Final Runfessions for 2024

December 27, 2024 by 6 Comments

It is crazy to think that we are in the final days of this year!  For this last Fit Five Friday of 2024, I’m linking up with Marcia has to share a couple of final runfessions before we turn the page to a new year.

Final Runfessions for 2024 

I runfess that I’m growing tired of doctors with no answers. Yes that’s my way of telling you I’m still no closer to running!

Actually, I runfess that my goal at this point isn’t even running – I’d just like to be able to power walk for a decent distance without pain.

I runfess that it is much easier to not be running while there’s ice on the ground and frigid temps. I’m happy leaning into strength training during the winter months.

That being said, I runfess that not giving up yet…I have an EMG test scheduled along with an appointment with another orthopedic specialist in January. Onwards!

What’s the longest you’ve gone without running?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Techer every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, injuries, Runfessions

Smith Seeker Sunglasses Review

December 13, 2024 by 6 Comments

I’m a big fan of sunglasses – they are must-wear gear for me! So when I was offered the opportunity to try out a pair of Smith’s Seeker sunglasses, I was certainly interested. I’ve now had the chance to wear them for a bit and for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m excited to share my thoughts.

Disclaimer: I received the Smith sunglasses in exchange for a review.  All opinions, as always, are my own.

Smith Seeker Sunglasses Review

Comfort and Fit

From the moment I put them on, the Seeker sunglasses impressed me with their comfort. Thanks to the Megol temple and nose pads, these glasses provide a secure, non-slip grip that keeps them firmly in place—even during longer wear sessions. They’re lightweight enough to forget you’re wearing them, yet snug enough to stay put, making them a great option for active days.

Still comfy after a day out and about for the day!

Lens Performance

One of the standout features of the Seeker sunglasses is Smith’s proprietary ChromaPop™ lens technology. This tech delivers exceptional color clarity and enhances object definition, making it easier to spot changes in terrain, road signs, or other details in your environment. I’ve tested them in a variety of lighting conditions—from bright sunny days to overcast afternoons—and the lenses performed beautifully, offering crisp, distortion-free views.

Versatility and Design

While I haven’t tested them on a run yet, the Seekers have become my go-to for daily walks and errands around town. The subtle side shields are a nice addition, effectively blocking out unwanted side light and dust. This feature, combined with their Megol non-slip grip, makes them a fantastic choice for runners, walkers, and cyclists navigating changing environments.

Smith also included some practical accessories – the sunglasses come with a convenient rolltop buckle pouch, which includes a built-in microfiber cloth, making storage and cleaning a breeze. Additionally, they come with a paracord leash if you want added security against accidental drops.

Final Thoughts

Smith’s Seeker Sunglasses deliver on both style and substance. Thanks to their ChromaPop™ technology, lightweight design, and thoughtful features like Megol non-slip grips, side shields, and the paracord leash, these sunglasses are a a great choice for outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you’re out for a run, a hike, or just running errands, they provide exceptional clarity and comfort without compromising on style.

Are sunglasses on your must-have list?  What feature is most important to you?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Teacher every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, product reviews

Last Coffee Catch Up for 2024

December 6, 2024 by 22 Comments

Now that we’ve hit December, it will feel like a mad sprint to the end of the year! I’m trying to do my best to slow down, to make time to relax and to connect with family and friends.  In fact I have lunch plans with a friend later, but first, for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m connectingwith Coco, Deborah, and you for the last Ultimate Coffee Date of the year! So grab a mug and let’s chat.

Last Coffee Catch Up for 2024

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m looking forward to getting our Christmas tree this afternoon. After being under construction last year at this time, I’m really looking forward to decorating this weekend!

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m once again participating in the #3for31 Challenge. This is one of my favorite challenges hosted by Peloton instructor Robin. The goal is to run or walk 3 miles or move 30 minutes daily in December. I like having this little extra nudge to make sure that I don’t slack off due to holiday stress and end-of-year overwhelm!

I’ll be heading out later this morning for today’s installment!

Over coffee, I would tell you that just as my husband and I were talking about eliminating our Peacock subscription – we got it for the extra Olympics coverage – we’re now hooked on the new series The Day of the Jackal. It’s a great thriller starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch and feels more like a movie vs. a TV series. I guess we won’t be purging Peacock any time soon.

Are you streaming anything good lately? If you celebrate, have you started your Christmas decorating?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Teacher every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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Filed Under: #3for31, #FitFiveFriday, Ultimate coffee date

Runfessions for Black Friday

November 29, 2024 by 14 Comments

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

It’s the last Friday of the month so Marcia has opened the runfessional. It’s also time for another Fit Five Friday hosted by Darlene, Renee, Jenn, Zenaida, and yours truly, so let’s get started.

Runfessions for Black Friday

I runfess that the Black Friday hype just feels silly to me at this point – retailers have been screaming about Black Friday sales since the start of the month – it makes you wonder if these are really the best deals any more.

