So it’s been a little while since we caught up here as a group and just gabbed 😃 I know it’s still hot as Hades across much of the country (and the world) right now, but as crazy as this sounds, I can already see back-to-school coming into view, as a number of schools in our area start back in just a couple of weeks. Summer’s not really over yet, but it’s not far off.
I’d love to know: what has been the highlight for you so far?
Accomplish anything running-related that you’re proud of, like a race distance you’d never tried, or something non-running-related, like getting a new job?
Quit a job and move on to something else that you really wanted to do?
Was there a challenge or obstacle you faced?
Travel to a place you’ve always wanted to go?
Get married or have a baby?
It can be anything, I love to hear how things are going with you all — I’ll be on the thread all this morning. Can’t wait to hear how your summer has been. 👍 — Terrell
We left the USA on July 3rd and moved to Spain. It's 20 degrees hotter, we are in a region where there are two languages spoken equally (Spanish and Catalan) neither of which we've mastered before coming. Our visa application is delayed due to international issues and while we have a workaround, it will not be until fall that we can really settle in and begin to feel at home.
Oh, I'm on a 'cramming' mode!😄 I'm not a runner per se nor ever ran in my life except during PE class. Just did my 1st half walk-run marathon 5yrs ago to celebrate my 5yr BC survivorship. Crossed that finish line w/out injury. Yay to me! Well,told myself I'll do it again in 10yrs. And this is my year, my 10th anniversary! And yes, I'll do that same half marathon again! What I learned fr the past 5 and will implement again this yr - the challenge is for me, no one else. I didn't do it for time, but to tell myself, yes..I CAN DO 🏃♀️ it if my heart and mind is in it! I'm IN to finish!
Hi there CG! First of all, let me say HUGE congrats on being a five-year survivor!!! (Or did I read that wrong, and you're a 10-year survivor?) Where was the half marathon you did? Yes, you can do it!!!
Thank you so much, Terrell! Kauai Marathon, just doing the Half. Btw, I forgot to mention. I live in Austin, Texas and the weather right now is miserably averaging 105 degF. Cool is at low 80's at 4a. Not me waking up that early. Got to be creative. So I find the upper floors of the Parking Garage in my nearby Mall my place of refuge! I park at the lower level and work my way up/down including the stairways. I have the garage all to myself and surprisingly cool and breezy up there, who knew!🤣 My race, my pace. Viola!
My best friend moved to Denver 7 years ago. Mon I got home from my 4th trip to visit. We did a lot of fun things like lake boat fishing & hiking and things like that. I always love to run there with the Rockies in sight of my run. Still trying to get completely over runner’s knee from March race. My running is only at about 8-10 for this month but I am not giving up. Thank you for the check up to see how each are doing. My oldest grandson (7) starts back to school on 8/5 in Kentucky. Hard to believe things are starting back up so soon.
Came to Brazil for vacation and extended my stay to accompany my mother-in-law as she began her cancer treatment. As my wife dedicated time to her mom, I’ve been taking care of my kids and in the early mornings going for runs and enjoying the beautiful views and the many hills that I don’t get to face when I’m in Miami
My heart goes out to your family, Rogerio, and I’m wishing your mother-in-law the best of health. Where in Brazil are you staying? (I’ve had the chance to visit Rio and Sao Paolo before.)
It’s been a very nice summer—lots of time at the pool and King’s Island with the kids. I’ve consistently been training for the Air Force half marathon in September—a big deal for me, considering consistency has been sooooo difficult to achieve after having my third kiddo (who’s now 18 months old!) I’m deliberately not tracking my paces now, harkening to advice from several people to just take each run intuitively, and I’ve been feeling strong and like the speed and endurance are finally coming back. I’m really hoping to accomplish some of my longstanding goals!
Other than that, I’ve learned spirals, lunges and one-foot spins in figure skating (which is my cross-training, sure, but more importantly play strictly for the sake of play!) ❤️
I hope everyone has been having a lovely and safe summer. 🥰
Had surgery last March, and it's been a long road back to running / training, but I am finally starting to get back to RP running just in time to start training. I planned to run a HM 8 of 12 months in 2023, but surgery scrapped that, so likely getting in only 2 races - Emerald Bay HM (South Lake Tahoe) in October and the Walnut Creek HM (local to me in CA) in December.
Did my first true Fartlek training run on Wednesday, and was only slightly off pace by only about 10 seconds/milel, so I'm super stoked that I will enter training with a realistic eye toward my goal times of 2:20 for Tahoe and 2:05 for Walnut Creek.
