Back to Reality

June 16, 2014 by 8 Comments

 

After vacation

Ah yes…after a glorious 8 days away, I’m back.

We had a fantastic vacation – spent time in some great tropical locations, got up-close and personal with both dolphins and stingrays, hiked waterfalls, snorkeled, kayaked, and spent enough time in both pools and the ocean that we should all have gills! We each got to try something new – for me it was zip-lining 🙂 And overall, we had great family time – completely unplugged! If you haven’t tried a cruise, I highly recommend it!

OK so before I get completely carried away with exclamation points…

Now it’s time to settle back into reality…and with that some form of a normal workout routine. While I do have the BAA 10K coming up on Sunday, the early weather forecast is showing that it’s going to be a hot one, so this will more likely be a leisurely run through Back Bay. Fall training doesn’t begin until next month, so I plan to spend the next few weeks focusing on core work and cross training and running without much concern for time.

So fill me in…how was your week? When will fall training start for you?

 

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Filed Under: general musings, no training plan, vacation

Coffee Date – May edition

May 3, 2014 by 17 Comments

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

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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!

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?

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

Friday Five (OK it’s actually 4 today)

April 11, 2014 by 21 Comments

It is Friday once again and it’s finally starting to feel like spring around here! Whoot whoot! Before I rush out the door for what looks like a pretty nutty day ahead, a little of this and that to share  😉

Nominated! So my little ole blog’s been nominated for the Top 50 Health & Fitness Blogs of 2014! It’s a great group of blogs and I’m happy to be listed among them. If you’re so inclined to cast a vote (no crazy commitments required), please click HERE – blogs are listed alphabetically.  Thanks for the support!!

Webcast with Dave Scott.  On Saturday, April 12th X2PERFORMANCE® is hosting a live webcast with 6- time IRONMAN® World Champion Dave Scott! The webcast will take place at 5PM EST and Dave will be answering questions as well as providing advice on strength-training and nutrition. All attendees will receive an exclusive offer from X2PERFOMANCE at the end of the webcast, plus be eligible for randomly selected prizes. You can register through this link. I’ve got a couple of scheduling glitches I’m trying to work out so I can catch this.

Vacation planning. Now that the family vacation is booked, I’m trying to get organized early to avoid the usual last minute scramble. So out comes the “to do” list – we know I love a list! And towards the top of that list, I realized I need a new swimsuit. Now I’ve promised myself this is not going to send me over the deep-end. I’m going to try to embrace Carla’s wonderful 2-step approach and move on!

Weekend!! The forecast is looking good so I’m planning to spend as much time in my garden and yard as possible! Also on tap are the boys’ lacrosse games, baseball practice begins and a ten mile run (haven’t seen double digits in a while).

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Does swimsuit shopping cause you to panic?

 

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Filed Under: #TeamX2, Friday Five, general musings, X2 Performance

Let’s grab coffee together!

April 5, 2014 by 21 Comments

This morning I’m happy to be linking up with Jill, Nikki and Lynda for the first monthly Ultimate Coffee Date!

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I have always enjoyed reading virtual coffee date posts – they’re a fun way to connect and share with others.  Who doesn’t enjoy catching up with friends over coffee or tea? (Okay, wine works too but it’s a little early in the day for that!) So pull up a mug and join me….

If we were having coffee together I would tell you that this morning’s recovery run did not go well. I feel like my running continues to be up and down and all over the place – the inconsistency is frustrating!

If we were having coffee together I would tell you that while I’m thrilled that spring is finally here, I feel a little panicked every time I look at our family’s calendar. There’s very little white space happening!

If we were having coffee together I would tell you that I just booked our family vacation for June, which makes looking at our crazy calendar a little easier 🙂

If we were having coffee together I would tell you that parenting a middle schooler is really hard some days.

If we were having coffee together I would tell you that I haven’t read a good book in ages and ask you for some suggestions.

If we were having coffee together I would tell you that I’ve fallen off the meditation bandwagon and can tell I need to climb back on. I feel so much more centered and present when I practice meditation – helps to keep my Type A personality a bit more mellowed.

If we were having coffee together I would tell you how much I’m looking forward to getting together with friends for dinner tonight. We always have such a good time  – there will be a lot of laughter…and probably a lot of wine 😉

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

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Filed Under: general musings, Ultimate coffee date

Friday Five – Great cause, Burpees and other stuff

January 31, 2014 by 17 Comments

Hello Friday!

