April 2023 – what???
Welcome to this week’s Fit Five Friday – it’s the first Friday of the month and you know what that means…
ULTIMATE COFFEE DATE! *cue celebrations*
WELOME to Fit Five Friday with with your FIVE amazing hosts – me, My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Runs with Pugs, Zenaida ! Feel free to join in on the fun! And head over here to join the Ultimate Coffee Date with other amazing, supportive and friendly bloggers.
My flat white is ready to drink, what are you having?
If we were having coffee
I’d ask you how March was for you? Did you achieve what you set out to do? What would you say your fitness highlight was?
I’d tell you that I’m still on my walk streak and am definitely achieving minimum 1KM per day. In fact, in March I walked exactly 100KM. It did help that I was on vacation for a week in Malaga since we pretty much walked everywhere and I made sure to record a good chunk of it.
I’d also tell you that I ran 25 kilometers, one of the 5KM sessions being a parkrun in Almere.
It does feel like it’s getting better, but at the same time I still find it pretty hard on some of these runs. I know I have to be patient and just do what I can. That is enough.
If we were having coffee
I’d ask you what your favourite running shoe is currently?
I’d tell you that all y’all Brooks Happy people, plus Brooks being a sponsor of parkrun has got me in a new pair of Glycerin 20’s. I was pretty nervous to buy them because of my messed up feet and the high price tag. But I’m glad I got them! I’m enjoying them so far!
If we were having coffee
I’d ask you how work is going for you?
I’d tell you that work is still challenging but at least the bully is no longer bullying me. I guess when you are sat down with the Operations VP who tells you that your behaviour 100% won’t be tolerated, you listen. At least for now. I’m cautiously optimistic. My office days have changed to Tuesdays and for now that is the only day I have to go in. It’s getting somewhat easier but I’m still kind of trashed after such a long day (I get up at 4:45 and am home at 7pm…). I can honestly say I had no idea it would take so long to get used to this new situation.
At least Amsterdam is pleasant early in the morning with a blue sky and no tourists smoking dope on the street – ha! (seriously, this is what it’s like going HOME, they are just sitting there on benches, smoking weed. Which is fine except it STINKS).
If we were having coffee
I’d ask you when your favourite time of day is to work out?
I really got used to and was enjoying the lunch workouts once we were stuck at home in 2020. I have tried to be a morning workout person and it’s just not happening right now. But I only have a half an hour for lunch which is barely enough time for a walk. However, I had a big win this week; I just point blank asked my colleagues in a team meeting if I could have an hour on Mondays and Fridays and I would be happy to start work a half an hour earlier those days. They all said it was fine. In fact, Lunch Workouts at the Pie Gym have officially re-commenced!
If we were having coffee
I would ask you, is your weather looking up and have you got any immediate outdoor plans (besides the usual?)
I’m seriously doing the better weather dance to the Universe over here so we can get back on our bikes. I’ve already found a route that I want to do through Utrecht up to Amersfoort (think middle of the country so not Amsterdam and not Arnhem where I live, but smack in the middle). Recently I went to the Art Museum in Den Haag where I was inspired yet again by artists and architects of the De Stijl movement. In the area of Utrecht and Amersfoort there are many designs, sculptures and buildings to see. If you don’t know about De Stijl, but you know about Frank Lloyd Wright, then you know where his inspiration came from (The most well known artists from De Stijl are Piet Mondriaan and Theo van Doesburg). Maybe it’s a bit nerdy to combine art and fitness but why not?
And yes, I’m still wearing this scarf…
What would you tell me over coffee?
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Here are the guidelines:
- Your link should center around some kind of fitness (exercise, wellness, mental health, nutrition… the possibilities are endless!)
- Please link back to your hosts! It’s the right thing to do!
- Share the link-up love by visiting and commenting on your hosts and at least two other Fit Five Friday bloggers!
- Feel free to share about Fit Five Friday on your social media! Tag #FitFiveFriday to get the word out!
Wow, that was a good idea- just ask for a longer lunch break! That will be a nice workout window.
Fitness and art sound like a great combination! There’s another blogger (Birchwood Pie) who is on a huge Frank Lloyd Wright kick right now and she’s getting me intrigued. I remember studying Mondrian in school but not van Doesburg. Anyway, riding bikes around the countryside near Amsterdam sounds amazing- I hope the weather gods respond to your dance!
