Kicking off 2019 with Coffee

By | January 3, 2019

What better way to start the year? And for once, I actually remembered about the coffee linkup in time to write a post. My theme for the month? Some of the stories behind my mugs and how they tie in to my running journey.

oh wise coffee cup

Over coffee I’d tell you that I have way too many mugs for one person who usually uses the same two mugs each weekend. But I was tickled to receive this from a dear friend who saw my tweet from Target. Holiday season is always busy for me with our gala, but this year was exceptionally so. Busy with good things, but crazy. I can’t wait to have a weekend day at home to use this cup.

a wonderful gift when grandma passed

Although she wasn’t a runner, grandma’s passing coincides with the beginning of my running journey. I spent about a week out of town and this was before I was willing/able to run outside so I missed training but didn’t quit running. That surprised me. Among the many things I learned from grandma is my love of reading, and I occasionally find myself remembering and chuckling about her habit of reading the end of the book to see if she liked the ending before committing to it. I was pleased to see so many reading resolutions in the Weekly Wrap – not only because I’m an incurable bookworm, but because I’ve planned a running book giveaway in honor of my two-year running anniversary. It will be in Sunday’s weekly wrap post, and Sunday is coincidentally my anniversary.

another great saying

Eeyore!

Those two are the aforementioned frequent used cups because they’re huge and I can make two large Keurig cups and sip coffee while catching up online. I’ve also had them about twenty years and should retire them, but Loony Tunes and Pooh! Race days can be hard on me as I’ve not yet managed how to get up on time to have coffee in time for things to move along so I can head out. When I run later in the day this is a non issue but long runs without some caffeine can be hard. Over coffee I’d tell you that I tried the caffeinated gum and the texture is just wrong. Sometimes coffee is just best in its natural form. Haven’t found a caffeinated gel that works for me either, but I really need to assess my fueling plan for the Halfs and beyond.

I didn’t need another mug, but it matches so well to my ridiculous plate

couldn’t go to Seattle and not get a mug from Pike Place Market’s Starbucks! Cameo above it by Montreal mug

Over coffee I’d tell you that I don’t have any destination races planned for 2019. OK, that’s a lie, I’m doing the Fort Lauderdale Half but that doesn’t feel like a destination race to me since I go to Fort Lauderdale so often. I see it more like running a hometown race. I’ll either do the Rockland Lake or Troy Turkey Trot depending on where we do Thanksgiving, and I’m sure I’ll run on vacation, but I don’t have one planned yet either. I should think about that. Mom and I are going to do a 40th birthday trip, but it’s unclear whether we’ll do that this year or next.

Little Miss Trouble

Raise your hand if you grew up with the Little Miss or Little Mr. books? So many good memories and I was tickled to find some titles at Heathrow last summer. This cup is ridiculously small, but I love it for hot chocolate.

In the lead up to the Fred Lebow Half Marathon I’d tell you that I’m suffering from some Impostor Syndrome when it comes to running. While I recognize and accept the cliché that if you run, you are a runner, I have trouble truly seeing myself as a runner.

Sometimes I see the person I’ve become in the mirror, other times I see the person I was for most of my 37 years. Although I played sports into high school, I was never an athlete. I guess I am now? I’ve run for two full years. This, and my social anxiety, is also largely part of why I almost never make it to my run club’s weekly workouts. Like it’s a club I’m not sure I really belong in, even though they’re nothing but welcoming. I think back on last Lebow and realize that not only have I been a runner for two years, I’ve been a Half Marathoner for almost one.  Sometimes the brain needs an off switch. Or at least a mute button.

I did take a step forward this Run the Year in joining a team with “strangers”, although I knew one of the women from a satellite Facebook group. If there ever ends up being a NYC area FIT, I might join. Maybe.

