Week 40: Recovery Mode & Some Mini Goals

October 10, 2021 by 32 Comments

With last Sunday’s 10K done and my November half marathon canceled, this week was all about recovery with no running. Here’s how the week went:

Weekly Run Down – Week 40

Monday — Yoga
Tuesday — Upper Body Strength, Core & Stretch
Wednesday –– 2.5-mile walk, Core & Hip mobility work
Thursday — Low-impact Ride, Core & Stretch
Friday — 3-mile walk & Hip mobility work
Saturday — Full Body Strength, Core & Stretch
Sunday — Low-impact Ride & Core (planned)

A highlight of the week was volunteering at bib distribution for the Boston Marathon on Friday. I always love the energy of the city on Marathon Weekend! It was great to meet and talk with runners from all over – you could really feel and see how grateful people were to have made it to this point. I even had one runner ask me to join her in a photo of getting her bib! So fun!

The Weeks Ahead – Some Mini Goals

Running — I plan to get back out on the road tomorrow. With the Run to Remember Half now pushed off until May, there’s nothing to train for, which is really the best thing for my healing hip. The week off has done me a world of good and the plan for the rest of the fall is to enjoy the weather and just run to run.

Walking — I make no secret that the fall is my favorite season, so why not maximize my time outdoors before winter creeps in? On the days I’m not running, I plan to get out for 2-3 miles of walking.

Lower Body Strength & Core — The orthopedic doc wants to see me put a focus on strengthening the muscles around my hips, so I’ve pulled out my PT notes and will be re-taking some of my favorite Strength for Runners classes on the Peloton app.

Sugar Detox — A friend invited me to join her for the 14-day Sugar Vaca hosted by Rhianne at Believe in Your Health. I’m looking forward to using the last 2 weeks of October to give my body a re-set I think it needs.

So those are basically some mini-goals to carry me through the rest of this month.

Best of luck to everyone racing this weekend!

I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down link-up. Join us!

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2021 Ocean Road 10K Race Recap

October 8, 2021 by 20 Comments

Welcome to another edition of Fit Five Friday! Today I’m sharing a quick recap of the Ocean Road 10K.

2021 Ocean Road 10K Recap

Last Sunday, I was lucky enough to toe the line for the Ocean Road 10K. There had been so many race cancelations announced in the past couple of weeks, and I was holding my breath hoping this one would go off as planned. I ran Ocean Road in 2018 and loved it! In 2019 the race date was too close to the Chicago Marathon and last year …well COVID, so it was great to be able to run this one again. And, added bonus, I got to run another race with my brother!

The course is a point-to-point route that winds along the RI coastline, offering beautiful views of the ocean. It’s also a rolling course — nothing crazy in terms of elevation, but some of the long slow inclines definitely proved to be taxing for my recovering hip.

Hard to complain about views like this!

My husband J, who wasn’t running thanks to a hamstring issue, offered to drop my brother and me off at the start so we could avoid taking the shuttle and the long wait before the start of the race. J and I picked my brother up just after 6 on Sunday morning and had an easy ride down to Narragansett, arriving at the Point Judith Lighthouse before the 7:30 road closure. A quick trip to the porta-potties, a quick photo, and it was time to line up. Runners were asked to self-seed for the wave start, so we worked out way through the crowd to start in the 3rd wave. The race started at 8 and by 8:07 we were crossing the start line.

The first 5K

As you can imagine, I was very psyched to be running an in-person race and will admit to going out too fast. I appreciated the wave start as it really cut down on the amount of bobbing and weaving that typically happens at the start of a race. My brother and I took in the views and clipped along. Some of the local residents came out to cheer on the runners from on their decks – a special thanks to the person who set up speakers and blared the Rocky theme 🙂 J decided to drive the road parallel to the course which gave him a chance to park periodically and walk over to cheer us. He caught up with us the first time just after the first water stop after mile 2.

