Weekly Workout Highlight

Happy Hump day everyone!

Even though this winter is draaaaggin on, I hope you all are having a good week so far!

Today began with a hot cup of coffee and a mug of oatmeal. Ever since college, 75% of what I eat is always placed in a cup or mug. It works though since its the perfect size for things like oatmeal, soup, and yogurt.

Workout:

This morning's trip to the gym started with a 20-min. tredmill run followed by an upper-body lifting session. I can't wait for warmer weather (and for all this snow to melt) so I can start running outside again! Come on Spring, step it up!

I tried a new upper-body workout that popped up in my email a couple days ago. I have the MapMyRun app on my phone and get their weekly workout summaries sent to my email. In this week's summary there was also a link for an Ultimate Pre-date Workout. It looked like a pretty well-rounded upper-body routine so I thought I'd give it a try today.

Here's what it looked like:

I decided to swap out the chin-up hold for some assisted dips and added a reverse fly as well to add some extra work for my back. I didn't complete Circuit D since I ran earlier, but I was pretty wiped out by the end of the third super-set. I'll definitely be using this routine again!

Whisking:

I haven't done a recipe review on here in a while so I've picked out a few that I'd like to try my hand at. i'd love to hear what you think though so here's what I'm thinking and leave your votes in the comments. I'll review the recipe this weekend!

Here are your choices:

Gluten- free Peanut Butter Cookies

No-bake 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Bars

No-bake Oatmeal Nut Butter Balls

If you couldn't tell, and don't know me… I have a peanut butter, almond butter, ALL nut butter obsession!

Looking forward to seeing what you all choose :)

What's in Your Gym Bag?

Hey there friends! Hope you're all having a good Tuesday! From what I heard yesterday (and from my own experience) Monday was not an awesome day for people. Good thing that's over with.

Today started off with a Blueberry Cheesecake Protein Shake and a trip to the gym. I've been trying to have more smoothies/shakes for breakfast lately since its an easy way for me to sneak in fruits and veggies, but its quite a challenge with cold weather. However, today's smoothie was delicious so I didn't mind the cold start to the day too much.

Today's workout was a training run and a lifting session focusing on my legs. I'm training for my second half marathon, part of the Flying Pig series, and have a plan I've followed for just about all of my major races. Today the schedule planned for a 3.5 mile run and I decided to add the lifting portion since I haven't been getting many sessions in with weights lately. If you know me and my workout routines, you know I'm a cardio junkie.

I felt really good with the run before completing a 15 minute Nike Training Club routine. I need to use that app more often because I really like the way the routines are set-up. I highly recommend it for anyone who struggles with planning their own workouts. This app takes out a lot of the stress.

So today's workout looked a little like this:

I changed out the drop squat jumps for squats with a medicine ball since my legs were still recovering from my run. Fair enough, right?

When I finished up I grabbed my stuff for the locker room and had to dig around in my gym bag for my keys. Which brings us to today's topic. What's in your gym bag? I saw this idea for a blog post on Sunday and it popped into my head while I was hunting for my keys this morning.

Here's what mine usually includes:

• Gym/ running shoes- I have to wear boots just about everywhere I go up here because of the cold and snow. Boo.
• Foam roller: It was a Christmas present and I LOVE it! I need to use it more to be honest. So I've started to take it with me hoping I'll use it more and more.
• Gloves: warm heart, cooooold hands, haha.
• Armband and earbuds 
• Wallet

• One side pouch has beauty products for a quick fix- Suave dry shampoo, lint brush, travel deodorant, lotion, hand sanitizer, and Simple facial wipes.

• On the other side I keep workout routines from magazines, my lock, and a note my mom hid in my bag one day at the gym. It reminds me that just by going and taking time to exercise I'm succeeding, even when I'm having an off day.

So now it's your turn... what's in your bag??

Make it Monday: The Birthday Edition

Wow! It has been way too long since I've updated anything around here. Life got pretty hectic there for a while!

I am so happy to be back to blogging though! And I've very excited to share the latest edition of "Make it Monday" with you all!

This latest creation was partially inspired by Pinterest and partially by my sister who just celebrated her birthday this weekend! Woo hoo! My sister is a big fan of crafty things as well as a big fan of wine. She usually plans some pretty unique birthday celebrations as well. One year, she asked all of her friends to bring a wine that somehow reminded them of her (I wish I had this idea first!). Afterwards, she used the empty bottles as display pieces on top of her kitchen cabinets. This year, she planed an Olympic themed party complete with events and strongly encouraged costumes. I was so bummed I missed it!

