Ultimate coffee date

Recapping the BAA 10K over coffee

July 5, 2019 by Michelle 22 Comments

I hope everyone (in the States) had a great 4th! I was so happy to get to this extended long weekend to just kick back and unwind a little. So as I laze away on my deck, it seems like the perfect time to join Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date!

Recapping the BAA 10K over Coffee

Over coffee, I would tell you that I cannot believe that it’s been almost two weeks since I ran the BAA 10K! I know, I know, how many times can I mention how fast time is flying by? But it really is!

Over coffee, I would tell you that my goals were simple – beat last year’s time, conquer the long hill through Boston University’s campus, and have fun! Check, check, and check! Given how cool, rainy, and mild the temps had been, the heat on race day was super tough – especially with so little shade on the course. So my brother and decided to walk each water stop (thankfully there was one every mile!) and just try to keep a nice steady pace. We did see a couple of people go down around mile 4 – the heat was no joke!

Over coffee, I would tell you to run this race if you get the chance! It is super well-organized, and even with 10,000 runners, it never felt too crowded. The volunteers, especially at the water stops, were awesome and super encouraging! And the course itself is a great little out and back tour of Boston’s Back Bay, Kenmore Square, and part of the BU campus. The Boston Athletic Association always puts on a great race and this one did not disappoint.

Great to see Jose from @Andsoitburns working one of the water stops!

Over coffee, I would tell you that I had so much fun running this race with my brother! When we did this race last year, I was seriously hobbled and had urged him to run ahead and not let me hold him back – so it was especially enjoyable to run together this year. This was my third time running this race and I’ve already got it penciled in for next year!

Do you have races you love to run again and again? What would you tell me over coffee?

Filed Under: BAA, race report, Ultimate coffee date

May Runfessions over Coffee

May 31, 2019 by Michelle 14 Comments

In typical May fashion, this month just flew by, and now we’re standing on the doorstep of June. Marcia has opened the Runfessional and Coco and Deborah are inviting everyone to catch up at the Ultimate Coffee Date, so let’s dive in and chat a bit.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that we made it through all of the concerts, lacrosse games, and other various school events, and have officially entered summer mode in the RWA household! My oldest came home from school Wednesday and the youngest finished his last exam yesterday! That sound you hear is the collective exhale as we survived another round May Madness.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I am starting to feel like Mother Nature is punking me. I spent forever tracking down just the right new furniture for both our deck and patio and, with the exception of Memorial Day Weekend, it’s been too rainy and cold to enjoy any outdoor time.

And, speaking of Memorial Day Weekend, while the weather was beautiful, I runfess the heat during Sunday’s race left me dreading running in the summer weather to come. I spent this month transitioning back to early morning runs, and I runfess I’ve already started to wonder just how early I’m going to have to get up to make the double-digit long runs of marathon training even remotely tolerable.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that after learning a couple of months ago from Coach Marc that he prefers the Hansons Marathon Method (affiliate link!) of training, I debated whether to order the book or just take the training as it comes. Well, I runfess that curiosity got the better of me and I recently ordered the book and devoured it in a couple of sittings. I am now both equal parts excited and terrified! LOL! Sometimes ignorance is bliss!

So what would you tell me over coffee? Any runfessions to share?

Filed Under: Runfessions, Ultimate coffee date

May Coffee with a side of April Runfessions

May 3, 2019 by Michelle 20 Comments

Happy Friday!

This week went by in a blink but with a fun weekend to look forward to, I’m not complaining! So how about we get this Friday started with a little catch up over coffee.