The first long incline came in the 3rd mile and by the time we hit the 5K mark, I could feel my hip tightening up. Ugh…

The final 5K

I had been using 4:1 intervals, but in the 4th mile, I needed to walk a bit more. I urged my brother to keep going. I stopped to try to stretch things out a bit and started again trying to keep him in my sights. I saw J again just after the next water stop. My hip was getting tighter and it must have reflected on my face because as this woman passed me she looked at me and said: “Come on we got this” and motioned for me to join her. I didn’t walk and fell in step with her. We chatted and ran – Nicole was also doing run/walk intervals and we were running at about the same pace so it was perfect. Soon we were passing under the Narragansett Towers and down the homestretch to the finish. We high five and thank each other for pushing to the finish. My brother was waiting at the finish line having finished just a few minutes ahead.

Final thoughts

This race offers a beautiful course and an overall great vibe. Getting dropped off at the start was a huge win vs. taking the shuttles and having a long wait at the start (the downside of any point-to-point race). Race organizers once again opted to offer rental mobile lockers vs. a traditional bag check – after my previous experience a couple of years ago, I opted to skip the lockers and leave my extra layers in the car…another benefit of getting dropped off at the start. Overall the race was well organized and the race directors did a great job of getting information out to runners before the race.

I would run this one again!

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 (exercise, wellness, mental health, nutrition… the possibilities are endless!), 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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Click here to enter


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Ocean Road 10K, race report

Weekly Run Down – Hello October!

October 3, 2021 by 25 Comments

Hello October! Isn’t it crazy to think that we have just 89 days left in the year!

With a 10K race today (and the orthopedic doc preferring I not race at all), this was a super low-keyed “race week”. Here’s a quick rundown on how things played out…

Weekly Run Down — Week 39

Monday — 2-mile walk and Yoga
Tuesday — 3-mile walk, Upper Body Strength, Core, &  Stretch. Got up and out extra early to beat the storms headed our way. I had planned a short run but decided to listen to my body and opted for another walk. I broke out my Noxgear for the first time this season, but I have a feeling this vest will get a lot of use.

Wednesday — Peloton Ride, Core & Stretch
Thursday — Peloton Ride & Stretch
Friday — 3-mile run, Core & Stretch. October kicked off with a picture-perfect fall day! My temperamental hip continues to let me know that it is not a fan of inclines, but otherwise, the run felt pretty good. Lots of stretching and foam-rolling followed.


Saturday — 2-mile walk and Yoga.
Sunday — Ocean Road 10K! It felt great to be at a live race this morning! And so happy that my brother was out there with me. While I definitely didn’t set any land speed records, it was a fun morning. Full recap to come.

Ready to run!

As I sit here on the couch resting my sore hip, I think the week ahead will probably be fairly low-keyed as well. I’m still debating my goals for this month…more on that later.

In case you missed it:

Catching Up Over October Coffee

Did you race this weekend? Any big plans for October?

I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down link-up. Join us!

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Catching Up Over October Coffee

October 1, 2021 by 26 Comments

It’s time for another edition of Fit Five Friday – and what better way to kick off a weekend than with a little coffee catch-up with friends? I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date, so grab a mug, and let’s chat!

Over coffee, I would tell you how happy I am that October has arrived! I love fall and I always feel like October is when fall is at its best! Bring on the apple picking, leaf-peeping, hiking, and evening fires on the patio. My husband and I will also be celebrating our 29th wedding anniversary.

Over coffee, I would tell you how much I am looking forward to visiting my son for parents’ weekend at the end of the month. I was surprised that the weekend was scheduled so late into the semester (like Halloween weekend late!), but we’ve got our hotel room booked and hockey tickets reserved (trust me both are precious commodities!) While it’s great to see him on the occasional FaceTime, I’m really looking forward to giving my son a big hug.

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m hooked on the show Only Murders in the Building. It’s a 10-episode comedy-mystery starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selna Gomez. A new episode drops every Tuesday and there are only 3 left.

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’ll be running the Ocean Road 10K on Sunday! I ran this race a couple of years ago and am really happy to see that the race organizers were able to make it happen as an in-person race this year. I’m looking forward to running with my brother again – we always have such a good time together 🙂

And speaking of races, over coffee I would tell you that I’m excited to volunteer at the Boston Marathon next Friday! I’m assigned to bib distribution and am hoping that I’ll see some familiar faces. From the many emails I’ve received from the BAA, it looks like there will be a lot of covid safety procedures in place.

