Photo from my only run with Scooby.
He does make me smile!

Spring Slog

I know I complained about the too-warm-too-soon weather last weekend, but when the overnight temperatures plummeted back down to the 30s this week, I was not in the mood! I opted for my basement gym most days, but since my husband was away I doubled up my walks with Scooby.

Here’s a snapshot of the Peloton classes I took Monday-Saturday.

If you read the fine print you’ll see more strength classes than I’ve been doing lately and less cycling. In addition to not wanting to bundle up and run in the dark, my right knee has been bothering me. Although it only acts up when I’m not running/cycling it is source of concern so I’m trying to dial things back.

On Monday I’ve got another trip to Chicago for work. I never look forward to the slog into the city from O’Hare, but I am hoping to get in some (short) runs and meet up with Erica. I’ve put in a request for spring weather, but that can mean anything!

A huge thank you to Deborah and Kim for hosting the Weekly Run Down link up.

What are you looking forward to this month?

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Happy Easter from my neighbor!

Hopping By On Easter

The Easter Bunny sure brought us warm weather this weekend, with highs in the upper 80s on Saturday. It was rough on my morning run, but perfect for wearing flip flops home from my mani/pedi. It’s hard to believe I needed a vest for last weekend’s run, but I guess the temperature is hopping all around too.

Sunday the flowers said spring, but it was in the upper 30s when I headed out! The sun did warm things up by the time I finished my 6+ mile run.

Love all the daffodils this time of year!

Monday I focused on strength with a 30 min full body class, and rounded out my workout time with a 15 min treadmill hike.

Tuesday temperatures hopped again and it was t-shirt weather at dark o’clock. I wondered why my legs were so tired until I remembered all the squat thrusts at the end of Jess’s strength class. 

Enjoying our lilac azaleas in bloom.

Wednesday I ended up with a Hip Hop theme to my workouts. Some Peloton full body strength classes skimp on core, but Katie worked some in to every block.

Thursday I braved Camila’s tread class for a tempo-ish workout. After the warm-up we did 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 min at “challenging pace” with only 1 min recovery in between.

Bookmarked to take again as part of my Lawyers Have Heart training.

Friday I took advantage of a work-from-home day and paired some lighter strength classes with a 30 min climb ride.

Saturday I did RK’s new glutes class as part of my pre-run warm-up and it was a good one that uses a fitness band for all the moves—standing leg lifts, glute bridges, and clam shells.

I knew it was going to be warm on my run (upper 60s) but wasn’t ready for the humidity. I was literally dripping with sweat which hasn’t happened in an outdoor run in a while!

Scooby’s tongue says it all!

With Lawyer’s Have Heart about 6 weeks away I am torn between wanting more structured runs and also wanting to just head out the door with Scooby to enjoy spring weather. Saturday’s warm, humid weather gave me flashbacks to last year’s race and reminded me that acclimating to warmer weather is an important part of spring training.

A huge thank you to Deborah and Kim for hosting the Weekly Run Down link up.

Happy Easter! Happy Spring!

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You know how this works—grab the badge, link your post, and comment on the other blogs in the link-up.

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Asking For Advice At The April Coffee Date

If we were having coffee, I would ask for your advice on my office breakfast dilemma. I need a grab-and-go eat-at-my-desk option for hectic days. I had been splurging on peanut butter and jelly Uncrustables (the lower sugar, wheat bread variety), but thought the Nature’s Bakery fig bars might be a healthier option. When I had one for breakfast last week, it struck me as too sweet. Was it?

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the nutrition labels.

The fig bars have a lot more added sugar but less than 1/2 the sodium. I’m assuming the higher fat content of the Uncrustables is mostly due to the peanut butter, so I’m not holding it against them, but the Uncrustables have a much longer ingredient list (not shown). Which do you think is healthier?

Do you have other ideas for me? After going down this rabbit hole, I decided I should recommit to making a batch of baked oatmeal I can reheat at work.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you I enjoyed staying at the Ritz Carlton for my last conference—especially the chocolates left on the bedside table with the evening turn-down service. I’m used to housekeeping tidying up my personal items (I try to keep them neat) but laughed when I saw the extra tube of toothpaste laid out by my half-empty one.

I did have a spare, but now I have another!

If we were having coffee, I would ask if you buy more items on-line to get free shipping. During the last Peloton apparel sale the struggle was real, but I finally found enough items worth trying that added up to the free shipping amount.

