Crafton Firecracker 5k – Race Recap

Happy July everyone! I hope ya’ll had a fun & safe Fourth of July weekend.

My weekend was packed! Friends came in from my hometown & 4 of us went to the Kenny Chesney concert on Saturday – it was a blast!

Monday was the 4th & I was signed up for the Thomas J. Witt Memorial 5k in the morning. This race ran through Crafton (which is only about 2 minutes from my apartment) & a few of my running friends were running it as well.

I basically rolled out of bed at 6:50, got my stuff together & left my apartment to get to the park around 7:15. I ate a Larabar on my way there & brought some water. I haven’t really been running all that much, but I did want to plan around an 11 min pace average. I had heard this race was hilly, but I wanted to see what I had in me.

I picked up my packet once I got there, which was super easy as it usually is when Elite times a race. Once I saw my friends, we took some pictures & wandered around the park until it was time to line up to start. The race started right on time at 8am, which was great!

Mile splits:

Mile 1: 10:59

Mile 2: 11:35

Mile 3: 10:12

Mile 2 was clearly the hilliest of the entire race. This was definitely a tough course, but I don’t think it was the hardest race I’ve ever done. Mile 2 contained some walk breaks – some of those hills were SUPER steep! Mile 3 had a huuuuge downhill & it gave me a ton of momentum to finish strong. At one point while I was running down the giant hill, I looked at my watch & it said 8:45 pace. HA! Nice, Ciara.

 

After I finished, Jenn wasn’t too far behind me (Sara finished ahead of me) & we were handed our finisher’s medal (yay, bling!) & some water. We were treated to a piece of cake, fruit gummies & a banana. Yum! The girls & I went to go check our official times & mine showed 33:43, pace 10:51. LOVE!!! Then I noticed that I had turned on live results on my Facebook page & that had a different finishing time. We guessed that the laptop was showing us gun time (which is unusual, I’ve never seen it do that before) & the Chronotrack time was showing chip time, which is the accurate of both times. So, chip time = 33:10! AWESOME!! That’s my best 5k since December. After the race, we sat around talking & eating cake.. and I even got to meet Jessie in person which was super exciting!

 

My only qualm with the race is that they didn’t close any streets. While the roads weren’t busy around Crafton, there were a few times I almost had to stop for cars to go through a stop light. Not a fan. Also, I had to cross a lot of streets with no one directing traffic & I felt like I was out on my own hoping I didn’t get hit by a car. Regardless, I’m always safe & looked both ways before I ran across a street.

I will probably make this an annual 4th of July race – it’s local & it was very affordable! If you’re ever looking for a small 4th of July race, this is one to add to your list!

-C

Summer Fitness Goals

So, what am I doing now that the Pittsburgh Half Marathon is over?

Good question.

Through the end of July, I am choosing to let (focusing) on running take a back seat. I’m in my second week of a program called ChaLEAN Extreme & I’m LOVING it so far! I am a Beachbody coach & I was excited to try one of their weight lifting programs. It is a 90 day program that is separated into 3 different phases; Burn, Push & Lean. Each phase has 3 circuits that you work through. My main goal for this 90 day program is to lean out a little.. I don’t necessarily want to lose any more lbs, but I would like to tone & tighten up in certain places! Also, I know how important strength training is – & I’m ready to get strong.

From now until the end of July, my schedule will look something like this:

Monday –  Circuit 1 & night class

Tuesday – Speedwork w/ Pro Bike & Run

Wednesday – Circuit 2

Thursday – Ab workout

Friday – Circuit 3

Saturday – Long run w/ Pro Bike & Run

Sunday – Yoga

Busy schedule – every day I’m doing something – but I’m really looking forward to challenging myself in new ways. The hardest part will be keeping my nutrition on point. I am currently using the 21 day fix portion containers & eating an 80/20 “diet”. Rarely do I want to be eating anything processed. You can work out for hours & hours, but if your nutrition isn’t right, you won’t get the results you want. You can’t out exercise a bad diet.

I will finish this program just in time for fall training w/ Pro Bike & Run – & this year I’m *hoping* to be a mentor! Most people train for the EQT 10 miler during fall training season, but I will be looking towards the Buffalo Creek 1/2 Marathon – which is my goal race – looking to beat my current 2:37 PR!!

What are your summer goals? share them here 🙂

Pittsburgh Half Marathon Recap

I have spent the last couple of days wishing I could go back & do Sunday all over again – but for all of the best reasons. Not because I would correct mistakes I made, but because I had a great time running it!

The 5k was the day before – me & a few of the girls I run with normally just took it easy & had fun. Check out this fun picture of us crossing the finish line!

On Saturday, my mom & I went to the expo & walked around for a good 2 hours.. which probably wasn’t the smartest idea. My feet hurt like crazy even though I was wearing a retired pair of running shoes! After the expo, we got back to the hotel we were staying at downtown & I got to take a nap. Once we grabbed dinner & came back to relax, I’m pretty sure I passed out before 9pm. LONG weekend continuing here!

My alarm went off at 5:30am & I sprung out of bed. I am definitely not much of a morning person, but I was too excited! I ate a Honey Stinger waffle & got my things together. I told my mom she could putz around the hotel & come out to the race area around 9am, since I wasn’t going to finish until after 10am. No sense in standing outside by herself for 3 hours! Of course, like her little girl going off to her first day of school, she had to snap a picture.. 🙂

Pro Bike+Run (formerly Elite Runners & Walkers.. same great store & staff!!) had their group picture at 6:15am down by Gateway Center.. so I left the hotel around 6am & walked over. So many people were already out & we all started talking about what our plans were for the day & when we should use the bathroom.. I love these chats because only runners find it normal to talk about our bathroom issues! haha! We got to snap a few pictures before heading to our corral..

The race starts promptly at 7am, but I was in Corral D (whats up 12 min pace! no shame!) so I didn’t cross the start line until about 7:30am. Letting tens of thousands of runners cross the start line takes a while. It was drizzling pretty good at this point.. but I was comfortable in my shorts & singlet. I was running with my new friend Jen – & I was excited! We had so much fun running together for the course preview that I knew this race would be enjoyable with her. Nothing like having 2.5 hours to get to know each other!

Highlights/notes from the race:

• I stepped in a puddle around mile 1.5 & unfortunately got a blister! No fun around miles 7-8.

 

• While running through the Strip District, I passed a woman drinking a beer (actually, a Mike’s Hard Lemonade……..at least drink real beer, jeez) & I shouted “Drink one for me!” — I really like interacting with the spectators, FYI. & she shouted back “Well, you should’ve made a better decision then!” – Jen promptly said.. wow. That was harsh! I did get a chance to yell back that this was the best decision. And it was.

 

• Around mile 4 I saw a huge painted sign that said “MIMOSA” so naturally I was looking for those folks to have mimosas in their hand. They did not.. so I yelled out to the crowd.. “Where’s the mimosas!?” & someone shouted.. “Back here! Under the tent!” I then proceeded to leap over their front lawn, under their tent, & I quickly grabbed a cup & poured some orange juice, while some guy I didn’t even look at poured champagne in at the same time. I said thanks & ran off.. All I could hear was people laughing.. it was hysterical & I was SO excited to have a mimosa at mile 4.

• Our pace was pretty on point! I had plans to go 12:30, but we were staying under a 12.. with our watches only a little bit short of the mile markers. We were going way faster than I expected, but I was feeling good about it.. I even thought I might PR!

• Turning on the Birmingham Bridge was where I started to struggle a bit. Birmingham is a decent hill, followed by an even more decent hill, followed by the biggest hill of the course. I walked a few times, but it didn’t hurt us enough that it affected our pace. I saw my coach on the bridge, & that is always a huge boost for me.. he knows just what to say to get my ass in gear!

I saw so many friends & so many fun signs along the way & I really enjoyed myself. I was so happy to cross the finish line.. there truly is no feeling better than crossing the finish line after you have just run 13.1 miles.

Final time: 2:38 – only 1 minute slower than my current PR. I call that a win.

This race meant so much to me. When I was struggling, I kept thinking of a sign I saw early on in the race “Purpose with every step”. I was doing this for a purpose. And every step reminded me of why I was running this race & who I was running it for. I am completely honored to be a part of Team ALS 2016 & I can’t wait to be a part of the team for next year’s event. Thank you everyone so much for the support.. it’s now time to let my focus on running take a back seat & focus on getting my body stronger! I’m excited for new beginnings 🙂

 

Run for a Reason – Pittsburgh Half Marathon

Happy 6 days until race day everyone! Today I wanted to share my reason for running. I have shared this in a  video & a little bit on my Facebook page, but never on here where I have more space!

