Tuesday Topics

One Word for 2024

January 2, 2024 by Michelle 8 Comments

Happy New Year!

Jenn and Zenaida are inviting everyone to share their word for the year for this week’s Tuesday Topics link-up. The practice of picking one word as a theme for the year is something I’ve been doing since 2015. Past choices have included Thrive, Progress, Belief, Brave, Intentional, Curate, Mindset, Emerge, and Cultivate.

I love to see which word others have selected! After reading here, be sure to check out what others are sharing!

Better — (v) to improve on or surpass an existing or previous level of achievement

“Better” is not “perfect” or “best” – it reminds me that I am a work in progress and to let go of both perfectionism and comparison. To me “better” also means never stop learning – to approach life with a “beginner’s mind”. It also means, don’t settle.

In 2024, I’m seeking a better balance between work and home life; better self-care; better health and fitness; and better connections.

Have you picked a word for the year?

Filed Under: one word, Tuesday Topics

One Word for 2023

January 3, 2023 by Michelle 11 Comments

Kim and Zenaida have invited everyone to share their word for the year for this week’s Tuesday Topics link-up. I love to see which word others have selected! (After reading here, be sure to check out what others are sharing!).

I have picked one word to serve as the theme for the year since 2015. Past choices have included Thrive, Progress, Belief, Brave, Intentional, Curate, Mindset, and Emerge. For 2023, my word is Cultivate.

Cultivate — to promote growth or development; to devote oneself to; to give special attention

This word will serve as a good reminder to intentionally invest in the things that matter most – family, friends, fun, and my physical and mental well-being – and, to say no to the things that don’t.

Have you picked a word for the year?

Filed Under: one word, Tuesday Topics

My Ode to Long Runs

March 8, 2022 by Michelle 24 Comments

(Editor’s note: This post was originally published in August 2012.)

Long Runs…

….at times, a confidence booster,
and other times…..an ego crusher

….show you how far you’ve come,
or how much farther you need to go

….a chance for mental cleansing,
or a time for “chatter brain” to be unleashed

….time to connect with running buddies,
or much needed “me” time

….done just as the sun is rising,
or chasing the sun to bed

….allow you to shed all the roles you wear in life,
except for one….runner.

Which do you prefer, short or long runs?

I’m linking up with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.

Filed Under: general musings, long runs, Tuesday Topics

My Word for 2022

January 4, 2022 by Michelle 26 Comments

For this week’s Tuesday Topics link-up, Kim and Zenaida have invited everyone to share their word for the year (after reading here, be sure to check out what others are sharing!).

This practice of picking “one word” to serve as the theme for the year started for me in 2015. Past choices have included Thrive, Progress, Belief, Brave, Intentional, Curate, and last year’s Mindset.

For 2022, my word is Emerge.

Emerge — to manifest, to come into view or notice; to rise up.

Do you pick one word for the year? My word for 2022 #TuesdayTopics #Emerge #QuietOptimism Click To Tweet

I have a quiet optimism about this year and am ready to step into some new challenges.

Have you picked a word for the year?

Filed Under: one word, Tuesday Topics

Back on My Feet Running Festival Recap

September 21, 2021 by Michelle 30 Comments

Last Saturday I participated in the Back on My Feet (BOMF) Running Festival. While I have slowed down on doing virtual races this year, I’m always up for supporting a good cause.

Disclaimer: I received a free race entry as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Back on My Feet Running Festival Recap

BOMF is a great organization working to combat homelessness in 14 major cities across the U.S., including my hometown of Boston. With all the challenges of Covid, BOMF opted to host one large virtual running festival this year, instead of attempting multiple in-person events.

I liked that the Festival offered a range of distances (5K, 10K, 15K, 30K, or you could run all 4 distances) so there was something for everyone! I had originally planned on running the 15K, but my hip had other plans. When I couldn’t make the longer training runs work, I opted to swap distances. The beauty of a virtual event is that there were no restrictions to changing plans – so 10K it was!

As a perk of participating as a BibRave Pro, I received a free race t-shirt (there was a $100 fundraising minimum to receive a shirt). While I didn’t participate in the fundraising I did make a donation as this was a cause I really wanted to support.

A week before the Festival started I also received my bib, along with a GU gel, and finish line banner. I thought the finish line banner was a fun touch!

Race morning I woke up to less than ideal conditions – light rain and off-the-charts humidity. For half a second I toyed with the idea of holding off, but since I did not know how I was going to feel following Monday’s cortisone shot, I stuck with my plan. I had hoped that the rain would make for a cool, refreshing run, but unfortunately, the rain stopped shortly after mile 1 and then the humidity really cranked up. Miles 1 – 3 went by fairly quickly, but my right hip did not love the long gradual climb of mile 4.