I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date. And, for an added bonus, Marcia’s opened the Runfessional and I’ve got a few things to share.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’ve really been looking forward to this weekend – we’re going to see Alvin Ailey on Saturday and the Avengers Endgame on Sunday!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that around here we can see the finish line of another school year, as both of my boys will finish classes by the end of the month. I runfess that as I look the calendar filled to the brim with all of the end-of-school-year events, in addition to the lacrosse games, the boys’ exam schedules…and oh yeah I’ve got a half marathon coming up, I seriously wonder how it’s all going to get done. But that’s typical May Madness around here and somehow we always find a way to make it happen.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’m turning into a bit of a paranoid runner. I mentioned in my last weekly run down that I seem to be finding my running legs. In fact, April was a great month of pain-free running which I’m celebrating but I runfess, given my recent history, part of me is holding my breath waiting to see if the other shoe will drop.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that after fully indulging during our vacation that I quietly returned to counting my macros during April. While I dropped a few pounds and, better still, a couple of inches off my waist, I runfess that I find the whole process of tracking just too annoying to continue.

So what would you tell me over coffee? Any runfessions to share?

Filed Under: Runfessions, Ultimate coffee date

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

Cruising into March Coffee

March 1, 2019 by Michelle 20 Comments

Hello March!

(And February..don’t let the door hit you on the way out!)

Can you tell I’m ready for a new month? 😉 And, since it’s the first Friday of the month what better way to start March than with a little catch up over coffee. So grab a mug of your favorite hot beverage and let’s join Coco and Deborah for this month’s coffee date.

If we were having coffee, I would have to ~~briefly whine~~ … er, mention the weather. While we flirted with a couple of mild days in February, there was also a fair amount of ice and some really brutal winds. The weather whiplash definitely had me running indoors far more than I would like. And, given this weekend’s forecast, it looks like March will be coming in like a lion…we can only hope the rest of the saying holds up!

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that we finally booked our vacation. We poured over lots of options and even hit a travel expo trying to settle on a plan. I’m happy to say we’ll be cruising again for spring break! We took a cruise a few years ago and absolutely loved it so I can’t wait to get on board!

Looking forward to calling this home for a week!

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that this vacation is coming at a perfect time. I feel like things have been crazy busy on all fronts and I’m starting to feel just a little fried. Vacation will be the perfect pause button.

If we were having coffee, I’d ask if you have any good book suggestions? I’m looking for a few titles to load on my Kindle – good pool-side reads…and dare I say it, perhaps something non-running related. While I’d like to do more reading this year I will admit I have yet to pick up a book.

So what would you tell me? Any vacation plans? Ever tried cruising?

Filed Under: Ultimate coffee date, vacation

Five things over February Coffee

February 1, 2019 by Michelle 36 Comments

Well Hello, February!

Please tell me I’m not the only one who thought January went by hella fast?! As we usher in a new month it’s time for a little catch-up over coffee, so I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date – let’s chat!

If we were having coffee, we would, of course, have to talk about this ridiculous weather. I am so tired of hearing the words “polar vortex” and there’s still so much more winter ahead.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you how much I’m looking forward to this weekend. My oldest son comes home from school for a 4-day weekend…and then there’s the matter of a little football game with my hometown team!

Over coffee back in November, I shared that I was on the quest for the “right shade” of gray paint for my bedroom. Well, if we were having coffee, I would tell you that after painting swatch after swatch on my walls, and more trips to the paint store than I care to count, we finally settled on a color! Painting is underway and I’m loving what I see so far!

Benjamin Moore Gray Owl

And speaking of ongoing searches, if we were having coffee, I would tell you that we’re knee-deep in vacation brochures trying to settle on a destination for a spring break getaway. Initially, we’d hoped to do another cruise, but had no luck aligning ports of call we liked with our available travel dates. So now the debate has begun, do we head to a beach? Drive the west coast? Disney/Universal Studios?

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’m heading off on a field trip later this morning to have a Dexa scan, which is a full body composition scan, measuring muscle mass, body fat, and bone density. I’m looking forward to learning more.

So what would you tell me over coffee? Any vacation suggestions?

I’m also linking up with Meranda and Lacy for Fridays with Fairytales and Fitness.

Filed Under: Friday Five, Ultimate coffee date

New Year’s Ultimate Coffee 2019

January 4, 2019 by Michelle 25 Comments

Happy New Year!

