I am a West Coast girl cheering for an East Coast team. That’s not unheard of, but unusual. I am a blue-and-red-capped fan in a sea of orange (SF Giants) and green (Athletics). 

But, you also need to know I am not alone: Jon is also a Red Sox Fan. And no, I am not a Red Sox Fan because of him. It’s just one of the many funny coincidences in our relationship. My first visit to the US happened to be Boston (and I fell in love with the city) and Jon’s mom was born on the East Coast (Connecticut) and Jon spent many summers on the East Coast and in Boston at Fenway Park. Imagine the surprise when we met in California and found out that we’re both Red Sox fans! 

It’s not like I’ve never seen any other Red Sox fans here before. Well, at least I thought they were all fans, until I innocently exclaimed “oh, you’re a Red Sox fan” to some of them, and they informed me that they weren’t fans. WHY THE HELL ARE THEY WEARING RED SOX HATS THEN? BAH! (I guess they just like the red-white-blue colors of my team.)

Long story short, we don’t get to see many games of our team here on the West Coast (not even on TV, unless you subscribe to MLBTV), and when I found out that they were going to play the A’s at the end of July in our local baseball park, Sutter Health Park, in West Sacramento (the A’s temporary home), I had to get tickets. 

It was such a fun night. Jon sadly ended up not going with me (maybe one of these days it’ll be easier again to get him out of the house), but that didn’t stop me from spending a night at the ballpark by myself. I was so thrilled to see so many Red Sox fans there; many more than I expected. It was a beautiful night out and I don’t know how you cannot love this view.

I was going to get some ballpark food – a hotdog, or nachos, or something like that, but none of it actually looked that tasty and I ended up going with tacos (can’t really go wrong with tacos!). They were good, although I almost spent $25 for three tacos and a water. The ticket itself was reasonable for a MLB game, I thought, but parking + food and drinks add up quickly. (I honestly don’t know how people afford this on a regular basis.)

I have to confess, I wasn’t super familiar with most of the players. We haven’t paid for the MLBTV subscription for a while, so we follow the games on the app, so I knew their names but not necessarily their faces. I admit, I missed some of the old, familiar faces (like Big Papi, Dustin Pedroia (he’s from around here!), or Mookie Betts), but of course, all these new players are now my team and I was there to cheer them on!

Funny fact, there was this guy with a New York Yankees shirt and baseball cap sitting behind me (see photo). As you might know, there’s a well-known Red Sox-Yankees Rivalry and the guy was there in his shirt and baseball cap, rooting for the Athletics. RUDE! But who cares, because the Red Sox hit two home runs in a row and eventually won the game, and I had the last laugh. I mean, the Red Sox had the best July in franchise history! They’re on fire. 

I had a really fun night and I am glad I had the chance to see the Red Sox here in California! Of course, I wish Jon had been there with me, but I didn’t regret going by myself. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Do you watch baseball? Would you have gone to a game alone?

I was gone for a work trip this week, so a lot of adjustments needed to be made. The hotel I stayed at had a gym, but the treads were out of service, so there was no running for me while I was away. I was kind of glad that this decision was made for me, because we worked long days and I was really tired at the end of the day. At least, I had time Monday morning to get an interval run in before my colleague picked me up. I was able to completed the second week of the Pump Up The Volume 9 program and check off a few classes for my Streakers365 trackers.

Monday

• 10 Min Focus Flow: Healthy Back – Chelsea (1/6/25) — The Streak
• 5 Min Pre-Run Warm Up – Matt (5/14/25)
• Team Wilpers Intermediate Marathon Training W3R1 | Interval Run
  • 30 Min Live Boy Band Countdown Run – Jon (8/14/26)
  • 30 Min *NSYNC Run – Jess K (8/10/26)
• 5 Min Post-Run Stretch – Susie (7/29/26) — The Greatest You on Earth

I was leaving for a week-long work trip today, but I had time in the morning to get my interval run done. I messed up my second interval because I hit the wrong button on my Garmin and subsequently, cut the pace interval short, but I tried to adjust on the fly and the workout turned out ok.

Tuesday

• 20 Min Full Body Strength: W2D1 – Adrian (9/18/23) — PUTV9
• 10 Min Seated Adaptive: Bodyweight – Logan (4/11/24) — Streak Show
• 15 Min Restorative – Kirra (6/29/26) — The Streak

I had a long work day, but I still checked out the hotel gym after dinner and did a 20-minute full body strength class and a 10-minute adaptive bodyweight class. I also did a restorative yoga class before turning off the light.

Wednesday

• 10 Min Focus Flow: Standing Balances – Aditi (8/11/22) — Streak Show

Today was a long work day and I only managed a quick yoga flow before bed.

Thursday

• 15 Min Restorative – Ross (4/26/23) — The Streak
• 15 Min Stretching for Longevity – Adrian (9/6/25) — Streak Show

Another long day that I ended with a restorative yoga class and some stretching.

