7 Things

I’m back again for what seems like my monthly posting! I have less than 3 weeks left of classes, so hoping to make my blog posts more regular again. Life has been completely crazy this past month with my nursing senior practicum at the hospital (night shifts!), but I finished my last one this morning. Cheers to no longer having to look like a smurf & maybe a week without mask-ne (the masks we have to wear during our 12 hour shift causes me to break out in crazy acne)

We’ve been biking together so much lately & I love it. It’s amazing how much farther you can get when you’ve got two wheels!

We ate-out for the first time since the pandemic started & it was so nice! We wore masks to our table (we ate at the Old Saco Inn) & then took them off. The Chicken Piccata was amazing (& leftovers just as good)!

Every time I feel like I’m heat-acclimated, I run in crazy humid weather and become very humbled. I know running this Fall will so good once those cooler temperatures come.

We took the kayaks out last week and it’s so nice being out on the water after dinner. It’s quieter on the water and so serene.

It’s funny when this is actually your “nights “ sleep (when I have back-to-back night shifts I sleep during the daytime)

Really enjoying splurging on coffee Oreo ice cream lately. So so good. Maybe my favorite flavor?

Just a daily dose of Manx kitty cuteness.

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-What’s your favorite Ice Cream flavor?
-How much sleep do you get each night?
-Biking or running- tell me your favorite way to get around

10 Things And A Race Recap- Wedding Updates, REALLY EXCITED FOR THIS, This Was A Bummer

I’m BACK. Momentarily. Well, now maybe i’ll be back a bit longer since our campus is switching to online classes after Spring Break next week. So I’ll have a bunch more time since I don’t have to drive everywhere. Maybe, just maybe I’ll be back on here more often? Maybe I’ll just be CRUSHING MORE PR’s- Like what I did at the Hamptons Half Marathon last weekend. My race recap is HERE.

We’re deep into the Wedding planning over here. So far, I’ve fallen in love with my Brunch (the morning after) outfit. Also obsessed with my awesome haircut by Sara Ghelfi (Lotus Organic Hair Studio in North Conway for any locals out there!).

Also got all of my earrings for the Wedding weekend- including these for the actual Wedding day!

It’s been a heat-wave here (or well, maybe our thermometer no longer works/ is in the direct sun….yeah I think that’s much more realistic). Ha.

I got to go skiing!!! ONE DAY THIS WHOLE SEASON. WOW. Remember when I used to go like three times a week? Yeah…

I think I already announced this on here, but I got in the Mt. Washington Road Race again! YAY to running up crazy-steep mountains.

I’m trying to swim one time per week and it’s still so hard. Convinced that swimmers are the real deal athletes.

I rewarded myself yesterday with an Iced Coffee and donut yesterday. Good thing that Stella ate my donut for me before I could have a bite……

I’m in my Labor & Delivery clinical (hoping we can still go since classes are online after Spring Break) and so far, haven’t been able to catch any babies!!! I HAVE been able to hold a 31 week old little nugget, which was literally life-changing. I cannot believe that I graduate in August?!?!?

And some of the BIGGEST NEWS YET!!! So excited to announce that I’m part of the Brooks Run Happy Team for 2020! Can’t wait to help spread my love for Brooks Running this year.

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Anyone have any Wedding suggestions for me?!? I NEED YOUR TIPS!

Favorite Brooks Running outfit?

Anyone else a Nurse that loved their L & D rotation? I’M OBSESSED.

7 THINGS

You know when you go on vacation and come back and are constantly wondering what day it is? Yeah. That’s definitely me today. It’s a Monday, but really kinda feels like a Wednesday? to me. One of the best things about this weekend was that the lake trail is now dry and snow-free! I got out there on Saturday morning and was so so happy. I’m planning on getting back out there today to get my last 20+ mile run until my 50 miler! I’ll simulate the race course by doing a 3-mile warmup (the course has us do a 3 mile loop and then 3 x 25k loops) and then 2 loops of the 10 mile lake trail. It’s supposed to be rainy until Friday, so I think mother nature is giving me a sign that today is my long run day ; )

Brady was also in his usual spot last night - he loves to hide behind our fan while we go to sleep?!? Anyone elses cat do this?

After I ran Saturday morning, we headed to the movies to see the new Avengers: End Game! It was SO good. Normally I have a really hard time watching a movie that is 3 hours long, but this one was done so well and it honestly felt like several movies in one.

Also weekend chores including laundry. Just realized that Brady is basically the highlight of this past weekend. I guess I missed him on my trip ; )

The weather was so beautiful this weekend, so we also took advantage and got a few things done outside including taking the cats out! There are too many coyotes, mountain lions, and foxes near our home so we choose to keep them indoors, but will take them out on leaches/ harnesses during the warmer months.

Maple says her harness complements her fur so well.

