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Like it or not, it’s here. The end of a year and a time to reflect back, as well as look forward to new beginnings, new happenings, and new opportunities. In many ways, I can look back on this year and think…meh. It hasn’t been perfect; sometimes not even great, but I did accomplish some things I am really proud of. I ran a few races, worked on some personal goals, and made a few new amazing friends along the way. This past week I hung a new medal rack in my workout room to accommodate my new bling. From a running perspective, it was aRead More →

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  Disclaimer:  I received an entry to the Surf City Half Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews. Alright, folks, you know I’d be lying if I told you about how much I’ve been training for this race. But hey, you know me! November and December have been unusually busy for me in terms of work and business travel, and once again my pseudo-training has gone by the wayside. Last week my family and I spent yet another fun week in Las Vegas, only toRead More →

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This post contains affiliate links Today is Saint Nicholas Day, and for me that generally serves as a reminder that it’s time to start Christmas shopping! While I do pick up a few special gifts here and there in the months leading up to Christmas, I generally don’t go into full shopping mode until mid-December. I find that’s when I get the best deals, and under pressure, I know I will get done! If you are looking for just the right gift for the runner/athlete in your life, you have come to the right place! Maybe you are the runner/athlete who is looking for someRead More →

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I received an ActivMotion Bar through my affiliation with FitApproach in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own and should not be taken as health care advice. Always consult your health care provider with questions or concerns about your health and any new fitness program you may participate in. Although it is not technically winter according to the date on the calendar, believe me – winter already has made its way into the Midwest with a vengeance. While I try to get outside as much as possible, sometimes that is not an option. So with ‘official’ winter quickly approaching, I’ve been looking forRead More →

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Disclaimer:  I received an entry to the Destination Races Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews. On July 21st I will be running the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon, which is part of the Destination Races Wine Country Half Marathon series. This is one of my absolute favorite races because A) Wine, and B) Wine! But seriously, it is an absolutely beautiful course as well as a very well-organized race. I ran this race for the first time in 2016 (I’mRead More →

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  Disclaimer:  I received an entry to the Surf City Half Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews. You know we’re goin’ to Surf City, gonna have some fun! In February I will be traveling to beautiful Huntington Beach, California for the Surf City Half Marathon. If winter in Chicago is anything like it was last year, I will be more than ready to get away by then! While it’s too early to predict, the average temperature that weekend (February 2-3) starts with a lowRead More →

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Happy Friday! It’s cool and rainy here in the Chicago area this morning. Why not pull up a chair so we can catch up over a nice warm cup o’ Joe? If we were having coffee, I would tell you to take a few steps back and chat with me from across the room. I’ve been sick since Monday, and as of this morning, I feel like I might hack up a lung. Sorry for the visual. The Chicago Marathon is in just two days. This seriously is no bueno. I have never DNSd a race, and at this point, I don’t plan to. IRead More →

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With the end of September comes not just the end of Summer, but also the end of my travel to Europe! It was a great trip and we were able to not only get some great sight-seeing in but also a whole lotta walking miles. Our final week (actually 4-1/2 days) was spent in Kraków, which was the most meaningful part of the trip for me. My grandparents on my mother’s side were from outside of Kraków, so from the moment our plane landed, I felt like I had arrived in the Motherland! Here is a brief (very brief!) recap of the past week: Monday,Read More →

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It’s the last Friday Saturday of the month, and that means it’s time to open up the Runfessional! I’m linking up with Marcia from Marcia’s Healthy Slice for another Runfessions session! I have to runfess, despite the fact that the Berlin Marathon was almost a full two weeks ago, I have yet to write my recap, and at this point I feel like it’s a distant memory and I should just move on. After the marathon, we hit the ground running walking and had very little downtime in Europe where I could actually sit down and write. Now that we are home, I have a million things to catch up on, andRead More →

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I haven’t posted in a bit, which is not to say I haven’t been busy! My husband and I flew to Europe on Wednesday, September 12th, arriving in Berlin on Thursday, September 13th. Our itinerary includes Berlin, followed by Prague, followed by Vienna, and then finally Kraków before returning home on Friday, September 28th. I write this as we are preparing to fly to Kraków for our last leg of this trip. As most of you know, I ran (ran/walked/walked/walked/walked) the Berlin Marathon on September 16th. We’ve been so occupied touring Europe, I haven’t yet had (or taken) the time to post a recap. ThatRead More →