Weekly Run Down – This & That

December 13, 2020 by 25 Comments

Happy Sunday!

I feel like I was just sitting down to think about my December goals and in a blink, we’re almost halfway through the month! Having said that, this week felt so long largely because it was a dumpster fire of a workweek. As always, working out provided some much-needed sanity. Here’s how the week played out.

My Sunday morning view

Monday — Peloton cycle and strength. I’m so glad Coco mentioned the Flash 15 class in her Run Down last week – the instructor really makes the most of those 15 minutes!

Tuesday —  Peloton yoga. Hip Hop meets yoga – This class was part of the Artist Series featuring music from OutKast. It was definitely not your traditional yoga class but oh so much fun!

Wednesday — Rest day.

Thursday — 3 miles. I’m not sure if it was the weather, the OutKast playlist, or just a chance to break away from work stress and Zoom calls, but everything about this run felt great. I wish I had had time for a longer run.

Friday — Peloton cycle and strength. I completed the OutKast classes with two of my favorite instructors. I especially loved the ride – a perfect way to head into the weekend.

Saturday — Yoga. I woke up feeling creaky and the foggy, rainy weather didn’t help. So it was yoga for the second time in the week…who am I? It was just what I needed.

Sunday –– 4 miles. While my sleep was erratic, Mother Nature served up some very mild temps and I couldn’t pass up getting in a few early morning miles.

In other news…

It was great to receive this email earlier this week!

I was a Headsweats ambassador in 2018 and while I decided to step away the following year, my love of the brand never diminished. I look forward to being a part of this team next year!

And, that’s my Run Down. How was your week?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim!

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Filed Under: #TeamHeadsweats, Weekly Run Down

Catching Up – December 2020

December 6, 2020 by 30 Comments

I’ve missed the past couple of weeks of the Weekly Run Down link-up. This is not a reflection of lack of interest in what others have been up to, but more a combination of life in general, and also feeling like my workouts have taken on “groundhog’s day” feel, i.e., same stuff, different day.

While things have been quiet here in my little corner of the blogosphere, the workouts have been happening. It’s been a pretty steady mix of running, Peloton rides, and strength training, with the occasional visit to the yoga mat, and plenty of walking. I wrapped up November with 80 miles, along with completing the “Swolvember” challenge focusing on strength training and the first couple of legs “On holiday for the holidays” focusing on cycling and running – both Peloton challenges created by members of the BreakThrough Crew on Facebook. I also knocked out the BAA’s virtual 5K. All-in-all a pretty good month.

December Goals

So we’re finally in the homestretch of this crazy-train year and I’m keeping my fitness goals simple.

  • Complete my last two virtual races for the #FinishStrongChallenge
  • Continue to tick off more of the “On Holiday” workouts on Peloton
  • Be kind to my body with daily stretching, rolling, and/or massage gun

Thanks to Deborah and Kim for the link-up!

How was your November? What are you looking forward to this month?

 

 

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Filed Under: goals, Weekly Run Down

Time for December Coffee

December 4, 2020 by 24 Comments

Happy Friday Friends!

We’ve made it through another week on this wild ride that is 2020. While there have been moments earlier this year where it seemed like time was standing still, I feel like Fall is flying by in a blink. And, now here we are on the first weekend of December and it’s time to join Coco and Deborah once again for the Ultimate Coffee Date.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you how relieved I am that my dad is home from the hospital and on the mend, and I would thank everyone who reached out with kind words and positive thoughts.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I’m working hard to get into the holiday mood. While I fully recognize that missing some of our usual holiday festivities this year are all #firstworldproblems, it is a bit of a buzzkill nonetheless. But, there is so much to be grateful for, and I will undoubtedly embrace all of it. Plus, it’s an opportunity to create some new traditions, right? #glasshalffull We’re planning to start decorating this weekend so that should help.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I finished the first of the three virtual races that make up the B.A.A.’s Finish Strong Challenge. I double-dipped and ran the 5K as this year’s turkey trot and received a nice DM from the B.A.A. that they were including me in their social media and newsletter! Next up is 10K which I had hoped to run tomorrow but the weather is looking oh so dicey. At least the beauty of a virtual race is the flexibility in getting it done.

What would you tell me over coffee? Have you started decorating?

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Filed Under: Ultimate coffee date

Runfessions – Black Friday Edition

November 27, 2020 by 24 Comments

It’s the last Friday of the month so you know what that means – Marcia has opened the Runfessional. I’ve got a couple to share so let’s dive in, shall we?

While I have never been a fan of in-person Black Friday shopping, I’m all-in for a good online deal. And this year, I runfess that I’ve been swept into the madness earlier than usual when on Wednesday night I joined my sons in their quest to buy the new Xbox X series. Apparently, this game console sells out as fast as it’s re-stocked, so when we got wind that there was going to be a supply available on Walmart’s site Wednesday evening, we had multiple laptops ready. It was a furious 5 minutes of page refreshing, and just when I thought I’d scored one, I got to the final screen to confirm my order only to be told they were sold out. What…in 5 minutes?!