In the fall after a pretty intense race schedule, I wasn’t sure if I was interested in running the Pittsburgh Half in May. In  2015, my plan was for that race to be my first half marathon, but I got injured along the way & the only thing I could do was cheer on my friends from the running group as they completed their goal of doing this race. I also wasn’t sure that I wanted to spend the race fee, which can be pretty expensive if you wait long enough.

When I found out I could run for charity, I went on the Pittsburgh Marathon website & looked at all of the charities I could choose from. When I saw the ALS Association on the list, it was a no brainer. I immediately signed up & started fundraising. I could feel it was the right choice in my gut!

The last 4-5 months of being on this team has been a complete joy. It is so great seeing other runners come together for the same cause & who have a similar story to mine. I attended a smaller high school in Central PA & it was there that I met Mr. Mark French. He was a long time athletic trainer & teacher at my school. A lot of students would take his Athletic First Aid class & they would take it multiple years in a row just so that they could have him as a teacher. He coined crazy phrases & words that he used regularly & they were hilarious. “When in doubt, fire out” is by far his most famous. I can still hear him saying it to this day, even though it’s been almost 10 years since I’ve been in one of his classes. When I was applying to colleges, he wrote me a recommendation letter & he even let me read it. I wish I would have kept a copy for myself. It would be nice to read when I miss him. In 2008, he was diagnosed with ALS, & sadly passed away in June of 2009.

A memorial for him was held in my high school’s auditorium after he passed away & I’m telling you.. that place was overflowing. There was not an empty seat in that place & there were people who even had to stand in the hallway. Pictures played on the big screen, people spoke, & his brother played “How to Save a Life” by The Fray on the guitar. I still have a hard time listening to that song when it comes on the radio. A few months later, a friend of mine from school & I were chatting online & she mentioned to me that before we graduated, Mr. French told her to watch out for me.. & that I was his diamond in the rough. I was 2o years old at the time & as most young adults do, felt that I had no direction in life.. but the fact that Mr. French knew I was destined for something great meant that I had to trust him… because he knew everything. He ALWAYS knew everything. He used to tell you things about yourself that you swore you didn’t tell a single soul. But he knew it.

Many functions & fundraising events have gone on in his name. Dodgeball tournaments which have funded the Mark French Scholarship and made an annual donation to ALS research, ALS walks & I’m sure many more.

This year at the Pittsburgh Half marathon, his name will be on the front of my bib, & his name will be written on my back under “I Run For..”. 6 days before the race, I have raised $1,295.00 for the ALS Association & I couldn’t be prouder. I hope he’s proud of me too.

I think of you constantly, Mr. French. Your teachings have made an impact on everyone you’ve ever come in contact with, & I will never, ever forget  the impact you had on my life. I miss you every day! Until I see you again someday.. (but not too soon)

Love,

Ciara

Pittsburgh Half Marathon Training – Week 10

My weekly recap is a tad late – sorry everyone! I have been really slacking on my weekly runs, but have been making sure I’m keeping a decent long run base since I have a half marathon coming up in 2 weeks.

I have started doing the ChaLEAN Extreme program – it’s an intense weight lifting program & I think this is the perfect compliment to running! It’s a 90 day program & I’m really excited to see results. One thing Chalene Johnson says all the time – you can’t get abs if you don’t clean your diet up first. “Abs are made in the kitchen!” & it’s so true. I’m really excited to clean everything up food wise & tone up.

Saturday’s long run was from Schenley Park, which is always a hilly course. I had 8 on the schedule, but only could get through 6 due to my knee bothering me towards the end. Even though I cut it short, the hills were basically like running 8 miles. Running with the group always gets me through. If it wasn’t for them, I doubt I’d be out there.

This Saturday’s long run is up for 10-12 miles. I have been having some really bad back pain the last few days so I’m going to rest until then. I want to be in decent shape for Just a Short Run 1/2 Marathon! Maybe I’ll PR if I’m lucky 🙂

Race Recap – Spring Thaw

First race of 2016 was a success! I’m looking forward to writing more race recaps for you all. They’re my favorite stories to tell! (well, most of the time)

Going into this race, I really wasn’t sure what to expect from myself. I have skipped more than my fair share of training runs & my left knee cap has been really bothering me the last week or so. A while ago, I had planned on racing this, but the closer the race got, I figured I’d just go out there & take it easy & hope for the best.

