gardening

Weekly Run Down Memorial Day Edition

May 24, 2020 by Michelle 27 Comments

Happy Sunday!

Wrapping up week 10 here on the Corona trail. While it was another stress-filled work week, knowing that I had the 3-day weekend coming helped to make it more manageable.

I’m happy to say that the Family Plank Challenge is still going strong. Here’s a quick rundown on this week’s workouts…

Monday — Triple Tabata workout courtesy of Marcia’s new YouTube channel. If you haven’t checked out her workouts yet, you really should!

Tuesday — Rest day. This was not planned rest day, but a restless night of sleep put me behind the eight ball and while I kept promising myself I’d find time for the workout later in the day, it just didn’t happen.
Wednesday — 2.5 miles plus PT exercises. I wasn’t able to connect with my PT this week for our usual Wednesday session so I made sure to dedicate a solid 30 minutes to try to keep the hip happy.

Chasing my shadow on an early morning run

Thursday — 3 miles.
Friday — Yoga.
Saturday — Strength training in the form of yard and garden work. J and I planted 19 plants plus started beds of lettuce, trimmed a couple of overgrown decorative trees and shrubs, and took out one monster of shrub with a root system that seemed to go on forever! (Note~ this is what happens when you neglect all gardening in favor of marathon training like I did last year – everything gets unruly!)

Sunday — Virtual 5K for the Un-Canceled Project. Oh my goodness everything hurt when I got out of bed this morning. I like that I had this 5K scheduled or I might have punted on running. There were certainly no land speed records set with this run, but it felt good to complete my third Un-Canceled run.

Some positives for the week…

…this week was a wrap for my high schooler and now he’s officially a senior! My eighth grader will wrap up this upcoming week and his school finally announced plans for the virtual graduation ceremony for the first week of June.

…our new washer arrived on Wednesday. Delivery and installation were easy peasy. At some point, I’ll have to make time to figure out what all 14 cycles do! 😉

…one more week of madness and some major work projects will wrap-up. There is light at the end of the tunnel!

How was your week? Taking on any major house projects?

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

Filed Under: #UnCanceledProject, gardening, Weekly Run Down

April Coffee Talk

April 5, 2019 by Michelle 22 Comments

Happy Friday!

Who’s ready for the weekend?! I know that I am. So how about we start things off by catching up over coffee. Grab a mug and let’s join Coco and Deborah for this month’s coffee date.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that with our spring break now in the rearview mirror, I’m already trying to figure out the next family vacation! I don’t think I realized just how fried I was until I hit the cruise ship. While there probably won’t be another big trip this summer, I’m looking forward to some day trips, long weekends, and some quiet “staycation” days hanging on the patio.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that April means lacrosse season is in full swing in my house! My mudroom once again looks like an equipment supply closet and I’m looking forward to traveling around New England to watch both of my boys play.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that, while I do love lacrosse season, it wreaks havoc with my ability to schedule a spring race as there always seems to be a conflict. Case in point, it looks like I’m going to have to take a pass on the Portland 10 Miler at the end of this month thanks to a combination of a lax tournament and J traveling for work. Thankfully, the race offers bib transfers! (Why don’t more races provide this option?!)

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that the other thing I love about April is getting back into my gardens! I love how creative gardening can be and it just gives me another reason to spend time outdoors. I’ve been perusing gardening catalogs for ideas and am looking forward to my first trip to the local nurseries.

Source: Getty Images

What would you tell me over coffee? What are you looking to this month?

Filed Under: gardening, Lacrosse, Ultimate coffee date

It’s time for April coffee

April 7, 2018 by Michelle 13 Comments

As we ease into a new month, this is the perfect time to settle in and catch up over coffee. I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date, so grab a mug of your fave hot beverage and let’s chat.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that it’s deja vu all over again. Just like March’s coffee date I cannot believe that I’m still dealing with snow. We got hit with a freak storm yesterday that made visibility on the roads tough and more is expected on Tuesday. I can’t whine about this winter anymore so I’ll just move on…

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that once the weather does settle down I cannot wait to get out in my garden and get planting. I have two gardens around my house (one sun and one shade) and they are both in need of some redesign – removing old plants that are past their blooming prime and relocating others that have gotten too big. I’ve been pouring over garden catalogs and sketching out some new layouts, and I’m itching to get started!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’ve just finished reading The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod (Affiliate link) and my curiosity is peaked. Elrod’s premise is that by intentionally managing your routine during the first hour of the day you can set the stage for success across many areas of your life. He provides guides on how to do this and elements he recommends be part of your routine. I’m going to try his 30 day challenge, and have wrangled my husband into joining me.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that lacrosse season officially kicks off in my house this weekend as both boys have their first games! With both boys playing across 3 teams, we’ve got a lot of games on the calendar over the next couple of months. This is always a crazy hectic time of year for us, but I love that this is a sport our whole family enjoys!

What would you tell me over coffee?

Filed Under: gardening, general musings, Lacrosse, Ultimate coffee date

May’s Ultimate Coffee Date

May 2, 2015 by Michelle 28 Comments

It’s May! And I’m getting this month started by joining one of my favorite link-ups, The Ultimate Coffee Date. Thanks to Coco, Lynda and Deborah for hosting!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that the forecast is finally showing real signs of consistent spring weather, and I cannot wait to get into my garden this weekend and start planting. Despite the harsh winter, many of my plants look to be in better shape than I thought they would be, but I’ve still got a fair amount of work to do!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that while this week started off a bit hectic, that seeing my son start to feel better, a massage and spending the afternoon doing a little retail therapy with a friend helped to turn things around!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that I’m actually looking forward to my appointment this week with the orthopedist, cause I need someone to help me get to the bottom of what’s going on with my left knee. Running continues to be a real challenge and I’m not feeling good about my two spring races.

