This week was all about getting ready for Thing 2 to head to high school for the first time. She hadn’t set foot in the building since orientation back in January 2020. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on her freshman year. There were materials to be picked up and Covid tests to take. As usual, my workouts were a stabilizing constant in a crazy week. Here’s how my workouts went.
Monday: Walk 2 miles, Run 3 miles, 20 minute bike
Tuesday: Walk 4 miles, Heavy Strength, 30 minute bike
Wednesday: Walk 4 miles, otherwise rest
Thursday: Walk 4 miles, Run 4 Miles
Friday: Walk 4 miles, Strength, Balance + Mobility
Saturday: Walk 4 miles, Bike 30 minutes
Sunday: Walk 4 miles, Snowy Trail Run 4 miles
It looked more wintery around here, but overall we’re still quite mild. I’ll take it. The sunrises, when not completely shrouded by cloud cover, have been spectacular.
The trails, while beautiful, are a tad on the icy side.
Blogiversary
This blog celebrated its 12th anniversary last week. Originally called Running Off at the Mouth, it started as my “running journal” as I trained for my first Boston Marathon in 2009. The kids were 3 and 7 and I blogged mostly when they slept. Feels like a billion years ago.
Treadmill-a-versary
My beloved treadmill turns 20 this month. Let that sink in a moment. It’s older than my kids. While I runfess I had my doubts about it last spring because I let Thing 1’s wish for something newer get in my head, the truth is it’s still going strong. I can only imagine the miles on it. Good times.
2021 Balega Impi Team. Over the course of 12 years I’ve had my share of ambassadorships, some amazing and some not so great. I’ve gotten much more selective and limit myself to just a few partnerships that truly spark joy. The Balega Team is one of my favorites. Yes, best socks on the planet, but it goes beyond that. The work they do in the community and around the world is amazing. I’m so proud to be part of that.
Kitchen Update
Hard hat chic. So much quartz, so little time.
I won’t lie this week was tough. We had two more designers here this week. We also had a contractor reschedule 10 minutes before he was supposed to be here and then blow off the rescheduled date so I suspect he’s ghosting us. Sigh. Why is this standard practice in this industry?? Clearly they don’t need any more business. We also took a field trip to a stone place to get ideas for countertops, back splash and floor, as well as to a cabinet place. Those trips were immensely helpful. We went around in circles on ideas for a bit but eventually some ideas crystallized and we ended up with a direction. Now to settle on appliances and find someone that will actually show up to do the work. Ugh.
Vitamin D Update
My doc has me taking 10,000 iu of Vitamin D daily (I was taking 5,000 iu previously), along with some Boron to help with absorption. I’ll retest in 6 weeks and hope for the best.
Watching
We finished The Stranger, which wasn’t my favorite at first, but it definitely drew me in. The final few episodes were quite the cliffhangers. Now we’re watching the Tiger Woods documentary. We also started The Flight Attendant. Yikes.
New On YouTube
Glutes & Abs Interval Workout. Otherwise known as Butts and Guts, I designed this workout to address the two places in which many of us gain weight first. No? Just me?? Haha, well give it a try. There’s no equipment needed and I promise it’ll get things burning.
How was your week? Are you still able to run outdoors safely?
I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down. Join us!
Love the hardhat! Congrats on your Balega ambassadorship. I feel the same about limiting them to the ones that really resonate with you. All of your snowy pics are so pretty I really hope we have at least 1 snow storm this year. I loved flight attendant but wow those are like no flights I have ever been on 🙂 Just finished Bridgerton which was more entertaining than expected. Have a good one!
Best of luck with the kitchen, it’s so stressful. We need new countertops but we need a new bathroom more … once the man next door has stopped putting cracks in our plaster with his incessant remodelling … Lovely outdoor photos, just beautiful!
I am anxiously awaiting your kitchen make over. I want to do ours this summer.
I remember your original blog. My blog-aversary is in March – 13 years!! It was called my first 5k. That as where I planned to stop. when I ran my first 5k. ha ha.
My treadmill is probably 30 years old. It hasn’t worked in 21 years…since our move. Just the other day, my huby got it to turn on. Haven’t tried it yet.
Yes, always outdoors!! If not, now on the bike.
Hard hat chic!! Knock wood, yesterday was my first really questionable slick-surface run this season. The black ice really was hiding, and the frozen slush did a number on my ankles…but I know those runs are (usually) far and between, so no sweat. Glad your fitness is keeping your sanity in check 😉
Happy blogiversary! I’ve been blogging since 2013 and even that feels like a lifetime ago. I hope your daughter’s return to school goes well! And good luck with the rest of your kitchen renovation!
