Up and Down

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I hate to be that person who talks about the weather, but as a runner, it's in my DNA. While we in the Midwest are accustomed to wild weather swings, this spring has been more challenging than usual. Don't like the weather? Just wait--it will change. And let's not even talk about the ever-present wind. It's enough to send a runner to the treadmill! 

That may be an exaggeration, but I'm glad that I'm not training for anything. Content to 'just run', I got all my miles in this week. I'm always grateful for the sunshine, even on the cooler days. I also received some new gear, which always makes me happy!

Agility, Baby!

Will Spring ever come? It was a gloomy, cool week here in Chicagoland--at least until the end of the week when the sun finally came out! That didn't stop me from taking all my runs outdoors. I had a lot of fun on my trail runs leaping over puddles and fallen trees. It sure keeps things interesting!

I Needed To Run!

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It has been A WEEK. 

Volatile weather, wild swings on the stock market, and 3 trips out to see my parents kept me on my toes. Add to that all those extra work projects I'm involved in. I had to be flexible with my workout schedule and I got it all in except for one run. I'm really leaning into my workouts for stress relief as well as committing to them as 'my time'. I'm going to do my best to not let anything get in the way of that.

The week ended on a high note, though. On Saturday, I had a date with Erica at a sound bath in the city. After that, I met up with the kids for some beers. It's always so great to see them and any time I'm in the city, I do my best to connect!

Mini Book Reviews: March 2024

 Disclaimer: I received ARCs of Broken Country, The Dream Hotel, Dream Count, Claire Darling, Hot Air, and Saltwater from NetGalley and the publishers. This post contains affiliate links.

Thank goodness March has 31 days because I had a lot of books to read this month! I was also fortunate to have 2 weeks off work with plenty of downtime to read. I even had time to meet my goals of reading one Kindle read and one non-fiction read. My favorite book? Broken Country, which will most likely be one of my favorite books of the year. 

I hope you'll find something here that interests you!

I Ran a Race!

After all that activity of the past two weeks, I settled back into the routine of everyday life. But not before I ran a race! Long-time readers know that I like to run the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle 8k in March—it's a race that I return to year after year. I think I first ran it in 1993. My youngest son said he'd run with me. This was his longest race distance so far.

The iconic Columbus Drive start line

I've Been Everywhere

For the past couple of weeks, it has felt that way! This is a long post, but it's mostly photos. It's been a busy but very fun couple of weeks out of the office. 

The Ice Was Singing

Last Sunday, the ice was singing, and once again, trail running proves to be the most interesting way to spend time on your feet! The weather was all over the place this week, but luckily for me, all my runs were done under dry conditions. I was glad to get to do all of them outside this week. By the end of the week, the ice was just about melted on all but the biggest lakes around here.

As I wrap up this week's post, I am sitting on the sofa with my feet up, feeling completely exhausted and looking forward to being out of the office for the next 2 weeks. I'm heading into the city Monday through Thursday to attend my annual pediatric nurse practitioner conference. I'm looking forward to just sitting and learning. I'll be taking the train every day instead of fighting traffic and walking from the train station to the conference hotel on the Riverwalk. The weather looks great for the upcoming week.

Next Friday, I'll be traveling to California to spend a week with my sister and her husband. I can't wait to get my feet back on those desert trails! A change of scenery is just what this girl needs.