Enjoying The Course

Weekly Wrap - May 27

2018-05-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Another Sunday came and went. I may just need to permanently move my Weekly Wrap to Mondays. 🤔 Of course, then my Mondays have been a little crazy lately, too. Thank goodness today is a holiday!

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

Today marks the start of Week 4 of the Tone It Up Bikini Series! I'm looking forward to pushing myself this week. Partially to make up for Week 3, which was kind of rough. There were a couple days that I simply wasn't feeling very good, so I had to skip my workouts two days in a row. 😒 I still kept to my meal plan {for the most part}, so it wasn't disastrous or anything.

Monday

I didn't sleep super great. I spent a little time working on last week's Weekly Wrap before doing my Tone It Up Booty Call. I want beautiful, sexy arms, so I don't mind arm day - even though my arms were currently experiencing DOMS from Week 2.

Workout
3 rounds of 15: Row+Press (10-lb kettlebell) | Alternating Front Raises (5-lb dumbbells) | Alternating Lateral Raises (5-lb dumbbells) | Biceps Curls+Side Curls (5-lb dumbbells) | Triceps Push-ups
Bikini Arm Tone - I've done this one a couple times now! I like that it incorporates some lower body as well.

Eats
M1: Spring Scramble + ¼ avocado spread on toast | M2: Snickerdoodle Mini Muffins | M3: Citrus Beet Salad | M5: White Bean Chili

Tuesday

I got sick in the middle of the night, so I wasn't feeling up to doing anything exercise-wise.

Workouts
REST

Eats
M1: Spirulina Superfood Smoothie Bowl | M2: Brownie (not TIU-Approved), Snickerdoodle Mini Muffins | M3: Citrus Beet Salad | M4: Candy from the breakroom | M5: White Bean Chili

Wednesday

Still not feeling 100%, so I slept in and took another rest day.

Workouts
REST

Eats
M1: Spring Scramble + ¼ avocado spread on toast | M2: Strawberries + almonds | M3: White Bean Chili | M4: Clif bar | M5: Lean Bowl

Thursday

I decided that enough was enough and I was feeling good enough to start moving my body again. I'd hoped for a 3 mile run, but only ended up going 2.2 miles due to time.

Workouts
2.2 mile run | 23:14 | 10:34 min/mi pace
3 rounds of: 15 jump squats | 30 seconds high knees | 15 mountain climbers | 15 down dog+spider woman | 15 bicycles

Eats
M1: Smoothie | M2: Starbucks Grande Latte, Strawberries, Almonds | M3: White Bean Chili | M4: Cold Brew, sunflower seeds | M5: Lean Bowl

Week 3 of the #TIUBikiniSeries was kind ofrough. @EnjoytheCourse had to take a couple extra rest days but is pumped for Week 4! @toneitup

Friday

I got so sweaty during this morning's workout!

Workouts
3 rounds of 15: Squat Clean + Press | Single Leg Deadlifts + Row | Kettlebell Figure 8 | Push-ups (knees) | Bikini Walkouts + Tummy Toners

Eats
M1: Toast with almond butter, Banana, Strawberry soy yogurt | M2: Starbucks grande latte, Clif bar | M3: Salad | M4: Nuts, 2 clementines, Peach Mango soy yogurt | M5: Casa Salad, 1 taco at Javelina Cantina

We got out of work early for the holiday weekend, so Jeff and I packed up Roxie (our Scion xB) and headed for a quick overnight trip to Lake Havasu. We left later than we wanted. By the time we arrived, there was only 1 pet friendly restaurant still open. It was a Mexican restaurant, Javelina Cantina. There was kind of a long wait, and the food wasn't bad but it wasn't stellar either. Our server was great, though!

And the view of the London Bridge was pretty cool.

Saturday

We're still working out the kinks of car camping. We learned some things during this quick overnight trip. 1) We need to plan the timing better, so that Jeff and I are both tired and ready to sleep at the same time. 2) We need better screens to cover the windows to block the light. 3) We need to choose better pillows.

Needless to say, we didn't sleep great, so we didn't end up hanging out in Lake Havasu for very long.

It was fun to walk around for a least a little while, though. And see the London Bridge in the daytime.

It's about a 3 hour drive, and we were home by 1PM. 😂 We definitely plan on going back again, though.

The rest of the day was spent on the couch watching TV.

Workouts
Walked around Lake Havasu for an hour or so.

Eats
M1: Banana, Strawberries, La Columbe cold brew | M2: Clif bar | M3: Lean Bowl | M4: Nuts

Sunday

I need to stop sleeping in on the weekends! But it just feels so good to let my body tell me when to wake up. :) My morning run wasn't too hot. Yay

Workouts
5k run | 9:59 min/mi pace
10 Min Ab Workout

Eats
M1: Spring Scramble + ¼ avocado spread on toast | M2: Snickerdoodle Mini Muffins | M3: EBTKS Salad | M4: Almonds | M5: Lean Bowl

ICYMI: Post from Last Week

Don't become a victim of the heat - Friday was #HeatAwarenessDay, so I shared a quick post on my two best tips to survive the summer heat.

Click on the image to read the posts.

Have you ever visited Lake Havasu? When you're not feeling well, do you skip your workout, your meal plan? Both, neither?

Don't become a victim of the heat

2018-05-25T05:48:00.000-07:00

I'm linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales & Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0.

It's no secret that I'm a hot-weather-loving gal! Vegas is perfect for me, but even I'll admit that there are days in the summer when it gets unbelievably hot. 😅

The last Friday in May is National Heat Awareness Day, sponsored by the National Weather Service.

As runners, cyclists, hikers, and general lovers of the outdoors (at least, I assume if you've found your way to my little blog that you're one of these), it's important that we keep our wits about ourselves when out doing the things we love during the heat of summer.

Summer is just beginning, of course, but it's never to early to start preparing for the summer heat beat down.

The #1 thing to do in the summer heat is to STAY HYDRATED.

Drink some water, my friends. If you don't like straight water, try infusing it with cucumber, mint, lemon, berries. Or any combination of these. Really, the sky is the limit here!

Check out my Drink Water board on Pinterest for more ideas on fun ways to stay hydrated this summer.

Stay hydrated and cool this summer, my friends! #HeatAwarenessDay via @EnjoytheCourse

The #2 thing to do in the summer heat is to STAY COOL.

Seriously, be aware of the conditions and any warnings issued by the National Weather Service. Take precautions if any of the following advisories are issued:

Excessive Heat Outlooks
Excessive Heat Watches
Excessive Heat Warning/Advisories

Some days, you may even need to cut back on your activity. Skip the run, ride, hike. Instead hop in the pool or lake. Stay cool in front of the A/C or a fan.

The road or trail will still be there when the advisory has been lifted.

If it's just hot, but there are no advisories issued, just be smart. Protect yourself from the sun. Bring a cooling towel out with you. And don't forget the H₂O.

How do you stay hydrated and cool in the summer heat? Favorite flavors to infuse in your water? Favorite activities to do to keep cool? Any other tips or tricks to avoid becoming a heat victim?

Weekly Wrap - May 20

2018-05-21T19:12:00.003-07:00

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Note to Self: Do not try to do the grocery shopping and meal prepping and laundry on the same day. It simply takes too long and then you don't have time to post your Weekly Wrap on Sunday evening. 😜

Week 2 of the Bikini Series was another great week! I dropped another 2.4 pounds, which means I'm already halfway to my goal of 10 lb weight loss. 💃 My coworker brought me back a coffee cake from San Diego, which I snacked on all week! It was delicious, even though it probably wasn't the healthiest. All good in moderation, right?

I did have to take a complete rest day on Thursday and may have raided the candy bin at work as well, but it's all good, because one day didn't lead into multiple days. :)

Monday

This was a good day! I got all the moves done before work plus a killer, quick booty barre video. It hurts so good!

Workout
2 rounds of 25: Bridge Openers | Down Dog Booty Lifts | Squat Up-Downs | Booty Band Shuffle | Standing Booty Lifts
Booty Barre with Jillian - This kills my booty every time!

I also went for a midday walk during lunch.

Eats
M1: 2 egg muffins + ¼ avocado + salsa | M2: Slimdown Smoothie | M3: Salad + mango | M4: Matcha Protein Bites | M5: Moroccan Dish

I also took some progress pics.

Tuesday

My running has been consistent enough that I decided it was time for a group run! I skipped my morning run to join up with a group after work. It was a gorgeous evening! Oh, and I ran 4 miles - my longest run of the year. It felt great, but my feet weren't too happy with me afterwards. Not sure if it was my socks, shoes, the downhill, or the forefoot strike, but the balls of my feet were sore and I had a little blister between my big toe and the ball of my foot. It was weird. All that said, I'm still happy that I went the extra mile. :)

Workouts
2 rounds of 25: Around the World Planks | Wood Chop | Lat Pulldown | Upright Rows | Curl+Press
Bikini Arm Tone
4-mile run | 10:06 min/mi pace | Gorgeous evening for a group run!

Eats
M1: 2 egg muffins + ¼ avocado + salsa | M2: Coffee Cake (not-TIU-Approved) | M3: Salad + strawberries | M4: Matcha Protein Bites | M5: Black Bean Tacos (lettuce for shells)

Wednesday

This morning workout included both burpees and bikini walkouts. Kill. Me. Now. I'll admit I kind of half-assed it on this one. And I only made it through one round, instead of the two. It was simply all I could manage.

Workouts
30 jump rope (sans rope) | 25 bikini walkouts+plank jack | 25 burpees+pushup (well, about half included pushups) | 30 seconds jump rope (sans rope) | 25 squats
Post Workout Recovery Class - Love this yoga video! I've done it a few times and it's so great after working out.

Eats
M1: 2 egg muffins + ¼ avocado + salsa | M2: Coffee Cake (not-TIU-Approved) | M3: Salad + strawberries | M4: Matcha Protein Bites | M5: Lean Bowl

Thursday

All the work stress of the past few weeks hit me hard! Plus all the workouts. I had zero motivation to do anything before work. I didn't go back to sleep but I didn't work out, either. I decided to push it to after work.

But when I got home, there was a notice on our door that on 5/21 they were beginning preparations to paint the exterior of our apartment building. The notice asked that all patio furniture, etc be removed and that if it wasn't done by Fri, 5/18, management would remove it. So, we cleaned off our patio. It didn't actually take that long, but I was beat after a very stressful/annoying day at work. The workout was completely scrapped.

