Michelle

RtR Training Week 2

March 20, 2016 by Michelle 22 Comments

Wrapping up another week of training. So let’s take a look at how things went, shall we?

Monday 3/14: Strength workout – legs and abs.
Tuesday 3/15: 3 mile run – I just couldn’t bring myself to run in the cold rain so headed to the gym to face the treadmill. I admit that I went into this run with the wrong attitude and it showed.
Wednesday 3/16: Rest day! Sports massage – 90 minutes of unknotting muscles.
Thursday 3/17: T25 Beta – Core Cardio.
Friday 3/18: Strength work – legs and abs.
Saturday 3/19: 4 miles – This was a hard run. Legs felt heavy and I just had no energy – the heavy winds probably didn’t help.
Sunday 3/20: 3 miles more.

While I did hit all of my workouts I felt like I was all over the place this week and completely out of rhythm. I’m really not sure how missing one extra hour could have such a big impact but I swear Daylight Saving threw me for a loop at the beginning of the week and I never really caught up! It was one of those weeks that between work and home life, I felt like I was always trying to squeeze a workout in.

This week should be quieter, and hopefully I can settle into more of a groove.

I’m linking up again for the #WeeklyWrap with Holly at HoHo Runs and Tricia at Miss Sippi Piddlin

Ever have a week where you just feel out of sorts? How was your week?

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

RtR Training Week 1

March 13, 2016 by Michelle 34 Comments

Training for Boston’s Run to Remember is officially under way. As I mentioned over coffee, this will be my first half in two years – so my goals for this training cycle are simple:

Hit all of my workouts
Build my mileage slowly
Reach the start line injury-free

I want to use RtR to get back up to the half distance and lay the foundation for more rigorous training this summer. So how’d the first week go?

Monday 3/7 — Given how crazy my Mondays have been because of work lately, I’ve decided to make Mondays a strength day. I broke out the resistance bands and did a lower body workout I use to do when I was working with a trainer. My legs felt like jello when I was done!

Tuesday 3/8 — Woke up with a really upset stomach that stayed with me all day. So I decided to push my run to Wednesday and opted for some yoga.

Wednesday 3/9 — An absolutely gorgeous day – temps in the 70’s! I still didn’t feel great and actually dressed too warm in a long sleeve shirt, but just didn’t care. 3 miles done.

Thursday 3/10 — Still feeling really off – decided to listen to my body and took an unplanned rest day.

Friday 3/11 — 3 miles more.

Saturday 3/12 — As the weeks go on, Saturdays will be my long run day. For today, just 4 miles…with too many hills!

Sunday 3/13 — More yoga.

All-in-all not a bad first week, especially since I didn’t feel fabulous for most of it. I rolled like it was my job every night – and while that lacrosse ball is a little slice of torture, I do think it’s helping. The good news is whatever bug I was dealing with didn’t take hold and I’m feeling pretty and looking forward to week 2!

Linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap.

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

Thursday Thoughts – Volunteering and other stuff

March 10, 2016 by Michelle 22 Comments

A few random thoughts this morning….

… I was so excited to open my email yesterday and find out that not only will I be returning as a Boston Marathon volunteer again this year, but I got a finish line assignment! I love volunteering at this race and cannot wait for an up-close and personal view of those elites crossing the finish line!

… speaking of the Marathon…there’s a film being made here in Boston about the bombing and they recently put out a casting call to runners for the marathon scenes. Um…no thanks to that. I could not imagine wanting to re-live that day in any way…could you?

… and from the department of “gym crazies”… there’s a guy who’s been coming to my gym and working out in jeans…I kid you not! I’m all for squeezing a workout in when you can, but seriously how uncomfortable must that be!?! What is it about gyms that bring out the…er…more interesting behavior in people?

Linking up with Amanda for Thinking Out Loud Thursdays

Tell me something random. Do you think you could be an extra in that movie?

Filed Under: Boston Marathon, gym crazies, race volunteering, Thursday Thoughts

Race Calendar Revisited

March 8, 2016 by Michelle 20 Comments

So earlier in January, I was still debating so many race options….then this happened….

Well that just opened a whole new can of ~~worms~~ …options…so many options

I already planned to run RnR Philly in September, and had wanted to add a half marathon in both October and November – problem solved!

So now the plan is…

Run to Remember Half — May

Finish at the 50 10K — July (Yes July…I may regret this one!)

RnR Philly Half — September (flat and fast…goal race perhaps?)

RnR Brooklyn Half — October (Perfect way to spend the long weekend in NYC!)

