I love the start of a new month – so full of new possibilities. As most of you know, I always like to set a couple of goals for the month – it helps to keep me on track. But first, here’s a quick recap of this week’s workouts.

Week 9 – Setting Goals for March

Monday — Full Body Strength, Core & Stretch. Jess did not mess around with this workout and her Mary J. Blige playlist was on point.

Tuesday — 1.5-mile walk & Yoga. Once again I stacked a few of Peloton’s 10 min. Focus Flow classes concentrating on hips and hamstrings.
Wednesday — 3.2-mile run, Upper Body Strength & Stretch. So much black ice! I managed to stay upright so that was a win!

Thursday –– 4-mile run. It was a bit warmer and there was much less black ice to contend with. I finished the workday with a much-needed sports massage.

Friday — 2-mile walk & Core. I had planned a Peloton ride, but another poor night of sleep (it was a theme all week!) left me dragging, and it just never happened. The midday walk and core was a nice break in the day.
Saturday — 4-mile run, Core & Stretch. I opted to sleep in and run around noon. It was a good call – the temperature was 20 degrees warmer.

Sunday — 3-mile run & Stretch. 4th day of running this week!

March Goals

As I noted, today was the first time I’ve run 4 times in a week in quite a while. Shifting to 4 runs/week had been one of my February goals, but a combination of scheduling & feeling various aches kept this from happening.  So this will now be among my March goals:

• Lay the foundation for half marathon training — 4 days/week of running and extend my “long run” to 8 miles by the month’s end.
• Opt outside daily — The goal is to run all of my runs outdoors and on my off days to head out for a walk. With just 14 more days until Spring, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will cooperate (i.e., no more snow/ice storms!)
• Make sleep a priority — My sleeping was so poor this past month so I’m going to focus on what I can to set myself up for success. That means stepping away from both my laptop and phone earlier in the evening, adding in a stretch or yoga class before bed, and being consistent with my end-of-day meditation.

What have you got planned for March? Any races? Starting training?

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

February has rolled in and with it has come some very frigid weather. Ma Nature also thought it would be fun to serve up another storm, this time a mix of snow and ice, making getting outdoors a challenge. But of course, the workouts happened…here’s a quick peek at how the week played out.

Photo by Izzy Park on Unsplash

Week 5 – February Freeze

Monday — Full Body Strength & Core. I like starting the week with a solid strength workout and mixing in Jess’ Flash 15 classes has quickly become a Monday favorite. Robin’s Eminem 20-min core class was not for the faint of heart!

Tuesday — 3-mile run, Core & Stretch. Run, slip, slide & repeat. Road conditions were suspect in some spots but I managed to stay upright.

Wednesday — 1.5-mile walk & Yoga.
Thursday — 4-mile run & Stretch. “Feels like” temps in the low single digits had me on the treadmill.
Friday — Boxing, Upper Body Strength & Stretch. Ice/Snow storm outside so decided to mix up the workouts inside with one of Peloton’s new boxing classes. Rad’s Eminem class was fun and combined with some upper-body strength left with me with jelly arms.

Gloves not needed, but so fun!

Saturday — 4.3-mile run, Core & Stretch. With everything heavily glazed over, I reluctantly returned to the treadmill. I’m so glad Kim suggested the BHM Block Party live run. The energy between Andrian & Jess was great and even though I couldn’t see Kim on the Leaderboard it was fun knowing she was running too.

Sunday — Currently coffee, though the plan is a Peloton ride later.

February Goals

I’ve also set a couple of goals for the month:

• Expand My Running Base — I’ll be shifting to 4 days/week of running and inching my “long run” to 6 miles.
• Peloton’s Boxing Contender — Complete 90 minutes of boxing in 7 days.
• Return to Food Prep — I fell off the food prep wagon around the holidays, so I’m long overdue to get back to this!

What have you got planned for February?

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

Happy New Year!

Thanks to a staycation and lots of fun family time, I was able to take a much-needed exhale and relax during this last week. I’m feeling refreshed and ready for 2022!

Before I turn the page, here’s a quick peek at my final week of fitness for 2021.

Weekly Run Down – Week 52

Monday — 2-mile walk, Core & Yoga.
Tuesday — 3.1-mile run, Core & Stretch. 40s and sunshine made it well worth it to push my run to the late morning.

Wednesday –– 1-mile walk, Upper Body Strength, Core & Stretch.
Thursday –– 4.25-mile run & Stretch.
Friday — 3.2-mile walk & Yoga.
Saturday — 4-mile run, Core & Stretch.

A New Year’s Day run has become a tradition of the past few years, and when you can do it in shorts and new kicks, all the better!

Aren’t they pretty?!

Sunday — Peloton Bike, Core & Stretch. I also got my booster shot and flu shot this morning. I was so happy to finally find appointments for the whole family, though it took booking at 3 different pharmacies. Hopefully, there won’t be a vax hangover to contend with – but the plan for the rest of the day is to chill on the couch and watch some football.

With the end of the year, I wrapped up both the #3for31 challenge and #FFHolidayChallenge. I finished 2021 with 654.61 miles – not bad given that there were a few non-running weeks thanks to dealing with my cranky right hip. Thankfully the hip has been happy ever since the cortisone shot, and overall running has felt pretty good. Now the goal is to keep it that way!

