#RocknBlog — Page 2

Weekly Wrap #17

May 16, 2016 by Michelle 16 Comments

It’s Monday which means it’s time to wrap-up another week!

Monday: Strength day.
Tuesday: 3.25 mile run.
Wednesday: Strength day.
Thursday: 3 mile run. (The group run with BGR didn’t come together but we’re going to try again this week)
Friday: Spent the day with a friend – lots of walking.
Saturday: J decided to join me for a run – 4.25 miles done. Followed by an afternoon of yard/garden work.
Sunday: Rest day.

Plus daily planking continued!

For the most part it was a pretty routine week around here. Mother Nature continued to show she has a sense of humor – after last week where I was prepared to build an ark, this week she flipped the heat switch! I was so not ready for the 30 degree jump in temps and there may have been some whining while running.

I did get a nice surprise of winning a pair of Zensah Well Rounded Shorts during Tuesday night’s #BibChat. Zensah is my go-to choice for compression gear so I’m very psyched and cannot wait for them to arrive in the mail! And, speaking of fun things in the mail, I came home Wednesday to find these books waiting for me.

As a little perk to the Rock’n’Blog team, we each got to pick a couple of books from a collection of great titles from VeloPress! I started reading Racing Weight last night – review to come soon!

Have you read either of these books? How was your week?

I’m linking up again with Holly and Tricia for the #WeeklyWrap.

Filed Under: #RocknBlog, Weekly Wrap

Race Calendar Revisited

March 8, 2016 by Michelle 20 Comments

So earlier in January, I was still debating so many race options….then this happened….

Well that just opened a whole new can of ~~worms~~ …options…so many options

I already planned to run RnR Philly in September, and had wanted to add a half marathon in both October and November – problem solved!

So now the plan is…

Run to Remember Half — May

Finish at the 50 10K — July (Yes July…I may regret this one!)

RnR Philly Half — September (flat and fast…goal race perhaps?)

RnR Brooklyn Half — October (Perfect way to spend the long weekend in NYC!)

Canton Fall Classic — October (5K and 10K option – TBD)

RnR Las Vegas — November (I was all set to run the #StripAtNight last year, then the surgery happened, so I don’t want to miss a 2nd chance to run this one!)

Now…if I allow myself to dream and the travel gods were to smile on me, RnR Dublin in August would be a fun way to celebrate my birthday, and then there’s RnR San Antonio in December. Let the stalking of airline websites commence!

Want to add an Rock’n’Roll race (or two) to your calendar? As a member of the Rock’n’Blog team, I’m happy to finally be able to share a discount code with you! Use code ROCKATTITUDE and save $15 on domestic half marathons or marathons, and €/£3 on international races.

Will I see you at any of these race this year?

Linking up with Erika, Marcia and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run

Filed Under: #RocknBlog, race calendar, Tuesdays on the Run

Ultimate Coffee Date – February ’16

February 6, 2016 by Michelle 18 Comments

It’s the first Saturday of the month, which means it’s time again to grab a mug of your favorite hot beverage, and settle in and join our hosts Coco, Lynda and Deborah for this month’s coffee date.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that we had our first snow day yesterday. A storm that was suppose to bring only a couple of inches quickly turned into 9! I figure if the kids are going to miss school, a Friday’s the day to do it, right? I was actually enjoying our winter wonderland – until it was time to shovel…started having flashbacks from last year. And, then we lost power…but just for a couple of hours and that’s what board games are for 🙂

If we were having coffee together, I would tell you that I’m still grinning from ear to ear over Tuesday’s news that I have been chosen again to be a part of the Rock n Blog team! I’m excited to run some fun races and share some discounts with you all – stay tuned!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I started sorting through summer camp options. My oldest is all set to go back to the overnight camp he went to last year, so I’m just trying to figure out my youngest. It’s always surprising to me how fast some things fill up!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I’ve been enjoying Mar’s 14 Days of Self Challenge – it’s really made me stop and intentionally carve out some time for myself each day. So important…and yet so easy to overlook.

So what would you tell me over coffee?

Filed Under: #14DaysofSelf, #RocknBlog, weather

September’s Ultimate Coffee Date

September 5, 2015 by Michelle 13 Comments

Happy Labor Day Weekend! It’s the unofficial last weekend of summer, but I must say it feels a little odd since school’s already started for my youngest son. Then again, it’s a long weekend and that’s always a good thing, right? So I’m taking a little time out this morning to join in with Coco, Lynda and Deborah for this month’s Ultimate Coffee Date.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that believe it or not, my youngest son’s hockey season has already begun! And he’ll be on the ice until at least April.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that meanwhile my oldest son has made me a little giddy by announcing he’s decided to run cross country this fall 🙂

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I cannot wait for football season to kick off this Thursday night with the raising of another Super Bowl banner! I don’t want to hear another word about the supposed “deflategate.”

