Coffee with a side of MAYhem!

May 6, 2022 by 15 Comments

I took one look at the calendar and announced “Welcome to MAYhem!” May has often been a busy month around here but I feel like this time around could set a new record!

I’m happy to take a moment to pause to catch up with  Coco and Deborah and you for the Ultimate Coffee Date! It’s also time for another edition of Fit Five Friday so let’s settle in and catch up a little.

Coffee with a side of MAYhem

Over coffee, I’d tell you that we kicked off the month with a day trip to participate in the Admitted Students Day of what may be my son’s new college home. It made for a long day, but my son really loved everything he saw and heard so hopefully, he’s closer to making a final decision. (My husband and I really liked it too!)

Over coffee, I’d tell you that over the course of the next two weeks I have 3 major work events…each of which would be a serious undertaking in its own right, much less all stacked together. Need I say more?!

Over coffee, I would tell you that a couple of weeks ago I signed up to do another 14-day sugar detox. I got so much out of the first one I did last fall and of late, I’ve been feeling the need for a little food/eating reset. Did I mention the start date is Monday?

And, speaking of starting things next week, remember the certificate program I mentioned over coffee last month? Care to guess when those classes are starting? All I could do was laugh when I realized what the start date was.

And to round out the month, over coffee, I would tell you that I have my first race on Memorial Day Weekend!

Yes, it’s going to be a crazy month, but it’s also filled with some good stuff. Just gotta take it one day at a time…

How about you? What have you got planned for the month? 

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, MAYhem, Ultimate coffee date

A Couple of Runfessions for April

April 29, 2022 by 28 Comments

It’s the last Friday of the month so for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m linking up with Marcia to share a couple of Runfessions. So let’s dive in!

A Couple of Runfessions for April

No Race FOMO

When I made the decision recently to drop down from the half marathon distance to the 5-mile option for my May race I thought for sure that I would feel major race FOMO…but surprisingly, I runfess that I don’t. Honestly, I just feel like I have so much on my plate right now and I’m enjoying running as a pure escape without the pressure of “training”.

Struggling to fit it all in

Now that I’ve shifted to running 4 days/week, I runfess that I’ve been feeling squeezed for time to fit in all of my workouts. My time on my Peloton bike is definitely down and I bikefess that I miss it!

Do you have any runfessions to share?

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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Click here to enter


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Week 16 – Making Adjustments

April 24, 2022 by 22 Comments

This week started off uber stressful! My husband had a medical emergency that landed him in the hospital on Sunday afternoon. Thankfully the doctors were able to get his blood pressure under control and he passed his stress test with flying colors so he was discharged late Tuesday. Throw in a hectic work schedule and yeah it was quite the week!

Thank goodness for running and working out as a stress-reliever! Here’s how my fitness week played out.

Sunday in the park

Week 16 – Making Adjustments

Monday — 3-mile run, Core & Stretch. It was a beautiful morning and I was very excited Mother Nature served up some great weather for the Boston Marathon. (And can we talk about that finish to the women’s race?! Just wow!)

Tuesday — 1.5 mile walk & Yoga. Tuesdays are my heavy meeting day so I’ve been keeping things low-key.

Wednesday — 1.5 mile walk, Upper Body Strength, Core & Stretch. My hip flexor was making all kinds of noise so I pushed off my run and added in another walk to keep my #opoutside streak going

Thursday — 4-mile run, Core & Stretch. Just when I thought it was safe to put away my winter gear, Mother N dropped the temps back into the low 30s.

Friday — 4-mile run & Stretch.

Saturday — 3.5 mile walk, Upper Body Strength, Core & Stretch.

Sunday — 5-mile run & Stretch. It was a slow start and a lot of self-talk to get out the door, but it turned out to be a solid, pain-free run.

Changing Race Plans

Coach Marc and I caught up on Monday. As I mentioned in last week’s WRD, I wasn’t where I wanted to be 6 weeks out (now 5) from my May race. Yes, I had hit 8 miles on a recent long run, but not without some significant squawking from my hip flexor in those final two miles. And we all know there’s a difference between logging a “long-ish” run and being ready to run a half marathon and, importantly, running it well.

While discussing what was needed to be well prepared for the half, Marc posed the key question – “what is to be gained and what is to be lost?” Well, truthfully there’s very little to be gained by pressing at this point so we agreed it’s time to pivot.  The new plan is to run the 5-mile race option instead and then I’ve got my eye on a couple of 10Ks – I’ll save the half marathons for the fall. I’m fine with making this adjustment – I think my hip flexor will be better for it. It’s really important to me that I hit the starting line feeling strong both physically and mentally.

In case you missed it:

Five Benefits of Planning Your Workouts in Advance

How was your week? Did you watch the Marathon? Any race plans?