Workouts
REST

Eats
M1: Matcha Pancakes | M2: Coffee Cake (not-TIU-Approved) | M3: Lean Bowl | M4: Cinnamon Smoothie | M5: Lean Bowl

2 weeks into the #TIUBikiniSeries and still going STRONG! @EnjoytheCourse had another great week - despite a few food indulgences.

Friday

After Thursday's rest day, I did both the Thu and Fri daily moves! I was supposed to do 2 rounds of the moves, but I didn't have time (or motivation) to do 2 rounds of the moves for both days.

Sallie wasn't ready to get up yet, I guess. When I tried to get her to move out of the middle of my bed, so I could fold it up, she just moved to the head next to my pillow. I folded my bed right up to her, and she just stayed there staring at me.

Workouts
25 Ball Rollout | 25 Mountain Climbers | 25 Ball Pike | 25 V-Sit Crunches | 25 Toe Touches
Tone It Up Gorgeous Core
25 Single Leg Deadlifts+Row | 30 second Squat Jacks | 25 Bridge+Chest Press | 25 Bikini Walkout+Tummy Toner | 30 jump rope (sans rope)
Sunset Sculpt

My boss was travelling most of the week, but was back in the office for a few hours on Friday. He needed to meet with me when I normally watch General Hospital. By time we were finished, I was only able to catch the last few minutes of the show. I spent the rest of my lunch break going for a nice long walk.

Eats
M1: Morning Mocha Smoothie + banana | M2: Coffee Cake (not-TIU-Approved) | M3: Black Bean Tacos | M4: Coffee Cake (not-TIU-Approved) | M5: Tray Dinner

I had planned on eating a small portion of the coffee cake, like I had Tue-Thu, and bring the rest home to enjoy over the weekend. That did not happen. Nope, I ate the remaining third Friday morning. Whoops!

Saturday

I was going to have some lovely hiking pictures to share with you, but after the stressful week I had at work, I decided to sleep in instead. My body really needed the rest because I ended up taking an afternoon nap as well.

Workouts
2 rounds of 25: Plank jacks | Bicycles | Knee to elbow crunch | Biceps Curls (7.5 lb dumbbells) | Forward to lateral raises (half no weight; half 5 lb dumbbells)
High Energy Yoga Fit - If you're looking for an amazing total body workout, here is the video for you! I opted not to use weights and could definitely still feel the burn.

I played around after the arm moves with some arm circles, side bends, etc - just moving to some music.

After my nap, I took Sallie for about an hour long walk. We had a lot of fun! Sometimes, she has this weird thing with wanting to walk on walls. She's a little thing, but jumped up on this hip-height wall! I may have had to help her down.

Eats
M1: Avocado Smoothie | M3: EBTKS Salad | M4: Berry Cauliflower Smoothie | M5: White Bean Chili

Sunday

I didn't do the shopping on Saturday, so that meant I had to work, workout, grocery shop, meal prep, and do some laundry! It was a long day!! Even though, I'm slow at meal prepping, I've actually come to enjoy it a bit on Sundays. It's my me-time. 😍

Workouts
2 rounds of 25: Weighted side lunges (10-lb kettlebell) | Lifted sumo squats (10-lb kettlebell) | Deadlifts (10-lb kettlebell) | Booty kickbacks (each leg) | Side plank lifts (each leg)
5k run | 10:19 min/mi pace
Yoga for a Dull Moment

It was getting really hot during my run and couldn't stop sweating when I got back home! Plus my upper arms started chafing. :( Despite all that, I'd still say it was a decent run, if not a bit slower than usual.

Eats
M1: Superfood Parfait + banana | M3: Starbucks Cold Brew Blonde Cappuccino + Honey Stinger Snack Bar | M4: Snickerdoodle Mini Muffins | M5: White Bean Chili

ICYMI: Posts from Last Week

6 Surefire Ways to Make You Run Faster - This is my attempt at a humorous post on unconventional ways to run faster, like snakes, menacing clouds, or a great song on your playlist.

5 Reasons Why I Miss Bike Commuting - Friday was National Bike to Work Day, so I reflected on what I miss about bike commuting, aka 5 reasons to Love Bike Commuting.

Click on the images to read the posts.

Do you feel guilty when you need to catch up on some sleep? Do you take walk breaks during the workday? Does your dog do anything weird, like jump on walls, when out for a walk?

5 Reasons Why I Miss Bike Commuting

2018-05-18T05:06:00.000-07:00

I'm linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales & Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0.

Today is National Bike to Work day, which reminds me of my early days in Las Vegas. The first couple months of working at the Review-Journal were spent commuting about 5 miles each way to work. Then winter came, and I got out of the habit. That was back in 2012.

I'd still jump back on the saddle now and again until May 2016 when my office moved to a different area of town - around 13 or so miles from my apartment. That's a little too long of a commute for me.

Since I'm not commuting by bike today, here are 5 reasons why I miss it.

Ride away the stress of the day.

The past few weeks have been pretty crazy and stressful at work. So many little things are cropping up, that end up annoying me a lot more than they probably should. Then I get home and don't feel like doing anything. And am sometimes in a crappy mood to boot.

Getting the adrenaline pumping while commuting home puts things into perspective and helps wash away some of that stress. I miss coming home feeling physically drained but emotionally energized. Also, vegging on the couch is totally guilt-free after bike commuting.

Save on gas.

The price of gas in Las Vegas right is well over $3/gallon. That's crazy! I had to google the current price, because I just pump it and never really pay attention to the cost. It's a necessity, after all. When you commute by car, gas is just something you need to buy.

Saving gas isn't just good for the ole pocketbook, it's also good for the environment and helping keep our air clean which keeps us healthy. Wins all around!!

Reflecting back on her time as a #bikecommuter, @EnjoytheCourse is sharing what she misses about no longer being able to ride her bike to work.

Drive better.

It may seem weird, but the more you bike commute, the better a driver you become. When you're used to dealing with traffic as a cyclist, it's just natural to become more aware of what else is going on around you when you find yourself driving in a car. You'll be more apt to watch for cyclists, walkers/runners, and, of course, other drivers.

I'll admit that sometimes as a driver, I don't always pay the best attention to everything going on. I'm certainly not the worst driver, but I've definitely let some of observation skills slide now that I no longer bike commute.

Hello, bragging rights.

Don't try to deny it. As runners, cyclists, triathletes, a lot of what we do is for bragging rights. We like to tell people we're training for this or that. We show off our medals. C'mon, we brag. Admit it. I loved that about bike commuting. My coworkers were always super impressed that I would take the time and effort to bike into work.

Eat more.

The more you burn, the more you can consume, right?!

Honestly, though, when I was regularly bike commuting, I did eat a lot more, but I also craved healthier, better energy burning snacks.

All this reflecting back about biking to work has really made it wonder, could I occasionally bike to work? Truth be told, I haven't been on my bike at all in a few months. I really want to get back to it, and yes, part of me wants to work up to being comfortable enough to commute 26 miles in a day. Not every day, but maybe a few times a month.

Did you bike to work today? Have you ever bike commuted? Would any of these reasons sway you to try bike commuting? What's something you used to do a lot but now rarely do?

6 Surefire Ways to Make You Run Faster

2018-05-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

Looking to increase your pace and run faster?

With a little good (bad?) luck and some planning, a speedier pace could be easier than you think! These 6 things are sure to put that pep in your step and push your pace just a bit faster.

Snakes along your running path.

Have you ever not increased your pace when encountering several snakes on your running route? I'm not sure I'd believe you if you said Yes. lol

Dear Snakes,
Please stay out of my view and let me enjoy my run.
Thank you.

Menacing clouds in the sky.

The moment those storm clouds get real is the moment your legs naturally start pumping a little faster. No one wants to get stuck in an unplanned storm.

Lightning.

Maybe the clouds aren't enough to get you going. Lightning surely will! If it strikes during a race, you may even find yourself with a shiny new PR.

Want to run faster? Here are 6 surefire ways to get your pace to the next gear. No training necessary. Just a little luck and maybe a little planning. 😏😅😜 via @EnjoytheCourse #runchat

On the less frightening side...

The perfect song on your playlist.

There was a time when headphones were banned at a lot of races partially for safety but also because the rhythm is gonna get you! Doesn't the right song just PUMP. YOU. UP?!

A slightly faster runner just ahead of you.

Don't lie. I know you've seen that runner just up ahead and pushed it just a little bit harder to pass them or beat them to the finish line. On the opposite side, if you see someone gaining on you, that can be the perfect motivation for you to kick it up a gear as well!

A post-run date (coffee, brunch, etc) with someone you're not running with.

If none of those are working for you, try scheduling something post-run that commits you to finishing your run at a certain time. You wouldn't want to keep them waiting, would you?

Sure, there are also exercises and speed work. Hill work, too. But these just a little more fun/scary/effective? 😜

Like this post? Pin for later!

Weekly Wrap - May 13

2018-05-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Week 1 of the Tone It Up Bikini Series is now in the rear-view mirror! It was a big success. I stuck to my meal plan. I got in all my workouts including 3 runs. I dropped 3 lbs on the scale. Definitely a good week and a great start! I can't wait to see what the next 7 weeks bring.

I'm switching up my Weekly Wrap format a bit throughout the #TIUBikiniSeries challenge. I want to break down my week day-by-day, probably more for my records than anything else. I'm including what I did for my workouts each day plus what I ate. I'm also waiting to post until after dinner, so I can more completely record my Sunday. :)

Monday

I didn't sleep well Sunday night. I was too excited for the Bikini Series to start! I woke up several times throughout the night thinking It must be time to wake up! only to find out it had only been 1.5 hours or so.

Despite the sleepless night, I had a great Day 1!

Workout
2 rounds of 15: Biceps Curls | Shoulder Pulses | Reverse Flys | Pushups | Plank Up Downs
Cardio Arms with Tori - Yeah, I got no dance skills. 🙊
TIU Flex Friday - Arms were really burning after this!! 💪

I also went for a midday walk during lunch.

Eats
M1: Morning Mocha Smoothie | M2: Apple with cinnamon | M3: Kale Salad | M4: Strawberry Shortcake Mini Muffins | M5: Thai Veggie Stir Fry

Tuesday

I slept so much better after a successful Day 1!

