Michelle

Chicago-bound!

December 16, 2018 by Michelle 32 Comments

The sprint to the finish of 2018 continues – I swear someone has flipped the switch into overdrive!

This past week was busy on all fronts, but there were lots of highlights!

Work kept me hopping – but I was super productive and, with now just a few loose ends to wrap up, I should be in great shape to take the Christmas week off! Both of my boys started their school breaks, so we really kicked things into the Christmas spirit, picking up our tree and decorating the house. We’ll start making cookies later today.

On the workout front, it was a pretty solid week:

Monday – 3-mile run
Tuesday – 1.25-mile power walk
Wednesday – 3.5-mile run – this one was ugly!
Thursday – Another power walk followed by a strength work.
Friday – 2-mile run and some much needed yoga. Also had another acupuncture session.
Saturday – 5-mile run. For as bad as Wednesday’s run felt, this one felt great!

Sunday – Today was basically a rest day, I did get an early morning 1.25-mile walk with my husband and pup to get the day started followed by another session with the acupuncturist.

17.25 miles for the Holiday Challenge!

And, if you follow me on social media, then you know this was my biggest highlight of the week!

I was beyond excited to see this notice in my email! Chicago-bound for 2019!

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

What was a highlight from your week?

Filed Under: #HolidayChallenge, Chicago Marathon, Weekly Wrap

A few goals to wrap up the year

December 10, 2018 by Michelle 27 Comments

With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I can already feel that this month is going to go by in the blink of an eye. Here it is the 10th of the month already and I have yet to post my monthly goals. But first, a quick recap on the week that was:

50 degrees – Perfect running weather!

Monday – 3-mile run
Tuesday – 2-mile night run
Wednesday – 4-mile guided run with Coach Marc
Thursday – 1.25 mi power walk plus strength work
Friday – 1-mile walk and yoga
Saturday – 4 miles
Sunday – 1.25 mi power walk with the pup

Total 16.5 miles

Thank goodness for this Holiday Challenge! While the week started off with a beautiful 50+ degree morning, the nice weather was very short-lived. There were a couple of times I could have easily chosen to hideout from the nonsense Mother N was dishing out, but I was determined not to miss a day of this Challenge. So far, so good.

I had my first guided run with Coach Marc on Wednesday where he took me through a series of body sensing drills. It was a great refresher for me on many of the Chi Running principles. We ran on some great rolling country roads with almost no traffic, which was perfect to focus and practice without dodging cars. I know I must have been pretty absorbed in all Marc was sharing with me because I realized afterward it never occurred to me to once pull out my phone to take pictures. A “blogger fail” perhaps, but it was great to be wholly concentrating in the moment.

December Goals

While I hadn’t gotten around to posting them yet, I did set some goals for the month. I like to have monthly goals to keep myself on track, and especially at this time of year with so many demands on time, it can be pretty easy to let things slide.

My main goal for November was consistency – whether it was running or cross-training, and I think I did a pretty solid job at that. I kept the running short and easy and gave my nagging injuries a chance to heal.

So for December:

Finish the final 3 weeks of FASTer Way to Fat Loss
Start incorporating Chi Running focuses into my runs and run with Coach Marc at least twice
Pre-hab with PT exercises 3x’s/week
Complete the 40-day Holiday Challenge I started on Thanksgiving (today marks Day 19!)
Continue with regular acupuncture treatments – (I had two this past week and felt so good afterward!)
Return to kickboxing classes

Hopefully, these goals will keep me on track and building momentum for a strong kick off to 2019!

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

And, with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run.

Have you set any goals to close out the year? Have you started planning for 2019 yet?

Filed Under: #HolidayChallenge, ChiRunning, goals, Weekly Wrap

2018 Runners Holiday Gift Guide

December 7, 2018 by Michelle 24 Comments

How are you doing with your holiday shopping?

I’m hoping to make a real dent in my shopping list this weekend. And, in that spirit, now seems like the perfect time to share my annual gift guide for the runner in your life.

(While this post contains affiliate links, all opinions expressed are, as always, strictly my own)

Rockay Accelerate Socks – I am very picky about the socks I wear and tend to not venture outside my comfort zone once I find a brand/style I like. However, I was recently sent a pair of Rockay socks and decided to give them a shot – it was love at first run! These socks are made of merino wool and offer a comfortable fit with no bulk, great breathability, and serious moisture-wicking. The design includes nice compression in the arch and padding in both the toe and heel.

