2021 is 1/12th Done

By | January 31, 2021

January 2021 felt like March 2020 in that it was never ending. Was I really in Florida earlier this month? Was the inauguration ten days or ten weeks ago? Oh time, you’re weird.

all the books

I feel seen!

2021 is off to an excellent start, page wise. 12 books down in January and a better mix of fiction and non, which was something I was aiming for. Have you read any of these? Real Queer America was probably my favorite but I really laughed my way through I Hate Running. I am always excited about running and going for a run, it’s getting up and getting dressed and out the door that’s usually my issue.

That said, I said January had a good shot at being 100 miles if not for travel quarantine and I’m going to come in just shy depending on what I run Sunday.  As of Saturday evening I have 93.62 miles. While I’m running back to back days to avoid Monday’s snow, I’m not running  6.5 on the heels of 8. ETA: 97.63 miles run. Average run time of 1:02:13. Very pleased with both.

While one of my 2021 goals is to walk more and get out daily, that didn’t happen this week and I’m OK with that. I’m coming in around 350K steps and while that’s way under normal times, I don’t have my commute or the meetings I used to go to. I just keep reminding myself that we’re nowhere near back to normal and there’s no point in self flogging. I’ll walk more when it’s warmer.

Speaking of warmer, I don’t believe the weather a week out but I’m stalking it for my first race. Yes, dipping my toe back in for one special reason: NYCRuns’ Frozen Penguin. It was my first race. I don’t foresee myself jumping back into races regularly as I’m not sure I’m ready and 5Ks as a whole don’t interest me, but couldn’t pass up this one. Depending on my wave time, I might even run to the start, which I’ve said I would for the last two years.

Weekly Run Down with Deborah and Kim:

good morning world

  • never miss a Monday: and this was the best run of the week. Billy Joel Peloton run and the legs felt good and fast! It was also necessary as I was in back to back meetings from about 10-5. Days are so much better when they start out moving.
  • Tuesday: I got out for coffee and was otherwise glued to my desk working on a big project. It’s an amazing project that I’m proud to be a part of, but chair/ass fusion is real.
  • Wednesday: I was sore and stiff from two days at the desk and hadn’t slept well for unknown reasons, so the run was nothing special. Probably a literal shakeout. It was good to be out and moving. There was rumor of snow turned to ice over night, but nothing accumulated in the city.

I’m a little tree-pot

Pre run fuel!

  • Thursday: with temps on the horizon not getting out of the teens and the wind chills in the single digits, back to back runs it was. As I said to some of you, given the choice of 90s or teens, give me teens all day long. The wind chill was 12F when I went out, but I was fine in two shirts and the windbreaker. I’m excited for my new Skirt tights as these are old and stretched out, and have no pockets! I probably would have been fine in capris, but once I went with the windbreaker I didn’t mind losing pants’ pockets. My colleague who I usually run with on Thursdays couldn’t make it, so I ran the river with a gorgeous moonrise. The Tuesday project I mentioned? Restaurant Week To Go, more than 570 restaurants at launch extended through February. It’s a fabulous way to support local restaurants and this amazing sushi meal is from the east side location of a restaurant I frequent at the office. That’s a ton of food for $20.21
  • Friday: I didn’t leave the apartment. Wind chills in single digits and nope nope nope. Especially grateful to Peloton stretching and yoga classes as my legs were stiff after the prior night’s cold run.

I love that bastard, orphan, son of a whore

  • Saturday: I’m not throwing away my shot at a run on a “balmy” Saturday. Bet you can’t guess which Peloton run made up part of it? Between Time’s Convert being set partially during the American Revolution and loving Matty’s Hamilton run, I’m on a bit of a kick. Again. One of these days I’ll start with Hamilton to get the pick ups the music wants. Coco had told me about Becs Gentry’s NYC Marathon run and I decided to use that for my first CP long run since I went hunting Christmas trees. She’s amazing/insane pace wise, but it was fun to relive some of my own marathon moments. She had friends in the same spot I saw one of my coaches, so I totally got it. My pace was all over the place Saturday but I didn’t care, it was a beautifully cold day when the Park just sparkles.
  • Sunday: running. Some distance.

