Weekly Wrap – Long Weekend Edition

February 17, 2019 by 22 Comments

I have to say that I was so happy to get to this weekend – it was one l-o-n-g week! But knowing that there was a 3-day weekend on the horizon made all the difference!

And, while my mojo hasn’t completely come out of hiding, I am happy to say that overall my workouts went much better this week. Here’s how things went down:

Monday — The DOMS from Sunday’s strength training hit hard so this was a rest day.

Tuesday — A rare early morning run. This run felt surprisingly good – 3 miles done.

Wednesday — To help keep things interesting, I added the 21-day Beautiful Arms & Abs workout from Daily Om to the mix. Simple, controlled, focused moves – my abs were sore when I was done!

Thursday — This was one crazy day! There was just too much to juggle (did I mention I was doing the solo parenting gig this week?) so I finally decided to just push my run to Friday. I did manage to keep my massage appointment, which was a huge win.

Friday — Time to make up for Thursday’s run. It was raining sideways (literally) so I hit the gym for some 400-meter repeats on the mill. While I make no secret of the fact that I don’t love treadmill runs, I actually don’t mind using the mill for speedwork and these repeats felt pretty good.

Saturday — I woke up feeling the effects of the previous day’s speedwork – I may have been a little overzealous! For just a moment I thought about kicking this run to Sunday, but then I got a text from my brother saying he was heading out for his run and that was enough of a push to get moving. It wasn’t pretty, but 4 miles done.

Sunday — I finished off the week with some time on my yoga mat.

And that’s a wrap!

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

Tell me something about your week! Are you enjoying a long weekend too?

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Filed Under: Weekly Wrap

DEXA Scan – a Valuable Tool

February 12, 2019 by 32 Comments

I think most runners, or really anyone who’s into fitness, are always looking to learn more about their bodies – “knowledge is power,” as the saying goes. So, when I was invited to have a DEXA scan done, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

What is a DEXA Scan?

A DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) Scan measures bone, fat, and muscle in your body. The scan involves passing two very low dose x-ray beams at differing energy levels through the tissues of the body. The rays are absorbed differently by your body’s bone, fat, and muscle, allowing the scanner to measure your body composition.  In a matter of a few minutes, DEXA Scan not only measures both the percentage and distribution of your body fat and lean muscle, but also your bone weight and density.

The scan itself was so simple – just wear comfortable clothing with no metal (zippers, underwire, buckles) and lie still on the table for 7-8 minutes while the scanning arm passes over you and boom you’re done. Easy peasy. And, best of all the information from the scan is instantly available, so most of my visit was spent reviewing the results.

What did I learn?

I will admit going into the scan my one concern was what would be my visceral fat level. Since turning 50 I’ve developed a little belly that I’m none too fond of, and I wanted to make sure visceral fat wasn’t playing a starring role! I’m happy to say that while I do have a little visceral fat, it is far from the danger level and not around any of my key organs – relief!

Other things I learned:

  • My bone density is seriously rock-solid – like almost off the chart! And, my 10-year probability for a hip fracture is just 0.1%.
  • While my body fat % is in the “normal range” I’d like to see it a little lower.
  • I’ve got some clear muscle imbalance with more mass on my right side (both arms and legs) than on my left. Given that muscle imbalance can lead to injury, this was just more of a reminder to be consistent with my strength training.

In reviewing the results it is clear that additional value comes from looking at the data trend over time – I’m planning to return in 6 months for another scan. By that time I’ll be in the thick of marathon training and will be really interested in seeing how both that training and the work leading up to that training cycle will have on my body composition.

Ever had a body composition scan? Learn about my experience with DEXA Scan. #fitness #dexascan #runnerslife #health Share on X

Overall the DEXA scan provides a good deal of valuable information, and is a great tool to have as a runner/athlete focused on improving your muscle mass, or if you’re interested in losing weight, or just as another piece of the puzzle in your overall health.

I visited Cenegenics Elite Health in Boston for my scan. You can click here to find a location near you.

Have you ever had a body composition scan?

I’m linking up with Kim & Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.

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Filed Under: Dexa Scan

Weekly Wrap – In search of my mojo

February 10, 2019 by 56 Comments

Happy Sunday!

This week I am excited to be filling in for Holly as a guest co-host for the Weekly Wrap! If you’re new to the Weekly Wrap, it is a fun linkup hosted by Holly and Wendy for fitness bloggers to share their weekly or race recaps. I hope you’ll link up with us and please be sure to comment on other posts. We’re here to support each other!