Resistance Bands — After spending a good bit of my summer working with the physical therapist, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of owning a good set of resistance bands. I think every runner can benefit from having a set! I use these PhantomFit bands – they’re durable and reasonably priced.

Headsweats Hats/Visors/Buffs – If you’ve been around here for a while then you know how much I love my Headsweats gear. Safe to say that 9 times out of 10 if I have headgear on, it’s Headsweats. In my opinion, they offer some of the best products out there, which is why I was so happy to be a 2018 ambassador. Use code ATTITUDE25 to save 25% on the Headsweats website.

Magnesium Oil – I discovered Magnum Solace magnesium oil earlier this year and just love how it soothes my sore legs. I have also found that I sleep better when I use it before bed.

Oofos Slides or Flip Flops – These sandals provide a great combination of foam cushion and arch support – perfect for post-run recovery or everyday wear. I live in my Oofos Sport Slides after a run and have been eyeing a pair of the Oolala Flip Flops to add to my collection.

Sharing some gift ideas for the runners in your life! #running #runchat #giftguide Share on X

I’m linking up with Lacey & Meranda for the Friday with Fairytales and Fitness link-up!

Happy Shopping!

Filed Under: #TeamHeadsweats, fave things, Friday Five, Gifts for runners

Runfessions Over Coffee

November 30, 2018 by Michelle 28 Comments

Well hello, Friday!

Maybe it’s playing catch-up after the holiday, but this was one crazy busy week and it went by in a flash. I am so ready for this weekend to begin! So let’s get things started with a little catch up over coffee…and a few runfessions thrown in for good measure 😉

Over coffee, I’d tell you that I’m wrapping up my third week of FASTer Way to Fat Loss. I won’t get on a scale until the end of the program, but I do feel like my clothes are fitting better – so that’s a win! While the FWFL program definitely has helped me to be more mindful of what I’m eating, I do runfess that there are days where constantly tracking my macros is making me a little crazy.

Over coffee, I’d tell you that I’m pretty excited to have made a return to acupuncture this past week! I have used acupuncture on and off over the years for a variety of things including migraines, blood pressure, and yes running injuries. When I started wrestling with my nagging hamstring/hip issue earlier this year, I started hunting for a new acupuncturist since my previous practitioner is no longer in the area. I’m psyched to have finally found one I like and am planning to go for another session this weekend!

Over coffee, I’d tell you that despite my love of kickboxing as a workout, I runfess that I realized the other day that I haven’t made it to a class in almost two months! Whoops! Between work and family schedules, getting to the studio for a class has been tough – I clearly need the flexibility to work out when it fits my schedule and not the other way around.

Over coffee, I’d tell you that I recently had my first experience of riding in the car with my son driving with his permit. Yeah, well I runfess that I’m either going to have to learn to seriously chill out or make my husband do all of the driving hours.

I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date;

and with Marcia for Runfessions;

and with Meranda & Lacey for the Fairytales and Fitness link-up

Any runfessions to share? What would you tell me over coffee? Do you regularly attend fitness classes?

Filed Under: Friday Five, Runfessions, Ultimate coffee date

Wrapping Up Thanksgiving Week

November 25, 2018 by Michelle 26 Comments

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

For the first time in a long time, we weren’t on the road for the holiday. We stayed local and my brother hosted an awesome meal! My oldest son was home from school for the week, and it was nice to have a few days to just kick back and chill with the family.

My workouts for this week were pretty low-key too – here’s a quick recap of how things went down:

Monday: Yoga
Tuesday: T25 Cardio
Wednesday: Run evaluation with Coach Marc, followed by a 3-mile run
Thursday: 3-mile run

14 degrees with a feel like of 3 – Brrrr!

Friday: 1.25 power walk
Saturday: 4.5-mile run
Sunday: 1-mile walk plus yoga

Runner’s Revamp

The highlight of my workout week was meeting up with Coach Marc for a run evaluation. For these sessions, Marc works in partnership with a chiropractor Dr. Kelly for what they call “Holistic Injury Prevention & Runner’s Revamp” (HIPRR). After a warm-up run with Marc, they filmed and observed me running at various paces and then we spent quite a bit of time breaking down the film. Let me just say that watching yourself run in slow-motion is an eye-opening experience! Having each of them providing input from their different perspectives was so helpful, and I could have easily sat around talking about running all morning with them. My head was spinning by the end and thankfully they’ll be sending me all of their evaluations, along with next steps as Marc starts to build my new training plan.

