If we were having Coffee

Is there anything better than a comforting hot beverage, especially when the weather feels less than perfect?

Truth be told, I can drink a hot beverage anytime (no matter the season or the weather) and be quite content. Although I don't drink true coffee, per se, I often have a coffee mug in-hand on a daily basis. 

And, wouldn't you know, it's time (already) for another gathering of like minds for some stimulating chatter as we sip our beverages of choice. Myself, I'm indulging in my most recent new favorite, a hazelnut cappuccino. How about you?

While we're officially a full month into the fall season, the weather has been leap-frogging from summer heat to winter chills, and then rebounding back to summer (no complaints on my end, LOL). I've also been doing my share of back-and-forth antics, especially in terms of running. I've had to switch my routine a bit, and do a little more of one thing and a little less of another.

But, I'm a  survivor, and all is well (at least at the moment).

Anyways, shall we get this coffee chat started? 

If we were having coffee, I'd start by telling you about my October fitness and whatnots. Most know of my hamstring/hip/glute issues in recent months. Nothing was chronic or debilitating, but I opted to scale-back the running miles considerably. I even took a pass on the IMT Des Moines Half Marathon and ran the Principal 5K Road Race instead. Thus, October saw my lowest running mileage month in a long time (like since, this time two years ago, when I was playing hostess to my first-ever stress fracture). The walking and biking held their own, though, and I was ecstatic about that.

If we were having coffee, I'd tell you a little more about my physical therapy and how I'm coping. In a nutshell, things are going good! Over the summer, I developed a fondness for Barre workouts (via Peloton). Little did I know that those very workouts were preparing me for my current PT sessions and regimen. And, a bonus is that I can do those lower-body (glute engagement, etc.) moves with music and my favorite Barre instructor, Ally. Win-win!

If we were having coffee, I'd tell you about getting reacquainted with Sebbe. Remember him? My stationary bike, situated in the confines of my basement? Yeah, him, LOL. He has already seen a lot of action in the past couple of weeks. Last weekend, he and I did a spontaneous 20-mile ride and Garmin surprised us with a badge for our efforts. So, let's just say Sebbe is my current BBF (Best Biking Friend) for the time being, and we are LOVING our rides together (especially the Tabata workouts).

If we were having coffee, I'd tell you how surprised I was to see most of the leaves have lost their seasonal color! The weather has been unseasonably warm the past 10 days or so, and the colors appeared to be peaking. Imagine the buzzkill when I awoke Tuesday morning, and noticed (most) everything looked like a drab shade of brown, just overnight. Apparently, the warmer-than-usual weather, and plentiful sunshine, fooled me into believing the colors would last a bit longer. Sigh...as if the impending "next" season isn't bad enough, right? 

Finally, if we were having coffee, I'd tell you how smooth the transition was moving most of my workouts back to the basement. I'd established a great groove of taking my workouts to the deck, patio, or backyard over the summer months. I even continued many of these sweat sessions as the daylight was dwindling, by use of the deck lights. Well, it was simply getting just too cold (in those early morning hours), so I spent a few weeks working-out with the yoga mat and hand weights in the sunroom...but finally hauled all the gear back down to the dredges of the workout area in the basement. First world probs, anyone?

Alas, that's what I'd share with everyone over coffee. I've chatted enough, so your turn!

What would you care to share, if we were having coffee? How did your October play out? Are the leaves, in your area, still holding their color, or have they assumed a shade of brown? Are they still intact, or have most fallen to the ground? 

 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 Michelle, Renee, Darlene, Jenn and Zenaida for the Fit Five Friday Link-up.

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