So, the title for this post pretty much sums up my week – call it the mid-winter blues, but I definitely struggled to find my motivation!

Monday – Rest day. Knowing that I would probably be enjoying an extra beverage or two during the Super Bowl I planned to make Monday a rest day. And with the Patriots win, let’s just say there was some extra celebrating!

Tuesday – When the thermometer reads 60 degrees in February, how can you turn down a chance to run?! I squeezed in a quick 3 miles at lunchtime.

Wednesday – You ever have one of those days where you weren’t even kinda sorta feeling like working out? Yeah, that was this day but did manage to get a short yoga session in.

Thursday – The motivation was way low, the weather was crappy, and I was feeling just a little “off” – not a good combo! I kept putting my run off until later in the day but finally had to admit that this run just wasn’t going to happen.

Friday – Fridays are usually my rest day – and while I had visions of overcoming this lack of motivation I was struggling with, I woke up with a migraine and decided rest was best.

Saturday – I was feeling a 100% better and even though the winds were ridiculous I was determined to get my run done!

Sunday – I had neglected my strength training and prehab exercises all week, so today was the day to get back on track!

Trusting the Training

Recently, Coach Marc had suggested that I put a pin in the idea of running the Old Fashioned 10 Miler this month. Back in December, I had put the race out there as a target to help keep me focused on building miles during the winter. But I put it out there as a target before really having a handle on the training plan Marc’s building for me. He felt that having a race of this distance this early in the training was not a wise idea. At first, I balked a little, but I quickly reminded myself that the whole point of hiring a coach for this year was to train smartly and avoid injury. So I’m trusting the process and conceded on the race – thankfully I hadn’t registered yet!

While I know it’s the right choice, I think not having that race hanging over my head took a little wind out of my sails this week – and the temperature whiplash that went on this week certainly didn’t help! I am happy that I ended the week on a strong note and hopefully, I can get back into more of a groove for the upcoming week.

And that’s a wrap!

Tell me something about your week! Do you find it hard to stay motivated during the winter months?


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Filed Under: Trust the training, Weekly Wrap

January Wrap & February Goals

February 3, 2019 by 34 Comments

If you’ve been around here for a while then you know I like to set monthly goals. Having mini targets helps to keep me on track and accountable to the big goals I’ve laid out for the year.

So let’s recap January and see what’s on tap for this month!

January Wrap & February Goals

Good things for the month:

  • Joined Coach Marc for a treadmill workout
  • Finally made it back to the kickboxing studio
  • Logged 51.25 miles – given that I didn’t run most of the first or last weeks of the month, that’s higher than I expected!
  • Found my new running shoe!

Loving my Brooks Adrenalines!

Things I could do without:

  • All things Polar Vortex
  • Piriformis deciding to not play nice this past week – contributing to the lack of mileage

On the decks for February:

  • Focus on daily pre-hab work – especially glute activation and hip strengthening
  • Beat January’s mileage – while I haven’t set a miles goal for the year, I would like to see my mileage consistently increase each month.
  • Time on my yoga mat at least once a week

Hoping to put this new mat to good use!

Recapping January & setting some February goals #weeklywrap #runchat #runnerslife Share on X

Ambassadorships!

I’m happy to announce that I’ll be returning for my 4th year as a SPIbelt Ambassador!

Use code TEAMSPI for 10% discount

And, for my 3rd year as a Skirt Sports Ambassador!

Use code SSA821Mic to save 15% on Skirt Sports

And that’s a wrap!

I’m joining Wendy and Holly for the Weekly Wrap, and guest host Amy, from She Runs by Faith.

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Filed Under: #skirtsports, goals, month in review, SkirtAmbassador, Weekly Wrap, WomenWhoMove

Five things over February Coffee

February 1, 2019 by 36 Comments

Well Hello, February!

Please tell me I’m not the only one who thought January went by hella fast?! As we usher in a new month it’s time for a little catch-up over coffee, so I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date – let’s chat!


If we were having coffee, we would, of course, have to talk about this ridiculous weather. I am so tired of hearing the words “polar vortex” and there’s still so much more winter ahead.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you how much I’m looking forward to this weekend. My oldest son comes home from school for a 4-day weekend…and then there’s the matter of a little football game with my hometown team!

Over coffee back in November, I shared that I was on the quest for the “right shade” of gray paint for my bedroom.  Well, if we were having coffee, I would tell you that after painting swatch after swatch on my walls, and more trips to the paint store than I care to count, we finally settled on a color! Painting is underway and I’m loving what I see so far!

