February Ultimate Coffee Date

Another year off to a fast start! I‘m linking up again with Coco @ Running with Perseverance, Lynda @ Fitness Mom Wine Country, & Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner for the second “Ultimate Coffee Date” for 2015. What is the Ultimate Coffee Date? Imagine we are having coffee together… this post is what I would tell you.

The Ultimate Coffee Date

If we were having coffee together… I would tell you that the year is off to a flying start and I am really enjoying the work/life/fitness balance that I am trying to create. I keep getting assigned to special projects and committees at work and now have a direct report (who thankfully is awesome and I am not just saying that in case she is reading this blog post ;)) So, I hope that means they like me and my work.

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If we were having coffee together… I would try to be subtle in reminding you that I am doing Cycle for Survival again this year on (2/22) and that I am hosting an awesome raffle with 9 great prizes. This year is even more special for me and Cycle because my friend, Ivonne, is being treated by MSK for a rare bladder cancer and Cycle supports clinical trials and medical advances for rare cancers like this one. You can check out the awesome prizes and how to enter ($10 per chance or sharing for a free entry) HERE. You can read Ivonne’s story HERE. You should check out Ivonne’s blog. She is a blind, paralympic triathlete and super speedy marathoner. She also has the most amazing attitude of any person I have ever met. I feel very grateful for having met Ivonne (via my awesome friend Marie) and having had the opportunity to run with her on many, many occasions.

kindness fi

If we were having coffee together… I would tell you that I am a bit “challenged out” after doing some awesome health and fitness challenges in December and January. One challenge I am enjoying is #28DaysofKind which is a challenge issues by KIND bar and Greatist to do something kind each day in February. I hope it is a habit I can keep through out the year. So far, I have engaged a cabbie in a pleasant conversation, given an extra generous tip, bought a homeless man lunch, given a busker at the airport $2 while appreciating his music, helped a friend with his resume, sent some goodies to an unsuspecting blog reader, helped a colleague on a project, supported a GoFundMe project and sent a card to a friend who needed a pick me up. Any ideas for the rest of the month?

20 miler. heh heh. I can't wait to see it on marathon day. 50K here I come!
20 miler. heh heh. I can’t wait to see it on marathon day. 50K steps here I come!

If we were having coffee together… I would tell you that I finally started wearing my FitBit Flex and I remember why I stopped wearing my heart rate monitor and other trackers. I am too damn obsessive. I want CREDIT for moving and have been walking around the house in circles on non-running days. More movement = good. Being obsessive = bad. I get cranky when I run 15+ miles and it tells me 12. Why Fitbit? Why? Is anyone else maybe better off without their Fitbit or other trackers? Am I the only crazy one? This may merit its own post. TBD.

I kind of love these. Like a lot. I may have forced The Husband to buy them for me.
I kind of love these. Like a lot. I may have forced The Husband to buy them for me.

If we were having coffee together… I might admit that I may have guilted the Husband into buying me the awesome personalized coffee mugs that I posted in my Not Your Ordinary Valentine’s Day gift post even though we don’t really ever exchange gifts and we certainly do not need mugs. Sometimes, $15 goes a long way!

10885478_834963523212082_2517717654003748278_nIf we were having coffee together… I would tell you that I ran my first and only 20 miler for the Phoenix Marathon on 2/28  this weekend and it was solid. We had a bunch of stops but I ran the last 4 miles faster than the rest and I could have kept on keeping on, so that is something. I am really looking forward to seeing Smitha and Carlee and meeting the folks from our #ItsGoingDowninPhoenix Facebook group. Also my friend Don is coming from Portland and Susie is coming with from Chicago. Should be a blast. And, it is DOWNHILL. My fave!

Your turn! What would you tell me on our coffee date?

PS. Did you enter my giveaways?