Snapping out of Vacation Mode

March 24, 2019 by 32 Comments

Yeah, I’m so sure this was my look going back to work on Monday!

Snapping Out of Vacation Mode

After a glorious week in the tropics enjoying spring break with the family, this past week was all about getting back to reality. Here’s how the week went down…

Monday — Being layered up again was certainly a shock to the system! 2.25 mile run done.

From 86 to 26 degrees in less than 24 hrs. – Ouch!

Tuesday — Strength training with resistance bands

Wednesday — 3 miles to usher in the first day of Spring!

Thursday — Caught the sunrise and logged another 2 miles.

Friday — Rest day – I knew this was going to be a super busy day between work and errands getting ready for a big family dinner to celebrate my mom’s birthday.

Saturday — Mother Nature’s antics were in full effect on Saturday. I woke up to snow showers to which I announced (to no one in particular) that I was not running in that sh…um …stuff and went back to bed. The snow didn’t stick around long, but the winds were crazy so I swapped workouts and opted for yoga.

Sunday — Time to make up for Saturday’s run, so I got 3.25 miles in.

Overall, not a bad first week post-vacation. The weather forecast for the upcoming week looks like something loosely resembling spring so hopefully, there will be some decent outdoor running.

I’m joining Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down link-up.

Does it feel like spring where you are? Do you find it easy to return to a routine after being on vacation?

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Filed Under: vacation, Weekly Run Down

February Run Down & March Goals

March 3, 2019 by 26 Comments

With February in the rearview mirror, it’s time to set a couple of goals for March.  I like having these mini targets to keep me on track and accountable.

So let’s recap February and see what’s on tap for this month!

February Run Down & March Goals

Good things for the month:

  • I had 3 goals for February – weekly yoga, daily pre-hab work, and beat my January mileage. I did a solid job on the first two but came up short on the mileage.
  • Consistent strength training – beyond the pre-hab exercises I focused on core and upper body work.
  • I got a chance to get a Dexa Scan and learned a lot! (In case you missed it, you can check out my post about my field trip here.)

Things I could do without:

  • Ice, wind and frigid temps kept me indoors more than I wanted, and without a race to train for, I just didn’t feel as compelled to hit the mill for any real distance – and I’m ok with that.

On the decks for March:

  • With 8 weeks until my first race of the year, Portland 10 Milers and then the Run to Remember Half a few weeks later, it’s time to start to get focused on a training plan.
  • March Goals:
    • Increase my weekly mileage
    • Continue to work with Coach Marc on form drills and cadence
    • Continue to make pre-hab exercises a regular habit
    • Daily core work

New Ambassadorship!

I got a great start to my weekend when I opened my email Friday morning to learn I’ve been selected as an ambassador for Tailwind Nutrition! I absolutely love Tailwind – it is the one fuel I can count on with my often finicky stomach. I’m really looking forward to being a part of their team!

New Link-up!

If you hadn’t heard, Holly & Wendy decided to close down the Weekly Wrap – big thanks to both of them for hosting such a great link-up! Happily, Deborah and Kim announced the new Weekly Run Down link-up, so those of us who write a weekly fitness recap have a new place to connect and commiserate!

And that’s my run down. How did February treat you? Any big plans for March?

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Filed Under: #TailwindTrailblazer, Boston's Run to Remember, goals, month in review, Portland 10 Miler Tagged With:

Cruising into March Coffee

March 1, 2019 by 20 Comments

Hello March! 

(And February..don’t let the door hit you on the way out!)

Can you tell I’m ready for a new month? 😉 And, since it’s the first Friday of the month what better way to start March than with a little catch up over coffee. So grab a mug of your favorite hot beverage and let’s join  Coco and  Deborah for this month’s coffee date.

If we were having coffee, I would have to briefly whine … er, mention the weather. While we flirted with a couple of mild days in February, there was also a fair amount of ice and some really brutal winds. The weather whiplash definitely had me running indoors far more than I would like. And, given this weekend’s forecast, it looks like March will be coming in like a lion…we can only hope the rest of the saying holds up!

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that we finally booked our vacation. We poured over lots of options and even hit a travel expo trying to settle on a plan. I’m happy to say we’ll be cruising again for spring break! We took a cruise a few years ago and absolutely loved it so I can’t wait to get on board!

Looking forward to calling this home for a week!

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that this vacation is coming at a perfect time. I feel like things have been crazy busy on all fronts and I’m starting to feel just a little fried. Vacation will be the perfect pause button.

