Fit Five Friday – Summer Fitness Goals

June 9, 2023 by 16 Comments

With the summer months laid out before us,  I’ve been thinking about what my goals will be. So for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m sharing some summer fitness goals.

Fit Five Friday – Summer Fitness Goals

Have a Healthy Build-up for Fall Racing — While I haven’t landed on a fall race calendar, I have several options I’m considering. I shared over coffee that I’ll be working with Coach Marc again – my goal is to reach the starting line (s) healthy and feeling confident.

Acclimate & Embrace the Heat — I make no secret that summer running is my least favorite, but I’m going to do my best to navigate summer running by focusing on my hydration & electrolyte intake and getting out extra early.

Daily Stretching/Mobility Work — I’m already off to a good start with this one so the goal is to keep this streak going all summer long.

Dial in My Nutrition — While I don’t like to focus on the number on the scale, I can feel that I’m carrying more than I’d like. I’ve let my chaotic schedule get the best of my eating choices over the past couple of months, so now I’m going to make the most of the season’s farmers’ markets and grilled proteins to get back on track.

Have Fun/Try Something New — Summer is about having fun and I’m here for it! I’ve been thinking a lot about getting out of my comfort zone and joining one of the local run groups. The thought of running with others is intimidating to me (cue the “I’m too slow” voice) but I’ve also been craving building some new connections – and why not through running?

Tell me, what have you got planned for the summer? Registered for any fall races 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! 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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An Iced Coffee Chat for June

June 2, 2023 by 29 Comments

Happy Friday! I’ve got both today and Monday off and am looking forward to having another long weekend! And, since it is the first Friday of the month, for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. It’s going to be another warm one today so I’ll be having my coffee iced, how ’bout you?

An Iced Coffee Chat for June

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Over coffee, I would tell you that last weekend I ran Boston’s Run to Remember 5 Miler. I still haven’t gotten around to writing a recap, but I will say it was a lot of fun to be back at a race – my last race was in November! I finished thinking about what I might run next and I’m pretty excited I’ve decided to reconnect with Coach Marc again.

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’ve been enjoying spending time in my garden. It’s one of my happy places and I’ve been loving seeing the colors start to pop!

Peonies in full bloom!

Over coffee, I would tell that my husband and I started watching Succession and we’re completely hooked! This family is a train wreck and we can’t stop watching.

Over coffee, I would tell you that I recently joined my office book club. It’s been a fun way to connect! So far we’ve read Woman in the Library (meh), Lessons in Chemistry (loved!), and Black Cake – definitely our best selection yet! Black Cake is an amazing story of a family’s history shaped by the secrets of the matriarch.

Over coffee, I would tell you that recently we had a great meeting with our contractor. Fingers crossed we’ll break ground on the new foundation by the end of July. I can’t wait to dive into all the choices for flooring, tile, cabinetry, and appliances! Just another excuse to watch HGTV 🙂

What would you tell me over coffee? Do you have any good advice for surviving a remodeling project?

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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Just a Couple of May Runfessions

May 26, 2023 by 11 Comments

Hello, Long Weekend! Here we are at the start of Memorial Day Weekend – the unofficial start to summer in the US! It’s also 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.

A Couple of May Runfessions

I runfess that despite my best intentions I have not shifted back to early morning running yet. I blame my erratic sleep patterns. Thankfully, the weather has cooperated and my midday or post-work runs haven’t been too warm. But I know I’m on borrowed time….

My schedule has been so crazy lately that I blogfess I actually missed my blog anniversary last month. I started this blog back on 4/27/10 with this post. My blogging has definitely taken a hit in the last few months, and there are many moments where I think I just don’t have the time. But I love the folks it has brought into my life and the connection it continues to provide.

Do you keep track of your blogging milestones?

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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Ways to Beat the Heat – Summer Running Tips

May 19, 2023 by 21 Comments

Welcome to another edition of Fit Five Friday! With many of us already getting our first taste of summer-like temps, it seems like the perfect time to share some summer running tips. I have made it no secret that running in the heat and humidity is not something that I enjoy, but as a fan of fall races, there’s just no way around it. So I’m going to do my best to embrace it, keeping these tips in mind…

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in the summer of 2014, and has been updated.

