Five Things I Want to Accomplish in 2024

For this week’s Fit Five Friday we’re talking about 5 things you want to accomplish this year. Since I’ve already shared my Fitness Goals for 2024, I thought I’d share some other goals I’m hoping to check the box on this year.

Five Things I Want to Accomplish in 2024

Turn our renovation into a home — I have mentioned our ongoing renovation so it should come as no surprise that top of my list is not only completing the renovation but also making the new space feel like home. I can’t wait to see the construction completed and to spend time turning the new space into a cozy home.

Read more — I love reading and it took more of a backseat than I would have liked last year. So the goal for this year is to read a minimum of 24 books.

Redesign my garden — Time in my garden is a gift to myself! Come Springtime, with all of the construction done, it will be time to re-imagine the gardens around the house. I love that for Christmas, family members gifted me with gift cards to my favorite nursery and I can’t to put those cards to use and create a new design and spend time in the dirt!

Need to re-think where the roses will go

More connection — My work-life balance was often out of whack last year and sometimes I missed opportunities to spend time with friends. This year I want to make spending time with friends a key goal. Dinners, brunch, cocktails, or a run, walk, or just a gab session – my goal is to spend time with friends at least 3x’s a month this year.

Better Self-Care — Better is my word for 2024 and when it first came to mind, better self-care was top of mind. I want to do a better job of not short-changing myself. It’s very easy to let yourself slip to the bottom of your to-do list as you focus on taking care of everyone and everything else. I will remember to prioritize my self-care this year.

What are you looking to accomplish in 2024?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and The Running Teacher 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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Fitness Goals for 2024

December is quickly winding down and we’re reaching that time when folks start to look ahead to plans for the new year. So for this week’s Fit Five Friday, we’re talking Fitness Goals for 2024.

Fit Five Friday: Fitness Goals for 2024

My primary fitness goal for 2024 is to return to healthy running –  emphasis on “healthy”! That means not gimpy; not running and tolerating an injury, just healthy! I have not been on a regular running schedule since September. I did attempt some run-walks in October but quickly shut it down….being patient is not my strong suit, but I also know that rushing back too quickly has not served me well. Hopefully, down the road, I’d like to plan for a race or two – but, first and foremost, it’s all about healthy running!

My other goal for the year is to complete at least 15K minutes on Peloton. To hit this goal will mean that I’m doing the consistent cycling my sports ortho wants me to do, along with strength training, walking…and running 🙂

Beyond these year-long goals, I will continue my practice of setting smaller monthly goals. For the past few years, doing so has helped to keep me accountable and on track. So if it’s not broken, don’t fix it, right?

How about you – are you declaring any big fitness goals for 2024?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns 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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Five Things I’m Focusing on in December

Happy Friday!

This week’s Fit Five Friday topic is 5 Favorite Fitness Stocking Stuffers! You are, of course, always welcome to link up and share other fitness-related posts. If you’re looking for some stuffer ideas, please check out my past posts here and here.

Today, instead, I’m sharing five things I’m focusing on to close out 2023 on a strong note!

Five Things I’m Focusing on in December

#3for31Challenge – This is one of my favorite challenges hosted by Peloton instructor Robin. The goal is to run or walk 3 miles or move 30 minutes daily in December. It’s just the little nudge I need to make sure that I don’t slack off due to holiday/end-of-year overwhelm!

Completing Physical Therapy – As I shared over coffee, I’m a little more than halfway through my PT sessions and will hopefully “graduate” by the first week in January. Can.not.wait.

Prioritizing Sleep – Yes sleep is often among my goals but coming off of a stressful November things had gotten especially wonky. Since December has begun I’ve made a point of not allowing myself to doze on the couch and instead am following an evening routine that includes heading to bed early.  I’ve been waking up feeling much better rested which sets the tone for a much better day.

