Best of 2020 Book Edition

 I love to read!  I've always loved to read!  When I turned 16 and began having to drive places I didn't know my way to many places I'd been to many times.  When I was a passenger in a car I usually had my nose in a book so I often needed directions to places.

I joke with people when they ask me for book recommendations that they have no idea what they are getting themselves into.  

In 2020 I read 95 books and I read a lot of different genres and here are some of my favorites!

Here are my top 10 fiction, top 10 nonfiction and some special categories I made up.

In no particular order here are my top 10 fiction:

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber

American Royals by Katharine McGee

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

The Imperfects by Amy Meyerson

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (This was by far my favorite fiction of they year!)

Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson

Beauty of Your Face by Sahar Mustafah

8 Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson (his books never disappoint)

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld (It was very interesting to imagine what Hilary's life would have looked like if she hadn't married Bill.)

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

Top 10 non-fiction

Born Survivors by Wendy Holden Books about the holocaust are so haunting and this one was hard to read!

Stories I Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe He's like a fine wine that gets better with age!

Escape by Carolyn Jessop

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. If you haven't read this please do.  Also don't think if you've seen the movie that you should skip the book.  The book is much more in depth.

Sisters First by Jenna Bush Hager.  So much fun to read about the Bush Family!

Untamed by Glennon Doyle. Yes you should give into the hype!

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.  This should be required reading for everyone!

Beyond Charlottesville by Terry McAuliffe This could also be it's own special category of "who I'd love to see on the presidential ticket in 2024

Running for My Life by Lopez Lemong.  I heard Lopez on a podcast I listen to and I could have listened to him for hours!

A Higher Loyalty by James Comey

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.  A good friend of mine suggested this book.  It was haunting and terrifying and gave me awful dreams!  Worth the time and the bad dreams though!

Individual Categories:

Most depressing book of the year that kept me awake a lot: We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Most controversial book that I'm glad I read:  America Dirt by Jeanine Cummins.

Best new book in a series I love: The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter

Best re-read When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger Part of the Devil Wears Prada series but it reads like a standalone.

Re-read that I apparently didn't pay attention to the first time: Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg.  Somehow I totally missed that there was a romantic relationship between Ruth and Idgie.  

Best "if you're a woman and wonder why your iphone doesn't fit in your hand" read: Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Made for Men by Caroline Criado Perez.

Most colorful authors who wrote bios that I loved reading: 

Me by Elton John

Beautiful On The Inside by Adam Rippon

I love both of these men and loved their books!

And lastly the book that had me totally fooled into thinking it was non-fiction was Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.  I was sure this was a true story to the embarrassing end that I tried to look up their music on itunes!  

We're Almost Through the Craziness of 2020! Year End Recap!

 This has really been a year of ups and downs!  I thought I'd offer year end (almost) recap.  I'm 60 miles from the 1,000 mile mark!  This year started with me half-heartedly training for a May full marathon in Pittsburgh.  When I trained for the 2018 Pittsburgh Marathon I was a total badass and ran almost exclusively outside all winter.  I ran a 12 mile long run when it was about 15 degrees outside.  I bundled up and ran outside and had slush in my water bottle by the time I got home.  I only ran on a treadmill 4 times between the beginning of the year and marathon Sunday the first weekend in May.   In early 2020 I felt like I struggled to breathe in the cold air and would cough for a long time after I finished so I was doing a ton of treadmill running.

January-76 miles.  I ran a few outside miles but was mostly treadmill running at our local ymca.  I was bored to tears most of the time on the dreadmill but I started playing games.  I'd divide a shorter run in half and do half listening to a podcast and half music and for long runs I'd divide it into thirds and do 1/3 podcast, 1/3 something on Netflix or my dvr and 1/3 music.  Because the ymca treadmills automatically shut off after a certain amount of time I'd usually stop it and reset it when I was changing up my podcast/music.

February-89 miles and almost all of it was treadmill running including two runs that were 15 and 16 miles.  I felt awful.  I was really questioning whether I wanted to truly do another full marathon.  I debated on selling my bib a lot during February.  I had put on a fair amount of weight in the prior year, I felt tired and sore and just wasn't enjoying running at all.

March-91.3 miles.  I went out at the end of the month planning to do 10 miles and finish the month at 100 miles and only made it 1.3 miles.  This was after all the shutdowns started and life was boring,  the weather was still gloomy and there wasn't a clear answer about how long all the craziness would last (who would have guessed it would still be the same in December) and they hadn't cancelled the marathon yet and I felt in limbo about what to do about it.