Workouts
2-mile run | 10:33 min/mi pace | Perfect weather, but I still took it slow and easy.
2 rounds of: 15 squat+press | 15 curl+reverse lunge | 15 bikini walkouts+tummy toner | 20 squat jacks | 15 bicycles

It was such a beautiful morning that I took my daily moves out to the patio after my run. I really want to/should do that more often!

Eats
M1: Morning Mocha Smoothie | M2: Clif bar | M3: Kale Salad | M4: Strawberry Shortcake Mini Muffins | M5: Thai Veggie Stir Fry leftovers

Wednesday

The TIU community here in Vegas is pretty amazing. They are the reason I'm doing the bikini series this year. A group of us got together for dinner to kick-off the series. It was fun to see some old friends and meet some new ones. They are already planning the next meet-up - BRUNCH!

Workouts
2 rounds of 15: Kettlebell Squats | Squats | Jump Squats | Hip Bridges | Mountain Climbers
Booty Barre with Jillian
Sunset Sculpt

Eats
M1: Scrambled eggs with veggies + 2 clementines | M2: Clif bar | M3: Kale Salad | M4: Strawberry Shortcake Mini Muffins | M5: Chicken & Pear salad at Kona Grill

#TIUVegas Babes!

Thursday

I tried a different route for this morning run. I thought it would be 2.5 miles because when I walk it with Charity Miles that's what it comes out to, but Garmin said it was only 2 miles. Still nice to mix it up a bit.

Workouts
2-mile run | 10:17 min/mi pace
2 rounds of 15: Single leg deadlifts | Weighted chops | Side plank crunches | Plank rows (one knee down) | High knees

The high knees were supposed to be 30 seconds each but I misread the directions. 🤷 I was definitely sweating by the end but that could be because I'd also just run 2 miles. 😜

Eats
M1: Morning Mocha Smoothe + banana | M2: apple with cinnamon | M3: leftovers from Kona Grill | M4: Starbucks grande latte | M5: Stir fry

Fantastic start to the #TIUBikiniSeries! @EnjoytheCourse stayed on track with all her goals and it showed on the scale, too. <3

Friday

My coworkers planned a pancake breakfast for Friday. I'm not sure why. Just for funsies, I guess. I made my own batter for some Matcha Protein Pancakes to cook up. So delicious!!

Workouts
2 rounds of: 15 bikini walkout+plank jacks | 15 shoulder taps | 15 v-sit | 15 rock the boat | 30 seconds seated side opener
Sculpt in 7 workout
Yoga Sculpt Abs with Chevy

Plus, I was able to make it out for a lunchtime walk during work.

Eats
M1: Matcha protein pancakes with blueberries | M2: apple with cinnamon | M3: kale salad | M4: baby carrots and Ocean's Halo seaweed snacks | M5: Stir fry

Saturday

I don't know what happened on Saturday, but all of a sudden it was 5 pm and I still wanted to get to the grocery store! I also wanted to stop at the thrift store to see about finding a few more wide mouth jars for smoothies, overnight oats, and such. I found some! Whoo hoo!!

Workouts
2 rounds of: 30 second squat jacks | 15 mountain climbers | 15 toe touches | 30 second squat jacks | 15 down dog booty lifts
Love Your Body Cardio Abs
Apres Ski Yoga - I'm not a skier, but this was a great, very-stretchy-in-all-the-right-places class.

Eats
M1: Scrambled eggs with veggies + 2 clementines | M3: Berry Cauliflower Smoothie | M4: Clif bar | M5: PBJ with clementines and baby carrots

Sunday

Another long day of working out, blogging, and food prepping. I didn't prep any faster this week, but I do like the way I did it better. Still trying to figure out how best to get it done and be prepared for the week. That might ended up being the biggest win for me at the end of the series. 😂

Workouts
2 rounds of 25: Shoulder taps | Plank taps | Bridge + press | Bent-over rows | Cross body curls
Cardio kickboxing with Kristina - It's been awhile since I've done this video and I was able to keep up with it a bit more easily. Yay!
5k run | 9:58 min/mi pace

Eats
M1: Protein pancakes with blueberries | M3: Kale Salad to clean out the fridge | M4: Matcha Protein Bites | M5: Stir fry

ICYMI: Posts from Last Week

Bikini Series Goals - Every challenge deserves it's own set of goals, right? I set 7 goals for the Bikini Series. So far, so good. :-)

The 5 W's of Foam Rolling - Friday was National Foam Rolling Day, so I broke down the basics of foam rolling by answering the 5 W's - who, what, when, where, and why.

Click on the images to read the posts.

What do you think of the new day-by-day format? When was the last time you were so excited/nervous about something that you couldn't sleep the night before?

The 5 W's of Foam Rolling: Everything You Need to Know

2018-05-11T05:22:00.000-07:00

I'm linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales & Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0.

Happy National Foam Rolling Day!! Every year May 11th is dedicated to the wonderful world of foam rolling, so I thought I'd answer the 5 W's - who, what, when, where, and why - of foam rolling.

Who

Foam rolling is for everyone! Runners, lifters, cyclists, yogis, even couch potatoes can benefit from foam rolling.

What

Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial massage. Using a foam roller allows you to give yourself a deeper massage to work out any kinks and soothe trigger (sore) points.

So many different muscles can benefit from foam rolling.

When

Foam rolling can be done anytime!

Do it before a workout to get your muscles warmed up.
Do it after a workout to aid in recovery.
Do it when your muscles are feeling particularly tight or off.
Do it while watching TV after a long day at work.

Where

Foam rolling can be done anywhere! If you've got enough space to do a plank, you've got enough space to do a little foam rolling.

Do it at the gym.
Do it in your living room.
Do it on your patio.
Do it at a park.

Curious about foam rolling? @EnjoytheCourse explains all by answering the 5 W's - who, what, when, where, and why. #nationalfoamrollingday

Why

There are seriously so many benefits to foam rolling!

To name a few, foam rolling...

Aids in Recovery
Assists in Healing
Increases blood flow
Improves mobility and flexibility
Prevents injury
Makes Your Workout More Effective

Do you foam roll? If so, how often? Before or after a workout? Where's the most unusual place you've rolled?

7 Goals to make this year's #TIUBikiniSeries the BEST EVER

2018-05-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

I just finished Day 2 of the Tone It Up Bikini Series! This is gonna be MY YEAR!!

Last weekend was spent really preparing for it, because I really want to see some amazing results at the end of the 8 weeks. Since I want this to be the best Bikini Series, I went to bed Sunday night with #allthefeels. So much excitement and nerves. Like when you know something super fun is happening the next day. Tell me you know what I'm talking about!

As a result, I didn't sleep very well Sunday night.

It didn't matter because Day 1 was a smashing success! And I slept much better Monday night. I rocked Day 2 as well. I'm pretty confident I'm gonna rock all 8 weeks. 😆

The girls at Tone It Up are pretty great at making the plan for us, but I need some goals to really help me stick to it. So, in addition to my May goals, here are my Bikini Series specific goals.

Drink at least 72 oz of water daily

Water is so important! But I know I don't consistently drink enough. My coworkers might tell a different story with the number of bathroom breaks I take. That's why this is my Number 1 goal. Drinking water will help keep my insides clean and also my belly full.

Complete the Toning Moves daily

Each day there are about 5 daily moves and we usually do 2-3 sets. This is the bare minimum. There is also at least one recommended video to do at home, and I still plan on running 3 times a week. The TIU Vegas girls are pretty awesome and there are already whisperings of group workouts scattered throughout the next 8 weeks. I'm looking forward to getting to know more of these amazing women.

The #TIUBikiniSeries is finally here! @EnjoytheCourse is gonna rock the series this year to make it her best year EVER. Just check out her #goals!

Check in on IG daily

I'll be posting a lot to IG Stories with my check-ins throughout the day - my workouts, meals, etc. You've been warned. 😜 I also hope to post at least once per day to my feed.

Take progress pics on Sundays

I took my Before pic the day before the series started. Maybe you saw it on IG stories. It's not horrible, but it's definitely not where I want to be. I want to be super picky and point out all the areas that I want to fix, but I also DO NOT want to be that girl. What I want. What I really, really want is to see more definition and tone across the board. Head to toe, front to back. Is that too much to ask? Heheh.

Meal plan & prep weekly

Exercise alone isn't going to get me there. I know that. I also know that without a meal plan, I'm pretty rubbish about ordering in or scrounging a not-the-healthiest dinner. Planning and prepping will give me the confidence to make nutrition and eating well easier throughout the week. Because we all know that abs are made in the kitchen. 😀

Lose 10+ pounds

10 lbs in 8 weeks should be totally do-able, right?! Sticking to the workouts and planning my meals should get me there. I hate putting a number on it, but every time I step on my scale it reminds me how much I've gained since I first got it more than 5 years ago. That is a number I do not like very much.

Rock a bikini

This may be last in this list of goals, but it kind of ranks in my heart higher than the previous one. I want to feel confident in a bikini! Well, in all of my clothes, actually. There are a number of articles in my closet that no longer fit. And some of them I really miss wearing. So, really this final goal is about getting back into my skinny clothes and being confident in not just a bikini but all my clothes.

What goals are you currently working on? What types of goals keep you motivated during a long challenge? Are you doing the Bikini Series this year?

Weekly Wrap - May 6

2018-05-06T18:18:00.001-07:00

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Whew! I just spent about 4 hours meal prepping for the week. I sure hope it pays off because that's a LOT of time on my feet in the kitchen. I'm very excited to get started on the TIU Bikini Series tomorrow and am very hopeful that I'll see some really positive results over the next 8 weeks.

Workouts

I took it a little easy this week since the Bikini Series is starting next week. I focused mostly on getting in my 3 runs and doing yoga to prepare my body and mind for the upcoming challenge.

Work has been super busy/crazy and my days have been long and filled with meetings. I only made it out for a workday walk once this past week. I'm hoping that things will start to calm down a bit soon, so I can make my walks a priority again {before it gets too hot}.

I got in another 3-mile run this morning! After two 2-milers during the week!! My ankle didn't bother me at all, but my knee started in. Booo. Not today, but during the two earlier runs it wasn't much fun.