Canton Fall Classic — October (5K and 10K option – TBD)

RnR Las Vegas — November (I was all set to run the #StripAtNight last year, then the surgery happened, so I don’t want to miss a 2nd chance to run this one!)

Now…if I allow myself to dream and the travel gods were to smile on me, RnR Dublin in August would be a fun way to celebrate my birthday, and then there’s RnR San Antonio in December. Let the stalking of airline websites commence!

Want to add an Rock’n’Roll race (or two) to your calendar? As a member of the Rock’n’Blog team, I’m happy to finally be able to share a discount code with you! Use code ROCKATTITUDE and save $15 on domestic half marathons or marathons, and €/£3 on international races.

Will I see you at any of these race this year?

Linking up with Erika, Marcia and Patty for Tuesdays on the Run

Filed Under: #RocknBlog, race calendar, Tuesdays on the Run

Ultimate Coffee Date – March 2016

March 5, 2016 by Michelle 26 Comments

Busy morning ahead, but before I get going I’m making a little time to join one of my favorite link-ups, The Ultimate Coffee Date. Thanks to Coco, Lynda and Deborah, as always, for hosting! Be sure to check out the link-up and see what the other ladies are dishing about.

Grab a mug and join the #UltimateCoffeeDate linkup Share on X

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that there is very little white space left on our kitchen calendar. We’re in the icy grip of hockey playoffs while outdoor practices for lacrosse begin in another week! Let’s just hope the right equipment bag makes it to the correct destination 🙂 Throw in some school activities, including my oldest son’s school play, and…yeah I’m thinking of cloning myself.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that after hibernating through a good bit of last month (there’s just something about February!) I’m looking forward to having some fun catching up with friends this month! I’m making a point of it to have at least one night out/lunch/something with friends each week – finding time to slow down and connect is the perfect counterbalance to the calendar madness.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I’m also really looking forward to taking my mom to see the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for her birthday. The grace and power of these dancers is just simply amazing. If you ever have the chance them to see them perform, run don’t walk to get tickets!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I’ll be returning to a training plan this week as I get ready for Boston’s Run to Remember. For the past couple of years I’ve run the 5-mile option, but this year I’ll be running the half. Believe it or not, I have not run a half marathon since fall of 2013 – what?!

Yeah I’m looking forward to getting back to this distance, and what better way to do it than with one of my favorite races!

So what would you tell me over coffee?

What are you looking forward to this month?

Filed Under: Boston's Run to Remember, Ultimate coffee date

Weekly Wrap – February Rewind

February 29, 2016 by Michelle 24 Comments

Happy Leap Day! (Is that a thing?)

The days continue to fly by at an alarming rate, and we’re already at the end of another month. So it’s time once again to do a quick wrap-up the month and see what March has in store.

Good things for the month:

Really enjoyed Mar’s 14-day Self Care Challenge (you can read more about it here).
T25 – Have enjoyed mixing up my workouts, though as I run-fessed, the double workout days are proving to be a bit much
Met my goal of increasing my mileage over January
More outdoor runs vs. treadmill — Gotta love seeing 50+ degrees in February!
Another massage was had – always a good thing!

Things I could do without:

The events of this month left me feeling stressed and distracted

On the decks for March:

Start training for Boston’s Run to Remember half
Returning to yoga classes – at least I’m hoping to try to fit this in. There’s a studio near me that I’ve been wanting to check out.
Fingers-crossed the weather continues to cooperate and I’ll not see a treadmill again for a while 🙂

I’m joining Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap – be sure to stop by and say hi and see how #RnRNOLA turned out for them!

How did February treat you?

Filed Under: month in review, Weekly Wrap

February Runfessions

February 26, 2016 by Michelle 28 Comments

How is it possible that it is time for another round of Runfessions?!

The last Friday of every month Marcia of Marcia’s Healthy Slice invites us all to share our run-, gym-, swim- fessions. Some come cleanse your sweaty soul and join us!

What are you runfessing this month? Link up with @teamarcia and share Share on X

Runfession #1 –– So I returned for another message last week – thank goodness for the gift certificates I got for Christmas! The massage therapist was a little less horrified than last time – I’ve been following her advice to roll using a lacrosse ball.

Runfession #2 — I’ve been slacking on my PT exercises and it was showing in the form of a slightly angry ITB earlier this month. Since I’ve gotten back on track my IT band has quieted down to being just slightly annoyed.

Runfession #3 — The double workout days of running and doing T25 are seriously kicking my tail! I confess over this last week, I’ve skipped the T25 on run days. Please don’t tell Shaun T…

Runfession #4 — I wish I had a race coming up earlier on the calendar. I know the smart thing to do was to ease back into running and build my base, but I must admit some days my motivation to run is a little schizoprentic. I’m feeling the need for a training plan to help hold me accountable.