I wanted to celebrate my sister in a way that she would really enjoy. I knew I wanted to do something wine related, so I went to Pinterest and started searching around. I decided I would make a chalkboard wine bottle vase.

Here's how the project went down:

First I popped over to Plaza Arts to buy some chalkboard spray paint. I went with the Krylon brand and made sure it was black and not green! I also picked up a bottle of Cupcake's Cabernet Sauvignon (one of my sister's favorite types of wine).

Step 1: Peel the label off the bottle so the paint goes on smoothly.

 Step 2: Spray 2-3 coats of pain on clean bottle. Make sure you do this somewhere you don't mind getting spray paint or lay down EXTRA newspaper... I under-estimated the power of the nozzle and spent about an hour scrubbing and praying the paint off of my mom's porch.

Step 3: Grab some chalk and get crafty... or so I thought. I waited a day before I wrote on the surface of the bottle. It's been my experience that I get too excited when I'm making something and end up messing up a base coat because it wasn't completely dry. I did not want to have that problem this time so I made sure to wait well past the recommended hour or so listed on the bottle. 

Two things I learned while doing this: first, just because a can of spray paint says "chalkboard" on it does not automatically mean that you'll end up with a matte finish. Secondly, just because a can of spray paint says "chalkboard" on it does NOT mean chalk will work on it. What?!?

I was pretty bummed out when I went to write on the bottle. The chalk did not show up what so ever. And to make matters worse, some of the letters etched their way into the paint, scraping it up as I wrote. 

Luckily, my oldest and all-knowing art-genius sister, suggested some pastels she had on hand. They worked, but smudged very easily and still a little hard to see.

The quote is one I found on my sister's Pinterest board that read "Success is liking who you are, liking what you do, and liking how you do it." It's a Maya Angelou quote and I thought it was so perfect for my sister! It fits her confident personality, her background in Literature, and celebrates who she is and how she lives her life. 

While I wasn't thrilled with the ribbon selection for the bow (I think of these ideas way too last-minute to pull off a perfect execution), I was satisfied with the overall project. I like that my sister can enjoy her wine and then draw or write anything (as long as she uses pastels!) on the bottle and reuse it as a vase.

Cheers to the birthday girl!

Disclaimer: If you are inspired by this creation PLEASE consult more websites or crafting manuals before creating your own. I am a "big-picture" person and tend to miss very important minor details. I would hate to ruin something you are excited about because of an oversight on my part. 

P.S. If you do try your hand at this idea and have more success than I do, please leave any suggestions, tips, obvious details I overlooked in the comment section so I can give it another go! Thanks!

A Different Kind of Make It Monday

Good Morning everyone! I hope you all had a wonderfully relaxing weekend and are staying warm in this extra chilly weather. The colder it gets the more I want to stay in bed with a cup of coffee and a good book or movie.

Instead of staying in bed though, I woke up early to start a week of subbing for middle school art classes. While I'm not the most artistically inclined person, I'm really excited for this week. One of the projects I'll be helping the students with is a reverse glass painting. I found a photo on Pinterest that I want to hang so I decided to use it for the base of this project.

I've really enjoyed working with the students instead of just moderating them. It makes me focus on using all those silly things I learned in Grad school, which will really help when I start teaching full time. It also makes the day so much more enjoyable!

While I was working with one of my classes some of the girls helped me get caught up on their project. So far I have the first two steps of the project complete and am ready to transfer my design to glass.

The lettering was a little difficult at first. Because I'm painting on the backside of the glass, I had to make sure I reversed the letters so it would read correctly when I hang it.

I'll keep you guys posted with how it goes! I'm really excited to see the finished project and hang it, letting the light shine through! If you have any tips about painting on glass, send them my way (anything to help me look good, haha!)

What have you made lately or feel inspired to make? Pictures welcome and encouraged!

Make It Monday: Round 2

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you're all relaxing and enjoying the long weekend.

Today's creation was inspired by, of course, Pinterest. I have so many recipes on there that I want to try I had a bit of a hard time choosing. However, a friend of mine made the request of more "whisking" for the blog so I wanted to make sure that was part of today's post. Here we go!

I chose a Blueberry Almond Flour Muffin recipe that I had pinned about a month ago. I've been playing around with the Paleo Diet lately and I thought this would be a nice go-to recipe on hand. Plus, I already had the almond flour and needed a recipe to help finish it off. 