Big accomplishment on June 3. Tackled my first ultra. It was a local 50k on nice trails. Enjoy giving myself new challenges and things to work towards. Put no pressure on myself. Simply wanted to go out, enjoy myself and the event. And the actual race went very well! All smiles at the end
Summer's been a mixed bag. I have had two skin cancer surgeries. In between, I began walking 1.5 miles and completed the Peachtree Road Race Virtually. At the end, I have to go back to M D Anderson for more cancer monitoring.
I feel for you, Jim... family members of mine have had the same in recent years, and while things have all worked out, it was definitely scary for them for a little while. Wishing you the best possible outcome there! And congrats on the Peachtree!
Hey everyone hope you are all doing well. I’ve been doing some traveling for work which is ok but definitely different. I’m not great at tech and that is the hardest part. I’m not getting married, but I am going to Romania in September which should be pretty awesome. Me and a backpack 🤣. Then next race is wineglass in upstate ny in October. I plan to do Richmond one of these years but after Romania it will be a bit before I get any more time off. Hope all who go have a great time 💪❤️
It's great to see what others have been up to. We are having a hot/humid summer in the New York Area - and I live 15 minutes from Highland Falls which got devastated in the storm the other week. Been a bit crazy - we are ok thankfully. I am training...ok...get ready for it..the NYC Marathon. I had decided to "gift myself" one marathon when I turned 60 (did that in April). Working with an MTA Coach which is great and cannot believe I'm going to do this. Nothing crazy yet in the training - all similar so far to half training. Up to 14 miles this month for a long run, but have done that a bunch before. August through October definitely will up the challenge! Headed up to So. Maine in another couple of weeks (our usual summer vaca) and will race the Joan Benoit Samuelson founded TD Beach to Beacon. Keira D'Amato is racing it this year! WOO HOOO. That's it from the Hudson Valley - stay cool, safe and healthy out there.
Michelle, this all sounds amazing! Especially NYC -- and you're already up to running 14-mile-long long runs? That's awesome! You'll definitely be ready by the time the race rolls around. Have fun this weekend at Beach to Beacon! And say hi to Keira for us! 😃
Thanks Terrell - Beach to Beacon is August 5th...so soon! Yeah, my Coach has had me on miles greater than a half for a while now to build up endurance and stamina. BUT the big long runs are yet to come...yikes.
I’m easing into a hot Kansas summer as a 63 year old mindful runner. I completed my first marathon in March (The Big Island International), and I was disappointed that I <barely> finished within the 7 hour cutoff. When I got home from Hawaii, I signed up for another marathon in October, hoping to finish with a more respectable time. But then my husband’s inoperable stage 4 cancer became active again, and I realized my pride wasn’t a good reason to spend long hours away from him training for another marathon. It’s actually enjoyable to run for 3 or 4 miles several times a week without worrying about building up to longer distances and faster paces.
Wishing the best health possible to your husband, Daphne -- I can only imagine how hard that is. And yes, it is nice to run without the pressure of a big goal, having to log those really long runs sometimes. I know you're disappointed with your time at the Big Island race, but you finished! That's still worth celebrating 👏
I got past the "new hire" phase in a new job so this summer has probably been the least relaxing of my life, which is not necessarily a bad thing! Maybe I'll be rewarded and will have a chill winter where I take a trip to a tropical location that isn't swealtering. The idea of leaving heat to travel to heat is not appealing haha.
I enjoy working on my newsletter as well because I am constantly running into little problems that are interesting to solve (albeit sometimes frustrating) https://kevinmcsa6.substack.com/
This is awesome to hear, Kevin -- it's always a little nerve-wracking settling into a new job. ("Do my co-workers like me? Am I doing things right?" etc.) And awesome about the newsletter too!
Very warm almost 4 Mike run in yesterday! Not going to lie- some walking happened too! Hitting hills on the morning early before the heat starts up. Happy Friday all
Summer has been crazy.....lots going on (finishing up the construction projects from last years hail damage, yes it took a year to finish1) , company, and I found out about Cross Fit!!!! Two surgeries left me wanting to run but also realizing I needed to do something else.....over the winter I did Yoga and walking..........some Nordic walking........then this Spring my niece introduced me to Cross Fit!!! It is a game changer.......I am keeping up with the seasoned members (most 30's and 40's, I am 74!!!)......some of my exercises are modified but I am definitely building strength , flexebility, and stamina.........I have a friend that always say "its my "got" to so I "get" to"!!!! I can't recommend it enough. Running is still my first love , I know that I can enjoy it more now that I have stronger muscles and stamina..........it is a win win......new adventures, new challenges, new friends..........Happy Summer all!!!!