I’m sure I’ve told you before…your blog was the first blog I started reading when I started my running journey. Congrats on your blogiversary!
I will never understand why contractors act that way! Just adds to the anxiety of the whole project. I can’t wait to see your new kitchen! I’m still working on convincing my husband it’s time we bite the bullet.
Hope all goes well for your daughter’s return to the classroom!
Happy anniversary! You were one of the first blogs I started reading back in the day. Glad we were able to meet IRL. I miss our lunches –hopefully, we can resume them soon.
If you are upset about being ghosted by a contractor, imagine being married to one. :p Imagine having taken a loan for home repairs and the money is still in the bank. I swear, it’s no wonder I’m depressed…lol. I feel like the shoemaker’s children…
Oh, I hope the return to school goes well! LOL on your original blog title, I don’t think I’d found you back then. 😉 I think my TM is about as old as yours — they sure did make them well in those days. Knock-on-wood.
All those kitchen decisions are stressful, but I’m sure it will come together nicely. We used a contractor a friend had used, and were pretty happy with them. The final work seemed to drag on a bit, but it got done well.
I’ll have to look up The Flight Attendant ….
Our Winter has also been quite mild, in general. Alas, I’m not running at the moment!
I wonder if I should up my Vit D. I take 5000 too, although mine wasn’t quite so low — but I’m sure it’s somewhat behind my fatigue right now. Then again, my dr didn’t recommend bloodwork this year & I was ok with that. Maybe if it had been a normal year.
Good luck to your daughter heading back to the classroom! They have really had such a hard time. Good luck with the kitchen, too. That stuff can drive you crazy. 🙁
Happy Blogiversary! I’m so happy that your blog was one of the first ones I discovered when I started to get more serious about running.
Best of luck with the kitchen remodel! Just keep in mind that the end result will be worth all the upfront bumps in the road!
Winter sunrises are the absolute best.
Happy blogversary. Mine has had so many themes over the years it’s kind of funny: travel, weight loss, running.
LOve your jacket. Good luck finding everything to get this all going
Happy blog & treadmill anni’s! Next year your TM will be old enough to drink;-)
How exciting about your daughter! Is she nervous and excited?
That is a terrible thing the contractor did to you. So rude. I can’t wait to see pictures of your kitchen when it is done.
A well-used treadmill! I agree, why replace something that works well?
It would be interesting to know the mileage that you accumulated over the years. And all the thoughts and feelings that were sweated out on it.
Good luck on the kitchen remodel. Looking forward to the photos of the final product!
Better to have him ghost you now than in the middle of the construction. I had the worse contractor do my kitchen. I still get angry when I think about him and wish I had a voodoo doll to poke. Lol
Contractors can be so flaky. It’s annoying but it seems to go with the territory. I can’t wait to see what you chose!
I also joined the Balega team this year! I’m so excited!
My blogiversary is this year too. Though to be honest I don’t even know why I do it hahaha! I mean, YES I’ve met some amazing people through blogging but I kind of have a love-hate relationship with it. I feel a bit like a broken record half the time.
We got lucky this time around with the contractors for our bathroom. But I’ve had bad experiences in the past. It’s like it doesn’t even matter to them if they piss off a (potential) customer, because there will always be another customer. It sucks. And I hope you get your kitchen sorted asap. At least you had some good material shopping done :).
Do Balega have toe socks? I have never seen them here to be honest.
I really liked the workout Marcia! It’s really doable when you don’t have a lot of time but still want to get a workout in!
Happy Blogisversary!!! 12 year is awesome! Have you thought about downloading your blog into a book? I’ve started looking into doing it and its kind of expensive, but its such a useful journal of life, especially after 12 years of doing it!
Good luck with the kitchen remodel! We’ve had the same company remodel a kitchen, finish two basements, and build a deck. I hope you find someone you like as much as we like this contractor. Have fun picking out all of the stuff – so many options!
Congrats on the Balega Ambassador! I got the “sorry, but here’s a discount” email 🙂 I love Balega socks too! Those are two big anniversaries too. It seems like any kind of contractors are like that! It’s so frustrating. I don’t know how they even get new business sometimes when they are so unpredictable. My kids started back to a hybrid schedule again, and that means after school band practice again. That makes me happy!