Five Things Over June Coffee

We’re on the cusp of the weekend again – the beauty of a short work week! So it’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday! And, since it’s the first weekend of the month, I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. It’s rainy and cool this morning so I’m sticking with a mug of hot coffee. Let’s chat!

Five Things Over Coffee

Adventures in Gardening

Over coffee, I would share that all of my work in the garden is starting to pay off! I had completely redesigned one section of my garden last summer and it’s nice to see the Peonies, and Roses already blooming so well.

Over coffee, I would also share that I had some interesting wildlife encounters in the garden lately. There’s a bunny who visits, but I have yet to catch it on film. Then there’s the large snapping turtle who thought one of my front beds would be a good spot to lay her eggs (my husband the honors of returning the turtle to the pond down the road from our house.) And, then there was the snake coiled around the base of one of the rose bushes. We’ve yet to catch him and I’ve stopped wearing flip-flops in the garden…enough said!

Vacation Planning

Over coffee, I would tell you that my husband and I are trying to decide where we want to go on vacation to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary this fall. Do we head to the Caribbean? Paris? Barcelona? Napa or Sonoma Valley? Other suggestions?

Could we end up in Barcelona this fall?

Streaming Obsession

Over coffee, I would tell you that my latest streaming obsession is “We Crashed”, which follows the true story of the rise and fall of WeWork. Jared Leno and Anne Hathaway were both so good! We recently finished the last episode. It was a good drama made better by the fact that it was based on a true story!

Basketball fever!

Over coffee, I would tell you that I am so excited to have the Boston Celtics back in the NBA Finals. I love the buzz in the city when one of our teams is in the hunt for a championship! And it doesn’t hurt that they won game 1!

What would you tell me over coffee?

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


signature

Week 21 – Winding Down May

MAYhem is drawing to a close. It was yet another tough week in the news…I have no words…

This week was quiet on the work front, giving me a chance to clear the decks before the new month rolls in. And, on the homefront, my high schooler finished classes and all of the end-of-year school stuff and is now prepping for exam week. It was also race week, so the workouts were fairly low-key…but the #optoutside streak (Day 60 as of today!) continued. Here’s how things played out.

Week 21 – Winding Down May

Monday — 2-mile walk, Upper Body Strength, & Stretch
Tuesday — 2-mile walk otherwise rest day
Wednesday — 3-mile run, Core & Stretch

When you match the flowers you stop for a photo, right?

Thursday — 2.5-mile walk & Yoga
Friday — 3-mile run, Core & Stretch


Saturday — 1.5-mile walk, Upper Body, Core & Stretch
Sunday — Race Day: Boston’s Run to Remember 5 Miler! Running felt really good today and I’m happy with my effort. I’ll share a recap in the coming days.

Now I’m looking forward to lazing on the deck and enjoying some family time!

How was your week? How are you spending this long weekend?

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

signature

Runfessions from MAYhem

That sigh you hear is me exhaling as my MAYhem is winding down. I am so ready to kick back and enjoy the long weekend ahead! But, first, it’s the last Friday of the month which means Marcia has opened the Runfessional. And, the Fit Five Friday crew is ready to go…so let’s get started, shall we?

Runfessions from MAYhem

(This post contains affiliate links)

I runfess that for as worried as I was about all that I had on my plate for this month, things actually went pretty smoothly. Still, it feels good to put this month in the rearview mirror.

After runfessing last month that I was struggling to fit in all my workouts while running 4x’s a week, I runfess that I promptly returned to 3 days of running and I’m much happier. Perhaps I’ll add in the 4th day when I start half marathon training later this summer…but then again, maybe not.

I runfess that the sudden wave of summer weather has me shopping for a hydration vest. While I do have a Nathan Hydration Waist Pack, it only holds one bottle and I’d like to be able to carry both electrolytes and water. I’ve been reading reviews and comparing models – who knew there were so many options?!

This Nathan VaporAiress is on my short list.

Any runfessions to share? Do you have a hydration vest recommendation?

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 be sure to show your hosts some love and visit some of the other bloggers in the link-up. Who’s ready for some fun?


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


signature

Week 20 – Still Paddling

Wrapping up another busy week in what has been a busy month and I’m still paddling (continuing last week’s duck theme). I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down, so here’s a quick peek at this week’s workouts.

Week 20 – Still Paddling

Monday — 2.5-mile Walk, 30-min Full-body Strength, and Stretch
Tuesday — 2.5-mile Walk & Core
Wednesday — 4-mile Run & Stretch

Spotted this Blue Heron during my run

Thursday — Peloton Bike, Yoga & 1-mile walk
Friday — 4-mile Run & Stretch
Saturday — 2-mile Walk, Core & Upper Body Strength via a couple of hours of yardwork
Sunday — 5-mile Run, & Stretch. Despite heading out early, it was already in the upper 60s when I started and over 80 degrees when I finished. My husband captured this photo right after I finished and I think it tells you all you need to know about the run.

The week ahead promises to be the first quiet one of the month, which is perfect timing since it’s race week! The Run to Remember 5-miler is next Sunday so let the weather stalking begin 😉

Are you dealing with sudden summer-like temps? Any races on the horizon?

 

signature

Being a Duck

As expected this week’s schedule was off the chain but I’m happy to say that all went well, including a successful fundraising event for work! Knowing what was on deck, my approach to my workouts was to do what I could when I could. Here’s how my week in fitness played out.

Week 19 – Being a Duck

Monday — 1.5-mile walk.
Tuesday — 2-mile walk, Upper Body Strength & Stretch.
Wednesday –– 4-mile run, Core & Stretch.

Thursday — 1-mile walk, Lower Body Strength & Stretch.
Friday — 3-mile run, Core & Stretch.
Saturday — Peloton bike, 2-mile walk & full-body strength courtesy of yard work

Working on reducing this mulch pile

Sunday — 5-mile run & Stretch.

Another busy week awaits so I’ll be spending the rest of today relaxing and soaking up the sunshine!

In case you missed it:

5 Quick Tips for Managing a Busy Week

How did your week go?

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

signature

Weekly Run Down – Mother’s Day Edition

A big Happy Mother’s Day to all my fellow moms!

May is off to a fast start – and, as I mentioned over coffee, I don’t expect things to slow down any time soon! And, even while my workouts were a bit pared down this week, I am thankful for them. Here’s a quick peek at how my week played out.

Week 18 – Mother’s Day Edition

Monday — 2-mile walk, Lower Body Strength, Core & Stretch
Tuesday — 1.7-mile walk, otherwise rest day.
Wednesday — 3-mile run, Core & Stretch
Thursday — 2.5-mile walk, Upper Body Strength & Stretch
Friday — 3-mile run, Core & Stretch
Saturday — 2-mile walk & Yoga
Sunday — 5-mile run, Core & Stretch

With things heating up schedule-wise, early morning workouts were a must. And, while still unseasonably chilly, I’ve been rewarded with some beautiful mornings.

Running continues to feel pretty good, and I was even rewarded with negative splits on Friday’s run! Most importantly, my hip has been fairly quiet. A win! And, my #optoutside streak continues at Day 39.

This week will be crazy busy and I have a feeling that carving out some time for myself will be especially important.

How was your week?

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

signature

Coffee with a side of MAYhem!

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 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


signature

A Couple of Runfessions for April

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 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


signature

Week 16 – Making Adjustments

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.

signature

Five Benefits of Planning Your Workouts in Advance

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 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


signature