The final stretch

I did my best to stick to my 4:1 intervals, but between the humidity and my increasingly angry hip, I was glad I had chosen to just do the 10K. On the plus side, the roads were quiet so it was a nice peaceful run. And, a huge shoutout to my husband J for being a mobile water stop and cheerleader around 4.5 miles!

Just because it’s virtual doesn’t mean you can’t run “with” friends! Cari, Deborah, and Fellow BibRave Pro Kim also took part in the Festival.

Kim, me, and Cari! Thanks to Cari for the photo skills 🙂

The only downside of the Festival for me was the lack of communication from the event organizers. Especially with it being a virtual event, I think this was a missed opportunity to create more excitement among runners — maybe even to have provided a way to connect runners in the 14 cities they operate in.

Overall, I would recommend the BOMF Running Festival and supporting this great organization addressing homelessness across the country. (The Festival is being held through Saturday, September 25th, so there’s still time to get in on the action – click here to register and use code BibRave5! to save $5 off the registration fee).

I’m linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up.

I’m also linking with Debbie, Deborah, Lisa, Jenn, and Laura for the Runners’ Roundup.

Filed Under: #BibRavePro, #BOMFBR, race report, Runners Roundup, Tuesday Topics

2021 Mid-year Check-In

July 6, 2021 by Michelle 12 Comments

2021 is moving along at a breakneck pace and here we are at the halfway point! Usually, this is the perfect time to reflect on how I’m progressing with my fitness goals – and to adjust as necessary.

Unlike past years, I entered 2021 reluctant to set any big running/fitness goals. Blame it on pandemic fatigue. Who knew if and when in-person racing would return? Thanks to the ZOOMA Run Club, my lone annual goal is 750 run/walk miles. Otherwise, I opted instead to stick with my tradition of monthly goal setting and see how the year played out.

2021 Mid-Year Check-In

So where do things stand 6 months into the year? As I look back over my monthly goals, overall I am pretty happy with what’s taken place.

January — I kicked off the year by completing a self-created daily yoga challenge.
February — In February, I switched gears to focus on Matty’s enCORE28 daily core challenge on Peloton.
March & April — For March, it was all about strength training, aiming for 3 sessions a week (upper, lower, and full body) in addition to continuing the daily core work. I was enjoying the strength work heading into April, so I extended my 3 sessions/week goal and focused on returning to early morning runs.
May — My strength goal was to complete Peloton’s Strength for Runners series – full disclosure, while I completed a bunch of these workouts, they are mostly core and lower body workouts and I missed the upper body workouts, so I ended up deviating so I could keep the balance I had established in March & April.
June — I set five fitness goals for the summer months and so far so good.

Over the six months, I hit some fun milestones with Peloton including both my century ride and run, and my Pelo-anniversary (52-week streak!). There has also been a couple of cycling PRs! I’m also pleased to have stuck to my commitment to make time for daily stretching.

Room for improvement?

Given how easy peasy I’ve been approaching my runs, there’s no surprise that I’m lagging on my 750-mile goal – by 68 miles to be exact. But, now that I have some fall races on the horizon, I expect this to take care of itself.

The other area I would really like to see some improvement in is my nutrition. While I have cleaned up my eating from earlier this year, the pandemic pounds have not moved much and I’m still not loving how some clothes are fitting. So, I’m back to tracking my macros.

Did you set goals for 2021? How has the first half of the year gone for you?

I’m linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up.

Filed Under: goals, Tuesday Topics

April Goals

March 30, 2021 by Michelle 19 Comments

If you have spent any time around here, then you know that I am a goal setter! I have often said that I especially like to set monthly goals to help keep me accountable and provide a focus – these short-term goals are a great way for me to break down bigger yearly goals into manageable chunks. So with the start of the new month just around the corner, it’s time to lay out some April goals.

April Goals

65 – 70 miles — Through the ZOOMA Run Club, I set a (rare for me) annual mileage goal of 750 run/walk miles, which nets out to 62.5 miles/month. As I write this I’m slightly behind, but know with the spring weather that I’ll be itching to log more outdoor miles.
Return to early morning runs — I runfessed that I have been chasing the weather, often pushing my runs to the warmer afternoons vs. dark early morning hours. But, truth be told I’m much happier when I get out early to start my day. Also, with my youngest son’s lacrosse practices kicking in this month, I know if I don’t get out early, schedules may collide.

Do you set monthly fitness goals? Sharing my goals for April. #bibchat #TuesdayTopics Click To Tweet

Clean-up my eating — Quite simply, I need to lose a few pounds. I’m not much for scales – I prefer to go by how I feel in my clothes, and, if I’m keeping it real, a few things are starting to feel a little snug. So before these pandemic pounds become permanent, it’s time to clean up my eating. Specifically, no more late-night snacking, more spring vegetables, and being much more mindful about sugar consumption.
Balanced strength training — For March I targeted 3 sessions/week – 1 upper-body, 1 lower-body, and 1 full-body in addition to daily core. This worked well, so as the saying goes if it ain’t broke…

Are you a goal setter? Any goals for April?

