Thursday, August 5, 2021

An Olympic-Sized Coffee Chat


How about an Olympic-sized coffee (or caffeinated beverage of choice) to withstand the current status quo? 

Yes, please, and thank you.

When it comes to the Olympics, I'm not a huge diehard. That said, I've been serving my time on the couch, this go round, and my entire routine has been temporarily upended. Not necessarily in a bad way, thank goodness.

All that aside, shall we grab our mugs, cups, or glasses and have a quaint little virtual gathering? I'm game, are you?

I'll even start the conversation...

First up...these late-summer mornings. What can I say? I'm doing my best to get outside each and every day to soak up and enjoy each and every remaining moment of Summer. But, ugh. Just this week, I noticed the early-morning darkness was lingering much longer. Also, with the recent drop in temps, it has been feeling a bit chilly for some of my outings. I'm so not a fan...


Next, I'd tell you about my nostalgia for sunrise rides. It's been almost a year since the derecho (August 10th), and my subsequent stress fracture (August 19th). Granted, I was riding  my bike, a lot, prior to being side-lined from all things on foot. After my diagnosis, though, Gustavas became my BFF (Best Fitness Friend, in case you were wondering LOL), and we rode daily for the next 100+ days. During that time, there were many sunrises to behold, and they were much more appreciated than the ones I'd seen prior because I was so grateful to be in motion while my foot healed. So, I have been making a concerted effort to get in a few more sunrise rides recently...and they are every bit as beautiful as I remembered.


As mentioned, the Olympics have been cramping my style, quite literally. I keep crashing on the loveseat (sideways, with Max nestled under my propped-up feet) and waking around 1:00AM, only to see more Olympic action taking place on the (still turned-on) television. So, I take a quick glance, and (45 minutes later) finally drag myself to bed. My sleep has been pathetic at best, and my back is feeling cranky 24/7 from the not-so-ideal sleep position. This Olympic hangover won't last much longer, though, and it has been worth it for every time my back has made me grit my teeth. But, Simone ((sigh)) had me blubbering as she did her thing on the balance beam. And all those speedy peeps sprinting around the track have left me in awe and wonder, marveling at their finesse.  

Last month, I mentioned my crossroads (so to speak) with the Instagram reels.  For the most part, I'm still not a fan of them. Well, let's just say I finally drank the Kool-Aid, and have started posting some for my #TalkToMeTuesdays series anyways. I'm still keeping these simple, with more of a conversational slant (as opposed to just a bunch of loud music) since my hope is to garner more interaction than just "viewing." So far, so good! It's not the first time "never-say-never" has bit my buttocks LOL. Here's my first-ever reel, from a couple weeks ago: 


Finally, I'll share my stats from July. Yikes, things got a little intense, but that's to be expected with that little marathon on the horizon. I'm pretty sure it's been almost two years since I've had a century month (for running mileage)...no surprises there since it's been that long since I've trained for a marathon. The continued biking has really been a game-changer for me, though. Who would have thought all those extra miles, pedaling, could actually make my legs feel so good? Things that make you go hmmm.



And that brings us to August. Yowza, and we're already almost a full week in! I don't know about you, but I'd like Summer to stick around just a little bit longer. The Iowa winters are too long and too cold for my liking, and once Fall arrives it's a quick fast-forward to the "other season." 

So, tell me...if we were gathered for a coffee date, what would you be drinking? How's your summer going...too fast or not fast enough? Any big events on tap for Fall?

 Since it's the first weekend of the month, I'm linking this with Deborah and Coco for the Ultimate Coffee Date.



I'm also linking this with MichelleReneeDarleneJenn and Zenaida for the Fit Five Friday Link-up.


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23 comments:

  1. Hah! I’m also dozing on the sofa and then waking up to catch an event before I haul myself up to bed — at least the track events don’t take long!

    I’m ready to be done with summer humidity but not summer morning light, which is already dissipating.

    Thanks for joining us for coffee!

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    1. I wish we could at least keep the summer light year-round...I had to drag out the Noxgear vest this week (after a 2-month sabbatical).

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  2. I am pretty much over our intense heat and humidity. It is not done with us though. We don't have the chilly mornings yet but I dream of them! I find it pretty soul sucking to do long runs in high heat and humidity. I was good about the reels for a while and now I am struggling to find ideas that are not too staged.

