Coffee Time 2020

January 3, 2020 by 28 Comments

Happy New Year!

I hope 2020 is starting off right for you! I’m joining Deborah and Coco for the Ultimate Coffee Date, so grab a mug of your fave hot beverage and let’s chat a little.

Ultimate Coffee Date – January 2020

Over coffee, I would tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed the holidays! The time off from work was so needed and I fully embraced having everyone home under one roof. We cooked a lot, caught some movies (Jumanji & Star Wars), saw The Nutcracker, had some cutthroat games of Risk and Monopoly, spent time with extended family, and generally just enjoyed hanging out.

Over coffee, I would tell you that returning to work was crazy hard – like “I want no part of this” hard.

Some changes in career plans may be in order….

Over coffee, I would tell you that I always try to use the downtime to reflect and start to set some goals for the new year. And, as part of this process, I pick one word as the theme for my year across all areas of my life  – and this year my word is Curate. It feels like a perfect extension from last year’s word, Intentional.

I love that my husband surprised me with a custom Motivation Wrap!

What would you tell me over coffee? Did you enjoy the holidays? Do you pick one word for the year?

signature
Filed Under: one word, Ultimate coffee date

Winding Down 2019

December 29, 2019 by 25 Comments

I slid into full vacation mode this week – embracing lots of family time and holiday fun! My workouts were more relaxed as well – here’s how my week shook out.

Monday — 3 miles. Once I logged off my computer from work I grabbed my running shoes to enjoy a gorgeous 58-degree afternoon.

Tuesday — 1 mile on the mill plus PT exercises. We had a full day of Christmas Eve festivities planned so I was up early for a quick mile to shake out my legs and get back to my PT exercises.

Wednesday — Christmas Day! Does a sprint house cleaning session before guests arrive count as my workout? I think so!

Thursday — Yoga. I had to share my mat with my furry yogini 🙂

Friday — 2-miles plus PT exercises. Temps were in the 50s again!

Saturday — 4.5 miles. The weather was picture perfect and the temps were mild. I will admit it took me forever to get motivated to get out the door, but once I was out I had no regrets!

Did you notice that there was no OTF this week? What?! Yes, I’m still learning that I need to book my classes far in advance to get the timeslots I want. It was clear that this week a lot of people must have had time off because all the time slots I wanted were full! Needless to say, I’ve booked my next few weeks of classes so I don’t miss out again!

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

How was your week? Any plans for New Year’s Eve?

 

signature
Filed Under: Weekly Run Down

Last Runfessions of 2019

December 27, 2019 by 28 Comments

Happy Friday!

In just a few short days 2019 is a wrap! Before we usher in a new decade, a quick trip to the runfessional is in order. Thanks to Marcia for giving us all a chance to cleanse our souls/soles – let’s get started, shall we?


December Runfessions

I runfess that one of the unexpected “side effects” of my Orangetheory workouts may be that I’m learning to embrace the treadmill just a bit. Every OTF workout has a treadmill block, and dare I say I don’t mind those blocks at all! I’m not ready for a long run, but I consider this progress.

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that I ran a marathon this year given that my “long-run” now is just 6 miles. I runfess that right now I have absolutely no desire to “run all the miles” and I’m perfectly ok with that!

I runfess that part of the reason why I’m content with keeping my running low-keyed at the moment is that I’m just a little obsessed with OTF! I love the way I feel after class!

Do you find you need a break from running? What are you runfessing?

signature
Filed Under: OTF, Runfessions

Weekly Run Down – Holiday Mode

December 22, 2019 by 25 Comments

After a couple of weeks of juggling crazy work days, winter concerts and other school events, and all that goes into Christmas prep, I am more than ready to shift into holiday mode. Amongst the madness, I’ve kept up on my workouts (to save my sanity!) – Here’s a quick run down:

Running

Over the past couple of weeks, my runs have been short (3 -4 miles) and uneventful. We finally found a home for the treadmill I won and it has come in handy on some of the more frigid days where black ice was a concern.

Cross-Training

If you follow me on Instagram then you know that I continue to love my Orangetheory workouts! I’ve been able to get to the studio twice a week, which feels like a good balance with 3 days of running. The classes are challenging and I love that no two classes are alike.