That's awesome, Marianne! I have a couple of friends who are into CrossFit as well, and they absolutely love it and swear by it. I've never tried it -- it looks hard!! 😃 But maybe I should.
I would definitely recommend it ........it is a little overwhelming when you first start.......lots of terms and names for the movements and routines........but the group atmosphere is amazing and the others are always there to encourage and help. My coaches have been the best, letting me start at my own pace but encouraging me to do more.........I am surprised at how much more flexible I am .......to say nothing of the positive body changes!!!! It's not as hard as you think............
I have a milestone birthday coming up next month and several months ago my husband surprised me by booking a trip to our favorite resort in the Dominican Republic to celebrate. This is truly one of my favorite spots on the planet, so it will be wonderful to be there to celebrate my birthday. I found out a few weeks ago that I had secured spots for my husband and myself in the London Marathon via a tour operator, so that was cause for celebration. Found out that same day that I have a blood condition that could potentially become cancerous in the future. The odds are low, but not zero. Sometimes with the good comes the bad. I'm not going to worry about the blood condition and just get it checked every few months. Chances are higher that it won't turn into anything so no point in worrying about it. I will just continue to take care of myself by eating well and exercising. My husband and I have also decided that I should retire at the beginning of November. He retired at 58 in 2021 and now I will work my last day just before we go to NYC for the marathon. Training for the race was going well until last Saturday. I may have a femoral neck stress fracture, which will likely take me out of the NYC marathon. So like I said, sometimes with the good, comes the bad. We just have to learn to roll with it and try to find the positive in each day that we are still here.
Wow, Stacy! What an eventful season of life you've had -- I feel for you, so much, with the blood condition and the stress fracture in your neck. I hope it's okay and feeling better now. Bummed about the NYC Marathon, I really am -- but it sounds like you're finding the positive in all of these experiences, which is a lesson for me and all of us.
The health issue was definitely eye opening. I have always tended to be optimistic, so I know that is really helping me here. I am also hopeful that my MRI coming up will show good results and that I can get back to training for NYC. Like I always say..."prepare for the worst and hope for the best!"
We are fixing up a house we bought in Guatemala. It’s not a million dollar house but it has a million dollar view. We can see three volcanoes and one of them is active and likes to give beautiful lava shows. There’s a race here called Volcano Race that has the option of 5K, 15k or 22k. In the 22k distance you run on two of the volcanoes. This race is in my bucket list.
We don’t yet but we do come here 2-3 times a year and the idea is to eventually retire here. Originally we came here in a sailboat and transitioned from the sailboat to the house. When we first sailed here over 10 years ago we had so many naysayers giving us all kinds of negative advice telling us not to go and how dangerous it was in Guatemala. I’m glad I didn’t listen because my time here has been such a positive experience. Guatemala is a beautiful country and Guatemalans are so very kind.
Listen to your ❤️ not to naysayers or you will miss out in life.
Absolutely! But I do think it's important to sit with yourself every now and again. I always feel like I need to be doing something, so I'll schedule time to hang out with myself. Just the other week, I took myself on a date to my favorite haunt. I sat at the bar and didn't say anything beyond, "I'll take an old-fashioned."
I had an unanticipated job loss. However, my running (or any exercise) suffered, I gained weight and my mood suffered. All of this despite being a high performer. I was burned out.
I’m still figuring out the next step, but it will have to be lower stress and less taxing on my health.
This sounds like an opportunity for you to find something that will be much better for you. Best of luck to you and I hope you find something that allows to be healthy and happy.
Definitely feel for you, Ben. In case it helps, I've been there too (both with job loss and weight gain, followed by mood changes). Wishing you all the best -- are you looking for employment, or focusing primarily on your newsletter?
I found a way to beat the first half of the summer heat - an epic 28-day exploration through northern Europe. The first leg was a cruise through the Baltic from Copenhagen to Stockholm. Then a flight from Stockholm to Southampton, England, cruising from there via Norway to Iceland. 12 countries with stops in 16 ports. We averaged 5-7 miles per day in ports, so I don’t feel too bag about slacking on running. I’m now back in the groove, training for the Army 10-miler in October, and celebrating my 74th birthday today.
This summer has been busy---with moving. We have been wanting to move for a while now. You may remember me telling you I often ran past people I was nervous about and we had quite a few homeless people in our area. (It is an older Las Vegas neighborhood and there is a big park nearby, which attracts bad people.) The stuff I saw while running was insane.
We moved on July 1st. It was HOT. Why move in the summer? I’m on summer break. So we sucked it up and moved way out to the southwest part of town. Our family helped.
