Fit Five Friday and February 2024 Ultimate Coffee Date

New Ultimate Coffee DateWelcome to the February edition of the Ultimate Coffee Date hosted by Coco and Deborah.  It’s also time for another edition of Fit Five Friday hosted by My First 5K and More, Running with AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and me!  

Now, grab a mug of your favorite beverage, and let’s chat briefly!

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you I wish I were in Orlando for the Olympic Marathon Trials.  In 2020 I went to Atlanta to spectate and had a lot of fun.  I also ran the Publix Atlanta Half Marathon so it was a busy weekend.

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that I am excited for Kara Goucher’s partnership with Brooks.  I will admit that at first I didn’t know too much about her but remember watching her compete in various races.  It wasn’t until I read her book that I learned more about her and began to like her more.  I briefly saw her in Atlanta but have never met her.  

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that I just spent $675 on a night guard.  I’ve been wearing one for years but I think I spent $100 or so for it.  It was time for a new one but didn’t realize it would cost that much money.  I couldn’t get the same one as before because my previous dentist retired and now I have a new dentist. Unfortunately, my insurance company doesn’t cover it – and I have good insurance!

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that today is the 100th day of school.  Wow!  Times does fly by.  It was a busy week with too many assessments, etc., so we celebrated with a movie and popcorn party.  We are watching the Toy Story movies and currently are on the third movie.  Of all of them, that is my favorite one.

If we were having coffee…
I’d tell you that sometimes I get annoyed when people are vague on social media.  Someone I know posted an Instagram story and mentioned 29 weeks.  I then sent her a message asking 29 weeks for what.  She then responded “Training”.  And then I asked her “Training for what?”  She then said she was planning to do a marathon in August.  I should have stopped at this moment, but I didn’t.  I then asked her which one which she then proceed to leave me a voice mail message.

The topic for next week’s Fit Fit Friday – 5 things you love about working out.  Feel free to write about this or any fitness topic you’d like.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Tuesday Topics: January 2024 Review

Monthly Review-January 2024This week’s Tuesday Topic is a FREE topic.  Feel free to post any running-related blog post.  Remember to link up with Jenn and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers!

Let me tell you about how January went for me:

Mileage:  So far I’ve run 30.14 and walked 5.16 miles this month for a total of 35.30 miles (per my Garmin).  I began training for the NYC Half Marathon.  Again, I am following one of Hal Higdon’s plans and will be running 5 days a week.

I took two weeks off because of the weather.  Not only was there snow and ice, it was also COLD.  I had no desire to run outside in that weather.  I wish I had a gym membership.

Run the Year 2024:  I signed up to run and walk 2,024 miles this year.  So far I have completed 35.29 miles (per the RTE Tracker).

Current Book:  My goal this year is to read 24 books.  I finished “Heard it in a love song” and “The wind knows my name”.  I enjoyed both books but the latter one was so good.  Currently, I am reading “Nowhere Girl”.

Injuries:  None, but sometimes feel stiff.  Ha, I need to move more.

Races:  None, but I signed up for another race in May.  Total races so far this year is 5.

Health:  I am doing OK.  Depending on how my day goes, I sleep well and on other days I don’t.  Perimenopause sucks.  While I am glad I don’t have a period, the weight gain is awful.  I have gained about 10 pounds since last February.  My jeans feel tight and I had to buy new ones in a bigger size.  I know I am eating the same as before so this weight gain is frustrating.

School:  It’s going.  I have my good days and my bad days.  We had 2 days of remote learning and school was canceled another day.  The students have to take a state test (4 components and they already took 3) and a Math test.  This week I need to give them 3 additional assessments for Reading.  We are tired of all of these assessments.  I told them that on Friday we will have a movie and popcorn party.

What I am looking forward to next month: Hopefully not as many assessments as in January.  I also hope that the weather stays decent to continue training for the NYC Half Marathon.

The topic for next week:  Confession time:  What are your worst running habits?  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Tuesday Topics: Finding Balance in 2023

Tuesday Topics-223This week’s Tuesday Topic is a FREE topic.  Feel free to post any running related blog post.  Remember to link up with Jenn and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers!