This recipe comes from the blog Uncreatively Conscientious. I was very happy to see that most of the ingredients are basic pantry staples. It also included a recipe for both blueberry or strawberry muffins, which I thought was helpful as well. Here's the recipe I used:

Blueberry Almond Flour Muffins: From Uncreatively Conscientious

2 C          almond flour
3              eggs
1 1/2 Tbs  brown sugar
1/2 tsp      baking soda
1 Tbs        apple cider vinegar
dash        salt
1 tsp       vanilla
1/4 C      overripe banana, mushed (about half a medium banana)
2 Tbs      applesauce (unsweetened)
1 C         blueberries (fresh or frozen)

I didn't have any applesauce on hand so I substituted greek yogurt instead. 

It was so hard for me to wait for them to cool down. The kitchen smelled amazing and I was forcing myself to keep busy until they were just warm enough. The texture was perfect! They hadn't dried out while baking, which is something that I noticed happens when using almond meal/flour. The only change I might make to this recipe is to add some lemon zest. They just needed a little something more and I think that would really bring out the flavor of the blueberries. Although, I may just want to add lemon because that's what I grew up with. My mom makes incredible lemon blueberry muffins! They don't last long, because they're just too good not to inhale.

I couldn't wait to enjoy one with a mug of coffee! I kept the "berry" theme going and brewed a pot of La Crema Coffee Co.'s Blackberry coffee. It's absolutely delicious and just enough sweetness for me. Definitely was the best choice I made to start my day :)

Weekly Workout Highlight

Happy Hump Day everyone!

Now that the polar vortex has passed, I hope you all have thawed out and are looking forward to the upcoming weekend!

As I mentioned in my last post, I want to start highlighting different workouts each week. For my first workout review, I guess we can call it, I'm focusing on a new DVD I actually received for Christmas.

I come from a pretty large family. My Dad is one of eight so needless to say we have a lot of people to celebrate the holidays with. Every Christmas we have a gift exchange that I always look forward to! It's very similar to a Secret Santa. Each person writes down three things they would like for Christmas that are under $25. This year my cousin picked my name and I was absolutely THRILLED to receive the great gifts she put together for me. One of the gifts I was given was the Jillian Michaels' Shed and Shred DVD. I am a HUGE Jillian Michaels fan so I was pretty pumped to try one of her workouts.

SoI was finally able to try the DVD this morning and here's what I think :

If I know anything about Jillian Michales it's that she doesn't mess around! This workout completely follows suit! I was well prepared to sweat it out this morning, but I didn't know just how quickly I'd feel the burn, haha. There are so many great things about this workout: you choose how long you workout for, a half hour or an hour long routine. She includes a warm-up and cool-down (something I definitely need to work on including when I hit the gym). My favorite thing about the DVD though is that there is never a dull moment. She includes everything from cardio intervals to kickboxing to yoga to weight training. I wasn't able to complete the full hour and a half workout, but I was definitely sweating like crazy by the end of my 45 minute session.

I can't wait to try the DVD again, after I recover from today's shred session! If you have any workout routine suggestions please leave a comment. I'm always trying to switch things up!

Make It Monday- First Edition

Good morning everyone!  Hope you're all staying warm and safe this chilly morning.

As part of my New Year resolution, I'd like to start adding some regularly themed posts to this blog. Each Monday will focus a recipe or craft that I've found and attempted. The goal here is to start taking advantage of the many wonderful things I find and want to recreate. I'm also hoping to feature a weekly workout on Wednesday. I've been trying out so many different workouts and would like to share my thoughts on them for my own review and to help out anyone who's looking for a new routine. Lately I've heard a lot of people asking about how to stay motivated while working out. I tend to stay more interested in keeping up with my fitness routine by switching it up (however, with this weather, even that approach is losing its appeal)! I'm most excited about my plans for my Friday posts. I would like to start featuring a friend who has made fitness a new priority in their life every Friday. If you would like to nominate some one please feel free to leave a comment!

So for today I'd like to focus on a new smoothie recipe I tried yesterday.

I found this recipe for a Pear Berry Weight-Loss Smoothie on FitSugar a while ago and have been wanting to try it out. I varied the recipe just a tad though since I didn't have all of the ingredients on hand.

This is what I tossed into my blender:

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla Silk Soy Milk
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 med. pear, chopped
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1/4 cup Chobani vanilla non-fat greek yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon  ground flaxseed

I was very surprised with how much this recipe made. I probably could have split it into two servings, but I was trying to follow the FitSugar recipe as closely as I could. I think my favorite part about this smoothie was the tangy taste of the raspberries. They helped reduce the sweetness of the milk, yogurt, and pear, which gave it a great flavor. I think if I would have had a kiwi on hand that would have been a great addition as well.

