6 Favorites from '22

2022 was a fun fitness-filled year, and it was filled with many favorite things.

That being said, shall we play a little game? Maybe a "Pick 6," of sorts? Better yet, how about a round of "6 Favorites from '22?"

Trying to narrow it down to just six favorites is tough, but also not so much. I have found, it's always best to go with the first thing that pops into your head when thinking of such things. After all, those very "things" pop-up for a reason, LOL.

So, here's six random favorites from my 2022 fitness endeavors... 

Since I'm all about color, how about we start with a favorite fitness outfit? Since I simply cannot pick one specific outfit, I'll go with what makes a favorite fitness outfit. For me, it usually will involve two differing colors (if they clash, all the better!). Since I LOVE the summer time, this outfit will be a brightly colored tank top paired with (an equally colorful) pair of shorts. I do a lot of my summer runs in the early hours. Even though there's daylight, it still may be a bit cool if the sun hasn't completely risen above the horizon. My perfect solution is a pair of arm warmers, preferably in bright colors as well, (do you see a pattern here?).

 

If I were to choose a favorite month from 2022, it would have to be July. No contest. There was a lot going on in my little world of fitness, including a couple of first place age group victories (the Sully Freedom Fun Run 5K and the Midnight Madness 10K). There also was some heavy mileage logged on the bike...which readied my body (and mind) for my first ever century ride and a day of RAGBRAI. 

just after finishing 65 miles (and 2,713 feet of climbing)

after three previous 3rd place finishes, finally a 1st place!

As mentioned, there was a lot of time spent in the bike saddle, both indoors (during the colder months) and outside (May through most of October). All of this biking planted the seed of doing a century ride (100 miles). On July 27th, that century ride became a reality...and also my favorite accomplishment of the year.

with my century ride companions...Barb, Mike, and Amy

100 miles, DONE! 

With all of the biking miles logged (ahem, 3,013 miles in 2022!), a new favorite non-running workout was born, via HIIT and Tabata. Yes, me, the gal who would rather be riding outdoors, found a way to love indoor cycling. Most of the HIIT/Tabata workouts are from the Peloton app, and they're such a great cardio burn! My legs feel totally wasted when I finish, and that's just the way I like it.

I'd be remiss to not give a nod to my favorite new gadget...the Garmin Forerunner 255. Although I have never been much of a gadget girl, I do like to have a watch for gauging my pace for races. Also, I appreciate the GPS feature so I know my mileage when running in non-familiar places. My "old" Garmin died a few days before the Sully Freedom Fun Run, and I didn't have to time to research different watches, so this Forerunner 255 was kind of a spontaneous purchase. I was leery of all the bells and whistles, but there wasn't much of a selection at the fitness store I'd gone to. After some trial and (lots of) error, I have really grown to love this new toy. I wear it a lot...like for all of my walking, running (not just races), and biking (both indoor and outside). Gulp. I've become one of those people, LOL.  

I'm thinking of naming her Garmindy...

Finally, hands-down, my favorite race swag from a '22 race is actually from one that I ran virtually. While snow-birding in Florida (January of '22), I ran the Key West Half Marathon, virtually, approximately 445 miles north of the actual race course. I also ran it solo, in the early morning hours (so it was dark). At least the weather was comparable, and there were some random palm trees along my route. It was my first-ever Florida half marathon, and it's the farthest distance I've ever run in the month of January, so this virtual event did have some significance. But the swag! This long-sleeved shirt (tech fabric!) has so much funky artwork on it, I just LOVE LOVE LOVE it. And the rooster-adorned medal has merit as well. 

So, that's the Pick-6 from '22 edition of some random favorites. It was a decent year, and I'm thankful for the fitness, the friends, and the fun. 

In case you were wondering what some favorites were from 2021...

A Few Fun Favorites from '21

What you would choose to highlight from 2022? 

 I'm linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up

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