Runfession #5 — On the other hand, I run fess that I’ll more than make up for the lack of spring racing this fall. I keep stalking race websites and trying to figure out how many I can register for without wearing a groove in my credit card or racing every weekend.

OK – now it’s your turn. What are your runfessions?

I’m also joining Mar, Courtney and Cynthia for their Friday Five link-up.

Filed Under: Friday Five, Runfessions

Reminiscing – Favorite Race Medals

February 23, 2016 by Michelle 18 Comments

Erika, Marcia and Patty are inviting everyone to share their favorite race medals for this week’s Tuesdays on the Run. It could be a medal you’re just dying to add to your collection or one you already happily earned. It will be fun to see all the different medals people share.

I, for one, do love a good piece of bling…and there are many out there that I have my eye on. But when it comes to picking a favorite, it was no contest…

Do you have a favorite race medal? Share on X

My favorite medal is this one from Boston’s Run to Remember – it was my first half marathon (you can read the full recap here).

It was such a special day for me from start to finish. I remember soaking in every moment – from the other runners to the volunteers to my family’s amazing support along the course (seriously, they were everywhere!).

So while this medal is not the fanciest bling, it symbolizes a major goal accomplished and a day I’ll never forget!

Do you have a favorite race medal?

Filed Under: Boston's Run to Remember, Tuesdays on the Run

Thursday Thoughts – #14DaysofSelf Edition

February 18, 2016 by Michelle 14 Comments

I recently completed Mar’s #14DaysofSelf Challenge and really enjoyed it. While intuitively we all know we should carve out time for ourselves, how many of us make a conscious choice to do so…especially on a daily basis?

So I thought I’d share suggestions for your own challenge…. (and seriously I do encourage everyone to do their own challenge!)

Scheduled it – I literally put “Self care” on the to do list in my planner every day for the 14 days. I know that may sound crazy, but reviewing my to do list every morning meant that among other priorities, I was reminded to put myself on the list.

Mixed it up — While not necessary, I made a point to try to do something different for myself every day during the challenge. Some days were planned in advance, but other times it was just in response to the day.

Big money/time not required — When I mention this challenge to a friend, her response was “How are you going to fit in daily spa treatments?” It was interesting to me that in her mind, self care = big, time consuming (and expensive) activity. While I certainly wouldn’t turn down a daily massage, the truth is neither the time nor monetary commitment had to be big for it to be meaningful.

Feed the mind, body and soul — While I’m the first one to advocate for getting your sweat on, this challenge was also a great reminder to feed your needs on many levels.

Lessons learned from #14daysofself challenge Share on X

Getting still and asking myself what I needed each day was a great way to find some balance and peace in what has been a very hectic couple of weeks.

Did you participate in Mar’s Challenge? How do you practice self care?

Joining Amanda for Thinking Out Loud Thursday and

with Jill for Fitness, Health & Happiness

Filed Under: #14DaysofSelf, Thursday Thoughts

Weekly Wrap – Return of the Polar Vortex

February 15, 2016 by Michelle 18 Comments

A huge thank you to everyone who checked in with kind words last week – much appreciated.

I was grateful for my workouts last week – while not always pretty they were a good distraction!

Monday: Another snow day for the kids and more shoveling for me
Tuesday: 3 mile run
Wednesday: T25 Speed 1.0
Thursday: 3 mile run plus T25 Cardio
Friday: T25 Lower Focus — holy squats and lunges Batman!
Saturday: 4.25 mile run
Sunday: Opted for yoga over T25 Stretch

Thanks to the return of the Polar Vortex, the temps around here have plummeted. With the windchill, it reached negative double digits this weekend, so aside from trips to the gym, I just enjoyed some much needed down time with the family. Saturday was all about video games, movies, reading – and of course I watched the Olympic Trials! While I was disappointed for Kara, I loved watching the teamwork of Shalane & Amy. And, watching Meb run always makes me smile! Valentine’s Day is always low-keyed here – we celebrated with our traditional sushi dinner, and of course a little chocolate!

It’s school vacation week here for my youngest son, so I’m definitely going to have to be flexible with when I get to workout this week. In fact, I’m going to take advantage of my husband being off from work today and head to the gym now….

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

Linking up once again with Holly of HoHo Runs and Tricia of MissSippiPiddlin for the Weekly Wrap – be sure to stop by and say hi and check out the other weekly recaps.