I definitely want to try this recipe again, but I may make a few minor changes. I wasn't thrilled with using a whole pear in the smoothie (it took up a lot of room in my blender) so I think I may just use half of one next time. I'm still not sure about using an avocado in my smoothies either. I really like to use milk to make a smoothie creamy since I have a hard time getting enough calcium and I don't know if I'd like the texture of the smoothie with the avocado in it.

If you try the recipe or use your own adaptation of it please let me know what you think!

The rest of this chilly day will be spent trying out a Jillian Michaels' DVD I received for Christmas before braving the cold to head to work and run errands.

Stay warm and cozy today!

November Recap

Hello everyone! Happy Hump Day!

I can't believe its already December! I feel like November just flew by and now its time for the holidays and Christmas and definitely is the busiest time of year for me and my family. Since November disappeared with a blink of an eye, here's a brief recap of all the fun activities that took place:

Second Triple Spin:

I have such a wonderful fitness family at my gym! Most of these friends I met through various spinning classes. Last month we got together for the fourth Triple Spin event (it was only my second time) and it was an absolute blast! Our fearless leader donated these amazing t-shirts for all triple spin participants and the design was created by one of our fellow spinners. It was such an awesome experience to share with so many inspirational people!

(Photo courtesy of Tracy Outlaw)

Overall, we had 16 triple spinners, plus more who joined for individual and double classes. I handled it much better than my first time around and I can't wait for round number three!

Foodie pen-pal

Thanksgiving Day Race and Dinner

A chilly yet sunny start to my fourth Thanksgiving Day Race! It was absolutely frigid, but that didn't stop the crowds from running in the 104th Cincinnati Thanksgiving Day Race. In total the race had upwards of 14,000 runners and walkers. This is my favorite race and I run it every year. It was my first race I competed in and I look forward to running it every year. An added bonus this year: I PR-ed this year and I'd like to thank the cold for helping me get my tail in gear!

After the race we headed to my sister and brother-in-law's for Thanksgiving celebrations. This is their first year hosting everyone and they did a fantastic job! My sister beautifully decorated their house and everyone made such delicious food, including my brother-in-law's turkey. He is such an excellent cook and I love whenever he volunteers to make something!

My favorite pups constantly guarded the turkey on the grill.

Our lovely table settings and delicious display

Some family shots before sitting down to a delicious and wonderfully filling meal

I love goofing around with my family!

Our menu included:

• Grilled Turkey
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Honey Mint Fruit Salad 
• Maple Roasted Butternut Squash (my favorite dish)
• Crockpot Cinnamon Applesauce
• Cranberry Orange Relish Jell-o
• Almond Toasted Green Beans

It was all so delicious and so filling, but I was more than happy to take leftovers home!

November was such a wonderful month but I am so excited for all of the holiday activities coming up during December!

First Foodie Pen-Pal Experience

This month I participated in the wonderful Foodie Pen-pal program for the first time! This monthly event is organized by Lindsey at The Lean Green Bean. She did an excellent job making sure each person received a pen-pal and reminded everyone of the timeline of the swap. I was very lucky to be paired with Kimmy from Making Mondays. She is an easy shop owner from the west coast, who enjoys cooking and trying new recipes. She has a great feature on her blog where she tries out new Pinterest recipes! Such a great idea! I was so excited when I received her box of goodies!

The box included an excellent variety of snacks, including:

• Trader Joe's freeze dried blueberries
• Trader Joe's coconut chips
• Garlic roasted peanuts
• Smartfood popchips
• Two fruit leathers
• Raw Walnut Butter
• Nutella
• Roasted Veggie Chips

Kimmy told me in her postcard that the coconut chips were her favorite, so I was eager to try them. I'm not normally a fan of coconut, but i was so surprised with how much I enjoyed these chips! They were so delicious and just the right amount of sweetness. I mixed them with a few dried fruits and nuts to make a sweeter trail mix and even topped some protein pancakes with them. I will definitely be picking up more of these when I run out!

I also really enjoyed the walnut butter! I'm a huge peanut and almond butter fan so I was super excited to try walnut butter! It was an excellent post-workout snack with a banana. The fruit leathers were also excellent pre-workout snacks for busy days on the go. I'm so glad I signed up for this pen-pal program and I can't wait to see what goodies are in the next swap!

Coming Down the Home Stretch

Good Morning everyone! Happy Friday-eve!

