Workout Recap - Week 23

Sunday, June 1st – 10 mile run

Monday, June 2nd –  7 mile bike ride

Tuesday, June 3rd – 4 mile run

Wednesday, June 4th – 8 mile run

Thursday, June 5th – 4 mile run

Friday, June 6th – 16 mile run

Saturday, June 7th – Rest day

Well, I guess I can let the cat out of the bag... I am no longer working at Running Center. It was a great five plus years, but it's time for me to spread my wings and go elsewhere. I am going to use the summer to figure out what I want to do next/ where God is leading me. With that said, I was able to swap my long runs around a bit and now plan to do them on Fridays when the hubby is working (at least while I am on "summer vacation"), hence my 16 miler on Friday. I'm happy to report that this week was a lot less chill than last week (meaning I didn't lose my phone, get "lost" or have to hop the fence to break into the house), but I did tweak my back. Not actually sure if it's my fibromyalgia or if I did something to it during my Friday run, but I am definitely feeling something not so great in the middle of my back right about now. Here's praying some rest, a decent amount of time laying on the heating pad and popping a Tylenol here and there will 'do a body good'.

How were your workouts this past week?

Workout Recap - Week 22

Sunday, May 25th – 2 hour run

Monday, May 26th –  7 mile run

Tuesday, May 27th – Rest day

Wednesday, May 28th – 3.11 mile run

Thursday, May 29th – 3 mile lunch run

Friday, May 30th – 50 minutes on the stationary bike

Saturday, May 31st – 7.5 mile trail run with the hubby

Oh, golly gee, this was quite the eventful week. Sunday's long run was an adventure. The hubby and I were going to go look at a truck about 15 miles away from the house. On the calendar I had a two hour run, so I thought I could probably get in 12 of the 15 miles by the time I was calling it quits. The game plan was the hubby would track my phone and grab me at that two hour mark once I called him. Well, loandbehold, somehow my phone came out of my pack along the way and I didn't realize until I had finished my run and went to try to call him. Thankfully a biker picked up my phone (which is also my wallet and has my id and credit cards in it) and rode it to our house. The hubby was confused and worried at how I had passed him on the route and got back to the house, so he came home, met the biker and then went searching for me. My thought was to turn around and start retracing my steps - in hopes of finding my phone and the hubby. A mile of going backwards on the route and I saw a fire station. I decided to stop there and ask for help. The kind folks let me use their phone and call the hubby (thankfully we have each other's phone numbers memorized). Like I said.... eventful ;) Oh yeah, and then on Wednesday our app to open our garage door wouldn't work and I had to 'borrow' the neighbor's patio table to give myself a boost and jump over the fence so I could get in the house through our backdoor since I was essentially locked out! Here's to hoping next week we are back to our regularly scheduled (aka "boring") runs ;) 

How were your workouts this past week?

May Book Recap

Can you believe that reading wasn't my jam growing up?! Clif Notes were my best friends in high school - I'd read 'enough' to get by, but other than that I didn't enjoy the act of reading so never did it... like ever. Maybe I wasn't reading things that held my interest or maybe it was because it was "required" so I didn't like it, but, whatever the reason, I'm glad I challenged myself to add the goal of reading 17 books in 2017 (which became 88 books in 2017, 77 books in 2018, 67 books in 2019, 66 books in 2020, 67 books in 2021, 41 books in 2022, 98 books in 2023 and 224 books in 2024). The majority of my "reading" has been listening to audiobooks since I haven't had as much time to sit and read physical books once I started working again full time out of the house. Even still, holding a physical book is my JAM and I hope can add more physical reading vs listening. Just like in years past, writing a monthly recap of the books I finish is a great way for me to both record what I'm reading and to stay accountable. So, here are the books I completed in the month of May:

• All the Things We Never Knew by Liara Tamani - I had come across this book when I was scrolling through the YA genre on my Libby app and thought it looked interesting. I mean, it's playoff basketball season, so it makes sense to listen to an audiobook that centers on two high school basketball players, right?! I think so ;) I thought this one was sweet. As per usual, I really enjoy the books that are told from multiple perspectives (and when those different POVs are read by different actors on the audiobook). This story felt real to me. Some of the YA books are too perfect, but this one was raw and had lots of drama - relationship, family, sports, etc. Oh yeah, and one of the main character's name was CARLI (I know, it was spelled differently, but it sounds the same on the audiobook ;))! I would say this skewed a little on the older edge of YA because there was a decent amount of cursing and talk about sex, but I am mature enough to handle that, hehe. The dialogue was great and it reminded me of first loves. I felt like I was there and feeling all the feels with the characters. I could totally see this being made into a teeny-bopper type movie (and I would be eating it all up!). I would give it a 9 out of 10. 

• Say One Kind Thing by Susan Verde - I'm not sure how I got this book on my 'for later' list, but it became available on my Libby app and at some point I thought it seemed interesting, so I snagged it. The author of this book normally teaches mindfulness and yoga to kids, so this was a little outside of her wheelhouse, but interesting nonetheless. I felt like it read more like a memoir than a how-to type book. The goal seemed to be to get folks to speak to themselves with compassion and acceptance - all great things. Each chapter ended with a manta or intention that wrapped up the section of the book. It was a quick read, so the essay like chapters kept me engaged without too much woo-woo. I wouldn't say this was really my jam, but I enjoyed it enough. I appreciated the 'expert' not always practicing what she preaches and being willing to share that because it felt more authentic (and reminds us why it's called "a practice"). I would give it a 7 out of 10.

• Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter - After I finished the first book in this series last month, I hurriedly added the second to my hold list and got in line. As you probably know by now, sequels aren't normally my jam (as they rarely compare to the goodness that is the original), but I really enjoyed this one. There was just enough time between the first and second books (two years and quite a bit of life lived) that it felt real and not rushed. All of the cutesy nods to other romcoms were still there (with quotes at the beginning of each chapters) and there were plenty of 'awwwwww' moments throughout. I could totally see this becoming a summer Netflix release (and hopefully a mini series rather than chopping the 10+ hour book down to a 90 minute movie :)). Because I love love, I sort of wish the two would've made up earlier in the book (oops, that might've been a spoiler, but it was also pretty obvious that it was going to happen too so hopefully not too much of a shocker). It was cheesy, it was cute, it was witty, it was relatable, it was satisfying, I heart it. I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• Betting On You by Lynn Painter - I was stoked that while I was listening to the previous book another one of the author's titles became available on my Libby app. Another young adult romcom was exactly what I was looking for (sometimes fluff is what you need ;)). This time around the story centered on two characters that couldn't have been more different. Bailey was a very rigid Type A personality (and I say that in the most loving way because I know that is me too ;)) while Charlie is a fly by the seat of his pants sorta guy. Bailey loves following the rules while Charlie is a cynic (and a bit of a smart @$$) through and through. I really enjoyed the way these two vibed together, but at points I would say they seemed like they were older than the 17 year olds that they were supposed to be. I also would have liked a little more from Charlie's perspective, but that was just my opinion. The pacing kept me engaged and overall I really enjoyed it. I would give it an 8 out of 10. 

• The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown - Last month, when I shared what I had finished reading in April, a friend mentioned that she was reading this book and suggested I check it out. Thankfully my Hoopla app had it available, so once I had finished the first few books of the month on my Libby app, I downloaded this one. This book is about "special" (magical books). There are these books with powers that allow the holder of the book to "magic" when holding them - for example the book of joy allows the holder to have complete joy, the book of despair allows the holder to take away all hope of the person they touch, the book of shadows allows the holder to become invisible and slink away in the shadows, etc. The book that this story centers around is the book of doors, which allows the holder to turn any door into another door. So, say the holder wanted to go to Rome, they could open their bedroom door while holding the book and imagine a door in Rome and walk through from their room to Rome. Think of it sort of like a portal. Well, not only can the holder use the book to travel to any door in the present, they can also use it to travel through any door in the past, so this portal becomes an option for time travel. Of course there are a select few people who know about these books and covet them - think book collectors, criminals, people who want all the power, etc. Well, as you can imagine, drama ensues when magic is afoot ;) There were a few parts of the book that were a bit too fantastical for me (like where the books were created), but for the most part I was swept up in this magical world of books. I really enjoyed how all of the stories were woven together. I would give it an 8 out of 10. 