I’m not sure if I was more amused or annoyed when my order was delivered
in three separate packages on different days!

I was going to ask for advice on a very mundane household item—sponges! I have always bought O-Celo brand, but for some reason they became hard to find a few months ago. I tried the off-brand my grocery store has instead, but they feel cheap and inadequate. Amazon only sold them in bulk, but I finally found them in the Home Depot on-line store. There wasn’t a minimum for free delivery, but I decided to order other cleaning supplies to make it worthwhile. You guessed it—my order was delivered across three days with the sponges arriving last!

Do you get frustrated by “free shipping” minimums? 

Has a favorite product become hard to find?

Can anyone still find Good Culture cottage cheese???

The post Asking For Advice At The April 2026 Coffee Date appeared first on Running With Perseverance.

First run in my new Asics!

New Running Shoes

I went to my local running store and tried on a few different models, but the updated version of my current pair felt the best. I came close to getting Hokas but the plastic plate providing reinforcement around the lace holes on the top of the shoe bothered me—it’s crazy how tiny design features can have such a big impact! I also got new shoes for treadmill running—I haven’t worn New Balance in a while but so far, so good.

The colors are pretty bland, but I like the neon accents.

In other fitness gear news, Peloton and Garmin are finally communicating with each other, which means I can push my Peloton workouts to Garmin.

I’ve learned that if I use my Garmin to track a Peloton class, it gets counted twice. I’ve decided to keep the original Garmin data for runs, and keep the Peloton data for rides—or not use my Garmin during a Peloton cycling class at all. I like that Garmin lists my workouts in the order taken from top-to-bottom, but I wish it included more information on the specific class, especially which date it was recorded.

Weekly Run Down

Despite having new running shoes, I didn’t do much running this week. I did hit my 900th Peloton ride—and scheduled my Saturday morning around that instead of taking Scooby out for a run. Also, today marks my 2100th daily Peloton streak!

Sunday I started with a 30 min full body strength workout with Jess Sims and then took a 30 min climb ride with CDE. Some climb rides have intervals with breaks in between, but this one was one long climb!

Monday I was eager to try out my new treadmill running shoes and took a 30 min treadmill class with Robin (12/20/2025 intervals). It had a good format so I bookmarked it to do again.

Tuesday I finally took the Jess Sims upper body class I had too much DOMS to face last week and it was a doozy! I paired that with CDE’s St. Patrick’s Day ride—she always has a great Irish playlist. 

The second walk was later in the day!

Wednesday I finally tried my new outdoor running shoes—see the top photo above. I was working from home and thought waiting until 6 am to head out would give me some daylight, but most of my run was in the dark until the last mile or so.

Thursday I took Hannah F’s new PowerZone endurance ride. You’d think 6 min at level 3 wouldn’t be too hard, but it added up. She mixed up the efforts with different cadence/resistance combinations targeting the same output—you can see where my cadence and resistance sort of mirror each other.

Friday I was low on energy after working late and then staying up late to wind down from working late, so I let myself sleep in before squeezing in a short workout. Jess’s Flash 15s are perfect when you are short on time and need a boost. After that I hopped on my tread for a hike with Jon—walking at 6% incline.

Saturday I was torn between going for a run and doing my 900th ride in Hannah’s live class at 8:00 am. After hitting the snooze button one too many times, the 8:00 am ride won out. I warmed up with RK’s new 15 min core class—she has you use a yoga block to help engage pelvic floor muscles and make sure you use your core and not your hip flexors doing dead bugs, etc.

I don’t usually choose Hannah’s R&B rides figuring the music will be too slow, but I should  have known that her programming would be spot-on.

A huge thank you to Deborah and Kim for hosting the Weekly Run Down link up.

I can’t believe this just about wraps up March! I hope April brings more time in my new running shoes than rain showers.

The post Marching Out In New Running Shoes appeared first on Running With Perseverance.

My neighbor’s garage decoration has themes for year-round holidays—
I wonder what will come next?

Celebrating The First Days Of Spring

The week started with another round of weather whiplash, but made it up to us with warm sunshine Friday afternoon that seemed to draw everyone outside.

Sunday we had a special church service at 10 am so I had time for a full workout before church. I love Jess’s 45 min strength classes, but this one left me with DOMS for days. I had to reschedule the upper body class I planned to take Tuesday—I’ll get to it this week.

Monday I was caught by scattered showers a few times, but it was so warm I tied my jacket around my waist between downpours and was comfortable in my tank top.

Monday afternoon schools and work closed early for tornado warnings, but luckily the worst of the weather didn’t materialize. Monday night a strong storm came through that had Scooby worried, but the howling winds didn’t do any damage.

Scooby staring intently out the window to keep an eye on the storm.

Tuesday (St. Paddy’s Day) morning was brisk and breezy on my walk with Scooby. Since my arms were still sore I opted for a lower body strength workout before a short Peloton ride. 

Wednesday I had to go into the office before heading to a conference in D.C. and opted for a treadmill run to start my long day. I spoke on a panel at 3:30 pm and was “networking” until 10.

Thursday I went to the Equinox gym attached to my hotel for a short workout. It’s big and fancy and too much for me—I don’t care for bright lights and loud music at what should be dark o’clock in the morning!

Friday I wasn’t excited about going to the gym again and was glad to see the outdoor running gear I’d packed was just right for the weather (low 40s). I followed main roads to the Mall and ran to The Capitol.

View of the Washington Monument from the other side of the pool.

You can barley see the Lincoln Memorial behind it.

Saturday I was back home for a first-full-day-of-spring run with Scooby. After wearing long-sleeves, running tights and gloves Friday, it was crazy that a t-shirt and shorts were the right choices Saturday morning.

Scooby’s happy for nice weather!

A huge thank you to Deborah and Kim for hosting the Weekly Run Down link up.

This wraps up my travel schedule for March—it will be nice to be home for some spring running!

The post Celebrating The First Days Of Spring appeared first on Running With Perseverance.

Weather forecast Wednesday (87F)! into Thursday (snow!)—
you can see the front on its way.

March Manifests Its Madness

The biggest weather whiplash happened Wednesday to Thursday. Temperatures reached the upper 80s on Wednesday. When I walked Scooby at dark-o’clock Thursday morning it was in the low 70s—but windy as heck. I wore shorts, but cut our walk short because I was being pelted by debris flying through the air. By the time I was heading to the airport (3 hours later), its was in the low 50s. When I landed in Chicago a few hours later, my husband sent me a photo of Scooby outside in the snow!

People say March weather is always crazy, but it was officially the biggest 24 hour temperature change recorded at National Airport.

Personally, the United app almost gave me whiplash as I was walking to my gate on my way to Chicago Thursday morning. I got the “time to check in” pop-up notification and literally did a double-take until I realized it was time to check in for my flight home on Friday. You know it’s a quick trip when ….

Weekly Wrap

Things were less chaotic on the fitness front but I did myself in early in the week and had to dig deep to keep at it.

Sunday I went on my first outside ride of 2026! It was in the uppers 60s and really humid. It was a great ride, but later my legs told me I overdid it with 32 miles.

Monday I didn’t exactly spring forward when my alarm went off on the first day of DST, but I did get up in time for a walk with Scooby, Peloton core class, and 30 min treadmill run. It was my first tread run in a few weeks, and a reminder that I work so much harder on the tread than just running with Scooby.

Tuesday I paired a 30 min Jess Sims strength class with a 15 min Hannah F. climb ride. Those classes prove you can get a good workout in a short window.

Wednesday I braved the dark to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather and 4.3 miles running with Scooby.

Thursday I treated myself to a longer workout before heading to Chicago knowing I wouldn’t have time to workout on Friday before heading home. After walking Scooby, I did a Peloton core class, an upper body strength class, and then the Peloton 45 min International Women’s Day ride co-led by 6 instructors from the London and NYC studios.

Friday I did the same 10 min Peloton walk I did last week while trekking from the same TSA checkpoint to the same Starbucks by gate C17. I got pretty lucky on Friday the 13th—I arrived at the airport with just enough time to catch an earlier flight home and scored the last free first class upgrade—enjoying my premier status while it lasts! I honestly wasn’t excited about trading my Economy Plus exit row seat for a  first class bulkhead seat—there’s really no service perks on such a short flight—but it was nice to be one of the first off the plane. Once again, I had no issues with TSA delays at DCA or ORD, but was glad to have the TSA touchless ID because the TSA pre-check line at ORD was pretty long.

Saturday I was back home for a breezy March run with Scooby. I did the same route as last week with an extra loop around the park to hit 6 miles.

Needed that light vest to fend off the wind!