@EnjoytheCourse took an easy week to prepare for the #TIUBikiniSeries! Just a few great runs, some yoga, oh yeah, and she tried CycleBar.

I got in 4 lovely yoga videos this week. They were just what I needed. :)

Yesterday, I stepped out of my comfort zone {working out at home} and met a couple girls for an intro ride at CycleBar. It was a lot of fun to push myself in a new way. I did have a little trouble hearing the instructor at times, and I'm sure I missed a few of the cues to changes gears. After the class, there was a 30 minute HIIT workout. It was TOUGH after all the spinning.

Last Week's Videos

Yoga for Hips & Lower Back Release - 23 min - Yoga with Adriene

Yoga for Increased Flexibility - 40 min - Five Parks Yoga
Yoga for Connection - 27 min - Yoga with Adriene
Yoga for Self-Respect - 20 min - Yoga with Adriene

Other Happenings

I've mentioned how crazy work has been the past few weeks. Well, one of the reasons is that I got a promotion! It was announced late Friday, so I couldn't say anything until then. It will be a bit more responsibility, but I'm very excited about it.

I started using Instagram Stories. It's been fun, so we'll see how long it continues. It's fun to just share something really quick, and I'm sure a lot of my check-ins for the Bikini Series will likely be shared on Stories.

The Mexican restaurant in the casino across the street from CycleBar gave away a free skinny margarita, if you showed proof of the class. Yes, please! A couple of us went over for the free drink. I also enjoyed the most delicious salad. And good conversation, too.

ICYMI: Posts from Last Week

April Recap & May Goals - My April wasn't bad, but it sure did fly by! I've got high hopes for May!

Ultimate Coffee Date - If we were having coffee, I'd be telling you about everything I'm looking forward to this month.

Click on the images to read the posts.

Do you use Instagram stories? If you meal prep, how long does it take you? How was your running last week? Are you doing the Bikini Series?

5 Things I'm Super Excited about this May

2018-05-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Oh. My. Goodness. May is already off to the craziest start! I mean cah-ray-zy! I hope things calm down because I've got goals for May!

It's the first weekend of the month, which means it's time for COFFEE! Well, every day is a good day for coffee, but let's take a few minutes to catch up during the Ultimate Coffee Date! Ok, coffee isn't required. Perhaps you enjoy tea, milk, soda, water. Or maybe something a little stronger. 😜

Other than crushing my goals, here are a few things I'm looking forward to this month.

Tone It Up Bikini Series

Starts May 7th! I wasn't sure I was going to do it this year, but the TIU Vegas girls really became active the last couple weeks. Their excitement was contagious and I need to jump start something new, so I decided to give it a GO! Now, I'm super excited to join the fun, meetup with some inspiring local girls, and get in shape for summer!

CycleBar

I'm meeting a few of the local TIU girls tomorrow morning for a free class at the local CycleBar. I've got my bike reserved and I'm ready to go! Truth be told, I am a little nervous, though. I haven't been on my bike (other than 1.5 miles at the end of March) in MONTHS plus I've never been to CycleBar so I'm not really sure what to expect. I couldn't pass up the free class and seeing/meeting up with some TIU girls, though.

Happy Hour at Kona Grill

Ok. I promise this is the last mention of TIU during this coffee date. Though, I'm sure it will come up again next month. LOL We're kicking off the Bikini Series with a Happy Hour meetup. I'm excited to see a lot of girls I haven't seen in awhile, meet some new friends, and get even more pumped for the Bikini Series!!

Grab your favorite mug and join @EnjoytheCourse for the #ultimatecoffeedate! She's sharing a few things that she's excited for this month. What are you most looking forward to in May?

May is Bike Month

I'm crossing my fingers HARD CORE that we'll actually make it out for a few bike rides this month. Our plan is to get out and ride every other weekend, but it hasn't happened at all yet. Will May be our month to actually start putting our new bike rack to good use?!

Getting to know YOU!

One of my May goals is to be more active on social media. I've been selfish on social for the past few months - mostly just dropping links on Twitter, sharing my posts on Facebook, and barely getting by on Instagram. This month I'm committing to doing a lot of that BUT also interacting more with my followers. Are you one of them? Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, so I can be sure to follow you as well.

What are you looking forward to in May? What would you tell me over coffee?

Thanks for joining me today! Be sure to stop by our lovely hosts Deborah and Coco on Saturday to catch up over coffee with some other amazing bloggers. I'm also linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales & Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0.

Will May be the best month of 2018 (so far)?

2018-05-01T05:57:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid I blinked and April was OVER. How do some months seem to go by so quickly?! Wasn't I just writing down my April goals? Work was busy. Life was busy. Blogging was busy. I guess that all makes time speed up a bit. Here's hoping that May moves at a normal pace, so I can savor the springtime.

Goal-wise, I'd say my month overall was so-so. I had some great wins - including my longest run of the year (3 miles), consistent yoga, and 10 new blog posts. But some of my goals were barely checked off and others were barely missed. I'm not disappointed. I'd definitely say it was better than March.

Click here to skip the April Recap and go straight to May's goals.

Quick recap of April's goals

I only totally missed 1 goal in April. Woot woot!! And that was because my ankle decided to make other plans. I didn't excel at all the others but nothing to be to broken up about. 😉

1 Transition to Forefoot Running

Run outside 3x per week 😐
I only made it out for 7 runs in April. Things were moving along all right and then my ankle starting in with some stabbing pain when I stepped. I took about 2 weeks off running to let it calm down. While I didn't exactly meet this goal, I did manage a 3-mile run on 4/29 - my longest run of the year. I'm pleased. :)

Add Forefoot Running Drills to My Routine ☑
It didn't happen until my final run of the month, but I did add in some running drills (a.k.a A Warm-up). I'm pretty excited about them!

Yoga 3x per week ☑
I love me some yoga and I'm happy that I was able to get in 3 sessions each week in April - including one live session out in the world.

Monthly Fitness Challenges 😞
The month started out so well with these two challenges, but honestly, it was a bit too much. I blame my ankle pain a bit on the 80-240 jumping jacks I was doing every day. That's a lot of jumping when you're not really used to it. When my ankle really started acting up, I stopped the Quick Hit challenge altogether. I tried to keep up with the triceps dips, push-ups, jump squats challenge (with standard squats), but that died in the final week as well.