• Swedish Death Cleaning by Cloe Hampton - I had heard of the concept of Swedish Death Cleaning from one of the YouTube channels on minimalism I had watched. The premise is that people go through their things in a mindset of what will happen with all of this once the person passes away (for example, will someone else find joy or use out of this particular item). This was a quick listen (only about 90 minutes, which meant more like 50 minutes since I listen to my audiobooks at 1.75x speed) so I thought I would give it a go to see if there were any nuggets of wisdom I could take into my own life. Let's just say I want my hour back. This book was poorly written (I'm not sure if it was translated into English and not everything was a perfect translation or what) and I didn't gleam any information from it. It sort of felt like it was an AI summary of what a book on Swedish Death Cleaning would've been. I probably should've guessed from the sexist subtitle... I would give it a 2 out of 10.

With that, May is done-zo. If you have suggestions, let me know! I'm always looking to add to my "must read" list! 

What's the best book you've read lately? 

Workout Recap - Week 21

Sunday, May 18th – 13 miles (8 miles of running, 5 miles of walk/ run)

Monday, May 19th –  Rest day

Tuesday, May 20th – 3 mile run

Wednesday, May 21st – Rest day

Thursday, May 22nd – 3 mile run

Friday, May 23rd – 45 minutes on the stationary bike

Saturday, May 24th – 7 mile run (5 miles with the hubby, 2 solo miles)

This week was less than stellar. Mentally I just wasn't in it to win it... Sunday's long run I didn't feel like I could do 13, so I ran eight and then switched my watch to walk and ran/walked the last five miles. I was supposed to have a seven miler on Wednesday, but I just couldn't get my butt in gear to do it before work. Instead I snuggled with a wiener dog, wrote some snail mail cards and sat in the sun. Maybe I need to reassess this 50K training. I'm not sure if it's just too much too fast or if mentally I'm just not there. Whatever it is, everything this week felt like a slog and I wasn't excited to get out for any of it. 

How were your workouts this past week?

Walt Wednesday

Some people do a "Wordless Wednesday" post, where they simply share a photo or image, but I thought I'd make a little series out of my Wednesdays. And since I love alliteration so much, why not go with Walt Wednesdays (obviously everyone can use a little break from the seriousness, scariness and sassiness of life - and what better way to help put a smile on your face than with a cute wiener dog picture, am I right?!)... So, without further ado...

WALT WEDNESDAY!

When life gets overwhelming, how do you de-stress? 

Workout Recap - Week 20

Sunday, May 11th – 8 mile run

Monday, May 12th –  45 minutes on the stationary bike

Tuesday, May 13th – 3.1 mile run

Wednesday, May 14th – 6 mile run

Thursday, May 15th – 3 mile run

Friday, May 16th – Rest day

Saturday, May 17th – 6 mile run (4 with the hubby and 2 solo miles)

Running is hard and starting over (or what feels like starting over) sucks. My miles have been slow, but I've been getting them in. I'm thankful when the hubby wants to join me because then I don't feel as bad going at a slower pace than I use to go (I know, I know, I shouldn't compare myself to others, to myself of the past, etc, but sometimes I just can't help it). 

How were your workouts this past week?

Workout Recap - Week 19

Sunday, May 4th – 90 minute run

Monday, May 5th –  Rest day

Tuesday, May 6th – 3.1 mile run

Wednesday, May 7th – 6 mile run

Thursday, May 8th – 3.1 mile run

Friday, May 9th – Rest day

Saturday, May 10th – 6 mile run 

Running is hard... Saturday's run contained quite a few more walk breaks than I would've liked, but at least I got it done. (It didn't help that the temps were already in the 80s when I had started.) Starting over sucks, but hopefully sticking with my training plan will have me ready to RUN a 50K come October, because right now that goal feels so out of reach!

How were your workouts this past week?