If we were having coffee, I’d ask if you have any good book suggestions? I’m looking for a few titles to load on my Kindle – good pool-side reads…and dare I say it, perhaps something non-running related. While I’d like to do more reading this year I will admit I have yet to pick up a book.

So what would you tell me? Any vacation plans? Ever tried cruising?

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Filed Under: Ultimate coffee date, vacation

Weekly Wrap – Keep Showing Up

February 24, 2019 by 23 Comments

Keep Showing Up – that was pretty much the theme for this week as I spent most of the week continuing to play a game of hide-and-seek with my mojo. Here’s how the week went down:

Monday — Rest day.

Tuesday — Icy conditions sent me once again to the gym for a treadmill run. 3 miles done.

Wednesday — I woke up feeling pretty beat up so I shuffled things around a bit and spent some much needed time on my yoga mat.

Thursday — Strength workout. I never really got my head in the game on this workout, but I dug in and got it done.

Friday — 46 degrees! While I don’t usually run on Fridays, I had a run to make up since I’d shuffled my schedule around. And did I mention 46 degrees?! I managed to squeeze in a late day 3-mile run.

Saturday — 4-miles of negative splits! I have no idea where this run came from. My legs just felt good so with each mile I decided to push the pace a bit and see what would happen. You never know if you don’t show up, right?

Sunday — Another strength workout from the 21 Days Beautiful Arms & Abs Transformation.

Mother Nature is expected to throw us another curveball this upcoming week with rain, crazy winds, then more bitter cold…and possibly more snow. Ah well, more indoor workouts – just 24 days until Spring…but who’s counting 😉

And that’s a wrap!

I’m joining Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap.

Tell me something about your week! Are you dealing with crazy weather too?

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Filed Under: Weekly Wrap

Checking in at the February Runfessional

February 22, 2019 by 16 Comments

Happy Friday!

Is it me or does February always feel like the longest month despite being only 28 days?! Well as this long month winds down, it’s time again to link up with Marcia for a little time at the Runfessional.

February Runfessions

It's Friday and I'm joining @teamarcia for the Runfession link-up! #running #runchat #runfessions #fridayfive Share on X

So my gym saga continues! Just as I was starting to research new gym options after receiving the news that my gym was closing, don’t I receive yet another letter from my gym announcing that the deal they thought they had in place to be bought fell through and now they’re staying put. What the what?! I runfess that I am secretly relieved because while I have my issues with this gym, the thought of shopping for a new one was leaving me cold.

And, speaking of the cold (like what I did there?), I runfess that wearing all of the layers is growing old and my mojo is taking a serious hit. I need winter to be done now!

Under the category of “it takes a village”…

I runfess that I’m a little nervous that my massage therapist is days away from closing shop while she’s out on maternity leave. She’s been my saving grace on a number of occasions and I’m really going to miss having her around just as I’m getting ready to start half marathon training.

On the good side, I am loving the new acupuncture practice I’ve recently started going to so I runfess that I’m planning to ramp up my visits over the next couple of months.

And, did you know that today is National Margarita Day?!  Seriously, who decided these things?! Margaritas are one of my faves and I runfess that given that I’ve only got a 4-mile run planned for tomorrow I may have to have one…or two 😉

So tell me, what would you runfess? Margaritas – yay or nay?

I’m also linking up with Meranda and Lacy for Fridays with Fairytales and Fitness.

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Filed Under: Friday Five, Runfessions

Weekly Wrap – Long Weekend Edition

February 17, 2019 by 22 Comments

I have to say that I was so happy to get to this weekend – it was one l-o-n-g week! But knowing that there was a 3-day weekend on the horizon made all the difference!

And, while my mojo hasn’t completely come out of hiding, I am happy to say that overall my workouts went much better this week. Here’s how things went down:

Monday — The DOMS from Sunday’s strength training hit hard so this was a rest day.

Tuesday — A rare early morning run. This run felt surprisingly good – 3 miles done.

Wednesday — To help keep things interesting, I added the 21-day Beautiful Arms & Abs workout from Daily Om to the mix. Simple, controlled, focused moves – my abs were sore when I was done!

Thursday — This was one crazy day! There was just too much to juggle (did I mention I was doing the solo parenting gig this week?) so I finally decided to just push my run to Friday. I did manage to keep my massage appointment, which was a huge win.

