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Testing, Testing... What's Next?

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I’m sure its no surprise to say that a lot has happened since the last time I updated this blog… that’s to be expected when I slack off and there’s nearly a year between entries. In the last year, life has had its ups (I became an aunt when my niece was born last December, I was promoted at work) and its downs (my relationship ended and my mental health took a bit of a dip). I reached even more running goals, including finishing my first marathon at Disney last January, and knocking another 5 minutes off of my ½ marathon PR. It doesn't show well, but HMF had a neat board that sensed your bib chip and encouraged you when you got close! The board told me I was amazing, and after dropping my PR by another 5 minutes, I'm inclined to believe it! I could go on about the different runs that I’ve been on, and how my relationship ending has strengthened my resolve to achieve yet another goal… but more on that later. When I started this blog years ago, I thought it would be a great way t...
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2021: The year of the PR

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At the end of my last entry (a whole 6 months ago, again! SHAME SHAME SHAME), I was determined to make 2021 the year of the PR (personal record). I've been working out consistently, challenging myself, and was seeing great results early in the year. After all that, I'm so happy to say that I managed to break all of my previous best times in every race distance (5k, 10k, 1/2 Marathon), and have set myself up with bigger and better goals in 2022. In general, I don't like sharing my specific finish times. Perhaps I'm a bit self-conscious about them... I know that I'm not a FAST runner, and for some people, its all about how fast you finish. That said, the true running community tends to cheer the effort that goes into a run, no matter the finish time. So I offer the times below not to say 'look how fast I am' (because I'm not), but to share my excitement in my improvements.  5K Previous PR: 2015 Hartford Marathon 5K - 31:59 New PR: 2021 Morris County Taco...
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6 Months of Slacking... Sorta.

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6 months?! 6 months since I've written an entry. And I promised myself that I would try to keep up... maybe even post something once a month. So obviously I've been slacking... at least on the blog writing. A lot has happened in the last 6 months, so I suppose a bit of a quick 'catch up' entry is in order! January The last time I sat down and actually wrote a blog entry. SHAME SHAME SHAME Participated in the Jack Frost virtual Challenge put on by HMF... the only event I've ever been part of that had ways of converting other activities (Rowing, Yoga, Karate) into miles, so you could really rack them up if you picked a good activity. February Ran the Club Waka Happy Hearts Virtual 5k... got an adorable shirt, and supported the American Foundation for Suicide prevention at the same time. March Started off the month right by getting my first COVID-19 Vaccine Shot! Second shot followed 2 weeks later. It felt nice to be part of the solution... REAL patriots get their vacc...
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Sweating the Small Stuff

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First, a disclaimer up front for this entry: I am in no way, shape, or form, a trained medical professional. You should ALWAYS listen to your doctor(s). My goal with this entry is to stress the importance of doing research (like, REAL research, none of that "I watched a 5 minute YouTube video" form of 'research'), so you can have informed conversations with your doctor(s), and the confidence to raise a red flag if you have concerns. Now, what is Patient Advocacy, and why is it so important? Prior to working in the pharmaceutical industry, I'd never heard the term 'patient advocacy'. The concept though, is one that everyone should be familiar with, so they can advocate both for themselves and for their loved ones when it comes to health and wellness. Its not a difficult concept... you probably already do it to some degree.  At the highest level, it can be as big as being part of an organization that supports research and raises funds/awareness for a particu...
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Its the Most Run-derful Time of the Year

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 Merry Christmas to all of my Chronsies out there! 2020 has been a tough, weird year for everyone... which may be the understatement of... well, the year. It kicked off in January, with our dad's health suddenly taking a nose-dive. It was a rollercoaster time for our family, and we tried to keep it as normal as possible in February, when my sisters and I ran the first and only 'normal' races of 2020: the Disney Princess 10k and 1/2 Marathon. (I know I keep saying that I'll write a specific entry for the Disney runs... it'll happen eventually, haha).  Nothing beats an early morning race to the castle! February was possibly as 'normal' a month as 2020 could offer, even as our dad's health really began failing... until the words 'Coronavirus' and 'Covid-19' began appearing everywhere. By March, we began 'flattening the curve', and dad passed away. Quarantine/lockdown, Murder hornets, a national coin shortage, the impeachment, Tiger K...
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Run Beaches, Run!

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It feels like forever since I went for a run. September would have traditionally been the time when we ran the Surftown 1/2 Marathon, but with Covid still causing everyone a headache (sometimes literally), HMF offered a virtual race with a bit of a twist... they called it the Surftown 100 Challenge. They gave participants (either individuals or teams) 10 days to run 100 miles... the distance from Lighthouse Point in New Haven, CT, to Misquamicut, RI (where the Surftown 1/2 would normally take place). Now, I like running, but 100 miles by myself would be a big ask, even over 10 days. And when you've got a group of friends who would be running these races with you under normal circumstances, why not call on them to put together a team and see how many miles we could rack up between us? Thus, team 'Run Beaches, Run!' was formed (credit goes to Angie for the team name, haha). There were 9 of us total, meaning each person was responsible for at least 11 miles over 10 days. We ke...
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Holding up the Finish in 2020 Fashion

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There have been races in the past where I've been concerned about finishing before they start taking the Finish Line down. I never thought that I'd be holding the Finish Line up for other runners to pass under. But it IS 2020, so anything can happen... including the generator that keeps the finish line blown up running out of gas just as we went to take our finish line picture. So when we saw other runners coming in for their finish, we jumped into action. Luckily, none of the finishers were particularly tall! Obviously, we had the opportunity to run another ACTUAL race, with some additional precautions. I am so grateful that HMF has done what they can to offer some normalcy for runners in the era of Covid. In this case, because the entire course of the Riverfront Scramble 5k goes through a park, they were able to offer an actual start and finish line for runners to cross, with timing chips and everything. Runners signed up for waves, and we started within the hour whenever we...
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