April-50 miles.  This was my low point of the year.  I was feeling depressed about the weather and the pandemic and all the uncertainty.  I knew I needed to get running but I just had no motivation.  I registered for a virtual half marathon for late April that I knew I wasn't trained for but was hoping it would help me feel excited.  It was pretty awful.  They had also by then called the marathon so I didn't have much to train for.  

May-70.8.  This was when my mojo started to return.  The weather improved and that helped me feel more motivated to get out.  I decided that the week of the marathon I'd start on what would have been marathon Sunday and I'd run five days in a row and each day I'd run the mileage of a leg of the marathon relay so I'd run 26.2 miles over five days.  By the fifth day my butt was kicked.  The weather was so weird that week and some of the days were really cold and some were really warm.  By late May I was starting to feel better and was slowly seeing some weight come off.  I registered for a virtual event that was running the distance from Lake Erie (at the northernmost point of Pa) to the Mason-Dixon Line (southernmost point) between June 1st and July 31st which is 191 miles.  So in late May I was trying to pickup my mileage a bit to prepare.

June-95.5 miles.  The temps started getting warm and I was running a lot for the Run Pa challenge.  Many days I ran in both the morning and the evening doing two a days to get the miles in.  I was trying to get out by 8:00 in the morning and then running close to sunset to stay cool.  By the end of June I was feeling like my old self and was running faster and started weight training again.  It was the highest mileage I had run in well over a year and I was pain free and feeling amazing!

July 104.6 miles!  Again lots of heat, lots of two a days.  I ran in some crazy hot weather that month!  I was consistently weight training and doing core work.  This summer was hot and dry so I spent lots of time in my sister's pool soaking up vitamin D.  I was slimming down, eating healthy and feeling good!

August-82.3 miles.  This month started a new virtual race series I was doing through Another Mother Runner and the event in August was a virtual relay with a team of 5 mother runners!  We started early in the morning with runner one.  We had a Facebook group chat and each runner ran an hour and then would jump into the chat to "tag" the next runner.   We each did two legs over 10 hours and I covered about 5.5 miles for each leg and I ran at 9:00 and 3:00 for my legs.

September-93 miles! More of the same!  Lots of miles.  Weight training was really paying off!  The Virtual Event for AMR that month was what they called a "strong and solo" which was where the runner picked their distance and ran a strong virtual race.  I needed to do my virtual race 10K for The Great Race in Pittsburgh that month so I planned to do a 10K for this event.  I met a running friend at a local rails to trails trail because she had to do a 10 miler run for the Broad Street Run so our plan was that I'd run my 10k and then just run with her for a little while.  I started out and I was running like lightning (fast for me) and after about two miles I realized I was on target to run a sub 30:00 5k which I've never been able to do.  I decided to do both a 5k and a 10k that day.  I ran a 29:59 that day in my 5K and I still ran a relatively fast 10K right after that at 1:03:53.  

October 85.4 miles and the chance to do two small in person half marathons!  I ran a big 2.5 minute PR on 10/4 and a rough half on 10/25 that I still am glad I did.  I had some foot issues after that race so took about a week off before I ran again and that first run back was rough.  The AMR event for this month was what they called a "Stack it Up" which was done in the spirit of the Disney Dopey Challenge and we ran Friday, Saturday and Sunday with each day going further each day.  I did a 5K, 5 Miler and a 10k that weekend.  

November-74.1 miles.  November brought me a trip to Columbus Ohio for my kids to have doctor's appointments along with a bizarre non-running related injury that had me off for over a week again.  I regrouped once I was feeling better and finished out November with a crazy event for the AMR series that they called the Go Long event.  Many of the runners did what's referred to as a Yeti Challenge which involves running five miles every four hours for 24 hours.  I opted to do something that felt really special and I ran the five legs of the Pittsburgh Marathon Relay doing one every four hours for a day of 26.2 miles.  My last two legs were done back to back because I was tired, cold and hungry but I pulled it off.  I had company for most of my runs and owe a huge debt of gratitude to my friends Erin, Sean and Rob for joining me for so many miles!

