Michelle

Heavy-hearted

February 11, 2016 by Michelle 9 Comments

I’ve been going back and forth on whether or not to post about this here….

Our town has been hit by not one but two tragedies…two people, a 6-year old kindergartner, and a husband and father of 3 were killed in separate freak accidents when tree branches fell on them due to the weight of the recent snow. To say that people here are shocked and devastated would be an understatement…. it’s just been too much to wrap your head around.

I didn’t know the little girl or her family, but my heart breaks for them. I did know the man…I had been lucky enough to get to know him in the past couple of years working together on our town’s youth lacrosse program. He was truly one of the good ones….I have no words.

These events are cruel reminders that there truly are no guarantees. It is also a reminder to live life with joy and passion, pursuing those things that make our hearts soar. It is a reminder to not let fear stand in your way…to not put off goals and dreams. It is a reminder to tell those most important in your life just how much they mean to you.

Thanks for letting me share….

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Weekly wrap – Running, T25 and Shoveling

February 8, 2016 by Michelle 18 Comments

I swear I blink and these days are flying by! The first week of February is already in the books – so how did it go?

Monday: Started the T25 10 week program with T25 Cardio

Tuesday: 3 mile run plus T25 Speed 1.0

Wednesday: T25 Total Body Circuit

Thursday: Woke up feeling horrible so I skipped my run, but still managed to do T25 Ab Intervals

Friday: Lots of shoveling — A local weatherman explained that shoveling this rain soaked snow was like lifting 20 lbs with each toss – seriously!?! Yeah that explains why an hour of shoveling left me feeling like toast!

Saturday: 3 mile run

Sunday: 4 more miles, plus T25 Stretch

All-in-all a pretty good week! I liked the mix of the T25 workouts – and, I can already tell that those double workout days are going to be challenging as the miles increase!

And, after run-fessing that I hadn’t made any progress on my weight loss, my scale made nice and showed a 2lb lost!

Yes – a pretty good week 🙂

I’m linking up 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 fun bloggers in the link-up.

How was your week? Have you ever tried a workout series like T25?

Filed Under: T25, Weekly Wrap, weight loss

Ultimate Coffee Date – February ’16

February 6, 2016 by Michelle 18 Comments

It’s the first Saturday of the month, which means it’s time again to grab a mug of your favorite hot beverage, and settle in and join our hosts Coco, Lynda and Deborah for this month’s coffee date.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that we had our first snow day yesterday. A storm that was suppose to bring only a couple of inches quickly turned into 9! I figure if the kids are going to miss school, a Friday’s the day to do it, right? I was actually enjoying our winter wonderland – until it was time to shovel…started having flashbacks from last year. And, then we lost power…but just for a couple of hours and that’s what board games are for 🙂

If we were having coffee together, I would tell you that I’m still grinning from ear to ear over Tuesday’s news that I have been chosen again to be a part of the Rock n Blog team! I’m excited to run some fun races and share some discounts with you all – stay tuned!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I started sorting through summer camp options. My oldest is all set to go back to the overnight camp he went to last year, so I’m just trying to figure out my youngest. It’s always surprising to me how fast some things fill up!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I’ve been enjoying Mar’s 14 Days of Self Challenge – it’s really made me stop and intentionally carve out some time for myself each day. So important…and yet so easy to overlook.

So what would you tell me over coffee?

Filed Under: #14DaysofSelf, #RocknBlog, weather

Weekly Wrap – January Rewind

January 31, 2016 by Michelle 34 Comments

Well January’s come to an end. I feel like these first 31 days of 2016 moved at a break-neck pace, leaving me feeling like I was constantly playing catch up. I got to this weekend and just wanted to exhale.

So today I’m once again joining Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap – but this time, I’m wrapping up the whole month.

Good things for the month:

Overall the weather for January was not too bad – New England actually avoided taking the brunt of a Nor’easter for a change and on many days the temps were downright mild — All this means more runs outdoors than on the ‘mill.
One of my 2016 goals is staying committed to strength training – This month was a really good start logging at least 2 workouts per week.
A return to the massage table – Say it with me…Ahhhh!