Taking on the Holiday Challenge

For a little added motivation, I signed up for Race Cancer’s Holiday Challenge – the goal is to run or walk at least 1 mile each day from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve (outdoors mileage gets you Winter Warrior status). It’s the first leg of the Charity Challenge Trifecta, which includes the Winter Challenge (January 1 – 31) and Winter Challenge Overtime (Feb 1 – March 31). I did the Winter Challenge last January as part of the Black Girls Run! Boston team. I love that they added the Holiday and Overtime components for this year – I don’t know if I’ll end up doing all 3 components, but it is a great way to keep moving during the winter months. I also love that the challenge has a “3 strikes, you’re out” rule, so you can miss 2 days and still remain in the challenge – cause well…life happens, right? Holiday Challenge registration is open until 11:59 p.m on Monday if you want to join me 😉

So tell me, how was your week? Did you travel for Thanksgiving?

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

Filed Under: #HolidayChallenge, Weekly Wrap

Shaking Things Up

November 12, 2018 by Michelle 22 Comments

Happy Monday!

I missed last week’s Weekly Wrap because I was just coming off a week of dealing with a stomach bug, so needless to say there wasn’t much to recap. Thankfully, by Sunday, I was finally back to running and this past week was a decent mix of running, some yoga, and cross training in the form of leaf raking.

Time to Shake Things Up

While being sick is never fun, laying low did give me some time to step back and start to think about goals for the upcoming year. One thing I know for sure is that it’s time to get out of the cycle of injury; pseudo-recovery; pushing too hard; then back to injury – it’s been a frustrating cycle which has impeded the way I have wanted to train and race, along with impacting my joy of running. Time to shake things up…

So I think the first big step in the right direction is that I’ve hired a new coach. I first met Coach Marc when I attended his ChiRunning workshop last year. I really enjoyed the clinic and his style and have been thinking for a while that he would be someone I’d be interested in working with. I’ve occasionally been in touch with Marc since the clinic, but when I got an email from him a couple of weeks ago, it came at just the right time. We had a great conversation and by the end of our call, I knew this was a great step in the right direction.

I’ll be sharing more about my work with Coach Marc in future posts as we work together to build a year-long plan to get me to a fall marathon, with some fun races along the way!

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

And, with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run.

Filed Under: running coach, Tuesdays on the Run, Weekly Wrap

5 things over November coffee

November 2, 2018 by Michelle 30 Comments

Happy Friday! And, hello November!

It’s time once again for one of my favorite link-ups – a time to dish a little about life happenings over a cup of coffee. So grab a mug of your favorite beverage and let’s join Coffee hosts Coco and Deborah and chat.

Over coffee, I’d tell you that we went out to visit my son at school for Fall Family Weekend last weekend, and had a great time! I continue to enjoy seeing him settling in and happy – does a momma’s heart a lot of good!

Over coffee, I’d tell you that I started a gratitude challenge on Instagram. I’ve been having a little bit of a pity party over the way my running’s been going (or not going) – combine that with work stress, election fatigue, etc. and I was just feeling the need for a bit of an attitude adjustment – And what better way than to focus on gratitude? So for the month of November, I’m doing a daily post on something I’m thankful for that day using #FocusingonGratitude. I’m hoping others will join in.

Over coffee, I’d tell you that I’m looking forward to taking on the FASTer Way to Fat Loss Program with Amy C. I’ve heard such good things about this program and have been curious for a while. And, I’ve known Amy for years, so when I learned that she had become a certified coach I knew I wanted to give it a try.

Over coffee, I’d tell you that in the ongoing world of house projects, I’m driving myself crazy trying to find the right shade of gray for our bedroom! Seriously, how could there possibly be so many!? But I have decided one of the most fun jobs would be naming the paint colors.

Over coffee, I’d tell you that I cannot believe that in less than 60 days 2018 will be history. Despite my desire for time to slow down just a little, I feel like the pace at which the days are moving is increasing. I was surprised by some of the posts showing up in my Facebook feed from friends who couldn’t wait to be done with Halloween so they could put up Christmas decorations – wait, what?! While I love the holiday season, I’d like to ease into it – not dive in full force without a parachute!

What would you tell me over coffee? Are you in a rush to get to the holidays?

I’m also joining Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five linkup!

Filed Under: Friday Five, Ultimate coffee date

Wrapping up October Madness

October 29, 2018 by Michelle 20 Comments

October Madness!