Return to Early Morning Workouts – I’m much happier when I start my day with a workout, but thanks to poor sleep and a crazy schedule early morning workouts were not happening as often as I wanted. So this month I’m making the shift back – again a much better start to my day.

Embracing Rest – Rest is different from sleep and I would argue is just as important. Being on the go all the time is draining. This month I’m embracing downtime.

As 2023 winds down, what are you focusing on?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns 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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Fit Five Friday – Year-end Fitness Goals

Thanks for joining me, DarleneReneeJenn, and Zenaida for another edition of Fit Five Friday!

It’s hard to believe that in less than 80 days 2023 will come to an end! For this week’s Fit Five Friday, we’re inviting you to share your goals for this final stretch of the year. Of course, you’re always welcome to write about any other fitness-related topic.

Five Year-end Fitness Goals

Get back to running — I have been grounded for 4 weeks – 4 weeks without a run! Now that I’ve got my MRI results and know that there’s no tear, I’m ready to focus on a plan to get back out on the roads.

Continue to Opt Outside — I make no secret that the fall is my favorite season, so why not maximize my time outdoors before winter creeps in? I’ve been walking during my grounded phase and will continue to #optoutside daily as I work on returning to running.

Prioritize Sleep How many times have I said this?! My sleep has been junk lately and I’m really feeling it. I need to lean into my evening routine so that I set myself up for a good night’s sleep.

Meal plan While I’m great at consistently planning each week’s dinners, I’ve been totally winging it on breakfast, lunch, and snacks. My choices lately have not always been the best, as evidenced by the numbers creeping in the wrong direction on my scale, so time to fix that!

Find a race to do “with” my son — My oldest recently announced that he’d like to find a race to train for and we thought it would be fun to run one “together” – of course that’s in quotes because he will dust me at the start line but we’ll be running the same race. He wants to do a 10K in the Spring (before thinking about a half marathon). I’d love to be in a place where I can run a 10K with him.

Tell me, what have you got planned for these final months?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns 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!


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Hello September!

Well hello, September! Is anyone else trying to wrap their heads around what happened to August – it went by faster than a blink and here we sit at the start of a new month. My weekly check-ins have been sparse as blogging continues to sit on the back burner for me, but my running and workouts keep chugging along. As I mentioned over coffee, with summer winding down I’m craving some routine so perhaps there will be more blogging in my future.

In any event, here’s a quick peek at the last week of August and what I’m planning for September.

Hello September!

Monday — Rest Day – I was still feeling off after Sunday’s shortened run (logged 5 miles instead of 7) so I spent some extra time stretching and called it a day.
Tuesday — 2-mile walk, Yoga & Core.
Wednesday — 3 miles. A rainy run – I prefer to run in the rain vs. the treadmill as long as the roads aren’t too slick and there’s no thunder.

Can’t predict what you’ll get on race day, right?

Thursday — Lower body strength & sports massage
Friday — 4 miles
Saturday — Upper body strength & Core
Sunday — 8 miles

With just 4 weeks to go until the TC 10M, this run was a confidence builder! My goal from this point forward is to do what I can to run all the miles on my plan and not to shorten another run. To make that happen, hip mobility work will be a top priority. My other goals for the month are to prioritize sleep (I was all over the place in August thanks in large part to multiple trips across time zones) and dial in my nutrition – aka, get out of vacation eating mode LOL.

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

What have you got planned for September?

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Fit Five Friday – Summer Fitness Goals

With the summer months laid out before us,  I’ve been thinking about what my goals will be. So for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m sharing some summer fitness goals.

Fit Five Friday – Summer Fitness Goals

Have a Healthy Build-up for Fall Racing — While I haven’t landed on a fall race calendar, I have several options I’m considering. I shared over coffee that I’ll be working with Coach Marc again – my goal is to reach the starting line (s) healthy and feeling confident.

Acclimate & Embrace the Heat — I make no secret that summer running is my least favorite, but I’m going to do my best to navigate summer running by focusing on my hydration & electrolyte intake and getting out extra early.

