I love this week between Christmas and New Year’s Day – there’s always some great time to hang out with the family, time to reflect, and time to plan for the new year.

While I’m still tweaking my goals a bit and will share those soon, today I’m sharing my annual look back at my top 5 posts for the year. It’s always interesting for me to see which posts generated the most interest  – so here are my top 5 for 2017 (according to Google Analytics):

5 Tips for Running on the Track — While the track is my favorite place for speedwork, it surprised me that this post from the summer continues to have the highest page views.

Running with Kids  — This is actually a post from 2014 but makes the list every year. Sharing my love of running with my kids has been a big part of my running journey, and it makes me smile to know that others are looking to share running with their kids too.

Runfessions of an Injured Runner — This was a hard post to write cause I had to admit that I was too injured to train for my fall goal race.

5 Benefits of Planking — Clearly I’m not the only one who believes in the power of planking as this is another post that continues to draw views.

Five Tips to Become an Early Morning Runner — Honestly, I’ve been struggling to get out of bed lately so I may need to re-read this one!

Given that this year’s top 5 were all Friday Five posts it seems only fitting that I’m linking up with and Rachel and Lacey & Meranda for the Friday Five link-up!

Thanks for sharing in the fun around here this year! 

It was another blur of a week, as evidenced by the fact that I have almost no pictures from the week. Despite the lack of documentation, I’m joining Holly & Tricia for the Weekly Wrap as I wrap-up week 7 of my “runner rebuild”.

Monday – Rest
Tuesday – 400-meter repeats.

Wednesday – Finally found my yoga mat again for a much-needed stretch.
Thursday – I had planned to run, but a clash of schedules turned this into an unplanned rest day.
Friday – Strength workout
Saturday – Does cleaning and Christmas prep count as cross-training?
Sunday –  5 more miles

All-in-all a pretty uneventful week. It’s been a l-o-n-g time since I attempted anything that resembled speedwork, but I thought I’d mix it up a little and test the waters as I get ready to start a training plan again.

While I’m still trying to figure out my racing schedule for 2018, I learned this week that the lottery gods were not kind to me and I’ll have to wait another year for a chance at Cherry Blossom 🙁 But, on the other hand, I got a great discount offer on a race I’ve wanted to do for a while so I jumped on it and registered for the Black Cat 10-Miler.

I’ve often mentioned how much I love the 10-mile distance and I’ve wanted to run this one for a while, but the timing has never worked. So with an early March race now set, it’s time for training. Once I get my son’s hockey schedule I may add a couple of races in February too, but Black Cat will be an early goal race – if I can run it well, it will set the stage for half marathons to come.

Have you registered for a 2018 race yet?

Hard to believe it’s time for the last coffee date of 2017! Seriously…how is it December!?! I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date, so grab a mug of your fave hot beverage, I’m going with a classic French Roast today, and let’s chat.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that my tickets for the Nutcracker just arrived in the mail! The Boston Ballet’s Nutcracker is just the best and I’m so looking forward to going. It’s been a family tradition for several years and it makes me happy that my boys still enjoy it.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that my plans to start Christmas shopping early haven’t happened. I let both Black Friday and Cyber Monday roll by with nary a gift purchased, mostly because I have no idea what I’m giving family members this year. Usually, I’ve got it all mapped out by now, so I’ve got to kick into gear this weekend!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that doing the whole solo parenting thing is starting to wear me out. J has been traveling for work quite a bit over the last month leaving me with double duty. Honestly, my hats off to single moms who do this 24/7, 365 cause I am t-i-r-e-d! Thankfully, J’s got one more trip this week and then he’ll be done for a bit.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’m starting to map out my 2018 race calendar. The challenge, of course, is that after racing so little this year thanks to injury, I’m going to have to resist the urge to sign up for everything! I haven’t hit the register button yet, but I do have my eye on a couple of 10-milers (my fave distance) in February and March, and I’m thinking about trying my luck with the Cherry Blossom 10 mile – the lottery just opened. Perhaps it will be the year of the 10s?

Have you started your holiday shopping? Figured out your plans for 2018?

What would you tell me over coffee?

This has been a crazy blur of a week! And, why is it that returning to work after an extended long weekend turns into such madness?!

In any event…week 7 is in the books, and the highlight of this training week was a return to double digit runs!

Monday, 8/8: C-r-a-z-y day! Planned run did not happen, but I did manage a short core workout.

Tuesday, 8/9:  Week 2 of Track Tuesdays — this time it was 800 meter repeats, plus warm up and cool down. Good lawd these were much harder than last week. The first repeat was off target and too slow, but I settled in and banged out the next 4 right on pace – 4.5 miles done.

Wednesday, 8/10: Strength day.

Thursday, 8/11:  5 miles.  Despite trying to set out as early as possible, there was no escaping the oppressive humidity.