Is that a thing? It sure felt like it around here this month. Juggling long stints of single parenting, multiple work events, and lots of school activities left my head spinning and feeling a little discombobulated. And, while there was also some fun with family and friends mixed in, I am finishing October t-i-r-e-d!

On the fitness front, my schedule left me in a state of “do what you can when you can.” While there was some cross training on the Arc Trainer and a little time on the yoga mat, I stumbled on my consistency with my PT exercises as the month wore on, and my running success yo-yo’d. I seem to stall out around 4 miles, before the radiating pain in my right hammy flares. As such, my longest run of the month was just 6 miles – and, if you follow me on Instagram then you know that the wheels really came off the wagon on Sunday’s run and had me questioning my ability to return to 13.1 any time soon.

So, as we turn the page to November, the goal is pretty simple – be consistent! My schedule should be much quieter so that should help. I’ll also be spending some quality time with my massage therapist and checking in with the physical therapist. Will see if my mileage can be increased safely in time, but I’m determined to not let my lack of running cast a shadow over all I can do.

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

And, with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run.

Filed Under: injuries, month in review, Tuesdays on the Run, Weekly Wrap

October runfessions

October 26, 2018 by Michelle 26 Comments

It’s the last Friday of the month (already?!) – which means Marcia has opened the Runfessional! This is always a fun link-up so be sure to check out what our host and others are coming clean about this month.

I’m happy to say that the long-awaited fall weather that I love so much has finally decided to settle in and stick around for a bit. So here’s the kicker, as much as I love fall running, I runfess that my mojo for anything that resembles training has gone into hiding.

I runfess that, even though I made peace with my decision to defer my entry into MCM so I could attend parents weekend festivities at my son’s school, I have felt a twinge or two of jealousy as my social media feeds have filled with excited runners’ posts counting down to the weekend.

With the way my schedule’s been going lately I’ve been hitting the gym again to get in some cross training on the Arc Trainer. Well maybe it’s the time I’ve been going but I don’t ever remember seeing so many teenagers – especially so many teenage girls in perfectly coordinated outfits, quaffed hair and makeup! I runfess that I’m starting to feel underdressed LOL!

I runfess that I purposely wait until the last minute to buy Halloween candy. The less time it’s in my house the better!

And, speaking of Halloween, while I get a kick out of seeing all of the little kids in their costumes, I runfess that I get seriously irked by the lazy teens who can’t bother to dress up, but then want to abscond with handfuls of candy! I don’t have a problem with teens trick or treating, I just want them to make an effort!

What are you runfessing?

Do you ever have race FOMO? Any lazy teen trick or treaters in your neighborhood?

I’m also joining Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five linkup!

Filed Under: Friday Five, Runfessions

PT Update and Swapping Races

October 15, 2018 by Michelle 28 Comments

Happy Monday!

Well, I swear I blinked and the weekend went by! After last week where Mother Nature seemed confused over what season it was (80 degrees at one point then crashing back to the 40s at another), I’m hoping for some consistency this week in that fall weather that I love.

Between the crazy temperature roller coaster ride, a fair amount of rain, and a hectic work schedule, it was a little hard to find a rhythm last week. Somehow I managed to eek out 3 runs, 2 days of strength training, and a nice power walk catching up with a friend — I’ll take it!

PT Update & Swapping Races

I also managed to catch up with my PT Abby. It’s the first time I’ve had a chance to see her since the Ocean Road 10K so it was good to be able to fill her in and talk about next steps. While I have definitely made progress, the suspect hammy can still make running a challenge, especially once I hit the 4 – 4 ½ mile window – the fact that I got to 5 ½ miles yesterday was a big win in my book!

Of course, time waits for no one and as I watch the days tick by I’ve started to question whether running the Harborside Half makes sense. My fall goal is to get a half marathon in before the year’s done and luckily, I’ve been keeping an alternative race on the back burner – the Half Merrython. It will be held on December 2 which would buy me 3 more weeks over Harborside, and, based on the revamped training plan I’ve sketched out, the extra time should allow me to comfortably get to double-digit running before race day (barring a major hammy flare up). Abby was on board with this idea and gave me a new routine to follow daily to help get me to the starting line.

So it looks the Harborside Half will have to wait for another year. Thankfully, I had held off on registration, so it looks like it’s bye bye Harborside and hello Half Merrython – now it’s time to register!