#FitFiveFriday — Page 16

Five Races I Hope to Run in 2022

February 11, 2022 by Michelle 12 Comments

As more and more things open up, I continue to be cautiously optimistic. And, in that spirit, for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m sharing some races I hope to put on my calendar for 2022.

Five Races for 2022

Boston’s Run to Remember (May) — This half marathon is a sentimental favorite as it was my first! I’ve run this race 5 times (3 times for the half and twice for the 5-mile option), and it never disappoints. I was registered for the 2021 race but they had to postpone so my registration was transferred to this year.

B.A.A. 10K (June) — This is another Boston favorite as an out and back through Back Bay. The B.A.A. always delivers a great race! I’ve run this one 3 times before and the only thing that gives me pause is how crazy hot it can be in late June. My brother and I usually tackle this one together so hopefully, I can convince him to get out there with me.

Philadelphia Distance Run (September) — This half marathon will be a new-to-me race. It’s a Brooks-sponsored race, and while members of the Run Happy Team are not required to run a Brooks race, I love the idea of supporting the brand, and this flat and fast course through Philly looks like a good one.

Ocean Road 10K (October) — A point-to-point course winding along the Rhode Island coastline. This race has a great vibe and fun medals!

OK, so for race number 5, I will admit that I’m undecided. I’d like to run a 15K or half marathon in November – but which one? I could stay local and run the BAA Half Marathon or the Harborside Half along Boston’s scenic North Shore. Or, I could travel a bit for Hot Chocolate Chicago 15K or the Richmond Half Marathon. After the past two years, I’m gun-shy to registering too far in advance so I’ve got time on making a decision.

Adding some races to my calendar! #RunHappyTeam #Bibchat #FitFiveFriday Share on X

What races are you planning to run this year? Any suggestions for a late fall race?

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 post, 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!

Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, race calendar

February Coffee Talk

February 4, 2022 by Michelle 15 Comments

Happy Friday! It’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday!

I’m so ready for the weekend and happy to kick things off with a little catch-up over coffee with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. Grab a mug of your favorite hot beverage and let’s chat a little.

Over coffee, I would have to mention the weather. Would you believe after last weekend’s blizzard that left over 2 feet in its wake, we’re getting another storm today?! This time it will be icy rain and sleet. Thankfully, school has been canceled so there’s no need to be out on the roads.

Source: Boston Herald

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m two weeks into the new job and really enjoying it. I’m definitely in that information-overload phase where you’re trying to learn “all the things” and the lingo, acronyms, etc., but it’s all good, and everyone I’ve met so far is super helpful.

And speaking of the new job, over coffee I’d tell you that I made a trip into the office last week for an in-person senior team meeting. I can’t even remember the last time I commuted to an office! It was kinda comical on just how out of practice I was trying to organize my things and make sure I was dressed professionally head-to-toe vs. just enough to pass the Zoom call test.

Over coffee, I would tell you how challenging it is to shop for a new car these days – thanks to supply chain issues, blah, blah, blah. I finally found the model I wanted at a nearby dealership and was planning to head over for a test drive, then the blizzard hit. I thought for sure this would bide me a little time, but would you believe snow and all the car sold 🙁 Back to hunting…

What would you tell me over coffee?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Ultimate coffee date, weather

Runfessions for January

January 28, 2022 by Michelle 13 Comments

It’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday hosted by Darlene, Renée, Jenn, Zenaida, and me!

And, since it’s the last Friday of the month, I’m linking up with Marcia for Runfessions. I’ve got a few things to share so let’s get to it!

Runfessions for January

The l-o-n-g-e-s-t month!
I runfess that January has felt like the month that would not end. I admit that it always feels a little long to me, coming off the holidays and all, but this year has been an especially long rough ride. Thankfully things have started to settle down this week, but still, I’m happy to put this month in the rearview mirror.

Thanks to Cari for sharing this New Yorker Cartoon

In need of a routine
Because January was so chaotic, my workouts were really all over the place – I just fit in what I could, when I could. I runfess that I really miss having my workouts planned out, and I cannot wait to get back into more of a routine.