Ways to Beat the Heat – Summer Running Tips

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Hit the road early —  Temperatures are much lower earlier in the day so why not get out before the sun’s rays become too intense. This one is a must-do for me!

Get acclimated — As you make the adjustment to running in warmer temps, this is not the time to get hung up on hitting target paces. Take those first hot runs slowly, focusing more on effort than pace. Your body will adjust within a couple of weeks.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate — I’m always surprised by the number of runners who proclaimed not to carry any fluids with them when they run regardless of the distance. For long runs, I get that not everyone loves carrying a handheld water bottle but there are other options – a hydration vest, fuel belt or just strategically stashing water along your route. For shorter runs, at least make sure you hydrate well before and after your run. Drink according to thirst!

Dress the part — I’ve said it for winter running and the same holds true for summer – avoid running in cotton clothing! All cotton does is trap sweat, stay wet, and potentially cause chaffing (which of course always begs the question – Why any race shirt is cotton?!). Stick to light-colored, moisture-wicking apparel…and don’t forget sunglasses and a hat or visor.

Be willing to head indoors — That’s right…I said it! Sometimes, it’s going to be just too dang hot to run – so be willing to switch things up. Either hit the treadmill or opt to make it a cross-training day — great days to head to an air-conditioned gym, studio, or the comfort of your own basement, right? And, if you’ve got access to a pool – lucky you!

Above all, I think the biggest key to managing your workouts in the summer heat is to listen to your body! You can never go wrong with that approach, right?

How do you manage summer running?

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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Five Fave Fitness Power Songs

May 12, 2023 by 18 Comments

Happy Friday!

Thanks for joining Darlene, Jenn, Renee, Zenaida, and me for another edition of Fit Five Friday. This week we’re talking Favorite Fitness Power Songs. Of course, you should always feel free to write about any fitness/wellness-related topic.

I definitely like to/need to have music on my runs and I keep a pretty wide variety of songs on my playlists – though you’ll never find a country song! My “favorites” depends a lot on my mood, but here are five songs that are currently in rotation often.

Five Fave Fitness Power Songs

“About Damn Time” by Lizzo — Honestly it was hard to just pick one Lizzo song. She just makes me smile.

“Glow Up” by Meek Mill

“Run Run Run” by Jill Scott — I mean with a title like that how can you not include it?!

“Back in Black” by AC/DC — My youngest son got me to add this one to my library and I find myself playing quite a bit.

“Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna

“Wake Me Up” by Avicii

Yes, I know that’s actually six songs…I had a hard time taking one off the list. 🙂

I’ve got a race in two weeks so as I put my next playlist together, tell me some of your favorite power songs.

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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April Runfessions

April 28, 2023 by 19 Comments

The breakneck pace of 2023 continues and here we are approaching the end of April. Since it’s the last Friday of the month for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m linking up with Marcia to share a couple of Runfessions. So let’s dive in!

April Runfessions

I runfess that despite my best efforts to hold to a set workout schedule, many weeks I find myself juggling my workouts to fit things in where I can. I keep hoping for a light at the end of my hectic work schedule tunnel …but MAYhem is just around the corner.

While I’m beyond happy to be running relatively pain-free and overall running has, dare I say felt good, I runfess that I feeling a little meh about running in general. I’m feeling the need to shake things up a bit but haven’t quite landed on the “what” yet.

I runfess that I recently did this…

I’ve applied before to the London lottery with no luck so I’m not at all expecting to get in – but just the thought did spark a little excitement. You never know 🙂

Do you feel like April flew by? Do you ever get bored with your running?

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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Five More Things About Me

April 14, 2023 by 13 Comments

Happy Friday!

Thanks for joining Darlene, Jenn, Renee, Zenaida, and me for another edition of Fit Five Friday! This week we’re inviting you to share five words that describe yourself – you are, of course, welcome to share any fitness/wellness-related post. I’m deviating a little to share five things about myself – I shared five things a couple of years ago which you can read here. It was a fun post to write so why not another one?!

