Easing back into running

August 22, 2021 by 32 Comments

My mini run break is over so this week was about easing back into running.

Weekly Run Down – Week 33

Monday — 3.4-mile run, Lower Body Strength, Core, and Stretch. It was a glorious 62 degrees when I headed out for my morning run! While there were still some niggles, overall the hip area felt pretty good – throw in a great playlist thanks to Matty’s Aretha Franklin run and I was a pretty happy camper! I was pressed for time due to an early work start so I did my strength workout and stretch later in the day. Today’s core kicked off Week 3 of Matty’s Summer Crush core challenge.

Tuesday — Strength for Runners, Core, 30 min. Aretha Franklin ride plus cool down, and Stretch. After Monday’s Aretha run, it was a given that the ride would be next – I mean can you ever really have enough Aretha Franklin music?! And, I earned a new ride PR!

Wednesday — Unplanned rest day. I slept terribly the night before (no real reason), so an early workout was out of the question. I had planned to work out after work, but when the opportunity to catch up with an old friend came up I took a pass on the workout.

Thursday — 30 min. Low Impact Ride, Core, and Stretch. This class was a reminder that I really need to check out more of Sam’s classes! He always has such a great playlist – this time it was a mix of Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and the like. There were a series of long climbs so it was nice to challenge my legs differently.

Friday — 1-mile walk, Upper Body Strength, Core, and Stretch.

Saturday — 5-mile run and hip mobility work. With 96% humidity, I’m not sure if this should be called a run or a swim!

Sunday — Henri has arrived as a tropical storm so it will a wet and windy ride here today. Right now I’m all about my coffee, but there will be a Ride or Bike Bootcamp later.

I’m happy to say that my hip pain was non-existent during my runs, even on hills! It can still get pretty cranky at times, especially if I sit for too long. I went for an x-ray on Friday, which just re-confirmed that there is some arthritis but no other issues. So, now it’s just the wait to get in to see the sports doc and see what my options are. In the meantime, I’ll be keeping my runs short and easy.

In case you missed it:

Five Reasons to Focus on Strengthening Your Core

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

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Filed Under: injuries, Weekly Run Down

Five Reasons to Focus on Strengthening Your Core

August 20, 2021 by 6 Comments

For one of my goals this month, I’m working on completing Matty’s Summer Crunch core challenge on Peloton.  So far, it has been a great way for me to return to consistent core work. While many instantly think of 6-pack abs when they think about core exercises, a strong core is really about much more than the aesthetics of flat abs.

Your core is actually a whole series of muscles including pelvic floor muscles, diaphragm, internal and external obliques, transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, multifidus, erector spinae, and glutes. This complex set of muscles are your body’s powerhouse and key to all movement.

So for today’s Fit Five Friday, I’m sharing five reasons to focus on strengthening your core.

Five Reasons to Focus on Strengthening Your Core

Enhanced stability and balance — When you strengthen your core, you engage the pelvis, lower back, and hips to work in better coordination, providing both balance and stability, and minimizing the risk of falling.

Improved running efficiency — In addition to enhanced stability and balance, when these muscles are moving smoothly in sync, you expend less energy, which can help your running efficiency.

Improved posture — Strong core muscles stabilize the torso, and help you to remain upright. Maintaining good posture, in turn, reduces strain on both your muscles and joints and can be especially important for runners in the later stages of a race or long run, when fatigue sets in and running form may start to suffer.

Reduced risk of back injuries — Without a strong core, you are asking your back to work harder to support your body, which can lead to muscle strain and back pain.

Everyday movement — From carrying groceries to pulling weeds in the garden, having a strong core makes bending, lifting, twisting, and reaching overhead easier.

Are core workouts a part of your routine? 

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! Who’s ready for some fun?

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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, core work, Uncategorized

A mini run break

August 15, 2021 by 14 Comments

So with the return of some hip pain, the plan for this week was to take a break from running and to focus on strength training and time on my Peloton bike. And, thanks to Mother Nature “gifting” us with heat indexes in the upper 90s along with oppressive humidity, I can safely say I really didn’t miss running this week!

Here’s a quick peek at my week in workouts.

Weekly Run Down — Week 32

Monday — 1-mile walk, Lower Body Strength, Core, and Stretch
Tuesday — Low Impact Ride, Full-body Strength, Core, and Stretch
Wednesday —  Ride, Core, and Stretch

Thursday — 1-mile walk and Core. I had an intense session with my massage therapist that resulted in much relief around my hip.
Friday — 7.9 miles walking/jogging plus lifting and moving equipment. I spent most of the day setting up for a multisport fundraiser for work. There was a lot of time on my feet as I got the signage and mile markers all set up on the course.
Saturday — 4.1 miles walking/jogging. Event day kept me on my toes, but thankfully no hip pain!
Sunday — At the moment I’m longing on my deck enjoying the fact that the heat has finally passed. There may be yoga…but then again there may not.