Distracted drivers
Is it me or are distracted drivers getting worse? I have had more than my fair share of close encounters with distracted drivers lately, especially those who only look left while rolling out of side streets to make a right-hand turn. I runfess that I may have had a few choice words for some lately.

What are you runfessing?

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 share the link-up love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Runfessions

Fit Five Friday – Tips for Winter Self Care

January 21, 2022 by Michelle 8 Comments

Winter weather is in full effect and for some that is a cause for celebration and for many others, it’s a reason to hibernate.

I think this season of frigid temps and shorter days can sometimes be a challenge so for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m sharing a few winter self-care tips.

Fit Five Friday – Tips for Winter Self Care

Be good to your skin — Winter air can really sap the moisture from your skin. Factor in the forced heat of an indoor setting and you can see why your skin needs some extra attention. Now’s the time to swap in a heavier moisturizer for both your face and body. Also, pay attention to your daily hydration – check out my tips for staying hydrated in the winter.

Try dry brushing — I was first introduced to dry brushing while on vacation a couple of years ago. Dry brushing offers a combination of exfoliation and light massage by brushing natural bristles over the skin in gentle strokes. The practice offers many benefits including removing toxins, unclogging pores, improving blood circulation, and relieving stress.

Embrace the outdoors — Grabbing some fresh air is too important to both your mental and physical well-being to skip just because the temperature takes a dip. Unless icy conditions make it impossible to run or walk, I make it a point to get outside daily, even for just a few minutes. Getting outdoors helps to reduce feelings of cabin fever, which is especially important with so many of us still working from home.

Five tips for self care this winter #FitFiveFriday #selfcare Share on X

Find some Vitamin D — Many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is especially triggered in the winter thanks to a lack of sunlight. Just another reason to embrace getting outside; however, you may find that at this time of year, that alone is not enough. Consider taking a Vitamin D supplement or investing in a light therapy box to support your needs.

Declutter your space — While this may not seem like an obvious form of self-care, clutter can be stressful! Decluttering gives you an opportunity to purge things from your living space that may not be serving you anymore. Take advantage of this time of year to clear out your closets, kitchen cabinets, office space, etc. – keep the things you truly love and possibly make room for some new items. Added bonus, someone else may be able to put your donated items to good use!

What do you do to take care to take of yourself during the winter months?

Welcome to FitFive 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 remember to link back to your hosts and to comment on at least two other blogs – don’t just link-drop!

Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Self-care

Fit Five Friday – The Importance of Building Your Base

January 14, 2022 by Michelle 17 Comments

Whether you’re a new or seasoned runner, base-building is a key component of your training cycle. Consider these five reasons not to overlook the importance of building your base.

Photo by Jeremy Stewart on Unsplash

The Importance of Building Your Base

Improves your aerobic efficiency — Base building is essentially about time on your feet to slowly and consistently increase your mileage without a focus on hitting paces. As you build your mileage base, you can improve both your VO2max (the capacity to take in and utilize oxygen) and your running economy (your efficiency at utilizing oxygen).

Allows your muscles to adapt — As you build your mileage base, you challenge your musculoskeletal system to better handle the stresses of running before moving into phases of harder training. With low running intensity, your muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and fascia have time to adapt – in other words, it helps to prevent injuries.

Provides an opportunity to focus on form — As you slowly build (or rebuild) your mileage, base building provides the opportunity to focus on your running form without the distraction of hitting particular paces in your workouts

Improves your recovery — As you improve your aerobic efficiency, your capillary network expands allowing for more blood supply to the muscles, which helps to speed your recovery.

Allows you to adapt mentally — If you are new to running or returning to running after a break, building your base not only allows your body to adapt, it also gives you the opportunity to mentally adapt gradually to a heavier training load.

Do you take time to build your base or do you dive right into your next training cycle?

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!

Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, training

Five Things Over January Coffee

January 7, 2022 by Michelle 20 Comments

Happy Friday! It’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday! It’s also time for a little catch-up over coffee with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. So grab a mug of your favorite hot beverage and let’s settle in for a chat.

Over coffee, I would tell you how much I enjoyed having the week off between Christmas and the New Year – it really gave me the downtime I desperately needed. The week off was filled with streaming movies, board games, and just hanging out. We did venture out to see Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, which was fantastic, and to visit one of those big drive-through light displays – otherwise we were homebodies and it was glorious!

