Runfessions for February

February 25, 2022 by 13 Comments

Hello Friday! This week flew by in a blink…the beauty of having a 4-day workweek. It’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday, and, since it’s the last Friday of the month, I’m linking up with Marcia to share some Runfessions.

Runfessions for February

Weather Chaser
Well, of course, I have some weather-related runfessions. Mother Nature has zigged and zagged all month, refusing to stay in one lane. We’ve had everything from a blizzard, to an ice storm, to temps in the 50s and even 60s! I runfess that I have been juggling my run schedule as much as possible to chase the mild weather, swapping not only which days I run, but the time of day as well – basically, doing what I can to keep my mill runs to a minimum.

After enjoying this last taste of spring this week, I runfess that I’m just so over wearing all the layers!

Midday Escape
While I am usually in the “get up early and get it done” camp, I runfess that thanks to my weather chasing, I have really come to enjoy my recent stint of lunchtime running. A “runch” has been a great escape from too much screen time. With things getting busier at the new job and the upcoming shift to a hybrid work schedule, I know my runch days are numbered, but it’s been fun while it lasted.

Running Bra Woes
I recently received some great new gear from Brooks as part of the Run Happy Team welcome kit, including a Dare Crossback Sports Bra. I love the new bra but I runfess it also made me realize that I cannot remember the last time I bought a new running bra – seriously, it’s been quite a while. I’ve got some shopping to do!

Any runfessions to share?

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Is it time for new running shoes?

February 18, 2022 by 10 Comments

Happy Friday!

Welcome to another edition of Fit Five Friday with My First 5K and More, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, Zenaida, and yours truly!

Today’s post is inspired by a recent exchange with my husband who’s been complaining lately about calf pain after each run. When I asked how long had he been running in those shoes and received a somewhat blank look in response, I reminded him that running in shoes past their prime could cause discomfort and lead to injuries.

While I’m always game for a new pair of running shoes, the general “rule” is to replace them every 300 – 400 miles. That mileage range depends on several factors including the terrain you run on, your running style, and weight. Consider these 5 signs that it might be time for new running shoes.

Fit Five Friday – Is it time for new running shoes?

Appearance Matters — This one may seem obvious but if your shoes look like they have seen better days, it may be time to retire them. Don’t just pay attention to the wear of the tread, also look at the wear and tear (literally!) on the uppers, especially at the seams and the collar of the shoes. Did you know that creasing along the outer midsole is a sign of compressed cushioning?

High Mileage — So even if you don’t track your mileage, if you pay attention to the date you purchase your shoes, you can come up with a rough estimate of how miles you’ve logged on those shoes. It’s also important to bear in mind that not all miles are created equal – the surface you run on matters. Treadmill runners can probably go to the higher end of the mileage range vs. road and trail runners.

Too Many Activities — Do you use just one pair for all activities (road running, trail running, cross-training, and walking)? There is something to be said for using your shoes for their intended activity – i.e., use your running shoes just for running. And, if you run on both roads and trails, be sure to have appropriate shoes for each surface. Your run shoes will break down faster if they never get a break because the midsole foam never gets a chance to bounce back (typically it takes a day for the foam to recover). So if you’re a run streaker, you’d be better served to have a couple of pairs of shoes in rotation.

Experiencing Pain — The age of your shoes may not be the cause of your discomfort but it’s definitely something to consider. If you’re feeling joint pain (hello knees and hips!), pain in your feet, or significant muscle fatigue, it may be time to start shopping for a new pair.

Blistering — Blisters come from ill-fitting shoes. If you are experiencing blisters when you didn’t before, it may be a sign that your shoes are losing their shape.

Is it time for new running shoes? Five things to consider. #FitFiveFriday #bibchat #runchat #runningshoes Share on X

Do you track the mileage on your running shoes? How do you decide when to retire your shoes?

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! Share your fitness-related post, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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Five Races I Hope to Run in 2022

February 11, 2022 by 12 Comments

As more and more things open up, I continue to be cautiously optimistic. And, in that spirit, for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m sharing some races I hope to put on my calendar for 2022.

