I can’t believe it has already been a month since the last Ultimate Coffee Date link up! Another year is flying by. I‘m linking up again with Coco @ Running with Perseverance, Lynda @ Fitness Mom Wine Country, & Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner for the ninth “Ultimate Coffee Date” of 2015. What is the Ultimate Coffee Date? Imagine we are having coffee together… this post is what I would tell you. So grab a cup and “listen” and then tell me what is going on with you in the comments, please!
If we were having coffee… I would tell you that we had an amazing trip to Colombia! I wasted my energy on being worried about personal safety and crime. The area we stayed in Medellin, called El Poblado, seems to have less crime than most Chicago neighborhoods. The city is clean, friendly and beautiful. And, oh mountains and hills, how I love thee. We took two awesome tours and explored a ton. We ate delicious food and everything was CRAZY affordable. We loved catching up with Rhys and hearing about her 6 months in S. America and all of the awesome things she has in store over the next leg of her journey in Europe.
If we were having coffee… I would tell you that my crazy work travel has started. I have 4 trips to Kansas, 1 to Seattle, 1 to Virginia, likely a trip to San Francisco and probably a bunch more that I am forgetting. It is a bit overwhelming with all of my fall running and other commitments, but I am trying to see the bright side. Bright side? More frequent flier miles and points for fun trips, getting Premier on United to join my Gold on American and likely getting to see friends and have fun experiences. Last week I went to Wichita, KS for the first time ever and I was pleasantly surprised. Low expectations are the key to frequent travel happiness. Sad, but true!
If we were having coffee… I would tell you that I have been having a blast at events for the Magnificent Mile Women’s Half Marathon and 5K events. This is the fourth year of the women’s race and second on the Mag Mile. The last three years, I did the half. This year, I am opting for the 5K and a different half that has been on my bucket list on Monday. I made it back from Wichita in time for the yoga event which was sponsored by Lole and Class Pass. It was held outdoors in Pioneer Court (by Michigan Ave and the River). The class was excellent and it was really fun to do yoga on a beautiful summer evening outdoors in Chicago. We also got tons of perks. You KNOW I loved that!
Saturday morning there was a shake out run with professional runner, and Picky Bar founder, Lauren Fleshman and Olympian Summer Sanders. We loved meeting Lauren last year and she was just as gracious and down to earth this year. Summer Sanders was super friendly and fun to run with, as well. She loves to talk when she runs, so she and I were fast friends! There were more goodies up for grabs including some raffles and a free UNIQLO t-shirt. They are opening in Chicago this fall! Whoo hoo! What a great way to spend time with friends and meet new folks, too!
Post race update: I made the leaderboard! I was 5th in the Women’s 5K at 21:03. I got a talking to from coach Dan Daly because I did not run through the line. Oops.
If we were having coffee… I would tell you that The Husband has a big car race this weekend. He won both qualifiers and my fingers are crossed that he wins the big one today. I will come back and let you know!!
Post race update: The Husband made the podium (3rd place) – he was hit by another driver and sent off track. That guy was third and was disqualified. He hit our friend, Dan, too who was the eventual winner. What a jerk!
If we were having coffee… I would tell you that Susie and I are doing Bright Pink’s FitFest on September 20th. Fitfest is a 6 hour fitness marathon. It will be six hours of fitness classes, cycling, yoga, basketball and more from some of Chicago’s best fitness studios. If you are a fitness freak like me or new to the scene, FitFest is for you. Why? FitFest is about saving women’s lives from breast and ovarian cancer. That’s something we can all get behind. FitFest is for women and men at all levels of fitness. You choose how hard you go. Women and men of all fitness levels will find a wide range of classes to tailor their day around. During the day you can also cool down with educational and relaxing activities, an Argo Tea tea tasting, food and more to come. Want to join in? Susie and I are looking for teammates! The fundraising minimum is $500 per person across a team. You can join team Suz and Her Girls here. Can’t make it, you can support our team here. (Through 9/7, you can enter to win some swag from Fitfest here.)
What would you tell me if we were having coffee? Grab a cup and leave some comments!
PS. Don’t forget my great giveaways and the Wednesday Giveaway Round Up!