Today was a cardio filled morning and I loved it. I started off with adding another 4.5 miles to mile 100 by Halloween challenge, making the total 76 miles! I can't believe I'm so close to hitting the 100 mile marker. I made an envelope to hold the funds for the lululemon jacket as extra motivation.

This time next week I'll be nice and cozy in my brand new jacket!

After my run this morning I had a quick mixed berry protein shake and headed out to spend some one-on-one time with my favorite dogs! I love getting to spend extra time with my sister's dogs because they are so stinkin' cute! But of course they are very serious when it comes to taking photos, haha.

The rest of today is filled with running errands and trying out a new recipe for dinner, butternut squash risotto. I'll let you know how the recipe turns out!

Frisky Friday

Good Morning and Happy Friday Everyone! Hope you are enjoying such a lovely Friday today!

This morning started off with a chilly 4.5 mile run around the neighborhood. I chose to expand my route to a part of the neighborhood I hadn't ran before so it was definitely a nice change. I finished off this morning's workout with a pilates dvd at home. It was such a great stretch after a long week of running.

I've had this dvd since college and I love that it lets you choose which routines you want to mix together. It never gets boring!

After a chilly run, I decided to warm up with a delicious cup of Pumpkin Spice coffee!

I used the Archer Farms brand from target and it gives off such a great flavor! Definitely will be buying another bag soon.

While I was running this morning, I kept thinking of all the great things coming up in the second half of the month. Here's some of the exciting things going on:

This weekend one of the local breweries is hosting its second annual craft beer festival. Cincinnati is known for supporting a lot of local breweries so I'm pumped to go check out the local goods! If you're around town you should check it out: Listermann Brewing Co. Oktoberfest

Next week I'm taking my boyfriend on his second surprise date from the anniversary present I made this year.

I found the idea on Pinterest and created a packet of surprise dates for each month. September we went to the Bengals v. Packers game (our favorite football teams). This month we're going on a tour of the Moerlein Lager House brewery! We really enjoy the food there so we're both pretty excited!

Other exciting things coming up this month include a lot of time with friends and family, and of course celebrating Halloween! My best friend and I are dressing up as Batman and Robin for a party next week! Our costume's look so great, I can't wait to post some pictures of them!

What exciting events are you looking forward to this month?

Have a wonderfully relaxing weekend!

100 by Halloween Challenge Check Up

Good Morning Everyone!

Hope you are all enjoying this brisk fall morning! Cincinnati is definitely feeling like fall today and I can't wait to break out all of my sweaters and start making homemade soups (aside from enjoying all the other amazing things about fall)!

This morning started a little earlier than I've been used to lately. I met up with some fellow gym members for an early morning run before joining my spin friends for a great class. On the agenda this morning was a 4 mile run on the treadmill. Originally I had planned to do all of my challenge running outside, but it just wasn't working for me. However, I have been able to continue running outside more frequently so I still feel pretty positive about that.

Here are some fun little stats about the challenge's progress so far:

Total miles run: 50.2
Number of treadmill runs: 6
Number of outdoor runs: 8
Number of days not running: 2
Longest outdoor run so far: 5.6 miles
Best run time: 9:21/mile

Looking ahead I feel pretty confident about the rest of the challenge. I've worked out the milage for the last 2 weeks and if everything goes smoothly I'll hit 100 on Halloween! If I had the courage I would definitely run in a costume, but I think I'll show my excitement in another form, haha. I have a six mile run planned for the next two Sunday's which I'm really looking forward to. Partly because I plan on running a new route this week and also because it will be great preparation for this year's Thanksgiving Day Race!

This race is very special to me because it was the first I had ever participated in. I was so proud of myself for finishing that race and it was such a great experience since the race was celebrating it's 100th year. Since then I've only missed it once, and while it's not the same as enjoying the Macy's Parade, it's my new favorite tradition!

I feel really great with how well the first half of the challenge has gone. And I keep checking out the jacket I plan on picking up November 1st (it's great motivation)!

Have a great afternoon!

Finally Feels Like Fall

After yesterday's rainfall it finally feels like fall around here!! I know it will get warmer as the week goes on, but I'm just going to enjoy this weather as much as I can while it lasts.

This morning's run definitely reminded me of why I enjoy running in cooler weather. It was difficult to get up and moving though, my  bed was just way too cozy. But with a little help with some great cold weather running gear, I was able to get out and moving and enjoy the morning.

