A Solo Virtual 13.1...some thoughts

As the saying goes, "I can do hard things."

And, once in awhile, I can do said hard things on my own and with a smile.

Case in point: The Key West Half Marathon. I chose to run it virtually, on my own, mostly in the o'dark hours, sans friends or course support. And, I finished with a crazy dose of finish line endorphins, believe it or not.

Finding my Florida Stride

Ain't nothing gonna break my stride...

This week may have given me a couple challenges in keeping that stride going, though. That's all well and good, and everything played out with a happy ending. Besides, a few obstacles just make the journey more interesting and the finish more satisfying.

At least that's the story I'm going with. 

Kickoff to Kinnick 5K...a fun virtual endeavor

What happens when a favorite event, that benefits a great cause, is happening the same weekend you're out of town? 

Well, I don't know about you, but I opted to register anyways and run this event virtually. 

The irony? This event is affiliated with the University of Iowa, and I was in the University of Maryland area for the weekend...and there may have been a football game happening with these two Big 10 schools. 

Oh, and my team may have been the victors.

A Time For Chai & Chatter

So, here we are again....gathered around the proverbial virtual table in our virtual coffee shop, sipping our virtual beverages of choice (I'm having a chai latte').

What are you drinking? How have things been?  Do you have any fun things to share and/or discuss? How's your weather? Any races or training snafus?

Care to play along? Go ahead, grab your mug, make my day...  

Allstate Hot Chocolate Virtual 5K

Disclaimer: I received a registration to the Allstate Hot Chocolate Virtual 5K - Houston as part of being a Bibrave Pro. Learn more about becoming a Bibrave Pro (ambassador), check out Bibrave.com to review, find, and write race reviews.

When you cannot make it to the race, the race comes to you. Or something like that.

We've all toed the virtual start line of a virtual race, right? For many of us, a virtual race is a last resort, at least in terms of "racing." I've been guilty, many times, of treating a virtual race more like a training run than an actual race itself. 

Sometimes, though, a virtual race can have all the feels (or most of them) as an in-person event. Like, for example, when a runner rallies back from her first-ever stress fracture...

Pandemic: Lessons Learned

My Pandemic: My Lessons Learned.

Well, obviously, this pandemic belongs to ALL of us. I would argue, though, that each of us has experienced it differently. We've all had fears, anxieties, frustrations...and we all have brought our own life experiences to the table. 

That said, my pandemic experience came with many lessons. Most weren't necessarily new "aha moments," or ground-breaking revelations...but all of them left me wiser, changed, and ever more grateful. 

Making Some ILLI-NOISE!

Disclaimer: I received a registration for the Criss-Cross Virtual Challenge as part of being a Bibrave Pro. Learn more about becoming a Bibrave Pro (ambassador), and check out Bibrave.com to review, find, and write race reviews.

I've been making my own Illi-Noise lately.

Let's just say they call it Perfect Timing for a reason.

Ever been there? In the early phase of a comeback, when an opportunity practically landed in your lap? And your gut instinct immediately said, "Let's do this!"

Well, it's been my reality for a couple of months now.

A Few Final 'Fessions for 2020

Shall we share a few final 'fessions for this train wreck of a year?

Truth be told, while 2020 dumped many unforeseen challenges on us, it wasn't all gloom and doom. After all, I'm a strong believer in finding the sliver lining of every cloud (because EVERY cloud does have one). Let's suffice it to say the past nine months have given me many opportunities to strengthen that skill. 

Recently, there's been a lot of stuff happening...

2020: Show Me The Bling

Should we talk about 2020 bling?

Or shall we discuss the lack thereof ? 

It definitely was a year like none other. As much as I love my race bling, this year was a bit weak on the (live race) quantity...but the quality was on-point. It's been said that every picture tells a story, but I would argue that most medals would have a story as well (even the virtual ones). 

Take a look...

Gimme A (coffee) Break

If there ever was a coffee date I've been needing, it would be this one.

Actually, I'd be savoring a chai latte. As much as I love the aroma of coffee, I've never acquired a taste for the stuff. I do adore the quaint atmosphere of a coffee shop, though. And if there are a few friends, gathered around an intimate table...well, all the better.

I'm not a stress-filled, anxiety-consumed person...usually. Things have been a little out-of-the-ordinary in recent weeks, though, and I'm eagerly waiting for a break in the action, so to speak. There's a lot to be said for things returning back to their original positions.

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.

12 Weeks of 5K’s Virtually UN-Canceled

I guess you could say my training took an interesting twist this Spring. 

With all of my races either getting canceled, or assuming virtual status, nothing was looking normal. COVID-19 may have wreaked havoc on my races, but I wasn’t going to let it dictate my (running) livelihood. 

Thanks to the UN-Canceled Project, (promoted by Run The Edge), I fostered a new game plan. 

Scaling It Back

I was due for a scale-back. 

So I took one last week. No frills. No guilt. No regrets.

Have you ever taken a scaled back week? I know most of us talk about them, and we all know we need them...but, let's be honest. They are tough to commit to.

A Mayhem of 'fessing

The month of May may be winding down, but there's still some mayhem at play.

No, that's not a riddle, but merely my reality.

Even with a relatively race-free summer calendar, there is still plenty to keep me busy. And, quite honestly, that's how I thrive. But, first things first...shall we clear the air a bit and runfess a few things?

Winter Rewind?

A Winter Rewind? No, thank  you.

Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but I thought we were well into May. 

It seems as if Momma N's memory is a bit askew and she's wanting to relive the cold winter-like weather. Granted, it wasn't that bad of a winter this year, but that doesn't mean I'm eager for an encore.

Thankfully, she did keep the precip to a minimum, and did bless us with a lot of sunshine. But the temps? That's another story...

RUNFESSIONS? I got a few...

Runfessions?

Oh, yes. I have a few things to share.

After all, it's good for the soul (and both of my soles).

Humor...It's a Good Thing

Give me some humor and no one gets hurt.

That's right. A sense of humor is a good thing. It's also a valuable weapon, in one's arsenal, when forging through the unexpected challenges that get thrown at you.

If there ever was a time for an endearing sense of humor, it would be this week. For starters, we're talking major instability in all things weather-related. There were some interesting workouts. And, the UN-Canceled Project treated me to three (count 'em, three!) virtual races, all with unique race day attributes.

Up Close and Personal

Can we get up close and personal, for a minute?

Another week has come to a close, and we're all still soldiering on. That's something to be thankful for, right? This has been a tough time for everyone, much more difficult for some than others, but it has affected all of us.

Just as we all train differently, I can't help but notice we all are coping differently. I think that's the way it should be. We all have different life experiences, and different triggers. The best any of us can do is to keep moving forward. Whether you're anxious, calm, scared, pessimistic or hopeful...be rest assured, we are all in this together.

Anyways, it was another interesting week on the fitness front!

Virtually Quite Content

I have a feeling this will not be my last post on virtual racing, so bear with me.

I promise to vary the content and the details. After all, there will not be any race recaps in the foreseeable future. I guess highlighting some of the experiences from this temporary "normal" will have to do.

Anyways, we are barely one month into the COVID Cancellation Crisis, and I have already run five virtual races (and done one virtual stair climb event). YIKES. I think I have matched my previous "record" of virtual events, all in the matter of a few ((short?)) weeks. And, this has barely scratched the surface of what is yet to (virtually) come.

A Great Big Week of Hmmm...

Things that make you go "hmmm..."

Suffice it to say I was hmmm'ing all week long. Not necessarily in a bad way, but definitely in a state of "what's next?"

Questionable weather. Additional race statuses changing. And, some more virtual goings-on.