Hope everyone is doing ok. I can’t believe how fast the days are flying by. How has it been 10 days since my last post? Let’s see..here’s what I’ve been up to since I ran the Fall Flat 5k:

I had an annual physical. I’m healthy! So all my aches and pains just mean i’m old!

I ran a bunch. All goal-less miles. (More on this later in the post)

a 5k around the neighborhood last Tuesday

a 5k around the neighborhood last Tuesday

Thanksgiving pre-calorie burn.

Thursday’s Thanksgiving pre-calorie burn.

5 miles on Saturday just because I had an hour and  the sun was out.

5 miles on Saturday just because I had an hour and the sun was out.

And.....today's 4.4 miles that made me think about goals for 2017

And…..today’s 4.4 miles that made me think about goals for 2017

I spent Thanksgiving at Mr. SOTSS’ mom’s house. Her and her husband just moved into their home this year and were excited to host a big gathering. I managed to spill an entire glass of white wine on myself but otherwise the evening was fairly typical.

smiling despite the fact that I spilled my drink

smiling despite the fact that I spilled my drink

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I’m thankful for my health but not my clumsiness! Actually I wrote I’m thankful for coffee but didn’t take a picture of that leaf. 🙂

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Always thankful for the outdoors and my puppy

I completed my annual holiday card design which I’ll reveal later this month but here is a picture of Duncan I took for the idea.img_7651

I went to see the School of Rock on Broadway yesterday with Mr. SOTSS and his fam. It was really cute.img_7732

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So 2017 is just a month away and I’m feeling like I should have a better handle on my goals for the year. Not just in running, but in life too. As I ran today I felt so ambivalent to how many miles I should run. Maybe that’s a good thing? But ambivalent is definitely not a word I want to use for long. And I feel like it’s the way I’m acting toward a lot in my life.

I’m not sure if I’ll be running any full marathons in 2017 but I just took advantage of Cyber Monday deals and registered for the 2017 NJ Half Marathon in April. So that’s good. #patsherselfonthebacknjm-recipt

I wish I felt ready to lay down some big goals for 2017 for but I’m not there yet. I just know I should be focused. Workwise, I know I want to gain some new clients in the first quarter of 2017 which means I need to market myself better. I know I want to work on my flexibility and strength more which means I need to cross train better. And I definitely want to cook more and eat out less. I guess this is a good start.

How do you put your thoughts into action?

Do you like to set “new year’s” goals? I don’t like the whole resolution thing but I always feel a new year is a chance to start fresh.

U.S. peeps: Do you feel that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas flies? 

Hi there

Before I get into today’s post I just wanted to share this sweet pic of me and my friend Sue from last week’s road trip to visit hersally-sueA sign I’m happy is my eyes practically closed….the bigger the smile the more I squint.

This morning I ran a local 5k trail race called the Fall Flat 5k.

Fall Flat 5k on a perfect Fall day

Fall Flat 5k on a perfect Fall day

It’s in a park that is just 10 minutes from home and while I’ve participated in some of their other events this was the first time running this particular race. Bib and shirt pickup was a breeze and since I was an hour early I enjoyed the views of the lake before sitting in my car for a bit. (This was clutch because I sat on a wet bench and used my heated seats in the car to dry off before the race began. HA!). img_7596Frankly, the sole purpose of registering was to see and chat with my friend Gina. It made me giggle when I thought that my goal for the race would be “conversational pace” but not in the sense of speed….more about the ACTUAL CONVERSATION. 15036309_10210994186871054_6300768106909354973_nWell, I hit my goal! I talked non-stop for the entire 3.1 miles and Gina got a word in every once and a while 😉 The entire run went by so fast that it left me wishing we had a longer course to run just to keep the conversation going. fall-flat5k-finish

It’s so important to make time for fitness but also to make time to connect with friends too. I’m determined to make 2017 the year of conversational pace! I want to commit to running (and chatting!) with friends at least once a month!

 Do you run solo or with a group? Like local races? Do you like to talk or zone out when running?

Hi there. If you follow me on Instagram you know I have been on a road trip to North Carolina.