The difference is like night and day. I am the only person carrying mace when I run out here. In fact, I’ve gotten some strange looks carrying it. I have beautiful views of the desert and nearby mountains. There is open space. It’s about 5-10 degrees cooler. There are cool places to walk my dogs and run. I feel safer!
So while moving, after living in our home for 20 years, was painful, it was needed. We decluttered and donated items. (We did not realize how much crap we had held onto.) We found a beautiful area to put down roots. Now we are painting and fixing things on our old house to put it on the market. Busy summer!!!
That's so great, Corrina! Everything about where you've moved sounds wonderful -- especially the part about it being 5 to 10 degrees cooler!!! Vegas is HOT, isn't it? It sounds just lovely.
i rafted 188 miles of the colorado river last week and camped in the grand canyon for 6 days. it was super intense with hiking and class 10 rapids but definitely a great experience.
well 115 on high ground so hotter in the canyon. the river was 50 degrees though so as long as you stayed wet and majorly hydrated it was fine. i'm also always super cold so to me the heat felt mostly good!
Honestly, my greatest challenge and accomplishment this summer has been getting acute liver disease from stress which - finally - gave me the willingness to go to therapy to face childhood trauma.
Was off running for around a month, just now starting to get back, slowly. Which is all part of the journey. What's important is that yesterday when I was - yet again - renovating my Substack About page, being a runner placed prominently in the long list of things that are who I am.
You have been through it this summer, my friend -- glad to hear you're coming back slowly to running, even if it's just slowly. I trust you're in good care with your doctors on your liver disease; my heart goes out to you for that, big time. I hope you're on the mend.
I'm counting this as summer, even though it happened at the beginning of May. But I did my first solo backpacking trip. I planned and tackled a thru-hike in Scotland called the West Highland Way. I was prepared but had zero expectations. And the whole experience was absolutely incredible. The West Highland Way is a must if you're looking for a new adventure.
Jake, it sounds incredible! I've heard of the West Highland Way before, but don't really know much about it. How did you like the solo aspect of it? Will you do that again?
The solo aspect was a lot more challenging than I anticipated. It's a popular hike. So, you walk through towns and see people along the way. But there are stretches where you're alone for hours, and even though you see people, you're not "with them," sort of speak. But it was an excellent experience. More emotionally and mentally taxing than anything. I'll do another solo trip because it's good reflection time, but it would have been nice to share it with someone.
I can imagine. I once did a cross-country trip by car that lasted about 5 weeks; I stayed with friends in a lot of cities, but there were a number of nights I was on my own, in a city like, say, Lubbock, Texas. During the day was fine, because I was either driving or sightseeing. But at night, when I had dinner by myself, I really did feel like it would be nicer to have a friend or partner along. Still, what an amazing experience!!
Oh boy. This summer was going along great! Until I got laid off last week...
In late spring my wife and I took a 2 week trip to Europe. That was the best start of a summer I could have asked for. After 2 weeks back, we then took a long weeknd trip to New England for my Grandmothers memorial service. She was 100 so it was a celebration of her amazing life more than a sad event.
Came back home and was going to resume running after taking a couple months to recover after a really busy season and then BAM! Laid off from my job, which was not expected.
Now I have time to run but I'm hustling to find a new job that can sustain my lifestyle!
I'm using this opportunity to transition my career focus a bit. I have worked in Technical support for 24 years, but in my last position I also served as an IT Project Manager, so I have decided to shift my focus in that direction going forward. It is a bit scary, but I'm getting all of the certifications to help me land that next role.
Oh, Jamie I'm so sorry to hear that! (Glad the trip to Europe came first, so you could enjoy it fully without the job thing on your mind.) My heart goes out to you, my friend -- good luck!
A lot has happened!
We left the USA on July 3rd and moved to Spain. It's 20 degrees hotter, we are in a region where there are two languages spoken equally (Spanish and Catalan) neither of which we've mastered before coming. Our visa application is delayed due to international issues and while we have a workaround, it will not be until fall that we can really settle in and begin to feel at home.
Oh, I'm on a 'cramming' mode!😄 I'm not a runner per se nor ever ran in my life except during PE class. Just did my 1st half walk-run marathon 5yrs ago to celebrate my 5yr BC survivorship. Crossed that finish line w/out injury. Yay to me! Well,told myself I'll do it again in 10yrs. And this is my year, my 10th anniversary! And yes, I'll do that same half marathon again! What I learned fr the past 5 and will implement again this yr - the challenge is for me, no one else. I didn't do it for time, but to tell myself, yes..I CAN DO 🏃♀️ it if my heart and mind is in it! I'm IN to finish!
