It’s Oh Three Oh Four… 03/04.

Yep, It’s getting harder and harder to come up with blog titles. Figured I’d share a little update on the last 7 weeks. How on earth did I ever blog multiple times in a week when I can’t even post once a month now?

I’ll start on the fitness front.

I started running again! I ran my first miles of 2019 in Orlando Florida! More on that at the end of this post.

first miles of 2019

I have had some mild posterior tibial tendonitis (self diagnosed) but I’m doing a good job of keeping on top of it. I’ve been super diligent about strengthening and stretching. I found some great stretches and exercises online here and here and have been doing them every other day.

I ran a trail 5k last weekend (the Cold Feat 5k which is held in Staten Island’s Greenbelt) which was muddy and hilly but still lots of fun.

omg another hitch-hiking thumb

hitch-hiking thumb again

mud!

hitch hiking thumb

post race selfie!

I also finally took on the challenge of incorporating strength workouts into my life which is something I mentioned wanting to do in my last post. After listening to a podcast where the guest was a fitness instructor for an app called FITON, I bought the app. (there was a promo code so it ended up being a lot cheaper for a one year membership). I love it! I’ve completed 6 classes so far in the last 10 days. Most are bodyweight only classes but some use light dumbbells which I have. Some classes are as short as 16 minutes while others are around 30 minutes. There’s a really nice variety. You can choose from pliates, yoga, total body strength, dance/barre, cardio, and more. I’m really trying to strengthen my hips and glutes which will help as well in the ankle tendonitis department. Oh and core! I’m finally working on my core! And lots of arm work too. It’s felt so seamless which is bizarre to me because I’m 45 and haven’t been this jazzed about strength training EVER! Maybe it’s that I feel like it’s a really small commitment of my day and so easy to squeeze in. The instructors are very chill too. Hoping to stick with it for the entire year.

I had one really good run last month and came home and signed up for a half marathon because I guess I was having that “runner’s high”. Probably a very stupid thing to do but I am hoping i’ll get there. My attitude was “hey i’ve signed up and paid a lot for races that I couldn’t run in the past so what do I have to lose?” It’s the Love Run half down in Philadelphia. I ran it in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and I was signed up to run in 2017 and then got injured and missed it. Good news is they also have a 7k distance now so if I needed to I could drop down and not lose out completely. I completed my first “long run” of 5 miles last Tuesday and struggled for sure. I’m looking to do a 6 miler tomorrow. and then 8 miles next week. And a few short runs in between. I’m really just looking to complete the race so it’s a bare bones approach and not one I’d ever recommend 🙂

This was the run that I felt so great on that I went home and signed up for the Love Run Half Marathon

This was a run that got interrupted by a phone call from Mr. SOTSS. I don’t usually answer my phone but he rarely calls so I got worried. Ended up being nice to have a long walk break in between.

a nothing special run

My first long training run of the year and NEW kicks….New Balance 1080s. They’re currently being tested. I’ve got a couple of months to decide how I feel about them. 

For additional fitness I have been hiking here and there, and this past weekend Mr SOTSS and I took his girls skiing. So I got a good amount of exercise in traversing the mountain.

 

Found this heart shaped rock on one of the hikes

night hike!

In house-related news we repainted our back sunroom.

I give Mr. SOTSS props for closing off the room to the rest of the house, donning a respirator and sanding the layers of paint for a few hours. That was definitely the hard part. I just rolled on the paint.

Before and after floor closeup

It looks great except that after about a week a few little areas chipped and we’re now a little concerned that the prepwork we did (Mr. SOTSS spent a few hours sanding the old paint layers down with an orbital sander) wasn’t enough. I read that if there was an oil-based layer of paint underneath and you’re painting with a latex paint/primer that it could cause chipping without a special primer. Anyway, we’ll just wait it out and see if it continues. It could also be that the paint can take a full 30 days to cure and we only gave it 2 days before returning furniture and using the floor again.

In work-related news Mr. SOTSS and I attended the FASTSIGNS National Convention back in January in Orlando.

Learning a lot and enjoying some free lunches lol because isn’t that why everyone goes to a convention?