I drove down from NYC with Duncan last week. drive-downWe left on Wednesday and after 6 hours (of total driving time including stops) we checked in to a pet friendly hotel in Richmond, Virginia and then on Thursday morning we continued another 5 hours to North Carolina.img_7287

We found a park to chase squirrels in Richmond

We found a park to chase squirrels in Richmond

My friend Sue (of 16 years) who used to live on Staten Island, moved first to an area of New York outside the city that was about an hour and a half away but this past summer her and her hubby and their dog Lucy (Duncan’s girlfriend) moved down to North Carolina. I wanted to make a trip down to visit with Duncan of course so he could hang too and since he’s too big to fly in the cabin of a plane, road trip it was!

Duncan and Lucy reunited!

Duncan and Lucy reunited!

More »

Hey there. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

The weather here in New York/New Jersey was awesome and we also got an extra hour thanks to Daylight Saving. Oh, and there was this little marathon with 50,000+ runners yesterday too 😉

On Saturday, Mr. SOTSS and I took the dogs to Asbury Park (New Jersey) to stroll the boardwalk and let the dogs play at the beach. I love the Jersey Shore “off-season”.

Boys will be boys

Boys will be boys

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Run free puppy!

Run free puppy!

Incoming!

Incoming!

Yesterday I traveled into the city to spectate the 2016 NYC Marathon.

It's always a hoot to see a dog in the subway. This guy and his dog were quite the pair

It’s always a hoot to see a dog in the subway. This guy and his dog were quite the pair

Wore my bright green coat again to be spotted easily.

Wore my bright green coat again to be spotted easily.

I met up with my friend’s husband and we split our time between mile 23.5 and mile 18. I saw some people I didn’t expect to see and some I very much did expect to see. I saw NYC Running Mama around mile 23.5. She was on fire and went on to set a 5 minute PR finishing in 3:07 something. And then I noticed Dean Karnazes. Running celebrity in the ultra marathoning world for sure.

Dean Karnazes

Dean Karnazes

NYC Running Mama

NYC Running Mama

I got to meet Colene in person finally! I met her “virtually” on Facebook in 2013 through a running group page she used to organize but had to wait 3 years to meet her in person. She lives on the west coast. Congrats to you girl.

Meet Colene. I met her "virtually" on Facebook in 2013 through a running group page she used to organize but finally got to meet her in person yesterday. So cool.

Looking good at Mile 18

I spotted my friend Erin at mile 18 too…

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This woman! That's inpsiration right there.

This woman! That’s inpsiration right there.

 

Two of my favorite Brooklyn running friends Mike and Lisa—and Lisa's sister Valerie (who came from Texas to run!)

Two of my favorite Brooklyn running friends Mike and Lisa—and Lisa’s sister Valerie (who came from Texas to run!)

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I just noticed the girl in green. Looks like she has to pee. She’s probably just waiting for a fellow runner friend at the water stop.

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Saying goodbye to them as the made their way toward the Bronx

After hanging at the Mile 18 mark for a while we headed back to 5th Ave (Mile 23.5) to catch Lisa Valerie and Mike again. I spotted Jorge. I also got to see my friend Cathy. It was her birthday yesterday too!

Cathy the birthday girl!

Cathy the birthday girl!

it's Jorge!

It’s Jorge!

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Looks like Val as a police escort. He was actually just there to keep us behind the blue tape.

And without fail I felt so many emotions surfaced. I have run the NYC Marathon 3 time, so I know very well the pain you feel on 5th Ave as you head back into Manhattan from the Bronx. I remember the amazing crowds and awesome volunteers who made me feel like a rock star. But when you’re spectating you can really see the mass of runners in such a different way. From runners with visible physical challenges to not visible personal challenges to longtime marathoners with streaks upwards of 30+ marathons and other’s proud to run their first. I could see determination, joy, pain and grit on the faces of every runner….something I don’t get to see while I’m actually running (although I do get to read the backs of shirts!).

It really was a fun day. And might I add almost as exhausting as running the marathon HA!

Hope you all have a good week.