Friday

• 20 Min Full Body Strength: W2D2 – Rad (9/18/23) — PUTV9
• 20 Min Fit Family Strong – Jess S (12/14/20) — Streak Show
• 10 Min Restorative – Anna (6/18/26) — The Streak

I traveled back home today and luckily was home in the early afternoon. After a two-hour nap, I had enough energy to do class 2 for the PUTV9 program and a class for one of the trackers.

Saturday

• 5 Min Warm Up Walk – Rebecca (8/17/26)
• Team Wilpers Intermediate Marathon Training W3R4 | 8 mi
  • 5 Min Warm Up Run – Joslyn (3/10/25)
  • 75 Min Long Run – Joslyn (8/24/25)
• 5 Min Cool Down Walk – Becs (8/17/26)
• 10 Min Focus Flow: Hips – Denis (12/19/23) — The Streak

I skipped an interval run and an easy run this week while I was away, so I really needed to get my long run in today. I had a commitment and errands to run in the morning, so I knew I had to get on the treadmill for 8 miles in the afternoon. It was just too warm to run outdoors. And I won’t lie, it took a little bit of willpower (and maybe bribing myself with ice cream) to get myself on the tread, but I got it done.

Sunday

• 20 Min Full Body Strength: W2D3 – Andy (9/18/23) — PUTV9
• 30 Min 90s Rock Ride – Denis (8/21/26)
• 15 Min Full Body Mobility – Matty (1/7/26) — Streak Show
• 20 Min Restorative – Kirra (9/13/21) — The Streak
• 10 Min Happiness Meditation – Kirra (9/27/22)

I met up this morning with Tanja again this morning to knock out week 2, class 3 of the PUTV9 program together. We also hopped on the bike for a 90s Rock Ride with Denis. It was a great ride with a fantastic playlist, but Denis needs to get a haircut and grow a beard again. Just sayin. We finished with Matty’s mobility class, which was very much needed.

In the afternoon, I joined the Streakers for Serenity Sunday – yoga and meditation.

Current Challenges + Trackers:

Streaker365 The Greatest You On Earth Self Care
Streaker365 Streak Show
Streaker365 August The Streak (Daily Yoga)

This week’s stats:

Running: 14.3 mi
Cycling: 8.6 mi
Walking: 15.6 mi
Strength: 70 min
Cardio: 20 min
Yoga/Pilates/Barre: 90 min
Warm up/Stretching: 20 min
Meditation: 10 min

I am linking up again for the Weekly Run Down with Kim and Deborah.

How was your week?

Five years ago, I got my Peloton bike. I still remember how I was sitting by the window waiting for the Peloton delivery van to show up, giddy with excitement. It was the beginning of a one-week staycation for me (I had use-or-lose annual leave to burn) and the timing couldn’t have been better.

Is anybody going to be surprised when I say that it’s still one of the best purchases I’ve ever made? I didn’t think so. I am still using the Peloton platform daily and it still keeps me motivated, entertained, and accountable. I know you’ve had to listen to a lot of Peloton talk here over the years, but I think being on Streak Day 2062, and showing up for myself consistently for 315 weeks, proves my dedication to this bike and this platform. I am in my fifth year of completing a 365-day streak, and I am not planning to change this.

Sadly, I haven’t been able to work out with friends as much as I used to (or as much as I’d like) lately, which is mainly due to timing issues. Ever since I’ve had to go back to the office full-time last year and other people’s schedules shifted as well, it’s gotten more challenging to find overlapping workout times with my friends (especially the ones in different times zones). It’s also hard to fit in everything that I want to do, follow the trackers, AND pick classes that other people want to take with me. But I am still very much making an effort to regularly meet up with my #pelobestie Tanja on the leaderboard (or in person, whenever possible) and with the #BCBabes¹ (Lindsay, Sherry, Kristin and Melissa) as often as I can. I also always enjoy when I see Nicole, or Michelle pop up on the leaderboard and with a the brand-new feature to give high-fives to people outside of class, it’s nice to be able to interact and send some motivation, even if we’re not taking the same class together.

I also continue to be part of the Streakers365 (Facebook) group, and participate in the PZPack Power Zone Challenges, the SUMMIIT Challenges (PeloFondo, Climb, and Stride) and the Team Wilpers Run Challenges.

Here’s to another year!

1. aka Bootcamp Babes (a small “subgroup” of Peloton Streakers who started doing Bootcamp Classes (Bike + Strength) together ↩︎

Tanja and I started the Pump Up The Volume 9 program this week. It’s three full body strength classes per week, and that should nicely compliment my running. I completed week 2 of the Team Wilpers Intermediate Marathon Training and it’s been mostly endurance runs so far. I am expecting more targeted runs next week.