December so far I have 28 miles.  Our weather had stayed relatively mild which is helping because I don't feel safe to run on a treadmill in a gym.  I'm hoping to get the last 60 miles I need to hit the 1,000 mile mark before the year ends.  I have gotten away from the strength and core work so I'm getting back to that and have gotten it in twice this week.

This year while crazy has been really good for me and I've managed to turn my fitness around this year.  I'm feeling good and feeling ready to tackle my second full marathon in May and I'm planning to register for my first ultramarathon a 50K in June to celebrate my 50th birthday!  I also found an amazing local running group that I've done a few group runs with.  Due to Covid I don't go often and run most of my runs solo but every so often I join them and we all run pretty far apart as our paces are really varying and it's a small group.  I love them all!   They are so welcoming and supportive and no matter how infrequently I join them they are always welcoming and I love that when we do hill work the faster folks always wait for us slower folks before continuing on their way!  If you happen to be near Butler, Pa you much check out the Butler County Milers group!  

Running Through It

 I'm going to try to briefly provide a little background of my life and at some point I'll write some blog posts that go more in depth about my journey.  I've never been an athletic person and I was always the last chosen for teams in gym class.   Running was a nightmare for me.  My knees always bothered me and I was forever turning ankles as a teen.  I briefly tried to start running in junior high and ran a few 5k races but didn't live somewhere that I could easily go out for a run and those were the days long before the internet and being able to find any running advice so that was short-lived.

I grew up and throughout the years I'd flirt with the idea of running.  I had a lot of ups and downs with my weight and anytime I needed to drop some weight I'd power-walk.  I'd put my mixed tapes in my walkman and walk 3-4 miles most days.   About six weeks before my wedding I decided I wanted to start running.  I headed out to the track at the school near our house and I'd walk a lap and run a lap and I don't know how many miles I did that day but I was pleased.   I went to work the next day and I squatted down to do something and when I stood up my knee popped really loudly and I was in pain.  My husband to be had to pick me up and take me to the emergency room and I ended up on crutches.  

Four and a half years ago I decided I was getting fit and working hard and wanted to come up with a big, scary goal and do a sprint triathlon.  I knew I needed to at least try to figure out this running thing so I started slow and ran my first 5k (as an adult) in July of 2016.  I did that sprint triathlon and someday soon I'll write a post about that experience.  Then in December of that year I decided that I was going to sign up to run the Pittsburgh Half Marathon in May of 2017.  I ran that 5k in July and kept running and ran a few more races including a 7:00 am 5k on Thanksgiving Day.  I was learning that my body could do it and that I really enjoyed running.

In the summer of 2016 my son had a series of odd symptoms (sleeping a lot, complaining of leg pain, random headaches and vomiting spells).  I spent a lot of time on the phone with our pediatrician trying to figure out what was going on with him.

Then in early January of 2017 my he woke up complaining of abdominal pain with very obvious swelling in the lower right side of his belly.  We rushed off to the emergency room thinking he had appendicitis.  I expected him to be whisked off to surgery and be in for a day or two and then he'd be fine.  If only it had been that simple.  

That emergency room visit kicked off a two week nightmare of tests, lab work, hospital stays, a lot of arguing with doctors and residents and a lot of crying both from my son and myself.  I knew there was something very wrong but the doctors kept chalking it up to him being constipated.   Two weeks from that initial ER visit he had spinal cord surgery.  While we were in the pre-op area we were informed that the goal of surgery was so that he could maintain his ability to walk but that he would never regain bowel or bladder function and would rely on catheters and enemas for the rest of his life in order to empty them.

  During our three weeks in and out of the hospital I got to run once or twice, there was a lot of emotional eating and there were evenings spent in the enormous waiting area in the outpatient waiting area power-walking with earbuds in.  

When we came home I was an emotional mess.  I was stuck in the anger stage of grieving.  I cried a lot, I wanted to smash things and instead I ran.  At that point it was actually the time to start my half marathon training plan.  I would go out for my runs and just let my mind empty.  Some days the tears flowed freely down my cheeks while I ran and my soul would feel cleansed and ready to walk back into my house and be strong for my little boy.   I ran the half and kept on running.   It's been almost four years since all of that happened and some days I run and find the rhythm of my feet hitting the pavement brings up emotions I'm still processing from those days.  Each year as we approach the anniversary of those hospital stays I find that my runs become even more important for me.