My word for 2023 was Balance.  I found these suggestions to help me find and have some balance in my life.  Let me tell you how I did.

Build healthy self-esteem

Receive as well as receive

Create positive parenting and family relationships

Make friends who count

Figure out your priorities

Get involved

Learn to manage stress effectively

Cope with changes that affect you

Deal with your emotions

Have a spirituality to call your own

I think I did OK.  The main thing I wanted to do was find balance with work.  Once I did that, the rest would fall into place.  The way I saw it, the less time I spent on work, the more time I would have for the rest.  Right?  I am always very busy at the beginning of the school year.  This school year was awful because there were many changes.  Of course, we never get enough time to do all of the work that is required.

As much as I complain about school, I care a lot about the students and their families.  I became more involved in after school activities.  My coworker and I helped set up a few monthly Family Nights which were a hit.  It made me happy to see students and their families have fun.  But, it was a lot of work.  We didn’t organize an event in January nor will we organize the one in February.  

I am handling my stress better.  I did have to tell my doctor and she gave me medicine to help with my anxiety.  I know they’re not the same thing but in my case they seem to go hand in hand.  I learned to go with the flow with my mother.  She is 80 years old and taking care of an elderly is a lot of work.  Thanks goodness my sisters and I share this responsibility.

The topic for next week – Confession time:  What are your worst running habits?  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

New Tuesday Topics

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Tuesday Topics: Things I am looking forward to in 2024

Tuesday Topics-222This week’s Tuesday Topic:  What are you looking forward to this year?  You can write about this topic or post any running-related blog post.  Remember to link up with Jenn and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers!

A new year and a new word.  I am definitely looking forward to this year.  These past couple of years have been interesting; hopefully, things will pick up and become more exciting.

Here are a few things I am looking forward to this year:

❇️ Travel.  My last trip was last year when I ran the NYC Half Marathon.  I am planning to go again in March and am excited about it.  My nephew is getting married in March in Mexico and that is in the plans to go there.  If that doesn’t work out, there will be another reception in Minnesota.

❇️ Read more books.  Not because of my goal, but because I like to read.  My goal this year is to read 24 books.

❇️ Running more races.  I want to run a race in all distances except the marathon.  I would love to PR in one or two race distances.

❇️ Self-care.  I have to do more things for me.  I can’t help or take care of other people (and pets) and I don’t take care of myself.  I am important too!

❇️ The end of the school year.  Is it too early to think about it?  Every year it gets more and more difficult and exhausting.  I can’t keep up with all of it.  The end of another school year means another year closer to retirement.

Next week is a FREE topic.  Feel free to write about any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

New Tuesday Topics

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Fit Five Friday: 5 things to never do in the gym

Fit Five Friday-2We’ve got FIVE incredible co-hosts My First 5K and MoreRunning With AttitudeRun Laugh Eat PieRuns with Pugs, and me for another Fit Five Friday link-up!  This week’s topic is “5 things to never do in the gym”.  Feel free to write about this or any fitness topic you’d like.

It’s been years since I’ve set foot in a gym.  I used to go there a lot to use the treadmill.  I’ve been a member of a few gyms but my favorite gym was Fitness Formula Club.  It was a great gym with lots of amenities but not close to my house.  I think I was a member for a year before I cancelled my membership.  

Here are a couple of things to never do in the gym.  Or maybe I should say I would never do in the gym.

➡️  Not wipe the equipment – That is very gross.  I don’t want to touch any of the equipment full of sweat.  Gyms have bottles of sprays, wipes, and sanitizers to clean and disinfect the equipment.

➡️  Listen to music without headphones – I like listening to music but always use my headphones.  Oh, and no singing loudly to the songs.

➡️  Make phone calls – I hate having to listen to people chat while they’re running.  There were times when I did answer the phone but got off the machine and went somewhere else to take the call.

➡️  Talk too much – You know how I feel about all of the talking.  🙂  I’ve been on treadmills where the person next to me was constantly talking to the person next to her.  I could hear them even with my headphones so I moved to another treadmill.

➡️  Spit into a water fountain –  This is gross too.  Use the trash can.

The topic for next week – Runfessions with Marcia.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter