Another Year Around the Sun

As I posted on my IG last Sunday, I woke up and I was older. Those birthdays just keep coming. There's not much I can do about that, but I'm always grateful for what this body lets me do! Here's to another strong, healthy year!

The Calm Before...

...THE WEDDING.

EEEK! It's here!

Next week is my oldest son's wedding. All the planning is done and the big--very big--event takes place next weekend. This week will be all about preparing for the big day. I am excited and also anxious! I've been asked to give a speech at the wedding, and I have it written. I'm only working one day this week. My future DIL and I have plans on Wednesday for a mani-pedi, which will be relaxing and a chance for us to decompress. And yes, the workouts and runs will continue, right up to the big day. 

It feels like a marathon, with all the pre-race jitters! 

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Labor Day weekend is the unofficial end of summer, but there's still plenty of summer-like weather left! We had some amazing weather this week--finally! I enjoyed some really nice runs that made me feel like a runner again. While I worked up a sweat, it was nice not to be drenched when I finished. 

It's my favorite time of year, and I plan to make the most of it!

Playing Outside

This really is the best time of year to be a runner! Or is it fall? I love them both so much. As for all my complaining about the slow arrival of spring, I will grudgingly admit that these cooler temperatures have made for some great runs. It has also allowed me to really appreciate the arrival of all the blooms. I've made sure to get out early to soak up all the beauty and solitude that comes with being alone on the trails.

Where is the Sun?

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As far as springs go, this one hasn't brought its best conditions. In fact, I'd rate it a 5/10, and that's generous. A lifelong Midwesterner, I long for spring after our cold winters. But this year it's been slow to warm up. The sun has been MIA most days. And let's not even talk about the incessant wind.

Despite the poor conditions, I have been getting all my runs done outside. Thank goodness for good gear! While spring is slowly arriving, I am seeing color on my runs. Green grass, leaves budding on the trees, mushrooms popping up, and flowers blooming. Now if it could warm up...

It's Me Time

Before you judge me based on the title of this post, hear me out.

My life has gotten very busy since the start of the year. On the work front, some of the projects I'm involved in have accelerated and are starting to encroach on my days off. One of the meetings was scheduled at the same time as CrossFit, and I excused myself, guilt-free from the meeting to go to my class. My husband's health issues continue. In addition, my parents need more of my time as I try to stay on top of my mom's health issues. I feel as if I'm juggling 3 balls in the air, trying to keep everything going. 

Or maybe a better metaphor would be treading water, trying to keep my head above the surface. I actually do that on Tuesdays, you know 😘.

To preserve my sanity, I've become very protective of my 'me' time. I know that I'm a much happier and more productive person if I get my workouts in. I'm willing to be flexible as much as possible, but conflicts pop up. It feels good to put my needs first and I'm surprised at myself--saying no has never been easy for me. It's a work in progress. 

A Holly, Jolly Holiday

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This was such a nice week! Christmas fell on Wednesday this year and with Thursday being my usual day off, I also took PTO on Friday, and voila! I had a whole week off work. I needed that time to prepare for hosting my family for Christmas. But I made sure to get all my workouts in. A day without movement is like a day without sunshine, am I right? And we've had plenty of those this week. The gray skies didn't dampen my holiday spirit though! 

Looking for Color

It's finally real fall here--the kind of fall we are accustomed to. Not that our recent conditions were fake fall, but all that color, bright sunshine, and warm temperatures aren't what we Midwesterners expect for November. Heck, there are still leaves on some of the trees! I loved our unusually long stretch of gorgeous weather, which mades the arrival of 'normal' a little jarring. I made the most of it this week by wearing brightly colored gear or as I like to say, bringing my own sunshine. 

This week also brought me to my knees, literally, with a full-blown RA flare. A few weeks ago, I received the Covid vaccine and had a very strong response to it, lasting for a couple of days. The body aches subsided, but my joints continued to ache. This week, I struggled with my runs, feeling fatigued and needing to stop frequently to walk. I finally gave in and called my rheumatologist for steroids. It's been a while since I've needed those, but I am feeling better. Friday's run wasn't quite so painful and I could breathe, which let me fly freely. 

Here's to hoping for better days ahead!

Savoring the Good

I will never complain about the gorgeous fall weather we've been having this year. Yes, we need rain. But I know what's coming--plenty of precipitation as we move into late fall toward winter. I'll take this. Especially when you consider what's happening in other parts of the country.

My heart goes out to everyone affected by both hurricanes Helena and Milton. If you've followed me on this blog over the years, you know that my family has spent a lot of time on the Gulf Coast of Florida, especially on Anna Maria Island. It just breaks my heart to see the level of destruction. I can't imagine facing the rebuilding process. 

The Icing on the Cake

After a busy September, I hoped for a more relaxing October, but this month started with a bang! I'm not complaining--it's been a really great week! Our fabulous weather has continued and I'm going to savor every last bit--I know what's coming. 