We learned a lot that will help us refine some of our business practices and grow the business too. I’m enjoying helping him with graphic design but sooooo happy I don’t have to do the sign production anymore. That was really challenging for me. And in my personal graphic design business, after a little lull in the new year, things are finally picking up! Whew! Freelancing can be quite the roller coaster.

In hair news I found an awesome new product line for my curls thanks to a sponsored ad in my Facebook newsfeed. Back in December I ordered some products from Lus Brands and can’t tell you how pleased I am. I got their travel kit size to try of both the kinky and the curly products and I mix a dollop of each into my hair when it’s soaking wet right after the shower. I scrunch and air dry and that’s it. The shampoo and conditioner are great too.

curly hair don’t care

Other than that it’s been the usual…

Cleaning up after dogs…

muddy doodle

Oh I wasn’t supposed to go on the furniture until you gave me a bath? My bad.

oops muddy

Hi mom. Can you let me in. I’m done digging in the yard.

Walking dogs…

Cuddling with dogs…

cuddles with duncan

Playing with dogs…

wanna play

hmm, I think we have a toy hoarder situation

Soccer anyone?

and clearly taking too many pictures of dogs. 🙂

Do you have any races coming up?

Do you like DIY projects or do you like to just hire someone?

Active without running

Hi there,

I’m emerging from my funk and lack of activity and have been active without running.

First there was the blizzard a week ago that dumped about a foot of snow here. I shoveled a ton. My arms got a very good workout!

shoveling is the new cross training

shoveling is the new cross training

Last weekend, Mr. SOTSS, his girls and I went sledding! Walking up to the top of the hill multiple times worked my leg muscles and sledding down worked my face muscles…I was laughing and smiling so much.

What a great invention

What a great invention

Working my face muscles

Working my face muscles

sledding-2

On Monday I took a brisk walk through the neighborhood while listening to podcasts.

On Tuesday I returned for a yoga class and last night I joined my hiking group for 2 solid hours of hiking in the snow. We covered about 4.75 miles and boy am I sore today.

It was 7:30 pm but the snow allowed us to see well even without our headlamps

It was 7:30 pm but the snow allowed us to see well even without our headlamps

I also dusted off the old Wii Fit and did some Hula Hooping. Geez, my abs are killing me after only 6 minutes, two days in a row.

wii-fit

Not activity related but Duncan is feeling better and got groomed too.

grooming

On a scale of 1-5 what’s your activity level like these days? Have you ever gone sledding? 

It’s been almost 10 days since I wrote my post about being mostly uninspired and ironically that inspired me to write a post about 10 awesome things that have happened since that post. (I re-read this sentence 10 times and swear it doesn’t sound like it’s grammatically correct but I think my point came across)

 

Number 1: I picked fresh veggies from my parents’ garden

fresh-veggies

Number 2: I’ve been swimming, biking, hiking and practicing yoga on the regular.

Seen on my hike this week

Seen on my hike this week

Today's ride

Today’s ride

20 laps a la doggie paddle and apparently KT Tape isn't waterproof when cholorine is involved

20 laps a la doggie paddle and apparently KT Tape isn’t waterproof when cholorine is involved

Last Sunday's ride

Last Sunday’s ride

Number 3: I got 2 new projects that will secure my income goals for the next couple of months

werk-werk-werk

werk-werk-werk

Number 4: I’ve been able to add “walk briskly” back to my life. This is awesome because it’s the next step in my running comeback.

 

Number 5: To go along with my happier feet I re-discovered this 40th birthday “gag” gift in my closet that is now my latest favorite thing. Why didn’t I take this thing seriously before? LOVE!

It's a shiatsu foot massager with heat!

It’s a shiatsu foot massager with heat!

Number 6: I saw the eclipse sort of. I took a pic with my phone but at first saw nothing. Then I saw this adorable crescent shaped reflection/lens flare thingy on the photo

IMG_2525

Number 7: I had the best chocolate chip ice cream of my life and of all places right here on Staten Island. Egger’s has been around since 1932.

