Yeah, there’s got to be the fun element. Taking days to forget about training goals, to ignore all your metrics and just free your spirit to soar with the joy of moving and using your body. To run around frolicking until you fall over onto the grass panting and looking up at the sky. I may have told my accountant I built my outdoor playground to train clients and do group fitness classes but my wife knew better. I built it so I could go outside and play like I did when I was a kid.
^^^Bravo. 
Great article on Whitlock! But he is not totally immune to aging. Somehow an 85 year old running a marathon at a 9:02 pace (3:56) is easier for me to visualize than what he did as a 73 year old - running 2:54, or a 6:40 pace. Probably because even at my best, when I was 29 years old I couldn’t come close to that.
I had a goal of 500 running miles in 2016. Didn’t quite make it. 465 miles for 93% of goal.
312 miles purposeful walking. So not pup walks, not steps, but heading out the door for a 14ish minute per mile walk.
In addition, my daily step count averaged about 16,000/day. And a weight check earlier in December compared to last years is almost exactly the same.
Races aren’t really my thing, but I participated in three official 5k’s. My longest run was in Boston, 6.2 miles.
My 2017 goals!
- 500 running miles.
- Signed up for an 8k, complete a 10 K.
- Increase the “fun” aspect of fitness - sign up for some volunteer events through our local running club. I always hesitate for social events - I need to do this!
- Finally, for me and for you all who may be interested…post on this thread more delicious healthful recipes. What we put in our mouth - we all want it to be delicious, so I think it is important to seek great options to put on your plate. You may or may not know that I love to cook/bake, so this is a fun aspect for me.
Stay tuned for a recipe soon! I have one ready to try out.
Sounds great, abasket. I’m looking forward to some recipes - I think we’ve neglected the “diet” portion of our thread a bit - we need to remind ourselves that diet is more than weight loss.
So, who else got the email from Hoka about 2017 being the year to eat more donuts? Or was that just special for me?
Oh I did- 2 of them. It’s almost a New year- :which means some new Diet threads will start.
And the gyms will be crowded for a couple of weeks!!
The “Januaries” as I call them.
D was one of the “Januaries” 3 years ago. Except that she continues to work out at the gym 3x/week, practices yoga, started running and learned to cook delicious and healthy meals. She has lost (and kept off) about 45 lbs.
^^^Wish this was rule instead of the exception! Kudos to D of FG!!!
The last two nights we have had a 1/2 inch of so of “stuff” on the ground when we wake up. Sort of a snowy-ice mixture. The temp has melted off much of it during the day but still spotty ice here and there. I did manage to go out for a cold (28 degrees) walk/run here at dusk. Walked where I had to, run where I could. Felt WONDERFUL.
That’s grea, Fallgirl. To me, a January is someone who doesn’t make it to February!
I’m so glad you’re my brother!
LOL - totally thought I was posting that on the “Say it here” thread. Oops.
Maybe of interest to anyone wanting a new way to track a particular health and wellness activity - a review of top fitness apps:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2485287,00.asp
Found this while looking for an app that would track multiple fitness activities and track them on a regular basis and tally them. (I’ll take any recommendations! )
I have used RunKeeper and I can log different activities but it will only tally a goal and for some reason I can’t seem to add more than one personal goal. I’d like one app that will keep some stats on each exercise activity whether it’s a run, walk, rowing, spin class, etc.
Heading to the lake today. It is in the low 20’s so we are stopping on the way to hike along some river bluffs. I hope there isn’t any ice! Also stopping at an outdoor sculpture park. Should be interesting! 
That sounds great, NMinn! 7.1 miles this morning for me - I was tired and it felt really hard. 5k tonight to say goodbye and good riddance to 2016!
^^That’s some stamina Sabaray!!!
Started 2016 barely able to run down the block. Ran my 5th 5K this AM. This was the same course as the Turkey Trot and I improved my time from 31.08 to 30.46. So I am progressing which is a little surprising because I really didn’t feel that great on the first mile. Just kept telling myself it’s all mental and kept going.
Funny thing. When I signed up I must have put my age in wrong because the results showed my age as 0. My bib said Age: O/F. I thought they were calling me an “old fart” which is true…
Anyway, Happy New Year to all and good luck in tonight’s race, sabaray.
Didn’t have fun running outside today. Cold, painful fast pace.
Running isn’t fun. Especially when you’re running past people looking out from their nice comfortable restaurants enjoying their nice drinks and meal!
Reminded me of two Johnny Cash songs:
I bet there’s rich folks eatin’
In a fancy dining car
They’re probably drinkin’ coffee
And smokin’ big cigars
But I know I had it comin’
I know I can’t be free
But those people keep a-movin’
And that’s what tortures me
And
I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that’s real
Love that, Ohio! Good for you being out there!
One of my friends just went to Israel on a family trip and ran a 10K there. On the checkin it referred to your runner number as “Breast Number”, which was interesting. Her race report is awesome. There were a lot of different things. She said it was really competitive.
Ran our 5K this morning. It is VERY hilly and hard and it was light rain and ugly outside. I SO did not want to do it. Fortunately, I took off the puff jacket right before the race and wore a Lulu water resistant windbreaker. My daughter just wore her Oiselle racing long-sleeved shirt. She said she felt like she was in a different climate from the rest of us. My son was planning just to run easy since he’s been injured and not running much, and he didn’t use his inhaler since he was just going to run easy. Of course, he didn’t. He was 8th overall, won his age group and did have asthma problems which cost him a few places. He ran about a 19:30, which is slow for him but great!
Daughter was only 5 seconds off of her PR on a much harder course, so she was very pleased. Won her age group. My husband won his age group and was about 45 seconds behind me. I won my age group when the real winner bumped up to a Grand Masters spot. So- all 4 of us came home with handmade pine cone ornaments in Gold for 1st place! Family sweep! I’m glad it’s over. 5Ks are really painful for me. Oh- I was 5 seconds slower than last year, which doesn’t thrill me, but my husband says that is statistically insignificant. I was careful on the downhills about my footing because it was wet and a little slippery on the steep places, so that might have cost me.
We went out for a big breakfast afterwards!
Happy New Year to everyone. Sabaray- nice double today for you! I might do another mile or less tonight to even out the annual mileage. I think I’m at 1876.4 or something. Good racing FallGirl!