Meal prep each week 😐
This is still a bit of a work in progress, but I did do at least some meal prepping each weekend. Nestled into this goal was a goal of drinking at least 72-oz of water a day. Unfortunately, I didn't do a very good job tracking this throughout the month. I'd guess I finished about 50/50 with this goal.

~~~~~~~~~~~

2 Improve my Blog

Write 10 new posts ☑ I actually ended up with 11.

Weekly Wrap - Apr 1 | April Goals | April Coffee Date | Weekly Wrap - Apr 8 | Workout Hair Hacks | Weekly Wrap - Apr 15 | 90s Playlist | Weekly Wrap - Apr 22 | Running Drills | Say No to Plastic | Weekly Wrap - Apr 29

Complete Social Media Checklist for each new post ☑
I didn't always do it right away but I did complete my sharing checklist for each post.

Spend at least 1 hour blogging 3-4 nights a week 😐
I didn't start this very strong but nailed it toward the end of the month. Some of those hours were done before work if I knew I had plans in the evening.

Schedule social shares from my archives 😐
I had hoped to schedule some posts at least weekly. I only ended up doing it twice throughout the month.

Since one of my goals is to improve my blog, some blog stats:

Keep in mind my blog is pretty small, but I'm hoping to see some real growth this year.

In April compared to the previous 30-day period, my:

Users increased by 12.68% (462 vs 410)
Pageviews increased by 16.41% (965 vs 829)
Sessions increased by 14.36% (661 vs 578)

40.6% of my traffic is coming directly to my site and 30.4% find me on social media. My most popular post of the month was the same as March - How to: Sun and Moon Salutations.

This is encouraging! I'm liking those increases. Makes me feel a little validated and more excited for my May blogging gals. Actually sharing my new posts must have helped, right?! I was a little nervous to check out my stats after being so disappointed in March's. Don't mind me over here doing a little happy dance. 💃

How did @EnjoytheCourse do with her April #goals? Read all about it and get a look at her new goals for May!

New Goals for May

1 Transition to Forefoot Running

Run 3x per week

Research & Add Forefoot Running Strength Exercises to My Routine

Stick to the Tone It Up Bikini Series workout plan

I wasn't sure if I was going to do the Bikini Series again this year, but the TIUVegas group is strong! So encouraging and friendly that I'm going to give it ago. The fun begins on May 7th. Come back next week to see my specific goals for that challenge.

With the Bikini Series, I'm still planning on 3 runs each week. I just hope that my ankle cooperates. I just need to be smart about the workouts and the runs and take a step back if things start to feel a little wonky.

The forefoot running adventure will also continue as I research and add some strength exercises to my daily routine. Hoping they will fit in nicely with the Bikini Series. 😜

2 Improve my Blog

New posts 3x per week

Clean up my social channels

Spend 15 minutes per social channel per day interacting with my followers

I'm switching up my posting goal from 10/month to 3/week I'm hoping that maybe some posting consistency will help with growth. I'm not including it in my goals but I do plan to continue with 1 hour blog sessions most evenings after work as well as the sharing checklist.

If no one reads your blog post, does it even exist? Sometimes I'm not so great at promoting my own content.

The sharing checklist is helpful, but I've been really slacking on interacting with all of YOU on my various social channels. It's hard to keep up with everything/everyone, but I'm going to try to devote some time to cleaning up my channels as well as interacting a little bit every day.

How was your April? Any goals for May? What are your tips for keeping up with social media? Any favorite apps?

Weekly Wrap - Apr 29

2018-04-29T12:52:00.001-07:00

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Hello from sunny 🌞 Las Vegas! It's been gorgeous this past week. Well, maybe too hot for some with near record highs! Workout-wise, this was a pretty slow week, but work was crazy busy! And there was a little fun thrown in as well.

Workouts

I was still experiencing quite a bit of pain in my ankle most of the week, so working out wasn't a high priority. I still managed to make it out of the office for a few walk breaks, which was nice, but I pretty much dropped out of my challenges this month. But I'm OK with that. It's better to be healthy and uninjured than to stick it out with a fitness challenge. 😏

One round = Streak Cred
Two rounds = Bada$$
Three rounds = Ninja

I started the week with some Yoga for the Feet to help strengthen my feet and ankles, but I think it might have been too much after Sunday's yoga to heal an ankle injury.

By Thu/Fri, my ankle wasn't bothering me any longer! Whoo hoo!! So, I tested it out with a 3-mile run this morning. Yep, you read that right - my longest run of the year! It felt so great out there. I sure hope that it wasn't unwise to run so long just a few days after having ankle pain. I did warm-up with the running drills I shared on Tuesday and finished with some stretches and yoga.

Felt good to finish the week with my longest run of the year! Find out what else I've been up to in this week's #weeklywrap. via @EnjoytheCourse

Work was stressful and busy last week, but I'm glad I was able to get outside for some walks a few days. It was so nice to enjoy some sunshine and clear my head.

I took my Sallie girl for a nice long walk at a nearby park yesterday. I even managed to get a super cute pic of her. She was so hot, tired, and thirsty by the end. She refused to drink from the doggie fountains, so I really need to remember to carry a doggie bowl with me now that the temps are getting so high.

Last Week's Videos

Yoga for the Feet - 30 min - Yoga with Adriene

Full Body Stretch - 10 min - Cat Meffan
Yoga for Better Posture - 26 min - Five Parks Yoga ↠ I really enjoyed this practice, but I woke up today with some serious DOMS in my back. I guess I pushed it a little too hard. Just means my back will be stronger soon, right?
Interrogating Zuckerburg - Bad Lip Reading ↠ OK. This is not a workout or related to anything else I normally share, but it is HILARIOUS! If you're not familiar with Bad Lip Reading, they dub over a video with different words.
Post Workout Recovery Class - 22 min - Five Parks Yoga

Other Happenings

I mentioned that work was crazy busy last week. We had a new employee start on Monday. She'll be working really closely with me, so I was tied up in training most of the week. Part of her training was also training that I needed, which meant that we had some trainers from our corporate offices in town as well. Busy, busy, busy.

I also had some out-of-town visitors. I really wanted to take a day or two off to hang out at the pool with my friend, but with the new hire and training, it just wasn't possible. At least we got to have dinner the two nights she was in town. We went to dinner at Firefly the first night (no pics) and enjoyed some delicious sangria and a few tapas plates to share. It was a gorgeous evening and we snagged a table out on the patio.

The 2nd night we ventured downtown. We shared some small plates at Carson's Kitchen. No outdoor seating and the restaurant was so loud! But the food was good. We walked over to Container Park and Fremont Street Experience after dinner. We wanted some dessert and tried the most delicious thing - a Waffelato. They cook up a waffle and serve you gelato in it. I enjoyed a vanilla waffle with pistachio gelato.

My uncle was also in town. We went out to dinner with him Friday evening. We went to Lazy Dog in Town Square. After a long week, I enjoyed a sangria sampler. 😋 They were all so good. As was the food and conversation. Though I kept getting distracted by all the cute puppies on the patio. This is a pet-friendly restaurant with a doggie menu for your furry friend.

ICYMI: Posts from Last Week

9 Running Drills for Better Running - One of my April goals was to introduce drills to my running routine. I finally did some research and am looking forward to adding in these running drills before each run.

5 Easy Ways to Say NO to Plastic - The 2018 theme for Earth Day was Ending Plastic Pollution, so I shared a few products I use every day to help reduce my plastic consumption.

Click on the images to read the posts.

Is the sun shining where you are? What's your longest run so far this year? Do you take walk breaks during work?

5 Easy Ways to Say No to Plastic

2018-04-27T05:57:00.000-07:00

This post contains affiliate links. I'm linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0 linkup.

Earth Day was this past Sunday and the theme this year was End Plastic Pollution.

Plastic pollution is a huge deal! Did you know there are now multiple plastic islands floating around out there? It's sad and gross all at once. :(

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is twice the size of Texas. That is HUGE, my friends.

I try to be conscientious about the amount of plastic I consume, but I can definitely do better. There are lots of ways to reduce the amount of plastic you consume and one of those ways is to purchase reusable products instead of throw-away products.

5 products to reduce your plastic consumption

1. Reusable shopping bags

I find this is one of the easiest things to do to reduce your plastic pollution. Plastic shopping bags are all too often immediately tossed into the trash. What a waste!

We have so many reusable bags! We made the switch several years ago and are really good at remembering our bags! We keep them in our car, so we are always ready for a trip to the store.

When buying reusable bags, try to find some that are washable. These are recommended to be hand washed, but I've been known to thrown them in the washing machine. Shhh... Don't tell. 🙊 We also have some insulated bags that are great for cold items on a hot Vegas day.

BONUS: Some stores even give discounts for bringing/using your own bags. How cool is that?!

2. Refillable water bottles

I'm always a little shocked when I see people drinking out of plastic water bottles! It drives me a little batty, actually. Those who drink out of plastic, store-bought water bottles don't usually refill them either (probably good, from a health standpoint) so they are one-and-done into the trash. ☹

We have a variety of refillable water bottles. I always have one with me whether I'm blogging, watching TV, or out shopping. While on a long run, I usually wear my camelback.

BONUS: If you get an insulated water bottle, your water will stay cool and refreshing for hours longer than a plastic bottle from the grocery.

3. Glass lunch containers

I am a brown-bagger. It's really rare that I don't bring my own lunch to work. Not all brown-baggers are Earth-conscience, though. The very term implies waste actually - with a paper bag to hold everything and plastic bags for your sandwich and other contents. And it would all end up in the trash at the end of lunch.

It doesn't have to be like that, though. I have a cute reusable, insulated lunch bag and I pack all my lunch contents in glass containers. Silicone is also a nice alternative. We have containers in a variety of sizes to fit almost anything you'd normally pack for a healthy lunch.

BONUS: The added weight of glass will give you a little extra strength training each day. 😂 Plus zero plastic leaching into your food. Blech.

@EnjoytheCourse is sharing 5 products she uses to reduce her plastic consumption. What do you use or want to try?

4. Bring your own utensils

I've been a bring-my-own-lunch type of gal for more years than I can remember, and while I made the switch to glass or silicone lunch containers a few years ago, I was still using a plastic fork or spoon nigh on to daily.

It was really starting to bother me, so I began to bring my own utensils with me. The problem was that I would more often than not forget to pack what I needed in my lunch bag when I was putting my lunch together.

Amazon to the rescue! I now have a very nice set of utensils in a pretty green case to just leave at work and be ready for whatever I've prepared for lunch.

BONUS: You'll never have to worry about the plastic utensils not being restocked in your break room.

5. Don't forget a straw

You may have seen videos circulating recently about the poor sea turtles with straws getting stuck in their noses. So heartbreaking! But with it comes awareness and a challenge to reduce the number of plastic straws you use daily. Trust me when I say you probably use more than you realize.

We've been using reusable straws for awhile now AT HOME! But what about when you're out and about - at a restaurant or grabbing fast food or a cold drink from Starbucks?

At a restaurant, you can always request no straw and drink straight from the glass, but that's not always possible when your drink is lidded for travel.

We recently purchased this set of straws that comes with a very nice beechwood carrying case. This set is designed for travel! Just throw it in your purse or briefcase or whatever.