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

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Five Benefits of Planning Your Workouts in Advance

April 22, 2022 by 7 Comments

As runners, many of us may be accustomed to following a training plan when gearing up for a race…but what about your non-run days, or when you don’t have a race planned? Do you plan your workouts in advance or do you just wing it?

For this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m sharing some of the reasons of why you might want to plan your workouts in advance.

Five Benefits of Planning Your Workouts in Advance

Hitting Your Goals — If you are a goal-setter, scheduling your workouts can help you to ensure that you will achieve your goal. Advanced planning allows you the opportunity to break down your goal and ensure that you are doing the workouts necessary to reach your goal by your target date.

Efficient Use of Your Time — If you know what your workouts are in advance, you’ll save time scrolling through an app looking for a workout or aimlessly wandering around a gym. And if you are facing a hectic schedule, having your workouts planned in advance ensures that you are more able to fit them in.

Balanced Approach — When you plan your workouts in advance you have a better chance to ensure that you have the right mix of cardio, strength, and flexibility work to help prevent overuse and the risk of potential injury.

Do you plan your workouts in advance? 5 reasons you should! #FitFiveFriday Share on X

Staying Motivated — Having your workouts mapped out in advance helps you to stay motivated on days when you might otherwise consider phoning it in.

Adjust as Needed — If you do encounter an injury or a particularly hectic week, planning your workouts gives you an opportunity to figure out contingencies and make adjustments as needed.

Do you plan your workouts in advance or do you prefer to wing it?

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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Finally Feels Like Spring

April 17, 2022 by 19 Comments

Yes, I know that I’ve probably just jinxed myself with the title of this post! But, this was the first week where we finally strung together a few days of consistent Spring weather which was a nice boost to my #optoutside streak.

Enjoying Sunday’s quiet roads

Week 15 – Finally Feels Like Spring

Monday — 3-mile recovery run & Stretch. I woke up feeling every bit of Sunday’s 8 miler. The thought of running more was just so unappealing so I pushed my run to after work. Late-day sunshine and 60s made for a nice run.


Tuesday — 1.5-mile walk, otherwise a rest day.
Wednesday — 3.1-mile run & Stretch. A midday 5K, 72 degrees, and negative splits!


Thursday — Peloton ride, Upper Body Strength, 1.5-mile walk
Friday — 4-mile run, Core & Stretch
Saturday — 2-mile walk & Yoga. So much fun volunteering at the Boston Marathon Expo! My assignment was “Expo Ambassador” which basically means I greeted runners and answered questions/provided directions as needed. I got to chat with runners from all over and even got to catch up with Jennifer (runs4dounuts on IG)!  My legs were really feeling it by the end of my volunteer shift – 5 hours is a long time to be on your feet. I kept my #optoutside streak going with a walk and some yoga.

Sunday — 6-mile run, Core & Stretch

My schedule was full and hectic this week so I’m pleased I was able to get all of my runs done. The running itself has been a bit all over the place and I’ll admit I’m not quite where I want to be with 6 weeks to go until the Run to Remember. My hip flexor continues to be an on-again-off-again issue so I am catching up with Coach Marc this week to talk through options.

Happy Easter and Passover to all who celebrate!

How was your week? Are you enjoying Spring temps? 

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

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A down then up week

April 10, 2022 by 20 Comments

The title of this post pretty much says it all. The week started out with me in a front-row seat on the struggle bus and ended with the longest run I’ve had in a while. I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down – here’s how the week played out.

Sunday’s 8 miler

Week 14 – A down then up week

Monday — 2-mile walk and Yoga for hips. My plan called for a 3-mile recovery run, but my hip flexor clearly didn’t get the memo. So I opted for a walk instead to keep my #optoutside streak going.

Tuesday — 2-mile walk, otherwise rest. Of late, Tuesdays are a rest day, and with the hip flexor still not feeling 100%, another walk was the right call.

Wednesday — 3-mile run, Core & stretch. An early morning run in light rain calls for bringing your own sunshine.

Thursday — 2.5-mile walk, Strength for Runners, Core & Stretch. Stacked a couple of Peloton’s Strength for Runners classes which always feels like a good PT session.

Friday –– 3.1-mile run, Core & Stretch. This was the kind of run I wish I could bottle up! The weather was on-point (hello shorts!) and my stride felt strong and easy. Why can’t all runs feel this good?!

Focused on the weekend!

Saturday — 3.6-mile walk, Upper Body Strength, Core & Stretch

Sunday — 8-mile run, Stretch & Foam Rolling. I was a little worried going into this run because I just couldn’t seem to muster up any enthusiasm for the distance. There were a lot of “what ifs” about my hip flexor holding up which led to a lot of procrastinating before finally getting out the door. My hip flexor and the hill at mile 6 had words, but a little extra push from Eminem helped me to dig in and get this run done.