In September of 2018 my son was admitted to the hospital again for major abdominal surgery.  We knew we would be there for 10-14 days and that the surgery would take an entire day.  We felt so prepared for what to expect because our doctors and nurses were amazing.  They answered all of our questions patiently and explained so well for us what to expect.  No matter how prepared you feel for something major like this there is still fear.   As a parent taking your child for a major surgery that's technically "elective" feels like one of the scariest things you can do.

  Staying with your child in the hospital can feel so isolating so once again I turned to running.  I had all my gear packed and figured out some routes to run during his stay.  The morning of his surgery we went down to pre-op and got him settled, then my family and I went to get some breakfast and they said we'd get our first update around the 2 hour mark so once we got that update I laced up my shoes and headed outside for some sunshine, fresh air and time to think and ran 3 hot and sweaty miles.  During that stay any evening that someone came to visit I took advantage of having company for him and headed out for a run.  When we came home I did a lot of treadmill running so that I could be close to him but it once again helped me so much.

In June of 2019 I went out for a run on a gorgeous early summer evening.  I came home and a few minutes later my phone rang and when I answered it my sister was on the other line and she was crying and I could barely understand the words she was speaking to me as she told me my grandmother had passed away. 

 My grandma was my last living grandparent.  She was someone who was so strong and she was described by so many people as a spitfire and somehow I thought she'd live forever.  Over the next few days as funeral arrangements were made and family came into town I once again sought solace in the run.  I ran before we went to the funeral.  

And then 2020 rolled around.  This has been such a hard year for almost everyone.  So much isolation, so much racial tension, politics, people dying by the thousands, stay at home orders and all.  

 I started out this year at weight and fitness level that wasn't even close to where I wanted to be.  Then the world shut down and I felt so lost.  For the first month I basically did nothing but eat and do jigsaw puzzles.  

Then spring finally arrived and I got out for some runs.  I signed up for a virtual race that was a run the distance of the northernmost point of PA to the southernmost point in the state from June 1st to July 31st.  191 miles in two months.  It was a stretch and I didn't actually think I could pull it off.   In hindsight signing up for that virtual event was an amazing decision.   I found my rhythm again.  I started to get fit again, I started losing weight and my speed increased and I totally fell in love with running again.  

The pandemic sucks in so many ways but running has once again been my salvation and I'm really hoping that 2021 brings better times but if it doesn't I'll be out there pounding the pavement while listening to my kickass playlist and the sounds of my footfalls on the ground as I process whatever life has to throw at me.  

As we move into the holidays I hope everyone stays healthy and most of all happy. 

Me and my silly boy!

My dear grandma at the surprise party we had for her 85th birthday!

My Favorite Running Podcasts

 My last post was about my favorite running gear and this one will be about my favorite podcasts that focus on running.  There are so many and I have a few I follow and many I wish I had time to listen to.  I don't listen to podcasts when I run because I prefer music for runs but I walk my dog regularly and listen to podcasts then and while commuting.  In no particular order here are the ones I listen to regularly.  You'll find me listening to my podcasts on my Aftershokz Wireless Bone Conduction Earbuds.

Another Mother Runner-  This is the podcast I've been following the longest.  Sarah and Dimity are the founders of AMR and they have a big following.  They have so many different topics on their show and they have a lively back and forth at the beginning of each episode where you hear about their lives too.  They have a few regular topics they do each year and a variety of other topics.  They always do an episode each season focusing on what they are reading and as a book lover it's one of my favorite episodes!  

AMR also has coaches who write training plans and when you purchase a training plan you get swag and access to the coaches throughout your race training.  They have different levels for all their training plans whether you're a beginner, intermediate or advanced runner.  They also have a yearly program called Many Happy Miles that is running and overall fitness related to keep you motivated all year.

Running 4 Real with Tina Muir- I discovered this podcast because Tina was a guest on the AMR podcast.  Tina is British and she's an incredible interviewer and when she has guests on who are pro-runners she always comes up with unique questions so the interview is fresh and not a repeat of what you've heard on other podcasts.  Tina also has a wide range of topics on her show so there's something for everyone.  Tina also has a private group on Facebook for her listeners.  One of the cool things I found is that when Tina was pregnant with her first baby she actually took the same childbirth class that I teach (Hypnobabies) from an instructor near her.