Friday, 8/12: Rest day. Scorching heat/humidity combo continued and I spent the day hiding in the a/c and trying to hydrate.

Saturday, 8/13: The weather gods threw me a bone as I awoke to cloudy skies, and there was even the occasional cool-ish breeze. Even though weeks ago my husband J had declared he’d only run with me up to double digits, he decided to come with me – it was nice to have the company! The rolling hills started to do a number on my legs – making the last 3 miles all mental. But we did it and returned to the land of double digits! Yay!

307.7 elevation gain

Sunday, 8/7:  The heat advisory returned with temps reaching 96 and the “feels like” hitting 100. Yeah…no thanks. Rest Day – lots of rolling and stretching, and watching the Olympics! Great to see the American women all finish in the top 10 for the marathon.

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

How was your week? Are you as obsessed with the Olympics as I am – can’t get enough!

Really can you believe it’s already June!?!

It’s the first Saturday of the month, and, of course, that means it’s time for the Ultimate Coffee Date. As always, a big thanks to Coco, Lynda and Deborah for hosting! When you’re done here, be sure to check out the link-up and see what the other ladies are dishing about.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I cannot believe my oldest son is done with middle school! Classes ended yesterday. Next week is all about fun class trips, and then graduation and a huge class party. Then I have a high-schooler in the house…heaven help me 🙂

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I am very excited about my new Aftershokz headphones! After reading Marcia’s review, I knew I wanted to try these. And, then my earbuds broke during last week’s race…so of course I ordered a pair that afternoon. The sound quality is so good and they’re water proof! Can’t wait to put them to the test on these sweaty summer runs.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I’m also looking forward to trying out these new shoes! The nice folks at Ampla Sports sent them my way – isn’t that split sole funky?! Full review to come!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I’m keeping coffee short today because I’m off to spend time with my mom shopping for plants and flowers. We’re planning to hit a couple of our favorite nurseries and then I’m going to spend the afternoon playing in my garden – perfect afternoon!

So what would you tell me over coffee?  

I’ve been going back and forth on whether or not to post about this here….

Our town has been hit by not one but two tragedies…two people, a 6-year old kindergartner, and a husband and father of 3 were killed in separate freak accidents when tree branches fell on them due to the weight of the recent snow. To say that people here are shocked and devastated would be an understatement…. it’s just been too much to wrap your head around.

I didn’t know the little girl or her family, but my heart breaks for them. I did know the man…I had been lucky enough to get to know him in the past couple of years working together on our town’s youth lacrosse program. He was truly one of the good ones….I have no words.

These events are cruel reminders that there truly are no guarantees. It is also a reminder to live life with joy and passion, pursuing those things that make our hearts soar. It is a reminder to not let fear stand in your way…to not put off goals and dreams. It is a reminder to tell those most important in your life just how much they mean to you.

Thanks for letting me share….

It’s been another busy week, but I cannot wait to now take a much-needed break and spend time with family. So as I finish up my wrapping and cookie-making, I wanted to take a moment to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Perspective – “a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view”

Prior to learning that I was surgery bound, I have to admit that I was becoming pretty negative about my running. I was drowning in a see of “should be’s” and was increasingly frustrated with my body’s seeming inability to do what I wanted to do. Little did I know that my body was actually performing surprisingly well under increasing stress.

I’m now 3 weeks post-op and my doctor pointed out that I am doing great with my recovery due in no small part to the good condition I was in prior to surgery. Ah perspective…. a great reminder to always honor what your body can do.

Linking up today with Deb for Wednesday Word. Be sure to check what others are saying about “Perspective.”

I was provided a copy of The Runner’s Brain for the purposes of a review. All opinions expressed here, as always are my own.

While my running continues to remain on hold, I’ve had some extra time to catch up on my reading. One interesting book I recently finished, is The Runner’s Brain by Dr. Jeff Brown – because what else does a sidelined runner read about except running 😉 I have always been fascinated with the mental side of sports, so when Runner’s World reached out to me with the opportunity to review this book, I couldn’t wait to dive in.

In The Runner’s Brain, Dr. Brown lays out the science behind the critical role your brain plays in your running performance, and makes the case for how you can think your way to better running.

The book addresses a range of topics from goal setting and visualization, to running through challenges and dealing with treadmill training. In chapters 18 and 19, Dr. Brown also includes Worksheets for a Healthy Mind and Body and a 7-Day Fit Brain training plan, both of which I’m looking forward to putting into practice when I get back out on the road. The Runner’s Brain offers something for everyone, with easily digestible chapters, so you can focus in on the topics of most interest to you. In a sport often described as 90% mental, this book can be a useful tool in helping you manage your strongest and most important muscle.

How do you manage the mental side of running?