Cat bouquet!

I think this photo also gives nice scale to how giant Brady is compared to Maple. Ha. I swear they are brother/sister!

And we went out for a hike out Mad Creek yesterday afternoon! The trails were crazy busy, but DRY so yay!

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-How was your weekend?!?

-Anyone else see the Avengers movie this weekend? Thoughts? No spoilers though!

-Are the trails dry where you are?

Training Tuesday: 10 Reasons Why I LOVE The Treadmill

Ok so probably if you’ve followed me on any of my social media platforms, you know that a fair share of my training has been done on the treadmill. Thank you Mother Nature! Between the ice, below 0* temperatures, and insane amount of snow we’ve gotten this winter- I don’t think I’d be able to get in half of my morning runs unless I had the treadmill to run on! I LOVE to run outside, but when I have no other viable and safe option —> I go to the good ole ‘mill. I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite reasons why I LOVE this as a training option!

-It builds up your mental strength. There’s nothing like knowing that you can just hop off at any time, but you focus your brain to be able to withstand that temptation over time.

-You can really hit your paces. I know that if I want to hit ‘x’ pace during a mile repeat or marathon paced miles, I just put the treadmill at that speed and hang on.

-It builds up your leg strength with those incline options! There’s nothing else better (in my opinion) to get in an absolutely killer hill workout that won’t quit. I also love these treadmill hill workouts from RunFarGirl.

-It’s a safe option when you don’t have someone else to run with or know where you are. I LOVE to explore new cities on my own two feet, but sometimes it’s not always the safest option (especially if I’m traveling solo). I know that I will be able to get my workout in and be safe —> the most important part!

-It’s a nice change of pace, when you’re tired of your usual running routes. Sometimes I get in a rut of running the same ‘ol roads/trails. The treadmill helps me switch it up and I get the feeling like I’m taking a “break”.

-It saves you from running outside when the weather is just AWFUL. Snow? Sub-zero temperatures? Insane amounts of ice? Blizzard? Extreme heat? The treadmill is really a gift when the weather outside is not the best.

-It keeps your easy runs honest. While the time goes by slower, I like to utilize the treadmill to keep my easy runs truly easy. There’s no downhill segments to speed up your legs- I just pop it on a really slow pace and completely ‘zone out’ for those miles. Sometimes they’re my favorite runs of the week.

-Netflix and treadmill? It comes in waves of sheer-boredom with the ‘mill and gratitude, but I (most of the time) love to catch up on one of my new shows (that I save specifically to watch on the ‘mill) OR zone-out to a show that I’ve seen a thousand times. I also really love to watch the news on the treadmill. Total geek, yes I know. If it’s the Today Show —> even better!

-Simulate your upcoming race course. I live in a super hilly area (i.e. I don’t believe I’ve ever gained less than 400’ on a run no matter how ‘flat’ the road looks), so when my legs are absolutely trashed from running hills or long the day before - I honestly do not want to look at a hill ever again and driving to a flatter road isn’t in the question —> the treadmill at .5% incline feels incredible. I also know that training for Mt.Washington Road Race, I’ll need to really work on a pretty steep incline (12%-22%) - there is no hill around here that spans out for miles at that incline so the treadmill the BEST option.

-There is no traffic to worry about. Sometimes I get really frustrated with cars on the road not paying attention to me or plow-trucks coming straight at me. The treadmill is a really nice change of pace where I can feel SAFE and really zone out without having to worry about Mountain Lions mauling me, getting run over by a distracted driver, or being plowed up by a snow plow. <— one of my biggest fears right there!

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Tell ME some of your favorite reasons why you love the ‘mill!

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday! I have been in such a funk lately and hoping it passes soon. I’ve been congested for over two weeks now and it’s really starting to wear on me. Nothing like not being able to breathe out of your nose when you’re trying to drink some water (OR RUN!!). Hoping it passes soon. We got something like 14” OF SNOW YESTERDAY?!? Yeah and I decided to go outside and run in it. It was so beautiful, but I didn’t wear my traction spikes and had a really hard time in a few spots where I kept slipping on ice/ unplowed dirt roads.  

My legs were also so tired from our skin up the mountain by our house on Saturday.  

We ended up going higher than we had before and making our own ski tracks on the way down (which was SO AMAZING!), but wow did my legs feel it on Sunday!  

And yes, it basically snowed here all weekend.  

Saturday I got so many of those “little things done” that I normally don’t get to- I.e cleaning the humidifier, my bras, cleaning our duvet, throwing out all those useless items under our bathroom sink etc. Since none of that is interesting, here’s a pretty cute photo of Brady asleep in a very odd position.  

Also had steak & cheeses Friday night.... it was Sooo good!  

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How was your weekend?! 

Favorite dinner you had? 

Tips for uncongesting yourself?!?!