Just a couple of 2022 Goals

And, speaking of goals, I recently runfessed that despite being a big goal-setter, I didn’t have any big fitness goals for 2022. For now, I’ve decided to stick with the approach I took for 2021, and focus on smaller monthly goals. I do have two year-long goals: 1) Attempt to do daily strength work (I’m borrowing this one from Cari) and 2) stay off injured reserve (see goal #1). There may be some race goals down the road, but right now I only have one race on the calendar and that’s not until Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully, there will be more racing this year than 2021’s two 10Ks and I would love a blogger meet-up or two.

For January goals, I’m also taking on the 31-day Virtual Ragnar Challenge (thanks to Jenn for this one!).

How was your last week of 2021? Are you setting any 2022 goals?

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

Here we are at the last month of the year…can you believe it?! I’m looking forward to soaking up all the festive vibes this month has to offer!

As always, I’m setting a couple of monthly fitness goals to help finish the year strong. But, before I get to my December goals, here’s a quick peek at my workouts this week.

Weekly Run Down – Hello December!

Monday — Peloton Ride, Core & Stretch. This was my first time taking a 45 min ride and, as always, Robin delivered a great class! It was a long day back at work after having last week off, and this ride gave me the boost I needed.

Tuesday — 1-mile walk and Yoga Flow: Hips. Way too much time sitting at my laptop left me feeling creaky – time on my mat helped!

Wednesday — 3-mile run, Core & Stretch. Kicked off Day 1 of the #3for31 Challenge hosted by Peloton instructor Robin – the goal is to walk or run 3 miles each day or move for 30 minutes daily from December 1 -31. I’m already participating in the #FFHolidayChallenge with 30 mins of movement daily from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, but I couldn’t pass up a challenge hosted by one of my favorite Peloton instructors so I’ll be double-dipping.

Spied the last bit of fall color on Wednesday’s run

Thursday — Peloton Ride, Lower Body Strength & Stretch.

Friday — 3-mile run & Stretch. The wind was wicked and I just didn’t have it in me to face it again, so I hit the mill for the first time in I cannot even remember how long!

Saturday — 4-mile run, Core & Stretch. Mother Nature showed some mercy with the wind and I was very happy to get back outside.

Sunday — 3-mile walk & Stretch. My husband J and I continued our Sunday morning walk streak before prepping for a busy day of decorating.

December Goals

• Complete the #3for31 Challenge and the #FFHoliday Challenge – This means at least 30 minutes of movement every day.
• Continue to keep my right hip happy — Things have been going well with my right hip so of course, I want to keep doing the things that are keeping my hip happy focusing on lower body strength (especially Peloton’s Strength for Runners classes) and daily stretching/yoga.
• Extend my “long runs” to 6 -7 miles. I’m still in base-building mode but would like to see my overall mileage nudge up just a bit.

Any goals to finish the year? 

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

With last Sunday’s 10K done and my November half marathon canceled, this week was all about recovery with no running. Here’s how the week went:

Weekly Run Down – Week 40

Monday — Yoga
Tuesday — Upper Body Strength, Core & Stretch
Wednesday –– 2.5-mile walk, Core & Hip mobility work
Thursday — Low-impact Ride, Core & Stretch
Friday — 3-mile walk & Hip mobility work
Saturday — Full Body Strength, Core & Stretch
Sunday — Low-impact Ride & Core (planned)

A highlight of the week was volunteering at bib distribution for the Boston Marathon on Friday. I always love the energy of the city on Marathon Weekend! It was great to meet and talk with runners from all over – you could really feel and see how grateful people were to have made it to this point. I even had one runner ask me to join her in a photo of getting her bib! So fun!

The Weeks Ahead – Some Mini Goals

Running — I plan to get back out on the road tomorrow. With the Run to Remember Half now pushed off until May, there’s nothing to train for, which is really the best thing for my healing hip. The week off has done me a world of good and the plan for the rest of the fall is to enjoy the weather and just run to run.

Walking — I make no secret that the fall is my favorite season, so why not maximize my time outdoors before winter creeps in? On the days I’m not running, I plan to get out for 2-3 miles of walking.

Lower Body Strength & Core — The orthopedic doc wants to see me put a focus on strengthening the muscles around my hips, so I’ve pulled out my PT notes and will be re-taking some of my favorite Strength for Runners classes on the Peloton app.

Sugar Detox — A friend invited me to join her for the 14-day Sugar Vaca hosted by Rhianne at Believe in Your Health. I’m looking forward to using the last 2 weeks of October to give my body a re-set I think it needs.

So those are basically some mini-goals to carry me through the rest of this month.

Best of luck to everyone racing this weekend!

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

Is anyone else amazed that we’re already in September? For me, August was a month of “juggling all the balls” and in that respect, I’m happy to put it in the rearview mirror.

Weekly Run Down – Weeks 34 & 35

Over the past couple of weeks, I’m happy to say running is getting better! I have kept most of my runs short and at an oh-so-easy pace, and the reward has been no hip pain. I did increase my distance back up to 5 miles yesterday and all was well.