What would you tell me over coffee? Any big plans for this month? What are you streaming?

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 (exercise, wellness, mental health, nutrition… the possibilities are endless!), 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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Click here to enter


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Ultimate coffee date

A Shot of Hope

September 26, 2021 by 26 Comments

This week went by in a blur! The highlight of the week was getting a cortisone shot and feeling hopeful after some pain-free running. Here’s how the week went down.

Last glimpse of the Harvest Moon on the first day of Fall.

Weekly Run Down — Week 38

Monday — Cortisone shot! I had a crazy early conference call so that combined with another poor night of sleeping, and back-to-back meetings had me missing my first #nevermissamonday in a long time.

Tuesday — Upper Body Strength, Core, 1-mile walk & Stretch. I was advised by the doc who administered my shot to not run until Wednesday. The hip area was still feeling pretty aggravated, so an upper body workout seemed to be the right call.

Wednesday — 3.1-mile run, Core & Stretch. The first day of Fall, though Mother Nature seems to have not gotten the memo as the temps were up and the humidity was off the charts. Despite the weather, the run felt light and easy – something I’ve not been able to say for a while.

Thursday — 1-mile walk & Yoga for Hips.

Friday — Peloton ride, Upper Body Strength, Core & Stretch. I took my first ride with Leanne and loved her energy and the Ed Sheeran playlist. I usually don’t repeat rides, but I could really see doing this one again.

Saturday — 3.5-mile run, Core & Stretch. I so wanted to run further, but my ortho wants me to keep the runs short and sweet for now. It was another pain-free run, though I could definitely feel that I should keep hills to a minimum. I also got a chance to try out the new gear I’d won in Erica’s giveaway from Arcteryx – love both the tank and shorts!

Sunday — Peloton ride, Hip mobility work & Stretch.

The cortisone shot has definitely given me hope for more pain-free days ahead. Consistency with my hip mobility work, strength training, and stretching will be the key. I have the Ocean Road 10K next Sunday so this upcoming week will be about striking a balance to not over-tax my hip.

In case you missed it:

Back on My Feet Running Festival Recap

Some September Runfessions

How was your week? Does it feel like fall where you are?

I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down link-up. Join us!

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Some September Runfessions

September 24, 2021 by 24 Comments

OK, I feel like I’ve said this a lot this year, but seriously, where did the month go?!

Somehow here we are once again on the last Friday of the month which means Marcia has opened the runfessional. It’s also time for another Fit Five Friday hosted by Darlene, Renee, Jenn, Zenaida, and yours truly, so let’s get started.

Some September Runfessions

Canceled Race — This week I received an email from race organizers announcing that Boston’s Run to Remember scheduled for November has been canceled. All registrations are being moved to Memorial Day Weekend (the traditional race date). While I was initially surprised and disappointed (I’ve always wanted to run this course in cooler fall temps), I runfess that I was also relieved. I had been agonizing over how far behind I was in my training plan thanks to my cranky hip, and wondering how I was going to pull this off without pushing too hard to make up miles, and risking further injury. Crisis averted!

Pain tolerance — Following Monday’s cortisone shot in my hip I got my first chance to take a run on Wednesday. I runfess that I don’t think I realized just how much discomfort I’ve learned to tolerate – running felt smoother and lighter…how nice to be able to say that!

Shoe Challenges — Back in July I runfessed that I had been holding off on trying out the new pair of Brooks Glycerins I won in a giveaway for fear that switching shoes would only add to my hip woes. Well, I finally took them out on the road a handful of times and I runfess I don’t love them. I’ve run in Glycerins before – in fact, the 17s were my marathon shoe and I loved them. The current model (19s) has more cushion than I would like – they feel, for lack of a better word, mushy. Whomp, whomp.

What are you run-fessing? 

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 (exercise, wellness, mental health, nutrition… the possibilities are endless!), be sure 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!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Runfessions

Back on My Feet Running Festival Recap

September 21, 2021 by 30 Comments

Last Saturday I participated in the Back on My Feet (BOMF) Running Festival. While I have slowed down on doing virtual races this year, I’m always up for supporting a good cause.