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you that believe it or not my blog turned 5 this past week! It’s really hard to believe that I have been running, and writing about it, for five years! I so appreciate all of you who have been hanging out with me during this ride 🙂

If we were having coffee together, what would you tell me? What have you got planned for this weekend?

Filed Under: gardening, left knee, massage, milestones, Ultimate coffee date

Believe it or not it’s Spring!

March 20, 2015 by Michelle 20 Comments

I saw this pic on Pinterest and it just cracked me up! Yes folks believe it or not today is the first day of Spring! And “spring” is the theme behind this week’s #FridayFive link-up with Courtney, Mar and Cynthia.

I know Spring will get here…eventually and when it does, here are just a few things I’m looking forward to:

Five Things for Spring!

Outdoor runs — Of course this goes without saying! The thought of running without worrying about snow mounds or icy roads sounds like heaven!

Less Layers — Oh to step outside without looking like I’m a participant in the Iditarod 🙂

Gardening — I cannot wait to get back into my gardens. Spring always means multiple trips to my favorite nursery with my mom – seriously, we can spend hours there! And, something tells me I may have many plants to replace after this winter.

Lacrosse games — You all know how big lax is in the RWA household. Some of us cannot wait as you can see.

Grilling – As much as I have enjoyed making the most of my crockpot for the past few months, I cannot wait to fire up the grill.

OK your turn…what are you looking forward to?

Filed Under: Friday Five, gardening, Lacrosse, Spring fever

Friday Five: Things that Make Me Smile

August 15, 2014 by Michelle 7 Comments

Linking up with Courtney, Mar and Cynthia again today.

This week is theme-free so I just thought I’d share a few things that made me smile this week.

The Weather — Most mornings this week have looked like this! Perfect running weather…and unheard of in August!

#IceBucketChallenge — It’s been great to see power of social media used for good with the #IceBucketChallenge to wipe out ALS! I’ve been lovin’ the videos in my FB feed (and yes I both dumped and donated) – but nothing made me smile more than watching my boys take the challenge and want to make a donation!

Altra Intutions — These are quickly becoming my go to shoe for the majority of my runs. I have the 1.5’s and heard rumblings that the 2.0’s are a very different shoe and are bumming out fans of the 1.5’s. So to play it safe, I hunted online and bought another pair of 1.5’s that I’ll just store away for later.

Dahlias in My Garden — These have been a labor of love. I planted them back at the end of May and have been nurturing them along. They finally started to bloom this week!

Beach Time — Was so happy to finally get to see this view this week!

What’s making you smile lately?

Don’t forget to enter my Nuun Energy giveaway!

Filed Under: #IceBucketChallenge, Altra Running, Friday Five, gardening

Coffee Date – May edition

May 3, 2014 by Michelle 17 Comments

It’s the first Saturday of the month so it’s time once again for the Ultimate Coffee Date link-up!

I’m back from this morning’s run, so pull up a mug and join me….

If we were having coffee together, I would tell you how excited I am for the month of May! While the schedule will definitely get a little crazy at times, there’s a lot of fun stuff planned – and the weather’s finally starting to feel like spring!

If we were having coffee together, I would tell you I started Shaun T’s Focus T25 this week and it is challenging for sure as I adjust to adding it in with my running and Pilates classes — but I’m loving it and think I’ll be stronger for doing it.

If we were having coffee together, I would tell you I spent a fun morning with my mom yesterday at my favorite nursery and I cannot wait to get to work in my garden.

A sample of the plants I picked up!

If we were having coffee together, I would tell you that a lacrosse obsession has firmly taken hold in my house! My oldest is playing on two teams and my youngest son is playing for the first time. My husband is coaching plus playing in his own league. And every weekend, I feel like my television is permanently tuned to ESPNU which always has the best college match-ups. The MML season has just gotten underway and my boys have been begging for us to get some Boston Cannons’ tickets — Yes it’s a full-on obsession around here!

If we were having coffee together, I’d tell you I’d tell you I’ve got 34 days until our family vacation 🙂

If we were having coffee together, what would you tell me?

Filed Under: gardening, general musings, Lacrosse, Ultimate coffee date

Friday Five

May 18, 2012 by Michelle 5 Comments

What is it about doing speed work at the track that always puts me on such a high for the rest of the day? I need to do more of it, because if nothing else it’s a confidence booster!

Some how I’m now just 10 days away from my next half marathon. I feel like it’s kinda crept up on me. Time to start obsessing …. checking the 10-day forecast.

Yoga is kicking my butt! I joined a “Yoga for Runners” class taught by an amazing yogini/marathoner. Last night was the second class and it was tougher than the first! I am ridiculously tight and while I try to break out the Rodney Yee DVD with some consistency, there’s clearly nothing that compares to having the instructor there to point out all your flaws…correct your form!

My youngest announced to me this morning that he only has 15 days of school left before he becomes a 1st grader! He’s looking forward to being out of school a whole week before his older brother – I’m panicking because that means I have only 15 days to finish any of my house projects or they go on hold until the boys start camp in July – Yikes!

The weather’s finally turned picture-perfect around here so I plan to live in my garden quite a bit this weekend. My boys gave me some beautiful perennials for Mother’s Day that I still need to get into the ground. So in between the usual kids’ sports/chauffeuring to b-day parties/etc., I hope to be happily up to my elbows in dirt 🙂

What have you got planned for the weekend?

Filed Under: Friday Five, gardening, randomness, track work, Yoga