I’m linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up.

Filed Under: goals, Tuesday Topics

Running pet peeves

February 16, 2021 by Michelle 23 Comments

Running pet peeves? Oh come on now, you know you’ve got one or two…or a few 😉 For this week’s Tuesday’s Topics, Kim and Zenaida are inviting us all to get a few things off our chest and share some of our running pet peeves.

I actually did a similar post a few years back, which you can read here – it’s funny how some of those peeves still hold true!

Runners who don’t acknowledge other runners — This is one I really do not understand. How hard is it to raise a hand, nod, something when another runner greets you? When we’re out there pounding the pavement a little acknowledgment of someone’s effort could go a long way.

Drivers who treat stop signs and red lights as optional — I have had one too many close calls with drivers who roll through a red light attempting to turn right on red without ever looking. Had this happen just the other day and let’s just say I had some choice words for that driver.

Races that are advertised as “flat and fast” when they clearly are not! — Why not just be honest about the course elevation?

Disrespecting the “Back of the Pack” — I have no place for judgmental people, especially someone who thinks it’s ok to judge/comment/criticize someone else’s effort. On both social media and at races, I’ve seen runners show their disdain for slower runners – really? First of all, pace is relative. More importantly, just because you happen to be faster than another runner doesn’t give you the right to comment on whether they should be running or racing. As long as runners have seeded themselves appropriately for a race, why should those in the front corrals feel entitled to comment on those in the back? Personally, I applaud anyone who’s willing to put themselves out there and give it their best effort – whatever their pace.

So tell me, what are some of your running pet peeves?

Filed Under: Tuesday Topics

My Word for 2021

January 5, 2021 by Michelle 24 Comments

Since 2015, I have chosen one word for the year. A word to serve as a “theme” or guide for the year ahead. In most years since I have started this practice, I have settled on a word fairly quickly. But this time around, it took a little longer.

Mindset – a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations.

So much about 2020 really threw me off my game. I felt like I spent a great deal of time reacting and dealing with the negative energy of others. Whether it was related to the pandemic, the racial unrest, or the election on a large scale, or to my job or watching some “friends” reveal their true colors on social media on a more personal level, the year was often an emotional roller coaster, leaving me feeling depleted. In selecting Mindset as my word for this year, it serves as a reminder to me that while I cannot control outside forces, I do have control over the energy I allow in and how I choose to respond.

What's your word for 2021? Focusing on my #Mindset #oneword #tuesday topics Click To Tweet

Have you picked a word for the year?

I’m linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up.

Filed Under: one word, Tuesday Topics

BUFF® DryFlx+ Collection Product Review

December 29, 2020 by Michelle 14 Comments

Disclaimer: I received a BUFF® DryFlx+ neckwarmer and headband to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

While temps around here yoyo’d for a bit, there’s no doubt now that winter running season is in full effect. Having the right gear can make all of the difference when dealing with the elements, which is why I jumped at the chance to try out the BUFF® DryFlx+ neckwarmer and headband. I’ve been a long-time fan of BUFF® products so I was really interested in seeing what this new collection was all about.

Well, if you’ve been following me on Instagram then you already know that both items have become staples on my runs. I am especially in love with the neckwarmer! It is warm and cozy, yet does a great job of wicking away sweat and offered great breathability – especially important when using it as a face mask. I also appreciate the seamless design which helps to avoid any potential rubbing or chaffing.

The headband is also designed as a one-knitted piece using the same material as the neckwarmer. While I tend to be more of a hat girl for winter runs, I can say that I liked that this headband stayed put, wicked away sweat, and kept my ears warm. Can’t really ask for more than that, can you?!

Overall, the DryFlx+ Collection is another win for BUFF® in my book and why they continue to be one of my favorite brands.

Sharing my review of @buff_usa DryFlx+ Collection! #BUFFRunBR #bibravepro #bibchat #tuesdaytopics #runnersroundup #winterunning Click To Tweet

If you’re interested in BUFF® products, be sure to go to https://buffusa.com/bibrave and sign up for the BUFF® newsletter to receive 15% off your purchase.

You can check out other BibRavePro reviews here:

Run, Eat, Ralph

RunCanvas

Running on the Other Side of 40

Fun Size Athlete

Running on Pixie Dust

Fit x Brit

The Late Runner

The Valley Isle Runner

Ken Stands on Things

Are you a fan of neckwarmers? Headbands or hats?

I’m linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up.