Coffee cup in hand and dog by my feet and a little this and that coming your way….

Stop Stroke Shuffle — Dani over at Weight Off My Shoulders is hosting the Stop Stroke Shuffle 5k virtual race. Dani is once again representing Tedy’s Team at the Boston Marathon and raising money for the American Stroke Association. Proceeds from this virtual race will go towards Dani’s goal of raising $5,000. I plan to run this in honor of my grandfather. Click on the cute medal below to join in!

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FFBURPEE#FFBurpee 1000 Burpee Challenge — OK I’ll admit this is a tough one for me….I loathe burpees! They’re hard and truthfully I’m not very good at doing them, but they are effective.

FitFluential is teaming up with Under Armour for this challenge – the goal is to complete 1,000 burpees by February 28th. No that’s not a typo…1,000! Need some extra incentive? How about a complete outfit from Under Armour…not to mention the positive effects on your physique! Check out the details HERE and join me (I’ll need the encouragement 🙂 )

Race Bait & Switch — Have you ever registered for a race only to have the race director announce just days before the start that there’s now a pace restriction? Yep! When I registered for this  5-miler last month there was no mention of needing to maintain a particular pace, yet in the race director’s email yesterday he casually mentions that they’re facing time constraints and runners should plan to maintain a <9 min pace or drop down to the newly added 5K. Not cool in my book! I had already decided to take a pass because this head cold has made speedwork non-existent.

Super Bowl — As a diehard football fan I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that Super Bowl Sunday is just days away. I still haven’t gotten over my beloved Patriots’ u-g-l-y loss in the AFC Championship game. But, we do love football in the RWA household so I will be making jambalaya for the event (it’s tradition), and cheering on the Seahawks!  Any traditional Super Bowl dishes in your house?

…oh and don’t forget the Bulu Box deal ends today!

 

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Filed Under: #FFBurpee, Friday Five, general musings, race, Under Armour

Coffee and a Friday Five

November 1, 2013 by 9 Comments

Time really flew this week and somehow it’s already Friday!

So with coffee cup in hand….

1380805_10202529566426417_682020544_n World Champs! While I’m first to admit that I’m not a huge baseball fan, I couldn’t help but get caught up in my youngest son’s die-hard excitement for this team. It was great to see them win it all at home!

 

Needing sleep — Thanks to the late playoff and World Series games, I have been getting to bed waaaay too late which has resulted in too much coffee the next morning. A not so good cycle that I’ll be correcting now that the games are done.

Over 6 pounds — that’s how much candy my oldest hauled in last night trick-or-treating! Yep he weighed it. My youngest had a pretty full bag as too – this could get ugly!

Small Changes — 4 weeks into the #OneSmallChange challenge! Week 4’s water intake was much better so for week 5 I’m adding daily rolling to help ease my crazy tight legs. This was a recommendation of my LMT that I haven’t always made time for.

Running progress — Got back to running this week with a solid 6 miles on Tuesday and track work yesterday. So far my foot has tolerated the runs and I’m babying it in between runs as much as possible. 9 miles on tap for tomorrow and then hopefully a full weeks of training next week.

How’d your week go? What have you got planned for the weekend?

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Filed Under: #RedSox, Friday Five, general musings, need more sleep, Small changes

A little of this and that

September 27, 2013 by 2 Comments

Hello Friday!

Good grief what a week it’s been! My brain’s in a bit of a scramble as I wait for my coffee to kick in…it’s a bullet points kind of morning:

  • I have been flying solo this week as J’s been traveling for work and I just have to say that I am in awe of what single mothers pull off every single day!
  • It took until Wednesday for the effects of that bug/virus I had to finally be gone. Happy to finally be feeling like me again.
  • I did manage to get a couple of runs in this week – nothing too crazy, but after Saturday’s debacle it just felt good to run.
  • We’re three weeks into the school year and I’m already waving the white flag! Middle school homework is no joke – my oldest is already on his 5th test – seriously?
  • And, speaking of middle school, I’m off to watch my son play his first ever football game this afternoon! I’m a mix of nerves and excitement – I think I’d feel better if he could add a few inches and pounds before this afternoon 🙂

 

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Filed Under: general musings, randomness

The ABCs of Me

July 12, 2013 by 6 Comments

This Friday’s randomness is brought to you courtesy of Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC, who tagged me a couple of days ago with a get to know you ABC game. So grab your coffee cup and here we go….

