Friday, February 27, 2015

Friday Favorites

The never-ending weekend continues! Friday, Monday... what's the difference this week?!

Linking up with Fitting It All In, Meet Me At the Barre, High Five For Friday,  and Oh Hey Friday!

1. I purchased my first JUNK headband after reading about them on Carrots-n-Cake last week! I figured I needed something to tame my bangs for Spartan Race next weekend (I love SR headbands but I have a LOT of hair!) and sprung for this super cute polka dot one! I can't wait until it comes in!


2. This pin I found on Pinterest. I posted it on Instagram a few days ago and had so many likes. But seriously, is this not true? When I'm on the treadmill, I'm constantly breaking down the time I have left in a million different ways. ha. Love it.


3. I've had so much fun beginning to plan our girls weekend getaway in Asheville in a few weeks! It will be the weekend before St. Patrick's Day so we're looking for some fun shenanigans to get into. I've been to Asheville a few times before but not really all that familiar with the town. Anyone have any must-do's?! I. CAN'T. WAIT.

Flashback Friday to that time I spend St. Patrick's Day in Ireland and kissed the Blarney Stone... maybe again next year?!



4. I've had some really great workouts this week. Great runs, great WODs, great class. Basically, since I've now been off for a solid 14 days, I've enjoyed having time in the gym to get some longer workouts in. Don't get me wrong, I know short and sweet workouts are just as effective if done right but sometimes, it's nice to really appreciate the workout and take it all in. 

5. THE WEATHER NEXT WEEK!! After 2 solids weeks of crap, we're supposed to get up to almost 60 (SIXTY!!) next week. If that's not a cause for celebration, I don't know what is. Now I just have to get my body used to getting up at 5:15am every morning again. Boo! BUT... I'm happy to get back on schedule. :)

What was the best part of your week?!

Have a great weekend! 

Sarah

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Thinking Out Loud

Happy Thursday!
I would say it's almost the weekend but.... well, it's been a never-ending weekend for me the last 2 weeks. ha.


1. Today is snow day #9. Work/school is potentially looking promising for tomorrow but we'll see. I said that last Thursday too and we see what happened there. If I was still in college living with my best friends, I'm almost positive that we'd be dead of liver failure. Or boredom.

2. I'm so excited for the next 2 weekends--can they get here already?! Next weekend I'm going to Atlanta for the Spartan Sprint (!! YES!) and the following weekend is my girls weekend in Asheville. When I was doing Student Activities/Outdoor Rec, I was practically gone every single weekend during the spring but this year, I've not really gone anywhere yet.


3. I'm obsessed with HGTV's Fixer Upper. Chip & Joanna are officially my favorites--how cute are they?! I wonder if they do road trips to Virginia?! Joanna's style is the BEST.

4. My boss & I did the Filthy 50 yesterday and it was awesome. It's one of my absolute favorite cross fit workouts and I'd forgotten just how much I love it. It's tough and even I'll admit I'm a little sore this morning... but only a little. ;)

5. I've been complaining for the last few days about not having a "routine" right now because of the snow days and how I'm ready to get back to normal but then I realized that, well, I've now got a new routine and it's going to be so hard to get back to regular schedule! I wake up, shower, leisurely have breakfast/watch the news, blog, blog read, head to the gym/work, etc. Do I really have to get back to waking up at 5:30am next week?! 

6. My cat is currently biting my arm as I type this. Ugh.

7. My mom's birthday was on Tuesday and I made brownies. And two of the ingredients were ice cream and hot fudge. Oh yeah--they were as good as they sound. I usually try and make clean cheats but I figured it wasn't my birthday and as much as I appreciate that kind of thing, not everyone in my family feels the same way. ha. It was a good move on my part--they were gone within seconds. 

8. I'm teaching my weekly Insanity class tonight. I always get nervous right before hand but once I get going and see people working hard, I love it. Hoping to get my personal training cert and/or group exercise cert soon so I can start teaching more! It's addicting. :)

There ya have it! Crossing my fingers that I'm back to work tomorrow! 

Have a great Thursday!

Sarah


Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Snow Day #8: Is it Spring yet?

You read that right. I'm currently in the midst of snow day #8 and as much as I'm trying to stay optimistic about the fact the sun is currently shining, I just read that we're under a winter storm watch / advisory for tonight with another 4-6 inches on the way. Yeah.

So with that in mind, I decided to stay positive today and make a list of all the things I'm looking forward to about spring/summer/warm weather/no snow.... you get the idea.