Five Races for 2022

Boston’s Run to Remember (May) — This half marathon is a sentimental favorite as it was my first! I’ve run this race 5 times (3 times for the half and twice for the 5-mile option), and it never disappoints. I was registered for the 2021 race but they had to postpone so my registration was transferred to this year.

B.A.A. 10K (June) — This is another Boston favorite as an out and back through Back Bay. The B.A.A. always delivers a great race! I’ve run this one 3 times before and the only thing that gives me pause is how crazy hot it can be in late June.  My brother and I usually tackle this one together so hopefully, I can convince him to get out there with me.

Philadelphia Distance Run (September) — This half marathon will be a new-to-me race. It’s a Brooks-sponsored race, and while members of the Run Happy Team are not required to run a Brooks race, I love the idea of supporting the brand, and this flat and fast course through Philly looks like a good one.

Ocean Road 10K (October) — A point-to-point course winding along the Rhode Island coastline. This race has a great vibe and fun medals!

OK, so for race number 5, I will admit that I’m undecided. I’d like to run a 15K or half marathon in November – but which one? I could stay local and run the BAA Half Marathon or the Harborside Half along Boston’s scenic North Shore. Or, I could travel a bit for Hot Chocolate Chicago 15K or the Richmond Half Marathon. After the past two years, I’m gun-shy to registering too far in advance so I’ve got time on making a decision.

Adding some races to my calendar! #RunHappyTeam #Bibchat #FitFiveFriday Share on X

What races are you planning to run this year? Any suggestions for a late fall 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! Share your fitness-related post, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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February Coffee Talk

February 4, 2022 by 15 Comments

Happy Friday! It’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday!

I’m so ready for the weekend and happy to kick things off with a little catch-up over coffee with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. Grab a mug of your favorite hot beverage and let’s chat a little.

Over coffee, I would have to mention the weather. Would you believe after last weekend’s blizzard that left over 2 feet in its wake, we’re getting another storm today?! This time it will be icy rain and sleet. Thankfully, school has been canceled so there’s no need to be out on the roads.

Source: Boston Herald

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m two weeks into the new job and really enjoying it. I’m definitely in that information-overload phase where you’re trying to learn “all the things” and the lingo, acronyms, etc., but it’s all good, and everyone I’ve met so far is super helpful.

And speaking of the new job, over coffee I’d tell you that I made a trip into the office last week for an in-person senior team meeting. I can’t even remember the last time I commuted to an office! It was kinda comical on just how out of practice I was trying to organize my things and make sure I was dressed professionally head-to-toe vs. just enough to pass the Zoom call test.

Over coffee, I would tell you how challenging it is to shop for a new car these days – thanks to supply chain issues, blah, blah, blah. I finally found the model I wanted at a nearby dealership and was planning to head over for a test drive, then the blizzard hit. I thought for sure this would bide me a little time, but would you believe snow and all the car sold 🙁 Back to hunting…

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! Share your fitness-related post, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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Runfessions for January

January 28, 2022 by 13 Comments

It’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday hosted by Darlene, Renée, Jenn, Zenaida, and me!

And, since it’s the last Friday of the month, I’m linking up with Marcia for Runfessions. I’ve got a few things to share so let’s get to it!

Runfessions for January

The l-o-n-g-e-s-t month!
I runfess that January has felt like the month that would not end. I admit that it always feels a little long to me, coming off the holidays and all, but this year has been an especially long rough ride. Thankfully things have started to settle down this week, but still, I’m happy to put this month in the rearview mirror.

Thanks to Cari for sharing this New Yorker Cartoon

In need of a routine
Because January was so chaotic, my workouts were really all over the place – I just fit in what I could, when I could. I runfess that I really miss having my workouts planned out, and I cannot wait to get back into more of a routine.

Distracted drivers
Is it me or are distracted drivers getting worse? I have had more than my fair share of close encounters with distracted drivers lately, especially those who only look left while rolling out of side streets to make a right-hand turn. I runfess that I may have had a few choice words for some lately.

What are you runfessing?

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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Fit Five Friday – Tips for Winter Self Care

January 21, 2022 by 8 Comments

Winter weather is in full effect and for some that is a cause for celebration and for many others, it’s a reason to hibernate.

