Five Races for 2023

As I continue to make steady progress with my physical therapist, my thoughts are slowly starting to turn toward potential races I want to run this year. I love the fun, camaraderie, and challenge races can provide! For this week’s Fit Five Friday I’m sharing some races I’m hoping to run this year.

Five Races for 2023

Mystic 10K (May) – I actually just registered for this one and for added fun my husband is going to run it too! HMF events put on a great race so I’m looking forward to this one.

Newport 10M (June) – I haven’t run this race since the inaugural race and now it’s preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Time flies! This race offers a beautiful course that includes both the infamous Newport mansions and beautiful coastal views.

Ocean Road 10K (October) – I have run this race in 2018 and 2021. I love this course and had planned to run it last year, but it collided with college parents’ weekend.

Western MA 10M (November) – I ran the inaugural race last year and really liked the point-to-point course and post-race vibe. As soon as I finished this race I knew I wanted to run it again.

As for #5? I’ve got a couple of options I’m thinking about – ZOOMA Cape Cod (September), Ted Corbitt 15K (December), and the MR8K (December) are all possibilities. Also, Run Happy Team members are being offered the opportunity to participate in Brooks-sponsored races, so for me, this could mean the Philadelphia Distance Run (September half), Twin Cities 10M (part of the Twin Cities Marathon weekend in October), or the Indianapolis Monumental Half (late October).

So yes, there could easily be more than five races and, as long as injuries stay at bay, I’m here for it!

What races are you planning to run this year?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and Zenaida 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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February Mid-Month Check-In

Amazing to think that we are quickly approaching the halfway point of this month! The days are flying for sure. While I missed last week’s Run Down, the workouts have continued. Instead of recapping each day, I’ll just share some quick highlights.

February Mid-Month Check-in

Running

For the most part, running is feeling pretty good. I’m still following the Team Wilpers Half Marathon Challenge – though with no half marathon on the horizon, I’m following the PT’s advice to build my “long run” distance slowly. Mother Nature gifted us with 60-degree weather on Friday – so running in shorts was definitely a highlight!

Strength Training & PT

I’ve been diligently doing my PT exercises to help wake up these lazy glutes and improve my hip mobility. I’ve started Matty’s enCORE daily core challenge for February on the Peloton app. And, this past week I decided to do another Split Strength Program, this time with JJ.


I liked this program and plan to repeat it this upcoming week.

Throw in a couple of rides on the Peloton Bike and that’s the way my last couple of weeks have played out. The one area that has taken a hit is my daily walks. Icy roads and/or a tight schedule have sometimes sidelined my plans. The forecast looks fairly mild this week (especially for February) so hopefully, I can log more time outdoors.

In case you missed it:

For the Love of Running

Tell me, how’s February treating you so far?

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

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For the Love of Running

Happy Friday! This week the Fit Five Friday crew is inviting you to share what you love about running – of course, you can join the link-up with any fitness-related post you have …but with Valentine’s Day just a few days away, how could we not talk about our love of running!

A relationship with running definitely can have its highs and lows – at any time your answer to the question “What do you love about running?” can be different. Right now, here are five things I love about running.

Five Things I Love About Running

Running…
… gives me the time and space to sort through “all the things.” There’s a reason I call it my road therapy.

… shows me that I am often stronger than I think I am.

… connects me. I have connected with so many great folks from all over through this healthy obsession.

… reminds me to give myself grace and celebrate the small wins. Coming back from injuries is hard y’all!

… helps me to appreciate and enjoy the process vs. just focusing on the final destination.

What do you love about running?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and Zenaida 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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February Coffee Chat

It’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday! We’re also rolling into the first weekend of the month which means Coco and Deborah are hosting the Ultimate Coffee Date. I’ve got my mug of coffee, so let’s chat a little.

Over coffee, I’d start by mentioning the weather. Winter has hit hard this week! Temps today will hit a balmy -4 degrees and this weekend will be even colder with windchills of -30. The weatherman is giddy about breaking records and I’m trying to embrace my treadmill runs.