The Morning Shakeout with Mario Fraoli-Mario's podcast is a long form podcast.  Most of his podcasts are well over an hour long but they are chockfull of good stuff.  He also has a variety of different backgrounds on his show.  He interviews some pro-runners but also some amateurs, some track runners, coaches and more.  I feel like all of the podcasters I listen to are fantastic at interviewing their guests but Mario has something special.  He is great and finessing the stories from his guests.

Ali on the Run-Ali Feller is a podcaster I discovered after she did a live show with other podcasters I was listening to.  Right now she's my favorite to listen to.  She's funny, she's a great interviewer and she usually has at least one really warm and fuzzy moment on every podcast.   She and Mario Fraoli recently did a podcast together and they were like the dream team!  Ali also does some different series.  She's had a Motherhood Mondays where she interviews other moms, doulas, OB/Gyn's and midwives and other people new moms should know about.  She does an On the Job series with people with interesting professions and how they fit running into their lives and so many other fun things.  She also has a private and fun Facebook group where her listeners can connect.

The Rambling Runner with Matt Chittim-The Rambling Runner podcast is so awesome because Matt mostly features every day amateur runners.   He has pros on from time to time but it's mostly every day runners who are doing fun and exciting things.  Some are really fast amateur runners and some are more relatable to folks like me.  He and Ali Feller do a fun Ramblings on the Run podcast together each month which is a blast!  Matt is currently doing a series in preparation for his 40th birthday in 2021 where he's chasing a 10k in under 40 minutes for his 40th birthday and he's working with a running coach, a nutritionist and a sports psychologist to prepare him for the challenge.   So about once a month his podcast is his conversations with those folks and I'm really looking forward to hearing that he's crushed that goal!

Last but not least because these are in no particular order (except how my podcast feed is right now) is:

I'll Have Another with Lindsey Hein-like many of the other podcasts I found Lindsey when she was a guest on Running 4 Real with Tina Muir.  Lindsey also has a great mix of guests.  She's recently done a series with coaches (some college coaches, some pro-runner coaches) and those have been a lot of fun!  She once got the pleasure to interview Tony Dungy at an event too!  Lindsey owns a podcast group and had several other podcasts that her production company puts out.  There are other running podcasts, a parenting podcast and one that's called The Illuminate Podcast which "shares stories and perspectives of those working to spread light and illuminate others."

If you're looking for fun podcasts about running/runners check these out and let me know what your favorites are!

My Favorite Things Running Edition

 I've been running for a little over four years now.  I started running because I wanted to do a sprint triathlon and I knew I'd need to be able to run at least a 5K.  I wasn't interested in being a runner and I never planned to do anything further than a 5K distance and figured I'd from time to time jump into a local 5K race for fun.

Four years later I can't remember life before I started running.  I absolutely love running (ok so not every single run) and I know that in these times of high stress if I couldn't run I'd maybe go crazy.   My son has some complicated health issues and running has helped me process a lot of my emotions surrounding his needs.   I ran the morning of my grandma's funeral to prepare myself for the emotional day that was waiting for me.  

A lot of my friends ask me questions about gear and such when they are considering taking up running so I thought I'd write a post about my favorite gear.   Please know that your runs don't need all the fancy gear.  You need a pair of good running shoes (please, please go to a running store and get measured and invest money on good shoes before investing in anything else!), two legs and the desire to run.  If you want to track your distance there are great apps you can use on your phone that you can download for free to you don't even need a fancy watch.

So here are my favorite things and I'm going to work from head to toe:

Earbuds: Again nobody needs fancy, wireless earbuds to start running but most people I know do prefer to listen to music when they run.  I give huge kudos to those who never use music because as much as I love to run I need a beat!  So my go-to is the Aftershokz Trekz Titanium.  They are wireless, bluetooth headset.  They are bone conduction so they sit in front of your ear and you hear via bone conduction from the jawbone.  This leaves your ears open so you can hear your surroundings.  I will say I am usually so lost in thought that this doesn't always work for me.  I still get spooked by cyclists and such.  They have a six hour battery life and I've heard some people say they think the sound quality isn't great but I'm not looking for a surround sound, theater sound.  I just need music!  