I’ve also managed to spend a little time on my yoga mat once a week – a rare occurrence that needs to happen more often!

I think this mix of 3 days running and 4 days of cross-training has really agreed with my cranky hip, which has been much quieter lately.

Today will be all about making cookies, wrapping gifts, and hanging with the fam, and then one more day in the office tomorrow before going into full vacation mode! Can.not.wait!

So tell me are you ready for the holidays? Taking any time off?

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

signature
Filed Under: holiday sanity, Weekly Run Down

2019 Year in Bling

December 10, 2019 by 16 Comments

For today’s Tuesday Topics, Kim and Zenaida are inviting everyone to share their bling for 2019. How fun!

While there were not a lot of races on my calendar this year – the ones I did run offered some great bling with great memories behind each one.

Boston’s Run to Remember Half Marathon

This race is one of my favorites – I love that it honors fallen first responders.

B.A.A 10K

This is another race I have run on multiple occasions – it’s a great run through Boston

Narragansett 10K

Such a fun race, despite the sweltering summer heat! Thankfully there was post-race beer!

No bling but a cute shirt!

Surftown Half Marathon

Half marathon #15 was a training run for the Chicago Marathon

International Chicago 5K & Chicago Marathon

Just an awesome weekend…and my first marathon!

Chocolate Marshmallow 5K

How can you not want to run a race with this name!

And that’s my year in bling! I can’t wait to add to the collection in 2020!

 

signature
Filed Under: races, Tuesday Topics, Uncategorized

Running Down an Off Week

December 8, 2019 by 30 Comments

An early week snowstorm, a very long week at work, poor sleep, and a less than happy hip left me feeling very “off” this week. Here’s a quick rundown on the week’s workouts:

Weekly Run Down

Monday — Bosu workout.

I really need to use the Bosu more often!

Tuesday —  Snow day – shoveling was my workout!
Wednesday — Orangetheory Fitness
Thursday — Lots of black ice had me hitting the gym early with my husband for 3 miles on the mill. I also made a trip to my massage therapist for some work on my hip.

Friday —  The crazy week at work and poor sleep seriously caught up with me so I took a pass on my run and focused on some core work instead.

Saturday — Orangetheory – while this early morning workout was a bit of a shock to the system I loved the “seven bells a ringing” theme which included a lot of upper body work.
Sunday — Chocolate Marshmallow 5K – I had originally registered for the 10K, but as the week wore on I had it on my mind to drop down to the 5K. It was the right call – recap to come.

Despite feeling like I was on the struggle bus a good bit of the week, I am happy that I got in the workouts I did to keep the #HolidaySweat Challenge going. There wasn’t much running and I’m fine with that – I’ve wanted to mix up my workouts more, plus there’s always a little running during Orangetheory.

So tell me something about your week. 

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

signature
Filed Under: Weekly Run Down

The Last Coffee Date of 2019

December 6, 2019 by 10 Comments

Happy Friday!

We’ve reached that time of the year where we are in the “last of’s” – as in last this or that for the year (or decade!). And, today, marks the last Ultimate Coffee Date of 2019. This is always one of my favorite link-ups – a big thanks to both Deborah and Coco for hosting! So grab a mug of your fave hot beverage and let’s chat.

December’s Ultimate Coffee Date

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m already feeling behind on my Christmas planning! I blame it on a combination of Thanksgiving being a week later this year (I never start anything Christmas related until after Thanksgiving) and struggling for gift ideas for the family – especially my boys. Shopping for teenage boys is hard!

Over coffee, I would tell you that despite feeling woefully behind, I am really looking forward to enjoying the Christmas season. I’ll be off from work from Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day and plan to fully embrace that time to relax and recharge.

Catching up at the last Ultimate Coffee Date of the year with @deborahbrooks14 and @got2run4me - Join us! #ultimatecoffeedate Share on X

Over coffee, I would tell you that I have been selected as a BibRave Pro for 2020! I’m very excited to be a part of this team and am looking forward to a fun year.

