Month: December 2023

My 2023 Running Recap

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 7 Comments

Happy ALMOST New Years! Wow, where did 2023 go?

It was a good year with NO injuries, some cross training, and even some races with my kids!

I set out the year with these goals:

Goal 1: Add in something else besides running into my schedule. 

Goal 2: Continue to run, injury free.

Goal 3: Run in-person races again!

Goal 4: Run more miles than I ran in 2022 (1,513.67 miles)

Here’s how I did related to those goals:

Goal 1: Recently, I started adding some cross training into my schedule! B started building out our basement gym, adding a rowing machine and bike. Since then, when weather is inclement, I’ve started using those machines. Some days during work when I’m proofreading, I sit on the bike to move my legs a little. I also start most of my weekday runs with a short core workout, which I started doing in 2022 when I started doing diastasis recti exercises. It may not sound like a lot, but this is a big deal for me.

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Goal 2: Yes! Yes! I ran injury free, thanks in part to sometimes stretching but also rolling my foot out each day after running to prevent PF.

Goal 3: I ran 5 races this year, including two with FW! They were:

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  • Communion of Saints 5K: My kids and husband did the one miler, and I did the 5K.
  • Cleveland Heights Happy 5K: This was FW’s first 5K where he didn’t walk. He ran it with me last year, walking most of the way, but this year we ran together. He did great and probably could’ve gone faster!  LM did the kids run.

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  • Stratford, Connecticut Turkey Trot: I also ran this with FW. FW, LM and GM also did the kids run. (GM wasn’t as happy about it — here’s the post with more details)

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Goal 4:

Before I get to Goal 4, here’s a short weekly update — this past week, I finished my year in running by running a few runs outside (weather permitting – we had some WARM days!) and inside (yay for the treadmill!) during my time off. Getting in runs without having to wake up and run outside in the dark was GREAT. I wish I could run in daylight every day! With time off work, I enjoyed some days sleeping in, but also mostly time with the kids vs. time running by myself while the kids were off school. I got in a stroller run, AND Christmas day my oldest ran a 5K with me, which made my day. Overall, I got in fewer miles than typical (25ish) but still some runs. With that, I have reached the following mileage in 2023:

Total mileage for 2023: ~1,580 miles < — I can’t believe I did it! I’ll know the final number after tomorrow, hopefully I’ll get in a little NYE morning run.

And if you’re still reading and are looking for a way to meet your running goals in 2024, you should enter my race giveaway on Instagram! Here is a link — you can enter to win race entry to any of the Cleveland Marathon events in May.

Questions for you:

  • How did your 2023 go?
  • Any goals for 2024?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

 

Back on the Mill

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 14 Comments

Well, after some wonderfully warmish, clear December weather to kick off the month, this week brought cold and ice and snow. I know I shouldn’t complain because it is December in Cleveland, but I hate when the weather interferes with my running plans 🙂 That said, I had a good week, thanks to my treadmill, Christmas movies and Netflix. The kiddos also started their holiday break, which meant I was even able to sleep in one day because I didn’t have to get the kiddos up early!

Here’s how the week looked:

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Clear and Chilly

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 12 Comments

Yikes, where did December go? I took off of writing last week, because I was out of town. My dad had open heart surgery and I went out to NYC to be with him for the procedure. He is doing well thankfully, and I’m back in Cleveland while my mom helps him recover.

This week was back to normal with my schedule but we had a few activities going on – Monday FW had basketball and soccer and LM had ballet. Wednesday GM had his holiday concert at school and FW had soccer. Thursday FW had his school holiday concert. Friday LM and I went to the Nutcracker. Saturday included a visit with Santa and FW’s soccer game. But ‘tis the season – lots going on, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

I was still able to stay pretty active and get in some miles. I had a hard time getting out of bed most mornings, so I didn’t get in as long of a run as I would’ve liked (5 miles is my happy morning “easy” run), but the weather was clear, so I still got out each day in the cold.

Here’s how the week looked:

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Chia Jam (So Easy!)

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This is another one of those recipes that’s not really a recipe – it’s so easy! It only has three ingredients and takes 15 minutes to make. If you have kids — or anyone in your family — that loves jam, you HAVE to try chia jam! It’s a yummy, healthier alternative. Don’t get me wrong, jelly and jam still have a place on our house, but this is a great addition to our rotation. Try it today!

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SNOWvember

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 14 Comments

This week, winter came out of hiding and said hello to Northeast Ohio. That’s right, we had SNOW (and several inches) on Tuesday, which made my usual morning running routine a little messy and more difficult than usual. Between the snow – which meant a snow day for the kids – and then FW being home sick – it was a wonky week and I was not able to get as much done as I had hoped. But, I was also very GRATEFUL this week to have access to a home gym that we have been building up for the past few months. 

November was a good month for me. Got in a few miles, and finally some activities besides running – including indoor cycling and rowing machine! And of course, core work 3-5x a week. My total mileage was 140.09 miles, which isn’t my highest month, but also not my lowest.

Here’s what the week looked like:

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