Speaking of the weekend, over coffee I would tell you that I’m headed to the Run Show Boston this weekend and am looking forward to being immersed in all things running!

Over coffee, I would tell you how frustrating it is to try to hunt down contractors! I shared last month over coffee that we’re planning a remodeling project this year – we’ve got plans we love but are having no luck landing a general contractor. The one contractor we really liked, announced plans to retire and the others on our list don’t seem capable of returning a call in a timely manner – which doesn’t bode well for what it would like to work with them!

Despite the slow progress on getting the remodel off the ground, over coffee, I would tell you that the “great purge of 2023” continues. Bags of clothes have been donated – though there’s still much more to do. The big undertaking will be tackling the “mini man cave” – my boys’ hangout room. While the room has all the trapping of a teen boy cave, it still also has oodles of toys, Legos, collectibles, etc from their younger days. It’s time to be ruthless and get in there!

What would you tell me over coffee? Is winter hitting hard where you are?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and Zenaida 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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Running Out of January

It’s taken all month, but it finally feels like things are settling down a bit. Here’s a quick look at how my workouts played out.

Running out of January

Monday — Upper Body Strength & Core – I decided to do another week of Robin’s Advanced Strength split program on the Peloton app.
Tuesday — 4 miles. A snow-sleet mix left the roads and sidewalks an icy mess so there was shoveling and then a treadmill run.
Wednesday — Day 2 of Robin’s split focuses on legs. Later in the day I finally got to my first PT appointment – perhaps, in hindsight “leg day” was not the best idea LOL I was toast by the time I finished my PT work. I also hit reached my first 1,000 minutes on Peloton.
Thursday — Rest Day. Holy DOMS Batman – everything was sore! Aside from lots of stretching, I gave my body the break it needed.
Friday — 2-mile walk, Core, and Day 3 of the Split. The last day of the program focuses on back and biceps.
Saturday — 3.2 miles. Finally, the sun returned it felt glorious! (See the header photo)
Sunday — 5.5 miles. I don’t usually run back-to-back days, but after taking Thursday as a rest day, I didn’t want to miss completing 3 days of running for the week. I was a little concerned when I started since my TFL felt super tight. It did squawk a little during the later part of the run, but overall this was a pretty good run.

Although I didn’t get any time on the bike (something my PT wants me to do), I feel like this was a more balanced week and my best week of January. Fingers crossed this continues as we head into February.

In case you missed it:

Runfessions from the PT’s Table

Tell me something about your week. Do you feel like you’re finishing the month strong?

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

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Runfessions from the PT’s Table

Happy Friday! It’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday, and since it’s the last Friday of the month, I’m joining Marcia for some sole cleansing Runfessions. So let’s get started!

Runfessions from the PT’s Table

So I started physical therapy this week and I runfess that it was both eye-opening and humbling.

While I’ve posted running reels for IG, I runfess that I don’t study my gait. In fact, I haven’t done a gait analysis since I worked with Coach Marc a few years ago. So it was interesting to have the PT film me and then pick apart assess my stride. He quickly pointed out a hitch in my right leg motion thanks to a very tight TFL.

He next put me through a series of moves and determined that my right glute is probably not engaging. I runfess that despite all of my lower body strength training there’s clearly some work to do to correct my imbalances – my quads are dominating and it’s time to make the glutes earn their keep.

I runfess I did breathe a huge sigh of relief that the PT feels pretty confident that what ails me can be course corrected and thankfully there was no talk of “not running”. I may have to slow my mileage build a bit but I will get there.

Have you ever worked with a physical therapist? Was it a yay or nay experience?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and Zenaida every Friday for Fit Five Friday, and share your fitness-related posts! Please remember to link back to your hosts and share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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A Very Long Week

This week kicked my butt! I’m not really sure what it was but I just felt off all week. I’m sure it didn’t help that I was in the office two days. Those extra early mornings and long commutes (not to mention meeting-filled days), left me feeling especially drained – I often marvel now at how once upon a time commuting was a 5-day-a-week thing for me! Despite Monday’s holiday, this was a very long week!

Weekly Run Down – A Very Long Week

Lots of gray skies this week!

