Working from Home and Running

By | August 2, 2020

or maybe working from home and not being in pain and running…

I realized earlier this week I was going to cross 70 miles. By far my highest total when not marathon training, and last July was “only” 84.79. July total was 76.48 miles. WHOA.

Four months of working from home and I’m finally in some semblance of a workout routine. I ran a couple back to back days, but never had more than one rest day between runs, which ranged between 4-7 miles. That’s a whole new level of consistency and it’s amazing what’s possible when you’re not in pain.

I’m reading Julie van Amerongen’s Every.Single.Day and I admire her consistency. Not a streaker myself (of either definition!) but amazing what you learn you really can do.

NYRR had another pace review and this best pace cycled off. Back to Corral L. Do not care one bit as a) I’m running without pain which is all I care about b) it doesn’t matter and c) I got to K once, I’ll get back there again if I decide I care. The latter will probably only happen if I miss running with friends.

skipping rocks on the shores of the mighty Hudson

Know what’s better than both of these? Escaping the city for a few hours, and surprising my brother and the kids who were down at Mom & Bob’s. Love my city, but I hadn’t left since February and that was just too long.

Otherwise, nothing exciting this week. On to the Weekly Run Down with Kim and Deborah:

pretty toes

  • never miss a Monday: I was all set to use “I ran seven” as an excuse to skip this on the grounds of it being obnoxiously hot and humid at 4:30 AM, but a funny thing happened and I wanted to run. Mother Nature rewarded this decision, and it was a gorgeous four-ish miles. And then I rewarded my feet with a pedicure.
  • Tuesday: gross, hot, but Central Park is ever stunning. Great Lawn has become a new morning minimum on walk days.

d-o-n-e even though it’s pretty

rewarding sore legs and swollen feet. Oh summer.

  • Wednesday: I think Mother Nature was wilting in this heat, but she still rewarded me for getting out there for another four.
  • Thursday: tired, drained, didn’t even get step goal. Nothing wrong, just d-o-n-e with the heat and humidity.

when it’s an easy run you play with the panorama setting

  • Friday: I took the day off work to get some apartment projects done. They didn’t happen, but a nice run did. I started the month with five and decided to bookend it with the same. It was much cooler, although still 4000% humidity. I know some of you love summer running – more power to you. I wilt. Give me fall in the morning and summer the rest of the day.
  • Saturday: aforementioned escape from the city. Walk to and from car rental and to the river from mom’s but otherwise nothing. A true rest day.
  • Sunday runday: I didn’t really have a plan. 8 miles for August wasn’t feeling doable, but I wanted to do more than 4-5, so I wiggled and meandered on a run that included Central Park and the East River. I believe that’s the first time I’ve done that. When I paused to accept a mask from the giveaway (I was wearing one, but always happy to have a backup) I realized I was at 1:28xx and therefore landed on my goal of a 90m run. I had been tiring for the last mile anyway and there were many stops for water and to stretch. No race, no rules.  Just run. Depending on whether it actually rains, I may go sit and read, or I may do that apartment project.

GoTheDist July:

  • 449, 989 steps. DOH!
  • 201.08 miles walked

I don’t have formal August goals. Just keep running pain free. Maaybe look at the fitbit on the 31st.  LOL.

39 thoughts on “Working from Home and Running

  1. Wendy

    Great miles for July! It seems like a lot of us have put in the miles this month. That’s pretty amazing, considering how hot it’s been.

    I read and reviewed Every.Single.Day for my book club. It was a few years back, but you can read the review-it’s listed on my book club page.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Hah! I had missed this comment, but when I went back to reply to the thread on Runners’ Bookshelf I saw you’d dropped the link there
      For me part of the miles is there’s literally nothing else to do. No vacation, no beach days. So might as well run

      Reply
  2. Shathiso

    So glad you managed to get out of the city! February — that’s a long time! And congrats on all the running you’ve been doing! That’s amazing given you’re not marathon training!

    Reply
  3. Laurie

    Every.Single.Day sounds interesting. I think I might be too old to streak (in both senses of the word) 🙂 but I admire people who can do it. I like how you set your goal of running for 90 minutes, rather than a certain distance. That makes a lot of sense.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Same same. Especially in summer or winter, some bits aren’t meant to see the sun or wind.
      My goals are all over the place. Sometimes timing is more fun, or a “round” number when mileage won’t be.

      Reply
  4. Chocolaterunsjudy

    I’m with you. I’m not sure what it is about this summer — summer is always tough to me — maybe it’s not having a goal. Definitely not a fan of summer running & this summer has not been kind to us!

    How great that you got together with your family.

    It doesn’t matter what corral you’re in. All that matters is that you’re out there doing it. Seriously.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yep yep yep. Can always catch up with friends before or after too.
      I think freeing myself from “have to” helped a lot and made it be about when I wanted to. The mental game is real

      Reply
  5. Deborah Brooks

    I am so happy to read that you are running so consistently again and without pain. You had a really stellar month of workouts. Getting a pedicure sure does make us feel normal again doesn’t it. Happy feet are a must! Have a good week ahead

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I said to a friend that I’ve never been a makeup person outside 9 months at a job where it was mandatory (and that turned me off further) and I can deal with summer hair, but my toes could not be boring any more.
      Hope you’re in pain free land soon, peloton warrior!

      Reply
  6. Beckett @ Birchwood Pieb

    “Pain free” makes me very happy. You know, July was a really tough month but it seems to me that a lot of the WRD group went out and crushed it anyway. The weather is going to be cool next week and I cannot wait!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      we had a cool week this week, I’m hoping we don’t pay for it next. Let’s keep kicking ass

      Reply
  7. Kimberly Hatting

    Gotta say, you have a stellar flip flop tan going on with your feet 😉 Congrats on the great month. I totally agree…continuing on through August pain-free is so legit.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      isn’t that tan so wonderfully ridiculous? Upside of only wearing these or sneakers all summer long. Tan purity.
      Thank you!

      Reply
  8. Kim G

    You had great miles for July, and most importantly, you are running without pain!

    I’m SO over this 2 week heatwave of relentless humidity. It feels like soup outside even when it’s really early in the morning. I hope that the weather cools off a little this month and that we don’t have a typical hot August.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      yes, really hoping July andAugust flipped months and we get a reprieve. The humidity makes it so hard to breathe

      Reply
  9. Liz Dexter

    Great miles and hooray for the lack of pain. And it’s our anniversary run this month whee! Hooray for escaping the city for a bit, too. We had our 3rd hottest day ever on Thursday and I HAD to work and it was pretty bad.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      oh that is brutal! Weren’t you having a heat wave jsut before I came, or was that London area only? Dear Mother Nature, we’re re-creating our clothing and run — not the weather please, although I recall it being comfortable for our run

      Reply
  10. Zenaida Arroyo

    Great month for you! Just running is sometimes what we need to do to enjoy our runs. With this heat and humidity that is pretty much we can do now.

    I know what you mean, I haven’t been out of the city since I came back from Atlanta at the beginning of March. But at least almost all of my family lives here. Happy to see you were able to get away!

    I like your thinking “fall in the morning and summer the rest of the day.” Perfect days!!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I think the fall in the morning conversation started on Kim’s Insta where she was talking about the fading morning light. It would really work.
      You were in Atlanta just after we were in Bermuda. Crazy what has changed since then. Luckil y mom & Bob are not terribly far away — all of this has made me wish I could keep a car in the city

      Reply
  11. Darlene S. Cardillo

    My feet look like yours since I sit in the boat with my oofos.

    So happy about your painfree running. Most important thing.

    I don’t love hot humid. I endure. Hate snow and ice more.

    Working from home allows me to walk more. I’m loving that. And you NYC pix. Don’t know when I’ll get there.

    Great news about leaving the city. Maybe you’ll drive north though it is far. You would have to stay a few days.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      My plan for Jordan’s birthday was to get there when the kids got out of camp/daycare and try to drive back before dark, but the days are getting too short for that..
      Agree re: snow and ice, but I think winter running is generally more comfortable than summer

      Reply
  12. Marcia

    I’m so happy you’re back to running pain free! A little reset does the ITB good! How nice to get out of the city, even though you live in a great one. : ) I was just noticing my Birkenstock tan the other day, although it’s nowhere as impressive as yours. Haha!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I do love my city, but we all need changes of scenery
      My friend from Montreal was here in spring 2019 and aside from the reason she was visiting, Birkenstock store was on top of her list. I had no idea they were back until then. I so miss them. I should do that next summer as I think these fit flops are at their end

      Reply
  13. Jenn

    Pain free is the way to be.

    I’m glad you were able to get away for a little bit. The walls are totally closing in.

    If I lived by Central Park, I would probably walk there every day. I can imagine there’s always something new to see there.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      For sure. So many different routes, or different sights even when I walk the same loop. Starting to know the dogs and their humans.

      Reply
    1. cari Post author

      normally to get to my mom & Bob’s I can take a train to a bus, a bus to walking distance from their house, or two trains and they pick me up. All commuter rail. But I’m not ready to take trains yet, and would be concerned about exposing them to whatever cooties were on the bus, so that leaves a rental car as the only viable option.
      I owned one the first year or two I lived in the city, but it stayed at mom’s . When it would no longer pass inspection, I sold it. Some do keep cars here, but it’s out of my budget. Enjoyed the freedom though

      Reply
  14. Melissa

    I’ll have to check out that book! I haven’t heard of it, but since I’m now on Day 103 of my run streak, I may need to get inspired to continue. I love the views you have for your runs! And your pedi looks great – love the color.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Thanks, as soon as I saw the bottle I knew it was my answer. The book was good, and she has another that I haven’t yet read. You, Erika, Jessie and someone else have insane/amazing streaks going. Way to go!

      Reply
  15. Michelle D.

    So happy that you are running pain-free – that is truly everything!

    I have that book on my shelf – I don’t remember when I bought it, but I’ve not read it. Maybe I need to pick it up.

    Congrats on a great month!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Same. It was on my kindle and piqued my curiosity when I was between books.

      Reply
  16. Coco

    LOL on taking the day off to do projects and not doing them. Sounds like a good day off to me! I am loving all your CP and sunrise photos! After my first runstreak ever I’m having a hard time quitting. Today’s Scooby miles were rained out though. I bet it was awesome to see your brother and his kids!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I came to the realization I needed the day off more than the project needed done. It will get there.. eventually. WHen it’s raining maybe.
      Sunrise photos across the locations we all run are the best. Would be a fun photo a day challenge

      Reply
  17. Montana @ Pretty Lil Mudder

    Glad you are back into some sort of routine! It’s nice when you can find your mojo again.

    I’d love to run central park. It’s been on my bucket list for years, but the last time I was in the city was when I was in college and I wasn’t a runner. I’ll get up there one day!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Come visit! You’ll probably find even summer weather just perfect compared to yours. I know I’m biased, but it’s a fun city.

      Reply
  18. Debbie @ Deb Runs

    Great job, with the miles AND running pain free! You would have loved the temperatures down at the farm the week we were there. It was in the low to mid-60’s overnight and high 80’s to low 90’s during the day. We did have a bit of storminess, but the temps were great!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Oh that is perfection. Something about the mountains, or at least altitude. Glad you had some relief

      Reply
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