A. Attached or Single? Married for almost 21 years!

B.  Best friend? I’m very lucky to have some wonderful friends in my life – not naming just one!

C. Cake or pie? Flourless chocolate cake

D. Day of choice? Sundays – it’s the one day of the week where I may get to sleep in, we usually have a big family breakfast followed by a lazy, family hang-out day (except during Lacrosse season or if I’m racing)

E. Essential Item?  I am ridiculously dependent on my smartphone!

F. Favorite color? It seems to change – right  now I love deep purples – though you’d never know it by looking at my wardrobe

G. Gummy bears or worms?  Truthfully, neither.

H. Home town? Boston!  boston_skyline

I. Favorite Indulgence?  A good glass of red wine.

J. January or July? January – I love having a whole fresh year laid out in front of me!

K. Kids? Two great boys and one lovable German Shepherd

L. Life isn’t complete without? Family and friends

M. Marriage date? October 11th

N. Number of brothers/sisters? 1 wonderful brother

O. Oranges or Apples? Apples!

P. Phobias? Spiders…well all bugs, but especially spiders – skeeve me out!

Q. Quotes? There are several quotes I like, but one favorite is:

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” –Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

R. Reasons to smile? Without a doubt my boys!

S. Season of choice? Fall – it’s always been my favorite time of the year! Cool, but not cold, weather – perfect for running and football!  And the foliage in N.E. is beautiful!

T. Tag 5 People  I’m going to pass on tagging anyone – but if you want to play along, please leave me a link so I can read your post.

U. Unknown fact about me? As part of my major in college, I use to be fluent in Japanese – sadly I’m not anymore.

V. Vegetable?  Grilled asparagus

W. Worst habit? I’m very Type A which makes me a bit of a perfectionist.

X. Xray or Ultrasound? Odd question, but I guess ultrasounds because it meant I was seeing my baby!

Y. Your favorite food?  Sushi

Z. Zodiac sign? Leo

Have a great weekend!

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Filed Under: general musings, MLK, randomness

Summer mode

July 9, 2013 by 6 Comments

summertime1We have comfortably shifted into summer mode here in the RWA household – the pace has slowed, there’s far less clock watching and on some days this usually high-energy family has become downright lazy! And I say thank goodness 🙂

While getting out early in the morning before the heat really cranks up doesn’t allow for much sleeping in, I have passed on a couple of runs in favor of catching more ZZZs – I figure my both my mind and body will thank me later. When I do run, there’s been almost no attention paid to my Garmin – it’s just been about getting some miles in and trying to acclimate. I’m most definitely not breaking any land speed records and I’m good with that. I know that soon enough I’ll be focused in on hitting paces and more structured workouts as I start training for my fall races.  I am starting to kick my strength training up as I’ve started another 30 ab/core challenge and I’m heading back to my beloved Pilates classes later this week.

How’s your summer going? Have you started training for your fall race yet?

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Filed Under: general musings, just having fun, summer mode

Friday randomness

June 14, 2013 by 4 Comments

It’s Friday! It has been another one of those crazy weeks where I feel like the hamster wheel has been running at full tilt. So here’s some heavily- caffeinated randomness coming your way…..

  1. We’re still drowning in school projects and other end-of-school year activities. This afternoon’s special treat is listening to my son’s fifth grade class recite poetry during the “Coffee House” – yeah I know you’re jealous!
  2. We still have two weeks to go before school is over – thank you Mother Nature! And if the chaos in my house this morning is any indication, we may not make it!
  3. Thursday track workouts continue — yesterday, despite not feeling my best, was a great session of 800-meter repeats. Always great to crank out a solid workout especially when you’re just not feeling it.
  4. As I mentioned earlier, I have started keeping a food journal to see if I can figure out what’s behind my race stomach issues. It’s interesting to step back and really look at what you consume throughout the day. One glaring thing that is jumping off the page for me is just how little water I’m drinking!
  5. We will be spending our weekend wrapping up the boys’ sport seasons — there will be at least 4 lacrosse games possibly 6 (it’s a tournament) and 1 baseball game. Somewhere in there I hoping to squeeze a long run in and maybe tend to my neglected garden if the rain holds off.

What have you got planned for this weekend?

 

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Filed Under: Friday Five, general musings, kids