  • OUTDOOR RUNNING. This is a big one. I've been stuck indoors for far too long this winter. I can't wait to lace up my shoes and hit the pavement instead of the treadmill. Don't get me wrong, I have no issues with a treadmill, clearly, but I miss getting outside. 
  • SPARTAN RACE!!! I'm helping chaperone a school trip to Atlanta for the Spartan Sprint (did I mention my job can be pretty awesome?). I absolutely LOVE the  Spartan series and am bound and determined to get the Trifecta this year. Anyone else a Spartan fan? Anyone gotten the Trifecta?
  • Girls weekend in Asheville! Hotel has been booked, plans are being made... so exciting! My best friends and I live in different parts of VA / North Carolina so we make it a point to get together every 2-3 months or so--some good stories and lots of detoxing are always needed after we're done. :) (hey, you can't be healthy ALL the time)
  • Racing! This kind of goes along with outdoor running but I'm making it it's own bullet point because, well, I can. I always get withdrawals starting around February 1st. I love competing, I love the atmosphere, and I love just hanging out with fellow runners. I miss my crew! Not to mention I'm really looking forward to running the Kentucky Derby Half. I've heard a lot of awesome things about this race--any else doing this one?
  • The end of the school year. I don't mean this in a bad way whatsoever but I always love the excitement of graduation/the end of the year. After spring break, things get insane and as stressful as it can be, I love every minute of it. This year will be a little different as I'm not directly working with students but I'm still looking to it!
  • Easter Candy. DUH. Mini Cadbury Eggs are MONEY.
  • More sunlight! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I'm going to be when I get done teaching my Thursday night Insanity class and it will be LIGHT OUTSIDE.
  • Florida in May! My boss & I just got approved to travel to a fitness conference in Orlando in early May and I'm so stoked! I'm not sure that we'll get to go to any amusement parks but who cares. It's freaking Florida. 
  • Marathon Training! Enough said. :) I'm so beyond stoked to run my first 26.2. Is anyone else doing Richmond in November?
Okay, I feel better already. Bring it on snow!

What are you looking forward to?!

Sarah

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Tuesdays on the Run

So... snow day #7 today. Yeah.

And did I mention that it's snowing again out there right now? I'm crossing my fingers that we'll be back on a normal schedule tomorrow. Everyone is like, "OMG--I'm so jealous!" and I'm over here like, "I just want my routine back!". Ugh.

But that's a good segue to today's topic on Tuesdays on the Run.

STAYING MOTIVATED.

I'll be the first to admit that the past week it's been hard. There's been 20+ inches of snow on the ground, a few days the temp was well below 0, there was a flood warning at one point.. but I'm proud to say that I've hit over 20,000+ steps every. single. day.

So how did I do it?

Here's my list!

1. It's my passion. I generally love health & wellness, I love being active, I love running, I love everything about it. Obviously there are days when I love it more than others (ha) but for the most part, it's my "me" time.


2. I know what it's like to be inactive. One day I'll talk about my "story" but in high school, I was 200lbs+. I hated running. I hated working out. I lived off of fast food, ice cream, chocolate, cake, sweets--it was a time in my life that I don't want to go back to. And it's not that I was unhappy because of my body because to be honest, I wasn't. But I've always been an athlete and I wanted to show the world that I could do so much more.

3. Bragging Rights. Let's be honest. Some times it's just about being able to say, "hey, guess what I did?!"

4. Good music/tv shows. When I'm prepping for a long run, I load up my iTunes with music that gets me pumped! Or, if it's on a treadmill, I'll pick a time to run when I know there's a good block of TV shows on (ha).

5. Find a good/reliable workout partner. My workout partner is my boss! We push each other and keep each other accountable. On the days that I don't feel like working out, she's the one who gets me up and out the door. And the days she's like, "nah" I remind her of our goals.

6. Seeing results. When you start seeing results from all of your hard work, the motivation to keep pushing is easy to find.


7. Find a workout that YOU love. So many times people come up to me and tell me how much they hate working out and don't know how I do it. I ask them what they're doing and more often than not, their response is running. Well.. easy, don't run! ha. Just because it works for me, doesn't mean it will work for you. There are sooooo many options out there and you need to find the one that works for you. Zumba? Crossfit? Pilates? Yoga? Find something that makes you want to get out the door and to the gym.

8. Pick something to train for! I'm getting ready to start marathon training! Obviously, you don't have to do something that extreme but sign up for a Cross Fit competition or a Spartan race--I promise it will motivate you to get out the door.