I runfess that I am feeling the pressure to get going on my holiday shopping especially with one week less than usual between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m feeling pressure largely because I’m struggling for gift ideas – my boys get harder and harder to shop for as they get older…and my husband is impossible to buy for!

I also runfess that I’d be fine punting on the gifts in favor of putting money towards a larger vacation.

Have you started your holiday shopping?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Techer every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Black Friday, Runfessions

5 Quick Tips for Managing a Busy Week

November 15, 2024 by 19 Comments

My brother texted me earlier this week to announce that Thanksgiving is just 2 weeks away…which of course means Christmas and the start of Hanukkah is just 6 weeks away, and then it’s New Year’s Eve, and the books will close on 2024. Now throw in all of the “end of year” wrap-up at work…can you feel the “busyness” starting to creep in?

At this time of year, it’s so very easy to become overwhelmed by the “busyness” of the season. So for today’s Fit Five Friday I’m re-sharing a few quick tips for managing a busy week.

This post was originally published in May 2022.

Five Quick Tips for Managing a Busy Week

Prioritize — When your calendar is overflowing, let go of trying to do “all the things” and just focus on those things that are non-negotiable. Also, protect your time by being willing to say no to some obligations. Remember that “No” is a complete sentence.

Delegate and ask for help — Even after setting your priorities you may find there are still too many items on your to-do list. Time to enlist some help! Don’t fall into the “superwoman” trap – ask friends, family, or co-workers to help take a few things off your plate.

Take breaks — Trying to go at full speed all day will leave you feeling depleted and will just add to the feeling of being overwhelmed. So be sure to schedule some breaks in your day. And, yes, schedule them or they won’t happen! Step away from your computer to get some fresh air to take a walk, throw on some music and have a quick dance party, or literally just stop and take some deep breaths to settle yourself.

Get enough sleep — When you’re in the middle of a particularly busy stretch it is so important to give both body and mind a chance to rest and recharge.

Eat wisely — In the same way, you need to give your mind and body the rest it needs, also make sure that you’re fueling properly. Coffee is not a complete meal! Heading into a busy week, stock up on healthy snacks so you’ve got easy, and healthy, grab-and-go options. Plan and prep meals in advance so you won’t risk defaulting to lots of take-out…or worse yet, forgetting to eat altogether (am I the only one guilty of this?).

How do you manage when things get busy?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Techer every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, crazy week, holiday sanity

Returning for November Coffee

November 1, 2024 by 20 Comments

It’s been quiet here on the blog while I took a much needed break. Now, as we usher in a new month, it’s a good time for a little coffee catch-up, so I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. And, of course, it’s Friday so that means another Fit Five Friday link-up! So grab a mug of your fave beverage and let’s chat.

Returning for November Coffee

Over coffee,  I would tell you how overwhelmed and grateful I am for all of the cards, text messages, DMs, and notes I have received since the passing of my mom. All of it has bouyed my heart during a difficult time.

Over coffee,  I would tell you that it’s been almost 6 weeks since my PRP injection and I’m still waiting for the angels to sing. Some days feel better than others but overall progress feels slow. I’m seeing my ortho on Monday and hoping he sees my progress differently.

Over coffee back in August, I shared that I wanted to learn a language. At the time I was debating between French and Spanish and selected French.  While I diligently put in the time on the Babel app daily, things kinda petered out a few weeks later and then life happened. Well, I’m happy to say that I’m back at it, but I’ve switched to Spanish! I am finding more practical uses for it and it helps to have others to practice with. We’re talking about a trip to Barcelona next year, so there’s some additional motivation!

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m starting another gratitude challenge on Instagram. I did one a couple of years ago, and with the combination of life events, work stress, election fatigue, etc., I’m feeling the need to focus on the positive! So for the month of November, I’ll post daily either in my IG feed or story something I’m thankful for that day using #FocusingonGratitude. Join me!

 

What would you tell me over coffee? 

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Teacher every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, gratitude, Ultimate coffee date

From Motivation to Habit

September 20, 2024 by 12 Comments

Happy Friday!

Maybe it’s being on the cusp of a new season (hello Fall!), or perhaps it’s all of the years of getting my kids ready for “back to school”, but I have often thought of September as a kind of “new year” – a time to settle into a routine, create new habits, and set some goals for the remaining months of the year.

And, a peek at my social media feeds tells me I’m not alone in viewing the pending new season as an opportunity to create some new habits.

So for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m sharing a few tips to help turn this “new season motivation” into good habits to finish the year strong.

This post has been updated from September 2021. 

Fit Five Friday – From Motivation to Habit

Pace yourself — Take starting a new fitness routine or upping your training; it’s very easy to get too hyped up, go out too hard, and then fizzle, or worse … get injured. Start small…baby steps can add up to big payoffs down the road.