Disclaimer: I received a free race entry as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Back on My Feet Running Festival Recap

BOMF is a great organization working to combat homelessness in 14 major cities across the U.S., including my hometown of Boston. With all the challenges of Covid, BOMF opted to host one large virtual running festival this year, instead of attempting multiple in-person events.

I liked that the Festival offered a range of distances (5K, 10K, 15K, 30K, or you could run all 4 distances) so there was something for everyone! I had originally planned on running the 15K, but my hip had other plans. When I couldn’t make the longer training runs work, I opted to swap distances. The beauty of a virtual event is that there were no restrictions to changing plans – so 10K it was!

As a perk of participating as a BibRave Pro, I received a free race t-shirt (there was a $100 fundraising minimum to receive a shirt). While I didn’t participate in the fundraising I did make a donation as this was a cause I really wanted to support.

A week before the Festival started I also received my bib, along with a GU gel, and finish line banner. I thought the finish line banner was a fun touch!

Race morning I woke up to less than ideal conditions – light rain and off-the-charts humidity. For half a second I toyed with the idea of holding off, but since I did not know how I was going to feel following Monday’s cortisone shot, I stuck with my plan. I had hoped that the rain would make for a cool, refreshing run, but unfortunately, the rain stopped shortly after mile 1 and then the humidity really cranked up. Miles 1 – 3 went by fairly quickly, but my right hip did not love the long gradual climb of mile 4.

The final stretch

I did my best to stick to my 4:1 intervals, but between the humidity and my increasingly angry hip, I was glad I had chosen to just do the 10K. On the plus side, the roads were quiet so it was a nice peaceful run. And, a huge shoutout to my husband J for being a mobile water stop and cheerleader around 4.5 miles!

Just because it’s virtual doesn’t mean you can’t run “with” friends! Cari, Deborah, and Fellow BibRave Pro Kim also took part in the Festival.

Kim, me, and Cari! Thanks to Cari for the photo skills 🙂

The only downside of the Festival for me was the lack of communication from the event organizers. Especially with it being a virtual event, I think this was a missed opportunity to create more excitement among runners — maybe even to have provided a way to connect runners in the 14 cities they operate in.

Overall, I would recommend the BOMF Running Festival and supporting this great organization addressing homelessness across the country. (The Festival is being held through Saturday, September 25th, so there’s still time to get in on the action – click here to register and use code BibRave5! to save $5 off the registration fee).

I’m linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up.

I’m also linking with Debbie, Deborah, Lisa, Jenn, and Laura for the Runners’ Roundup.

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Filed Under: #BibRavePro, #BOMFBR, race report, Runners Roundup, Tuesday Topics

Week 37 – Chasing Sleep

September 19, 2021 by 29 Comments

This was one of those weeks where my sleep cycle was way off – like wide awake at 2 or 3 am and dead tired by late afternoon. I had no trouble falling asleep, but staying asleep was a whole different story. Needless to say, there were very few early morning workouts, which also left me feeling a little off-kilter. But, I did my best to adjust – here’s a look at how the week went down.

Weekly Run Down – Week 37

Monday — Lower body strength, Core, 20 min Ride & Stretch. I didn’t really have a plan for this workout, but this combination of shorter classes worked really well, and I enjoyed the change of pace of the guided scenic ride.

Tuesday — 1-mile walk, Core & Stretch. I did not sleep well at all Monday night so I kept things short and sweet.

Wednesday — 3-mile run & Hip mobility work. There was just nothing good about this run – the humidity had come roaring back and another poor night of sleep had my legs feeling heavy and slow.

Trying to manage a smile

Thursday — Full body strength, Core, 25 min Ride (including 5 min warm-up) & Stretch. This all Robin stack was fun!

Friday — Yoga

Saturday — Back on My Feet Virtual 10K. Full recap coming later, but let me just say that Ma Nature did not play nice. While I didn’t really mind the light rain for the first couple of miles, but the humidity was just miserable.