The good news is my hip continues to be quiet, so I will attempt a little running this week and see how things go. Fingers crossed!

How was your week? Was it miserably hot where you are?

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

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Filed Under: Weekly Run Down

Weekly Run Down – Hip, Hip, Oh No!

August 8, 2021 by 26 Comments

I wish there was a “hooray” at the end of that title, but sadly no. Just when I thought I might have this cranky right hip under control, it let me know that it was in no mood to play nice (especially if there are hills involved). Sigh…

Nonetheless, there was fitness to be had…here’s how my workouts played out.

Weekly Run Down – Week 31

Monday — Lower Body Strength, Core, and Hip Stretch. I kicked off Matty’s Summer Crunch Core Challenge along with Kim, Coco, Cari, and Deborah – always nice to work out with friends!

Tuesday — Low Impact Ride, Full-Body Strength, Core, and Stretch.

Wednesday –– 4-mile birthday run and Core.

Hello 55!

Thursday — Bike Bootcamp (live class), Core, and Stretch. This was only my second bootcamp class and the first time I tried 45 mins. Not gonna lie this class was challenging, but it was fun to get a high five from Kim at the start. I definitely needed some extra recovery time on the mat!

Friday — Yoga and Core.

Saturday — 4 miles, Core, and Stretch. My plan called for 6 miles, but my hip wanted no part of it. Throw in some oh-so steamy weather and I just didn’t see any point in pushing it.

A beautiful view to distract me from my cranky hip

Sunday — 10K Scenic Ride, Core, and Stretch. Initially, I had thought about trying a short run, but given the way my hip was feeling I was pretty sure it would tolerate the pounding. Thankfully, time on the Peloton bike doesn’t seem to bother my hip, so I decided to mix things up a bit and tried one of the scenic rides. I did the 10K Aguirre Spring (New Mexico) ride – the scenery was beautiful and I enjoyed the playlist.

On Monday, I saw my doctor, who happens to be a runner too 🙂 She’s put in a referral with a sports doc, so I’m just waiting to get the appointment set up. In the meantime, for the week ahead, there will be PT exercises and lots of stretching. As for running, I’ll take it a day at a time but may consider sticking to the bike only.

Tell me something about your week.

In case you missed it:

Five things over August Coffee

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

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Filed Under: injuries, Weekly Run Down

Five things over August Coffee

August 6, 2021 by 16 Comments

Happy Friday everyone!

Is there a nicer way to kick off a weekend than with a little catch-up with friends? So for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. I’ve got my iced coffee in hand, let’s chat! (This post contains affiliate links).

Five Things over August Coffee

Over coffee, I would tell you that we are in the middle of a birthday bonanza at my house! My youngest turned 16 last Thursday, I celebrated another trip around the sun on Wednesday, and today, my oldest turns 19! My hubby’s b-day is in a couple of weeks. Let’s hope all of this celebrating doesn’t add too much to my waistline 🙂

Over coffee, I would tell you that I cannot believe we still have not made it to the beach this summer. Seriously these weeks have been flying by and I’m starting to think this may be one thing from my summer “must do” list that may not get done. While our next couple of weekends are accounted for, I’m still holding out hope of hitting the sand before the month’s over.

Over coffee, I would tell you with Covid numbers rising with the delta variant I’m not feeling very confident about the future of fall racing.  I have two in-person races on the calendar and watching the news lately makes me wonder if they’re going to happen. Sigh.

Over coffee, I would tell you how much I want to make more time to read. While on vacation I read The Last Thing He Told Me – it was a great page-turner! I loved getting lost in the story, and have promised myself that I’m going to spend a little less time scrolling on my phone and more time reading. Next up, Stronger than Dark.

Over coffee, I would tell you we’re just 3 short weeks away from moving my son into his college dorm. We’re knee-deep in shopping for “all the things” – it’s feeling very real now.

What would you tell me over coffee? Any good book suggestions? Have you made it to the beach this summer?

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! Who’s ready for some fun?

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Filed Under: Ultimate coffee date

Hello August!

August 1, 2021 by 13 Comments

And just like that, it’s August 1st! What has happened to Summer?!

As I usually do, I’m setting some new goals for the month… but first, here’s a quick recap of the week that was.

Weekly Run Down – Week 30

Monday — 3-miles, Core, Full-Body Strength, and Stretch. Re-entry after a vacation can make a Monday feel extra-Monday if you know what I mean. I decided to get out for a run to get things off to a good start. It was foggy and crazy humid, but the run felt pretty good.