Luckily, this race went way better than expected. There are three distances to choose from: 10, 15 or 20 miles. I went with 10, since I have no plan to ever run above 13.1 miles. The race is located out in North Park – & the course is just loops around the lake. This lake is so beautiful – both in the winter & the summer. I don’t run out there a whole lot, so whenever I do get to run out there, I enjoy it.

The race started at 10am & it was cold!! If it wasn’t for the wind, it wouldn’t have been too bad. To my surprise, I dressed perfectly – except I didn’t wear gloves. I should have. When running into the headwind, my hands were literally frozen – but I got to warm up when the wind was at our backs. I ran with Jenn – of course! We make such a great team. I have really enjoyed running with her these last few months, & I’m glad I finally caught up to her pace wise! Our first loop around the lake was nice.. it wasn’t crowded, & Jenn & I were basically just hanging out & going for a nice run. The pace never felt too hard, it really did just seem to go by really quickly.

1st loop (5 miles): 58:59. Sweet. So far, we were on pace to PR. Originally when I planned on racing, I wanted to PR – which was anything under 2 hours. Little did I know I could do this without feeling like I was racing!

2nd loop was okay – I was kind of dreading going another loop around since I already knew what to expect & exactly how much I had left based on landmarks. The volunteers at the waterstops were great – I stopped probably 2 or 3 times during the race. By mile 8.5 or so, Jenn & I both mentioned we were getting a little stiff. But we were so close! We powered through & saw our coach Matt around mile 9.25-9.5 & that last 3/4’s to half mile were run at a pace of 10:23 haha. I always love sprinting to the finish line – it always feels like I have nothing left to give but I get myself across the finish line like a champ.

2nd loop (5 miles): 57:57   (negative splits!!)

Finish: 1:56:55   11:42min/mi

That time really made me happy – I didn’t feel like I was pushing myself at all & the fact that loop 2 was faster than loop 1 was awesome. Afterwards, we ate pizza & got stretched out by Keystone PT & got sports massages (I really need that after every race!)

Overall, this race was a really nice one. It’s a great half marathon/marathon training race. Next up: Just a Short Run 1/2 marathon 03/26!! Did anyone  else race this weekend? How did it go?

Pittsburgh Half Marathon Training – Week 8

Sorry about the lack of post last week! I didn’t have anything to write about & no pictures were taken! The only run I got in was last Saturday – 4 awful miles on the treadmill, but silver lining was it was for charity, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Tuesday was speed work night & I did not fuel properly. It seems to be a trend this week.. I really need to start taking my fueling & hydration more seriously or else my runs will all feel like garbage.. just like they did all week. I only made it through 3x800s before my stomach got really upset & I had to do a quick .5 mile cool down. My watch got all jacked up in the first mile & 800 because I had the bike option on instead of the run haha.

Thursday I was supposed to get in a run with the girls but I scored free Penguins tickets for that evening – it was the first game I ever went to & I had a blast! Good company, good beer, great playing by the Pens!

Spring Thaw 10 miler in next Saturday, so I wanted to get a high mileage long run yesterday. I haven’t been getting in the miles I’ve been needing, so this probably wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had. I got a little over 7 miles into my run & some kind of horrible knee pain started. I could only run a few steps & then my knee started burning & pain was shooting through my knee cap. I have a pretty high pain tolerance so the fact that this stopped me in my tracks meant it was serious. I walked the last mile, all the while TRYING to run every so often & every time I’d get a few strides in, my knee pain would start again. It’s still sore today, especially if I’m walking for an extended period of time.. so I’m hoping with some rest (more rest, ugh.. I need miles!!) that I’ll feel better for the race on Saturday & I can just take it the race easy.

How has everyone’s week been? I got my Café Latte shakeology in the mail yesterday & I’m super excited about it! I start a 90 day weight training program tomorrow as well. I really hope I can tone up & get stronger! I spent the weekend with my Mom celebrating my birthday & we had a great time. I got some great gifts & we saw Saturday Night Fever off-Broadway. My mom always out does herself when she comes to celebrate with me. 🙂

Til next week..

Something different for Week 6

“When you know your ‘why’, your ‘what’ has more impact because you’re walking in or towards your purpose.”