Monday

• 10 Min HiLit+: Jump Training – Rebecca (7/21/26) — Streak Show
• Team Wilpers Intermediate Marathon Training W2R1 | 5 Miles + Striders
  • 5 Min Warm Up Run – Alex K (5/25/26)
  • 45 Min Endurance Run – Mariana (3/12/26)
• 10 Min Focus Flow: For Runners – Kirra (3/9/23) — The Greatest You on Earth/The Streak
• 15 Min 80s Walk – Jon (9/2/25)

I started week 2 of my training plan with 5 easy miles and some striders and opted for a focus flow for runners (my go-to swap for a stretch). I also went for an after-dinner evening walk.

Tuesday

• 10 Min Morning Yoga Flow – Chelsea (4/2/26) — The Streak
• 20 Min Full Body Strength: W1D1 – Adrian (9/11/23) — PUTV9
• 20 Min Stronger You – Ben (7/15/24) — Streak Show
• 15 Min R&B Walk – Joslyn (5/19/26)

I focused on strength today and started PUTV9 with Adrian. It was only 20 minutes, so I added another strength class from the “Stronger You” collection for one of the trackers. Jon joined me for an evening walk.

Wednesday

• 10 Min Focus Flow: For Hips – Mariana (7/21/26) — The Greatest You on Earth/The Streak
• Team Wilpers Intermediate Marathon Training W2R2 | 5 Miles + Striders
  • 10 Min Warm Up Run – Susie (10/6/25)
  • 45 Min 80s Run – Jon (10/5/23) 
• 5 Min Post-Run Stretch – Jon (3/11/26)

Another 5 miler today ending with striders.

Thursday

• 20 Min Full Body Strength: W1D2 – Rad (9/11/23) — PUTV9
• Team Wilpers Intermediate Marathon Training W2R3 | 3 Miles
  • 30 Min The Life of a Showgirl Run – Becs (10/15/25) — The Streak
• 10 Min Focus Flow: For Runners – Zacharias (8/4/26) — The Greatest You on Earth/The Streak

I started my morning with class 2 of the PUTV9 program and then went for a quick run. I again opted for focus flow for runners afterward.

Friday

• 10 Min Focus Flow: Floor Poses – Chelsea (10/12/25) — The Streak
• 30 Min Greatest Showman Ride – Robin (11/16/18) — Streak Show

Today was my rest day, but I knocked out a class for the tracker as a low-impact, Zone 1 ride to just pedal out my legs.

Saturday

• 5 Min Pre-Run Warm Up – Matt (5/14/25)
• Team Wilpers Intermediate Marathon Training W2R4 | 6 Miles
  • 60 Min Endurance Run – Mariana (6/25/26)
• 5 Min Post-Run Stretch – Becs (8/5/26)
• 15 Min Restorative – Nico (6/523) — Streak Show/The Streak

I had my long run on schedule today. 6 miles does not really feel like a long run (yet), but I know we’re going to increase mileage soon.

Sunday

• 20 Min Full Body Strength: W1D3 – Andy (9/11/23) — PUTV9
• Team Wilpers Intermediate Marathon Training W2R5 | 3 Miles – SWAP
  • 30 Min Classic Rock Ride – CDE (8/15/26)
• 10 Min Full Body Stretch – Adrian (8/5/26) — The Greatest You on Earth
• 20 Min Restorative – Chelsea (8/9/26) — The Streak/Serenity Sunday
• 10 Min Body Scan Meditation – Anna (3/1/22) — Serenity Sunday
• 15 Min 90s Walk – Jon (6/17/24)

I met up this morning with Tanja to knock out class 3 of the PUTV9 program together. Andy’s strength sequence was entertaining and the class was over in no time. I swapped my scheduled 3-mile run today for a 30-minute Peloton ride because I wanted to keep working out with Tanja and we stretched together afterward.

In the afternoon, I joined the Streakers for Serenity Sunday – yoga and meditation – and I went for a quick walk after dinner.

Current Challenges + Trackers:

Streaker365 The Greatest You On Earth Self Care
Streaker365 Streak Show
Streaker365 August The Streak (Daily Yoga)

This week’s stats:

Running: 19.9 mi
Cycling: 15.6 mi
Walking: 10.5 mi
Strength: 80 Min min
Yoga/Pilates/Barre: 85 min
Warm up/Stretching: 30 min
Meditation: 10 min

I am linking up again for the Weekly Run Down with Kim and Deborah.

How was your week?

TIME CRUNCH

I am popping in here on a Saturday, because I wanted to say that I have things to update you about, but this week got away from me. We’re in “close-out” season (the federal fiscal year ends on September, 30), so we have a bunch of deadlines to meet before then. I was supposed to work until 5pm yesterday and left the office after 7 pm. That’s all you need to know. Next week is not going to look much better, because I’ll be traveling for work the whole week.
So, I am going to squeeze in a quick update here and if you’re lucky and I find some time this weekend, I will crank out a couple of posts to share next week while I am away. 