Hi there CG! First of all, let me say HUGE congrats on being a five-year survivor!!! (Or did I read that wrong, and you're a 10-year survivor?) Where was the half marathon you did? Yes, you can do it!!!
Thank you so much, Terrell! Kauai Marathon, just doing the Half. Btw, I forgot to mention. I live in Austin, Texas and the weather right now is miserably averaging 105 degF. Cool is at low 80's at 4a. Not me waking up that early. Got to be creative. So I find the upper floors of the Parking Garage in my nearby Mall my place of refuge! I park at the lower level and work my way up/down including the stairways. I have the garage all to myself and surprisingly cool and breezy up there, who knew!🤣 My race, my pace. Viola!
My best friend moved to Denver 7 years ago. Mon I got home from my 4th trip to visit. We did a lot of fun things like lake boat fishing & hiking and things like that. I always love to run there with the Rockies in sight of my run. Still trying to get completely over runner’s knee from March race. My running is only at about 8-10 for this month but I am not giving up. Thank you for the check up to see how each are doing. My oldest grandson (7) starts back to school on 8/5 in Kentucky. Hard to believe things are starting back up so soon.
It is hard to believe back-to-school is almost upon us... sounds like a wonderful summer, ben!
Came to Brazil for vacation and extended my stay to accompany my mother-in-law as she began her cancer treatment. As my wife dedicated time to her mom, I’ve been taking care of my kids and in the early mornings going for runs and enjoying the beautiful views and the many hills that I don’t get to face when I’m in Miami
My heart goes out to your family, Rogerio, and I’m wishing your mother-in-law the best of health. Where in Brazil are you staying? (I’ve had the chance to visit Rio and Sao Paolo before.)
It’s been a very nice summer—lots of time at the pool and King’s Island with the kids. I’ve consistently been training for the Air Force half marathon in September—a big deal for me, considering consistency has been sooooo difficult to achieve after having my third kiddo (who’s now 18 months old!) I’m deliberately not tracking my paces now, harkening to advice from several people to just take each run intuitively, and I’ve been feeling strong and like the speed and endurance are finally coming back. I’m really hoping to accomplish some of my longstanding goals!
Other than that, I’ve learned spirals, lunges and one-foot spins in figure skating (which is my cross-training, sure, but more importantly play strictly for the sake of play!) ❤️
I hope everyone has been having a lovely and safe summer. 🥰
Had surgery last March, and it's been a long road back to running / training, but I am finally starting to get back to RP running just in time to start training. I planned to run a HM 8 of 12 months in 2023, but surgery scrapped that, so likely getting in only 2 races - Emerald Bay HM (South Lake Tahoe) in October and the Walnut Creek HM (local to me in CA) in December.
Did my first true Fartlek training run on Wednesday, and was only slightly off pace by only about 10 seconds/milel, so I'm super stoked that I will enter training with a realistic eye toward my goal times of 2:20 for Tahoe and 2:05 for Walnut Creek.
Keep it up, Danielle
Big accomplishment on June 3. Tackled my first ultra. It was a local 50k on nice trails. Enjoy giving myself new challenges and things to work towards. Put no pressure on myself. Simply wanted to go out, enjoy myself and the event. And the actual race went very well! All smiles at the end
That’s huge, Cody! Way to go!! 🙌
I traveled to Italy and London with my sisters!
That's so cool, Rosalie! Did you have a favorite place you visited there?
Yes! I loved Florence - all the architecture and food there were amazing. We also took a day trip to Assisi - it was much quieter but so beautiful.
I spent two nights in Assisi and it actually ended up being one of my favorite memories of my study abroad semester. So peaceful.
I really, really want to get there someday. The closest I’ve gotten is watching Stanley Tucci’s ‘Searching for Italy’ show 😃
Summer's been a mixed bag. I have had two skin cancer surgeries. In between, I began walking 1.5 miles and completed the Peachtree Road Race Virtually. At the end, I have to go back to M D Anderson for more cancer monitoring.
I feel for you, Jim... family members of mine have had the same in recent years, and while things have all worked out, it was definitely scary for them for a little while. Wishing you the best possible outcome there! And congrats on the Peachtree!
Thanks, Terrell! Keep fingers crossed! :)
Hey everyone hope you are all doing well. I’ve been doing some traveling for work which is ok but definitely different. I’m not great at tech and that is the hardest part. I’m not getting married, but I am going to Romania in September which should be pretty awesome. Me and a backpack 🤣. Then next race is wineglass in upstate ny in October. I plan to do Richmond one of these years but after Romania it will be a bit before I get any more time off. Hope all who go have a great time 💪❤️
That all sounds fantastic -- especially the trip to Romania, and the Wineglass race! Definitely think about joining us next time!