I runfess I was more annoyed than my boys. Bots – 1, Us – 0.

Source: Getty Images

Let’s hope I’m more successful with my search for a new laptop!

I have two virtual races left for the year – a 10K and a half marathon. I have no worries about the 10K, but runfess I’m completely dreading the half marathon. When I signed up it really seemed like a good idea at the time, but now…not so much. I had thought about splitting the distance over a couple of runs, but the race requires a time submission via their app or a GPS watch. Ugh.

I continue to be completely enamored with my Peloton, but I runfess that my tush has not fully adapted to the bike seat. I will be adding this gel seat cover to the shopping cart today. (Affiliate link).

Any runfessions to share? What are you shopping for today?

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Short & Sweet Weekly Run Down

November 15, 2020 by 30 Comments

Doing a quick check-in for the Weekly Run Down – thanks to Deborah and Kim for the link-up!

Here’s how my week played out…

Monday — Peloton Strength.
Tuesday — 30 min Beyonce Ride — this ride featured two of my favorite instructors and an amazing Beyonce soundtrack – couldn’t ask for better!


Wednesday — Unplanned rest day. Another poor night of sleep had me pushing off my morning run and then my workday was crazy. When I finally came up for air I was more interested in chilling on the couch reading than I was in trying to muster the energy for a workout. Some days are just like that.
Thursday –– 3-mile run. Mother Nature decided to remind us that it is November, as our warm weather streak came to an abrupt end.

Friday — Peloton cycle and core classes. The Disney soundtrack for these rides was a nice antidote to the damp, cold, and deary weather that had rolled in.
Saturday — 5.25-mile run.
Sunday — 3-mile walk early this morning with Peloton strength to come post-coffee.

On the whole a pretty uneventful week. November just keeps rolling along and I’m just trying to keep pace. While I never try to wish away days, I’m more than a little excited to have this upcoming week click by as I wait for my son to come home from school on Friday!

Keeping it short and sweet this week! Happy Sunday!

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Filed Under: Weekly Run Down

Weekly Run Down – Just Breathe

November 8, 2020 by 29 Comments

Just Breathe – that was pretty much my mantra for this week and what a long, emotional week it was. Like so many weeks in 2020, I was grateful to have running and working out as a release. As an added bonus Mother Nature decided to serve up some fantastic weather. The past few days have been unseasonably warm and I’ve been trying to soak up as much sunshine as I can.

Here’s a quick recap on this week’s workouts.

Monday — Peloton Cycle plus core and stretch classes.
Tuesday — Yoga – the perfect antidote to election day anxiety.
Wednesday — 3 miles. I had the Billie Eilish Peloton run on my plan to start the Breakthrough Crew’s Holiday Challenge. The combination of the music and time on the open road was just what I needed.


Thursday –– Peloton Cycle plus Core classes helped me to tick off a couple more workouts on both of my Peloton challenges. I runfess that the Holiday Challenge called for a country music ride, but there’s just no way I could take 20 mins of country music so I subbed in another class with the same instructor.
Friday — 4 miles. I was totally caught off guard for the quick warm-up and was way overdressed
Saturday — 5 miles and just a picture-perfect day.


Sunday — As I write this, I’ve got a stack of Peloton strength workouts waiting for me to wrap up the first week of the “Swolvember” Challenge.

So I feel like I’m off to a good start on my November goals – while my sleep continued to take a hit at the beginning of the week, I slept like a rock on Saturday night 🙂

Did you have amazing weather this week too? Country music yay or nay?

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

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Coffee Catch Up

November 6, 2020 by 29 Comments

What a rollercoaster week it’s been!

I’m happy to take a moment to take a step back, catch my breath, and join Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date.

Given the week this has been I would have to ask over coffee how you are holding up? Suffice it to say, even though I had fully expected this to be a difficult week, I am truly disheartened by the way things are playing out and I am anxious about the road that lies ahead.

As a needed distraction, over coffee, I would tell you that I have dived headfirst into decluttering and home organizing projects. I have Kim to thank for introducing me to The Home Edit on Netflix and after a couple of episodes, I was inspired to take on our pantry and kitchen cabinets. I’m now deep in the rabbit hole and perhaps am spending a bit too much time on the Container Store website.

Over coffee, I would tell you that my oldest will be home from school in just two weeks! After relying on FaceTime and Zoom for the past 11 weeks, I cannot wait to hug him! I’m really looking forward to having everyone back under one roof for a bit.

Over coffee, I would tell you about the swan that has taken up residence in the pond down the street from my house. While I’m used to seeing ducks and Canadian Geese, the swan is a rarity. I stop to look at him on many of my runs and always marvel at how he seems to stare back. A simple reminder in the midst of everything that there is beauty all around.

What would you tell me over coffee? Any unique sightings lately?

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Filed Under: Ultimate coffee date

Hello November!

