Search Results for: comfort zone

Five Things I Love About Working Out

February 9, 2024 by 6 Comments

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and the Fit Five Friday crew is inviting you to share what you love about working out – of course, you can join the link-up with any fitness-related post you have. There are so many reasons why I love working out that it might be hard to narrow it down to just five, but I’ll give it a shot!

Five Things I Love About Working Out

1   Working out always improves my mood!

    2    Working out is something I do just for me – it puts me on my “to do” list.

        3   Working out connects me with lots of fun people! (online and in person)

            4   Working out challenges me to get out of my comfort zone.

                  5   Working out gives me a sense of accomplishment.

What do you love about working out?

Welcome to Fit Five Friday!

Join My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Run Laugh Eat Pie, Runs with Pugs, and The Running Teacher 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

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!


You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Friday Five, goals, Summer running

Five Challenges to Reaching Your Fitness Goals

January 20, 2023 by 20 Comments

At the start of the new year, you may have set some fitness goals – perhaps a new race distance? Or going for that PR? Or a mileage milestone? Or the addition of strength training, cross-training, or a new sport altogether. Whatever goals you have laid out, it’s important to be prepared for possible pitfalls along the way.

Fit Five Friday — 5 Challenges to Reaching Your Fitness Goals

Lack of Consistency – Progress towards any goal requires a consistent approach. Striving for small efforts done consistently will always yield greater success vs. trying to make big efforts in fits and starts.

Lack of Time – The companion challenge to consistency may be scheduling. When you’re facing multiple demands on your time (work, family, and other personal commitments), it can be tough to find time for your workouts.  Scheduling your workouts as you would any other meeting or obligation is key to ensuring that you have the time you need to make progress toward your goals.

Unrealistic goals – While a goal should stretch you beyond your comfort zone, if the goal is too big of a reach it could backfire when you struggle to make progress. Now I’m not discouraging anyone from shooting for the stars, but it may be helpful to build in smaller goals along the way so you have some success and can build momentum.

Someone else’s goal – Are you running that marathon because you really want to run a marathon or because your friend is? When chasing your goals gets tough you need to remember your why – so it is really important that you pick a goal that matters to you. If you’re chasing a goal because others are doing it/have done it and you feel like you “should” then you’re not setting yourself up for success. And, is it really a goal you want to be pursuing in the first place?

Mindset – Even if you do everything right, you still may encounter setbacks. This is where not only your why matters, but also your mindset. The thoughts you hold and your self-talk will have a significant impact on your ability to reach your goals. Building a practice of positive self-talk (through mantras and affirmations) will serve you well when things get challenging.

What challenges do you face when trying to reach your fitness goals?

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!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Friday Five, goals

Let’s runfess, shall we?

June 26, 2020 by 20 Comments

Happy Friday!

How are we at the end of June already? It’s the last Friday of the month and once again Marcia has opened the runfessional! So before we step into the second half of 2020, let’s take a moment to cleanse our soles/souls. 😉

I runfess that with every passing year my desire to run during the summer shrinks exponentially! Seriously, looking back I have no idea how I ever made it through Chicago Marathon training last summer!

Having said that I runfess that I have been thinking more and more about running another marathon next year. That means I’m either looking at late spring (May?) or late fall (like November late).

I runfess that I’m going to need to find a few more challenges to push me out of my comfort zone and to help keep my run motivation up. Don’t get me wrong, I will always work out and run but I can also see how easy it will be to fall into a running rut without a training plan to push me out of my comfort zone.

Technically I still have the Detroit Free Press Half on the calendar for October. Amazingly it has not been canceled. Race organizers recently sent out a survey to gauge runner interest. I runfess that it took a high level of self-control to not reply “What are you nuts?!” in the comments section. Instead, I checked the boxes indicating that I had no intention of being there and voted for deferment over virtual.

So tell me, what would you runfess? Do you have any races left on your calendar? Any good challenges to suggest?

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Filed Under: Runfessions

Chicago Marathon Training Week 6

July 21, 2019 by 34 Comments

The theme for this week was heat, humidity, run, repeat.  Week 6 of Chicago training is in the books! Here’s a recap of how it all played out.

Chicago Marathon Training Week 6

Monday — 4 miles plus plank series. A nice, uneventful early morning run.

Tuesday — Strength training. After missing my strength session last week, it felt great to get in a solid workout focusing on hips, glutes, and abs.