WORK ANNIVERSARY

Perfect segue to the fact that this month is my 19th work anniversary. Actually I started as an intern 22 years ago, but I was officially hired for my current job in 2007 – first as a contractor for 8 years, before I got citizenship and was able to become a federal employee in 2015. Crazy that it’s been that long, crazy that I am still here. But with all the ups and downs over there years, I can positively say that I always loved the work that I do and the people that I worked with.

DO YOU HAVE A FRIES LIST?

Jon and I went out to dinner this week, a spontaneous date night, if you will, and we went to one of our favorite restaurants. Chicago Fire (the name is tribute to their authentic Chicago-style deep-dish and thin-crust pizza, which are both delicious! Birchie can attest!) is a pizzeria with an expanded menu that includes wings, salads, pasta, and sandwiches. And IMHO, they have the best fries in town. I like my fries thin, crispy, and non-greasy. If the fries are good, you don’t need to dress them up, although their loaded fries are really good, too.

Are you a shoestring or wedges kind of person? Crinkle cut or steak cut? Would you be surprised if I told you that I have a running list of restaurant/eateries to remember where the fries are good and where I should skip them? :) 

GARMIN WOES

My beautiful new Garmin watch is so pretty and I love her, but she’s also big and heavy on my rather small wrist. I don’t know if the weight/size is the issue or if it’s the watch band itself, but I’ve been getting skin irritations and little blisters under the watchband. A little research suggests that it’s a problem for many people and that it’s probably due to sensitivity to the the silicone band, so I bought a nylon band to see if that will help with the skin issue.

The bane of my existence

I really like hanging out in my hammock on our (covered) patio. However, I frequently have to sweep because our neighbor’s hedge, on the other side of the fence, consistently sheds leaves into our backyard. It always looks like it’s already fall around here. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate having this “green barrier” along the patio, but I wish it wouldn’t constantly lose its leaves like it does. Anyway, done for the week!

Have a great weekend!

top photo credit: @gaellemarcel via Unsplash

I had a pretty good week. I slacked a little on the strength front, but Tanja and I have a plan again already. We’ll be starting another Pump Up The Volume program next week. Oh, and I finished the Team Wilpers Summer Challenge this week and also started Team Wilpers Intermediate Marathon Training. Don’t jump to any conclusions: it doesn’t mean I am officially training for another marathon. I am not completely ruling it out either, but my plan right now really is to build up my endurance base and I decided to use a training plan I have access to. I just do so much better with a plan, when I know exactly when to do what. We’ll see how it goes. 

Monday

• 10 Min Daily Meditation – Anna (7/12/26)
• 15 Min Morning Yoga Flow – Chelsea (9/5/24) — The Streak
• 15 Min 90s Walk – Susie (7/28/26) — Streak Show

I only had time for a meditation and a quick yoga flow this morning because I had to leave the house early, but I managed to get in a little after-dinner walk as well. 

Tuesday

• 10 Min Focus Flow: For Runners – Denis (4/10/23) — The Streak
• TW Summer Run Challenge W8R1 | Endurance Run + Striders
  • 45 Min 90s Run – Hannah F (7/4/26) 
• 5 Min Post-Run Stretch – Hannah F (3/12/25)

With the temps heading into the triple digits this week, I really treasured my morning run in the mid-60s. I also saw Tanja’s Doppelgänger again this morning, which put a smile on my face :)

Wednesday

• 10 Min Flow & Let Go Meditation – Aditi (7/25/26) — The Greatest You On Earth
• 30 Min Lower Body Strength W4D2 – Tunde (4/17/23) — PUTV6
• 5 Min Lower Body Stretch – Andy (8/4/26)
• 10 Min Restorative – Anna (6/18/26) — The Streak

Finally finished up the Pump Up The Volume 6 program. I skipped this lower-body class last week. 

Thursday

• 10 Min Focus Flow: For Runners – Denis (4/10/23) — The Streak
• TW Summer Run Challenge W8R2 | Endurance Run + Striders (modified) / TW Intermediate Marathon Training W1R3
  • 30 Min Endurance Run – Matt (8/28/24) —Streak Show
• 5 Min Post-Run Stretch – Matt (7/15/26)

I started my morning with a yoga flow for runners and then went for a 30 minute run with striders at the end.

Friday

• 15 Min Evening Yoga Flow – Chelsea (9/23/24) — The Streak

Today was my rest day!

Saturday

• 5 Min Pre-Run Warm Up – Matt (5/14/25) — The Greatest You on Earth
• Team Wilpers Intermediate Marathon Training W1R4 | 6 miles
  • 60 Min Long Run – Matt (6/23/26) 
• 15 Min Focus Flow: For Runners – Denis (2/20/26) — The Streak/The Greatest You On Earth
• Extra 10: Walk – JJ (6/21/26)

I had plans to sleep in but was up early enough to take advantage to run outside – 6 easy miles through the neighborhood. I love weekend mornings. I finished my workout with a yoga flow for runners. It’s always a great choice (instead of a stretch). I also went for a quick after dinner walk.