Tuesday — Yoga.
Wednesday — 1-mile walk, Upper Body Strength, Core, and Stretch
Thursday — 3.1 miles, Core, and Stretch
Friday — 2-mile walk, otherwise rest day
Saturday — 5.25 miles, Core, and Stretch. Hard to believe it was just 60 degrees when I headed out! With the Back on My Feet Running Festival 15K just 7 weeks away, I’ll need to start stretching out these Saturday runs.

The virtual running festival is September 18-25 with the option to run the 5K, 10K, 15K, 30K, or run all four distances during the month of September. Join me and use code BibRave5! for $5 off the registration – you can register here.

Sunday — 3-mile walk, Core, Lower Body Strength, and Stretch.

Plans for August

While I will continue to work on the summer fitness goals I posted in June,  I’ve got a couple of things I want to specifically focus on this month.

  • Matty’s Summer Crunch Challenge – Thanks to Kim for bringing this Peloton challenge to my attention! I did Matty’s enCORE challenge back in February and it was a good one, so I’m looking forward to this one.
  • Increase my “long run” to 8 miles
  • Prehab exercises 3x’s/week — gotta keep the hip on track!

How was your week? Are you training for any fall races?

In case you missed it:

Time for Some July Runfessions

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

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Filed Under: goals, Weekly Run Down

Time for Some July Runfessions

July 30, 2021 by 9 Comments

It’s the last Friday of the month which means Marcia has opened the Runfessional!

It’s also time for another edition of Fit Five Friday hosted by Darlene, Renée, Jenn, Zenaida, and me! So, let’s get started, shall we?

July Runfessions

Vacation Re-entry — Can I start by saying this week felt so l-o-n-g! Why is it that re-entry following a vacation is always so hectic?! I runfess that I didn’t realize just how much I needed this vacation until I actually got a chance to step away. While I enjoyed my staycation in May, nothing can beat time away. I’m determined to strike a better balance between work and home life moving forward.

New Shoe Delay — You may remember that I was lucky enough to win a pair of Brooks Glycerins as part of a Dick’s Sporting Goods giveaway. When they arrived at the end of June I couldn’t wait to run in them. Then my hip started acting a little wonky and I got skittish about changing shoes. Well, call me paranoid, but I runfess that I didn’t take them out for a run until just this past weekend.

Weather fatigue — OK…you know it’s coming so I’m just going to say it… I runfess that I am so over this weather! We had one of the rainiest Julys on record, and when it wasn’t pouring, the humidity was off the charts. I bracing myself for August.

Ready for training? — The time off from running while on vacation seems to have done my hip a world of good! But now with my fall races on the horizon, it’s time to start to increase my miles and I runfess that I’m a little nervous to see how my hip responds. I’ll be building some extra time into my schedule to return to some of my key PT exercises and I runfess that I’m willing to sacrifice some miles, if necessary to keep injury at bay.

It's time for another edition of #FitFiveFriday and I've got some #Runfessions to share! Share on X

How about you – 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! Who’s ready for some fun?

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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Runfessions

A Mid-Summer Break

July 25, 2021 by 34 Comments

Happy Sunday!

I’m back home after a fun week in Stowe, VT., and am trying to hold on to the vacation vibe before I have to return to work tomorrow. We had so much fun, ate too much, laughed a ton, and completely unwound. While Mother Nature didn’t totally cooperate, this week was a good mix of being active and relaxing.

Weekly Run Down – Week 29

Monday — 6-mile hike

Happy hikers

Tuesday — Rainy lazy day. We snuck in a 3-mile walk and some mini-golf in between showers. Otherwise, time was spent watching movies, playing board games, reading, and relaxing.
Wednesday — Bodyweight Strength, Core, and 3-mile walk. We drove up to Burlington for the day – got to spend some time on Lake Champlain, walked the waterfront, and enjoyed lunch on Church Street Marketplace.


Thursday — Yoga and 4-mile hike. The weather was picture perfect and we enjoyed a gondola ride up Mt. Mansfield and a beautiful hike in Smugglers Notch. And, yes there was a trip to the Ben & Jerry’s Factory!

One of the falls we came across

Friday — Bodyweight Strength, Core, 1.5-mile walk and then driving home.
Saturday — 4-mile run and core. My hip had been feeling pretty cranky after last Saturday’s run, so I had made the decision to take a week off running knowing that we’d stay fairly active. I think this turned out to be the right call.
Sunday — Peloton ride and Strength planned. At the moment I’m in no hurry to move beyond my coffee mug 🙂

To say I needed this break would be an understatement. I don’t think I realized just how fried I was feeling until I got a chance to completely unplug. I’m also so happy that we got some time away as a family before my oldest leaves for college.

How was your week? Any vacation time planned?

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

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Filed Under: vacation, Weekly Run Down

Running towards vacation

July 18, 2021 by 16 Comments

We’re leaving today for a family getaway! I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to a break from work and the routine of home life. A little uninterrupted family time will be so good!