Friday — Time to make up for Thursday’s run. It was raining sideways (literally) so I hit the gym for some 400-meter repeats on the mill. While I make no secret of the fact that I don’t love treadmill runs, I actually don’t mind using the mill for speedwork and these repeats felt pretty good.

Saturday — I woke up feeling the effects of the previous day’s speedwork – I may have been a little overzealous! For just a moment I thought about kicking this run to Sunday, but then I got a text from my brother saying he was heading out for his run and that was enough of a push to get moving. It wasn’t pretty, but 4 miles done.

Sunday — I finished off the week with some time on my yoga mat.

And that’s a wrap!

I’m linking up again with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap.

Tell me something about your week! Are you enjoying a long weekend too?

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Filed Under: Weekly Wrap

DEXA Scan – a Valuable Tool

February 12, 2019 by 32 Comments

I think most runners, or really anyone who’s into fitness, are always looking to learn more about their bodies – “knowledge is power,” as the saying goes. So, when I was invited to have a DEXA scan done, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

What is a DEXA Scan?

A DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) Scan measures bone, fat, and muscle in your body. The scan involves passing two very low dose x-ray beams at differing energy levels through the tissues of the body. The rays are absorbed differently by your body’s bone, fat, and muscle, allowing the scanner to measure your body composition.  In a matter of a few minutes, DEXA Scan not only measures both the percentage and distribution of your body fat and lean muscle, but also your bone weight and density.

The scan itself was so simple – just wear comfortable clothing with no metal (zippers, underwire, buckles) and lie still on the table for 7-8 minutes while the scanning arm passes over you and boom you’re done. Easy peasy. And, best of all the information from the scan is instantly available, so most of my visit was spent reviewing the results.

What did I learn?

I will admit going into the scan my one concern was what would be my visceral fat level. Since turning 50 I’ve developed a little belly that I’m none too fond of, and I wanted to make sure visceral fat wasn’t playing a starring role! I’m happy to say that while I do have a little visceral fat, it is far from the danger level and not around any of my key organs – relief!

Other things I learned:

  • My bone density is seriously rock-solid – like almost off the chart! And, my 10-year probability for a hip fracture is just 0.1%.
  • While my body fat % is in the “normal range” I’d like to see it a little lower.
  • I’ve got some clear muscle imbalance with more mass on my right side (both arms and legs) than on my left. Given that muscle imbalance can lead to injury, this was just more of a reminder to be consistent with my strength training.

In reviewing the results it is clear that additional value comes from looking at the data trend over time – I’m planning to return in 6 months for another scan. By that time I’ll be in the thick of marathon training and will be really interested in seeing how both that training and the work leading up to that training cycle will have on my body composition.

Ever had a body composition scan? Learn about my experience with DEXA Scan. #fitness #dexascan #runnerslife #health Share on X

Overall the DEXA scan provides a good deal of valuable information, and is a great tool to have as a runner/athlete focused on improving your muscle mass, or if you’re interested in losing weight, or just as another piece of the puzzle in your overall health.

I visited Cenegenics Elite Health in Boston for my scan. You can click here to find a location near you.

Have you ever had a body composition scan?

I’m linking up with Kim & Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.

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Filed Under: Dexa Scan

Weekly Wrap – In search of my mojo

February 10, 2019 by 56 Comments

Happy Sunday!

This week I am excited to be filling in for Holly as a guest co-host for the Weekly Wrap! If you’re new to the Weekly Wrap, it is a fun linkup hosted by Holly and Wendy for fitness bloggers to share their weekly or race recaps. I hope you’ll link up with us and please be sure to comment on other posts. We’re here to support each other!

So, the title for this post pretty much sums up my week – call it the mid-winter blues, but I definitely struggled to find my motivation!

Monday – Rest day. Knowing that I would probably be enjoying an extra beverage or two during the Super Bowl I planned to make Monday a rest day. And with the Patriots win, let’s just say there was some extra celebrating!

Tuesday – When the thermometer reads 60 degrees in February, how can you turn down a chance to run?! I squeezed in a quick 3 miles at lunchtime.

Wednesday – You ever have one of those days where you weren’t even kinda sorta feeling like working out? Yeah, that was this day but did manage to get a short yoga session in.

Thursday – The motivation was way low, the weather was crappy, and I was feeling just a little “off” – not a good combo! I kept putting my run off until later in the day but finally had to admit that this run just wasn’t going to happen.