A huge thank you to Deborah and Kim for hosting the Weekly Run Down link up.

Did you have mad March weather this week?

The post March Manifests Its Madness appeared first on Running With Perseverance.

Foggy Chicago Riverwalk view! 

Running Through The Fog

After a week of skiing, it was nice to be back to my basement gym and running with Scooby before a quick trip to Chicago for work.

Sunday I hit my basement gym hard with a 45 min Jess Sims strength class and 30 min Peloton ride.

Monday I took Scooby out for a not-so-dark o’clock run, and enjoyed a bit of daylight during the last mile.

Tuesday I paired core and full body strength classes and then rounded out my workout with a 10 min treadmill hike (=steep incline). I had planned a 20 min ride, but ran out of time.

Wednesday I took Scooby out for a run before heading to the airport.

Yep, my glasses are foggy.

Thursday I woke up to warm (OK, low 40s) and foggy weather in Chicago and headed out for a 60 min run. My usual entrance to the Riverwalk was closed, but I didn’t think twice before going down the next open staircase. I did notice there weren’t as many people as usual, but was suprised when I got to the end and was locked in!

Apparently the Riverwalk opens at 6:00 am, and whoever was supposed to open it up was late for work! I decided to backtrack to Michigan Avenue and head over to Cloudgate. There was only one other couple there, and we swapped photo-taking.

I love how the lights reflected on the sculpture reflect on the ground too!

I decided to take a chance that the Riverwalk would be open, and ran to the Lakefront trail to do the “back” portion of my planned out-and-back.

There was zero visibility across the lake

Luckily the Riverwalk entrance gate was open for my run back.

With all the detours, I ended up with 5.5 miles instead of my planned 6, but it was a great way to start a long day of meetings.

Friday I did a 10 min Peloton walk while I trekked from the TSA checkpoint to my gate at C1. By the way, I had no issues with TSA delays at DCA or ORD, but I had the TSA touchless ID for these flights which is the fastest option.

Saturday I was back home for another foggy run with Scooby. I added an extra loop around the park to hit 6 miles.

Scooby looks so serious!

A huge thank you to Deborah and Kim for hosting the Weekly Run Down link up.

Chicago peeps—is closing off the Riverwalk new? I know I’ve run there before 6 am many times. 

The post Running Through The Fog appeared first on Running With Perseverance.

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Making Small Talk At The March Coffee Date

If we were having coffee, I would ask if you are good at making small talk. I enjoy long heart-to-heart conversations and can chat for a few minutes with anyone about anything, but I have my limits. At networking events I can “make the rounds,” but long, seated dinners are another story. After an hour of small talk with the 2 or 3 people I can converse with, I’ve got nothing left to say—but they haven’t served the main course yet! With four networking events coming up, I need to up my game and have a repertoire of conversation starters—that sounds like a perfect job for ChatGPT

If we were having coffee, I would tell you I had a great time skiing and love the accommodations at Jackson Gore Inn—especially the gas fireplace—but some of the kitchen utensils were not satisfactory. I can’t be the only person who needs to measure coffee, and was glad to find measuring spoons until I realized they were virtually flat. I managed to make a decent pot the first morning, but picked up a real set of measuring spoons on our next grocery store run.

Can you tell how flat the metal one is?

If we were having coffee, I would tell you how much I love the little light-up tree my husband got me for Valentine’s Day. It looks so pretty when I come into the kitchen at dark o’clock in the morning—it definitely sparks joy!

Now I understand why people keep holiday lights up year-round.

If we were having coffee, I would ask if you have a collection of hotel key cards. I don’t mean to keep them, but I almost always find a key somewhere in my clothes or luggage when I get home. Often I’ve “lost” my key and had to get another one from the front desk. I’m lucky they don’t charge for them!

Most hotels have “keyless” options using an app, but I always want a key card too.

Do you measure the coffee to make a pot?

Do you have a good conversation starter? 

The post Making Small Talk At The March 2026 Coffee Date appeared first on Running With Perseverance.

Gorgeous snow! 

Skiing At Okemo

I was worried about getting to Okemo, but we just about beat the blizzard driving up on Sunday. It was raining most of the way through New Jersey, but turned into messy snow just before we got on Route 87 to head through New York. Overhead signs flashed travel advisory warnings taking effect later in the day. Luckily, we skirted northwest of that, and only had light snow the rest of the way.

