Sunday, September 29, 2019

It was a Week of Mishaps but the Running was Good

Returning from an escape away is always tough. If only life could be that much fun all the time, right? If only every day could be filled with blue skies and sunshine...friendship and wine...boating and laughter...

Reality bites. I rode the wave (pun intended) for a couple of days. The good vibes carried me through my first day back at work. But by Wednesday, life took over and once again my feet were firmly back on the ground. Even the weather took a turn, bringing blustery, rainy, cool conditions which lingered through the week.

I had a few mishaps during my workouts, too. I think my body was tired. Being the stubborn warrior that I am, I kept on moving. Was it the right or wrong thing to do? Not sure. I do love to move my body, though. Even when my body pushes back.



Friday, September 27, 2019

Got Runfessions?

It's the end of the month and you know what that means, at least for us running bloggers. Yep, it's time for runfessions! Do you runfess? Marcia opens up the runfessional on the last Friday of the month so we can cleanse our souls. Or our soles...



Monday, September 23, 2019

We Fun SO Hard!

I'm a little overdue for a weekly recap--but when you read my post, you'll understand why! I'm resting on the couch recovering from an incredibly full and satisfying week. Sometimes life fills you up and makes you realize how truly lucky you are. This past week was one of those weeks. It was also my birthday week. I received some very good career news and I had some really good runs.

To top it all off, I headed south to visit my former Weekly Wrap co-host and waterskiing partner in crime, Holly. We were joined by the lovely Teresa for some fun in the sun, some running, and shenanigans. Who's old? Not us! Our motto for the weekend: We Fun So Hard!

We did!



Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Book Review: The Athlete's Guide to CBD by Scott Douglas

Disclaimer: I received a pre-release copy of The Athlete's Guide to CBD by Scott Douglas from Net Galley and PenguinRandomHouse Books in exchange for my unbiased review. This post contains affiliate links.

Unless you're living under a rock, you've heard about CBD (cannabidiol). If you believe what everyone is saying, CBD seems to be that "miracle" substance that can cure everything. I've had more people suggest I use CBD for my rheumatoid arthritis than I can count. The last time I went for a massage, my massage therapist opened a jar of CBD capsules, shook out a few, and offered them to me. "It will enhance the experience", she said. (I took a pass.) The local video store--believe it or not, there is still one just down the street--advertises CBD oil on its sign. A neighbor swears by the CBD oil he buys at the local gas station.

Can so many people be wrong? Is CBD the real deal? Or is it the modern version of snake oil? Is CBD something runners could benefit from?

I've been using a topical CBD product on my joints when they are inflammed and yes, I'm finding CBD to be an effective adjunct to my medications. I've also noticed that I have been sleeping better when I use it.

Is it the real deal? A magic bullet? Or is CBD just another supplement that is really a placebo?



Sunday, September 15, 2019

Crushing the Backup Plan

This year, I've become all about the backup plan. It's hard to let go of what you were, at least for me. I always pictured myself as a goal crusher. This year, I've become a backup plan crusher. I'm not saying this is a bad thing--it means I'm listening to my body and doing what feels good. Crushing the backup plan has become a lot of fun. I'm not training for anything, so along with running, now I'm getting to do all this cool stuff.

Maybe the backup plan is becoming the plan?



Friday, September 13, 2019

Friday Fun: Never Have I Ever Running Edition

It's FRI-YAY! Party time! I'm kicking off the weekend with a round of Never Have I Ever. Only instead of sharing poor life decisions, let's share poor running decisions. We are runners, after all! If you're in the mood for a drinking game, take a drink every time you've done one of the things I've listed below.

What are you drinking? I've got a tasty Two Brothers Citra United sitting next to me while I'm writing this post. I may need to get another one ready since clearly, I've got a lot to share...

Feel free to copy the questions and share them on your own post. Let's play!




Tuesday, September 10, 2019

My Social Media Dilemma

I've always had a love/hate relationship with social media, but especially lately, it's been less love and more hate. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in my struggle with all the hoops the platforms are making us jump through to get people to view our posts.

As an athlete, I've been active on social media for about 7 years. Facebook is where it all started for me, building a page around running even before I started blogging. Instagram came later, simply because I resisted committing to another social media platform. Plus, I struggled with the small text size on the screen, not to mention that I'm still all thumbs when it comes to texting. Yet, I adapted and to my surprise, built a pretty strong following on Instagram. Who knew?


I've enjoyed so many of the people I've met through social media. In fact, some of them are my best friends now in real life. I don't think I would have gone on to run the races I did--hello, 26.2! if I hadn't received so much encouragement from my tribe. Most definitely, my social media running friends validated my love for all things running! Races have turned into 'blogger meetups' and that has been one of the biggest rewards.

I also won't deny that I have loved all the cool opportunities that have come my way through my blog and social media platforms. Just this summer, I was able to attend that EMPOWER Summer Camp and had a fitness blogger's experience of a lifetime complete with tons of swag! I've also received a lot of products to review as well as being able to represent some wonderful brands and race organizers.

Sadly, though, for a lot of us 'smaller' bloggers, these opportunities have dwindled. Social media has evolved, becoming what I like to call a 'blog eat blog' world. Instagrammers have become 'influencers'. Platforms rapidly change their rules and algorithms, keeping users confused and frustrated. I just read that now we're expected to 'save' posts on Instagram? What the what? Don't we already have Pinterest? Pinterest wants us to leave comments on other peoples' pins? Facebook doesn't seem even to be relevant anymore.

What happened to just liking each other's photos and leaving a comment? Isn't the whole point to interact? Do I really want to do any more than I'm already doing? Am I no longer relevant? Should I still care?



Sunday, September 8, 2019

That's More Like It...

With cooler temperatures come better runs. It's true that those tough hot summer miles do lead to better runs in the fall. I had a fast 5k this week and I'm going farther. That is more like it!

I was running so well this week that I reconsidered running the race I committed to DNSing--the Naperville Trails Half Marathon on Sunday. Reality kicked in when I woke up Friday morning in a world of hurt. Sore from my daily RA stiffness coupled with DOMS from CrossFit, it made me realize that I'm nowhere near half marathon ready. I was sad but not stupid. I could run a half, but at what price to my body? Committed to staying healthy, I listened to what my body was telling me and made good on my promise to DNS this one.



Friday, September 6, 2019

Coffee Talk

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Good morning! I'm so glad we have this opportunity to catch up with everyone over coffee. I'm drinking Colectivo Co-Optiva, which is a delicious medium roast coffee available locally in Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago. It's nice change of pace from Starbucks. I'm enjoying it with a splash of half and half and some GLG Collagen.

It's been very busy month since we last had coffee. Here's what's been happening in my world.



Sunday, September 1, 2019

Desperately Seeking Endurance

Another week, another recap as I continue trying to push myself to get out of this running slump. Maybe it seems like I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth when I say I don't care about running far anymore yet complain about my lack of miles. Maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel better about my running struggles.

Bottom line: I just want running to feel good again.