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I came home the other day to a nice surprise from Women’s Running Magazine and the Rock ‘n’ Roll folks – another fun perk as a member of the #RocknBlog team! Women’s Running is also offering all RWA readers a 1-year subscription for just $9.99 – just use code RUNATTITUDE015.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I’d better get going – we’re celebrating my dad’s 75th birthday and I still have food to prep!

So what would you tell me? What have you got planned for this weekend?

Filed Under: #RocknBlog, football, Ultimate coffee date, Women's Running Magazine

Fall Racing – A Moving Target

September 4, 2015 by Michelle 8 Comments

When I saw that this week’s #FridayFive link-up topic was Fall Races, I was tempted to skip posting. Racing has been such a moving target for me, between injury and conflicts with my family schedule, that I’m almost hesitant to count any race as a sure thing at this point. But, if you’ve been around here for a bit then you also know how much I love a fall race….so here’s what I’m hoping for at the moment.

1) #StripAtNight

This is my one and only definite race…well it’s actually two because I’ll be doing the Remix Challenge (5K and Half). My husband and brother are running with me, and I just saw friends yesterday who confirmed they’re in! I’ve been waiting all year to get to a Rock ‘n’ Roll race as part of the Rock’n’Blog team – and, well c’mon it’s Vegas! And, speaking of the Rock’n’Blog team, we were just given special codes for a Vegas discount – use code RUNATTITUDE015LV and you can do either the half or the full for $145!

2) Still Rockin’ — Staying with the Rock ‘n’ Roll theme for a minute, I’m still hoping to get to RnR Philly at the end of October, but family conflicts are starting to crop up from all sides…keep my fingers crossed. But, if schedules don’t work, then I’ll be looking at finishing up my 3-race Tour Pass by heading to San Antonio for #RnRSA the first week of December.

3) Tufts 10K for Women is one of my favorite Boston races. It’s always held on Columbus Day, which means it could potentially come in conflict with the boys’ sports schedules/tournaments – it’s happened before, but if I’m free this is always a great race!

4) Canton Fall Classic is another local favorite – I usually run the 5K and my husband J runs the 10K. My son is thinking about running it this year…so once again as long as schedules don’t collide, this could be a family race.

5) Jingle Bell Run — OK this one may technically be a “winter” race as some years it falls on the weekend before Christmas. As you can see from the picture of my brother and I on race morning, this one’s all for the costumes and post-race beer fest. (And, yes that is a giant ball of mistletoe on his hat!) 🙂

Do you find your race schedule is pretty well set or is it a moving target?

(As part of the Rock’n’Blog team, I receive a 3-race Tour Pass. If you want to add a RnR race to your fall schedule, don’t forget to use my code on my sidebar for a discount (or the code above for Vegas!)

I’m linking up with Courtney, Mar, and Cynthia – be sure to stop by to check out where they’ll be racing this fall!

Filed Under: #RocknBlog, #StripAtNight, Canton Fall Classic, fall racing, family running, Friday Five, Jingle Bell Run, RnRPhilly

Lovin’/Not Lovin’ – Summer Edition

August 26, 2015 by Michelle 16 Comments

I realized the other day that I haven’t done one of these types of posts since the spring so now seemed like a good time to share some of my fave…and not fave…things at the moment.

Lovin’

Brooks Running Hat — I received this hat as part of an awesome #TrainingRockBox that Rock ‘n’ Roll and their sponsors sent out to all of the Rock’n’Blog team – and it’s become an instant fave. I don’t think this picture does the hat justice – it’s a cute mix of purples and blues and has great mesh venting on the sides and even a zipper pocket!

Larabar Apple Pie — Apples, nuts, spiced with a little cinnamon – what’s not to love? Especially in these little bites.

FitBit Charge HR — I got a FitBit for my birthday and have been having a lot of fun playing with it these past couple of weeks. (I may do a full review after I’ve had a chance to wear it for a while.)

Saucony Zealot ISOs — Back in June I mentioned that I was going to give these shoes a try – and so far I’ve been really happy with them. As promised, the Zealot ISOs are light weight and have a similar ride to the Kinvara, but with much more cushioning – which my legs seem to appreciate lately.

Not Lovin’

Forerunner 10 — My Forerunner woes continue – It still seems to take forever to find a signal, and now it’s new glitch is the auto pause – it stays paused well after I’ve made it pass a traffic light…and the other day, it paused on its own. Needless to say, I’ve turned the function off. Back to customer support…

So tell me – what are you lovin’ lately?

Filed Under: #RocknBlog, #TrainingRockBox, fave things, Garmin, Saucony

Figuring out the Fall

June 25, 2015 by Michelle 10 Comments

As I’ve been working to rebuild my mileage base, I have been pouring over race listings trying to figure out my Fall calendar. I was toying briefly with the idea of running a summer race, but unless I get a sudden urge to jump into a 5K at the last minute, I’m going to let that idea go. I think I’m better off continuing to build my base, get stronger, and focus on the Fall.

So here’s what I’m thinking my Fall line-up will look like:

September:

Wicked 10 Miler — Yes! I will finally get a 10-miler in this year! This race is typically just a half marathon, but after the race organization had to cancel the Black Cat 10 miler back in March (thanks to the winter that wouldn’t quit!), they decided to add in the 10 mile distance.

