Well, hello and Happy New Year! I can’t believe this is my first time writing in 5 months! Forgive me if I’m a little rusty…I don’t even know where to begin!
First off, Run With No Regrets is still here! I’m still running and sharing my experiences, largely on Instagram @runwithnoregrets. Last year, my big focus was on the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Half Marathon, which took place in early December. I’m happy to say that it was my strongest postpartum race to-date. I promise to share my full race recap on the blog soon. Those are still my favorite types of posts to write!
Currently, I am out of training mode and getting used to having a little more freedom. I thrive with a structured running schedule, but it was a lot of work last year and I need more flexibility these days. I don’t have any goal races for this year, but I plan to explore more on the trails and do some local races that I’ve never done.
One area that I hope helps in this regard is being a member of The Vibe: A Bibrave Community. I’ve been a Bibrave Pro since 2016, and in 2024, the program has pivoted to focus more on the racing experience. I’m curious to see how things go and hopefully I’ll have an opportunity to travel to a new race this year.
On the Peloton front, I’m still enjoying the app, and now that I’m not on a coaching plan, I decided to focus on doing strength training through the app. So far, I’ve focused on lower body and strength for runners classes and have kept them to 20 minutes so that it’s more likely for me to get them done. These classes are definitely harder than I expected and I can’t imagine using more than 10 lb weights anytime soon. I do miss barre and plan to mix in some of those workouts as well. It’s been a good challenge and I always love recommendations!
Weight loss was actually a big thing for me in 2023. I reached a certain peak that I only experienced during pregnancy, and I was dealing with constant stress and picked up a lot of unhealthy habits. I tried to get into intermittent fasting and learned that it was NOT for me. Then I got into the Noom app around June or so and it was a real game-changer! I was able to lose about 15-20 pounds from where I started at the beginning of the year, returning to a weight range that I probably hadn’t seen since before getting married. Being accountable for calories really made the difference for me, and Noom has a lot of psychological tips and tricks that provided great insight. Now I’m in maintenance mode, and honestly starting to see myself slip back into some old habits, so I’m going to be working on focusing on consistent meal tracking to help guide making better decisions.
On a personal note, I have a 4 year old! How did that happen?! E is doing very well. She’s a lot of fun and full of personality and energy! She’s really gotten into music and sings all day long. We got her a guitar for her birthday and she’s like a little singer-songwriter with that thing! Bret and I will be together 12 years next month…it’s just crazy how time flies. This week has been a bit rough with all of the snow so we’ve all been a bit stir crazy. We still love our hikes so hopefully we can get out there when the weather warms up next weekend.
Of course I have written so many paragraphs after thinking I didn’t have much to say! I’m hoping that the Weekly Rundown will be my opportunity to share my fitness/workouts consistently; thanks to Kim and Deborah for hosting! I am only running about once a week since January and I’d like to get out there more, so I appreciate any encouragement and all the motivation!
How was your week? Did you experience any of the winter storms?
Hi! It’s great to see you back here. Strength training with Peloton is my jam and I think you will be surprised how fast you progress. Feel free to reach out if you want any programming help. That’s something I’d love to get into. I don’t know anyone personally who has used Noom so glad to hear that it worked for you. Tracking food a few times a week is always helpful for me. Hope to se you back here soon
Thanks a lot, Deborah! I will have to reach out for some tips!
Welcome back! I’m looking forward to reading your Rehoboth Beach Seashore Half race recap.
I think you will really enjoy trail running! I was always a road runner and got into trail running about 5 or so years ago. Game changer! Now I enjoy doing both. Trail races are a bit different. More food at the aid stations in particular! I have found the trail running community to be friendly as well.
I also like the shorter Peloton workouts, especially for my lower body.
4 years old is such a fun age! My boys are now both young adults and I miss them being little so much!
Tracking my food every once in a while helps me for sure. It is funny how the small bites here and there add up or just how you think you are not eating as much as you really are!
Congrats on the weight loss and your strong half! Both great achievements.
E always looks so happy in your photos; I mean, I know all kids have their moments (as do we!) but overall she just seems like a very happy girl. Song writing at 4? Wow!
Thanks, Judy! She can certainly be a handful but she is a sweet, happy girl most of the time! Her musical performances are so entertaining!
Janelle!!! I’m so happy to read your blog. Of course, I do see you on IG when you pop up in my feed. Glad to hear that things are going so well for you and congrats on the Bib Rave Vibe team! I feel as if so many of my fellow Brooks Running Collective teammates are also vibing.
Looking forward to hearing about your running plans ( and other things) for the year!
Thanks so much, Wendy! I’m happy to be back and planning to be much more active this time around! And I’ve really missed hearing how everyone is doing too!
Welcome back, Janelle!!!! It’s so exciting to see you again (I see you on Insta, now and then, but my feed is so hit/miss these days). Little E is four! Dang, that did go quickly! Congrats on all those years with Bibrave; that’s some serious longevity! I like the Barre classes on Peloton, though I haven’t been very consistent in recent months.
Thanks so much, Kim! I’m so glad to be back and look forward to seeing what everyone’s up to!
Oh my goodness, Happy New Year! How exciting!
Amazing work on your half and on all your successes! You should be so proud of yourself!
And how is E FOUR???? My guy is turning 16 in April, and WHAT? How did that happen???
Happy New Year! Thank you! And I definitely can’t believe your son has grown up (and so TALL) so soon!
Hi Janelle! Happy New Year! I have found that participating in the Weekly Rundown is a great way to stay motivated, and get tips and advice. I’m sure you can get LOTS of ideas for Peloton classes- I don’t use Peloton anymore but there are a lot of Peloton fanatics out there. I agree that the strength for runners classes are very good. And, I hope you post about some of your trail runs- I’ve been exploring trails too this year. The trails around me aren’t that interesting, but on the other hand our weather is good year-round (no winter storms in Florida.) Welcome back!
Thanks so much Jenny, it’s so nice to hear from you! I hope to be able to write more about the trails. I really need to make it to a meetup with the Trail Sisters since they’re so close!
Hello again! It’s always hard to get back to blogging after a break, but I find it best to just dive back in 🙂 A 4 year old! Time really does fly. I’ve heard ads for Zoom- curious to hear more and why it worked so well! That’s awesome.
Great to hear from you!
Thank you! I’m glad to be jumping in and really enjoying getting reacquainted with how everyone’s been doing!
Welcome back! I was tracking my calories last fall. It was very educational – I had no idea how many calories were in some of the things I ate. Definitely made me make better choices. Good luck with your journey!
Thanks so much! It’s true, once you see the numbers, it’s really eye opening!