Are you guys gonna make Richmond an annual thing? If so I’ll put in on my calendar. Still need VA for my 50 states.
Great thread 😊I did my first 5k without stopping in months which resulted in my 2nd fastest ever time- very pleased!
That's so awesome, Sian! Where was the 5K? I'm excited for you 👏
Thank you, just a local route by myself. Have a 1/2 marathon in October so starting to train for that 😊
Moving today. Be back in August. See you from Oregon! :) Cool & cloudy. . .
Good luck, Nilima! May it all go smoothly 😊
It's great to see what others have been up to. We are having a hot/humid summer in the New York Area - and I live 15 minutes from Highland Falls which got devastated in the storm the other week. Been a bit crazy - we are ok thankfully. I am training...ok...get ready for it..the NYC Marathon. I had decided to "gift myself" one marathon when I turned 60 (did that in April). Working with an MTA Coach which is great and cannot believe I'm going to do this. Nothing crazy yet in the training - all similar so far to half training. Up to 14 miles this month for a long run, but have done that a bunch before. August through October definitely will up the challenge! Headed up to So. Maine in another couple of weeks (our usual summer vaca) and will race the Joan Benoit Samuelson founded TD Beach to Beacon. Keira D'Amato is racing it this year! WOO HOOO. That's it from the Hudson Valley - stay cool, safe and healthy out there.
Michelle, this all sounds amazing! Especially NYC -- and you're already up to running 14-mile-long long runs? That's awesome! You'll definitely be ready by the time the race rolls around. Have fun this weekend at Beach to Beacon! And say hi to Keira for us! 😃
Thanks Terrell - Beach to Beacon is August 5th...so soon! Yeah, my Coach has had me on miles greater than a half for a while now to build up endurance and stamina. BUT the big long runs are yet to come...yikes.
I’m easing into a hot Kansas summer as a 63 year old mindful runner. I completed my first marathon in March (The Big Island International), and I was disappointed that I <barely> finished within the 7 hour cutoff. When I got home from Hawaii, I signed up for another marathon in October, hoping to finish with a more respectable time. But then my husband’s inoperable stage 4 cancer became active again, and I realized my pride wasn’t a good reason to spend long hours away from him training for another marathon. It’s actually enjoyable to run for 3 or 4 miles several times a week without worrying about building up to longer distances and faster paces.
Wishing the best health possible to your husband, Daphne -- I can only imagine how hard that is. And yes, it is nice to run without the pressure of a big goal, having to log those really long runs sometimes. I know you're disappointed with your time at the Big Island race, but you finished! That's still worth celebrating 👏
:(
I got past the "new hire" phase in a new job so this summer has probably been the least relaxing of my life, which is not necessarily a bad thing! Maybe I'll be rewarded and will have a chill winter where I take a trip to a tropical location that isn't swealtering. The idea of leaving heat to travel to heat is not appealing haha.
I enjoy working on my newsletter as well because I am constantly running into little problems that are interesting to solve (albeit sometimes frustrating) https://kevinmcsa6.substack.com/
This is awesome to hear, Kevin -- it's always a little nerve-wracking settling into a new job. ("Do my co-workers like me? Am I doing things right?" etc.) And awesome about the newsletter too!
Very warm almost 4 Mike run in yesterday! Not going to lie- some walking happened too! Hitting hills on the morning early before the heat starts up. Happy Friday all
Walking is fine! 😃 That you're up early enough to beat the beat is an accomplishment too!
Summer has been crazy.....lots going on (finishing up the construction projects from last years hail damage, yes it took a year to finish1) , company, and I found out about Cross Fit!!!! Two surgeries left me wanting to run but also realizing I needed to do something else.....over the winter I did Yoga and walking..........some Nordic walking........then this Spring my niece introduced me to Cross Fit!!! It is a game changer.......I am keeping up with the seasoned members (most 30's and 40's, I am 74!!!)......some of my exercises are modified but I am definitely building strength , flexebility, and stamina.........I have a friend that always say "its my "got" to so I "get" to"!!!! I can't recommend it enough. Running is still my first love , I know that I can enjoy it more now that I have stronger muscles and stamina..........it is a win win......new adventures, new challenges, new friends..........Happy Summer all!!!!
That's awesome, Marianne! I have a couple of friends who are into CrossFit as well, and they absolutely love it and swear by it. I've never tried it -- it looks hard!! 😃 But maybe I should.
