Soaking up the Last Days of Summer

It's another loooooong post as I recap 2 weeks of fun and fitness. I was out of town last weekend and wasn't able to post a recap. So bear with me as you scroll through!

I've been really enjoying our extended summer, with warmer than usual temperatures, no rain, and bright sunshine. Everyone seems concerned about our dry conditions, but trust me when I tell you we will make up for it very soon. In fact, it is raining in Wisconsin as we speak!

Me, I'm just soaking all the unseasonably warm weather up. I know what's coming...

Brooks Hype Fest 2024

 Disclaimer: As a member of the Brooks Running Collective, I received a trip to Brooks Hype Fest and complimentary running gear. This is a recap of the event. All opinions are my own.

Year 3 of Brooks Hype Fest--held in my hometown of Chicago, no less--and I couldn't imagine it being any better than last year! But as a lifelong resident and long time runner of the Chicago area, I knew that my city could bring it in a big way. 

Chicago delivered and the BRC took it and ran with it!

thanks to Keegan for this cool rendition of the bean!

Another Busy Week!

It's been a really busy week! But so much fun. After a great weekend up at the lake, this weekend was Brooks Hype Fest in downtown Chicago! They packed a lot in for a weekend and we are all happy and exhausted. As it should be. I'm so grateful for these opportunities! 

Summer's End

Disclaimer: As a member of the Brooks Running Collective, I receive complimentary gear and shoes in exchange for social media sharing.

I was out of town last weekend and didn't post a recap, so this week, you get 2 recaps in one post. I apologize for the length. I really tried to limit myself. There is just so much to share! With summer coming to an end, I tried to pack as much in as I could. 

Mini Book Reviews: August 2024

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I received Burn and The Instrumentalist from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my review.

It's a good month when every book I read was a winner! People always ask me how I read so many books, but when they are as good as the ones I read this month, it's hard to put them down. I may have completely neglected everything. My house needs attention. So does my husband!  A few trips out of town helped as well--I read while traveling to my destinations. 

I can enthusiastically recommend every book here. Enjoy!

Morning Motivation

It's been another challenging week. This is the crazy season at work, as parents are scrambling at the last minute to get appointments for their annual school physicals. Add to that the current baby boom we are experiencing--I saw 5 newborns last week-- and we are running, literally and figuratively. The hubs' health issues are in a holding pattern as he works to schedule tests and go to his physical therapy appointments. It's been overwhelming. Like I always do during times of stress, I've been leaning into running and fitness. It's no surprise that I've been having some RA symptoms, but so far, not an official flare. Fingers crossed.

Thank goodness for running and fitness!

Digging in and Getting it Done

Our week started out hot and ended up cool. But no matter what the weather, I was getting it done, really leaning into my runs and workouts for stress relief. In addition to the hubs' health issues that I shared last week, it was a really challenging week at work. Or maybe it just felt that way because I was pretty worn down from life. I'm really grateful that I have my fitness to lean into--nothing feels better than a good sweat!

Speaking of the hubs, he saw the spine specialist and will be having more testing done. It feels good to cross those appointments off the list. He's also going to physical therapy, which also seems to be helping. He hasn't fallen this week, which is good news. Hopefully, we're moving in the right direction.