Runfessions...Anyone?

It's that time of the month again....

Time for a cleansing coffee chat with friends, and sharing a few runfessions for good measure (and peace of mind). You probably know the routine...grab a cup of  your favorite warm (or cold) beverage, and spill it (not literally LOL).

August...Pass or Fail?

August 2018.....pass or fail?

It's hard to believe August is coming to a close and September is almost here. Ugh. Have I mentioned that I don't want my summer to end? Lots of fun and interesting fitness went down this month. I sweated more in August than I think I have all year, but it was all in good fun.

Anyways, here's how the month of August played out...

Tough Times

It's been a tough week.

Physically, things have been alright. There's been some good runs, lots of walking, and a little bit of strength training as well. On the emotional front, though, things have have been tough.

But first let's chat a bit about the fitness and how I got my sweat on this week...

#MilesForMollie

You've probably heard the recent news of a 20-year old University of Iowa student who went out for a simple, routine run....only to never return.

Her name? Mollie Tibbetts.
Her hometown? Brooklyn, Iowa...a small town in central Iowa, located a mere 20 miles down the road from my hometown.

It's The Humidity

It's no deep, dark secret that I love summer.

The smell of fresh-cut grass. The beautiful flowers in bloom. The over-grown tomato plants in my raised garden. Summer running. The heat. But the humidity? Not so much.

Thankfully, the temps were not too steep this past week. The humidity, though, was crazy. I can take the heat of summer, and I can tolerate the humidity, but that doesn't mean I necessarily enjoy it.

Five Fun Fall Races In Iowa

All good things must end...

As much as I hate to face reality, summer is winding down and fall is just around the proverbial corner. Although the temps will be cooling off and the days getting shorter, there's plenty of fun to be had in the great state of Iowa.

Here are five fun races my state offers for runners (and walkers as well). Take a look!

HIIT me up!

I've been HIIT'ing a lot this summer.

In an effort to keep improving on my running , I have been stepping outside my comfort zone and adding HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts to my weekly routine. Although I was in decent shape before I ever did any of these types of workouts, I have noticed a pretty dramatic improvement in my overall fitness since HIIT'ing on a weekly basis.

Going With the Flow

Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow.

Am I right? When things are out of your control (hello, Iowa weather, I'm looking at you), you just gotta make do with what you're given. At least that's what I do.

This past week had me going-and-flowing, practically on a daily basis...

Five Running Songs That May Surprise You

It's no surprise I love my music.

Although I'm not taking my Ipod along with me for every run these days, rest assured I always have it fully charged and ready. There's nothing like a fast beat and/or fancy guitar work to keep my pace strong and help the miles go fast.

In going through some of the favorites, I realized I have a few songs that are "typically" not my taste, but they are favorite songs to listen to as I log some miles. My playlist is pretty eclectic, and these five featured favorites will prove that.

A Big Hairy Audacious Goal

Ever have a big hairy audacious goal?

You know...a goal so big that you almost were afraid to even think of it or say it out loud (or blog about it)?

Well, I have a few such goals...and here's one of them:

I really want to get my 13.1 time closer to the 2-hour mark. Ideally, I'd LOVE to spank a sub 2:00 before 2018 is over and done. ((gulp))

Up to Speed

Where the heck is summer going???

I'm really having a tough time believing we are in August....didn't we just celebrate the summer solstice, like last week?

Anyways, it was another action-packed week for me. Even with a couple "sleepy" days, I managed to stay ahead of the game with my fitness endeavors.

Coffee Talk: Bottoms Up!

Shall we gather together and chat for a bit? Over coffee?

It's that time of the month for our virtual coffee get-together. Anything you'd like to chat about? What would you share, if we were having coffee together?

There are a few things I could share, and they're not all running-related.....