Things I could do without:

Thanks to a crazed schedule, more missed runs than I’d like to count. And, the runs I did log just left me feeling meh.
IT Band, while improving, is still a little moody 🙁

On the decks for February:

More miles – despite the schedule, Runs. Must. Happen!
Joining Mar for her 14-day Self Care Challenge – love this idea to remember to put yourself on the to do list. The challenge starts on February 1 – join us!
Time for some Focus – as in T25 Focus. I was ~~whining~~….mentioning to my brother the other day about how annoyed I was with myself to have let some workouts slide and he mentioned he was thinking about doing T25 again just to make sure he got in a daily workout. So I’ve decided to join him… for the next 10 weeks (Hello!)

Shaun T’s about to become my new BFF 😉

So I’m more than ready to say buh bye to January and to make February fabulous!

How was your January?

Filed Under: month in review, T25, Weekly Wrap

January Runfessions

January 29, 2016 by Michelle 35 Comments

Last Friday of the month and I’m returning to Runfessions and linking up with Marcia today! Time to cleanse my sweaty soul. Who’s in?

Runfession #1 –– I had seriously forgotten how hard the early days of running can be. Getting back into running has been h-a-r-d! May I never have to do this re-building again.

Runfession #2 — I’m making very little progress on my weight loss goal. I’m blaming it on a combination of too many meals on the fly, mindless grazing while working at my computer and not nearly enough planning! This will change next month.

Runfession #3 — After a few months, I’m still a big fan of my FitBit, but it sometimes bugs me that it doesn’t give me credit for my strength workouts – steps aren’t everything, right?

Runfession #4 — I went to see the massage therapist earlier this week – I haven’t been since September. She was horrified at how tight I was. Clearly a lot more rolling, yoga and another massage (of course) needs to happen.

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

Filed Under: Runfessions

Five Tips for Staying Motivated for Winter Running

January 22, 2016 by Michelle 22 Comments

While December was gloriously warm here in New England, Mother Nature has finally caught up with the calendar and the frigid temps are here. I’ve been digging deep to get myself up and moving for my runs, so I thought I’d share a few tips for staying motivated for winter running.

Use short term goals to keep you focused — sign up for a small local race or join a winter challenge (or create one!). “Competition” in the form of a race or mileage challenge can help to keep you going.

Join a group or find a running buddy — Committing to meet others on a regular basis will always help get you out the door, and it’s always easier to brave the elements when you’re not alone.

Keep visual reminders of your spring goals — Aiming for a PR? Got a great destination race planned? Post some visual reminders in key spots around your house.

Make sure you have the right gear — Dressing the part is always important, but never more so than when facing winter weather. Check out my cold weather running tips here and here if you need any ideas.

Change your alarm — Switch up the music on your alarm in the morning to something that will motivate you to get out of bed. (A friend gave me this suggestion a couple of years ago and I still use it.) Another option is to move your alarm so you have to get out of bed to turn it off – once you’re up you might as well keep moving, right?

What’s your best motivation tip?

I’m linking up with Courtney, Mar & Cynthia for today’s Friday Five.

Also linking up with Jill for her Fitness, Health & Happiness link up.

Filed Under: Friday Five, motivation, winter running

Weekly Wrap – A little of this and that

January 17, 2016 by Michelle 23 Comments

Work and family schedules continued to be chaotic this week, (I hope this isn’t a trend!) but I was able to get a decent mix of workouts in.

Monday – Some much needed yoga.

Tuesday – Determined to not have a repeat of last week, I jammed a quick 2.8 miles in between work and school pick-up!

Wednesday – Strength day: legs and core.

Thursday – 3 miles. I finished with a sore knee and would be lying if I didn’t say a tinge of panic set in. That evening, I went to my son’s high school preview/open house, and after a tour of the campus with a constant stream of staircases, my knee was not pleased.

Friday – Strength day: legs and core. Lots of foam rolling.

Love this machine!

Saturday – An icy rainy mix, meant a trip to the gym. Playing it safe, I opted for time on the Arc Trainer vs. the ‘mill. Lots of foam rolling followed. I also iced my knee while I watched the Patriots beat the Chiefs 🙂

I’m happy to say when I headed to my son’s hockey game this morning, my knee was feeling pretty good!

