Author: Colleen

I opted to run in the evening on the treadmill the day after the surgery to allow over 24 hours from the time of the surgery. I ran slow and kept my heart rate under 130. Got the three miles in and all went well. No bleeding or concerns.

Today it was an early morning run as still a fairly slow pace of around a 10 minute mile. Again no bleeding from the stitches and all seems to be healing well.

After the run I drove up north to meet my youngest son as we continue to clean out the house and complete last minute cleaning before handing over keys. We took a little break from our work and went to a float spa. It was my first time and it was pretty amazing. So relaxing and tranquil I highly recommend it and will definitely do it again.

Run happy!

Posting a day late…

Got up early and had a good out and back run today at the new place. Enjoying finding new routes and observing the surroundings.

Then prepared for the surgery to remove the cancer on my lip. SO happy they were able to keep the amount of skin the had to remove to a minimum and verified the margins were clean and they got it all. The plastic surgeon then sewed it up along my lip line. This was the best possible outcome and hopefully there will be minimal scarring.

Run happy!

Getting settled into the new house. Found a new path and ran out and back today. I love starting my day with a run. It feels like a win for my physical and mental health. My mind is alert and I am full of hope for the day.

Finding new routines and a new path for running is also necessary in my life right now as I navigate change. It is a strong metaphor for how I am feeling about the direction of my life. How do I move forward and create lasting positive change? What is the right path? What new habits do I need to form?

These are the questions I think about on my daily run.

Run happy!

It is moving weekend for my youngest son, Cullen, who is relocating from Prescott Valley to Phoenix. I haven’t been home for the last few days as I went up to help get the house packed up. Being away from home has me out of my routine and, therefore, not consistent with my writing.

Running up in Prescott Valley is wonderful with cooler weather and the small hills are a nice change of pace. I basically run a big circle and usually encounter people out walking their dogs or just walking. Some people are friendly and say hi or wave while others just seem lost in their own world. Either way I still wave to all and give a smile or a “good morning”.

I do hope that I can continue my streak and will know more tomorrow after speaking with a surgeon about an upcoming very minor surgery.

Run happy and don’t take it for granted!

Up early to run is wonderful. Then busy week at work starts to add up. Missed my blog yesterday, August 4th, so catching up for yesterday and today.

Today is JoAnn LaRussa’s 86th birthday. She is a real estate agent/broker that we have worked with for the last 12 years. Prior to her joining our team she was her own independent broker.

She got tired of working solo and living alone. We are so lucky that she did. She brought so much history of the town and industry with her. She also brought a whole lot of Jersey with her!!

Last month JoAnn moved to an assisted living facility in Chandler Arizona. After living in the same house in Casa Grande Arizona for 40 years this was a huge move for her. She is missed and yet she is happy which makes us happy.

She is 86 years young and I can guarantee she is going to keep the people in her care facility young with her spunk and her vitality. I am 54 years young and hope to keep both my mind and body as young as possible. I have a lot more in me and need more time.

Run happy!

Yesterday I wrote about being August 1st and most schools already being back in session. I do feel like our kids are being robbed a little bit of their youth. And, this makes me appreciate my ability to run when I want and at my pace. I know a weird connection of going back to school and running as an adult. It really isn’t connected except that the kids have no choice and I do.

I think that is the cruxt (idk how to spell this word) of it. The children have no voice. The parents do and yet do they really? The year-round school really does make sense and makes life more manageable for working parents. Let’s face it, most households are dual income households where the parents are both working and doing the best they can.

This is the end of my rant. No government or local entity will end my running streak. It will be a physical challenge that I am not able to overcome. I have surgery in nine days where I am not supposed to exercise after for a week. I am researching and asking questions to see what is normal, what is okay, what qualifies as exercise, and how far can I push the limits.

Pushing the limits…how many rebels like to do that? Are you a rebel at heart? I am.

Run happy!

Today is August 1, 2022 and when I was growing up it would still be summer. It is still summer in Arizona, however, kids are all back in school. This gets us closer to year-round school versus the traditional 9 months school year and 3 month summer of days gone by.

I understand conceptually the push for year-round school and yet am nostalgic about the summers of my youth. I loved summer in our house. I am one of five and we always had swimming, sports, bikes around the block, or games to keep us busy.

I guess when I think of August I think of days gone by and summers of yesteryear. Lazy days of swimming and running around with friends in the neighborhood. It just seems too hot to be back in school.

I hope our kids got to enjoy their summer. I hope they ran free and had fun the way that children should. I really hope they didn’t sit in front of a TV or game console because that just isn’t a summer…it is just another day in a string of days.

Welcome to August in Arizona. The amazing, wonderfully hot August that is the very best between 5:00-6:00am for a nice cool run. I will take the heat over the old any day of the week. I am a true Arizona girl.

Run happy!