The Ultimate Coffee Date

Also linking up with Fairytales and Fitness for their Friday linkup

Fairytales and Fitness

 

28 thoughts on “Kicking off 2019 with Coffee

  1. Liz Dexter

    Great mugs! We received two between us for Christmas and I think we’ll save them for special Christmas mugs as they are themed. Oh, and you ARE a runner. You came to see me and we used x % of our time together on a run. See?

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I like and logically agree with your logic. I’d make the same argument for someone else
      Yay themed Christmas mugs. I miraculously only got two this year.

      Reply
  2. Darlene

    Yes we are the same person. I was just thinking that last year I went to Paris and Montreal and this year just nyc and Florida. Those don’t count cuz I go there so often.

    Let’s not discuss how many mugs I have and I just bought a Roastery mug. Just because it was pretty.

    I went to my local running club run for the first time. I feared everyone would be fast. Like at the ASICS store. Not true and it was fun.

    Yes you are a runner. A REAL runner.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      and the fact that I want to poach mom’s snowflake one I texted you. But I can’t, because that’s the only bathtub sized mug she has. Must resist.
      I think part of my issue is they are fast — like Wave 1/B-C corral fast. I said to Laurie below, I may find a new one. Maybe. I went with this one because I thought I’d know some from the treadmill studio
      Thank you!

      Reply
  3. Marcia

    So many fun mugs, so little cabinet space! I won’t even tell you how many Starbucks mugs I’ve collected as I’ve traveled. Yes, a Pike Place mug is a MUST! I so get the imposter thing. But yeah YOU ARE A REAL RUNNER!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      and Dunkin has gotten into the place mug game too. Starbucks are so hard to resist. I made myself when Darlene and I went to the Roastery the other week, but it’s so hard. Especially when they also come out with new destination ones. If the DC one I went to had the cherry blossom one in stock, I’d own that one.
      Thanks — I think it’s a common feeling

      Reply
  4. Megan @ Meg Go Run

    This is such a cute theme for a blog post! I think I will do something similar with my mugs. My Grandma passed in May. It is still tough. 🙁 I wear one of her rings to remind me of her. I’m so glad I have that.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      What a great tribute – I wore my grandma’s bangle for a recent event
      When I remembered the coffee linkup I happened to notice I had a photo of Tinsel that I’d texted to my friend to let her know it arrived so I decided to make it a theme

      Reply
  5. Laurie

    My kids used to love those little Miss/Mr. books. I saved them and now read them to my grandsons. They love them too! Let me encourage you to go to your running club more often this year. I have met so many inspiring people at mine. YOU ARE A RUNNER!!! You run! Some of the members of our club walk/run or even just walk our courses. This is not an exaggeration – joining running club changed my life. Lots of runners are socially awkward, but all of the ones I have met are kind. Just ask someone what races they have coming up. That will initiate a long conversation! 🙂

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      We’re having some fun like that with books now – my brother’s kids are four and one and the older one is rediscovering some that his father and I read as kids. So glad we kept them
      Ooh thanks for that icebreaker tip. I went to their cheering station for the NYC Half last march but I found I was too nervous even to introduce myself. I’m wondering if maybe a different one would be more approachable. I hope NYRR has their semi-annual clubfair again so I can meet new to me options.

      Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yes! It makes me laugh because I’m normally any excuse to get steps, but not in my morning coffee routine. Plus futon to coffee maker is about ten steps.

      Reply
    1. cari Post author

      TJ Maxx always seems to have a great selection. I hear their sister store Home Goods does too, but we don’t have one that I know of

      Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Thank you! Normal mugs just don’t work for me – when I got a new dish set a couple years ago I even tried to find one without mugs since I knew I’d never use them in favor of fun

      Reply
  6. Chocolaterunsjudy

    I have many mugs, but I actually do use them. They are from my travels and reminders of racecations. I use ones from hilly races if I’m training for a hilly race, ones from hot races if it’s cold . . . yeah, I’m weird that way.

    I actually like small mugs — too much water dilutes tea — and they’re really hard to find!