There’s something that a short drive out for coffee, a 50 degree sunny February day & some fresh air does to you. I turned the music up, but I didn’t sing (which trust me, that’s odd) & I had a thought that I decided to run with. Instead of a weekly training recap, I want to share my “why” with you. I shared this video on my Like page on FB after watching it last night & it really spoke to me…

If you have a moment, please watch here ->> “Know Your Why” <– the man shown is an amazing singer.. & if for no other reason, you’ll want to hear him.

As I’m about to turn 27 in a couple of weeks, I never thought this would be my life. But, I’m so glad that it is. In the summer of 2013, I was promoted to supervisor at a company I had been with for about 3.5 years, & the job would bring me out to Pittsburgh. I wasn’t exactly unfamiliar with the city as my mom grew up there & I had visited my grandparents there every Christmas since I was a baby. So, in August I packed up my entire life & headed west; bright eyed & day-dreaming of the amazing life I would surely have. To say it wasn’t everything I expected was an understatement. I quickly realized the grass wasn’t always greener on the other side, & to this day I stand by that statement.

The job wasn’t anything I had imagined, & I had left the majority of my professional support system back in Central PA. My manager & I didn’t get along, & neither did I & the people I was supervising. I was constantly getting scolded for things, & for the first time in my life, I was told I was difficult to work with. I started realizing I didn’t recognize the person I was becoming. During this time, I also got involved with someone at work that I frankly should not have, & when he broke my heart, it felt my world was crashing down around me. I didn’t recognize myself, I was in a city full of people that I didn’t know, I had no one supporting me at work, & frankly I was scared. I became depressed & I used food as an anti-depressant. Food had always been a weak spot for me, but this combined with the depression I was in, was so much worse than it ever had before. In less than 4 months, I weighed 200lbs, lost my job & didn’t see a way out. Luckily, I found a new job & got back on my feet quickly.

In July of 2014, I was so tired of the way I was feeling. I was tired of the way I looked, & secretly was tired of no one noticing me. I used to get noticed! Now, I was invisible. So I downloaded the Couch to 5k app. I had downloaded it the summer before but quit after the first 3 days. Once I started, I never stopped. I cleaned up my diet A LOT & looked at it as a lifestyle change. When I started the running app, I couldn’t even run 30 seconds without stopping. I remember when I ran 8 minutes straight for the first time. I remember when I ran 20 minutes straight with no stopping. I cried that day. Tears of pure happiness that I had never felt before. I remember when I lost my first 10 lbs. I remember the first time I said no to pizza day at work & I remember the first time someone made fun of me for it. I remember the first time I decided to run a 5k. I remember getting to the finish line of that first 5k & feeling a kind of joy I thought I’d never feel in my life. I remember bawling my eyes out in an Old Navy dressing room when a size 8 pair of skinny jeans fit me perfectly. The last time I had tried anything on was in May, & I was a size 16.

In October of 2014, I was introduced to the most wonderful group of runners. It was hill repeat night (which come on lets admit, is best way to get initiated into a running group) & the coach, Matt encouraged me the whole way. After that night, I never looked back. Running had become my life, & so had the people I met through that group. To date, I have ran 2 half marathons, a 10 miler, a 15k & a number of other races.

I want to share my “why” story with the world because I want to show people that anything is possible. I know how many “old me’s” there are out there, & I want my story to speak to them. And if they’d like, I want them to let me help them.

“Food is the most widely abused anti-anxiety drug in America, and exercise is the most potent & under utilized anti-depressant.”

I never knew this was my passion until recently, & I can’t believe I ever fell into this. People who have known me for a long time knew that I had never worked out in my life, & shopping was my way of “exercising”. They will be the first ones to tell you they never expected this from me. But, I am a more positive person because of this. I want to change the world & be a shining example for everyone. I am a normal girl, with a normal life who is imperfect most of the time, but has such a burning desire to help people become the person they always dreamt of being through health & wellness.

If you’re still around & reading this til the very end, I applaud you, & thank you so much for following along & choosing to read my WHY.

What’s your ‘why’? Do you have one? If you do, I challenge you to write it down.. you don’t have to share it right away. But if you get the courage to share it, I would love to hear it.