Over coffee, I would tell you that my oldest has decided not to return to campus this month. Clarkson has not been a good fit and he wants to transfer. Sadly I think this is the downside of not having been able to make final campus visits before committing to a college (thanks covid!). Nonetheless, I’m glad he told us he wanted a change vs. just trying to stick it out where he’s not happy. He’s already registered for some classes for the spring semester locally and is busy figuring out his options for the fall.

Over coffee, I would tell you that I was offered a new job right before the holidays! I have been craving a change for a while and this new opportunity will be big and challenging in a good way. I start my new gig in a couple of weeks.

Over coffee, I would tell you how excited I am to finally be able to announce that I was selected for the 2022 Brooks Run Happy Team. Brooks has been my go-to running shoe for years so I’m really looking forward to representing a brand I love.

Lastly, over coffee, I would tell you that I’m really enjoying the “Mindfulness and Running” course I have been taking for the past few weeks. The course is offered by my run coach Marc. It’s been a great opportunity to explore different approaches to mindfulness and meditation and how mindfulness can positively support your running.

And now that I’ve talked your ear off, I’ll ask, what would you tell me over coffee?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Run Happy Team, Ultimate coffee date

New Year’s Eve Runfessions

December 31, 2021 by Michelle 13 Comments

Happy Friday and welcome to the final 2021 edition of Fit Five Friday hosted by Darlene, Renée, Jenn, Zenaida, and me!

And what better way to close out this crazy year than with one more trip to the Runfessional? I’m linking up with Marcia to share a Runfession or two…so let’s get started.

New Year’s Eve Runfessions

Weather driven vs. Schedule creep — Mother Nature has thrown a little bit of everything at us and it’s only December! I runfess that I have been letting the weather app dictate when I head out for my runs. Of late I have not been able to drag myself out of bed to run in the cold, dark morning when I can snag a sunny run in the 40s/50s in the mid-afternoon.

On the other hand, I runfess that I so much prefer to workout in the morning that way I know I’m guaranteed to get it done before schedule creep takes over. The dilemma is real.

Still no 2022 goals yet — As most of you know who have been around here for a bit, I’m a big goal-setter. And, yet, I runfess that here we are on the last day of the year and I’m still trying to decide on some fitness goals for 2022. I’ve been noodling around some ideas but still nothing definite. Honestly, I never set any big goals for 2021 – just smaller monthly goals, which seem to work out just fine…so who knows maybe that’s the way to go for 2022.

Time for another sugar detox — I runfess that I have been fully enjoying all the holiday foods and cocktails – no regrets. But I am planning for a mini detox in January to help reset things.

Any runfessions to share? Anyone else dealing with crazy weather? Have you set any 2022 goals yet?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Runfessions

Last Minute Stocking Stuffers for the Runner in Your Life

December 17, 2021 by Michelle 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!

Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Gifts for runners

Fit Five Friday – 5 Benefits of Cross-Training

December 10, 2021 by Michelle 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!

Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Cross-training

Fit Five Friday – December Coffee Catch Up

December 3, 2021 by Michelle 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!

Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Challenges, Ultimate coffee date

Five Races I Hope to Run in 2022

Five Races for 2022

February Coffee Talk

Runfessions for January

Runfessions for January

Fit Five Friday – Tips for Winter Self Care

Fit Five Friday – Tips for Winter Self Care

Welcome to FitFive Friday!

Fit Five Friday – The Importance of Building Your Base

The Importance of Building Your Base

Five Things Over January Coffee

New Year’s Eve Runfessions

New Year’s Eve Runfessions

Last Minute Stocking Stuffers for the Runner in Your Life

Last-Minute Gift Ideas for the Runner in Your Life

Fit Five Friday – 5 Benefits of Cross-Training

Fit Friday Five – 5 Benefits of Cross-Training

Fit Five Friday – December Coffee Catch Up

Fit Five Friday – December Coffee Catch Up

Hi, I’m Michelle

Subscribe to Running with Attitude

Recent Posts

Search

Categories

Disclaimer

Team Zensah