That's my list and I'm sticking to it. :)

How do you stay motivated?! 

Here's to hoping tomorrow isn't snow day #8....

Sarah

Monday, February 23, 2015

Weekend Update

Linking up with Running 'n' Reading today for my weekend update!


Running 'N' Reading

This weekend was..... dictated by weather, of course. We haven't had a "real" winter yet this year but I guess mother nature decided she would just dump it all on us at once?!

Friday I was off of work, again. After five days off, all of my days pretty much run together but I'm going to assume that I went and ran, lifted, lounged around, and ate some healthy food. Yep, I think so. 

Friday night Peter & I had a surprise party for one of his co-workers to go to. It was so much fun! I honestly think it was probably the first "real" surprise party I've ever been to. He was in total shock. Even more so when a few of his buddies from the Marines drove several, SEVERAL hours to be there. It was awesome to watch. It was a much needed night out after being stuck inside for so long!


Saturday was.. interesting. There was a winter storm warning for our area calling for 3-5 inches of new snow (on top of the 12+ we already had) but.... we got much, MUCH more. Peter & I decided to hit the gym before it got too bad but even that was a bad move. We got in and in the hour that we were there, a good 6+ inches fell. I've lived here my entire life and I've never seen anything like it. Well, not lately anyway. 



The picture above is from the indoor pool--the snow was literally half way up the wall and almost to the roof. 

The snow continued until around 3pm on Saturday and then turned to rain, which made it even worse. We actually went from a winter storm warning to a flood warning in a matter of hours. There was no going anywhere Saturday. It was pretty devastating to our area--several businesses and buildings lost their roofs, there was localized flooding--they actually called out the National Guard yesterday and declared a local state of emergency. Insane.

Luckily Sunday, things were SLIGHTLY better. Roads were mostly clear so I continued my normal Sunday morning tradition of hitting the gym for a long-ish run while watching some of my favorite Food Network shows (ha, I'm such a nerd). I got in 9.6 miles at about an 8 minute pace with some speed work mixed in so I was happy. Several people on my Instagram feed ran the Disney Princess Half yesterday and now I'm ITCHING to run a race. There's a 10 miler next weekend about an hour away from me so I may drop in on that, we'll see. These legs are ready to go! 

Sunday afternoon, we got the call that we'd be closed again TODAY (!) so my normal Sunday afternoon/evening routine wasn't quite as structured as normal. I did a bit of meal prep (as in, I made more cookie dough dip), I went back to the gym and walked a mile or so while Peter got in a workout (he slept in yesterday morning), and then we came home and watched a few episodes of Sons of Anarchy (trying to get into it) and had dinner. So, all in all, a low key Sunday but no complaints. 

So, there you have it. Not a terribly exciting weekend but not too bad, right? Today I'm heading in to work because I have GOT to get some things done! I can't believe I haven't been in over a week! Here's to hoping mother nature calms down a bit. 

Have a great Monday!

Sarah

Friday, February 20, 2015

Friday Favorites

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Okay, normally by the time that Friday comes around, I'm all like, TGIF and YEAHHHHH it's Friday.

Today? I'm like, can we go back to a normal schedule now? Ha.

Linking up with VA Bloggers this week!

Friday Favorites:

1. Weather aside, I've had some really good runs and workouts this week. When it's -15, there's snow on the ground, and you aren't one to sit still, you go get active. Even better? We've been on an altered schedule at the gym so I've been able to get in some alone time, which is my favorite. Not many people get personal access to a multi-million dollar gym. ;) I think I've even convinced Peter to come with me today!



2. THE BLACKLIST. AHHHHH!! We finally finished season 1 and it's so stinking good! I'm assuming season 2 is just now on NBC so I'm now frantically searching for a way to catch up!! Is it on HULU?? Does anyone else watch? (Clearly when I say obsessed, I mean it, ha.)

3. This pin. It's on the background of pretty much every piece of electronic equipment I know. I've never been so focused on my goals in my life. I'm finally starting to see the bigger picture--all of the small things I've been working toward are starting to meld together into one big thing and it's awesome. So what I didn't have it together in my early 20's--I get "it" now. ;) (I'll elaborate more when things become clearer.... ;))

4. I finally got a new pair of Black TOMS this week! Zulilly had an awesome sale on Tuesday I think? Anyway, I've pretty much destroyed my black glitter TOMS from wearing them so much and have been putting off buying a new pair... until now.