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    1. You nailed it, Deborah! SO many reels look staged, and that's a total eye-roll for me. We got a decent break in temps and humidity this week, but it's back this morning ;-)

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  3. I hear you about enjoying late-summer mornings. Today we have a foggy morning, and it definitely has some early fall vibes, and I am not mentally prepared for that yet.

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  4. Yes the Olympics has been wrecking my sleep! I'm torn between being sad that it's almost over, and looking forward to feeling more rested.
    I'm glad your legs are feeling so good from the biking! And, once again, you should consider moving to Florida. Summer is nowhere near done here- we'll be hot and muggy at least until mid-October.

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    1. Yeah, I'm ready to get back on my schedule LOL...though my "usual" sleep still needs work.

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  5. I tape pretty much everything I watch, because I can't stand commercials. And there are a LOT of commercial in the Olympics! I only was able to watch some here & there the first week, but since I've been home the second, I've seen more.

    I've noticed the dwindling daylight too. Some year I'm going to figure out how to stay somewhat energized in Winter!

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    1. The commercials are a bit much, no argument there! I missed out on a lot the first week as well...I haven't even had time to search for clips of what I missed...yet...

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  6. I've been enjoying your reels because they actually add content. I can not stand those that are just voice overs of silly things, Such a waste of time ( okay, I guess IG in general can be a waste of time but I am guilty...lol).

    I missed doing those virtual bike rides with you guys last winter, maybe if you do them again I will join you. That might be a great way to pass the winter days!

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    1. Oh, thank you so much <3 I totally agree with the voice-overs and ridiculous lip-syncing. Just not my gig. Yes, do join us this winter! It was fun having someone to chat with while we pedaled inside ;-)

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  7. I've been doing the same late night routine with the Olympics and have to admit I'm so tired LOL But I have enjoyed marveling at what these athletes have achieved!

    Such an awesome mileage month for you - clearly all of your biking agrees with you!

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    1. I can survive on pretty minimal sleep, but even I'm dragging. We just saw the men's 5K finals...holy speed...4ish minute miles!

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  8. I haven't enjoyed the Olympic broadcasts so much this year--too many commercials and they just jump around from event to event! I did love the gymnastics, tho. The track events are fun. I just wish they would stick to a sport for a while...

    I guess I'm not a big fan of reels. I give you credit for jumping in.

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    1. The commercials definitely have been overkill. There has been so much jumping back and forth...I was watching some of the track events, and I had a hard time following which event was what. All I knew was those peeps were flying around the track!

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  9. I like to view Instagram reels but I don't think I would have the patience to actually make them, lol.

    I really haven't watched any of the Olympics this year, but I catch clips here and there. My heart really wasn't in it for a number of reasons.

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    1. That's why I'm keeping my reels basic (at least for the time-being). I much prefer more "real" interaction as opposed to just a bunch of fanfare. I don't watch much tv, so the first week of coverage was very bleak for me (I missed so much of the gymnastics, by default).

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  10. You'll see on tomorrow's WRD that I've had the complete opposite thing happen with the Olympics. It's tough for sure when we're early risers.

    I haven't embraced reels "yet" but I'll never say never. In fact, I almost always scroll past videos. I did stop and look at your very first one, though. Good job!

    I love what BFF is an acronym for in your view! Just might have to steal it! ;-)

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  11. Sunrise rides sound gorgeous! I'm really not much of a morning person, but that might be a way to convince me to get up and out early.

    Ah, Simone!! The only sport I really ever watch for the Olympics = gymnastics. I was so proud of all of them! <3 :]

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  12. Awesome month for you! I am impressed with all of your stats. I have not been watching too much of the Olympics either and I feel "lost". But now I need to find out how to watch the marathon. I think I once wrote that I HATE Reels. All of the dancing gets on my nerves but I did watch one that had no dancing and I liked it.

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  13. A little bit too fast, but you know I'm a fall girl. I've come to love the extended daylight with working from home.
    Not an Olympics person,but totally with you on the amazing speed of the track -- and Molly Seidel!

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  14. I've really enjoyed watching the Olympics this time around, though the time difference always spoiled the results!

    Great job with your mileage for the month! And those sunrises look amazing!

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