Sunday — Walk, Core & Stretch

I’m finally getting the cortisone shot tomorrow – who knew I could be this excited for a shot in the hip LOL. So I’m expecting a fairly quiet week ahead…and I’ll be prioritizing getting some much-needed sleep!

In case you missed it:

From Motivation to Habit

Thanks to Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down link-up!

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Weekly Run Down – A Long Short Week

September 12, 2021 by 23 Comments

I have often said that the short work-weeks following a long weekend always feel anything but short! Throw in that my high schooler also returned to school this week so there was adjusting to a new routine. Yep, it was a l-o-n-g short week for sure! Here’s a peek at my workouts this week.

Happy runner post-Friday’s runch

Weekly Run Down — Week 36 

Monday — Lower Body Strength and Core. These two G&L classes were a spicy combination, especially Matty’s AMRAP of suitcase squats and single-leg deadlifts! Hannah’s foam rolling class was so needed.

Tuesday — Unplanned rest day – I was a victim of an out-of-control schedule 🙁

Wednesday — 3 miles, Core, and Stretch.

Thursday — 1-mile walk, Core, Upper Body Strength, and Stretch.

Friday — 2.25 miles and Stretch. After a morning of long Zoom calls, I slipped out for a rare “runch” – sanity restored!

Saturday — 4 miles, Core, and Stretch. This run was hard from almost the first step. My hip was cranky and my heart was heavy reflecting on 9/11. Still hard to believe that it has been 20 years.

Sunday — At the moment coffee. A walk and yoga are planned for later.

Ortho Update

On Thursday I had my long-awaited appointment with the orthopedic doc. The good news is that the mild arthritis detected on last year’s x-rays hasn’t progressed. As we discussed my workouts & runs, he was pleased with my commitment to strength work and cross-training and agreed that I could skip returning to PT and try a cortisone shot. He advised that I stick with running 3 days a week and supplement with time on the Peloton – Not a problem. He did express some hesitation at my mention of the half marathon I want to run in November, but he didn’t say not to run either. We agreed to see how running feels after the shot. Now it’s just a waiting game for that appointment – have I mentioned how frustratingly slow I find the health care system?

Anyone else find this short week l-o-n-g?

In case you missed it:

Five Reasons to Run for a Cause

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

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Five Reasons to Run for a Cause

September 10, 2021 by 20 Comments

As someone who works with a non-profit organization, I can tell you that fundraising in the time of Covid is more difficult than ever.

So as you make your race plans for the fall or are looking ahead to 2022, I urge you to consider putting some of your miles to work on behalf of a charity.

Photo by Capstone Events on Unsplash

Five Reasons to Run for a Cause

Raise much-needed funds. The money raised from registration fees and fundraising pages help to directly advance the charity’s mission.

Raise awareness. Beyond the immediate money raised, many charities can also benefit from a boost in awareness. This awareness can lead to new volunteers and partnerships, and future potential donations down the road.

Pay it forward. Running in support of an organization that has directly impacted you, your family or friends gives you an opportunity to give back.

Get inspired and inspire others — On those days you just don’t feel like training, having a “why” bigger than yourself can be very inspiring. Additionally, your efforts to support your chosen cause can also inspire others to join you or get out in support of a cause of their own.

It feels good! This one may sound selfish but there’s no denying that quite simply it feels good to do good!

Do you run for a cause? Five reasons you should! #bibchat #backonmyfeet #BOMFBR #bibravepro #FitFiveFriday Share on X

I always try to run in support of a couple of charities each year. This year one of the causes I will be supporting is Back on My Feet.

Back on My Feet operates in 14 major cities across the country, focused on combating homelessness through the power of running, community support, and essential employment and housing resources. The Back on My Feet Running Festival will be held September 18 – 25th and features a range of distances (5K, 10K, 15K, or 30K). I’ll be running the 10K. If you’d like to join me, use the discount code “BibRave5!” to save $5 off registration.

Have you run for a charity? Tell me a cause you’d like to support.

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! Who’s ready for some fun?

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


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Filed Under: #BOMFBR, #FitFiveFriday