Monday — 2-mile walk, Core, & Day 3 of Robin’s Strength Split – Back and Biceps
Tuesday — 3-mile walk otherwise rest
Wednesday — 2-mile walk, Yoga, & hip mobility work
Thursday — 3.5-mile run & Core
Friday — Peloton Bike & Core
Saturday — Rest – didn’t feel so hot
Sunday — 5.5-mile run

I was definitely off my game this week and just did my best to power along. I kept up with my commitment to daily stretching but only ended up running twice. The combination of the week’s crazy schedule and feeling less than stellar had me shuffling my runs around, and eventually, I decided to take a pass on my planned hill workout. Given where I live, I run hills on the regular so I’m not too concerned about missing this run.

The highlights of the week were definitely completing Robin’s Strength Split Program and getting a much-needed deep tissue massage on Thursday. I really enjoy the structure and challenge of this split program and have it cued up to repeat this upcoming week.

In case you missed it:

Five Challenges to Reaching Your Fitness Goals

Did anyone else feel like this was a long week?

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

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Five Challenges to Reaching Your Fitness Goals

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 MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns 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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Trying to Settle In

Not going to lie, these first two weeks of this new year have definitely kept me on my toes. When I got to this weekend, I decided that this is a perfect time to hit the reset button and see if I can finally settle into a routine. But, before I look ahead, here’s a quick peek at the week that was.

Trying to Settle In

Monday — 1.5-mile walk, Lower Body Strength & Core.
Tuesday — 2-mile walk otherwise rest
Wednesday — 3 miles.
Thursday — Upper Body Strength and 1-mile walk. I decided to return to Robin’s Advanced 3-Day Split Strength Program on the Peloton app. Day 1 targeted chest, shoulders, and triceps.


Friday — 30 min interval run
Saturday — 2-mile walk and Day 2 of the Split focusing on legs and core.
Sunday — 4 miles

To give my runs some structure this week I started following Team Wilpers Half Marathon Challenge. The plan is designed to get runners prepped for their Spring races, and while I don’t have a Spring half on my calendar, I’m going to use this training plan to help smartly guide my mileage build-up, while getting me out of my “easy runs all the time” rut.

Run Happy Team Year 2!

A highlight of the week was being able to announce my return to Brooks Running’s Run Happy Team! I make no secret of my love of this brand and RHT is a great community of runners to be a part of.

In case you missed it:

Fit Five Friday – Five Current Favorites

What was a highlight from your week?

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

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Fit Five Friday – Five Current Favorites

Happy Friday!

Thanks for joining me, Darlene, ReneeJenn, and Zenaida for another edition of Fit Five Friday! This week we’re inviting you to share 5 things that motivate you. You are, of course, always welcome to write about any other fitness-related topic. Personally, I’m deviating this week to share a few of my current favorites with you. This post contains affiliate links.

Five Current Favorites

Garmin 255 – My husband gifted me a new Garmin 255! So many features that I still need to learn, but I already love it!

Brooks Shield Hybrid Vest 2.0 & Shield Hybrid Jacket 2.0 – OK I’m cheating a little here with this one but I honestly couldn’t pick between the two. I’m usually a vest-first girl when it comes to running outerwear, (the Brooks Shield Hybrid Vest has been in my constant rotation), but when Brooks sent Run Happy Team members the jacket last fall it quickly became a go-to for both my running and non-running days. Both the vest and jacket feature multiple pockets (a must for me!) and are surprisingly warm without being bulky.

The jacket made it on my November vacation – perfect for hiking the California coast!

Cozy Karma Asym Pullover – This pullover from Athleta lives up to its name, cozy inside and out! Its wrap front and asymmetrical neckline give it nice visual interest. It’s become a staple and perfect to snuggle in on a cold day.

The Five Minute Journal – I’ve shared before some reasons to start a gratitude journal. After seeing a few reviews, I started using the Five Minute Journal in August, and it has become a key part of both my morning and evening routine. I really like that it provides space for morning gratitude, daily highlights and affirmations, and reflection. What are some of your favorites?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns 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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