Weekly Wrap – Return of the Polar Vortex

February 15, 2016 by 18 Comments

A huge thank you to everyone who checked in with kind words last week – much appreciated.

I was grateful for my workouts last week – while not always pretty they were a good distraction!

Monday:   Another snow day for the kids and more shoveling for me
Tuesday:   3 mile run
Wednesday:   T25 Speed 1.0
Thursday:   3 mile run plus T25 Cardio
Friday:   T25 Lower Focus — holy squats and lunges Batman!
Saturday:  4.25 mile run
Sunday:   Opted for yoga over T25 Stretch

Polar-vortex-2016

Thanks to the return of the Polar Vortex, the temps around here have plummeted. With the windchill, it reached negative double digits this weekend, so aside from trips to the gym, I just enjoyed some much needed down time with the family. Saturday was all about video games, movies, reading – and of course I watched the Olympic Trials! While I was disappointed for Kara, I loved watching the teamwork of Shalane & Amy. And, watching Meb run always makes me smile! Valentine’s Day is always low-keyed here – we celebrated with our traditional sushi dinner, and of course a little chocolate! chocolates

It’s school vacation week here for my youngest son, so I’m definitely going to have to be flexible with when I get to workout this week. In fact, I’m going to take advantage of my husband being off from work today and head to the gym now….

How was your week? Are you dealing with the polar vortex?

rp_WeeklyWrap-1-300x300.jpgLinking up once again with Holly of HoHo Runs and Tricia of MissSippiPiddlin for the Weekly Wrap – be sure to stop by and say hi and check out the other weekly recaps.

 

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Filed Under: weather, Weekly Wrap

Ultimate Coffee Date – February ’16

February 6, 2016 by 18 Comments

The Ultimate Coffee Date

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.

Snow Feb 2016If 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!

Team-2016

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?  

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Filed Under: #14DaysofSelf, #RocknBlog, weather

Long Weekend Update

February 16, 2015 by 13 Comments

Happy Monday!

Mondays are always so much sweeter when they are part of a long weekend 🙂

Did you do anything special for Valentine’s Day? I may be the rare woman, but I’m not much for Valentine’s Day and all of the hoopla over hearts, flowers and candy. Don’t get me wrong I’m all for my husband buying me flowers…or chocolate for that matter – I’m just not much for the one designated day that these things are “suppose” to happen, know what I mean?

So my Saturday kicked off with a run and workout at the gym with my hubby J, followed by running errands, trying to clear the roof and pathways around our house before the storm and hanging out with the kids playing games.

Mario

Mario Kart

Once the kids were in bed we opted for our favorite way to toast V-Day – sushi dinner at home and a movie! Sushi dinner

 

We woke up to this…

More snow Yep, more than another foot of snow. So there was more cross-training in the form of shoveling and neighbors trying to help dig each other out. After 4 straight weekends of getting snowed in we’re getting really good at it! When we could finally see the driveway, pathway and deck again it was time to collapse into a heap on the couch. Another afternoon of games, cooking and hanging out.  All good stuff!

We finished the day watching the SNL 40th Anniversary Show  SNL 40 – I rarely watch the show any more (I can’t stay awake!) but seeing some of the old skits was a great stroll down memory lane.

So the weekend continues today, but with the windchill around -20 it looks like I’ll be needing to find more indoor activities with the kids!

So how was your weekend? Did you watch SNL?

Linking up with Tara’s Weekend Update

Running 'N' Reading
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Filed Under: weather, weekends

Snow-crazed

February 11, 2015 by 13 Comments

68.6 inches of snow in 17 days….

68.6 inches people…and more is on the way.

I’d wave a white flag but with all this damn snow you’d never see it.

I am officially snow crazed…

…. the condition when you can no longer cheerfully announce that shoveling is a form of cross-training

…. the condition when you jump when the phone rings for fear it’s the announcement of yet another snow day from school

….. the condition when you’ve played all the games and watched enough movies that even your kids are starting to look weary

….. the condition when you actually start to have homicidal feelings towards the plow drivers who keep pushing the snow back into the end of your driveway

Snow rage

Gratefully, the kids are headed back to school today and I’m headed to the gym to regain a little of my sanity, even if I have to do it on the ‘mill.

Is any one else cursing Mother Nature lately?

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Filed Under: general musings, Mother Nature, weather

Polar Vortex Fatigue

January 10, 2014 by 10 Comments

white flagThat’s it Mother Nature! I can’t take it any more! After living under the effects of the Polar Vortex, I’ve been holding on to the weatherman’s promise of a “warm up” coming at the end of the week. So you can imagine what I was thinking when I woke up this morning to see it’s snowing! This is a warm-up?!? (My mother reads my blog so I’ll refrain from typing what I was really thinking!)

Yes I own Yaktrax and all of the appropriate winter running gear to brave the elements….but I must confess – I just don’t want to! I have Polar Vortex Fatigue.

So listen Mother Nature I know there’s still 10 weeks of winter (not that I’m counting or anything…) and I’m not asking for Spring-like temps (though a girl can dream!)…I’m just asking you to ease up on the whole Vortex of doom thing and return things to our regularly scheduled winter.

Anyone else suffering from Vortex Fatigue?

 

 

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Filed Under: weather, winter running

Thursday’s this and that

July 18, 2013 by 12 Comments

It’s been a busy week so far around here – we’ve started a couple of new house projects, the boys both started camp this week (and are loving it) – which is perfect timing too as I started working with a new client developing their social media campaigns – should be a fun gig!