https://aftershokz.com/us/

Sports Bra: I'll be completely upfront about bras.  They have been the most difficult piece of running gear for me to find something I love.  I've tried many different ones and I've spent a ton of money on a lot of bras I've hated.  I'm someone whose weight has yo-yo'ed my entire life.  Over the last six years I lost close to 100 pounds.  I have a lot of extra skin that sits under my arms and on my upper back.  I need a sports bra that has a wide enough band that I can tuck that into it.  I also hate bras I have to pull on so it needs clasps or zippers (whether front or back) and I seriously despise the uni-boob look and feel that most sports bras give you.  And I've got what I consider fairly large breasts which also makes it so I need high support.  So currently I'm running in the Victoria Secrets Knockout.  It's by far been my favorite.  If the zipper didn't create the uni-boob feel and the back went up higher I'd be totally sold but I still think there's a unicorn out there that I haven't tried on yet.  I recently purchased a Koala Clip but because of the way this bra is in the back I can't reach to put the clip on it.  I do need to get a new one and get remeasured due to some weight loss the one I'm wearing is too big.

https://www.victoriassecret.com/us/vs/bras-catalog/victoria-s-secret-knockout-ultra-max-front-close-sport-bra-5000004686?brand=vs&collectionId=b1415b55-1f44-437d-90ff-1bcae8926f78&limit=180&productId=e9fb21f7-02de-4a83-811d-a85b5d5fbaf9&stackId=6cf3045b-afc7-4ac8-9985-2c9fdc06efc3

GPS Running Watch: Again you don't need a watch.  You can download the Map my Run app or Strava and your phone will track you distance and pace.  If you're a data geek there are a ton of options for watches.  I'm currently using the Garmin Vivoactive 3 with Music.  This watch does a lot.  It will track your workouts, it's got wrist-based heart rate tracking, it tracks sleep, steps, stress level (although I don't understand how that works because election week should have had my stress level at a max but it doesn't say that on my data), it tracks your VO2 Max and you can program workouts into it.   I have to charge mine about every 3-4 days or sooner if I've done several longer runs.   This particular watch allows you to load music onto it so you don't have to carry a music playing device however twice I've had it glitch during a race and the watch had shut off and I've had to stop and switch my music to my phone and I've lost the data from the run on the watch so I no longer use it for that.  I love this watch and if/when it dies I will likely upgrade it to something that does even more but I am not an elite athlete and this has plenty of bells and whistles and is a nice mid-price option for tracking.  It charges quickly also.

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/

Shorts/capris/tights: I recently purchased some Nike running shorts from Plato's Closet and I seriously love them!  However the no pocket thing makes me crazy.  They are amazingly cool on warm days and they are super comfortable.  I've never been a run commando runner but I love the liner in them and I don't feel exposed while running with no underwear on like I would in other bottoms.

I also love my Sparkle Skirt (Sparkle Skirt was bought out by Bolder Athletic Wear) especially for longer runs/races.  The skirts have no slip shorts under a skirt and they have so many options.  They have lots of pockets where I can stash my fuel and my phone.  I never have had chafing in my skirt and they just feel cute.

https://bolderathleticwear.com/

On cooler days I love my Saucony Bullet Capris.  I've heard they stopped making these and I got mine for half price on clearance at a race expo.  As much as I love these capris I'm disgusted by their sizing.  I'm a 5'2" and 165 person and my XL capris are almost too snug.  There is no excuse for the running industry to not be more inclusive on sizing.  I'm not a small gal but I'm smaller than many of the runners I know and I can't imagine finding gear is easy for any of us plus size runners with female bodies.  These also do have great pockets that are big enough to hold a phone and fuel though.

https://www.saucony.com/en/fortify-capri/43150W.html?dwvar_43150W_color=SAW800267-BK

For long pants I'll be honest that I haven't invested in expensive options.  I buy a lot of Tek-Gear from Kohl's.  I have fleece lined leggings from there that I love and I have some full length Avia leggings from Kohl's that have pockets that I like.  

Socks: I love Balega Hidden Comfort:  I've gotten very few blisters even with all the miles I've run.  I feel very fortunate for that.  I love these socks!  They are comfortable and protect my feet well.  I've done some of the Another Mother Runner training plans and a pair of these come as swag with almost all the programs I've done so I'm happy that I love them!

