps – this run was a nice bounceback after Wednesday’s rough run.

Saturday — 4.25-mile run, Core, and a couple of hours of yard clean-up/leaf-raking.

Sunday — 2-mile walk, Core, & Yoga. I woke up feeling every bit of yesterday’s rolling hills run and the yardwork, but a little movement always helps.

For the week ahead, I am so looking forward to having time off from work, to the college boy coming home, and to enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday with family.

What have you got planned for Thanksgiving Week?

In case you missed it:

Fit Five Friday – National Running Safety Month

I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down link-up.

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Filed Under: Weekly Run Down

Fit Five Friday – National Running Safety Month

November 19, 2021 by 27 Comments

This post was originally published on November 7, 2014, and updated on November 19, 2021, and contains affiliate links.

November is National Running Safety Month. While I’ve previously shared some running safety tips in the past, with the recent end of Daylight Saving Time, I thought some of these tips were worth re-visiting.

Fit Five Friday – Five Tips for Runner Safety

Light It Up — It may seem so obvious and yet I continue to see runners pre-dawn (and well after dusk) running with absolutely no lights or reflective gear on. The little reflective strip on your running shoes is not enough  – lighted or reflective vests, armbands, and the like are a must. I’m a big fan of my Noxgear vest. Carrying lights or wearing a headlamp also makes you visible, with the added bonus of lighting your path as you run.

Find a Buddy — There’s always safety in numbers. Find a running buddy or try running with your dog.

Tune In — As much as I enjoy running with music, I think it’s so much more important to be completely tuned in to your surroundings, especially when it’s dark. If “running naked” is not an option for you, then run with just one earbud in and keep the volume low, or wear try open-ear headphones, like AfterShokz.

Carry your Phone & ID — If you run alone, bring your phone. Hopefully, you won’t need it, but it’s always better to have it. Also, be sure to have identification on hand. I never head out without my Road ID! In the event of an emergency, an ID could be your most important piece of gear.

Share Your Route — Always make sure someone knows your route, when you’re leaving and when you expect to be back. I have a handful of favorite routes and my husband knows them as well as I do. Also, consider using a tracking app like Garmin’s LiveTrack or Life 360.

**Bonus tip: Try to vary your route and time — I know this one can be hard, especially if you’ve got to get your run in before work or the kids get up, but be careful not to follow such a pattern of behavior that someone can pick up on your schedule.

 How do you stay safe on a run? What’s your best safety tip?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Please be sure to link back to your hosts, and share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, early morning runs, Friday Five, National Running Safety Month

Just Rolling Along

November 14, 2021 by 13 Comments

These November days seem to be just rolling along – hard to believe we’re halfway through the month already. It was a fairly uneventful week as far as the workouts went…and sometimes, uneventful is a good thing. Here’s how the week played out:

Weekly Run Down – Week 45

Monday — 1-mile walk, Lower body strength, Core & Stretch

Tuesday — 3.1-mile run, Core & Stretch. When I saw the forecast for the day, I opted to push my run to later in the day. 72 degrees and a midday 5K – yes, please!

Wednesday — Rest day. I woke up feeling a little off and it just didn’t get better as the day went on. Add in an extra busy workday and a rest day it was.

Thursday — 3.1-mile run & PT Exercises. While I was up before the sun, a quick peek at my weather app showed another beautiful afternoon on tap, and with my schedule light on Zoom calls, I knew I could make another midday run happen. The weather was perfection and so was the view!

Friday — 30 min Peloton ride, Core & Stretch. Crazy wind and rain had me take my workout indoors, so I stacked a couple of Peloton’s new scenic rides for a change of pace and enjoyed rides through Tuscany & Tempe.

Saturday — 3.5-mile run and PT exercises. The weather app said it was mid-30s, but it felt much warmer.

Sunday — Presently lingering over coffee, but will head out soon for a 4-mile walk and then most likely a Peloton ride later.

Reconnecting with Coach Marc

Running continues to feel good and I’m enjoying this slow and easy base-building. I recently reconnected with Coach Marc as I start to mull over possible race plans for 2022. I really enjoy working with Marc and remain hopeful that road races will continue to trend towards “normal” next year.

And, speaking of Coach Marc, I want to give a big shoutout to him for his upcoming 100-mile fundraising run on November 26! He’ll be attempting to run 100 miles in 24 hours to raise funds for WholeSchool Mindfulness, a nonprofit he co-founded a couple of years ago that is focused on mindfulness in schools to positively impact the mental health of all members of a school community. Such a great mission – I encourage you to check out the work they’re doing.

In case you missed it:

Five Lessons from My Sugar Detox

I’m linking up with Kim and the birthday girl Deborah for the Weekly Run Down link-up.

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Filed Under: running coach, Weekly Run Down, WholeSchool Mindfullness