October:

Tufts 10K — This one is still a question mark, because it is held on Columbus Day and the family could have plans that weekend. Luckily this is an easy race to jump into at last minute so I can hold off on registering until I know for sure.

RnR Philly — I have wanted to do this race for a while and I’m very excited that I’ll get to do it as part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Rock ‘n’ Blog team. It will be my first half marathon in more than a year!

November:

Vegas Baby! — I signed on for the RnR Vegas Half as soon as the registration opened. And now to add to the ~~madness~~ fun, I’ve decided to go for the Remix Challenge and make my 3rd Rock ‘n’ Blog race the 5K the night before! It looks like my husband J, my brother and a friend or two may also be in for this little adventure – should be a good time!

Should be a fun fall…and with Wicked a little over 12 weeks a way it’s time to get focused!

What’s your Fall calendar look like?

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Wahoo Fitness Giveaway Winner — Thanks to everyone who entered the Wahoo Fitness Giveaway. Congrats to Janet R – you won the Tickr X heart monitor! Please email me with your info and the folks at Wahoo will get that off to you.

Filed Under: #RocknBlog, #StripAtNight, #Tickrx, #Wahoo, race calendar, RnRPhilly

Race Shopping Dilemna

February 25, 2015 by Michelle 14 Comments

So the juggling of my race calendar continues….

I have been anxiously waiting for Rock ‘n’ Roll to announce the date of #RnRPhilly, and this happened…..

And I was all “Yay sign me up!”….then I realized that this puts #RnRPhilly one week before #RnRSavannah….gah!

I was so looking forward to running both of these races, but running them on back-to-back weekends is not an option. So now what?

I’ve gone back to staring at the R’n’R website to figure out where I’m going to get my #RocknBlog groove on – and the list of potential races is long:

In September — Virginia Beach and Montreal

In October — Denver (how bad is the altitude?) and Philly

In November — Savannah and Las Vegas (racing at night?)

In December — San Antonio

TBD — Brooklyn

Decisions… decisions – Run Philly or Savannah? Consider running the Strip at Night?And, am I crazy to even consider putting Chicago in July on the list?!?

Any words of advice? Have you run any of these races?

Filed Under: #RocknBlog, race calendar, race shopping, RnR

My 2015 Race Calendar

January 29, 2015 by Michelle 16 Comments

After reflecting back on lessons learned from a not so great race, it seems like the perfect time to look ahead to this year’s race calendar. Ah the race calendar…so many races to consider. If only there were infinite time and funds!

So here’s what I’m thinking (hoping) so far:

March 29th: Cambridge City Run 5-miler

April 12th: Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

April 18th: BAA 5K

May 24th: Boston Run to Remember 5 miler

June 7th: Newport 10 miler

June 23rd: BAA 10K ** This one is a big question mark because I’ll be working a big event for my job the day before and sometimes late June in Boston is just too hot!

The second half of the year will be all about the half marathon and some #RocknBlog fun!

I’ve narrowed down the #RnR options to Virginia Beach, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Savannah and San Antonio. The dates for Philly and Brooklyn have not been finalized yet…believe it or not the Pope is playing a role in holding up the Philly date! So for now I ~~stalk~~ watch the website and Facebook for an announcement. There may be another race or two of shorter distances in the fall, but I want to get these figured out first.

So I’ve got a pretty good mix of favorite repeats and some new destinations

Filed Under: #RocknBlog, BAA, Boston's Run to Remember, Cherry Blossom, Newport 10 Miler, race calendar

2015 Running Goals

January 6, 2015 by Michelle 35 Comments

I’ve been sitting with this post for a bit…perhaps a little gun-shy to put it down in print after coming up short last year … or just needed a little more time to marinate. But as I said in my Year of Running post, having had a challenging 2014 won’t stop me from setting big goals for this year. So I’m linking up with Erika, Patty and April for Tuesdays on the Run and putting them out there!

My 2015 Running/Fitness goals:

Run a 2:15 – 2:20 half marathon — This was a 2014 goal, but then I didn’t end of racing any halfs.
Set a new 10-mile PR — target time TBD.
1,000 Miles — I’m participating in Run This Year with a target of 1,000 miles.
Continue my strength program — I started a great program with the trainer last month and for the first time in a long time I’m enjoying being in the gym. I need to schedule this, just like I do my runs so I stick with it.
Actively manage recovery – I need to accept that fact that I cannot just run and then rush off to the next thing. I need to give time to rolling, Epsom salt baths, etc.
Have fun! — I lost some of the joy in my running last year so I’m all about recapturing the fun! I’m looking forward to some blogger meet-ups, joining Black Girls Run for some group runs, volunteering at a race (or two), racing with my son and husband, and some destination races thanks to being on the Rock’nBlog team!
Be kinder to myself — when training/racing doesn’t go as planned, I need to remember that the greater goal is to have a long-term relationship with running.