(Really stretching here to find 5 favorites of this week, clearly, ha)

5. I don't say this enough but this week, my husband is making the list. I'm not sure how I got so lucky but man, I did. :) Although he doesn't like to admit it, he has a HUGE heart. And he's willing to do whatever he has to to make sure I reach my dreams/goals. I'm so thankful that I walked into that boot camp class several years ago... and even more thankful that I finally gave him a shot a year later. It was the best decision of my life, by far.

Flashback Friday from a rainy day in New Orleans :)

Happy Friday ya'll! I guess I'll go enjoy the remainder of my "free" week.

Sarah

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Thursdays are for...

More Snow?

Just kidding.

Thursdays are for Thinking Out Loud!



1. Snow day #4 here. I don't remember EVER getting out 4 days in a row when I was in college. EVER! We're still opening the gym up everyday on a limited schedule but there's not a lot of work that can be done while the rest of campus is closed. We SHOULD be open again tomorrow but who knows at this point.


2. It's like, -4 degrees outside right now and the wind chill is -1390813098134. For real? I live in Virginia, not the arctic.

3. On the bright side, I've gotten some really good runs in on the treadmill this week. I've ran way too much but it is what it is. I've got so much energy from being stuck inside all day! Is it spring yet?



4. Speaking of exercise, I tested out a round of Insanity last night in my living room. With the Food Network on. Have I mentioned that I do some of my best work while watching that channel?! Needless to say, it was a good workout and my class tonight's going to be fun. ;)

5. Peter & I are THIS close to being done with season 1 of The Blacklist. We have one episode left and then I'm not quite sure what we're going to do with our life. Any suggestions?

6. I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL THE KENTUCKY DERBY HALF.  Yep, that excited.

7. My obsession with PB2 is at an all time high. We're not talking about how many jars I've gone through that last 4 days......

8. I mentioned yesterday how I wasn't sore after doing incline bench for the first time in a long time. Yep, just kidding. I did my 50 pushups yesterday like I do everyday and totally felt it.


Happy Thursday!

Sarah

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Today I Must Confess

New linkup today. Snow days aren't exactly ideal for inspiration.

Today I must confess...

...that I'm the worst at relaxing. Snow day #3 and I'm over it.

...our cat is in heat and driving Peter & I crazy. TMI???

...that I bought M&M's on Sunday, ate about 5, and realized I didn't even want/crave them. Win?

...that I signed up for my fourth half marathon yesterday. I'll be running the Kentucky Derby half in April!

...that I did incline bench yesterday for the first time in forever and feel surprisingly good this morning. I kind of figured I'd be super sore.

...that all of this snow has caused me to run way too many miles this week. Whoops.

...that in the midst of this snow, I'm really missing my honeymoon.


...that I need a change. Not sure what yet.. but feeling a little stifled.

...that even though we're closed, I'm heading into work to workout. Go figure. ;)

...that I'm more than slightly obsessed with Advocare's O2 Gold & the meal replacement shakes. You have no idea.



Making Melissa

 Happy Wednesday!

Sarah

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

TOTR

It's time for another Tuesday's on the Run! This week's topic is one of my favorites: treadmill running.



I know, I know. This is a sore subject for many runner's. Some love it. Some hate it. Some think you're not a real runner if you run on the treadmill. I get it.

So where do I stand?

Well, I'm a runner. I do what I have to do to run. Period. And to be completely honest, I think treadmills can be a great training tool. Not only that but I'll be the first to admit that I HATE running in cold weather. HATE IT! And whereas that may make me a wimp, it doesn't mean I'm not a runner. 


I know others aren't as lucky to have state of the art treadmills at their fingertips like I do (perks of the job!) but even so, running on a treadmill is all about tricking your mind to just do it. I come in every morning before work and get anywhere from 4-10 miles in before stepping foot into my office. Some days it's awesome. Some days it sucks. Some days it flies by and others I'm doing every mind trick I know possible to get the clock to tick just a little bit faster. The point is, I'm running. And when I get outside, I haven't lost my "mojo" and my long runs don't seem quite as long, which is nice. 

People always ask me how I can run on the treadmill for so long without dying of boredom and I have a few tricks up my sleeve. 

1. Pick a good workout and you won't notice the longevity of your run. If I'm not doing a long run, I'll find some fun speed workouts to do. This keeps my mind focused on those 2-3 minutes at a time and not the bigger picture. One of my favorites is one I found on pinterest a few years ago. It's a one minute fast paced walk, 30 second jog, and one minute full on sprint. Repeat as many times as you want. I typically make it a full on hour but you don't have to.