Catching up with friends over a big mug of coffee sounds like a great way to help kick off this new year so I’m joining Coco and Deborah for the first Ultimate Coffee Date of 2019!

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I really enjoyed the holidays. It was great family time and I loved having the Christmas week off from work. While I did race around a bit like a chicken with my head cut off the week prior, the holiday week I was able to totally kick back and relax, and I did my best to soak up every moment of the downtime.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that having the time off has left me craving for a “real” vacation. We didn’t take a family vacation last year, but I’ve already got my sights set on the boys’ spring break time in March – now the question is where to go?

If we were having coffee, I would also tell you that I took advantage of the downtime to also reflect on the past year and start to set some goals for 2019. For the past few years, I’ve picked one word as the theme for my year across all areas of my life – and this year my word is Intentional. With the “busy-ness” of life it is too easy to move through the days on autopilot and before you know it days…or weeks have just flown by. My ultimate goal is to be more intentional in the habits I form, in my career choices, in my home life…I think you get the picture.

My 2019 Fitness/Running Goals:

Run a marathon — This was top of my list last year, but was derailed first by family schedules and secondly by injury. But I’ve got my sights firmly locked in on Chicago and know with Coach Marc’s help I will reach that starting line ready to take on 26.2!
Stay off injured-reserve — This will encompass a variety of things including consistent “pre-hab”, strength training 2x’s/week, and continuing to incorporate the Chi Running focuses Coach Marc has me working on. I also think Marc will keep me from powering through when I should be backing off.
Make sleep a priority — I am a notoriously bad sleeper and when things get crazy, sleep can easily get pushed to the bottom of my list. My goal is to do a much better job of going to bed early and not falling asleep while watching late night TV on the couch.
Mind what I’m eating — While tracking my macros during the FASTer Way to Fat Loss program, I realized just how little protein I’ve been consuming. I don’t plan to continue to actively track my macros (though never say never), I will continue to be mindful of upping my protein intake.

Sharing goals over coffee #oneword #livingintentionally #yearofthemarathon Share on X

So what would you tell me over coffee? Have you set any goals for the new year?

Filed Under: goals, one word, Ultimate coffee date

Runfessions Over Coffee

November 30, 2018 by Michelle 28 Comments

Well hello, Friday!

Maybe it’s playing catch-up after the holiday, but this was one crazy busy week and it went by in a flash. I am so ready for this weekend to begin! So let’s get things started with a little catch up over coffee…and a few runfessions thrown in for good measure 😉

Over coffee, I’d tell you that I’m wrapping up my third week of FASTer Way to Fat Loss. I won’t get on a scale until the end of the program, but I do feel like my clothes are fitting better – so that’s a win! While the FWFL program definitely has helped me to be more mindful of what I’m eating, I do runfess that there are days where constantly tracking my macros is making me a little crazy.

Over coffee, I’d tell you that I’m pretty excited to have made a return to acupuncture this past week! I have used acupuncture on and off over the years for a variety of things including migraines, blood pressure, and yes running injuries. When I started wrestling with my nagging hamstring/hip issue earlier this year, I started hunting for a new acupuncturist since my previous practitioner is no longer in the area. I’m psyched to have finally found one I like and am planning to go for another session this weekend!

Over coffee, I’d tell you that despite my love of kickboxing as a workout, I runfess that I realized the other day that I haven’t made it to a class in almost two months! Whoops! Between work and family schedules, getting to the studio for a class has been tough – I clearly need the flexibility to work out when it fits my schedule and not the other way around.

Over coffee, I’d tell you that I recently had my first experience of riding in the car with my son driving with his permit. Yeah, well I runfess that I’m either going to have to learn to seriously chill out or make my husband do all of the driving hours.

I’m linking up with Coco and Deborah for the Ultimate Coffee Date;

and with Marcia for Runfessions;

and with Meranda & Lacey for the Fairytales and Fitness link-up

Any runfessions to share? What would you tell me over coffee? Do you regularly attend fitness classes?