Benjamin Moore Gray Owl

And speaking of ongoing searches, if we were having coffee, I would tell you that we’re knee-deep in vacation brochures trying to settle on a destination for a spring break getaway. Initially, we’d hoped to do another cruise, but had no luck aligning ports of call we liked with our available travel dates. So now the debate has begun, do we head to a beach? Drive the west coast? Disney/Universal Studios?

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’m heading off on a field trip later this morning to have a Dexa scan, which is a full body composition scan, measuring muscle mass, body fat, and bone density. I’m looking forward to learning more.

So what would you tell me over coffee? Any vacation suggestions?

I’m also linking up with Meranda and Lacy for Fridays with Fairytales and Fitness.

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Filed Under: Friday Five, Ultimate coffee date

Weekly Wrap – Dealing with Mother Nature’s Antics

January 27, 2019 by 23 Comments

The theme for this week was definitely dealing with Mother Nature’s Antics.

Here’s how the week went down….

Monday — After a serious workout hauling the snow and ice that arrived on Sunday, I was feeling every ache and pain – DOMS was in full effect. Since it was MLK Day, I had the day off from work, and with the bitter sub-zero temps and weather advisory, it was the perfect recipe for a rest day.

Tuesday — 4-mile run. The roads and sidewalks were coated in ice so it was time to hit the mill.

Wednesday — Strength workout.

Thursday — Mother Nature decided to warm things up but threw in relentless wind and driving rain. Thankfully, I had plans to meet Coach Marc at the gym for some treadmill work. Marc videotaped me again and said he was really pleased with the progress I was making and the improvement in my form. We worked on a variety of drills before calling it a day with 4 miles done.

Friday — Fridays are usually my rest day and I was really feeling the need to lay low. So I embraced my rest day and made sure to pay a visit to the acupuncturist.

Saturday — Another ridiculously frigid morning. The plan was for 6-miles, but the reality was 3.25. It was just one of those runs were nothing felt good and despite all the layers, I couldn’t seem to warm up. I was just cold and miserable so instead of beating my head against the wall, I cut the run short.

Sunday — It was 32 degree which felt downright balmy! Time to get those missed miles from Saturday – 3 miles done. I followed up my run with another round of acupuncture.

The alternative theme for this week could have been dealing with the shoveling hangover! I felt really tired and achy most of the week  – it was like I had a shoveling hangover from last Sunday and never shook it. I tried to be smart with the extra rest day and a couple of sessions with the acupuncturist. I still need to work on getting more sleep so heading to bed earlier will be a big focus this week.

And that’s a wrap!

I’m joining Wendy and Holly for the Weekly Wrap.

How was your week? Are you dealing with the polar vortex too?

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Filed Under: Mother Nature, Uncategorized, weather, Weekly Wrap

January 2019 Runfessions

January 25, 2019 by 26 Comments

And just like that, we’ve already reached the last Friday of the month, which means Marcia has opened the Runfessional.

So let’s get to it, shall we?

Last month, I runfessed that I was starting to really get fed up with some things about my gym. Well fast forward to the beginning of this week and don’t I receive an email announcing that the gym will be closing in a couple of weeks – what?! I runfess that even though there were many things about the gym that bug me, given it’s super close proximity to my house, I was dragging my feet on making a change – guess I have no choice now.

And, for those of you wondering, why not just bag the whole gym search altogether, I runfess that, until I can figure out how to fit a treadmill somewhere in my house, I’m not ready to give up that safety net when Mother Nature makes outdoor running treacherous.

At the beginning of the month, I had started to let my PT exercises slide, until last week when my glute and hip started to squawk just a little following a run. I runfess that I’ve become super paranoid about re-injuring my hip/hammy, so now I’m finding ways to make time for pre-hab like it’s my job.

While I was psyched to finally made it back to the kickboxing studio recently, I runfess that my push-up game is need of some serious help! The instructor had us doing several rounds as part of the warm-up and let’s just say the struggle was real!

Not quite this bad….but close!

Finally, I runfess… or is it blogfess, that I I have been hesitant to upgrade to the newest edition of WordPress. I had to work with the new 5.0 version for work and I’ve been pulling my hair out trying to figure it out. Call me a creature of habit, but I just don’t find it intuitive. However, I’ve run into issues lately replying to comments on my blog (forgive me if I’m slow responding to yours!), so I may need to give in.

So tell me, what are you runfessing?

I’m also linking up with Meranda and Lacy for Fridays with Fairytales and Fitness.

