It was another week, similar to many others in our altered universe. The weather was warmer than what is typical here in late September and I will gladly take it. Running was the usual as well, with the exception of a couple of virtual races in the mix. But fall is officially here and it found me pursuing hygge (pronounced hooga), the Norwegian/Danish term for the mood of cozy comfort.
Here’s how my workouts went:
Monday: Walk 4 miles, Track for ZOOMA Lobster Trap 1 mile virtual. Owie.
Tuesday: Walk 4 miles, Trail run 4 miles
Wednesday: Walk 4 miles, Strength Training
Thursday: Walk 4 miles, ZOOMA Cape Cod 10k virtual
Friday: Walk 2 miles, Upper Body Strength + Core
Saturday: Walk 4 miles, otherwise rest
Sunday: Walk 4 miles, Trail run 4 miles.
I attribute my yearning for hygge as insulation from the hatred, violence and political BS that’s seemingly everywhere right now. Truly 2020 is the year that keeps on giving, and I have to remind myself that there’s still plenty of beauty, goodness, kindness and light. We find what we look for.
The trails are starting to show gradual color changes but I suspect our hot, dry summer will result in suboptimal colors this year. Ominous trail debris aside, I love the solitude and beauty of my trails.
Our sunrise and sunset walks have been magical, even with the smoke from the wildfires out West. I’m doing my best to be mindful and soak up the beauty of nature before winter arrives.
Even though we had above average temps, I find myself “nesting” and yearning for the comforts of fall. I brought out my “sweater” throw pillows and I’ve been scanning the interwebs for fall decor inspiration, alas, the vast majority of interiors on social media are white on white on white.
Ozzy aka the Stainmaster, embracing some hygge of his own.
If you’ve ever had a white sofa/carpet etc in the presence of kids and pets, you well know how impractical this color scheme is. I started lighting my wickless candles in the evening and brought out my essential oil diffuser for aromatic ambience. Check out my favorite essential oil recipes for fall here.
New On YouTube
Mobility Drills for Runners. Do you make mobility a priority? Trust me your body will thank you if you do. The repetitive motion of running takes a toll on the body, resulting in shortened stride, muscle imbalances and increased chance of injury. Here’s a quick sequence to try. No equipment needed.
Grilled Black Cod with Pineapple Salsa. We’ve been grilling like fiends all summer long and I love that we’ve added lots of fish to the mix this year. This recipe is delicious, quick and easy to put together. Remember code MHS (affiliate) saves you $25 off your order at Sitka Salmon Shares.
How was your week? Are you in an autumn kind of mood? Any fall decor? What are you grilling?
I’m linking up with Kim and Deborah for the Weekly Run Down. Join us!
That cod recipe is a winner! We still have some black cod in the freezer and need to pull it out before grill season comes to an end.
Cocoa has done a number on our house too. It’s a trade off. Nice things? Or a dog. I know I’d rather go with the dog. <3
We have dark red stair and hall carpet and that’s also turned out not great as cat-owners so you can’t really win! I have been hunkering down and working on making my winter sitting room a thing – still have to remove the attractive view from the sofa of a roll of chicken wire but I’m getting there.
We had slightly warmer, more humid weather this weekend but it wasn’t anywhere near the luckiness of the summer heat so no complaints from me!
I love Ozzy’s face in that photo! That is my typical mood every Monday morning, lol.
The cod recipe looks really good!
I have been working on hip and glute mobility a lot and it’s the key for me to stay injury free. I hope! I have also been eating way more fish and realizing that I feel so much better when I eat more protein. Your recipe looks great! Pineapple goes so well w grilled fish. Have a great week!
Target junk aisle for all the fall decor. I
ve so far only brought home a pair of jack o lantern slipper socks, but I have a “little bit wicked” sign to hang up.
Mom got white kitchen floor when my brother and I were teen/tweens. At least that was moppable v. the white carpet in my first studio
Right now it’s actually Summer again. I don’t mind, even though I’ve been loving the cooler days for running! So hard to figure out what to wear, but today was a skirt day all around. Didn’t even need a hoodie for our morning walk.
Heck, I don’t even want carpet in the house because animals. OTOH, we’re going to have to make some permanent changes for Lola, I think (she’s much better), and that will probably include more area rugs so she has something soft to land on.
My husband wants to replace the white-ish carpet in our basement, but now that I’m working in the basement with Scooby at my side, I’d have to spend too much time worrying about keeping a new carpet clean. Besides, I’m more interested in putting down mats for my basement “gym” room but apparently there’s been a run on the stall mats people suggest using ….
We had a white couch and that was the worst idea ever, as we had two cats and a dog at the time. Quickly sold that and replaced it with dark gray, ha! I get that white looks fresh and clean, but I prefer a little more warmth myself.
Anyways, I’m with you with the hygge! Even though we’ll probably be settling in for a long, low-key winter….with limited travel 🙁
I totally agree…we will see what we look for. There is so much political BS (from both sides), it’s really important to focus on the positives (again, from both sides). With your reference to hygge, I have to ask…are you of Norwegian/Danish heritage? I’m mostly Norwegian (with some German sprinkled in) 😉 Our house came with white carpet everywhere (I ask you…why???). Max has really worked over that color scheme…
I felt like the cooler weather earlier this week was kind of a tease, and now its back to being warm and humid! I’m starting to get in the mood for fall but I probably won’t do much decorating. We definitely don’t get any white decor around here!
Just as I was feeling the desire to do some fall decorating, Mother N pulled a bait and switch and kicked the humidity up again.
I’ve been trying to make a concerted effort to focus on the beauty of the trees changing colors. Like you said, you’ve got to work hard to remind yourself there is still good out there.
I am in such an autumn mood, even if Florida isn’t on board for it. I also love that pumpkin and knitted throw pillow, <3
We are decorating for Halloween. I'm so excited about that.
Our cats have destroyed everything. But either you have pets or a nice house.
Congrats on the virtual 10k. I signed up for Amelia island next month.
It’s so warm and humid here today. But colors are starting to change. Fall is on its way.
I’ll be trying the mobility workout. My hip and low back have been giving me a lot of grief lately.
We just bought new furniture and I wanted something light but my husband talked me out of it because of the dogs even though they rarely are allowed on the furniture.
I am so ready for some hygge!
I like your term “altered universe” better than “new normal”! So I think I’ll go with that from now on. I’ve done well the last couple of weeks working on hip mobility. I really want to keep at it so I’ll definitely have a look at your sequence too.
Like everyone else I cannot deal anymore with 2020.
White carpet or furniture scares me. I mean it would only work if no one sits on the sofa or goes into the room with that color carpet.
I am loving this Fall weather but will admit that I finally turned on the heat today. I did it more for my mother. 🙂
I did decorate for fall! I have a lot of Halloween decorations but thought it was too soon for that, so in September I put out some leaves, pumpkins, etc. Today I’ll be starting on the Halloween decorations. A trip to the pumpkin patch and a crockpot recipe today, and I’ll be deep into the appreciation of fall 🙂