Wednesday — 5 miles, at tempo pace plus plank series.  Just like last week, this mid-week run was the highlight of the week. I hit my target pace and felt strong despite the rising dew point.

Thursday — 4.25 miles plus plank series. Tired, just tired – it was a slog from beginning to end. Thankfully, I had a massage scheduled in the afternoon – so needed!

Friday — Rest day!

Saturday — 8 miles on scorched earth!

Post-run deep breath!

Sunday — 8 miles on the treadmill

Total miles for the week — 29.25

Total miles on the road to Chicago — 104.15 (My son had asked how many miles I’ve logged so far so I thought I’d start keeping track)

Running 5x’s in a week

I ran 5 days this week and survived! Week 6 of @Chimarathon training is done! #weeklyrundown #mychicagomarathon #marathontraining #runchat Share on X

Last Sunday Coach Marc sent me an email saying that he wanted me to try running 5 days/week. I will admit that I was a little nervous when I saw the week’s plan, but I’ve said from the beginning that my goal with this training plan has been to 1) – trust the plan and 2) be willing to get out of my comfort zone.

All-in-all, running 5 days wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated. My strategy was to just run the mile I was in and not worry too much about what was coming next.

The weather, of course, added to the challenge. Mother Nature seemed to up her game daily in the heat & humidity department and took things to a whole new level by the weekend. Overall, I feel like I managed Saturday’s run pretty well, but it was clear to me by how drained I felt Saturday night that I was just not up for a repeat performance. So, for as much as I am not a fan of treadmill running, it proved to be the lesser of two evils this morning.

Thankfully, this heatwave should break by Tuesday and logging miles should hopefully feel a little easier.

How are you holding up in this heat?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

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Filed Under: Chicago Marathon, marathon training, Summer running, Weekly Run Down

2018 Runners Holiday Gift Guide

December 7, 2018 by 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!

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

One word and 2018 Goals

January 2, 2018 by 23 Comments

I love the energy of a new year! Hopes are high and all things are possible!

If you’ve been around here for awhile then you know I’m a big goal setter. 2017 proved to be a challenging year for my fitness and running goals as I spent most of the year in what seemed like a continual cycle of injury and recovery. As a result, my training was derailed and I only ran one race for the whole year! Once I finally took the big step back I needed, stopped trying to train and gave myself all the time I needed to heal I was finally able to turn the corner. I finished the year feeling good and excited for what 2018 will bring!

One word for 2018.

For the past few years, I’ve picked one word as the theme for my year across all areas of my life  – and this year’s word is “Brave.” Personally, professionally, and in my running, I want to stretch beyond my comfort zone.

2018 Running Goals.

  • Run a marathon — This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while and have always come up with a reason to talk myself out of it. But this is the year to take on 26.2! I haven’t settled on which one yet – that’s a post for another day. I do know it will be a fall race so I can give myself ample time to get ready.
  • Improve my nutrition —  This is a carryover from last year. I need to identify the right fueling strategy for my runs and do a much better job giving my body what it needs post-run. I’m participating in Laura’s Fit and Fueled Nutrition course for runners which will give me a great start here!
  • Be consistent with strength training and cross training — When I look back on when I’ve had great running years, one thing is clear – I’m not someone who can just run. I need to balance my running with both strength work and cross-training if I’m going to stay injury-free and make it to the starting line.
  • Return to racing — I really missed the whole experience of participating in races last year. Beyond a marathon, I’m looking forward to running other distances, being a part of the Rock ‘n’ Blog team, and hopefully some blogger meet-ups.
Setting goals for 2018 #bebrave #yearofthemarathon #oneword Share on X

Rohn Quote

Have you set your goals for 2018?

I’m linking up with Erika, Marcia, and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run, where the theme today is, of course, goals. I can’t wait to see what others are planning for this year!

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Filed Under: #RocknBlog, #yearofthemarathon, goals, one word

RtR Week 6 Wrap-up

April 16, 2017 by 22 Comments

Happy Easter to all who celebrate!

I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who weighed in on my training dilemma. It was interesting to hear others’ perspectives.

This past week for me was filled with yoga, PT exercises, daily planking…and yes a little running. Wednesday’s run of 4.25 miles was hard fought and left me almost certain that switching to the half to the 5-miler was the only option. Then came Saturday…

Saturday’s 6.5 miles gave my confidence a nudge in the right direction…while far from pain-free, things got better as the run progressed. I went from almost throwing in the towel at the 2-mile mark after having to walk the end of a short hill to powering up a much bigger hill in mile 4. And though I certainly wasn’t trying to, my Garmin showed each mile was just slightly faster than the last.