I can’t remember the last time I ran 8, so definitely finished the week on a higher note than where things started. Another plus for the week, I’m on day 11 of my #optoutside streak. I still need to keep an eye on this hip flexor. There are 7 weeks until the Run to Remember so no need to panic yet.

Tell me something about your week.

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Filed Under: Weekly Run Down

Fit Friday Five – Be a Race Volunteer

April 8, 2022 by 54 Comments

Did you know that April is National Volunteer Month? The month is dedicated to recognizing the importance of volunteering.

I’m a big believer in giving back and that includes giving back to the running community. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to serve as a race director on a couple of occasions, and I can say without a doubt that there’s just no way to put on a great race without the support of people willing to volunteer their time and energy.

So for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m re-sharing five reasons to be a race volunteer (This post was published in August 2018 and has been updated.)

Fit Five Friday — Five Reasons to be a Race Volunteer

Give Back — The most obvious reason to be a race volunteer is it gives you a chance to give back to a sport that you love and to support the running community.

Stay Connected — If you’re sidelined with an injury or slowly working your way back from one, being a race volunteer is a great way to help you feel more connected to running and racing.

Make New Connections — You never know who you’ll end up working with when you volunteer for a race! Volunteering can give you the opportunity to connect with brands, running groups, and race directors…who knows where that might lead? Also, some races reward their volunteers with swag and discounted or free entries for future races.

Five Reasons to be a Race Volunteer #FitFiveFriday #Running #Runchat #RunningCommunity Share on X

Gain Some Perspective — Once you see all that goes into making a race day come together and the effort and enthusiasm of race volunteers, trust me you’ll have a whole new appreciation for those volunteers along the course the next time you’re racing.

Be Inspired — There’s inspiration all around when it comes to race day and being a race volunteer gives you a chance to experience that inspiration up close and personal. Spend a morning working at a race and I dare you to not come away fired up for your own training!

Volunteering at Boston 2017!

I’ll be back volunteering next weekend at the Boston Marathon (my 7th time!) and I cannot wait! Each time has been such a great experience. As more and more races return to being in person this year, I’ve noticed a lot of RDs putting out requests for race volunteers. I encourage every runner to get out and be a volunteer at least once at a race, large or small – you won’t regret it!

Have you ever volunteered at a race?

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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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Friday Five, race volunteering, running community

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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Filed Under: goals, Weekly Run Down

Catching up over April coffee

April 1, 2022 by 21 Comments

Happy Friday!

We’re rolling into the first weekend of the month which means Coco and Deborah are hosting the Ultimate Coffee Date. It’s also time for another edition of Fit Five Friday! I’ve got a big mug of coffee in hand, so grab your fave hot beverage, and let’s catch up a little.

April Catch-up Over Coffee

Over coffee in February, I shared my challenges trying to find a new car.  Well, I’m happy to say that a couple of weeks ago the planets aligned finally and I found my new ride!

Over coffee, I’d tell you that I was recently interviewed for an article for Women’s Running Magazine on the impact of fibroids on running. Believe it or not, the article’s author found me through a blog post I wrote back in 2015. The article is part of Outside.com/Women’s Running’s member-exclusive content and can be found here.

Over coffee, I’d tell you that I’m planning to return to school for a professional development certificate program. I haven’t taken classes since business school so let’s hope I haven’t forgotten how to do this!

Your turn…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 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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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Ultimate coffee date

Um Spring – where did you go?

March 27, 2022 by 22 Comments

Just as I was welcoming spring weather with open arms, it seems that Spring has slipped into hiding. Yes I know that it’s only March, and in typical New England fashion, I really shouldn’t expect things to really warm up until mid-April…but I’m itching to shed the layers so hope burns eternal 😉

It was another 4-day run week, and with the exception of today’s stomach issues, running continues to feel pretty good. I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down. Here’s how things played out.

Week 12 – Where did Spring go?

Monday — 3.3-mile run & Core
Tuesday — Rest day.
Wednesday — 3.5-mile run, Core & Stretch

Thursday –– Peloton Ride, Upper Body Strength & Stretch
Friday — 3-mile run, Full Body Strength & Stretch
Saturday — 3.6-mile walk & Yoga for hips
Sunday — 4-mile run. The plan called for 6 but stomach issues had me struggling from the outset of this run (and fighting the wind didn’t help!). Dizzy and nauseous I finally pulled the plug at 4. I’m not sure what went sideways here, but I’m happy I still got a few miles in.

At least it was a beautiful morning.

The week ahead looks to be a busy one as spring break comes to an end, lacrosse season kicks into gear, and I’ll be easing into my hybrid work schedule.

How was your week? Are you enjoying Spring or has it gone into hiding?

 

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Filed Under: Weekly Run Down