This is our newest purchase, so we haven't gotten in the habit of always having it with us or even in the habit of asking for no straws, but we're on our way.

BONUS: You can be a trendsetter with your sexy new straw.

So much more!

These are just 5 ways/products that I've been using for years or have started using recently, but there are so many more simple ways to help reduce your plastic pollution.

Buy in bulk using your own containers
Use reusable k-cups
Bring your own mug when grabbing a to-go coffee
Learn to make your own cleaning products
Go to a farmer's market for your produce instead of buying prepackaged fruits and veggies

There are so many more ideas. A quick google search brought me to this page with 51 ideas to reduce plastic consumption.

What simple ways do you try to reduce your plastic pollution? Have you tried any of these products? If you could commit to making one small change to reduce your plastic consumption, what would it be?

9 Running Drills to Make you a Better, Stronger Runner

2018-04-24T05:32:00.000-07:00

Transitioning to forefoot running takes time because you often have to reteach your muscles how to function while out on a run. Running drills focused on forefoot running can aid in the transition because they force your muscles to repeat these functions in various ways to build strength and muscle memory.

I've found a few running drills to begin incorporating into warm-ups before starting my runs. They focus a lot on getting used to how it should feel to have a forefoot strike as well as focusing on balance.

Good balance is key to successful forefoot running because all the action takes place in front of your body. Good balance will keep you upright, stable, and less likely to face plant. 😜

Some of the videos below demonstrating these drills are duplicates, but I've embedded each video to begin playing at the time of the particular drill I've just described.

1. Fall Forward & Lean

Let's start by practicing body language and making you aware of your posture. Stand facing a wall (or fence as in the video) and lean towards the wall at your ankles. After 5-10 falls, hold the posture/lean for 30 or so seconds. After holding the lean, try 5-10 falls with one leg lifted back to more simulate running. Repeat on opposite leg. Most likely I'll do this drill before leaving my apartment, so I know I have a wall handy.

2. Slow High Knees

This is one drill that I've actually been doing for a couple years. Lift one knee so that your quad is parallel with the ground. This helps to activate your glutes.

Next up, we'll focus on a few balancing drills.

3. Balance Drill

Like I mentioned, good balance is so important for forefoot runners. This is a really easy drill that focuses on balance {obviously} by shifting your weight to your forefoot. Lift one foot, so you're balancing on the other. Slightly shift the weight into the forefoot of your standing leg and hold for about 30 seconds. Repeat on the opposite leg.

4. Dog Poo Drill

This drill sounds funny, but it's called that because it mimics wiping something {like dog poo} off your shoe. This is a good follow-up to the balance drill. While balancing on one foot, you'll lift the opposite leg up and swipe it back. Repeat 10-20 times and then do the drill on the opposite leg.

5. Balance Swings

In this one, instead of swiping your foot down to the ground like in the previous drill, it's more of a swing back. Focus on keeping your hips pointed straight when doing this drill. Do 10-20 swings on each leg.

We've warmed up our mind and core with balancing drills to get started. Now, let's get moving a bit more with the next few drills.

Want to be a better, stronger runner? Try these 9 running drills from @EnjoytheCourse before your next run. #runchat

6. Pseudo Jump Rope

Basically, jumping rope but without a rope. Keeping your body aligned while looking forward, bounce up and down on your forefoot with your arms out to your side a bit. This gets your legs and feet warmed up and primed to go. Do this for 30-45 seconds.

7. High Hopping

I don't have a video for this one, but it's time to do a few butt-kicking jumps. See D in the below photo. Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, spring your legs up so your feet come up towards your buttocks. Try to keep your quads relaxed and focus on using your legs instead of your feet. Start with smaller jumps and eventually you'll get closer to making contact with your buttocks. Do 10-20 jumps.

SOURCE: RunForeFoot.com

8. Run in place

Time to put it all together with a little running in place. Elbows back with a slight forward lean. Run in place for 30-45 seconds.

9. Skipping

Ready to run?! One final drill to get you on your way. Skipping! Do 5-10 skips per leg before beginning your run.

ENJOY YOUR RUN!

Do you do any of these running drills? What's your favorite running drill to do before a run?

Weekly Wrap - Apr 22

2018-04-22T18:37:00.003-07:00

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Happy Earth Day! I hope the weather was nice for you and that you were able to get outside today. It was a gorgeous day here, so I made a point to take my Sallie girl for a walk. She's pretty tuckered out now, but I'm glad I made the time. I even raised a little money using Charity Miles for The Nature Conservatory, since it's Earth Day.

Workouts

My workouts were sub-par this week. As you will see, I took 2 complete rest days and did 0 runs. I try to run Tue/Thu/Sat (or Sun) but Tue got away from me. I was going to run on Wed instead but my ankle has been bothering me. It probably would have been fine on the run because the pain is mostly only when I step on my heel in certain ways. It's worse when walking in place. Anyway, I talked myself out of running this week and decided to give my ankle a little rest instead.

One round = Streak Cred
Two rounds = Bada$$
Three rounds = Ninja

Part of the rest included skipping my Quick Hit Challenge. I felt like all the jumping jacks were exacerbating my ankle pain. I had been hitting that challenge pretty hard and figured that may have been part of the problem - too much too soon, you know. I've researched some ankle strengthening exercises and will be focusing on them this coming week.

Some ankle pain called the shots for @EnjoytheCourse last week - demanding a few rest days. How were your workouts last week? #weeklywrap

Despite my ankle pain, I still tried to get some walk breaks in during the work day. I even did push-ups and squats while out walking. 😊 I did regular squats this week instead of jump squats or burpees, because.... ANKLE! Yep, my ankle pretty much called the shots this week. I sure hope this pain doesn't last long.

Last Week's Videos

I broke away from my usual yogis this week. Well, today, anyway.

Energizing Flow - 23 min - Five Parks Yoga

Yoga for Sciatica - 15 min - Fightmaster Yoga
Yoga Basics to Heal Ankle Injury - 29 min - 9th Limb ↠ This was the first video I've done from this channel. It was a change to have the yogi be male (not complaining!). I enjoyed the video, but it was a little hard to see due to the shade/sun during the filming. He did a lot of nerve tensioning which was new to me and pretty effective. Lots of balancing in this sequence which I think will be good. Doesn't good balance seem to solve so many problems?

Other Happenings

Last Monday was National Stress Awareness Day. I shared a few tips on handling stress on IG.

Today is #nationalstressawarenessday! How do you like to de-stress? Here are 4 of my favorite ways: 1️⃣ Pamper yourself! Relax in a bubble bath with a glass of wine. Get a mani/pedi. Read a book. Take a nap. You get the idea. 2️⃣ Make a list. Things you can control in one column; things you can't control in another. Focus on what you can control. 3️⃣ Talk it out. Find someone you trust to vent to. Or just to talk things through. 4️⃣ Go for a run. Get those endorphins flowing. BONUS: Yoga or mediation often works for me, too.

A post shared by Clarinda (@enjoyingthecourse) on Apr 16, 2018 at 1:39pm PDT

Last week was kind of stressful at work. I really should have employed a few of these tactics. LOL

The Tone It Up Bikini Series is coming up soon. I think the official release and sign-ups are coming out this coming week but it starts on May 7th.

Guess what we’re preparing for on ToneItUp.com?! 😍✨👙 The annual 8 week Bikini Series! Sign ups launch early next week & your official start date is May 7th 🎉 with live Meal Prep on Sunday the 6th!!! More details comin! 👯‍♀️🎥💛 We’re going to make sure you have everything you need to succeed! For now, prep with us with spring cleaning & nutrition guidelines on ToneItUp.com! Xxo K&K

A post shared by Tone It Up (@toneitup) on Apr 18, 2018 at 10:40am PDT

I actually haven't been doing much with TIU lately. I only do the free workouts and don't pay for the nutrition plan, but I'm still strongly considering doing the Bikini Series again this year. There's a pretty strong TIU Vegas group here and it's fun to have some additional accountability with the group. Anyone else planning to do the Bikini Series this year?

ICYMI: Post from Last Week

Throwback to the 90s with Over 100 Songs - Miss the music of the 90s? I created a fun playlist with a great variety of 90s music.

Click on the image to read the post.

What do you do when pain sidelines you? Have any good tips for handling stress? Did you do anything to celebrate Earth Day today?

Throwback to the 90s with Over 100 Songs

2018-04-17T06:50:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm linking up with Kim, Janelle, and Steph for Tunes Tuesday. The theme this month is Throwback Jams (70s, 80s, 90s). Perfect for a trip down memory lane to my high school and college days.

Remember making mixed tapes for your friends? Finding the perfect songs and combining them into a fun mix? I had a few friends that were so good at making them! Me? Not so much. I always had so much trouble choosing the songs. And getting them to flow and fit onto a cassette? Not so much. LOL

So, here's today's version - A SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

Back in the day, I would claim that I liked all music - except country, metal, and rap. 😆

My ultimate favorites from the 90s were No Doubt, Jewel, and the Squirrel Nut Zippers. I think I owned every one of their albums at one point.

But I definitely didn't limit myself to those artists. I highly recommend listening to this playlist on Shuffle. Not sure if I'd say these songs are all great for pounding pavement - some are quite slow - but definitely great for a trip down memory lane.

Spotify makes creating a playlist so easy because it suggests all of these songs that are similar to the one you just added. Reminding me of so many great songs that I'd all but forgotten.

Hope you're able to rediscover a few. Or if you're a lot younger {or older} than me maybe discover something altogether new to you. 😂

@EnjoytheCourse shares a Kickass 90s playlist! From Jewel, No Doubt, and Sheryl Crow to Nirvana, The Offspring, Sublime, and Green Day PLUS lots more!

I had so much fun creating this playlist!

What songs or artists am I missing? Do you have an all-time favorite artist from the 90s?

Weekly Wrap - Apr 15

2018-04-15T16:24:00.001-07:00

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

I'm so happy to report that I finally filed our taxes. Yesterday. Finished that up with a few days to spare and it feels so good. LOL I never got around to them last weekend, so I'm glad I made the time this weekend, cuz time was no longer on my side. 😂

Workouts

I didn't feel super on Wed and especially not on Thurs. 😒 I ended up needing a rest day on Thursday, and I don't feel too bad about it. Sometimes, that's just life and you gotta be OK with it and move on.

One round = Streak Cred
Two rounds = Bada$$
Three rounds = Ninja

Work can sometimes get so busy that I get sucked into projects and end up sitting way too long. Since the weather has been so perfect lately, I've been trying to get out for at least a 15-20 min walk a few times a week. I went for a walk on Mon & Tues during work. :-)

I wanted to run on Tue/Thu/Sat, but I just couldn't force myself out on Thu this week. Or Friday before work. Instead I grabbed running stuff so I could run after work before heading home. Other than some tech/user errors, it was a decent run! I paused every half mile or so for some triceps dips and incline push-ups.

@EnjoytheCourse threw in some extra walks and a hike with some coworkers. How were your workouts this past week? #weeklywrap

Yesterday was so gorgeous that I decided to take Sallie for a nice long walk. It ended up being about 2.5 miles and she was having such a great time! Me, too. :)

Last Week's Videos

With the 2 monthly challenges I'm doing this month plus running 3x per week, it's hard to get in any videos other than yoga. Maybe more variety will return next month. 😜

Core Power Morning Wakeup - 23 min - Yoga with Adriene