Monday’s weather map confirmed we made the right decision to head up a day early. It was much better to be skiing in the snow than driving through it.

Honestly we might not have made it! 

This was our first ski trip in a few years with excellent snow conditions and it was amazing! Every day there was fresh snow, and we got to make new tracks on our first runs of the day.

The first day my son and I hit the slopes together—he snowboards, I ski.

We both like groomed black diamonds, and learned that “soft” moguls with fresh snow are much more fun than the icy moguls we usually avoid.

The next days my son wanted to try some double black diamond runs I had no interest in, but we still started out together. Okemo has a few lifts with “bubble” shields. On our first visit in 2022 we called them “covid bubbles” and avoided using them with others, but this year they were a welcome break from the cold.

My daughter-in-law took lessons to rebuild her confidence—her last two ski trips ended with falls that required ski patrol sled rides to ambulance rides to hospitals where concussions were diagnosed. She grew up skiing in Vermont, but is understandably cautious now!

We stayed at Jackson Gore Lodge which has true ski in/ski out access to the slopes. Depending on how you end the run, you can ski right up to the entrance, or you can take the “magic carpet” lift up, which is what we are doing here

Our last day on the slopes started cold and snowy and ended with sunshine and blue skies—gorgeous!

I skied until the lifts closed at 4 pm, and savored every moment.

Last run!

Weekly Run Down

I managed to keep up my Peloton streak doing warm-up, mobility and stretch classes, mostly from the  Strength for Skiers program. I definitely think having done that program paid off. My quads did burn on some fast black diamond runs, but they recovered quickly and I had endurance to ski all day (with a lunch break!).

Saturday I took Scooby out for a run and realized that my legs are tired, but it felt good to move after spending all day Friday driving home.

It hit 60F later, but was still in the 30s at 7 am 

A huge thank you to Deborah and Kim for hosting the Weekly Run Down link up.

Do you like to vacation at the same place or go somewhere different?

The post Skiing At Okemo Vermont appeared first on Running With Perseverance.

Can you tell my avatar is wearing a North Face jacket? I don’t own one in IRL, but I will be wearing my ski jacket next week when I hit the slopes with my son. 

Thawing Out

Work stress was running high and manifested in tension and tightness in my back. It felt good to move, but I dialed back the intensity.

Sunday I did a little bit of everything, including Robin’s 45 min hip hop ride. It was a music-focused class that was challenging enough, but not extreme.

Monday (President’s Day) the sidewalks were finally clear enough for a run with Scooby! You can still see a mound of snowcrete in our yard, but its days were numbered.

Tuesday I remembered the hard way that I can’t hit the snooze button and have time for a full workout after walking Scooby. I had been paring a 20 min ride with the 30 min strength for skiers classes, but didn’t have enough time. Marcel’s 10 min hike was a great compromise.

Wednesday my back was flaring so I skipped my planned upper body strength workout and had fun in Hannah F’s ride—I think 90s hip hop is my favorite.

Thursday I dusted off my headlamp and took Scooby out for a run before work. It was nice to enjoy a bit a day light during the last mile.

Friday I opted for Joslyn’s body weight workout and Sam Yo’s annual Lunar New Year (horoscope) ride. Joslyn’s class had an excellent strength for runners focus, with hip bridges, side planks, single leg deadlifts, squats, and forward lunges.

Saturday I was actually overdressed for my run and ended up taking my gloves off mid-way. The sunshine and blue skies were quite a treat.

I guess I wore the same top Monday and Saturday—
I promise it was washed and put away in between!

Checking Out

Usually three days of skiing is enough for us, so we booked our ski trip from Monday to Friday, with Monday and Friday being travel days. By Thursday even the reliable weather sources were calling for major snow Sunday into Monday. I wasn’t worried about conditions here, but our route up 95N aligned with the snow accumulation map, so we decided to head up Sunday—hopefully ahead of most of the snow.

I didn’t think we’d have an issue adding Sunday night to our reservation, but about fell out of my chair when the CSR said that would cost an additional $3000 because our original reservation was “non-changeable” and the added day was only a few days away. Thankfully after I repeatedly asked to speak to someone else she was able to “find” a rate that didn’t make me choke. It was much easier on my wallet to extend my ski rental and add another lift ticket.

A huge thank you to Deborah and Kim for hosting the Weekly Run Down link up.

Has a last minute change of plans forced you to pay a crazy hotel rate? 

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