It was nice to end the week on a higher note…though I’m still no closer to deciding what to do about the race distance. So was this run the sign of light at the end of the tunnel?

The RC coaches have weighed in and think it might be better to stay in my current comfort zone where I know I can complete the distance and spend the next 6 weeks getting the hip completely where it needs to be. They can tell I’m having a hard time letting go of the idea of the half and are supporting my hemming and hawing for another week 🙂

Linking up with Holly and Tricia for the #WeeklyWrap. Please be sure to head on over and check out all of the great ladies sharing weekly training and life happenings!

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Filed Under: Boston's Run to Remember, half marathon training, injuries, Weekly Wrap

One word and 2017 goals

January 3, 2017 by 20 Comments

I love this time of year when everyone and everything seems full of possibilities. It’s a great time of reflection and for looking ahead and considering all that can be done in the next 365 (ok 362) days!

Looking back I did pretty good with my 2016 goals. Of the 5 goals I set: Returning to half marathons; Setting a half marathon PR; Losing 12 pounds; Continuing my strength program; and, actively managing my recovery – setting a PR was the only area I fell short. (In full disclosure I lost 9 lbs and consider that a win!) Best of all, my love for running returned!

So what lies ahead for 2017? For the last couple of years I’ve picked one word as the theme for my year, and this year’s word is “Belief.” Across all areas of my life, I want to be driven by belief in what is possible, and not limited by fear or self-doubt.

So, now for my fitness/running goals:

  • Mix up the distances — Last year I was very focused on getting back to the half marathon distance. This year, I’d like to mix it up more – training & racing different distances will keep me challenged both mentally and physically.
  • Find some speed  — I cannot expect to PR or just improve my times without pushing the pace. I have given the RC coaches the green light to push me out of my comfort zone.
  • Improve my nutrition —  I struggled with finding the right fuel for my runs. I also often didn’t do a great job of giving my body what it needed both pre or post run. Time to change this!
  • More strength — I love working with Trainer Stacy and made no secret last year that sometimes my time in the gym rivaled my time on the road. I’ve got great momentum here and want to keep it going.
  • Have fun! — 2016 was about recapturing the joy of running and above all else I want that to continue.  More blogger meet ups, more family running, more runs with friends – more fun 🙂
Belief and Goals for 2017! #oneword365 #goals #runchat #bibchat Share on X

Have you set your goals for 2017?

rp_Tuesdays-on-the-run-150x150.jpgIf you need inspiration, check out today’s Tuesdays on the Run link-up with Erika, Marcia and Patty and see what others are planning.

Also linking with Rachel, Meranda and Lacey who are talking all about goals for this week’s Friday Five.

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Filed Under: Friday Five, goals, one word

Ultimate Coffee – May 2016

May 7, 2016 by 20 Comments

It’s the first Saturday of the month, and 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.

The Ultimate Coffee Date
If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I’m back on my kick to catch up with a friend every week. I started this goal back in March, and managed to finagle lunch/dinner/coffee or something with a friend each week. While I’d hope to keep the streak going in April, I missed out on a couple of weeks. But I’ve already kicked off May with a long-overdue dinner this week with an old college friend, and am determined to make time for more connecting this month.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that speaking of connecting, I’ll be stepping out of my comfort zone this month to participate in some group runs. I’ve never run with a group for fear of being “the slow one,” but I would really like to connect with more local runners so I’m going to give it shot.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I’m itching to put together a new playlist, and ask you to share your current favorite running tunes.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that it blows my mind that in just 4 short weeks there will be a high schooler in my house! Really how did that happen?! So there are final projects to wrap up, class trips to enjoy and courses to pick. My son mentioned switching from Spanish to Chinese, and I’m thinking I may need to invest in Rosetta Stone just to keep up 😉

Rosetta Stone

Is this in my future?

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that my Mother’s Day plan includes sleeping in (if I get to anything post 8 o’clock, it’s a win!), cheering my boys on in Lacrosse (of course!), and, hopefully, a little running. J and the boys will also be cooking one of my fave dishes, Greek-style Shrimp, for dinner.

So what would you tell me over coffee?  Happy Mother’s Day to all my fellow mother runners!

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Filed Under: Ultimate coffee date