Sunday

• 45 Min Bootcamp: Full Body – Jess S (9/18/22) — Streak Show
• 10 Min Full Body Stretch – Ben (6/4/26)
• Team Wilpers Intermediate Marathon Training W1R5 | 3 miles
  • 30 Min 90s Run – Andy (8/9/26)
• 5 Min Cool Down Walk – Andy (7/6/26)
• 20 Min Restorative – Aditi (10/4/23) — Serenity Sunday
• 10 Min Meditation – Aditi (1/24/25) — Serenity Sunday

I met up with Tanja for a bootcamp this morning. We hadn’t done bootcamp in a while and we both liked the idea of a combination of cycling + strength. I picked a fun full body class with Jess Sims and really enjoyed it (so much that I bookmarked it). We did a quick stretch afterwards, and then I headed out for 3 easy miles. 

I also joined the Streakers for Serenity Sunday – yoga and meditation – in the afternoon.

Current Challenges + Trackers:

We got some exciting new trackers for August. The theme is – you guessed it – The Greatest Showman. How fun. I picked the fun tracker, Streak Show, with a bunch of interesting class combinations, the self care tracker, and I will – as always – continue with yoga for my personal streak.

Streaker365 The Greatest You On Earth Self Care
Streaker365 Streak Show
Streaker365 August The Streak (Daily Yoga)

This week’s stats:

Running: 20 mi
Cycling: 7 mi
Walking: 11.3 mi
Bootcamp: 45 Min
Strength: 30 Min min
Yoga/Pilates/Barre: 95 min
Warm up/Stretching: 25 min
Meditation: 30 min

I am linking up again for the Weekly Run Down with Kim and Deborah.

Did you begin any new training plans this week?

YoYo-ING

I am currently on a yoyo blog reading schedule. There’s a week where things go really well and I catch up on my Feedly (and I am all stoked and vow to stay on top of it), and then the next week is crazy and I get helplessly behind on reading (and posting). Anyone else? Do you have a blog reading schedule? Do you just catch up when you can?  

more thoughts on A.I.

I came across an Instagram post, linking to an article in the New York times by Bret Stephens, titled “I am begging you: never write with A.I.”

While I have mixed feeling about employing A.I.’s help to assist with certain tasks (I do see some benefits), I firmly agree with the statement that we should NOT let A.I. do our writing. Bret Stephens put it this way: “The problem with writing with A.I. is that it’s mentally enfeebling – an escalator toward a result when you really need to make a daily habit of taking the stairs”. And another writer, Dave Eggers, said in an interview that it’s a crime against yourself to let a machine speak for you, that it equates to the silencing of your own voice. That’s a powerful statement.

I mean, ask yourself this: why should someone take the time to read something that you didn’t take the time to write?

Book: YESTERYEAR

I know that many of you have recently read Yesteryear and I was intrigued and requested it from the library. Luckily, it was available (I expected to be on the waitlist) and I was able to borrow it right away. I read it in a few days. I want to say I enjoyed it based on the speed that I go through it, but it was also one of the weirdest books I’ve read in a while. I kinda had a hunch towards the end about how the “two storylines” were going to come together, but there were also some “loose ends” (of which I am not a fan in books).

HAPPY HOUR

I met up with my old coworkers for Happy Hour this week. It’s been a while (8 months?!) since we last saw each other. It still feels very normal to be around them, after all, we worked together for 20 years, even though we don’t really keep up in between meet-ups. We had a great time catching up. One of them has taken a new job at the state, the other is in early retirement (and loving it). Of course, they inquired about how things are at our office. I don’t think they regret to have left last year when they did, but I am sure it’s also still a bit strange to not be part of that environment anymore.

ANOTHER UPDATE ON MY Niece’s HEALTH

My niece had her follow-up appointment with the new doctor and her recent test results have uncovered a slew of compounding issues. I cannot even begin to summarize the findings, but let’s just say that it’s a combination of many things (bacteria, virus, allergy, histamines in overdrive, etc.). The doctor called it something like ‘the perfect storm’. Why no other doctor before had bothered to look at certain things is a mystery to me, but I am also not surprised. From my own experience, it seems like doctor’s do some standard tests and if they don’t reveal a simple, textbook diagnosis, they seem to shrug their shoulders. I feel like very few doctors look for the rootcause of symptoms holistically – or in unexpected places (like, in my niece’s case, there was also a problem with a leaky retainer that she got after getting her braces off).

Anyway, this doctor seems to have clues on how my niece’s problems started and, more importantly, a plan for treatment. It’ll be a long road because they’ll have to address issues one by one, but at least, there seems to be a plan, which makes me a lot more hopeful.