    I was not close with my one living grandmother. She wasn’t a very warm person; she also had an incredibly hard life. So it’s nice that you are close with yours (and my nieces & nephews are close to my parents — and they are also lucky to have known them, some of them, for so long — a few of them are nearing 30!).

    I’m not good in big groups. I also have a lot of trouble finding runners that run near my pace. I know they must be out there, but it’s really hard to find them! And the fact that I don’t have to run after work, and really don’t want to much of the winter (since I don’t work and can run earlier in the day).

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I think that’s a really fun way to sync up past and present races. Great medal of your own making too. If I didn’t already have the Florida Dunkin’ mug, I might have got that after my first destination race. You for tea is how I feel with Ms. Trouble for hot chocolate. Diluted hot chocolate might be healthier because it’s not drinkable.

      I was very close with this grandma as she and grandpa, and after he died, she alone would come up almost every weekend. We lived only half an hour away and I’m partially her namesake. I was also lucky to have her for 37 years, and she was *there* for most of those years. My dad’s mom died when I was two and his father long before I was born.

      I don’t do large groups well at all. I probably could find same pace if I overcame my nervousness . That really should be a 2019 goal.

      Reply
  7. Debbie @ Deb Runs

    I like your moose mug best, and of course I love the sentimental value of your grandma mug. We have several mugs, but my husband always uses the same one. I’m not a coffee drinker so I only use mugs when I drink the occasional hot chocolate…

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yeah that one absolutely had to jump off a store shelf in Vermont.
      You with mugs is me with wine glasses. Unless I decide to class up my seltzer

      Reply
  8. Farrah

    haha, I’m with you there! I have a ton of mugs now too, so I try to kinda switch it around when possible! I really like the Starbucks mugs but don’t have a single one yet! :P..

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      The Starbucks ones vary greatly by destination. Some are gorgeous, some don’t interest me. Luckily. Otherwise I’d have more mugs than books

      Reply
  9. Kimberly Hatting

    We have oodles of mismatched mugs, but I seem to gravitate to the same favorite two or three as well. I wish I would have started a Starbucks mug collection, but then I have no idea where I’d put them 😉

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I finally (mostly) upgraded my mismatched dishes collection except the polka dot one above. They didn’t have anywhere near the memories that the mugs do. Funny how we all have our favorites

      Reply
  10. Wendy

    I’ve been running for almost 30 years and up until recently, I used to feel like a runner. Now I feel like an imposter! The looks I get a races with my run/walk intervals…

    I’ve got way more mugs than anyone needs but I just love my destination mugs! There will be more…

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      The race police with the run/walk intervals. Ugh
      Luckily the good eggs outweigh the rude ones.

      Reply
  11. Renée (Pinky) (@runlaugheatpie)

    i love your mugs, even the ones you don’t actually own! I have tons of mugs because I used to work for Starbucks (for 7 years) and went crazy on all the merch. Now I’m 5 years away from the Bux and I’m trying to minimise my stuff but still have mugs and tumblers everywhere! It’s hard for me as there are memories attached. But giving them away doesn’t mean my memories stop suddenly, right?

    I’m an extroverted-introvert. It takes me a lot of effort to join my group run. Every single time I have to talk myself into it! But I never regret it, even if I feel like I don’t exactly fit in. I’m just proud that I did it, you know? Maybe you just need a bit of a mind-switch? I know that’s easier said than done at times… I’ve been with my group for over 2 years (and prior I just joined the weekly social run for 2+years). I would find it hard to join a new group for sure.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      You’re absolutely right re: the memories not stopping. I took that approach when I decided to purge some things related to past trips and some souvenir shirts. Can’t even imagine how much you’d accumulate working there and seeing All The Things.
      Agree too re: the mind switch. I need to look to look at it as small bites too – approach someone else also likely to be standing on the fringe vs. approaching a huge group. Thanks for that re frame

      Reply

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