Be consistent — Everything I’ve ever read says that it takes between 21 and 28 days to build a good habit, and from personal experience, I believe that to be true. Whatever the new habit is that you’re trying to adopt, schedule it into your day/week. Being consistent will help ensure the new habit sticks.

Be kind to yourself — Everyone experiences setbacks. When you fall down (either literally or figuratively), the key is to not beat yourself up over it, but be willing to pick yourself up and begin again.

Find a partner or group — There’s a lot to be said for being accountable to someone else and having someone to draw motivation from on those days when you’re not feeling it. On the flip side, beware of spending time around others who don’t support your efforts – they will drain you! As much as possible, spend time with others who model the behavior/habits you’re striving for.

Keep your “why” front and center  — Whether it’s a word, phrase, or photo, posting visual reminders where you’re sure to see them will help keep your why and your goals at the forefront. Energy flows where attention goes so make your goals hard to ignore and you’re more likely to follow through.

Do you use this time of year to build new habits or set goals? What tricks work for you?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Teacher every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link 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, habit building, motivation

September Coffee Catch Up

September 6, 2024 by 23 Comments

Happy Friday! Let’s kick the weekend off with a little coffee catch-up. For this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. Grab a mug and let’s chat!

September Coffee Catch Up

Over coffee, I would tell you that it is crazy to me that my son’s already been on campus for two weeks. College drop-off went off without a hitch and he sounds like he’s settling in nicely. Of course I miss him big-time, but I take his lack of calling as a good sign. And, Parents’ Weekend is at the end of the month so I’ll get to hug him again soon enough!

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m scheduled for a PRP injection later this month. In case you don’t know, Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections use a patient’s own blood to help heal injuries and improve tissue function. My sports ortho had actually suggested PRP a few months ago, but I was initially not excited by the long recovery time, not to mention insurance won’t pay for it. Now, I wish I had just bitten the bullet because I’d be that much further along but it is what it is and I’m just happy it’s an option available to me.

What would you tell me over coffee? If you know any PRP success stories please share! 

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Teacher every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Ultimate coffee date, Uncategorized

End of Summer Runfessions

August 30, 2024 by 15 Comments

Amazing that we are here on the cusp of the last weekend of the Summer. I feel like I say it often, but time does feel like it’s flying by faster all the time.  Since it’s the last Friday of the month, for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m linking up with Marcia to share a couple of Runfessions so I can go into the Fall with a clean slate.

I runfess (or is it blogfess) that I almost skipped this post today. Work has been so off the chain lately that once I finish the day I want very little more to do with my laptop.

I runfess that I managed to make it through most of the summer with very little “runner envy”. I’ve never made any secret of my dislike of running through the heat and humidity. I’ve been content with walking and strength training…and then we got a taste of Fall this week. These cooler morning have me longing to lace up my running shoes – hopefully I can be back at it before my favorite run season is over.

Dreaming about fall running!

What’s your favorite season for running? 

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Teacher every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Runfessions

Five Bucket List Races and Fitness Events

August 23, 2024 by 6 Comments

For a runner or fitness enthusiast, there’s no shorter of races or events to capture your imagination! For this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m  sharing five races and fitness experiences that are high on my bucket list.

Fit Five Friday: Five Bucket List Races and Fitness Events

Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run

The Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run in Washington, D.C., is a springtime classic that I’ve long wanted to experience. When my boys were playing lacrosse,  schedules never aligned to make this race possible, but with them both in college now I’m hoping to make this race a reality.

Broad Street Run

The Broad Street Run is another 10-mile race high on my list. The course is a straight shot down Broad Street, running through the heart of Philadelphia, and is one of the most popular road races in the country. It’s a race that celebrates the spirit of Philly, and I can’t wait to be a part of it!

BolderBoulder 10K

The BolderBoulder 10K in Colorado is more than just a race—it’s a celebration of community, fitness, and fun. With live music, great spectators, and a finish in the University of Colorado’s Folsom Field, this race offers an unforgettable experience. The altitude and the energy of Boulder make it a unique challenge I’m eager to take on.

NYC Half Marathon

Running through the streets of New York City is always special, and the NYC Half Marathon is no exception. The course takes you through Times Square, Central Park, and other iconic spots, all while soaking in the energy of the city. It’s a perfect way to experience NYC’s vibrant atmosphere while tackling a challenging but manageable distance.

Peloton Studios, NYC

While not a traditional race, a live class at Peloton Studios in NYC is a fitness experience I’m eager to check off my list. The energy of being in the studio with one of my favorite Peloton instructors coaching would be an awesome experience!

What’s on your racing/fitness bucket list? Share in the comments below!

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Teacher every Friday for Fit Five Friday! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Bolder Boulder, Broad Street Run, bucket list, Cherry Blossom, Friday Five, NYC Half Marathon, Peloton, races