Before we head out, I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down. Here’s a quick peek at this week’s workouts.

Weekly Run Down — Week 28

Monday —  Upper Body, Core, and Stretch.

Tuesday —  3.1 miles, Lower Body, Core, and Stretch. 92% humidity…but at least there was cloud coverage and the occasional breeze.

Wednesday —  Rest Day. I had an early start at work and a crazy busy day, so aside from some time on the mat to stretch this was a rest day.

Thursday —  3 miles and Stretch. While I continue to head out early for my runs there’s just been no outrunning the humidity (91%!). There was a lot of negotiating with myself during this run but got it done.

Friday — Upper Body, Core, and Stretch.

Saturday — 4 miles, Core, and Stretch. I was planning on running 6 or 7 miles, but when I woke up feeling pretty creaky, I opted for a hilly 4-mile route instead.

Sunday — 25 min Peloton Ride, Core, and Stretch.  Before I started packing I jumped on for the AFO Imagine Dragons ride with Sam. The playlist was so good and Sam really helped to give this ride a music festival feel. Perfect way to head off on vacation!

How was your week? Have you settled into summer running?

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Filed Under: Weekly Run Down

Narragansett Running Festival 10K Race Recap

July 16, 2021 by 12 Comments

Happy Friday!

It’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday! My schedule was cray, cray last week and I missed posting in the linkup, so I’m happy to be back this week. And, I’m back with a race recap from a live race! Last Sunday, I ran the Narragansett Summer Running Festival 10K with my brother – my first in-person race since February 2020!

Narragansett Summer Running Festival 10K Recap

This was my 3rd time participating in the Festival. My son and I ran it in 2013 as my son’s first-ever 5K and I ran the 10K with my husband and brother in 2019. The Festival is usually a 2-day event held on the Stonehill College campus, with the 5K and 10K on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday. This year, thanks I’m sure to the uncertainties of Covid, the race was condensed to a 1-day event and the 5K was eliminated. I had registered long before the state gave the green light to in-person races, knowing that the race organizers had committed to giving everyone a refund vs. switching to a virtual option if the race wasn’t allowed to go forward.

Pre-Race

My brother and I planned to meet at the race around 6:30 am. At that early hour, Stonehill is a quick 20 min drive from my house, and there was ample parking designated for the runners. Bib and t-shirt pick-up was quick and easy, a short walk down the hill from the parking area. It felt so good to see so many runners! We had a lot of time until the 10K’s 8:00 am start (half marathoners started at 7:30) so we headed back to the cars to drop off our shirts, grab more water, and try to stay cool. While it was relatively cool (upper 60s) you could feel the humidity creeping up fast. We hung out chatted with some of the other runners and eventually decided to make our way down to hit the porta-potties and get to the start line.

Pre-race and ready to go

As we headed to the start line, it was nice to see that this year they had added pace markers to encourage people to self-seed. I think everyone had the same thought as we did of taking slow and easy because it seemed like most of the runners were hanging in the back. So much so that the race announcer was actually trying to encourage people to move to the front. The humidity was rising and my brother and I both knew once we stepped out of the shade of the start that it was going to get uncomfortable really fast.

The Race

The 10K course is two 5K loops through the campus with a mix of paved paths, gravel, grass, and two wooden bridges. It’s mostly flat with a couple of moderate inclines at the end of each loop. While I had worried about how my hip would deal with running across the gravel in the first mile, it seemed to take the uneven terrain just fine. In fact, my hip proved not to be a factor throughout the whole race. The humidity, on the other hand, proved to be the real challenge!

I’ve been running with 5:1 intervals and my brother was fine with that so we ran together through the first 4 miles. By the time we headed down the hill to start the second loop I was really starting to struggle with the humidity. My brother was holding up pretty well so I urged him to go ahead while I continued my humidity shuffle. While there were not a lot of spectators, those that were out there were really enthusiastic – I would have never guessed how much I missed the sound of a cowbell! The volunteers were also super upbeat and encouraging. At the 5 mile marker, I started targeting runners to pass, and soon I could hear the music at the finish line. One final push and I was done!

No medals for the 10K, but I appreciate the gender-specific cut

Post-Race

My brother was waiting at the finish line having come across just a few minutes before me. We were handed a couple of bottles of water and then headed down the green to the beer garden. Each runner received 2 beer tickets and there was a range of ice-cold Narragansett beers to choose from.

Everyone spread out on the grass and enjoyed the live music. There were several vendors, but we were content to hang out on the lawn for a bit before packing up and heading home for breakfast.

Post-race glow!

Overall this is a really fun race with a great atmosphere! I think I will always have a love-hate relationship with this race because it offers so many pluses, but summer running, especially the humidity is my nemesis.  But I’m almost certain that I’ll run this again next year. 🙂

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 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?

 

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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Narragansett Running Festival, race report