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Filed Under: Friday Five, Runfessions

New Shoe Giddy

January 20, 2019 by 36 Comments

What is it about getting new running shoes?! Perhaps it’s the potential of all the miles and adventures to come.

After noting on a couple of occasions that it was time for some new running shoes, I finally made it to my local running store for a fitting. But, before I get into my shopping adventure, here’s a quick recap of the week.

Monday – Strength training, focusing on core and legs

Tuesday – 5-mile run

Wednesday – 4-mile run

Thursday – Kickboxing! It’s been months…literally 3 months since I made it to the kickboxing studio. The class totally kicked my arse and reminded me of muscles I haven’t used in a while!

Friday –  Holy DOMS Batman! Ah yes, I was feeling that kickboxing class and thankfully it was a rest day.

Saturday – 5-miles with my husband J

Sunday – Cross-training in the form of an hour of shoveling. Winter hit in full effect last night with snow followed by freezing rain. The snow was wet and heavy, and made for a serious (and frigid) workout!

New Shoes!

It’s been ages since I went through a formal fitting, but given last year’s injuries and the plan to be logging some serious miles this year (hello marathon training), it seemed like a good time to revisit what I’m running in. Clearly, as your body changes over time, so may your running shoe needs – so if you haven’t had a fitting in a while I highly recommend taking the time to get one.

After reviewing my training goals and a gait analysis with the salesperson, I hopped on the treadmill to test shoes from New Balance, Brooks, Saucony, and Asics. In the end, it came down to a choice between the Saucony Guide and Brook Adrenaline – and I went with the Adrenaline!

I used them for Saturday’s 5-miler and they felt great – just the right amount of support and cushion. I am optimistic – hopefully, more miles will prove that they’re the right choice.

And that’s a wrap!

I’m joining Wendy and Holly for the Weekly Wrap – they’re sharing recaps from last weekend’s half marathon, so be sure to stop by and show them some love.

When was the last time you had a fitting? Do you tend to buy the same shoe model again and again?

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Filed Under: Brooks Adrenaline, Weekly Wrap

Weekly Wrap: Trying to find a groove

January 13, 2019 by 30 Comments

Happy Sunday!

How was your first full week of the new year?

My week was straight up crazy! I expected things to be hectic at work, but throw in a mild concussion for my youngest (ah the joys of hockey) and a 100 lb. dog with an ear-infection who won’t cooperate with the vet, and yeah…I couldn’t get to Friday fast enough!

Amongst the chaos, I did what I could to eke out my workouts. Here’s how things went down:

Monday – Strength work
Tuesday – 3.25 mile run in the sleet and fog
Wednesday – Rest day
Thursday – 4 miles in ridiculous wind


Friday – Rest
Saturday – 5.25 miles


Sunday – Yoga

While we dodged the snow here, the bitter cold came charging back this week, and it looks like winter is finally planning to stick around for a bit.

Thankfully, my son is doing better, except for being cranky about not being able to return to the ice, and he’ll be headed back to school tomorrow. My furbaby is also on the mend, so peace is finally returning to the RWA household!

And that’s a wrap!

I’m joining Wendy and Holly for the Weekly Wrap, and guest host Kim.

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Filed Under: crazy week, Weekly Wrap

A Slow Start

January 6, 2019 by 38 Comments

Well, I had hoped to come out of the gates strong to start the year, but this migraine/cold/crud thing I’ve been dealing with since New Year’s Eve threw a wrench in those plans. Aside from some yoga on New Year’s Day, this week was largely about listening to my body and resting.

By Friday, I was itching to get out for a run and the stars aligned. It was in the 40s and sunny, I was feeling decent enough to try a run, and I had the safety net of my husband J, who was working from home, on standby if I needed to be bailed out. The hope was to get at least 3 miles, but I felt surprisingly good and decided to deviate to one my five-mile loops.

I think my smile here tells you how this run went!

The run went really well, but boy was I wiped out afterward. Back to the yoga mat and cross-training in the form of putting my house back in order from the holidays. I’ll be back at it on Monday.

First race on the horizon

Laying low on my couch left me with lots of time to peruse all of the registration deals filling up my inbox. And first up on my race calendar this year will be the Old-Fashioned Ten Miler (OFTM)! This is a great race put on by one of the local running clubs. It’s been a few years since I’ve run it, and I love that its early date (Feb 17) will force me to not hibernate this month.

And that’s a wrap!

I’m joining Wendy and Holly for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by and show both of these great ladies some blog love!

How was your week? Are you good about resting when you need to?

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Filed Under: Old-fashioned 10 Miler, Weekly Wrap