(Hat: Lululemon, Sweatshirt: Under Armor)

Yesterday I decided not to skip out on my daily run for the 100 mile challenge, but I did have to make a tough decision to run indoors. The rain was just too much for me to handle and I figured it was better to get the miles in on the treadmill than risk getting sick from running in the rain. Today I was back outside and it felt great! As I ran through different parts of the neighborhood I noticed different ways people are recognizing fall's arrival. Two streets had displayed hay stalks and scarecrows on their lamp posts that were really cute! It was nice to see it all the way down the street rather than just at one or two houses.

By the end of the run though I was greeted with another sight.

We get a lot of deer around here because of all the developing neighborhoods. I was shocked that these deer (their was a baby across the street) let me come within 15 feet of them before they took off. It was definitely another new running adventure.

After my run I headed to the gym for a full body lifting session. I've been trying to balance out my cardio and lifting routines lately because I usually am pretty heavy on the cardio-side. I love high intensity cardio workouts! They just seem like they kick my butt a little bit more.

The lifting routine I've been following the past two weeks is one I found on Shape Magazine's website. I really like it, but I added a few more exercises to it because I really did want to work all the major muscle groups. I'll try to upload the routine for everyone later this week.

As for the 100 Miles by Halloween Challenge, I'm currently up to 17.1 miles. I'm hoping to finish the week around 30 miles. I think I can handle that :).

Happy Monday everyone!

Adventurous Friday

Happy Friday everyone! Hope your week ended on a high note and you all get a chance to relax and unwind this weekend!

Today was Day 3 of the running challenge, and oh did it live up to it's name! I decided to head over to Sharon Woods to get in a 5 mile run this afternoon. I've only run the harbor trail there once or twice, but I really enjoyed the course. There are hills and curves and the frequent appearances of the lake really make it an enjoyable run. So in the Indian Summer heat I decided it was a great day for another loop around the lake!

The run was a little shaky at first, but by the time I was wrapping up the first loop I definitely was in the groove. And then the adventure began. Since running the Flying Pig in the spring, I've been wearing a running cuff to hold keys, ShotBlocks, etc. while out and about. I laced up my shoes today and slid my car key in the cuff and took off. By mile 3.5 things were feeling great...until I checked my cuff and discovered my car key was missing. And then the scavenger hunt began! After about fifteen minutes of searching for my lone car key, someone walking by noticed the panic look on my face and mentioned they found a key on the path and placed it on a bench nearby! I started jogging back and there it was waiting for me. Moral of the story: hair ties secure keys to wrists better than running cuffs. I'm so glad to run in areas with such friendly people!

I'm learning more and more about myself with these outdoor runs. I can't wait to see what's in store for the next few runs! Please send your favorite routes and running spots my way, I really want to branch out of my normal spots!

Have a wonderful weekend!

October Challenge: Day Two

Today's run was off to a nice start, for about thirty seconds and then the rain set in. Normally I would have turned around and waited for a better time to get my run in, but I decided to stick with it since I'm trying to overcome my negative feelings running outside. It really wasn't bad at all, but one of my biggest pet peeves is wearing wet clothes. I hate the way they feel!

Luckily today's run flew by and I barely felt the rain. I may have been focusing more on trying not to slip on the fallen leaves.

I did notice I was moving a bit more quickly, which felt great since I'm trying to build up some speed after focusing on distance for so long. Overall, it was a great run to start the day despite the rain!

After my run I decided to head to the gym and work out my sore muscles with an awesome spin class. Since I lifted yesterday, I needed to get moving so they wouldn't stiffen up so much. Tomorrow I should feel great for another longer run before the weekend!

Have a wonderful afternoon!

October Challenge

Good morning everyone!

I hope your week is going smoothly and you're off to a wonderful start to the day!

I'm very excited about my newest fitness challenge that I began this morning. Last week I got an email from the Tone it Up team that explain their newest workouts and fitness plans for the fall. If you're interested you can check them out here. One challenge they came up with was 100 miles in October. The goal of the challenge is to fit in 100 miles, either by running, walking, biking, or swimming by the end of the month. I really liked this challenge because it seems very manageable (basically you need 2.5 miles a day) and because its a great way to build consistency with your workouts.

After thinking about the challenge some, I decided to take it on, but add my own little twist. Even though I've been running for the past three years, I still struggle with running outside. The most I enjoyed it was when I was training for the Flying Pig marathon earlier this year. I really liked seeing the city while I got a good workout in. I ran in new areas of town that I never really thought I would. After the race though my outdoor session immediately ended. Still it takes a great deal of mental prep for me to conquer an outdoor run. So here's my version of the Tone it Up challenge: I'm going to run 100 miles between now and Oct. 31st- outside only. I think this will be a great way to help me overcome by mental block with running outside!

