Uncomplaint: I’m enjoying not being in training for anything and just kind of running how I want! Went out for a run yesterday and decided I didn’t want to run up the long hill at the end of my route, so I didn’t. 😂

Complaint: I really am not feeling work lately, at all. I saw a meme the other day that we should treat November and December like the weekend of the year and that’s my work mood right now. Unfortunately, I actually have stuff to do!

Your bib will have a timing chip in it and there will be a mat you’ll have to step on at the beginning and end. Usually you can look up your official results soon after the race.

Oooh, jury duty could be interesting! I got a summons at the beginning of 2020 but I applied to be excused because I had a newborn and then…well, 2020. That’s the only time I’ve ever been summoned so I’m sure I’m due for it to happen again soon.

It was a great weekend, very chill! I thought my houseguests were leaving on Saturday but they left on Friday - no complaints here! (They also came a day before I was expecting them, who does that?!) No running this weekend - I was tired and we’ve had a mild cold going through our house so I took some extra rest days. I have a hard time getting back into/keeping up with running when I don’t have a race on the calendar. There’s one I want to do in May and I think the registration opens up in a couple of weeks so maybe that will help. Plus it’s getting cold and my bed is sooo cozy (I’m a morning runner). Maybe I can trick myself into running by wearing my merino base layer t-shirt, as a treat.

I mean, there’s that, but they want to drink milk too! It’s just unfair. I did decide that the boneless skinless chicken sale at Costco was absolutely not worth going there, so that’s one thing checked off my list!

What I would LIKE to do this weekend is just lie around the house - I cooked my first full Thanksgiving dinner yesterday and I am exhausted (everything turned out great and I’m so proud but so tired). However, I need to go to the grocery store (why do these people keep wanting to eat??) and, Lord save me, fucking Costco. Maybe tomorrow will be time to lie around the house? Maybe put up the Christmas tree? I’m hoping to get a few chilly miles in tomorrow morning - there’s a specific route in my neighborhood that I’ve wanted to run for a while and haven’t gotten around to yet. Happy (hopefully) long weekend to my fellow Americans! I will never cease to be grateful that my workplace is always closed on Black Friday.

Thankful for a gorgeous morning to get a couple of miles in before I start cooking my turkey (first time ever, wish me luck!)

Thankful to have discovered running. A few weeks ago I was looking at an old Instagram post - it was one of those prompt challenges and this one was something like “what is your body telling you?” I had written that my body was telling me I needed to move. At that time I was pretty much sedentary but I knew that wasn’t helping me - I’m a preeclampsia survivor and I knew I needed to start doing more to support my heart health. I started out with lifting weights and then later that summer I got into running. I never could have imagined that a year and a half later I would be running multiple times a week and loving it. What a joy.

I would check out the Couch to 5k program! There’s a whole subreddit for it that is a very friendly place (r/c25k). Definitely do your exercises from PT, and core strengthening might help with the back issue. I also have a child who loves to run and it’s very fun to see!

They look awesome, great job! I will never understand why covering gorgeous hardwood in carpet became the thing to do.

I made it through my 10k! Final time was 1:19:15 which met my goal of 1:20 but tbh I thought I could have done better based on my last couple long runs. My A goal was 1:15, B was 1:20 (this was my initial goal for the race), C goal was to finish/have fun and I had a blast so I’m going to call that a win. Yesterday I was unloading groceries and dropped an entire gallon of milk on my foot so now I have a nice bruise. 🫠 I guess I’m glad that didn’t happen before the race but it still sucks so it’s a good thing I planned to take a few days off from running anyway. I’ve barely been lifting since race prep was my main focus for the last several weeks and I do enjoy it so I’m looking forward to really getting after lifting some heavier weights and maintaining running for a bit before starting a new training plan.

It’s race weekend and I am FEELING THE NERVES, oh boy. Picked up my packet and got my pass for MCBQ this morning so everything is ready except my brain. 🫠 I am really going to have to pace myself at the beginning, my biggest fear is going out way too fast. My original goal was 1:20 but based on my last couple long training runs I think I’ll be between 1:10 and 1:15 if all goes well. I’ll report back on Monday!

Complaint: My foot has been kind of hurting and I am now freaking out about my race on Saturday. I don’t think it’s anything serious, probably a bit of PF (I had it last fall when I was training for a race too).

Uncomplaint: After this race I’m going to get back to lifting more regularly and I’m kind of looking forward to it. I do need to make sure I’m doing more mobility, I am getting creaky and I want to keep running for a long time.

Confession: I have to go to work on Monday-Wednesday next week and I don’t want to. I am hosting Thanksgiving and I have so much to do, especially on Wednesday. I already made a couple things ahead and stuck them in the freezer but that just doesn’t work for everything.

Some people have weirdly shaped ear holes, though. I’ve never been able to wear any earbuds because they fall out but I love my Shokz.

Going to head out in a little while for my race dress rehearsal (i.e. eating breakfast/having coffee pre-run since I’m usually an early morning runner but the race is at 10am) - got 6 miles planned! The weather sucks, unfortunately, but it might on race day too so it’s always good to get some rainy runs in. 🥴 Tomorrow I have work (my workplace is closed today for Veteran’s Day but it’s open tomorrow on actual Veteran’s Day, figure that one out).

Complaint: I am planning my race dress rehearsal for tomorrow (only chance I’ll have to do it) and it’s going to be during the rainy part of the day. Womp womp.

Uncomplaint: I don’t have to run in the dark to get my run in before work!

Confession: No School November can go kick rocks. My kids have SIX days off from school this month. SIX. Their only days of school this week were yesterday and today, and because so many families skip school on a week like this (because why wouldn’t they?!) we’ve gotten a million robocalls from the school over the last month about how important it is for the kids to attend when there is school. I’m over it.