31 thoughts on “2021 is 1/12th Done

  1. Darlene S. Cardillo

    I runfess. I ignore the pick ups with Peleton.

    93 miles for January. Happy since my goal is 84.

    With the snow and travel February will be a low mileage month.

    Hooray for a real race. My first race doesn’t exist but Freihofer counts for me.

    I try to go for a walk every night. Esp if I didn’t hike or run. Not loving the temps. But it gives me frozen waterfalls. The little things.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Woohoo on 10% over your goal. Especially as you had even more snow than we did.
      The music drives whether I do the pickups. Some songs just make me want to cruise/speed

      Reply
  2. Lisa @ Mile by Mile

    I agree that January felt SO long! I can’t believe that the holidays were just over a month ago. Great job this week and congrats on a solid month of running in January despite the travel/quarantine!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Good to know I wasn’t alone in January crawling. Christmas, weird as it was, feels like two-three months ago

      Reply
  3. Deborah Brooks

    wow you did have a stellar month of running! I did not realize you were back to so many miles. That is fantastic! The wind sure was a challenge this week! Have a good one!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I got my weekend runs up to a consistent-ish eight miles which got me back up mileage wise. Not sure it will stick, but it made for a good start to the year.

      Reply
  4. Liz Dexter

    A good month of running and lovely pics and work here. We’ve both been hampered by the weather this week haven’t we and it’s been good to share experiences!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yep. And hampered but not sidelines. We will get through winter

      Reply
  5. Jessie

    The Frozen Penguin sounds fun! Hoping for good weather for you. Go easy on yourself for not walking as much in the winter! New Yorkers still walk way more than the rest of us 🙂

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Alas, Frozen Penguin was cancelled due to snow and ice. All for safety, but I just had to laugh at that.

      Reply
  6. Kim G

    I felt like January started off slow but then this week really went by quickly. I still can’t believe that February starts tomorrow – so crazy!

    So cool that you’re going to get to do your first in person race soon!

    Reply
  7. Marcia

    Congrats on some great January miles and wow on the books! I’d say I planned on reading on our flight but with Ozzy in tow I doubt that’ll happen. Your big project sounds exciting but yes, the chair/ass fusion is very real. Isn’t it funny how we have a sweet spot for that first race?

    Reply
  8. Wendy

    January was a long month, wasn’t it? I read a ton of books-I’ll share most of them on next week’s coffee talk post. I’m reading I Hate Running and yeah, it’s hilarious!

    I love that Restaurant Week deal! I’m seeing more and more restaurants closing; the BBQ restaurant where my oldest worked (and helped him get his life together) just closed. That broke my heart…

    Reply
  9. Montana @ Pretty Lil Mudder

    Glad to hear you have a live race, that sounds exciting! I’m not a fan of straight 5ks either, but at this point I’ll take what I can get.

    January always seems like it takes forever; I think that’s because the holidays (Oct-Dec) always go by so fast. February is promising to be a busy busy month for me so it’ll probably go by super fast!

    Reply
  10. Beckett @ Birchwood Pie

    I Hate Running has my name on it. I spend more time procrastinating that I do actually running, and well…I run a lot. I saw some very good report cards recently so I’ve told the stepsons that we’re getting sushi for our next takeout night.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Congrats to your stepsons on their hard work. Sushi is the perfect reward.
      I think part of why I love winter running is I can procrastinate and have the weather be better vs. run early or melt.

      Reply
  11. Chocolaterunsjudy

    We missed a couple of outside walks this week, but we even got out for a short walk today. The wind is always a factor!

