Fit Five Friday – Summer Fitness Goals

June 9, 2023 by 16 Comments

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 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!


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Friday Five, goals, Summer running

April Wrap-up and Setting May Goals

April 30, 2023 by 25 Comments

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

April 2, 2023 by 22 Comments

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

January 20, 2023 by 20 Comments

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 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!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


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Week 1 and 2023 Goals

January 8, 2023 by 20 Comments

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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Hello September

September 4, 2022 by 24 Comments

I know we’re not at the official end of summer yet, but there was a noticeable shift in the weather towards the end of the week just as September rolled in. While I will never be one to wish days away (time really does fly by far too fast), I’m not at all mad about inching closer to fall weather.

I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down. Here’s how the week in workouts played out.

Week 35 – Hello September

Monday – Peloton Bike, Upper Body Strength, Core & Stretch. The weekend of travel and college move-in finally caught up with me so I kept my #nevermissamonday streak going with a quick and easy workout. I also had my first appointment with my new acupuncturist!
Tuesday – 3-mile run & Stretch. The humidity was just stupid thick, but surprisingly the run wasn’t terrible.


Wednesday – Rest day
Thursday – 2.5-mile walk, Lower body strength, Core & Stretch. I stacked a couple of Glutes & Legs classes along with some core, and have to admit halfway through Daniel’s class I was questioning my choices LOL (It was challenging and I’ll definitely be repeating it!)

Friday – 4-mile run & Stretch. Yeah, I definitely felt yesterday’s workout – my legs did not want to move uphill. But it was a beautiful and cool morning (see the photo in the header) so that was a win! And, since I had the day off, I followed it up with another acupuncture appointment.
Saturday – 2-mile walk, Upper Body Strength, Core & Stretch.
Sunday – 5-mile run and lots of foam rolling.

September Goal Setting

Of the 5 goals I had set for August, the one I came up short on was building up to 8-mile long runs. I didn’t run longer than 4, because August was oh so August weather-wise. Sorry, not sorry. Thankfully with no races until November there’s more than enough time to stretch these runs.

So for September, the goals are short and simple:

  • Build my long runs to 8 miles
  • Complete a 30-day #OptOutside streak
  • Continue my daily stretch/foam rolling

How was your week? Any goals for September?

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Five August Goals…a little late

August 12, 2022 by 10 Comments

I know, I know, it’s already the 12th of the month – perhaps it’s a little late to talk about the month’s goals. But, I did set some at the start of the month and meant to share them earlier, then work/life got in the way and I never posted.

So for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m sharing my goals to keep myself accountable.

Five August Goals….a little late

Hydration — Despite the heat, I got way off my hydration game last month which sometimes resulted in headaches. The plan for this month is to track it carefully. I’m also testing out a few different electrolyte supplements (thanks Erica!) to see if that helps.

Build my long runs to 8 miles — In anticipation of fall races, it’s time to stretch the long runs. 8 miles feels like a good target because ramping up to a 10M or half marathon from there doesn’t feel like too much of a leap.

Daily Stretch or Foam Roll — Similar to the hydration, I’ve fallen off consistent stretching – it’s become too easy to be pressed for time, and let it slide. I’ll be correcting that this month.

Settle on Fall Races — And speaking of fall races, I’m feeling the itch to register for a couple and fill my race calendar so the goal is to find at least two races and commit.

Peloton Split Strength Program — I’ve been interested in trying out the Split program since it was introduced in the Spring. There are 4 programs offered by Robin, Adrian, Callie, and Matty. Robin’s one of my favorite instructors so my goal is to complete Robin’s program at least twice during the month along with trying at least one other.

What are you taking on this month? Any fall race suggestions?

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!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


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Five Ways to Revive Your 2022 Goals

June 17, 2022 by 7 Comments

Can you believe that we are quickly approaching the halfway mark of 2022?!

As you reach the midway point of the year, it seems like a natural time to reflect and ask how are you doing with those goals and resolutions you set at the beginning of the year. Are they still top of mind? Are you making progress or have some of them slipped off your radar?

If some of your goals got pushed to the backburner, then consider these five ways to get back on track.

Five Ways to Revive Your 2022 Goals

Assess — If you have goals that you have not paid much attention to it’s important to first stop to consider if those goals are still important to you. What was your why for setting the goal in the first place? If you find that some goals just don’t resonate with you anymore, then there’s no crime in letting them go.