I think this season of frigid temps and shorter days can sometimes be a challenge so for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m sharing a few winter self-care tips.

Fit Five Friday – Tips for Winter Self Care

Be good to your skin — Winter air can really sap the moisture from your skin. Factor in the forced heat of an indoor setting and you can see why your skin needs some extra attention. Now’s the time to swap in a heavier moisturizer for both your face and body. Also, pay attention to your daily hydration – check out my tips for staying hydrated in the winter.

Try dry brushing — I was first introduced to dry brushing while on vacation a couple of years ago. Dry brushing offers a combination of exfoliation and light massage by brushing natural bristles over the skin in gentle strokes. The practice offers many benefits including removing toxins, unclogging pores, improving blood circulation, and relieving stress.

Embrace the outdoors — Grabbing some fresh air is too important to both your mental and physical well-being to skip just because the temperature takes a dip. Unless icy conditions make it impossible to run or walk, I make it a point to get outside daily, even for just a few minutes. Getting outdoors helps to reduce feelings of cabin fever, which is especially important with so many of us still working from home.

Five tips for self care this winter #FitFiveFriday #selfcare Share on X

Find some Vitamin D — Many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is especially triggered in the winter thanks to a lack of sunlight. Just another reason to embrace getting outside; however, you may find that at this time of year, that alone is not enough. Consider taking a Vitamin D supplement or investing in a light therapy box to support your needs.

Declutter your space — While this may not seem like an obvious form of self-care, clutter can be stressful! Decluttering gives you an opportunity to purge things from your living space that may not be serving you anymore. Take advantage of this time of year to clear out your closets, kitchen cabinets, office space, etc. – keep the things you truly love and possibly make room for some new items. Added bonus, someone else may be able to put your donated items to good use!

What do you do to take care to take of yourself during the winter months?

Welcome to FitFive 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 remember to link back to your hosts and to comment on at least two other blogs – don’t just link-drop!

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Fit Five Friday – The Importance of Building Your Base

January 14, 2022 by 17 Comments

Whether you’re a new or seasoned runner, base-building is a key component of your training cycle. Consider these five reasons not to overlook the importance of building your base.

The Importance of Building Your Base

Improves your aerobic efficiency — Base building is essentially about time on your feet to slowly and consistently increase your mileage without a focus on hitting paces. As you build your mileage base, you can improve both your VO2max (the capacity to take in and utilize oxygen) and your running economy (your efficiency at utilizing oxygen).

Allows your muscles to adapt — As you build your mileage base, you challenge your musculoskeletal system to better handle the stresses of running before moving into phases of harder training. With low running intensity, your muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and fascia have time to adapt – in other words, it helps to prevent injuries.

Provides an opportunity to focus on form — As you slowly build (or rebuild) your mileage, base building provides the opportunity to focus on your running form without the distraction of hitting particular paces in your workouts

Improves your recovery — As you improve your aerobic efficiency, your capillary network expands allowing for more blood supply to the muscles, which helps to speed your recovery.

Allows you to adapt mentally — If you are new to running or returning to running after a break, building your base not only allows your body to adapt, it also gives you the opportunity to mentally adapt gradually to a heavier training load.

Do you take time to build your base or do you dive right into your next training cycle?

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! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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Five Things Over January Coffee

January 7, 2022 by 20 Comments

Happy Friday! It’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday! It’s also time for a little catch-up over coffee with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. So grab a mug of your favorite hot beverage and let’s settle in for a chat.

Over coffee, I would tell you how much I enjoyed having the week off between Christmas and the New Year – it really gave me the downtime I desperately needed. The week off was filled with streaming movies, board games, and just hanging out. We did venture out to see Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, which was fantastic, and to visit one of those big drive-through light displays – otherwise we were homebodies and it was glorious!

Over coffee, I would tell you that my oldest has decided not to return to campus this month. Clarkson has not been a good fit and he wants to transfer. Sadly I think this is the downside of not having been able to make final campus visits before committing to a college (thanks covid!). Nonetheless, I’m glad he told us he wanted a change vs. just trying to stick it out where he’s not happy. He’s already registered for some classes for the spring semester locally and is busy figuring out his options for the fall.