Five More Things About Me

Home Decor — I love home decoration. I can happily spend time pouring over paint chips, fabric samples, etc. Home stores are one of my happy places! This will hopefully serve me well when the remodeling project begins.

Beach — Speaking of happy places, I am truly happy when I am near the ocean regardless of the season.

Swimming — While I love being on or near the ocean…I cannot swim. Oh, the irony!

Sushi — I’m pretty sure that I could eat sushi daily.

Candles — You will often find lit candles in my house or on my deck when the weather cooperates. My boys often tease me for buying more candles – I find them soothing and a subtle scent can be very relaxing.

Tell me something about you!

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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April Coffee Chat

April 7, 2023 by 24 Comments

As we ease into a new month, this is the perfect time to settle in and catch up over coffee. For this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date, so grab a mug of your fave beverage, and let’s chat.

April Coffee Chat

Over coffee, I would share how excited I am to have my college boy home for an extended Easter weekend! He got home last night and with the way his class schedule lines up with the days off, he doesn’t need to be back on campus until Wednesday!

Over coffee, I would tell you that once again I’ll be volunteering for the Boston Marathon. I’ll be working bib pick-up on Friday afternoon so if you’re running come see me!

After sharing my contractor woes over the past couple of months it seems only fitting that over coffee I would tell you that we have finally received some bids and have settled on a contractor. Now we need to get past the town’s conservation commission – sigh. Please send me some patience…

Your turn…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! 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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March Runfessions

March 31, 2023 by 10 Comments

Happy Friday!

For this week’s Fit Five Friday I’m heading over to Marcia‘s Runfessional – I’ve got a couple of runfessions to share before stepping into the new month.

I runfess that March was just a hard month – I don’t mind being busy but this has been 31 days of a frenetic pace! The work-life balance was way out of whack and I feel like everything took a hit!

While I tried to hang on to running 3x’s a week, I runfess that I let go of trying to finish the Team Wilpers Half Marathon Challenge. With no half marathon on my race calendar any time soon, I didn’t see the harm in stepping back. But, ever hopeful that April will be better, I’ve signed up for the Wilpers Spring Run Challenge which should line up well with my upcoming 10K.

Last month I runfessed that my eating habits had gotten a little lax. I started the new month with the best of intentions to improve but then…yeah March happened. Again, there’s always April, right?

How was your March? 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! Please remember to link back to your hosts and share the link love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!


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5 Sources of Mental Clutter When Training

March 24, 2023 by 7 Comments

Thanks for joining Darlene, Jenn, Renee, Zenaida, and me for another Fit Five Friday link-up! This week’s suggested topic is “5 Sources of Mental Clutter for Your Training” – of course, you are always free to share any fitness-related post.

Much like the clutter that can take over your physical space, mental clutter can clog your head space causing you to feel stressed and overwhelmed. Mental clutter can get in the way on many fronts including your training.

5 Sources of Mental Clutter When Training

The “Shoulds” – How many times have turned yourself in knots stressing over what your training “should” look like? While it can be inspiring to see what others are doing in their training, it’s important not to get caught up in the comparison game. What works for someone else may not work for you – as the saying goes, “you do you!”

Projecting into the future – Please tell me I’m not the only one who’s looked ahead at a hard workout or long run on a training plan and started to worry. One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself during training is to stay in the moment – run the workout you’re in and don’t worry about the miles to come. Trust the process!

Hanging on to a “bad” performance – Everyone has a tough race at some point and while it’s human nature to replay what went wrong, at some point it’s also important to chalk it up as valuable experience and move on. Ruminating over a tough run or race can be very defeating.

What might go wrong – Stressing over the weather or the impact of missed workouts on a race day is certainly not going to help you to reach the starting line in a good frame of mind. Let go of things you can’t control and focus on the things you can have an effect on.

Comparison with the past – Similar to the “shoulds” is the “I used to’s”. Runners can often get caught up dwelling over the paces they used to be able to run, stressing over why they can’t match those times (or distances). Letting go of comparison with your past self and embracing where you are can go a long way to eliminating the mental clutter.

Do you deal with mental clutter?

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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