TGIF, friends. Hope you have a great weekend!

This week, I (almost) finished the Pump Up The Volume 6 program (skipped the lower body class that I will complete this coming week) and week 7 of the Team Wilpers Summer Run Challenge. One more week and this will be done, too! I also finished my three July (Streakers365) trackers. We’re entering another new month – can you believe it?

Monday

• 20 Min Morning Yoga Flow – Anna (9/25/25) — The Streak
• 10 Min Low Impact Cardio – Rebecca (12/1/25)
• 15 Min Classic Rock Walk – Jon (12/4/25)

Today was an active rest day. I did some morning yoga (really nice flow with Anna!) and a 10-minute low-impact cardio class. I also went for a walk during my lunch break. 

Tuesday

• 10 Min Daily Meditation – Denis (7/19/26)
• 5 Min Pre-Run Warm Up – Matt (5/14/25)
• TW Summer Run Challenge W7R1 | Endurance Run + Striders
  • 45 Min Outdoor Run Club – Alex K (10/4/25)
• 5 Min Boxing Stretch – JJ (8/25/22) — Star-Spangled Self Care 
• 10 Min  Savasana – Anna (1/31/24) — The Streak

I saw Tanja’s Doppelgänger on my run again this morning. I smiled at her brightly and she probably thought I was one of those obnoxiously happy „morning persons“ before 7 am, but she smiled back at me nonetheless and we wished each other a good morning ;)

What a great start to my day. Next time, I am going to stop and tell her that she’s my best friend’s lookalike.  

Wednesday

• 10 Min Relaxing Meditation – Anna (7/28/26)
• 20 Min Upper Body Strength: W3D2 – Rad (4/17/23) — PUTV6
• 10 Min Focus Flow:  Shoulders – Chelsea (4/26/26) — The Streak

I had a doctor’s appointment in the morning, so I had to leave earlier than usual. I still had time for my 20-minute upper body Pump Up The Volume class and a quick yoga flow for shoulders. That was a wise choice after the upper body strength class.

Thursday

• 5 Min Pre-Run Warm Up – Matt (5/14/25)
• TW Summer Run Challenge W7R2 | V02 Max Run
  • 45 Min Pop Run – Becs (3/17/26)
  • 10 Min Cool Down Run – Adrian (6/30/26)
• 10 Min Focus Flow: For Runners – Denis (4/9/24) — The Streak

I think one of my running friends in the Team Wilpers group jinxed it last week when she “complained about the 3-minute V02 Max intervals” and threatened that she would have to talk to the manager if we got 4-minute V02 Max intervals this week. Well, well, the manager must have heard that because we got what we asked for… two 3-minute and two 4-minute V02 Max intervals. But we show up and execute, ha!

Friday

• 20 Min Calming Meditation – Anna (2/15/22)
• 10 Min Savasana – Kristin (10/26/22) — The Streak

I was running errands most of the day and couldn’t muster any energy for a real workout in the afternoon. Oh well. Postponed!

Saturday

• 20 Min Restorative – Anna (12/22/23) — The Streak

Another rest day. Had some heartburn today, and didn’t feel like doing anything. But I still got my (restorative) yoga class done for my daily streak tracker.

Sunday

• 5 Min Pre-Run Warm Up – Matt (5/14/25)
• TW Summer Run Challenge W7R3 | Endurance Run
  • 45 Min Outdoor Run Club – Susie (4/19/25)
• 30 Min Full Body Strength: W4D3 – Ben (4/17/23) — PUTV6
• 10 Min Full Body Stretch – Ben (6/4/26)
• 20 Min Restorative – Kristin (5/2/23) — Serenity Sunday/The Streak
• 10 Min Calming Meditation – Ross (1/9/24)

I headed out at 8 am to complete my endurance run for the Team Wilpers Challenge. It was still nice and cool out (mid-60s), and I am glad I got this done before the daytime high hit the triple digits. I got home just in time to meet up with Tanja for the full body strength class for PUTV6.

I also joined the Streakers once again for Serenity Sunday – yoga and meditation – in the afternoon.

Current Challenges + Trackers:

I finished up my July trackers – hooray!

Streaker365 July United We Streak
Streaker365 July Star-Spangled SelfCare
Streaker365 July The Streak (Daily Yoga)
Peloton Pump Up The Volume 6 Strength Program – PUTV6

This week’s stats:

Running: 14.7 mi
Walking: 15.5 mi
Strength: 40 min
Yoga/Pilates/Barre: 100 min
Warm up/Stretching: 30 min
Meditation: 50 min

I am linking up again for the Weekly Run Down with Kim and Deborah.

Did you take an unexpected rest day this week?

This was the 8th time I participated in the Davis Moo-nlight Run. I have a soft spot for this race because not only is it local, but it also takes me back to the college town where I met Jon. And I love going back there.