    Your project does, indeed, sound amazing. Although NYC right now is not really all that enticing to me. Flashbacks to the bitterly cold photos with my brother & then boyfriend Lloyd by the Rockerfeller tree. Although of course 3 years ago we took our photos with the Bryant Park frozen fountains. 🙂

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Was it really already 3 years ago that you were here?
      I will normally get out in snow but tomorrow with the winds is not appealing. I don’t know how you walk the critters when it gets so cold.

      Reply
  12. Jenn

    Peace out, January!

    I love the extended Restaurant Week! We are doing our best to support our local eateries, here – it’s just a small thing we can do to help keep business strong. I could get behind some sushi, though. Yum.

    Even though it’s cold, it’s still gorgeous in that city. I just love the photos you post. Keep up the great work!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      It seriously sparkles in the frigid temperatures, and working from home I’m getting more of an appreciation of these every day spaces.
      I think shop/dining local is so important. Afterall these businesses are part of why we choose to live where we do. We got some great feedback from the restaurants and was so glad that we were able to extend it

      Reply
  13. Jenny

    Wait. You read 12 books this month??? I thought I was doing well with four! And yes, when you said the inauguration was 10 days ago I was shocked- it seems like months have passed. A weird January for sure.
    Sounds like you had some great runs! Have a great week.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Thank you, you too!
      12 books is way above my normal, but I think I ‘d read 3 before starting back to work and then was in quarantine for four days and had an airplane ride, so I had more reading time than normal

      Reply
  14. Coco

    LOL on that running book! I take the opposite approach and get out the door before I can think twice about it. I finished two books in January, but I only had a few pages left in the first one. I’m enjoying my current read but also starting doing the daily crossword in the evenings, and there’s only so many hours I can look at a screen and still make out the letters.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I’m on a crossword kick thanks to an app ad. It’s improving my scrabble at least, but I feel you on the screen time. A good chunk of this was early in the month, but reading is a good way to log off the computer when work is done. Or try.

      Reply
  15. Kimberly Hatting

    As much as I love walking, it is tough to make happen this time of year. That said, I’m doing that IL Criss-Cross Challenge, so that keeps me moving on the daily. I’m also trying to get 21 minutes of outside action everyday (you can thank Judy for that inspiration), so there’s that LOL Your mileage is great, though! Excellent month for you!!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I found it so weird and surprising that running zapped some of my love of walking. Our brains are weird.
      Judy’s 21 minutes outside was part of what drove my get outside goal too. I think it’s a good thing to strive for even if it doesn’t happen daily. We’ll get there eventually.

      Reply
  16. Michelle D.

    Great mileage! And, wowza 12 books! I was thrilled I made time for 1 LOL

    I chuckled at your chair/ass fusion comment – I had a couple of days like that myself this week. It does a real number on my hips. Like you said, so grateful for Peloton stretch and yoga classes.

    How fun to have a real race coming up!

    Reply
  17. Zenaida Arroyo

    Wait, you ran 12 books in January? Impressive!

    I’ve done a NYC Marathon Peloton run as well and enjoyed it. But I thought mine was with Robin? Now I am not sure.

    The best part of January was the inauguration. The cold weather and too much snow was not pleasant at all.

    Great job on your January mileage!

    Reply
  18. Debbie @ Deb Runs

    I’m beginning to think that I’m the only one not using the Peloton app. I plan to go out for a walk this afternoon because it’s snowing and beautiful, but I don’t know about the sidewalks. Hopefully, the fresh snow will help make them less slippery from where people shoveled yesterday and it refroze overnight.

    Twelve books is impressive for one month! And so was your mileage!

    Reply
  19. Renée @runlaugheatpie

    amazing mileage Cari!! way to go!!
    I am pretty glad Jan is over. I agree it felt long. We are in lockdown here, with a curfew so it is really dragging here… word is that we won’t be “free” again until *maybe* March. Serenity, Now!

    Reply

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