I have been diligent about strength training and daily stretching – both I’m sure are helping to keep the hip happy. I also completed Matty’s Summer Crunch core challenge on Peloton, though in full disclosure I got a little bored and ended up subbing in some other instructors’ core classes this past week.

I’ve also been sticking to low-impact rides, which offer a great endurance challenge without taxing the joints.

September Goals

Hip treatment — This week’s appointment with the orthopedic doctor got bumped due to changes in his surgical schedule. So I have been re-booked for Thursday. I will continue the daily stretching and mobility work. And, I am fairly certain PT is in my future.

Focus on the 10Ks — I runfessed that I was going to drop down from the 15K to the 10K for the Back on My Feet Virtual Running Festival. I’m also running the Ocean Road 10K the first weekend in October. I think focusing on this distance and stretching my “long runs” to 7 miles is the smart choice for now.

Mindful eating — I didn’t just fall off the wagon with my eating over the past month, I jumped! Time to hit the reset button and be more mindful of how I’m fueling my body.

How was your week? Are you setting any goals for September?

In case you missed it:

Fit Five Friday and Labor Day Coffee

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

And just like that, it’s August 1st! What has happened to Summer?!

As I usually do, I’m setting some new goals for the month… but first, here’s a quick recap of the week that was.

Weekly Run Down – Week 30

Monday — 3-miles, Core, Full-Body Strength, and Stretch. Re-entry after a vacation can make a Monday feel extra-Monday if you know what I mean. I decided to get out for a run to get things off to a good start. It was foggy and crazy humid, but the run felt pretty good.

Tuesday — Yoga.
Wednesday — 1-mile walk, Upper Body Strength, Core, and Stretch
Thursday — 3.1 miles, Core, and Stretch
Friday — 2-mile walk, otherwise rest day
Saturday — 5.25 miles, Core, and Stretch. Hard to believe it was just 60 degrees when I headed out! With the Back on My Feet Running Festival 15K just 7 weeks away, I’ll need to start stretching out these Saturday runs.

The virtual running festival is September 18-25 with the option to run the 5K, 10K, 15K, 30K, or run all four distances during the month of September. Join me and use code BibRave5! for $5 off the registration – you can register here.

Sunday — 3-mile walk, Core, Lower Body Strength, and Stretch.

Plans for August

While I will continue to work on the summer fitness goals I posted in June,  I’ve got a couple of things I want to specifically focus on this month.

• Matty’s Summer Crunch Challenge – Thanks to Kim for bringing this Peloton challenge to my attention! I did Matty’s enCORE challenge back in February and it was a good one, so I’m looking forward to this one.
• Increase my “long run” to 8 miles
• Prehab exercises 3x’s/week — gotta keep the hip on track!

How was your week? Are you training for any fall races?

In case you missed it:

Time for Some July Runfessions

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

I think April wins the award for the fastest month so far this year. For me, it was a month where I felt all over the place (much like the weather!) and never really found my groove. This last week was relatively quiet – definitely, a nice change of pace – and the highlight was getting my first vaccine! Here’s how it all played out.

Weekly Run Down – Week 17

Monday — 20 min Ride plus 5 min Cool-down, 15 min Full-Body Strength, and 10 min Core

Tuesday — 3-mile run

Painted rock wisdom as seen on my run

Wednesday — Vaccination day! Lots of upper body stretching to combat a sore arm, otherwise total rest.

Thursday — 2-mile walk, 20 min Strength for Runners, 10 min Core, and lower body stretch. I felt a little vaccine hangover, so it was a morning walk instead of a run, but still got my strength training done.

Friday — 2-mile walk, 30 min Ride, 15 min Chest & Back, and 10 min Core, and full-body stretch. I had been wanting to take this Lauryn Hill Ride for a while and, as always, Tunde did not disappoint. It also reminded me just how great “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” album is!

Saturday — 30 min Ride plus 5 min Cool-down followed by a couple of hours of yard work. I had originally planned to run but did not get up early enough to get it done before I needed to get my son to his team bus and once I got back I was not feeling motivated to take on the wind. Instead, I did my first live ride as part of Peloton’s Homecoming celebration before diving into some serious yard work.

Sunday — 5-mile run. What a beautiful morning for a run! It warmed up fast and I was woefully under-hydrated, but thankfully my loving run sherpa (aka my husband) brought me water and the last two miles felt especially good.

Welcome to Team Moderna!

I’m happy to say that getting the first dose of the vaccine was a super easy process. And, aside from feeling a little sluggish and some soreness around the injection site, I had no side effects. Hopefully, dose #2 in 4 weeks will be more of the same.

And, since it’s a new month, I’m setting a couple of goals:

• Return to 4 days of running/week
• Complete the Peloton “Strength for Runners” series
• Continue to clean up my eating (This was an April goal and things are moving in the right direction, but I think there’s more to do here)
• Daily stretching or yoga (I have been seriously slacking here and I’m starting to feel the negative effects)

How was your week? Any goals for May?

In case you missed it:

Some April Runfessions for Fit Five Friday

5 Things You May Not Know About Me

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