I ran the race for the first time in 2016, my first official year as a runner. I had to skip the race in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID, and in 2022 because I was traveling with my family in the summer. I’ve participated 4x in the 10k, and then for the last four years, Jon and I did the 5k Walk together. 

Jon wasn’t up for it this year, so I decided to sign up for the 10k race again. 

Luckily, temperatures cooled down just in time for race weekend, and it was perfect running weather (low 80s with a bit of a breeze). I realize that low 80s doesn’t sound like perfect running weather, but for an evening race in the middle of summer in the Central Valley of California, it’s pretty damn pleasant.

There was plenty of (free) parking near the start line. I arrived 60 minutes before the race and had time to pick up my race packet (bib + t-shirt). I also thought I had enough time when I got in line for the port-a-potties 20 minutes before the start of the 10k/10-miler, but the line was so long that I eventually had to decide to step away and get to the start line. Oh well, I was going to sweat it out, I guess (luckily I had used the bathroom at home before driving to Davis). I barely had a couple of minutes for a short dynamic warm up.

I went into the race without expectations. I hadn’t run a 10k in quite a while, and this was “supposed to be” an endurance run at easy pace (according to my training plan), but sometimes we have to pivot a little. I wasn’t going for a PR or anything, but I was willing to push the pace a little bit.

I seemed pretty happy here somewhere between miles 4-5, I think. I was lucky that I noticed the photographer at the side of the path and smiled accordingly!

My finish line photo was not as pretty. I don’t look very happy. I have no idea why I didn’t look up because there’s always a photographer at the finish line and I know that. I guess I was just really focused, and despite not smiling for the camera, I felt pretty good. I swear.

A young woman offered to take my picture at the finish line when I was trying to take a selfie. She then told me that she had been on my heels almost the entire race (I didn’t notice!), and her finish time was literally 2 seconds more than mine (but it was not the woman in the photo behind me). I guess I am happy that I was able to be her pacer – unbeknownst to me. As I mentioned elsewhere before: I am nothing but a ‘steady runner’. Once I settle into my pace, I usually try to hold it (unless it’s a very hilly course).

My unofficial PR for the 10k is 51:05, and I didn’t beat that (my net time was 52:31), but I was still pretty happy with my performance on a warm summer night. I finished 3rd female in my age group (3/9), 11th in my gender group (11/190), and 88th overall (59/360). I also made 2nd place (2/22) in my gender group for Special Division “Sacramento Residents”. Not too shabby, if you ask me!

There were almost 1300 participants total.

I picked up two (out of three) of my finisher medals. I forgot to check the Special Division ranking; otherwise I would have received a third medal. Aren’t they pretty?

Pros:

+ This race is well organized. There’s plenty of nearby free parking (it’s in an industrial area with lots of large offices + parking lots) and they offer easy race day packet pickup (I hate when you have to pick up your packet beforehand, because I can’t easily get to Davis days before the race.)

+ I really enjoy the course. It’s a mix of street and green belt through East Davis.

+ Race entry includes a cute race shirt (although you can opt out and receive a $5 discount) + finisher and special award medal(s)

+ The race photos are free now (they didn’t use to be!).

+ The race is time-tracked, and the results are instantly available after the race.

Cons:

+ Not enough port-a-potties this time. I was shocked by the long line when I went over to the start line 25 minutes (!) before the 10K race start and wasn’t able to get to one in time. Luckily, it was more of a nervous “let’s use the potty one more time” situation for me, and I didn’t really have to go. I was just fine.

+ I know the heat is what most people complain about in regards to this race because it’s an evening race in the middle of summer, but it doesn’t bother me too much. It’s probably not a PR race course for most people because of the heat, but the cool swag and evening race atmosphere make up for it, IMHO.

Have you run an evening race? Did you like it?

This week, I completed week 3 of the Pump Up The Volume 6 program and week 6 of the Team Wilpers Summer Run Challenge. I also kept chipping away at my three (Streakers365) trackers. Hot tip: If you want to know how I plan this; I try to schedule the tracker classes in advance and see if any of my other planned workouts fit the tracker requirements, because if so, I can hit two birds with one stone. Double-dipping is my favorite ;) If not, I try to find shorter classes that fit the trackers and sprinkle them throughout my week and then build the rest of my workouts around them.

Monday

• 5 Min Dance Cardio Warm Up – Jess K (12/28/25) — United We Streak
• 20 Min Full Body Strength W2D3 – Ben (4/3/23) — PUTV6
• 10 Min Standing Yoga – Nico (8/13/21) — The Streak/Star-Spangled Self Care
• 10 Min Extra Steps Walk: ˜1500 steps – Jon (7/14/26)

I picked the Dance Cardio Warm Up this morning for one of my trackers. I still can’t figure out how I feel about these classes. On one hand, they’re fun (I used to do jazz dance in high school), but on the other hand, I feel silly and I am glad I am alone when I do them. Some of these moves require some serious coordination, haha. 