Slow Flow Jungle Yoga - 38 min - Five Parks Yoga ↠ This was incredibly slow moving. I found it difficult to concentrate on moving that slowly. I did get very sweaty, though, so it was definitely a good workout.
Head & Heart Reset - 24 min - Yoga with Adriene

Other Happenings

We had some bigwig visitors from our corporate offices in town this past week. One of them wanted to go hiking after work on Wed, so I was happy to plan something. It ended up only being 4 of us to go, but we had so much fun on our short, little hike. It had been pretty windy during the day but wasn't too bad for us while hiking. The weather was actually pretty perfect.

Thursday was a National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, so I helped organize a little grilled cheese party at the office. We had 5 kinds of cheese (American, Provolone, Gouda, Sharp Cheddar, Mild Cheddar) as well as bacon, tomatoes, avocados, spinach, and some apple slices. Everyone made and grilled their own sandwich and said it was a fun idea.

It was also a fun mail week! I got some great socks for being a part of Club Tabio. I received 2 pairs of sports socks and one pair of fashion socks. I love the fashion socks. They're perfect for my workday walks when I don't bring walking shoes.

The April StrideBox arrived this week, too. I'm really excited to try the edamame spaghetti!

Not in the mail per se, but our corporate visitors brought us some company swag - SOCKS.

ICYMI: Post from Last Week

Best Hair Hacks for Your Active Lifestyle - Helpful hacks to help transform your hair from gym hair back to normal after a workout.

Click on the image to read the post.

Does your office do anything for weird, random holidays? Do you take walks during the workday? How were your workouts last week?

Best Hair Hacks for Your Active Lifestyle

2018-04-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

Working out is important to you, but sometimes it's hard to squeeze it all in, am I right?!

I tend to try to get my workouts done in the morning before the day gets too crazy, but this limits my time as I need to leave enough time to get ready for work.

Maybe you squeeze in a workout during lunch and need to get back to the office.

Maybe you workout after work but still need to be presentable for dinner, errands, or meeting friends.

Whenever you choose to workout, does your hair get in the way?

I'm pretty low-key when it comes to hair care. I don't use a lot of product. Sometimes I throw in a barrette to change it up a bit.

There are days when I need to show my hair a little more love {like after a workout} but still don't have a lot of time. Dry shampoo to the rescue! It's perfect for those days when I'm too short on time for a full wash and dry. A little spritz to my roots. Rub it in and brush it out and I'm good to go.

Or maybe I pull it back into a low ponytail. The easier and lower key, the better.

Don't let your hair ruin your workout. Check out these workout hair hacks from @eSalon and @EnjoytheCourse.

I don't often put too much thought into my hair. I probably should more often. I'm all about helpful hacks, though. Helpful hair hacks? Yes, please!

Workout Hair Hacks: Tame your locks pre-and post-workout

I love this infographic from eSalon. I never really thought about pre-workout hair care!

I've been using dry shampoo for years but doing a quick blow dry on cool? #gamechanger
This has definitely become my go-to post-workout hair routine to get me out the door quickly with ~~great~~ better hair!

What's your favorite hair hack? Do you use dry shampoo? How do you save time post-workout?

Weekly Wrap - Apr 8

2018-04-08T16:15:00.002-07:00

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

I'm happy to report that April is off to a great start! I'm on track with all of my goals, the weather has been perfection. Life is good!

Workouts

I'm pretty proud of my workouts last week. I got in 3 runs. I haven't missed a day of Rachels' challenge. I only missed one day of my Quick Hit challenge. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and attended Silent Savasana.

One round = Streak Cred
Two rounds = Bada$$
Three rounds = Ninja

Getting used to 3 runs a week is going to take a week or so. By time Saturday rolled around, I was done. My legs were tired and my pace overall was a bit slower this week. Also, my right ankle has been bothering the past few days. I'm not ready to blame the running yet, though. 😜

We actually took Sallie for a walk Monday evening. Every week, I say how we should take her for more walks, but we rarely take her more than just a quick potty.

@EnjoytheCourse wants to know how your workouts went last week! April is off to a nice strong 💪 start! #weeklywrap

I got in my 3 yoga practices. 2 on YouTube and 1 in person. You can read more about my experience at Silent Savasana at the Ultimate Coffee Date.

Last Week's Videos

Yoga for Flexibility - 16 min - Yoga with Adrience

Yoga for Beginners - 52min - Five Parks Yoga ↠ If you're new to yoga, this was a great practice! She was very descriptive of the moves. About 22 min in there was a surprise visitor. Luckily, I think we were in child's pose. :)

ICYMI: Posts from Last Week

March, You are Finished! April, Come She Will. Taking a moment to reflect on my March goals and set new ones for April.

Let's Catch Up at the Ultimate Coffee Date. One of my favorite posts of the month - catching up over some coffee. :)

Click on the images to read the post.

How were your workouts last week? April off to a good start for you?wee

Let's Catch Up at the Ultimate Coffee Date!

2018-04-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

Hope you're enjoying a lovely weekend. I don't really have too much to say today, so this should be a quick coffee date!

If we were having coffee today, I would tell you how excited I am for April. I've got some solid goals that I really feel will go well this month. At least they've gone pretty good this first week. 😎

Join @EnjoytheCourse for the #UltimateCoffeeDate! She's talking goals, taxes, walking, and yoga.

If we were having coffee today, I'd admit that I still need to file our taxes. I don't make them complicated and just do them myself. Every year it seems I leave it to the last possible day. Maybe I'll try to get them filed this weekend.

If we were having coffee today, I'd tell you how I skipped my normal General Hospital on Wednesday to go for a walk for National Walking Day instead. I ate my lunch at my desk and then stopped at Starbucks before my walk. It was a gorgeous day and so nice to get out of the office for a bit and walk somewhere other than the office parking lot.

If we were having coffee today, I would tell you I finally tried Silent Savasana. It's a free yoga event held at various locations around Las Vegas.

The instructor speaks the cues into a microphone piped through headphones. There's also a DJ. It was both an exhilarating and relaxing experience. Definitely challenging as well. There were quite a few people there for their very first yoga experience ever and a lot trying Silent Savasana for the first time. The audio cues were good but I'm also pretty familiar with yoga. I think it would have been hard to follow as a first-timer to yoga.

There were a few technical difficulties as well (static, cutting out, etc). The instructor handled it well, but it would have been a better experience without the tech issues.

Overall, it was a fun, positive experience. I'd definitely go again.

What would tell me today over coffee? Do you file your taxes right away or wait until the last moment? Did you walk on National Walking Day?

Thanks for joining me today! Be sure to stop by our lovely hosts Deborah and Coco to catch up over coffee with some other amazing bloggers.

March, You Are Finished! April, Come She Will

2018-04-04T06:52:00.000-07:00

We're a full quarter into 2018! March didn't actually seem to fly by - even though it was filled with a couple of weekends of visitors and some fun fitness challenges. I wouldn't say it dragged on, but I also wouldn't say that it flew by.

March didn't exactly go as planned. Lots of my goals went un-achieved, or under-achieved. I'm not going to let it get me down, at least not too far down. 😜 Instead, I'm going to reflect on my March goals and where/why I came up short and use that come up with some new goals for April.

Quick recap of March's goals

I did pretty well with my Forefoot Running / Fitness goals this month, but my Blogging goals were pretty much a big ole failure. While I published 10 new posts, I didn't accomplish any of my other March blogging goals. Ugh.

1 Transition to Forefoot Running

Run outside 2x per week ☑
I managed 9 runs throughout March! Most of them were just one mile, but the last few were 1.75 miles. Forefoot running is definitely starting to feel more natural. Yay!

Yoga 3x per week 😐
I had a couple weeks with only 2 yoga sessions and a couple with 3, so I'm giving myself a neutral face on this goal.

Rachel's No Excuses Total Body Challenge ☑
I'm giving myself a check mark on this one, but I wasn't exactly perfect with it. I did miss a few days here and there, but I always made them up. So, overall, I did accomplish the goal. 😉

Meal prep each week 😞
Looking back in my habit tracking app, I guess I wasn't as bad with this goal as I thought. I did some kind of meal prep 4x in March, so I guess I really only missed 1 week. It felt much worse, though, and I didn't like the way I ate a lot of the evenings, so I'm still giving myself a big ol' sad face on this one.

In addition...
I guess it wasn't an official goal, but I also did a crunches/leg raises challenge in March with a small group on FB. We started with 20 crunches and 10 leg raises. Each day we added 1 rep and ended the month with 50 and 40. I only missed 3 days throughout the month, so I'm pretty pleased with that!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Honestly, I had a pretty hard time squeaking out my 10 new posts. This just kept taking a back seat until March was over.

Create Google Analytics Dashboard 😞
I just never found the time for this! Again... Maybe it's a sign...

Apply for campaigns weekly 😞
I only ended up devoting time to this 2 nights in March.

Since one of my goals is to improve my blog, some blog stats:

Keep in mind my blog is pretty small, but I'm hoping to see some real growth this year.

In March compared to the previous 31-day period, my:

Users decreased by -23.85% (447 vs 587)
Pageviews decreased by -17.67% (1,565 vs 1,901)
Sessions decreased by -21.96% (622 vs 797)

35% of my traffic is coming directly to my site and 33% find me on social media. I did see a small increase in organic search and referral traffic.

My most popular post of the month was How to: Sun & Moon Salutations. This post from 2013 often gets a lot of traffic. I tried poking around in GA to find out where they're coming from without much luck. They don't seem to be hanging around much but I still like that they're stopping by.

Not gonna lie. With the first quarter of 2018 behind us now, these numbers are making me a little sad. Making me question myself as a blogger. Am I good writer? Am I posting about the right kind of topics? What can/should I be doing differently? Am I wasting my time? And so on.

How did @EnjoytheCourse do with her March #goals? Read all about it and get a look at her new goals for April!

New Goals for April

1 Transition to Forefoot Running

Run outside 3x per week

Add Forefoot Running Drills to My Routine

Yoga 3x per week

Monthly Fitness Challenges

1. Rachel's Tricep Dips, Push-ups, & Jump Squats Challenge

2. Quick Hit Challenge

Meal prep each week

I'm kind of excited {and nervous} about bumping my running from 2x to 3x a week this month. I'm hoping to have Tue/Thu and either Sat or Sun as my run days. I'll also be working up to 3 mile runs. Woot woot!

I'm finally going to start incorporating some forefoot running drills into my routine as well. I probably should have been doing drills since January, but well, I can't turn back time - only move forward. 😜 I'm still working on the type and frequency of the drills. I'm sure there will be a post about it later in the month. 😊

Even though I didn't succeed with yoga 3x a week last month, I'm going to give another try in April.

There are a couple of fitness challenge thrown in there as well. Rachel's is pretty self-explanatory. We're starting with 30 of each exercise and working up to 100 by the end of the month. If you stopped by on Sunday for my weekly wrap, then you might recall the Quick Hit Challenge this month is pretty intense.

One round = Streak Cred
Two rounds = Bada$$
Three rounds = Ninja

Lastly, since meal prepping didn't go so well last month, I'm keeping it as a goal in April! I've got to eat better! I'm going to throw in a water goal with this, too - minimum of 72 oz a day.

2 Improve my Blog

Write 10 new posts

Complete Social Media Checklist for each new post

Spend at least 1 hour blogging 3-4 nights a week

Schedule social shares from my archives

January through March, I managed to write at least 10 posts each month. I think that qualifies as a HABIT now. :) BUT I'm still keeping it as a monthly goal. It will likely be a monthly goal for the rest of the year. #sorrynotsorry