I started the challenge this morning with a 2.5 mile run around a neighborhood track.

It was the perfect fall morning for a run! It felt great being outside and getting those miles in. Tomorrow I'm planning on a three mile run around the neighborhood. If you have any suggestions for running trails or favorite spots to hit the pavement please, please, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. Right now I have plans for more neighborhood runs, as well as a few at Sharon and Winton Woods. I've never ran at Lunken Airport either so I think I'll have to add it to the challenge list :). 

Although I'm really excited about the running challenge, I think I'm almost more excited about the goal at the end. I know, as a runner, the payoff for this challenge will be phenomenal. However I'm also human and a little incentive has never hurt when it comes to meeting a goal. I decided my incentive is a new Lululemon jacket or hoodie if I reach this goal! I'm so excited about this because I have been eyeing their fall line and could never bring myself to pay that kind of money for a jacket/sweatshirt. However, instead of rewarding myself with food (normally my mom meets me at the finish line of a race with coffee and a cake donut!) I wanted to encourage my healthy lifestyle choices in another way. I can't think of a better way than new workout gear. I haven't decided which jacket I'm aiming for but let's just say their website is definitely bookmarked for further research :). 

Time to tackel a huge to-do list waiting for me and rest up for tomorrow miles! Happy Hump Day!

Fitness Inspiration Wednesday

Helo all!

Hope you're enjoying your week and staying focused on whatever goals you have!

Maybe this will help you stay on track...

(Photo courtesy of Shape magazine). I've actually had that photo on my phone lock screen and it really helps me stay focused on any goal I've put in place.

Thinking about motivation, I've notice more and more the people who inspire me to stick to my fitness goals.

This week I want to focus on my gym "support group". I've been working out at the same gym for about four years and tend to keep my workouts to myself. Mainly because of my super-crazy school schedule, but I can also be pretty shy (only give me a few days and you'd never believe it!) For the past few weeks though I've been able to spend more time at the gym taking classes I enjoy. As a result my network of fitness buddies has definitely grown! And I am absolutely thrilled about it :)

I really enjoy group fitness classes because I tend to stick to the same routines. Lately, I've been going to spinning classes several times a week and it's always a great workout! Last week I completed a triple-spin with a great group of people! Each one was so motivating to make it through each class (even when I thought I might fall off my bike, haha). After our successful workout, we celebrated with some much deserved Mexican food and margaritas! Although my body was not up for much celebrating, I was so proud of my accomplishment!

I love going to the gym and seeing so many people support each other reach such a wide variety of goals! Everyone checks on each other and seems genuinely excited when a member accomplishes something they've sent out to do. Working out has been come less of a requirement and more of a social session filled with laughter and love!

Who/ what motivates you to stay on track when things are getting rough? 

Happy Hump day!

Summer Smoothie Challenge

With the warmer weather finally settling in, I've decided to take on a new fitness challenge! For 30 days I will test out thirty different types of protein shakes/ breakfast smoothies. I love how easy it is to fit is a whole serving of fruit (or sometimes vegetables, if its a green smoothie) into breakfast smoothies!

While I tend to be a creature of habit and make a recipe I love over, and over, and over again, I struggle with finding protein shakes that keep my energy levels up, and the hunger monster down. So my goal here is to try as many shakes in the next thirty days in hopes of finding the best the support scorning energy!

I actually began this challenge two days ago, but unfortunately couldn't snap a picture of two I've made so far. I will do my best to add photos to the summary of the smoothies with each post!

Monday I started off the challenge with Bob Harper's protein shake from his book The Skinny Rules. Harper's smoothie calls for:



1 1/2 c. frozen berries
1/2 c greek yogurt
6 oz. water or almond milk (I used Silk's unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

Unfortunately, I did not have enough frozen berries, so I substituted half of a frozen banana for the rest of the berries. While I enjoyed the flavor and texture of the smoothie, I found myself ready for a pick-me-up about two hours after drinking it.

Today, I created a hybrid of a smoothie. I based my shake today off of a a recipe for Peach Cobbler Protein shake from Dashing Dish and Banana Cheesecake Shake from peanutbutterfingers.com. The recipe included low-fat cottage cheese, frozen peaches, half of a frozen banana, almond milk, and a cinnamon wedge of Laughing Cow cheese. I LOVED this shake! I only wished it made a larger serving because it was gone way too fast! It also was a bit more satisfying than Monday's smoothie.

I'm not sure what tomorrow will feature (I desperately need to go to the grocery store!), but I'll be sure to fill you in with a photo and a summary of what I thought!