I would definitely recommend it ........it is a little overwhelming when you first start.......lots of terms and names for the movements and routines........but the group atmosphere is amazing and the others are always there to encourage and help. My coaches have been the best, letting me start at my own pace but encouraging me to do more.........I am surprised at how much more flexible I am .......to say nothing of the positive body changes!!!! It's not as hard as you think............
I have a milestone birthday coming up next month and several months ago my husband surprised me by booking a trip to our favorite resort in the Dominican Republic to celebrate. This is truly one of my favorite spots on the planet, so it will be wonderful to be there to celebrate my birthday. I found out a few weeks ago that I had secured spots for my husband and myself in the London Marathon via a tour operator, so that was cause for celebration. Found out that same day that I have a blood condition that could potentially become cancerous in the future. The odds are low, but not zero. Sometimes with the good comes the bad. I'm not going to worry about the blood condition and just get it checked every few months. Chances are higher that it won't turn into anything so no point in worrying about it. I will just continue to take care of myself by eating well and exercising. My husband and I have also decided that I should retire at the beginning of November. He retired at 58 in 2021 and now I will work my last day just before we go to NYC for the marathon. Training for the race was going well until last Saturday. I may have a femoral neck stress fracture, which will likely take me out of the NYC marathon. So like I said, sometimes with the good, comes the bad. We just have to learn to roll with it and try to find the positive in each day that we are still here.
Happy birthday, Stacy!!
Wow, Stacy! What an eventful season of life you've had -- I feel for you, so much, with the blood condition and the stress fracture in your neck. I hope it's okay and feeling better now. Bummed about the NYC Marathon, I really am -- but it sounds like you're finding the positive in all of these experiences, which is a lesson for me and all of us.
The health issue was definitely eye opening. I have always tended to be optimistic, so I know that is really helping me here. I am also hopeful that my MRI coming up will show good results and that I can get back to training for NYC. Like I always say..."prepare for the worst and hope for the best!"
Happy Birfffffday
Thank you!
We are fixing up a house we bought in Guatemala. It’s not a million dollar house but it has a million dollar view. We can see three volcanoes and one of them is active and likes to give beautiful lava shows. There’s a race here called Volcano Race that has the option of 5K, 15k or 22k. In the 22k distance you run on two of the volcanoes. This race is in my bucket list.
Wow, Mirtha! What an amazing place to have a home -- do you live there full-time?
We don’t yet but we do come here 2-3 times a year and the idea is to eventually retire here. Originally we came here in a sailboat and transitioned from the sailboat to the house. When we first sailed here over 10 years ago we had so many naysayers giving us all kinds of negative advice telling us not to go and how dangerous it was in Guatemala. I’m glad I didn’t listen because my time here has been such a positive experience. Guatemala is a beautiful country and Guatemalans are so very kind.
Listen to your ❤️ not to naysayers or you will miss out in life.
Absolutely! But I do think it's important to sit with yourself every now and again. I always feel like I need to be doing something, so I'll schedule time to hang out with myself. Just the other week, I took myself on a date to my favorite haunt. I sat at the bar and didn't say anything beyond, "I'll take an old-fashioned."
Couldn't agree more -- it's hard to find that time and space, but you're right, it's so worth it. We need it.
I had an unanticipated job loss. However, my running (or any exercise) suffered, I gained weight and my mood suffered. All of this despite being a high performer. I was burned out.
I’m still figuring out the next step, but it will have to be lower stress and less taxing on my health.
Good luck! There will be something out there for you.
Thank you! Good luck to you, too.
Good luck!
Thank you!
This sounds like an opportunity for you to find something that will be much better for you. Best of luck to you and I hope you find something that allows to be healthy and happy.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Definitely feel for you, Ben. In case it helps, I've been there too (both with job loss and weight gain, followed by mood changes). Wishing you all the best -- are you looking for employment, or focusing primarily on your newsletter?
Terrell,
Thank you. I’ll look at employment if it seems to be a good fit, but I’m likely going to focus on my newsletter.
I found a way to beat the first half of the summer heat - an epic 28-day exploration through northern Europe. The first leg was a cruise through the Baltic from Copenhagen to Stockholm. Then a flight from Stockholm to Southampton, England, cruising from there via Norway to Iceland. 12 countries with stops in 16 ports. We averaged 5-7 miles per day in ports, so I don’t feel too bag about slacking on running. I’m now back in the groove, training for the Army 10-miler in October, and celebrating my 74th birthday today.
Oh, wow, David -- this sounds so, so amazing. What a trip!
This summer has been busy---with moving. We have been wanting to move for a while now. You may remember me telling you I often ran past people I was nervous about and we had quite a few homeless people in our area. (It is an older Las Vegas neighborhood and there is a big park nearby, which attracts bad people.) The stuff I saw while running was insane.