With the drop in my stats in March, I really want to focus more on social media - starting with a checklist for each post. It includes pinning the post as well as scheduling shares to my FB page and Twitter (via Buffer and Hootsuite). Sometimes I run out of time after publishing to do this right away, so my plan is to make sure the checklist is completed before starting a new post.

Writing a post takes a long time for me - research, collecting my thoughts, creating images, etc - but blogging is more than that! It's the sharing and interacting with other bloggers. Staying caught up with email has been a real struggle lately! I'm hoping that 1 hour a night will help me stay focused and on track.

I've been blogging for years and I know I've got some decent posts in my archives that need some more love. I want to make it a priority this month to actually share some of my older content. Some posts are good as is; some may need a little sprucing up first. Either way, I'm excited to breathe some new life into some old goodies.

How was your March? Any goals for April? What are you most looking forward to this spring?

Weekly Wrap - Apr 1

2018-04-01T17:40:00.003-07:00

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

It was nice to have NOTHING to do this weekend! I spent it the doing some neglected chores around the apartment and *gasp* got some meal prep done today! Standing in the kitchen for so long today, I'm definitely going to sleep well tonight. :-)

Workouts

I had a couple days during the week that were pretty minimal but overall I'd say it was a pretty decent week workout-wise.

I stuck with my slightly longer distance for both of my runs this week - 1.75 miles. Wednesday's run left me with a slightly twinging ankle. I think it was more residual from hiking a few days before. No more twinges by Saturday. It was still a bit difficult to push myself out the door yesterday, though. Which was too bad because it was a gorgeous day! I finally got my run in during the evening, though.

I started a new challenge with a small group on FB. We call it the Quick Hit Challenge. We've done a different challenge each month, but April's is a bit killer.

One round = Streak Cred
Two rounds = Bada$$
Three rounds = Ninja

Today, I was a Ninja. I'm hoping I'll get faster because it took me 26 minutes to complete the three rounds today.

@EnjoytheCourse wants to know how your workouts went last week! She finished March nice and strong. #weeklywrap

Yoga was pretty on par this week with three yoga videos! I also did a Nike Training Center workout in their NTC app that was pretty fun.

Last Week's Videos

3 yoga practices FTW!

Best Morning Yoga Class (AM Yoga) to Wake Up for a Good Day - 22 min - Fightmaster Yoga ↠ I normally like this yoga channel, but she had a guest yogi. I enjoyed the poses, but I found the queues a bit hard to follow.
20 Min Energizing Flow Yoga Class Flow - 22 min - Five Parks Yoga
Yoga for Self-Discipline - 46m - Yoga with Adriene ↠ This seemed like the longest 45 minutes! Maybe my head just wasn't in it today. And then my phone died with just a couple minutes left. I imagine I just missed some savasana, which I'm OK with because I was just ready for this one to be done.

ICYMI: Post from Last Week

Do you know what time it is? Time for a visit to the runfessional!

Click on the image to read the post.

How were your workouts last week?

Do you know what time it is?

2018-03-30T07:01:00.001-07:00

Time for some Runfessions!

Happy to be linking up with Marcia once again for a little runfessing.

I runfess that... while my forefoot running transition is going well it is still a bit scary for me. Last week, I shared my full 2018 transition plan and seeing it all laid out is both calming and terrifying. It's definitely feeling more natural but I'll really start ramping things up in April and the doubts are starting to set in. Am I ready? Can I maintain form for longer than 1-2 miles?

I runfess that... my biggest fear right now is that my running mojo won't come back with my ramp up. Taking this transition as slowly as I have been has kind of affected my motivation to run. There have been days when I don't even feel like a runner anymore. Fingers crossed that will change once I start ramping back up.

Join @EnjoytheCourse in the Runfessional! What do you want to get off your chest? #runfessions #runchat

I runfess that... I do not know where March went! It just doesn't feel like it should be coming to an end already! My running goal for March was to run 2x per week, and I'm happy to say I will accomplish that with tomorrow's run. I'm proud of myself to getting out there, even on the weeks/days when I didn't want to.

I runfess that... my ankle has been twinging a bit since my Wed morning run. Is that a sign of runfession #1? I think it's less about the run and more about the hike I did last Sunday. There was a bit of ankle rolling out on the trail. Hopefully it doesn't stick around too long.

I runfess that... I'm excited for this weekend! After two fun-filled weekends in a row with visitors from out of town, I'm ready for a relaxing weekend at home with zero obligations. It's looking to be a perfect weekend, too, with highs in the low 80s. Woot! I'm hoping to get some stuff done around the house and catch up on some blogging while enjoying the sunshine out on the patio.

Do your big goals scare you even when you know you're doing it right and making progress? What are you looking forward to this weekend? What do you have to runfess this month?

Weekly Wrap - Mar 25

2018-03-27T06:36:00.001-07:00

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Two fun-filled weekends in a row and I'm super late to the Weekly Wrap party again! Totally worth it to spend a few days with my sister and niece, though. As I was going to bed last Wednesday night, I saw a FB Story pop up from my sister that she was on her way to Las Vegas for Spring Break. What?! Despite having no warning and not being prepared for a weekend of shenanigans, it was a blast!

Workouts

Before I tell you about all that, let's talk about my workouts last week. Consistency definitely wasn't the name of the game, but I kind of made up for it over the weekend!

My runs were great this week! Wed was my fastest mile in quite a while with a 9:44 min/mile pace. Saturday's run wasn't as speedy, but I felt strong and found my new distance {I hope}.

I must have needed some rest last week, though, because I essentially took 3 rest days. Monday was only crunches and leg raises {hardly a workout}; I can't even remember Thursday; Friday was a day at the beach {at least I got in 13,870 steps}.

Back to it on Saturday, though, with getting in all my daily challenges, a 1.75 mile run, 20+ min of yoga and a 1.5 mile bike ride. Phew! And topped the day off walking around the Strip for a few hours.

Some might not call 1.5 miles a bike ride, but it had been MONTHS and those 9 minutes were still tough on my tushy. We were mostly testing out our new bike rack, anyway. Seemed silly to mount our bikes without going on at least a very short ride.

I ended the weekend with a late afternoon hike in Red Rock before my sister and niece flew back to the arctic north (Minnesota). We had a blast!

Consistency may not have been the name of the game last week, but @EnjoytheCourse crammed a lot of fun workouts on the weekend! How was your week? #weeklywrap

Last Week's Videos

3 yoga practices FTW!

Peaceful Warrior - 27 min - Yoga with Adriene ↠ This made my hips happy.
Yoga Wash Detox Flow - 23 min - Yoga with Adriene
Power Hour Yoga Class - 1h4m - Five Parks Yoga ↠ Pretty advanced for me. I had to skip the many arm balances and do some modifications of a few other poses, but it was a good flow.

Other Happenings

Our day at the beach on Friday was spent at Lake Havasu. It wasn't as crowded or crazy as you might expect during Spring Break season, which was nice. It was absolutely gorgeous, though! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. It's about a 3-hour drive from Vegas and it went by pretty fast. I'm definitely looking forward to going back. No day at the beach is complete without ice cream, right?

This may have been my 2nd cone of the day!

Earlier in the week, we tried out Walmart Pickup for the first time. It worked really well and will come in handy for the weeks when we have too much going on to actually go grocery shopping.

They threw in a little Thank You gift for trying out the service.

ICYMI: Post from Last Week

Announcing my Plan to Make me a Better Runner is my 2018 forefoot running transition plan. It's been a slow start to the year, but my training/transition is really going to start picking up next month. I've got the whole year laid out. We'll see how it goes. 😊

Click on the image to read the post.

How were your workouts last week? Ever have surprise visitors?

Announcing my Plan to Make me a Better Runner

2018-03-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

If you've stopped by at all this year, you probably know that my BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal) for 2018 is to transition to forefoot running.

In order to accomplish any BHAG, it's important to have a plan. I know we're pretty much at the end of March {how did that happen?} already but I'm finally ready to share my 2018 Forefoot Running Transition Plan.

2018 Forefoot Running Transition Plan

I started the year very slowly but will start increasing mileage over the next couple of months. It's important to me to also include specific drills and exercises for forefoot running, so I'm excited to start incorporating those as well.

January was mostly just getting my head wrapped about the idea of forefoot running. There was actually very little running happening. I did try to run in my living room a few minutes at a time a few days a week.

February started a tiny bit of running outside. I started with just 5 minutes then did 7.5 the next weekend and 10 the weekend after that. Those 3 outside runs gave me the confidence to make a March goal of 2 runs per week.

March's goal of 2 runs per week have mostly just been 1 mile runs. Forefoot running is definitely starting to feel much more natural.

April will bring both an increase in running as well as the introduction of some forefoot running drills. I haven't decided which drills yet or how frequently but they will done. 😊 I'm also going to start running 3x per week and work up to 3 mile runs. That might take all month, but it's what I'll be working on.

May will continue with running 3 times per week. Runs will be 1-3 miles in length. I also plan to include daily (?) exercises specific to strengthening for forefoot running. The forefoot running drills will also continue.

From May through the end of the year, I plan to continue with the forefoot running drills and exercises each month. I'm hoping that they will become more of a natural habit and less like a chore. I want them to become just something that I do, you know?

In addition, the rest of the year will include smartly increasing mileage.

June will stick with 3 runs a week (up to 3 miles/run) but will increase my weekend mileage to 5 miles. I also want to re-introduce myself to trail running. It will have been roughly 6 months since doing any trail running, so I'll be looking forward to that!

July runs will increase to 4 times per week. Weekday runs will likely be 1-3 miles while the weekend runs will stick around 5 miles. I'd like to go for a trail run every weekend in July as well.

August is my birthday month! To celebrate, I'll continue running 4x a week. I'll also be increasing my weekend mileage by 1 mile each weekend. By the end of August, I'll have done a 9-mile run. Maybe not every weekend, but I'd like to do a couple trail runs as well.

@EnjoytheCourse is transitioning to #forefootrunning in 2018. Check out her transition plan!

September will see the first double digit run! I'm hoping for 10 mile runs every weekend (road or trail). Still running 4x per week as well.

October will see a cut back in weekly runs with only 3 each week. I'd also like to incorporate some weekly speed work, in addition to the other drills and exercises that will have become a part of my life. Weekends will be spent with 10-mile runs out on the trails.

November wait for it... A HALF MARATHON! I'm not doing a specific training plan but after 2 solid months of 10-mile weekend runs, I think I'll be ready to tackle a trail half marathon.

December doesn't have any specific training, but I am hoping that I'll feel up to running the #RWRunStreak from Thanksgiving to New Years Day.

I think I have a good solid plan in place here and I'm looking forward to following it and seeing where it takes me. I'm not guaranteeing I'll be perfect in following this plan, but having it all laid out like this does give me confidence that it is achievable!

What do you think of my plan? Have you ever planned out an entire year of training (or anything else)?