If you follow me on IG, you know that I finished this week with some waterskiing on Lake Wisconsin. In the past, I could never imagine skiing in October. But never say never, right? It was 81F and sunny. Yes, the water was a cold 63F. But I have a half wetsuit, which I put into action on Saturday night. It felt as great as you might expect. And my cup is full...

Soaking up the Last Days of Summer

It's another loooooong post as I recap 2 weeks of fun and fitness. I was out of town last weekend and wasn't able to post a recap. So bear with me as you scroll through!

I've been really enjoying our extended summer, with warmer than usual temperatures, no rain, and bright sunshine. Everyone seems concerned about our dry conditions, but trust me when I tell you we will make up for it very soon. In fact, it is raining in Wisconsin as we speak!

Me, I'm just soaking all the unseasonably warm weather up. I know what's coming...

Another Busy Week!

It's been a really busy week! But so much fun. After a great weekend up at the lake, this weekend was Brooks Hype Fest in downtown Chicago! They packed a lot in for a weekend and we are all happy and exhausted. As it should be. I'm so grateful for these opportunities! 

Summer's End

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I was out of town last weekend and didn't post a recap, so this week, you get 2 recaps in one post. I apologize for the length. I really tried to limit myself. There is just so much to share! With summer coming to an end, I tried to pack as much in as I could. 

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Sometimes a staycation is just what you need. It's nice to enjoy the local happenings and that is what I did this week. It was a really low key, low stress kind of week--exactly what I needed. I'm lucky to live outside of Chicago as well as close to Wisconsin, and I took full advantage, spending time in both locales. 

I also kept up with my fitness routine! This post is a little longer than usual, as I'm recapping not only my workouts, but also sharing some highlights from my week. Thanks for indulging me!

Running Out of My Comfort Zone

I'm not being dramatic when I tell you it has been fire outside. We are still in June and if this is what summer will be like, take me back to winter. Sure the sun is shining, but it burns if you are out there too long. While I do love summer, I do not like the extreme heat. We've been in the 90s all week--we even broke a few records. We had some storms Saturday night, which brought a lot of rain and cooler temperatures. 

Meanwhile, I did get all my runs done outside! I just started a lot earlier than I normally do. A runner's gotta run, am I right? Running teaches us to push outside of our comfort zone and this week reminded me of that!

Race Recap: Blue Springs Trail Race

Earlier this spring, I had plans to run 'Run From the Taxman', a trail race on the Lapham Peak segment of the Ice Age Trail. I put the race on my calendar. After seeing a friend's Facebook post about completing the race, I realized that I put the race on the wrong date. Having trained for it, but having to miss it because of my mistake made me so upset. That same friend reached out to me with information on the upcoming Blue Springs Trail Race. Part of the Golden Kettle Race Series, this race offered 3 distances: a short course of 4-ish miles, a mid-course of 6.3-ish miles, and a long course of 13.5-ish miles. 

I immediately signed up for the long course and triple checked the date on my calendar. I hoped that nothing would prevent me from lining up to run this one!

Don't Worry, Run Happy!

The family drama I wrote about last week spilled into this week. I keep wishing it would go away, but I don't think that is going to happen. Thank goodness for running and my workouts. I was able to sweat out a lot of my stress again. We had beautiful weather for most of the week, and I fully enjoyed my trail runs. There's just something about being in nature that makes me so happy!

Ups and Downs

This was a tumultuous week! Weather aside, I had a lot of ups and downs. I've been feeling unsettled since Cocoa had her surgery, and life threw some curve balls my way this week. Did you see the full moon this week? It was HUGE and I'm blaming everything on that. Oh, and Mercury has been in retrograde if you believe that stuff. Normally, I don't, but I needed some explanation for all the chaos of the past couple of weeks! Thankfully that's all behind us and the week did end on a high note. 

My trail friend whose race recap let me know that I missed my race, reached out with an opportunity to redeem myself after my unintentional DNS.  She told me about an upcoming trail race on May 18 on the Blue Springs Segment of the IAT. The distance is listed as 'about 12 miles', which is perfect for me. It sounds really laid back and there's locally brewed beer at the finish line! After triple-checking the date,  I put the race on my calendar. I'm looking forward to it!

Just Keeping On

Our early spring was put on hold this week with the return of cold, windy, and snowy weather. By the end of the week, I was feeling a bit fatigued. I don't know if it was due to the cold weather, an impending illness, or just the toll of some very active weeks. I'm finally adjusted to the time difference and am sleeping better. Hopefully, when things warm back up, I'll find my mojo again!

The Real Deal

It sure seems that the groundhog was right this year! This false spring we've been experiencing may be the real deal.  We had some really strong storms this week with multiple tornados--a real rarity in February for us--a sure sign that the weather is shifting. I've been enjoying some nice runs and even got to run in shorts this week. We were above 70F this week and we're supposed to hit that again. If this warm weather pattern is wrong, I don't want to be right.