We moved on July 1st. It was HOT. Why move in the summer? I’m on summer break. So we sucked it up and moved way out to the southwest part of town. Our family helped.
The difference is like night and day. I am the only person carrying mace when I run out here. In fact, I’ve gotten some strange looks carrying it. I have beautiful views of the desert and nearby mountains. There is open space. It’s about 5-10 degrees cooler. There are cool places to walk my dogs and run. I feel safer!
So while moving, after living in our home for 20 years, was painful, it was needed. We decluttered and donated items. (We did not realize how much crap we had held onto.) We found a beautiful area to put down roots. Now we are painting and fixing things on our old house to put it on the market. Busy summer!!!
That's so great, Corrina! Everything about where you've moved sounds wonderful -- especially the part about it being 5 to 10 degrees cooler!!! Vegas is HOT, isn't it? It sounds just lovely.
It is lovely! We are super blessed.
i rafted 188 miles of the colorado river last week and camped in the grand canyon for 6 days. it was super intense with hiking and class 10 rapids but definitely a great experience.
Wow, Kel! What an experience! How was the river, and the Grand Canyon? (What was the temperature like down there?)
well 115 on high ground so hotter in the canyon. the river was 50 degrees though so as long as you stayed wet and majorly hydrated it was fine. i'm also always super cold so to me the heat felt mostly good!
Honestly, my greatest challenge and accomplishment this summer has been getting acute liver disease from stress which - finally - gave me the willingness to go to therapy to face childhood trauma.
Was off running for around a month, just now starting to get back, slowly. Which is all part of the journey. What's important is that yesterday when I was - yet again - renovating my Substack About page, being a runner placed prominently in the long list of things that are who I am.
You have been through it this summer, my friend -- glad to hear you're coming back slowly to running, even if it's just slowly. I trust you're in good care with your doctors on your liver disease; my heart goes out to you for that, big time. I hope you're on the mend.
Thanks so much! Gratefully, my blood tests are basically back to normal. Being a runner was definitely part of having a speedy recovery - seriously!
I'm counting this as summer, even though it happened at the beginning of May. But I did my first solo backpacking trip. I planned and tackled a thru-hike in Scotland called the West Highland Way. I was prepared but had zero expectations. And the whole experience was absolutely incredible. The West Highland Way is a must if you're looking for a new adventure.
Jake, it sounds incredible! I've heard of the West Highland Way before, but don't really know much about it. How did you like the solo aspect of it? Will you do that again?
The solo aspect was a lot more challenging than I anticipated. It's a popular hike. So, you walk through towns and see people along the way. But there are stretches where you're alone for hours, and even though you see people, you're not "with them," sort of speak. But it was an excellent experience. More emotionally and mentally taxing than anything. I'll do another solo trip because it's good reflection time, but it would have been nice to share it with someone.
I can imagine. I once did a cross-country trip by car that lasted about 5 weeks; I stayed with friends in a lot of cities, but there were a number of nights I was on my own, in a city like, say, Lubbock, Texas. During the day was fine, because I was either driving or sightseeing. But at night, when I had dinner by myself, I really did feel like it would be nicer to have a friend or partner along. Still, what an amazing experience!!
Oh boy. This summer was going along great! Until I got laid off last week...
In late spring my wife and I took a 2 week trip to Europe. That was the best start of a summer I could have asked for. After 2 weeks back, we then took a long weeknd trip to New England for my Grandmothers memorial service. She was 100 so it was a celebration of her amazing life more than a sad event.
Came back home and was going to resume running after taking a couple months to recover after a really busy season and then BAM! Laid off from my job, which was not expected.
Now I have time to run but I'm hustling to find a new job that can sustain my lifestyle!
Amazingly I just got an offfer for a new role and have just accepted, so now my summer can be great again!
Jamie, this is AWESOME!!!!!! I'm so happy for you, my friend -- thanks so much for sharing it here!
That happened to me last year. It's strange when suddenly having all this free time is just filled with stress of hustling to get work. Good luck!
you seem to have a really positive attitude. keep running and best wishes on a new job soon!
I'm using this opportunity to transition my career focus a bit. I have worked in Technical support for 24 years, but in my last position I also served as an IT Project Manager, so I have decided to shift my focus in that direction going forward. It is a bit scary, but I'm getting all of the certifications to help me land that next role.
Oh, Jamie I'm so sorry to hear that! (Glad the trip to Europe came first, so you could enjoy it fully without the job thing on your mind.) My heart goes out to you, my friend -- good luck!