Prioritize — It’s easy to get ambitious at the start of a new year and set too many goals at once. It’s important to be realistic about the demands on your time and to recognize that trying to spread yourself too thin could leave you with goals unfulfilled. By setting priorities, you can create a realistic timeline mapping out all of the steps needed to move you closer to your goals and then determine a reasonable action plan.

Track Your Progress — According to a 2014 study, 33% of those who failed to achieve their goals did not track their progress. Use an app, habit tracker, or good old notebook to set up a system that will help you consistently track your progress.

Evaluate — Set aside time on a consistent basis to review your progress so you can see what’s working and where you may be struggling or need to consider a new approach.

Celebrate Along the Way — While the journey to achieving your goal may be challenging it should also include moments of joy. It’s important to celebrate wins, both big and small, along the way. Consider rewarding yourself when you hit key milestones. At the end of the day, if it’s not fun, it’s not worth doing!

 

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!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


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Ready for June

June 5, 2022 by 17 Comments

Who’s ready for June? I know I am! I always enjoy the start of a new month and the chance to set some new goals. But before we dive into June plans, I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down.

Week 22 – Ready for June

Monday — A little race recovery with a 2.8-mile walk and some yoga.
Tuesday — 1.2-mile walk, otherwise rest day.
Wednesday — 3.2-mile run, Core & Stretch. Celebrated Global Running Day virtually with some blogger friends

A huge thanks to Cari for putting this together!

Thursday — 3.5-mile walk, Upper Body Strength, Core & Stretch.
Friday –– 4-mile run & Stretch.
Saturday — 1.5-mile walk, Full Body Strength & Stretch.
Sunday — 3-mile run. The plan was to run 6, but my quad woke up with a very different plan this morning. I tried to work through it, but I was bargaining with each step and finally decided to shut it down at 3. I have the BAA 10K in 3 weeks so there’s no point in risking aggravating anything.

June Goals

  • Complete the #3for31 Challenge — Peloton instructor Robin first introduced this challenge in December and it was a great way to stay consistent. The challenge is 3 miles on foot (walk, jog, or run) or 30 minutes of movement every day from June 1st through July 1st. Given my current #OptOutside streak (today’s Day 67), I’m planning to do the 3 miles/day option.

  • Return to Consistent Strength Training — With the craziness of my May schedule, strength training sometimes took a backseat, so I am looking to return to a more balanced mix of workouts.
  • Focus on Hill Work —  I’ve got the BAA 10K at the end of this month and while the course is fairly flat, the hill in mile 3 up Comm Ave has given me fits in the past. It doesn’t help that race day is usually hot and this part of the course offers absolutely no shade. The goal this year is to run that hill strong.

What are you looking forward to this month? 

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Filed Under: Global Running Day, goals, Weekly Run Down

Hello April

April 3, 2022 by 10 Comments

It’s a new month, which around here means setting a few monthly goals to keep me accountable and on track. But first here’s a quick look at this week’s workouts.

Week 13 and Setting April Goals

Monday — 3-mile run, Core & Stretch
Tuesday — 2-mile walk & Yoga
Wednesday — Upper Body Strength, Core & Stretch
Thursday — 3-mile run & Stretch
Friday — 4-mile run
Saturday — 2-mile walk & Upper Body Strength
Sunday — 7-mile run & Stretch

It was a pretty busy week which left me with less time for strength training and it was a rare week without a Peloton ride. But, I am happy to have logged another 4 run week!

Sunday’s 7 miler was my longest run in a while

April Goals

I had 3 goals for March:

  • Run 4 days/week and reach an LSD of 8 miles by month-end
  • Opt outside daily
  • Prioritize sleep

I was consistent with the 4 weekly runs and came up just a mile short on the long run. I also racked up 74 miles for the month which is the most miles I’ve had since sometime last fall – I call that a win! The daily outdoor plans took a hit as there were many days over the course of the month when Ma Nature thought serving up icy rain was a good idea. I think I did a much better job with my evening routine which contributed to better sleep – though there’s still room for improvement.

So what’s the plan for April? Pretty much more of the same:

  • Continue to increase my monthly mileage to 90 miles and get the long run up to double digits
  • I’m going to give opting outside daily another go. Right now I have a 4-day “streak” going – hopefully, the weather will cooperate!
  • Return to early morning runs – as much as I have enjoyed my lunch-time runs for the sake of milder temps, my April calendar is starting to look fairly hectic so getting up and out the door early will be a necessity. And, truth be told I really do prefer getting out on the roads early before the rest of the world (and distracted drivers!).

What have you got planned for April? Any races planned? What’s your preferred time of day to run?

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

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