https://balega-socks.implus.com/

Shoes: Shoes are such an individual thing.  What I like you may hate and what you swear by I may end up despising.  I started out running in the Asics Dynaflyte and I had no issues with that shoe at all.  For a while I ran in the Brooks Launch and loved them but I didn't love the newest model the Launch 7.  For the last year I've been running in the Brooks Ghost 12 and I love this shoe!  It's got a little more padding than the Launch and I can get a few more miles out of them and they are a nice mid-price option between the Launch and the Dynaflyte I used to wear.  I wear a neutral shoe but some people need a stabilizing shoe so the best thing you can do is to go to a running store and get a fit by a professional and have them look at your gait.  Most running shoes have very generous return policies so that you can take a shoe home and run in it and return it if you hate it within a reasonable amount of time.  They want you to keep running so they will really work with you.  

https://www.brooksrunning.com/en_us

Handheld Water Bottle:  This is another category that I've tried so many different things to find the one I love.  I have the Amphipod Hydraform Jett-Lite Thermal Handheld.  I love this water bottle.  It fits my hand well and I don't feel like I'm carrying anything.  It holds enough water for. me to run a half marathon.  It's got a pouch that I can stick my keys or fuel in.  It's by far my favorite.  My only two complaints about this water bottle is that the thermal covering on the bottle can get pretty stinky from your hands sweating on it but that's easily solved by throwing it into the dishwasher and it's kind of hard to adjust it when you've got bulky gloves in the winter time so that it fits better.  Other than that it's the perfect bottle for me. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0118FUH3K/ref=sspa_dk_detail_5?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0118FUH3Kp13NParams&smid=AXO5BK50QHKQI&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExU0dEMExUSkxNSldBJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwODM0MzAwMzNCOVNLTVU2Q0dLJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTEwMzI1OTYzSUZJNkZFTE0yQlRLJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsMiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

You'll notice I didn't put anything in here for tops.  I have many tanks that I like.  The one that is my favorite is a Reebok brand one I got that apparently they don't make anymore.  I like a nice looser fitting shirt that is longer and that is a dri-fit material.  For new runners don't run in a cotton t-shirt unless you want to chafe and get overheated.  Again my long sleeve options are mostly Tek-Gear from Kohl's and they are affordable and comfortable.

I'll make a post soon about my favorite running based podcasts as well so if you're interested in that check back soon!

Five Things I'm Loving Right Now

 A pod cast I listen to does a monthly Five Things I'm Loving list and I thought that might be a fun way to start!  So here are five things I'm loving right now!




The Michelle Obama Podcast exclusively on Spotify.  I’m ashamed to admit I didn't follow politics a lot during the Obama years. I think part of why is that I have a lot of privilege and don't have to be as aware as others. After reading Becoming my admiration of Michelle just exploded. Her podcast is amazing and is like a light in the darkness right now.  It's not interview style it's more like being a fly on the wall during her conversations with Barack, her brother and her friends.  Check it out and let me know if you love it as much as I do!

Since hitting middle age I'm suddenly very aware of the passing of time. I lost my last grandparent last summer just after my 48th birthday. I feel so unbelievably lucky to have had all four of my grandparents into my 40's but they all left this earth in just a few short years. So the second thing I'm loving is that my family and I spent a lot of time this summer with my parents and my sister's family. The public pool we typically join in the summer opened later this year due to Covid-19 and even after it opened I didn't feel comfortable going there so we spent a lot of days swimming at my sister's (who lives next door to our parents) and we cooked out and had fires in the evenings and it was so wonderful to spend so much time with the people I love the most!

I'm loving my current fitness level. I've been running for four years and 2019 was a rough running year. I gained about 30 pounds, I got injured and had to bow out of my marathon training around the halfway point. I struggled with running the rest of the year and considered just hanging up my running shoes. I'm so glad I didn't! I've been working hard since May and getting a lot of miles in. I'm dropping weight, I'm doing a lot of strength and core work and it's paying huge dividends. I ran a sub 30 minute 5K a few weeks ago and I ran my fastest half marathon this past Sunday! I ran 2.5 minutes faster than my previous best so that's really exciting! I have another half in a couple of weeks and I'm really hoping to run even faster then! Stay Tuned for that update!

The cooler fall weather! I love summer but the humidity this summer was awful! I don't like winter either but the crisp fall mornings and evenings with the low humidity are totally my jam!

I'm loving that I've recently gotten quite a few good books from the library on my Kindle. I've read some great books this year and for me there's nothing like being transported into a good book! I'll make a separate post with some of my favorites so far in 2020 however I have to say that if you haven't had the chance to read Anxious People by Fredrik Backman get it ASAP and read it! He writes in a quirky style and it makes his books so unique and interesting!