Daily Stretching/Mobility Work — I’m already off to a good start with this one so the goal is to keep this streak going all summer long.

Dial in My Nutrition — While I don’t like to focus on the number on the scale, I can feel that I’m carrying more than I’d like. I’ve let my chaotic schedule get the best of my eating choices over the past couple of months, so now I’m going to make the most of the season’s farmers’ markets and grilled proteins to get back on track.

Have Fun/Try Something New — Summer is about having fun and I’m here for it! I’ve been thinking a lot about getting out of my comfort zone and joining one of the local run groups. The thought of running with others is intimidating to me (cue the “I’m too slow” voice) but I’ve also been craving building some new connections – and why not through running?

Tell me, what have you got planned for the summer? Registered for any fall races yet?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns 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!


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April Wrap-up and Setting May Goals

And just like that, another month is coming to a close. I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down to wrap up April and set some May goals. But first, here’s a quick look at this week in fitness.

April Wrap-up and Setting May Goals

Monday  — 1.5-mile walk, Upper Body Strength & Core
Tuesday — 2.25-mile walk, otherwise rest
Wednesday — Lower Body Strength & Hip mobility work
Thursday — 3-mile run
Friday — 1-mile walk & Yoga (hip focused)
Saturday — 6.2-mile run


Sunday — As I sit here with my coffee watching a steady rainfall, I have no interest in a cold rainy run so I’ll be taking my recovery “run” to the bike.

I logged 64 (mostly pain-free) miles this month and did pretty well with these April goals:

  • Opt outside every day – I missed just two days.
  • Daily stretching or mobility work – Check.
  • Increase long runs to 8 miles – Nope – just didn’t happen.
  • Complete the Team Wilpers Spring Run Challenge workouts. – In progress. I just finished week 5 of this 8-week challenge.

So, what’s on deck for May? I’m extending all of April’s goals and adding

  • Mystic 10K — I’m looking forward to running my first race of 2023!
  • Return to early morning runs — I runfessed that thanks to my sometimes hectic schedule, I’ve taken the fit it in where I can when I can. I prefer to get out and get my runs done early. This is especially a must once the weather turns hot so I might as well get back in the habit now, right?
  • Stick to a set workout schedule — See above.
  • Prioritize recovery and sleep

How was your April? What are you looking forward to in May?

 

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Welcoming April

After the cray cray that was March, I am giddy to be turning the page to a new month and setting some new goals! But first, here’s a quick look back at how this week’s workouts played out.

Welcoming April

Monday — Core and Hip Mobility work. I woke up feeling very creaky so I decided to focus on some hip mobility work
Tuesday — Peloton Bike and 1.7-mile walk. I was determined to not let an uber-early commute to the office and crappy weather get in the way of getting a workout in so I hit the bike at o’dark thirty. I slipped in a walk later in the day when the weather improved.


Wednesday — 3 miles. The weather was spring-like and my legs were feeling good – perfect timing since I had Team Wilpers 20-min distance test to kick off the Spring Run Challenge on tap. Wanting to get at least 3 miles, I ran this as a tempo run with the 20 min. block in the middle.
Thursday — Rest day.
Friday — 2.6 miles and Core. The Challenge called for a VO2 max run – it’s been more than a minute since I’ve attempted a programmed speed workout. It was fun to do something different.
Saturday — Upper Body Strength & 2-mile walk
Sunday — 5 miles. I woke up listening to the wind whipping around the house so there was no sense of urgency to head out – coffee first!

April Fitness Goals

If you’ve been around here for a while then you know I like to set monthly goals to help keep me accountable and on track. I missed setting any March goals, so here’s what I’m hoping to accomplish in April:

  • Opt outside every day – I’ve been missing my walks and with the increased daylight and hopefully Spring weather, it feels like a good time to get back to walking on my non-run days.
  • Daily stretching or mobility work
  • Increase long runs to 8 miles
  • Complete the Team Wilpers Spring Run Challenge workouts. The challenge is an 8-week challenge from March 27 – through the week of May 15. The Challenge will be a mix of easy running, incline training, and interval work which should align nicely with my May race.