Over coffee, I would tell you that I was offered a new job right before the holidays! I have been craving a change for a while and this new opportunity will be big and challenging in a good way. I start my new gig in a couple of weeks.

Over coffee, I would tell you how excited I am to finally be able to announce that I was selected for the 2022 Brooks Run Happy Team. Brooks has been my go-to running shoe for years so I’m really looking forward to representing a brand I love.

Lastly, over coffee, I would tell you that I’m really enjoying the “Mindfulness and Running” course I have been taking for the past few weeks. The course is offered by my run coach Marc. It’s been a great opportunity to explore different approaches to mindfulness and meditation and how mindfulness can positively support your running.

And now that I’ve talked your ear off, I’ll ask, 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! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Run Happy Team, Ultimate coffee date

New Year’s Eve Runfessions

December 31, 2021 by 13 Comments

Happy Friday and welcome to the final 2021 edition of Fit Five Friday hosted by Darlene, Renée, Jenn, Zenaida, and me!

And what better way to close out this crazy year than with one more trip to the Runfessional? I’m linking up with Marcia to share a Runfession or two…so let’s get started.

New Year’s Eve Runfessions

Weather driven vs. Schedule creep — Mother Nature has thrown a little bit of everything at us and it’s only December! I runfess that I have been letting the weather app dictate when I head out for my runs. Of late I have not been able to drag myself out of bed to run in the cold, dark morning when I can snag a sunny run in the 40s/50s in the mid-afternoon.

On the other hand, I runfess that I so much prefer to workout in the morning that way I know I’m guaranteed to get it done before schedule creep takes over. The dilemma is real.

Still no 2022 goals yet — As most of you know who have been around here for a bit, I’m a big goal-setter. And, yet, I runfess that here we are on the last day of the year and I’m still trying to decide on some fitness goals for 2022. I’ve been noodling around some ideas but still nothing definite. Honestly, I never set any big goals for 2021 – just smaller monthly goals, which seem to work out just fine…so who knows maybe that’s the way to go for 2022.

Time for another sugar detox — I runfess that I have been fully enjoying all the holiday foods and cocktails – no regrets. But I am planning for a mini detox in January to help reset things.

 

Any runfessions to share? Anyone else dealing with crazy weather? Have you set any 2022 goals yet?

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! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!

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Last Minute Stocking Stuffers for the Runner in Your Life

December 17, 2021 by 14 Comments

Anyone else in a last-minute scramble to finish checking off their “gifts to buy list?” (Please don’t tell me it’s just me!)

If you still find yourself with a runner on your gift list, here are a couple of last-minute stocking stuffer ideas. This post contains affiliate links.

Photo by David Everett Strickler on Unsplash

Last-Minute Gift Ideas for the Runner in Your Life

OCOPPA Rechargeable Handwarmers – I have shared this before and it continues to be a favorite! As someone who suffers from Raynaud’s, my biggest challenge for winter runs is keeping my hands warm. This rechargeable handwarmer offers 3 heat settings and fits nicely in the palm of my hand.

Balega Running Socks – Seriously what runner doesn’t need a pair of high-quality socks? Balega is one of my favorite brands – their comfort and durability cannot be beat!

Flex Fixx Foot Care – And speaking of taking care of your feet, this 3-piece foot massage set is the perfect solution for over-worked feet!

Looking for some last-minute gift ideas? Check out my 5 stocking stuffer ideas for runners! #FitFiveFriday #RunnerGifts Share on X

Audible Gift Card – While I admit that I prefer to listen to music when I run, I have been loving listening to audiobooks on my walks. Audible has thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and original content so there’s bound to be something to fit everyone’s tastes, with a choice of 1, 3, 6, or 12-month memberships.

Knuckle Lights Advanced — This is actually on my wish list 🙂 I’ve had Knuckle Lights as part of my gear for as long as I can remember. This newer model features an ultra-bright, wide flood beam making them the perfect companion for a walk or run.

What’s on your wish list?

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! Share your fitness-related link, link back to your hosts, and please share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Gifts for runners