-Ciara

Pittsburgh Half Marathon Training – Week 5

To say Week 5 went better than last would be an understatement. I think all of your positive comments on last week’s post really motivated me! So – Thank you to everyone who encouraged me! My coach sent me this quote this week…

Monday – Rest

By default.. had my first Math class & let’s just say I have a feeling I’ll be teaching myself this semester.

Tuesday – 4×800 repeats @ Interval pace

I wasn’t sure how speedwork was gonna go since I hadn’t run in a week! 1 mile warm up (I really need to find a better speed than fast for warm-ups) then my repeats & a mile cool down. This went way better than expected! I ran with Jenn & we rocked it! I realized by the end of the workout that I had gotten 5 miles in! I was SO excited because I’ve never gotten in that many miles on a workout night.

Wednesday – Rest

More school.

Thursday – 4 miles

I met up with the girls & got in 4 miles around town. I always enjoy our Thursday night runs 🙂 Before I left, I got this “Challenge ALS” long sleeve tech tee in the mail! I’m so excited to be a charity runner for ALS this year. They truly show you some awesome support!

Friday – Rest

Saturday – Long run, 8 miles

Our group left from Schenley Park & it was freezing! It was supposed to warm up whenever the sun came up. This run was HILLY! I know it’s important to practice hilly courses, but UGH – it sucks haha. But, come the Pittsburgh Half, I hope that I’ll be better prepared. Well, the sun came out & I got hot! At the water stop, I wanted to take a layer off, but after standing around for a few minutes, I’m glad I didn’t since when we got started again we were running straight into the wind. This ended up being a good run despite the hills!

Sunday  – Yoga

I’m a little sore from yesterday’s run, so today I’m going to make sure I do some stretches.

Week 5 was fantastic! I hope next week goes just as well. How did everyone else’s week go?

 

Pittsburgh Half Marathon Training – Week 4

Guys. I wish I could tell you I had a stellar training week. That I hit all my miles & the weather cooperated & I felt great about it.

I would be lying if I told you all of those things. Since Monday was a holiday & I was lucky enough (thank you MLK!) to have off of work, I went to spin class. I would have ran if any of my friends had off work & it wasn’t 15 degrees out. Brr. Spin was great. I’ve grown a total love for those classes. Someday maybe after I’m more experienced in it, I can get certified! It is such a fun workout.

On Tuesday, the group was doing hill repeats. I opted out because I have still had some tightness in my right calf/shin after hill repeats last month. I am so injury prone (hello Ciara.. you need to strength train!) & I do not want to do anything to further this leg thing I have going on.. & steep hills seem to really aggravate it. Instead, I went to the gym. First, I did a mile on the treadmill. Only a mile because I felt like straight up garbage & my shins were bothering me. You know when you just have those crappy runs? I could tell this was it. But I knew I needed to keep doing something. I went on another machine for about 15 minutes & got some cardio in. Then I told myself to just get back on the treadmill & just do another 2 miles. That would make 3. I went there wanting 5 but I just knew that wasn’t going to happen. So, I got my ass back on the treadmill & I did another 2. It wasn’t pretty, but it got done.

Wednesday was supposed to be my first night of class for the spring semester, but my teacher’s secretary called around 4pm saying my class was cancelled. It was snowing pretty good & was supposed to keep going well into the evening, so I’m glad he cancelled. After the terrible day I had on Tuesday, I took this day to rest.

Yesterday I was supposed to meet my normal gang for a run, but one of us was sick, & I wasn’t feeling well either.. so once again.. no run. I could’ve ran, I should’ve ran, I feel guilty I didn’t run.

Tonight the “big epic snowstorm of the season” is supposed to start around 6pm. Jenn & I had sorta kinda planned to get together after work if it hadn’t started snowing by 6:30, but.. I have a feeling it’s going to, & I still need to make it to the store to gather some last minute stuff just in case I can’t make it out anywhere tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow – I have a pretty good feeling our group long run will be cancelled, which really sucks because I really NEED & want to run the 7 miles that are on my schedule. But since this entire week was a wash, lets just consider tomorrow’s run a no-go as well…

At least on Sunday I plan to go to a $5 drop in yoga class in the AM 🙂 Positivity, my friends. SO — what a week. I hope ya’ll had a better one than I did. Mine was full of excuses, cold weather, & feeling under the weather & unmotivated. Next week I promise will be better.

Share something positive about your week with me, will you? I need some of your motivation to get through the dreariness of winter.