Walt Wednesday

Some people do a "Wordless Wednesday" post, where they simply share a photo or image, but I thought I'd make a little series out of my Wednesdays. And since I love alliteration so much, why not go with Walt Wednesdays (obviously everyone can use a little break from the seriousness, scariness and sassiness of life - and what better way to help put a smile on your face than with a cute wiener dog picture, am I right?!)... So, without further ado...

WALT WEDNESDAY!

When life gets overwhelming, how do you de-stress? 

Workout Recap - Week 18

Sunday, April 27th – 10 mile run

Monday, April 28th –  30 minutes on the stationary bike

Tuesday, April 29th – 3.1 mile run

Wednesday, April 30th – 5 mile run

Thursday, May 1st – 3 mile run

Friday, May 2nd – Rest day

Saturday, May 3rd – 5 mile run [3.5 miles with the hubby, 1.5 solo miles]

My first official week of training for this October's 50K went well. Got in a run with the hubby (in the May Gray), a couple short runs and one longer distance. I'm interested to see how the body holds up over these next 24ish weeks. LET'S GO!

How were your workouts this past week?

April Book Recap

Can you believe that reading wasn't my jam growing up?! Clif Notes were my best friends in high school - I'd read 'enough' to get by, but other than that I didn't enjoy the act of reading so never did it... like ever. Maybe I wasn't reading things that held my interest or maybe it was because it was "required" so I didn't like it, but, whatever the reason, I'm glad I challenged myself to add the goal of reading 17 books in 2017 (which became 88 books in 2017, 77 books in 2018, 67 books in 2019, 66 books in 2020, 67 books in 2021, 41 books in 2022, 98 books in 2023 and 224 books in 2024). The majority of my "reading" has been listening to audiobooks since I haven't had as much time to sit and read physical books once I started working again full time out of the house. Even still, holding a physical book is my JAM and I hope can add more physical reading vs listening. Just like in years past, writing a monthly recap of the books I finish is a great way for me to both record what I'm reading and to stay accountable. So, here are the books I completed in the month of April:

• The Life Impossible by Matt Haig - I had heard a ton of great things about this book so I got in line on my Libby app and was stoked when I finally received the notice it was available for me. This story is based on a Mediterranean island where Grace goes to find out what happened to her friend from many moons ago. The novel is set like emails between Grace, a retired math teacher, and one of her previous students. Grace has had an unexplainable experience in Ibiza and tries to explain it (and understand it herself) in this letter she sends to her previous pupil. The story is part mystery and part magic. It's about grief and miracles and acceptance and transformation and friendship and aging and joy and self discovery and forgiveness and #AllTheThings all wrapped up in one beautifully written story. I love all of the characters, even the goat! Let's be real, this is a stretch of reality, but don't the best books do that a bit?! I would give it an 8 out of 10. 

• Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera - This is another book that I had been on the waitlist for on my Libby app and it finally became available. It's funny because most of the time I don't even remember how I found the book or why I added it, which makes it a little mystery of its own ;) This was a whodunit type book, but there were a couple different perspectives - Lucy, a suspected murderer, and a true crime podcast, which meant there were multiple interviews and points of view. The podcast was called "Listen for the Lie" and the podcaster was trying to solve cold cases. I really liked it (especially listening to it as an audiobook because it made the podcast feel a little more legit). Lucy suffered a traumatic head injury the evening of her best friend's murder and has no memory of the event (or so she says). There were lots of twists and turns that kept me intrigued and on the edge of my seat. I wanted to keep listening to find out what happened. I would give it an 8 out of 10. 

• Run to the Finish by Amanda Brooks - This is actually a (social media) friend of mine's book. This is written for the middle-of-the-packers, the runners who aren't going out and winning races, but still want to avoid injury and run for the love of it. The book is chalked full of great tips and tricks. There are stretches to use for before your runs, things to do to help avoid burnout, exercises to do to help strengthen your muscles (or help with muscle imbalance), etc. I found myself underlining a lot more passages than I was expecting to. I love that Amanda focuses on ignoring the clock because that's where I have found myself recently - no longer wanting to run for a time, a PR (personal record) or to necessarily run/ get faster. A lot of the nuggets she shares are common sense, but things that runners need to be told (and oftentimes, multiple times). I appreciate the research that went into writing this book and am stoked there are books for runners like me. I would give it a 9 out of 10. 

• Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - A friend of mine who is always reading (and recommending) great books had recently read a book from this author and actually said she preferred this one more, so I added it to my 'for later' list. This is the story of a teen in Nigeria with an extremely strict (and abusive) father. From the outside, her life looks extremely privileged (especially compared to her cousins), but as the story progresses you see that not everything is always as it seems. The characters were well developed, but it didn't grab me like I was expecting (seeing as the friend had such high praise for it). I'm not sure what I was hoping for from this one, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Maybe I wasn't in the right headspace, but it was pretty slow. The beginning wasn't my favorite (I actually wasn't sure if I wanted to keep listening because of how slow it seemed) and I felt like the ending could've been expanded on. Not my jam. I would give it a 7 out of 10.

• Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter - Every once in a while I will look through different genres on my audiobook apps to see if there is a series because it makes figuring out the next book to read/ listen to easier and when I was doing that last time I came across this one. Think of your cutesy rom-com movies (10 Things I Hate About You, Sweet Home Alabama, She's All That, etc) and turn them into a YA book and you'd have this. It's about a hopeless romantic senior who has a plan to make her childhood crush fall for her, but in the process falls for the annoying boy next door. This was majorly swoon-worthy and had me smiling from ear to ear. The banter was quick witted and made me chuckle. And, although I was hoping that Liz would get her happy 'movie like' moment, I was pulling for Wes the whole time. I'm actually super stoked that there is a second book in the series (even though I have to wait for other people to finish it before I can check it out), because I enjoyed this one so much and am interested to see what happens next. I would give it a 9 out of 10.

• Before We Were Trans by Kit Heyam - I saw this on my Libby app and it grabbed my attention, so I thought I'd give it a try. This is the history of trans people "before" the term trans existed. It was interesting because a lot of the subjects that were being discussed may not have self identified as trans, but then you have to think of the social, political, legal ramifications that saying you were a different sex than the one designated to you at birth could have on those lives and you can see why they may or may not self identify. There were a few times in the book where I (very wrongly, mind you) thought to myself that a book like this may not be important if there is so much overlap and intersectionality (along with not self identifying as trans), but then I thought how important representation is and can see why having a history like this matters. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

• The Wild Robot by Peter Brown - A friend of mine suggested I pick up this book, so I got in line on my Libby app and waited. The target audience was a little younger than I normally shoot for (probably middle school age rather than the traditional YA genre I enjoy), but he had just read it with his kiddos so I was all about it. This is the first book in the three part series (the other two have much longer wait times on my audiobook apps, so it'll be awhile before I get to those). The premise is a robot who gets washed ashore on an island and then lives amongst the animals for a portion of time. I love that it teaches that different doesn't have to mean bad or scary, but that different can mean different skills and ways to be able to help one another in a community. It was a quick listen (since I listen at 1.75x speed it only took a couple hours) and now the hubby and I can watch the movie adaptation. I see why the kids are all digging it recently! I would give it a 9 out of 10. 

• Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown - I had seen good things about this book so got 'in line' on my Libby app for it. It was released at the beginning of the year, had a Reese Witherspoon stamp of approval and had a decent wait for it, so I assumed it'd be good. The story was told from two sisters' perspectives. It was a mystery about the deaths of two young women, one a friend of the older sister and one the younger sister (so obviously the younger sister's story was told from before she was murdered). I liked the pace of the book and that it kept flipping between the different POV and timelines; it kept me on my toes. The aspect of the secret society was interesting and although it was fictional I could see something like them being an active part of campus life happening at ivy league schools. I'll be honest and say I didn't really like the conclusion of the story (the whodunit didn't bring me a sense of closure/ relief like I thought it should have - maybe because I wouldn't have figured it out or guessed the ending...), but overall it was entertaining. I would give it a 7 out of 10. 

With that, April is done-zo. If you have suggestions, let me know! I'm always looking to add to my "must read" list! 

What's the best book you've read lately?