Life Happens

This week, I finally felt like myself again. Not just physically, but also mentally. I have had a huge to-do list looming over me, and as much as I wanted to avoid it, instead I started to tackle things one item at a time. I took care of some medical issues, both my own and my mom's. My dad is also on that list, but his issues are a lower priority right now. In addition, I need to renew my PALS/CPR before the end of the month, and I started working on that on Saturday. I'm training a nurse practitioner student in clinic. I am doing a presentation at Grand Rounds in March--eeek!-- and started working on that as well. 

Selfishly, I have a lot of pre-releases to read this month and in March, and I will read them, but maybe not before the publication date. Life happens, right? 

No matter what is on my to-do list, I always put my runs and my workouts first. Because if I can push through a hard run or a workout, I can do anything! You feel me on this?

Mini Book Reviews: January 2026

Disclaimer: I received ARCs of Strangers, Scavengers, Women of a Promiscuous Nature, and How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my honest reviews. This post contains affiliate links.

I sure didn't expect another 10 book month, but when you're stuck inside due to bad weather, Covid, oral surgery...you get me? While it wasn't the best of circumstances, I'm not complaining about all the time I had to knock off some good books on my TBR! 

I also read some backlist books as well as a few spontaneous selections I'd been eyeing. My favorite book of the month? Raising Hare. I never thought a book about a hare--it's not the same as a rabbit--would be so engrossing and endearing. Another favorite of mine was Women of a Promiscuous Nature--an interesting historical fiction novel that is a reminder of how far we have come and a good reminder of that in light of current events.

As always, I read a variety of books and there should be something here for every reader!

Quality over Quantity

My running goal over the past couple of years was to hit at least 20 miles per week, running three days per week, usually 2 on trails and one on pavement. That pavement run was my all-out, push-the-pace run. I put on my headphones and let my legs fly. Although I have really shifted focus to the trails, I can't let go of my need for speed. While my "speed" has sadly changed over the years, I still love that feeling of pushing myself to the red zone. 

But this winter, I've had to change my running goals. After being sick with back-to-back illnesses in December, I had to dial back both my pace and my distance. The bitterly cold, windy weather forced me to make peace with my treadmill. But something interesting has happened. 

I don't hate it. In fact, by doing interval training on the treadmill, I bounced back much quicker than I expected. I am not accumulating the mileage that I am used to--I haven't had a 20 mile week for a couple of months, but I'm running better than I have for a while. Maybe less is more? 

With this in mind, I've decided that I want to work on my endurance, and a research study cited in a newsletter I subscribe to caught my eye. This study found that while moderate intensity exercise, like long runs, is great for increasing mitochondrial quantity, sprinting is great for increasing the quality of the mitochondria you already have, leading to more power, strength, and endurance. Of course, the research subjects were healthy young men, not old ladies, but I have no doubt that I can benefit from sprinting. Plus, it makes the time on the treadmill pass quickly.

Stay tuned!

Hello, It's Me

After 6 weeks of illness and recovery from dental surgery, I can finally say that I'm feeling almost like myself again. Almost, because my mouth isn't 100% healed, but I'm done taking pain meds, and I'm eating food that can be chewed. Lol. Between health issues, the weather, busyness at work, and the unrest in the country, I was feeling a little shaky. I don't want to jinx it, but I'm in a much better place.

Thankfully, we had a reprieve, albeit brief, from the bitter cold this week before the deep freeze rolled back in. I was able to get outside for a run on Wednesday. And what a run it was!! It did me a world of good. Here's to hoping for a few more like that. Weather gods, are you listening?

Tiptoeing Back to Where I Want to Be

It's been a bumpy start to 2026, and that includes off the trail. I won't tackle what's happening in the US on this blog. In my little world, there's been illness, and this week, dental surgery. I'm continuing my return to fitness and am hoping to stay healthy from here on out. 

back at it

It was an otherwise uneventful week in my life as I resumed my post-holiday routine. Work continues to be busy as the baby boom continues unabated! I can't complain. I'm grateful that almost all the parents we see are pro-vaccine. Tough times, for sure. And while this is a fitness blog, I also want to comment on how heartbroken I am for Minneapolis and the family of Renee Good. It's hard to process the news cycle these days. 

Chicago had some good news late last night as the Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers in a wild playoff game!!

As always, I lean into running and fitness to give me an outlet and relief from the anxiety I am feeling. While I'm feeling better physically after having back to back illnesses, I'm tired.  It's all been a lot lately.

Happy New Year!

I considered not posting this week, as this is a fitness recap and I don't have a lot of fitness to share. But old habits die hard, and I wanted to start the new year off right. Plus, I had deer photos to share! 

I continue to recover from illness #2, aka Covid, and the fatigue is real. After being off work last week for the Christmas holidays, I returned to work on Tuesday, masking while I see my patients. Still not feeling even close to 100%, I limited my fitness activities to mostly easy movement. 

Overall, December was pretty much a bust for me, fitness-wise. Because I was sick most of the month, I only had 53 running miles for the month. Total miles for 2025 were 880.