Five Things Over December Coffee

December 1, 2023 by 20 Comments

Can you believe it’s December 1st?!

The final month of 2023 is laid out before us and it’s a great time to catch up over coffee with friends before the holiday madness sets in! So for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. Grab your favorite beverage and let’s chat a little.

Five Things Over December Coffee

Over coffee, I would tell you that November was a very hectic month! Work life has been crazy stressful and by the time I reached Thanksgiving, I was feeling fried. Now that it’s December I’m looking forward to cashing in on some PTO.

Over coffee, I would tell you that our home renovations are rolling right along! More of the new structure is starting to take shape and I’m getting more and more excited to see it all come together.

And in the same breath, over coffee, I would tell you that living through a home reno is not for the faint of heart (IYKYK) – it’s a constant state of chaos and I’m counting down the days until my kitchen is unusable. I remind myself it will all be worth it!

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m already at the halfway point of PT. It’s beyond tedious but I’m very happy that the therapist is a runner and has also done some coaching. We talk shoes, races, and all things running and it helps to make the sessions more bearable.

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’m drawing a blank on Christmas gifts this year (especially for my boys) and the clock is ticking! If you have any unique ideas, please share – and if you need an idea for the runner in your life please check out my gift guide.

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! 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, Friday Five, Ultimate coffee date

Fit Five Friday – Holiday Gifts for Runners

November 17, 2023 by 7 Comments

It’s that time of year again when many of us are on the hunt for the perfect gift! So for this week’s Fit Five Friday, we’re hoping to ease the load by sharing some gift ideas. This post contains affiliate links.

Fit Five Friday – Holiday Gifts for Runners

Socks – Seriously does a runner ever have enough pairs? Balaga continues to be one of my favorites!

Oofos – Yes a little more pricey but for the recovery benefits, they’re oh so worth it! I’m a huge fan of the OOlala Luxe Sandal but there are so many great options.

Shokz Open Fit – While I love my AfterShokz Aeropex, I must admit that the new Open Fit has piqued my interest. I like the ergonomic and flexible ear hook and think these could be more comfortable to wear with hats (especially winter headwear).

OCCOPA Rechargeable Hand Warmers – Yes these hand warmers have made my gift list in the past, and with good reason – they work! These warmers feature 3 settings, fit nicely in the palm of my hand, and are rechargeable – so no added waste to the environment with those disposal one-use packets.


Running Gloves – And, speaking of keeping hands warm, how about the TrailHeads Convertible Running Gloves? These gloves give you the best of both with touchscreen gloves and a waterproof mitten shell.

 

What are your favorite running gifts?

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 be sure to show your hosts some love and visit some of the other bloggers in the link-up.


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Friday Five, Gifts for runners

Catching Up Over November Coffee

November 3, 2023 by 7 Comments

Once November 1st hits I feel like the sprint is on toward the end of the year. As we welcome a new month it’s a great time to catch up over coffee with friends – so for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. Grab your favorite beverage and let’s chat.

Catching Up Over November Coffee

Over coffee, I would update you on my renovation adventure! We now have the basement for the new addition set and framing will begin in another week – progress!

Over coffee, I would also share that picking tile and fixtures for two bathrooms might prove to be more challenging than settling on all the things for the kitchen. But, I am still loving the whole design process – it’s proving to be a nice distraction from the chaos that is work-life.

Over coffee, I would tell you that we’re in the thick of the college application process and all I have to say is that there should be a better way to do this!

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 be sure to show your hosts some love and visit some of the other bloggers in the link-up.

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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Ultimate coffee date

Spooky ‘fessions

October 27, 2023 by 16 Comments

October has flown by and here we are on the last Friday of the month which means it’s time to join Marcia for some Runfessions. It’s also time for another edition of Fit Five Friday hosted by Darlene, Renée, Jenn, Zenaida, and me! So let’s go!

Spooky ‘fesions

I finally had an MRI a couple of weeks ago and I runfess that I was disappointed that the results revealed no clear issue. Of course, it’s great that there’s nothing obviously wrong, but at the same time, it makes finding the “solution” a bit more of a guessing game.

I runfess I was so relieved that the sports orthopedist I saw earlier this week told me that I could get back to running. It may be a slow process but at least no one said “no running!”

Though I do runfess that I groaned a little when he said 6-8 weeks of PT….sigh.

If you’ve gone to PT, what’s the longest that you have had to go?

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 be sure to show your hosts some love and visit some of the other bloggers in the link-up.

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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, injuries, Physical Therapy, Runfessions

Fit Five Friday – Year-end Fitness Goals

October 13, 2023 by 11 Comments

Thanks for joining me, Darlene, Renee, Jenn, and Zenaida for another edition of Fit Five Friday!

It’s hard to believe that in less than 80 days 2023 will come to an end! For this week’s Fit Five Friday, we’re inviting you to share your goals for this final stretch of the year. Of course, you’re always welcome to write about any other fitness-related topic.

Five Year-end Fitness Goals

Get back to running — I have been grounded for 4 weeks – 4 weeks without a run! Now that I’ve got my MRI results and know that there’s no tear, I’m ready to focus on a plan to get back out on the roads.

Continue to Opt Outside — I make no secret that the fall is my favorite season, so why not maximize my time outdoors before winter creeps in? I’ve been walking during my grounded phase and will continue to #optoutside daily as I work on returning to running.

Prioritize Sleep — How many times have I said this?! My sleep has been junk lately and I’m really feeling it. I need to lean into my evening routine so that I set myself up for a good night’s sleep.

Meal plan — While I’m great at consistently planning each week’s dinners, I’ve been totally winging it on breakfast, lunch, and snacks. My choices lately have not always been the best, as evidenced by the numbers creeping in the wrong direction on my scale, so time to fix that!

Find a race to do “with” my son — My oldest recently announced that he’d like to find a race to train for and we thought it would be fun to run one “together” – of course that’s in quotes because he will dust me at the start line but we’ll be running the same race. He wants to do a 10K in the Spring (before thinking about a half marathon). I’d love to be in a place where I can run a 10K with him.

Tell me, what have you got planned for these final months?

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 Things Over October Coffee

October 6, 2023 by 21 Comments

Happy October!

I’m enjoying a few days off to make this an extra long weekend! And, of course, a long weekend is a great time to catch up over coffee with friends – so for this week’s Fit Five Friday, I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. Grab your favorite beverage and let’s chat.

Five Things Over October Coffee

Over coffee, I would tell you that I have a huge hole in my backyard and I couldn’t be happier! Yes, the long-awaited remodel is officially underway.

Over coffee, I would also tell you that after agonizing over so many options and staring at more slabs than I’d care to count, my hubs and I finally settled on the choice for our kitchen countertop! So aside from knobs and drawer pulls, all the major kitchen selections are done. On to the bathrooms lol!

Over coffee, I would tell you that the TC 10M that I was supposed to run last weekend ended up being canceled! I runfessed last week that while I wasn’t happy to be out due to injury, I was not sorry to be missing the heat advisory announced in a pre-race email. Well, it turns out things went from red flag to black flag, and both the 10M and marathon were canceled. I feel so bad for the runners but also for the race organizers – social media has not been kind!

Over coffee, I would tell you that once again I’m on the hunt for a dress for my organization’s big fundraising gala. I’ve got just over a month until the event and no time to hit the stores so it looks like I’ll be doing a lot of online ordering and returning.

Over coffee, I would tell you that I’ve decided to spread some of my vacation time out to create multiple long weekends for myself and it’s been a game-changer – Sundays hit differently when you have a Monday off.

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 be sure to show your hosts some love and visit some of the other bloggers in the link-up.

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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, Ultimate coffee date

Runfessions of an Injured Runner

September 29, 2023 by 24 Comments

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 October. So let’s dive in!

Runfessions of an Injured Runner

No great surprise – I runfess that I really miss running! Yes, I’m staying active (walking, Peloton bike, strength training), but this is my running season and it has been two weeks since I went for a run! I love Fall running and being sidelined is making me just a little cranky. OK, my family would say a lot cranky…

This weekend would have been my race weekend – and while I am very disappointed to be missing the TC 10M, I runfess that I’m not sorry to be missing the Heat Advisory just issued by race organizers. Seriously, we should not have to worry about 80+ degree weather at this time of year… in Minnesota!

Do you get cranky when you can’t run? 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 be sure to show your hosts some love and visit some of the other bloggers in the link-up.

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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, injuries, Runfessions

Grounded

September 17, 2023 by 31 Comments

Grounded – that’s how I saw a runner on Instagram describe being injured. And that sadly resonated with me because I too am injured.

My last few runs have not felt good…in fact, anything beyond 3 miles has been difficult and my quad has started to be cranky all the time whether I’m running, walking, sitting….you get the idea. My last run was early Wednesday morning – I saw my doc later that day and she grounded me. No running until we can confirm what’s going on (a partial tear is suspected) – so with just 2 weeks until race day, running the TC 10 Miler is off the table and I’m waiting on an MRI.

Sigh.

I had myself a good old pity party! But, I’m not one to wallow. So I’ll focus on what I can do and hope that I can be back out on the road soon. Fall running is my favorite and I don’t want to miss out! Wish me luck!

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

How do you pass the time when you’re injured?

 

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Filed Under: injuries, Weekly Run Down

Fit Five Friday – Five Current Faves

September 15, 2023 by 5 Comments

Happy Friday!

Thanks for joining me, Darlene, Renee, Jenn, and Zenaida for another edition of Fit Five Friday! This week we’re inviting you to share your five favorite running/fitness products. You are, of course, always welcome to write about any other fitness-related topic. I’m deviating slightly this week to share a few of my current favorites with you. This post contains affiliate links.

Five Current Faves

Brooks Chaser Short — Brooks has gifted the Run Happy Team a couple of pairs of the Chaser Short this year and I’m a big fan. They come in 3 lengths (3, 5, and 7 inches – the 5-inch is my fave), have a built-in liner, and don’t ride up. They are so comfortable – my only complaint is that I struggle with getting my phone in and out of the back pocket.

Just received this color and I love it!

Brooks Hyperion — I received these shoes during Brooks Hype Fest. I was surprised at just how light and responsive these shoes are – they feel speedy! I like them for speedwork and can see using them for short runs or races.

 

AG1 — On the nutrition front, I’ve been using AG1 for the past couple of months. AG1 offers 75 high-quality vitamins, minerals, and whole-food sourced nutrients in just one scoop combined with 8 oz of water. I like to add a little lemon juice to the mix to brighten the taste a bit.

Peloton Hip Mobility — I’ve shared this class before in my Weekly Run Downs and it continues to be a favorite. This is 15 minutes of goodness and it is in constant rotation – if you have the Peloton app, I encourage you to check this one out!

Sidekick Muscle Scraper — I have to runfess that I’ve had my Sidekick for a while and re-discovered it at the beginning of the summer after catching a video of Molly Seidel on Instagram using hers – thanks for the reminder Molly! It’s become a staple in my recovery routine.

What are some of your current favorites?

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 be sure to show your hosts some love and visit some of the other bloggers in the link-up.


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Filed Under: #FitFiveFriday, fave things, Friday Five

Hello September!

September 3, 2023 by 25 Comments

Well hello, September! Is anyone else trying to wrap their heads around what happened to August – it went by faster than a blink and here we sit at the start of a new month. My weekly check-ins have been sparse as blogging continues to sit on the back burner for me, but my running and workouts keep chugging along. As I mentioned over coffee, with summer winding down I’m craving some routine so perhaps there will be more blogging in my future.

In any event, here’s a quick peek at the last week of August and what I’m planning for September.

Hello September!

Monday — Rest Day – I was still feeling off after Sunday’s shortened run (logged 5 miles instead of 7) so I spent some extra time stretching and called it a day.
Tuesday — 2-mile walk, Yoga & Core.
Wednesday — 3 miles. A rainy run – I prefer to run in the rain vs. the treadmill as long as the roads aren’t too slick and there’s no thunder.

Can’t predict what you’ll get on race day, right?

Thursday — Lower body strength & sports massage
Friday — 4 miles
Saturday — Upper body strength & Core
Sunday — 8 miles

With just 4 weeks to go until the TC 10M, this run was a confidence builder! My goal from this point forward is to do what I can to run all the miles on my plan and not to shorten another run. To make that happen, hip mobility work will be a top priority. My other goals for the month are to prioritize sleep (I was all over the place in August thanks in large part to multiple trips across time zones) and dial in my nutrition – aka, get out of vacation eating mode LOL.

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

What have you got planned for September?

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Filed Under: goals, Twin Cities 10M, Weekly Run Down