Filed Under: Friday Five, Runfessions, Ultimate coffee date

5 things over November coffee

November 2, 2018 by Michelle 30 Comments

Happy Friday! And, hello November!

It’s time once again for one of my favorite link-ups – a time to dish a little about life happenings over a cup of coffee. So grab a mug of your favorite beverage and let’s join Coffee hosts Coco and Deborah and chat.

Over coffee, I’d tell you that we went out to visit my son at school for Fall Family Weekend last weekend, and had a great time! I continue to enjoy seeing him settling in and happy – does a momma’s heart a lot of good!

Over coffee, I’d tell you that I started a gratitude challenge on Instagram. I’ve been having a little bit of a pity party over the way my running’s been going (or not going) – combine that with work stress, election fatigue, etc. and I was just feeling the need for a bit of an attitude adjustment – And what better way than to focus on gratitude? So for the month of November, I’m doing a daily post on something I’m thankful for that day using #FocusingonGratitude. I’m hoping others will join in.

Over coffee, I’d tell you that I’m looking forward to taking on the FASTer Way to Fat Loss Program with Amy C. I’ve heard such good things about this program and have been curious for a while. And, I’ve known Amy for years, so when I learned that she had become a certified coach I knew I wanted to give it a try.

Over coffee, I’d tell you that in the ongoing world of house projects, I’m driving myself crazy trying to find the right shade of gray for our bedroom! Seriously, how could there possibly be so many!? But I have decided one of the most fun jobs would be naming the paint colors.

Over coffee, I’d tell you that I cannot believe that in less than 60 days 2018 will be history. Despite my desire for time to slow down just a little, I feel like the pace at which the days are moving is increasing. I was surprised by some of the posts showing up in my Facebook feed from friends who couldn’t wait to be done with Halloween so they could put up Christmas decorations – wait, what?! While I love the holiday season, I’d like to ease into it – not dive in full force without a parachute!

What would you tell me over coffee? Are you in a rush to get to the holidays?

I’m also joining Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five linkup!

Filed Under: Friday Five, Ultimate coffee date

Time for a little October coffee

October 5, 2018 by Michelle 24 Comments

It’s time once again for one of my favorite link-ups – the Ultimate Coffee Date. A time to dish a little about life happenings over a cup of coffee. So grab a mug of your favorite beverage and let’s join Coffee hosts Coco and Deborah and chat.

Over coffee, I’d tell you that October is probably my favorite month. Fall is usually in full swing at this point but Mother Nature’s still playing her own little game of bait and switch with the weather. I am looking forward to doing all the fun fall things like apple picking, hiking and leaf peeping, evening fires on the patio, and afternoon football games. October is also my anniversary month – my husband and I will be celebrating 26 years!

Over coffee, I’d tell you that my oldest son was home last weekend from school. He had an “open” weekend, which means no classes on Monday so he came home Saturday after his cross country meet. To say it was wonderful having him home would be an understatement. Seeing him so settled and at ease made dropping him off Monday night a little easier…but just a little 🙂

Over coffee, I’d tell you that I would admit that having only one child at home has taken some getting used to. On the one hand, it’s nice to have the extra one-on-one time with my youngest – on the other hand, parenting a high schooler from afar can present its own set of challenges.

Over coffee, I’d tell you that those house projects I mentioned last month over coffee are still waiting for me to get started. September was just non-stop and when I did have downtime, truthfully, all I wanted to do was veg. But I’m feeling re-inspired to freshen things up around here before the holidays come. I spent far too much time on Pinterest this past week and am planning to pick up paint samples for our home office this weekend. I also think I have convinced my husband our family room couch needs to be replaced. We’ll see how much I get accomplished over the next couple of months.

And, speaking of house projects, over coffee, I’d tell you that we had an HVAC contractor out to the house the other day to give us estimates for a new furnace/heating system and possibly central air. After hearing the estimates I seriously wonder sometimes if I picked the wrong profession! Do you think it’s too late to go back to school?!