Coffee. Contemplations. Chatter.

Shall we convene, con coffee, and chat for a bit?

I don’t know about you, or even the general population, but I’m always up for some chatter amongst my peeps. Even if we can’t meet face-to-face, a virtual gathering will suffice quite nicely. If there are warm beverages involved, all the better. 

That being said, I’ll go first…

By the Light of the Moon

 

What did I see on my last (significant) run? 

Well, that would be the Full Snow Moon, of course. The Snow Moon, which is actually the second full moon of the year, is so named for the typical heavy snow fall received in the month of February (source).

Ironically, this full moon made its appearance amidst a slight warm-up (and melting snow), at least in Iowa. You won't hear me complaining about that kind of weather condition, though. This full moon was simply majestic, with a clear sky, and it thoroughly lit the way for another full moon run. 

Yes, another full moon run - my 22nd such run, in fact.

Girl Power: Market to Market Relay 2022 recap

Girl Power.

There's something about rallying together, over the course of 76ish miles, and getting it done. All kinds of grit. Lots of perseverance. A few tears along the way. An endless supply of support, encouragement, and laughter. And a finish line like none other.

I'm talking about the Market to Market Relay. And the sisterhood of six other runners and myself. And 12 hours (and nine minutes) of running. And a crowded van. And a nearly 18-hour day together... 

with a little help from My Friends

Friends. Honestly, can we ever have too many?

I think not!

This week had all sorts of action, and the majority of it involved the company of friends while it happened. Lucky me! 

There was also plenty of chilly weather. Oh well, it can't all be sunshine and warmth. Truth be told, we are entering the season of darkness and cold...

Running with Friends has it's Benefits

It's been said, by myself and others, that there are no friends like runner friends.

Heck, we all know the ins and outs of running. If there's anything we don't yet know, the odds are greater-than-great one of our runner friends can enlighten us.

Have you ever taken the time to list the many ways we benefit from running with these awesome friends? I'm not talking about our online running friends (who are invaluable in their own right), but our in-person running comrades.

Let me cite a few (or several) ways these particular peeps are beneficial to runners... 

2020 (virtual) Bix-7 recap

The Quad-City Times Bix-7 is yet another favorite race that succumbed to a virtual format.

To say this was like any other virtual race, though, would be a drastic untruth. But, hey, this 2020. We got to make the best of the situation...so that's what we did.

When I say "we," I'm referencing (1) the Bix-7 event itself (I was an ambassador, so I got to see things--somewhat--from an insider perspective), (2) the virtual race course I ran on on race day, and (3) my awesome virtual team of badass runner friends, Team On Fire.

A Runner and a Friend: The Interview

Running friends. Aren't they the greatest?

We all have running friends, and we're quite grateful for all that we share with them as we journey our way to becoming better runners.

We keep each other motivated, encouraged and inspired. Some of these friends willingly get up early on Saturday mornings (year round) to keep us company on a long run. They travel with us to places near and far, all for the sake of pinning on a race bib and crossing another finish line. They celebrate our achievements and hug us through our struggles.

And, if we are truly lucky, they become more than just running friends...they become real friends as well.

Grateful. Joyful. Blessed.

Grateful. Joyful. Blessed. .

There is SO much to be thankful for...and not just this time of season, but year-round.

I've written previous Thankful posts (in 2018, in 2017, in 2016, in 2015 and in 2014), and I honestly don't know if I could say it any better. Bear with me, I'm gonna go with (mainly) what's been said before, but tweak some of it to make it more current.

Chatting over chai

Holy Brrrr, Batman!

Didn't we just recently celebrate Autumn's arrival? The leaves had finally started turning, the air was cool and crisp, the rain had finally stopped....and now we're entertaining sub-freezing temps and wind. And, already, there's some of that white stuff on the ground.

I don't mind the change of seasons. After all, it's pretty inevitable that's it's gonna happen anyways. In fact, I kind of embrace the various nuances of each season...but that doesn't mean I'm in any big hurry for Winter to arrive.

Anyways, I've been slamming the hot beverages 'round the clock to try to keep warm. Speaking of hot beverages, what would you be drinking if we were gathered 'round a cozy table? Care to join me? What would you share, if we were chatting over coffee?