All-in-all, not a bad week – a good mix of this and that. The big lesson for me this week is that I’d probably do better to write out a strength plan. Up to now I’ve been kind of winging it when I hit the gym, but I think I’ll get more out of these workouts with a plan. So this week I’ll be digging out the workouts from my time working with the trainer and sketch out a more structured plan.

Do you follow a strength plan or do you wing it?

I’m linking up again with Holly at HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin for the #WeeklyWrap. Be sure to check out the hosts (both just completed their first marathons!), along with the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!

Filed Under: Weekly Wrap

Races, races everywhere

January 15, 2016 by Michelle 10 Comments

Ah the race calendar…so many possible races…I’m still weighing a number of options (and, of course, trying to figure out potential family conflicts). Here’s what I’m thinking…

B.A.A. 5K (April) — both of my boys are talking about running this year, but sports commitments could say otherwise.

Boston’s Run to Remember (May) — this is one of my favorite half marathons and I’m already registered. It was my first (you can read about it here) and I can wait to run it again!

Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia (Sept) — I was so bummed to have missed this one last year because of my surgery, so when I got an email offering an early bird special I jumped on it.

Tufts 10K (October) — I haven’t run this one in a while and am still not sure it will fit in this year. This race is always Columbus Day and there are a couple of half marathons that are either that same weekend or the weekend before. Right now that list of halfs includes Wineglass, B.A.A. and Newport.

Canton Fall Classic (Oct) — This is a great local race…the start line is literally 2 miles from my house – win!

Race in November TBD — Like October, there are a handful of half marathons I’m debating and they’re all clustered around the same weekend or two. Vegas? Savannah? Richmond? or stay local? Decisions, decisions.

Have you figured out your race schedule? Have you run any of the half marathons on my “maybe” list?

Filed Under: Boston's Run to Remember, Canton Fall Classic, race calendar, RnRPhilly

Weekly wrap – Week 1 2016

January 10, 2016 by Michelle 11 Comments

So week one of the new year is in the books… and how did it go?

Week’s Plan: 3 runs, 2 strength workouts, 1 cross training and 1 rest day

Week’s Actual: 2 runs, 3 strength workouts, and 2 rest days

This week was all about shaking off the holiday haze and getting back into a routine. Returning to work, along with the kids school and sports schedules, had everyone in my house scrambling a little bit. Schedules collided everywhere this week and I was once again reminded that if I do not get my run in early, it may not happen — hence only 2 runs this week.

The runs were solid – one very windy run with my husband J and one very hilly route that left me scrambling for a lacrosse ball to rollout some of the kinks. I was very happy to have gotten in so much strength work this week – one of my big goals for 2016 so a good start there.

Now that things have settled down a little, I’m confident I’ll get 3 runs in plus my the strength work. My tight hamstrings are also telling me some yoga would be greatly appreciated 🙂

So how was your first week of 2016? Join Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap and share.

Filed Under: Weekly Wrap

One Word and Goals for 2016

January 5, 2016 by Michelle 21 Comments

As I mentioned before, I’m not much for resolutions, but I do like to set goals. So in and around the fun family time of the holidays, I did find some quiet time to reflect on 2015 and set some goals for 2016. I even got my boys in on the act, as each of them wrote out some goals for the year!

And, as I did last year, I’m once again picking one word…kind of a “theme” to tie the many goals for the different areas of my life together. This year my word is “Progress.”

So, now for my fitness/running goals:

Return to half marathons — Thanks to injury and generally my body having other plans, I haven’t run a half marathon since 2013! I’ve already got two halfs I’m registered for and am eyeing a couple more for the fall.
Set half marathon PR — I figure since I am returning to this distance, I might as well go for a PR, right?
Lose 12 pounds — there I said it! With the running hiatus that dominated last fall, more than a few pounds have happened – if being fitter and faster is the goal, then these pounds need to go.
Continue my strength program — I had started a great program with the trainer last year that got sidelined with my surgery, but I’m back at it now and know how important it is to stick with it. I need to give as much attention to strength work as I do to logging miles.
Actively manage recovery – This was a goal on my 2015 list that I think bears repeating – I cannot just run and then rush off to the next thing. I need to give time to rolling, Epsom salt baths, etc.