Friday – Fridays are usually my rest day – and while I had visions of overcoming this lack of motivation I was struggling with, I woke up with a migraine and decided rest was best.

Saturday – I was feeling a 100% better and even though the winds were ridiculous I was determined to get my run done!

Sunday – I had neglected my strength training and prehab exercises all week, so today was the day to get back on track!

Trusting the Training

Recently, Coach Marc had suggested that I put a pin in the idea of running the Old Fashioned 10 Miler this month. Back in December, I had put the race out there as a target to help keep me focused on building miles during the winter. But I put it out there as a target before really having a handle on the training plan Marc’s building for me. He felt that having a race of this distance this early in the training was not a wise idea. At first, I balked a little, but I quickly reminded myself that the whole point of hiring a coach for this year was to train smartly and avoid injury. So I’m trusting the process and conceded on the race – thankfully I hadn’t registered yet!

While I know it’s the right choice, I think not having that race hanging over my head took a little wind out of my sails this week – and the temperature whiplash that went on this week certainly didn’t help! I am happy that I ended the week on a strong note and hopefully, I can get back into more of a groove for the upcoming week.

And that’s a wrap!

Tell me something about your week! Do you find it hard to stay motivated during the winter months?


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Filed Under: Trust the training, Weekly Wrap

January Wrap & February Goals

February 3, 2019 by 34 Comments

If you’ve been around here for a while then you know I like to set monthly goals. Having mini targets helps to keep me on track and accountable to the big goals I’ve laid out for the year.

So let’s recap January and see what’s on tap for this month!

January Wrap & February Goals

Good things for the month:

  • Joined Coach Marc for a treadmill workout
  • Finally made it back to the kickboxing studio
  • Logged 51.25 miles – given that I didn’t run most of the first or last weeks of the month, that’s higher than I expected!
  • Found my new running shoe!

Loving my Brooks Adrenalines!

Things I could do without:

  • All things Polar Vortex
  • Piriformis deciding to not play nice this past week – contributing to the lack of mileage

On the decks for February:

  • Focus on daily pre-hab work – especially glute activation and hip strengthening
  • Beat January’s mileage – while I haven’t set a miles goal for the year, I would like to see my mileage consistently increase each month.
  • Time on my yoga mat at least once a week

Hoping to put this new mat to good use!

Recapping January & setting some February goals #weeklywrap #runchat #runnerslife Share on X

Ambassadorships!

I’m happy to announce that I’ll be returning for my 4th year as a SPIbelt Ambassador!

Use code TEAMSPI for 10% discount

And, for my 3rd year as a Skirt Sports Ambassador!

Use code SSA821Mic to save 15% on Skirt Sports

And that’s a wrap!

I’m joining Wendy and Holly for the Weekly Wrap, and guest host Amy, from She Runs by Faith.

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Filed Under: #skirtsports, goals, month in review, SkirtAmbassador, Weekly Wrap, WomenWhoMove

Five things over February Coffee

February 1, 2019 by 36 Comments

Well Hello, February!

Please tell me I’m not the only one who thought January went by hella fast?! As we usher in a new month it’s time for a little catch-up over coffee, so I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date – let’s chat!


If we were having coffee, we would, of course, have to talk about this ridiculous weather. I am so tired of hearing the words “polar vortex” and there’s still so much more winter ahead.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you how much I’m looking forward to this weekend. My oldest son comes home from school for a 4-day weekend…and then there’s the matter of a little football game with my hometown team!

Over coffee back in November, I shared that I was on the quest for the “right shade” of gray paint for my bedroom.  Well, if we were having coffee, I would tell you that after painting swatch after swatch on my walls, and more trips to the paint store than I care to count, we finally settled on a color! Painting is underway and I’m loving what I see so far!

Benjamin Moore Gray Owl

And speaking of ongoing searches, if we were having coffee, I would tell you that we’re knee-deep in vacation brochures trying to settle on a destination for a spring break getaway. Initially, we’d hoped to do another cruise, but had no luck aligning ports of call we liked with our available travel dates. So now the debate has begun, do we head to a beach? Drive the west coast? Disney/Universal Studios?

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’m heading off on a field trip later this morning to have a Dexa scan, which is a full body composition scan, measuring muscle mass, body fat, and bone density. I’m looking forward to learning more.

So what would you tell me over coffee? Any vacation suggestions?

I’m also linking up with Meranda and Lacy for Fridays with Fairytales and Fitness.

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Filed Under: Friday Five, Ultimate coffee date