Reese's Pieces instead of sprinkles for the win

Reese’s Pieces instead of sprinkles for the win

Number 8: I had my first beer of 2017…I know that sounds crazy but i have been drinking wine, hard ciders and frozen daiquiris and margaritas and only had my first beer of the year a week ago. It was at a local brewery here on staten island. I was at a fundraiser for some runners who are running the NYC Marathon this year. They’re fundraising for the Greenbelt Conservancy which is the non-profit that organizes the hikes i go on. They’re also my client! I designed their annual report and some invitations and posters too.IMG_2475

Number 9: Duncan’s eye is all healed and he’s off all the meds and with his fresh haircut is looking as cute as ever.

dreaming that I'll finish working soon so we can go for a w-a-l-k!!!!

dreaming that I’ll finish working soon so we can go for a w-a-l-k!!!!

The best thing I learned in my college photography class was to shoot from different angles

The best thing I learned in my college photography class was to shoot from different angles

Fozzie Bear!

Fozzie Bear!

Number 10: Facebook memories reminded me this week of the time Mr. SOTSS and I saw a shooting star when we were in Jamaica for his cousin’s wedding! It was a magical evening and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to share that experience with. memories

So there ya have it. From mostly uninspired to 10 awesome things!!!!

Tell me something awesome that happened to you this week. 

A little of this and a little of that

Hi there.

Happy Friday!

This photo popped up on my Facebook memories page. Baby Duncan! 8 years ago. He was only about 7 months old.baby-duncan

I’ve been home from Block Island now for over a week and trying to stay active without running as the toe slowly heals. I’ve been doing a little of this and a little of that. I made it to yoga 3 times in the last week and am loving it still. I’m working hard to hold that crow for a full 3 breaths. And I really think we all need to spend a few minutes every day inverted. (no pictures 🙁 I tend to shut my phone before I enter the studio.)

I live in a development with a community pool that I hardly ever use. I bought my home 17 years ago this month (I really can’t believe it’s been that long) and for the first 14 years I think I literally went once and only dipped my feet in. Then, in 2014 when my friend Jane talked me into doing that triathalon, I went twice to see if I could swim.

swim skirts are the bomb.

swim skirts are the bomb.

Well, this past week I have already gone twice and am discovering that it doesn’t matter that I’m not really a swimmer, I can stay afloat doing a doggie paddle/breast stroke hybrid and got 10 laps covered my first swim and 16 laps covered yesterday.

I have a silly shorts tan :)

I have a silly shorts tan 🙂

I definitely love to set goals and while I don’t love being out of my comfort zone, it feels great to get my heart rate up. If only the pool were deeper I’d try pool running. But it’s only 4ft 3in deep.

Dear toe: take your time healing. It's ok.

Dear toe: take your time healing. It’s ok.

I’m now 3 sessions into physical therapy and optimistic that this will help me heal faster.physical-therapy

I took my bike out once this week and it wasn’t until 10 minutes in that I realized I never reconnected the front brake after coming back from Block Island (the way the bike went into the bike rack meant removal of front wheel and that required the disconnection of the brake). OOpsie! Good thing I really use the back brake more than the front.biking-brake

I also managed one “power walk” this week. My toe felt really good on Sunday so I walked briskly for 3 miles.

Rocking the "shorts creep"

Rocking the “shorts creep”

And I went on a hike with my hiking group this past Wednesday.

we heard lots of frogs in this bog

we heard lots of frogs in this bog

IMG_1463

Getting ready to hike

Getting ready to hike

I keep fantasizing kayaking. I miss it. I wish I lived on a lake.

So a little yoga, a little swimming, a little walking, a little biking and a little hiking have helped me to Sweat Out the Small Stuff through the week.

Oh and I drove out to Pennsylvania to visit my dear friend Stef. We’ve known each other for 30+ years now! She has a labradoodle too—Bella. It was a great day of catching up.IMG_1430

And Duncan got a haircut!

I never grow weary of his before and after side-by-side photos

I never grow weary of his before and after side-by-side photos

I’m gearing to be back to running in the fall but for now I’ll keep doing a little of this and a little of that 🙂

How was your week?