Have you set any goals for April?

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

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Five Challenges to Reaching Your Fitness Goals

At the start of the new year, you may have set some fitness goals – perhaps a new race distance? Or going for that PR? Or a mileage milestone? Or the addition of strength training, cross-training, or a new sport altogether. Whatever goals you have laid out, it’s important to be prepared for possible pitfalls along the way.

Fit Five Friday — 5 Challenges to Reaching Your Fitness Goals

Lack of Consistency – Progress towards any goal requires a consistent approach. Striving for small efforts done consistently will always yield greater success vs. trying to make big efforts in fits and starts.

Lack of Time – The companion challenge to consistency may be scheduling. When you’re facing multiple demands on your time (work, family, and other personal commitments), it can be tough to find time for your workouts.  Scheduling your workouts as you would any other meeting or obligation is key to ensuring that you have the time you need to make progress toward your goals.

Unrealistic goals – While a goal should stretch you beyond your comfort zone, if the goal is too big of a reach it could backfire when you struggle to make progress. Now I’m not discouraging anyone from shooting for the stars, but it may be helpful to build in smaller goals along the way so you have some success and can build momentum.

Someone else’s goal – Are you running that marathon because you really want to run a marathon or because your friend is? When chasing your goals gets tough you need to remember your why – so it is really important that you pick a goal that matters to you. If you’re chasing a goal because others are doing it/have done it and you feel like you “should” then you’re not setting yourself up for success. And, is it really a goal you want to be pursuing in the first place?

Mindset – Even if you do everything right, you still may encounter setbacks. This is where not only your why matters, but also your mindset. The thoughts you hold and your self-talk will have a significant impact on your ability to reach your goals. Building a practice of positive self-talk (through mantras and affirmations) will serve you well when things get challenging.

What challenges do you face when trying to reach your fitness goals?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns 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!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


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Week 1 and 2023 Goals

As I mentioned over coffee, re-entry after being off for the holidays was a tad rough. Work went from zero to sixty with everyone wanting to do “all the things” all at once! My mom was transferred to rehab on Tuesday so there’s been a lot to navigate there – but she’s doing great so that’s a win!

With all that was going on, my workouts were pretty much on auto-pilot, but I got ’em done.

Monday — 3 miles & Core


Tuesday — 2-mile walk, otherwise rest
Wednesday — 1-mile walk, Lower Body Strength & Core
Thursday — 1-mile walk & Peloton Bike
Friday — 3 miles & Core. Sleet had me heading to the treadmill, but vibing out to a fun 80’s playlist helped to get the miles done.


Saturday — 2-mile walk, Upper Body Strength & Core
Sunday — 4 miles & Core

Setting Some 2023 Goals

For the past couple of years, I have passed on setting any big annual fitness goals, choosing instead to set smaller monthly goals to keep me on track. For 2023 I’ve decided to set just a few goals:

  • Reach the starting line of my Spring and Fall races feeling prepared — I’m looking forward to doing more racing this year, and so above all else, I want to go into each race feeling strong and ready to go. This means being consistent in my training to build mileage smartly.
  • Develop a PT maintenance routine — As I’ve mentioned before, I spent way too much time last year playing a cat-and-mouse game with my quad/hip flexor injury. I’ll be starting this year with PT and my goal is to develop a routine to follow well after my sessions with the therapist are done.
  • Complete 12K Peloton minutes — I hit over 10,000 minutes in 2022 so I think 12K is doable.
  • Stretch daily — Focusing on my flexibility will go a long way toward helping me reach goal #1.

In case you missed it:

One Word for 2023

First Coffee Chat of 2023

How was your week? Any races coming up?

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

 

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