November 1, 2020 by 31 Comments

And just like that, we’ve put another month in the rearview mirror. Before I get to my goals for November, here’s a quick run down of this past week’s workouts.

Monday — Peloton Cycle plus Strength classes. Felt great to get a strong start to the week!

Tuesday —  Rest Day plus Core-tober continued. Struggled with a migraine all day so I waved the white flag.
Wednesday — Peloton Cycle plus Core. I had no interest in running in the rain so I swapped in a ride instead.

Thursday –– 4 miles plus another day of Core-tober. The endless rain continued so hello treadmill.
Friday — Yoga.
Saturday — 6 miles and the last day of Core-tober.

Yes, that is snow in the background!

Sunday — Started the day with a 2.5-mile walk, and at the time of writing this post, I’m still debating whether there will be yoga or a ride later.

Wrapping up October and setting some goals for November! #goals #bibchat #novembermiles Share on X

November Goals

On the fitness front, October was a pretty solid month. I hit my goal of 80 miles and completed the Peloton Core-Tober Challenge (29 core workouts from the BreakThrough Crew instructors). I also completed my first virtual half marathon…and yes, there has been time on the new Peloton bike!

So what will November bring? Hopefully, more of the same! For running, at a minimum, I’d like to repeat October’s mileage. But, with one more virtual half to complete before the year’s over, I’m also aiming to increase the distance on the “long” runs, so perhaps I can bump up my overall mileage in the process. I also have a virtual 5K and 10K lined up.

The BreakThrough Crew on Facebook has created some fun new challenges – “Swolvember” focusing on strength training and “On holiday for the holidays” focusing on cycling and running – which should help to keep things interesting.

Lastly, my sleep really suffered in October, so I’m making it a priority to get more rest this month.

What have you got planned for November?

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

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Filed Under: goals, Weekly Run Down

Some October Runfessions

October 30, 2020 by 28 Comments

Hard to believe that we’re at the end of another month already! Marcia has opened the runfessional and I’ve got a few things to share, so let’s get started, shall we?

October Runfessions

Now that I have the Detroit virtual half marathon behind me, I runfess that I am seriously questioning my decision to commit to the BAA virtual half. While I’ve been enjoying my running, motivating to run 13.1 miles is still a challenge.

I runfess that I have fully embraced using 4:1 intervals – they were key to getting me through my virtual half and I’m now thinking that I may just stick with them indefinitely.

It’s probably no surprise that I am loving my new Peloton bike – but I runfess that I’m loving it so much that I’m struggling a bit to find a balance between wanting to do all the rides and running.

These initial rides on the bike have been fun, but I runfess (bike-fess?) that they can also be very humbling. I had presumed that I’d be able to just dive into the classes. So after a couple of “beginner” classes, I decided to jump into the non-beginner Alicia Keys class, which would have been fine if I didn’t let my ego get in the way and just rode hard…within reason.  But I didn’t – instead, I pushed to keep up with the suggested cadence and resistance. I was hanging on until the instructor called for us to get out of the saddle…yeah no. I tried and that lasted a hot minute. Note to self, those beginner classes are there for a reason!

So tell me, do you have any runfessions to share?

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A mini run break and some fun new finds

October 25, 2020 by 26 Comments

After taking on a virtual half marathon last weekend, this week was about low-key recovery. Here’s how things played out.

Monday — Rest Day.

Tuesday — Peloton ride and core workout. With this core workout, I hit my 100th Peloton strength class!

Wednesday — Peloton Strength

Thursday — 3.75-mile walk and core.  Mother Nature served up a day in the upper 70s – perfect for a walk to the polls for early voting.

Friday —  More time on the bike & core. You can’t go wrong with Alicia Keys, am I right?

Saturday — 6-mile run. Can’t say enough good things about this run, despite feeling really tired when I started, my legs felt fresh after a week of no running. I stuck with the 4:1 ratio I’ve adopted recently and the miles ticked by easily. Great weather and the Hamilton soundtrack were an added bonus!

Sunday —  Got a 2-mile walk in earlier and still plan to hit my yoga mat.

Some Fun New Finds

A couple of months ago I discovered WRLDINVSN (pronounced “world in vision”) Biker Shorts. I’m wearing them in the photo above. They feature a high-rise waistband, two sizeable side pockets (my iPhone fit comfortably), and a great stretch fabric that washes and wears really well. Lots of great features for just $20. I also love that this is a black-owned business. I’ll definitely be ordering another pair or two.

In September, the folks at Feetures sent me the new Tempo Collection from their Elite line. I’ve been a long-time Feetures fan and these socks have not disappointed. The Elite socks come in ultra-light, light cushion, and max cushion and offer targeted compression for extra support. These socks have quickly become my go-to for all my runs and walks – and I am loving the colors in this fall collection. I’m partnering with Feetures for a giveaway this week, so if you are interested in trying out a couple of pairs, be sure to check out my Instagram account tomorrow.

Tried any new gear lately? 

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

 

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Filed Under: Weekly Run Down