I also started my fall training this week and while I was psyched to get started the timing couldn’t have been worse. We’re in the middle of our 3rd heat wave of the summer here in the Northeast and with heat indexes approaching 100, I can’t seem to get up early enough to escape having my runs feel more like a swim. On the good side, the end is in sight and we should have some relief from the humidity by Sunday – just in time to run with my son in his first 5K!

I received my confirm for the B.A.A. Half Marathon yesterday morning!

BAA_Half_2013Banner_600x250

Registration opened yesterday at 10 and the B.A.A. announce they’d sold out in 12 minutes – what!?! Since this is the third race in the B.A.A. Distance Medley, I didn’t have to worry about trying to register, but I was thrilled to get a text from my running buddy E telling me that she got in! It will be her first half marathon – Can not wait to run this with her!

How ‘s your week going?

 

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Filed Under: 3 things, B.A.A. Distance Medley, weather

Thursday Thoughts: Idle legs, weather watch and playlists

May 23, 2013 by 8 Comments
  1. I’ve been so itchy to run this week! I have a lot spinning around in my head and running has really become a great way for me to process things. But with the race Sunday there haven’t been many miles this week…which has left me just a tad…shall we say edgy?
  2. 7day_wide_629x354  Adding to the edginess is the ongoing weather watch. Yes I know…I know I can’t control it so why worry about it right? Earlier this week the forecast was showing picture-perfect conditions, but now it seems some front has stalled and we could be looking at a very wet race day. This is why you train in all kinds of weather…but I’m still doing my “keep away” rain dance just the same!
  3. My playlist for Sunday is coming along but I’m still short a few songs. I need suggestions please! My taste runs the gammut – really I’ve got everything from Jay Z and Kanye West to U2, Aerosmith and the Dropkick Murphys so fire away with any of your favorites. The only thing I can’t take is country!

Talk to me – what’s your playlist must have?

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Filed Under: 3 things, playlists, race week, taper time, weather

February Buh bye

March 1, 2013 by 5 Comments
Good things for February:
  • Started working with Coach Bennett again!
  • Ran the Frosty Virtual 5K
  • Started the 30-day ab/core challenge
  • Enjoying my new gym, despite too many runs on the ‘mill
  • Unveiled the blog’s new look!
Things I could do without:
  • Snow, snow and more snow!
  • Mileage shrinkage (see above)
  • Wampanoag 10-miler canceled (again thanks to snow)

What’s up for March:

  • Really looking forward to more miles – outdoors! March can be fairly rainy in New England, but I’ll take it over the frigid and snowy conditions we had in February!
  • NBHalf I’m looking forward to running the New Bedford Half in a couple of weeks! While I did have a little freak out over the fact that this race is just a couple of weeks away and my mileage has been down, Coach Bennett was quick to remind me that this is not a goal race – that I’m running it just to see where I am in my training. I’ve also heard that this is a fun race with great crowd support which makes it a win!
  • As I mentioned yesterday, focusing in on my nutrition — Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month? I just heard that…so my timing’s perfect 🙂
How’d your February go?  Are you as ready to say buh bye to the month as I am?

 

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Filed Under: half marathon training, mileage shrinkage, month in review, New Bedford Half, Nutrition, weather

The race that didn’t happen

February 18, 2013 by 8 Comments

So Mother Nature was in a mood this weekend and Sunday’s race didn’t happen. When a race director describes the conditions as “treacherous” thanks to a combination of a couple of inches of snow and 45 mph winds – I’m good with the decision to postpone the race.

What I was not good with was the email from the race director I received later that said they were not going to reschedule (as they had originally announced), but instead cancel the race! I think if you’re going to host a race in New England in February you should have contingency plans in place that account for the weather. Leaving 1,000 runners with no alternative but a $10 off next year’s registration didn’t sit well with me… and I told the director as much.  I was not looking for a refund but a good faith effort to move forward with the race and I’m just not certain that every effort was made to find a way to reschedule the race in the few hours that passed between the decision to postpone and the decision to cancel.

I’ve had a race postponed due to weather safety issues before and I remember how thrilled all of us runners were when the race was rescheduled – it was a great day out on the course and the runners literally applauded the race director and volunteers for getting it done. Needless to say I returned to run that race again the following year.

Have you ever had a race canceled? How did you feel about it?

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Filed Under: Old-fashioned 10 Miler, race, to race or not, weather

Good stuff happening

February 11, 2013 by 11 Comments

First off — Welcome to the new and improved Running with Attitude! After announcing on more than one occasion that I wanted to move from Blogger to a self-hosted site I’ve finally made it happen — Thanks hugely to Rita at Blog Genie, who I swear has the patience of a saint for answering all of my many questions 🙂

As for the Blizzard of 2013, I’m happy to say the RWA household had a good time. Despite the incredible winds and 24 inches of snow, we didn’t lose power and all around us seems pretty intact. There were lots of movies, games, snow fort building, snowball fights, cooking, laughing and, yes shoveling. The only downside is school is closed again today which means at this rate my boys won’t finish the school year until June 26th! (But that’s a bridge I guess we’ll cross later)

I’m also thrilled to say to I’m teaming up with running coach Bennett Cohen again! Bennett specializes in coaching women boomers (yes those of us 40 and older), and if you’ve been around here for a bit then you know he helped guide me to three PRs last fall. Bennett’s going to help me get ready for my spring goal race, Boston’s Run to Remember. We’ve got 15 weeks and it starts today!

How was your weekend?

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Filed Under: Boston's Run to Remember, running coach, weather