I had asked my manager and he said “well I don’t want to structurally give you the hour”… and this didn’t sit right with me. if my colleagues are fine with it then there is no problem. other people do things like take extra time for their kids or whatever, why can’t I take the time for sport?
I should go catch up with Birchwood Pie! I love FLW.
Very cool about those new running shoes!!
March started out very poorly and things are looking up.
I used to love lunch runs when we were totally at home. But now that’s I’m not always at home, it’s after work… when I have zero energy!!
I’ve been to Amsterdam a few times and it is lovely. I want to go back.
I am loving my lunch runs. what a difference it makes!
I’m glad that things have calmed down a little at work. And, that’s a win to carve out enough time for your lunchtime workouts!
So happy to hear that you tried the Glycerins and they’re working for you! I do love the cushion they provide. Great job keeping your walk streak going!
It’s a bit of a stretch to have to start at 7:30 but the lunch sport breaks have been worth it!
I like to workout in the morning and I am too tired in the afternoon. Glad you like the Brooks shoes-enjoy them and run happy! Thanks for joining the coffee date
If I didn’t have to either work so early or be up so early I would still love to give morning workouts a go. I’ll have to see if the Brooks also work for the longer runs in the near future! fingers crossed!
I was able to try out those Glycerines and oooh, it was a tough choice between them and the Launches. They are so comfortable! Glad to hear you like them.
I am a morning exerciser and I’m a much more pleasant employee when I get to work out. But I do have to get up uber early to get it done. They don’t accommodate me. You’re lucky!
it was nice to have someone on (parkrun) site to tell me what shoes would be the closest to my Hook’s. really opens up a new shoe world for me! maybe I can try a few other models later as well!
If I could get up earlier I really would. Maybe someday when I can actually sleep through the night!
How cool to walk exactly 100K in March — that’s fantastic!
Yay on the work bully going back to his corner and requesting a longer lunch break. I have a really hard time transitioning back to work after a workout (or long lunch, LOL) so do better with my early morning workouts.
They need to breed odorless weed if it’s going to be legal anyway. ;-)
thanks Coco!
I totally agree with you on odourless weed hahaha!
Ooh, when I was in high school, my art class took a day-long trip to Minneapolis to see a DeStijl exhibit! I thought it was simplistic, yet very intriguing with the colors and all those straight black lines intersecting. I got a pair of the Glycerin 19’s when I did a campaign for Dicks, and I love them! They are very cushy and comfy. We have summer-like temps headed our way in a few days, and I’m hoping to finally get back outside on my bike. ;-)
Mondriaan is definitely intriguing. Also that it wasn’t “just” lines and colors, that it actually represented movement. And if you think about it long enough you can actually see what he meant. And how cool that that sort of concept is used in urban planning today!
I’m sorry you were being bullied. That’s garbage.
I love Brooks Adrenalines. They are so great on my feet.
I am a morning exerciser. My day can’t start without it.
Yeah it sucked. I hope the fact that its over lasts. as well.
I really wish I could get up earlier but I need to sleep properly first!
This week the weather is finally something to write home about! It won’t stay of course, but I’ll still take it & I think maybe we’re done with the mornings below freezing.
Yuck on the weed! That would be such a huge turn off for me. I hate the smell!
That’s wonderful that the Glycerins are working for you. And sounds like you’re making some wins in the office too!
hopefully your weather is now improving. here it’s at least sunny and blue skies but it’s still too cold for my preference. we were in Spain in the meantime for a week and it was glorious. then came back to like 20F. UGH.
yeah I am not a fan of any smoke. weed is awful but what about those sickly sweet e-cigarette smells??? almost worse!
definitely have some positives in my life, at least going in that direction so just trying to keep focus on that.
I am so happy that the Glycerin worked out for you! I am happy you asked about the hour lunch on those two days and you got it. I also have half hour for lunch and would love it to be longer.
yeah I am super happy with my new kicks!! and today I had a 1:1 meeting with my manager and he asked me “did you have a good session at lunch?” and I told him it was a game changer! then I talked him into doing the Amsterdam Half Marathon LOL