And, speaking of BibRave…The BibRave 100 was revealed this week and I was happy to see some of my favorites made the cut, including the Newport 10 Miler and the Ocean Road 10K – both of which are on my calendar for 2020. You can check out the complete list at  www.thebibrave100.com

So, what would you tell me over coffee?

signature
Filed Under: #BibRavePro, Christmas, Ultimate coffee date

November Run Down and December Goals

December 1, 2019 by 21 Comments

Hello December!

Kind of hard to believe that there are mere 30 days left in the year. November, like most of this year for me, went by in a blink. This Thanksgiving week felt especially short, but I enjoyed all the extra time with family, especially having my oldest home from school. Here’s how the workouts played out…

Caught this beautiful view on a run this week

Weekly Run Down

Monday – 3-mile run
Tuesday – Orangetheory
Wednesday – Yoga
Thursday – Power walk with my husband & pup before feasting!
Friday – 4-mile run
Saturday – 5-miles
Sunday – Orangetheory

I finished November with 57 miles and have happily jumped on the OTF bandwagon for some great cross-training. On my other November goals, my plank streak is alive and well, and I made some progress on my 2020 race calendar. I will admit my eating habits have still been a bit hit or miss, but I have gotten back to meal planning which always helps. Overall, I would call November a win!

Wrapping up November and setting a few goals to close out 2019! #goals #last90days #runchat #keepshowingup Share on X

December Goals

To close out 2019, my goals are pretty simple:

  • Continue my plank streak
  • Continue to cross-train 2x’s/week
  • Revisit my PT exercises at least 3x’s/week
  • Prioritize sleep
  • Find a couple of half marathons to add to my race calendar

The cranky hip that flared up during the Chicago Marathon has been making some noise so getting back to my PT exercises is a must. My sleep was all over the place during November so I’m going to do what I can to set myself up for a better night’s sleep this month.

How was your November? Have you started planning your 2020 race calendar? Any half marathon suggestions?

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

signature
Filed Under: goals, Weekly Run Down

Thankful for Running

November 26, 2019 by 20 Comments

Running brings challenges.. successes both big and small…. it brings joy…and sometimes frustration.

It provides a quiet space to sort through a cluttered mind or a mix of emotions.

It opens a connection to others…who cheer, commiserate, and support – it brings friendships.

It presents an opportunity to answer the “what if’s”

Sometimes the steps come easy…often the steps come with great effort. I’m grateful for both…as long as the steps come.

I am thankful for running and all that it brings to my life.

I am linking up with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.

signature
Filed Under: gratitude, Tuesday Topics

Weekly Run Down – Catching up

November 17, 2019 by 18 Comments

Halfway through the month already!

While things have been extra quiet in my little corner of the blogosphere, the workouts have been happening, I’m making progress on my November goals, and I may have found a new obsession!

Running

With the exception of one very sluggish day, my runs over the past two weeks have been pretty good. Mother Nature has essentially pulled the plug on fall weather, so I’ve pushed most of my runs to the afternoon when it’s relatively warmer. And, given how hectic work’s been lately, the added bonus to these afternoon runs has proven to be a good stress-reliever. With the distances hovering between 3 – 5 miles, I’ve been playing with picking up the pace, and have been rewarded with a handful of negative split runs!

Orangetheory Fitness

One of my big goals for November is to focus on more cross-training so this week I finally got a chance to check out Orangetheory Fitness. And, let me just say, it was love at first workout! OTF offers first-timers a free class so I signed up for my first class on Wednesday. The theme of the class was “Power” – it was fun and challenging, and I really liked the vibe, so I was in! I followed up with my second class on Friday and can’t wait to go back next week!

Other November Goals

On my other November goals, so far it’s a bit of a mixed bag. While my plank streak is holding strong on Day 17, my eating habits are, at best, still a work in progress. And, on the race calendar planning, I’ve got my first 3 races for 2020 by registering for the New England 10 Miler Series. I love 10-mile races so I’m really looking forward to this!

So tell me, have you registered for any 2020 races yet? Ever tried Orangetheory?

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

signature
Filed Under: OTF, race calendar, Weekly Run Down