I earned my 6-year (312-week) Peloton streak badge today! 

Tuesday

• 5 Min Pre-Run Warm Up – Matt (5/14/25)
• TW Summer Run Challenge 2026 W6R1 | Endurance Run + Striders
  • 45 Min 80s Run – Jon (7/19/26)
• 10 Min Focus Flow: For Runners – Denis (4/9/24) — The Streak/United We Streak

I really enjoyed my run this morning: 45 minutes at easy pace with some striders at the end. And Denis‘ Focus Flow for runners was wonderful.. It’s a great substitute for a post-run stretch. 

Wednesday

• 20 Min Rolling Hills Ride – Bradley (7/10/26)
• 10 Min Barre: Upper Body – Leanne (9/9/25) — United We Streak
• 20 Min Upper Body Strength W3D1 – Rad (4/10/23) — PUTV6
• 10 Min Focus Flow: Healthy Back – Denis (4/4/26) — The Streak

I have been neglecting my bike a little bit lately and hopped on the bike for a quick rolling hills ride this morning. Then it was off to some upper body strength work and a yoga flow for a healthy back. Denis is incorporating some Ross Rayburn tactics by really getting into and explaining the mechanics of each pose. I like it. 

Thursday

• 5 Min Pre-Run Warm Up – Rebecca (7/17/24)
• TW Summer Run Challenge 2026 W6R2 | V02 Max Run
  • 45 Min Outdoor Run Club – Matt (2/7/26)
  • Extra 10: Endurance Run – Matt (7/5/26)
• 10 Min Focus Flow: Hips – Denis (12/19/23) — The Streak

Team Wilpers was trying to kill me this morning with 5 x 3 min V02 Max intervals. I dragged myself out the door and started running before I could talk myself out of it, and in the end, I felt so accomplished (isn’t that always the case?). I enjoyed the 15 minute built-in cool down and listening to Matt Wilpers’ training tips. I ended my morning with a yoga flow for hips. 

Friday

• 20 Min Lower Body Strength: W3D2 – Tunde (4/10/23) — PUTV6
• 10 Min Resistance Bands: Core – Andy (3/23/22) — United We Streak
• 10 Min Focus Flow: Hips – Nico (6/20/26) — The Streak

I ran errands in the morning and postponed my workout until the late afternoon. I only like doing it if absolutely necessary because I am much more likely to find excuses if I don’t get it done in the morning, but I was able to squeeze in the 20-minute lower body class for PUTV6, a quick core and a yoga flow for hips workout before dinner.

Saturday

• 5 Min Pre-Run Warm Up – Rebecca (7/17/24)
• TW Summer Run Challenge W6R3 | Endurance Run
  • 45 Min 2000s Run – Susie (10/7/25)
• 10 Min Savasana – Nico (10/29/24) — The Streak

I was busy in the morning and had to postpone my endurance run until later in the day. Not ideal, because temps climbed into the high 90s. I contemplated running on the treadmill for a while, but really wanted to run outside, so I decided to wait until the evening. By 7:30 pm, it had cooled down to the mid-80s and because the sun was already going down, it was actually quite pleasant outside. Still warm enough to get me sweaty, but not terrible. It forced me to keep my pace actually easy.

Sunday

• 10 Min Daily Meditation – Chelsea (1/25/26)
• 20 Min Full Body Strength W3D3 – Ben (4/10/23) — PUTV6
• 30 Min 80s Ride – Bradley (7/25/26)
• 5 Min Post-Ride Stretch – Denis (4/21/26) — Star-Spangled Self Care
  
• 18 Min Pool Swim
• 20 Min Restorative – Anna (3/8/21) — The Streak/Serenity Sunday
• 10 Min Patience Meditation – Denis (12/12/25) — Serenity Sunday

I met up with Tanja in the morning for this week’s full body class of PUTV6 and then we hopped on the bike for a 30-minute 80s Ride with Bradley. He always cracks me up and the playlist was so fun. We ended our workout with a post-ride stretch.

In the afternoon, I decided to head over to the pool. It was quite busy (lots of families with kids), but I was able to get a few laps done and it was refreshing. I got back just in time to join for Serenity Sunday.

Current Challenges + Trackers:

Streaker365 July United We Streak
Streaker365 July Star-Spangled SelfCare
Streaker365 July The Streak (Daily Yoga)
Peloton Pump Up the Volume 6 Strength Program – PUTV6

This week’s stats:

Running: 19.5 mi
Cycling: 13.8 mi
Walking: 9.2 mi
Strength: 90 min
Yoga/Pilates/Barre: 90 min
Warm up/Stretching: 25 min
Meditation: 10 min

I am linking up again for the Weekly Run Down with Kim and Deborah.

Did you get to dip in the pool this week?