Back At It

         After completing my first marathon two weeks ago, I had a hard time getting back into exercising. I don't just mean back into a routine, but I was having a hard time getting into it because I stopped enjoying it. Today I laced up and headed to the gym hoping to find the fun in my workouts. When I set up a bike for spin class several people stopped to ask me about my race. It felt so good to hear people asking about my fitness milestone! And it helped me realize that I enjoy beating these challenges which means I have to sign up for the next one. While it may take me some time to be as "obsessed" as some argue I once was I felt great to be back at it.

      I thought I would take a break from grading papers this afternoon and continue the "back at it" theme by writing a post. After seeing this survey on PeanutButterFingers I thought it would be a nice way to catch up after being gone for almost a year.

So here's what's going on now in my world:

Current Book(s):

My students are reading To Kill A Mockingbird and I am loving reading it with them. I never was assigned to read the book in high school so it kind of fell below the radar. My sister teased me for years about how disappointed she was with the fact that I had never read it so I saw this as the perfect opportunity to take her recommendation.

Current Music:

I'm still enjoying my marathon playlist whenever I hit the gym! I love the wide range of genres on that list! It really helps keep me interested in my workout!

I'm also getting into summertime with some country music! I love summer country concerts and this summer looks particularly promising: Tim, Kenny, Blake, Jason, and Luke!  

Current Guilty Pleasure:

Sleeping in! I forgot how much I love it!

Current Nail Color:

Trying to decide between bright pink or Tiffany's blue. Place your votes in the comments section!Current Drink:

I have a bottle of Sequin white wine chilling in the fridge! I loved the design of the bottle so I hope the flavor is just as lovely!

Current Food:

I switched back to almond butter a few days ago and the jar is already gone! I need to find an economy sized one at this rate!

Current Favorite Show:

Still Big Bang Theory! I LOVED the season finale and hate that I have to wait months for more good laughs!

Current Wish List:

Books on C.D. I love listening to them on long drives!

Current needs:

Suggestions for summer races around the Midwest area!

Current Indulgence:

With the warmer weather and invasion of summertime thoughts we've been frequenting OrangeLeaf more than usual! I love the new fruity flavors with the warm weather! I can't wait to try all the combinations!

Current Blessing:

My family has been unbelievable supportive through the crazy and exciting year! From student teaching to my first full time teaching job to finish a marathon and everything in between, my friends and family have been fabulously supportive, as always!

Current Outfit:

Comfortable skinny jeans and rocking' the Batman t-shirt!

Current Excitement:

Summer! I can't believe there are only two weeks of school left. I can't wait for all of the fun summer plans in the works: concerts, sand volleyball league, weekend-get-aways, and much more!

Hurtling: Overcoming Health and Fitness Road-blocks

Time for a little honesty:

I know this challenge was mainly designed to help me get "back on track" with my healthy lifestyle. And while I feel as if I have been fairly dedicated to following the rules Harper explicitly lays out in his book I know I have not been as strictly adherent to them as I probably should be. There are two conclusions I draw from this: first, I consider myself to be a fairly healthy person. I'm not super rigid about my diet and perhaps I should be a little less lax. Second, I'm not sure I can reap the full benefits of these rules, in the sense of seeing clear changes, because I'm already a pretty healthy person. I'm not in any medical danger due to my size, nor would I consider myself (the BMI doesn't either) "overweight".

Therefore, I think I need to change my approach to achieving my goals. What I really want to focus on right now is getting leaner and stronger. When I think about the time I felt happiest with myself I immediately think of when I was at my strongest. I wasn't worried if I missed a workout or decided to splurge a little while out with friends. At the same time I was also more conscientious of sticking to a cleaner diet and a stricter gym routine.

So how do I get back to where I was? Well as I mentioned in my first post, I enjoy challenging myself physically and my newest challenge is CrossFit! I'm really really excited (and unbelievable nervous!) to start the program. I've been very interested in CrossFit for about six months now. Groupon just sent me an offer for a local CrossFit facility (http://www.crossfitanax.com) so I thought, "its now or... once I get a better income!" I love the idea of mixing intense strengthening moves with high-intensity cardio bursts. Since I'm not great at balancing these two out, I think following a program (and having  instructors pushing me to my limits) will help me achieve my over-all goal.

I still don't know very much about CrossFit so I'm sure I'll need to do some more research before classes begin. Walking into a session without a mild understanding of the concept of CrossFit just doesn't seem like a wise thing to do. These workouts are intense and I don't want to be surprised, or scared... too much! Anyone with any CrossFit experience or tips feel free to leave comments!!