2. Like I said, I have really awesome treadmills at my disposal and one of the cool features on ours is a goal setting tool. If you're going after a goal, it makes it a little easier to get on there day after day. 

3. TV! Ha. Okay, I won't lie. This is my biggest not-so-secret. On the weekends when I do my really long runs/workouts, I check ahead and see what's going to be on TV. I love the Food Network (ha) and always schedule my workouts around a good block of shows. It breaks everything down into 30 minute blocks and commercial breaks. Weird but it works for me.

So, these are my tips. Not mind blowing by any means but they work for me. :) 

What are some of your tricks and tips for running on treadmills?

Happy Tuesday!

Sarah

PS--we got another snow day! :) Now.. if I can just figure out a way to get to the gym and get on the treadmill..... ;)

Monday, February 16, 2015

SNOW DAY!

I'll post about the weekend festivities (or lack thereof) tomorrow.

But until then it's a........

SNOW DAY! 



Sarah

Friday, February 13, 2015

Friday Favorites

Another weekly rendition... ;)
THanks for the link-up, Clare! Also linking up with Virginia Bloggers today!

1. Friday the 13th! This day holds a special day in my heart because Peter & I got engaged on Friday the 13th--it was December but still. I was watching the Today Show this morning and another couple got engaged... well, at least I think they did. Our local news cut in right before the guy popped the question! Sheesh.



2. My Thursday night Insanity class. I'm always worried my regulars are going to quit coming but so far, so good! I'm starting to get more and more confident teaching! When I first started, I had maybe 2-3 people come and now I'm up to almost 20! It's a tough class but we get a lot done in a short amount of time. Last night when I was coming up with the moves for class, I had a brain fart and didn't think about some of the combos we were doing. Needless to say, we did a LOT of legs. ha.

3. Kids Baking Championship on Food Network. Umm, hello, we all know I'm obsessed with the Food Network and baking so naturally, this combination is going over well for me. ha. These kids are super talented and I'm so jealous they get to bake with Duff.

4. A very random throwback Tuesday.. sort of. The current alumni chair of my sorority asked the alumni to send her pictures for a slideshow they are doing for our Founder's day event coming up so people were tagging old pictures left and right. It brought back sooooo many good memories! Icluding the one below--it was Greek week and the theme was Nickelodeon. So duh, I had to dress up as Quailman. (FYI--we won ;))



5. Valentine's Day Weekend! Okay, not a lot going on in our household since Peter works and he's on Advocare. I'm still trying to come up with some kind of "surprise" though! Any ideas?! I'd like to make him an Advocare friendly treat but he's one of those weirdos who doesn't really like chocolate so my chickpea cookie dough dip and cookie dough bars (still freaking obsessed btw) won't cut it. He likes lemon (eww) and cheesecake (ehh) but again.. finding Advocare friendly recipes is the key. Hopefully I can come up with something!

Have a wonderful, love filled weekend!

Sarah

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Thinking Out Loud

Thinking Out Loud...

1. I'm almost out of Advocare chocolate meal replacement shakes and haven't had a chance to order any online yet. Life could be over this weekend.

2. Valentine's Day is 2 days away and Peter & I haven't made any plans. Or even talked about it. Whoops. But then again, it's just a day, right? (Although I wouldn't mind flowers and chocolate.... just saying.)

3. I want snow. Period.

4. I took this picture of myself yesterday and kind of felt pretty hardcore. And like my hard work is paying off.


5. I'm so stoked for March! Spartan Race + weekend with my best friends back to back = PERFECT.

6. Completely obsessed with my Fitbit already. I've logged 25,000+ steps everyday this week.

7. .... I may or may not still be wearing my Nike Fuel Band too.....

8. Speaking of obsessions, I've pretty much lived off chickpeas lately. I've made cookie dough dip, blondies, hummus..... it's getting kind of ridiculous how much I've used them lately. BUT EVERYTHING IS SO GOOD!

9. We had a committee meeting at work on Tuesday that consisted of trying out mexican food for a banquet we're doing in the spring. Needless to say, best. meeting. ever. And I may or may not have had like, 4 soapapilla cheesecake bars. Gains, right???

10. I was at work for 14 hours yesterday. And still up this morning at 5:30am for my workout. SPARK IS MY BEST FRIEND.

That's all folks.

Sarah

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

5 Things That Are Awesome now that I'm 28

I was inspired by an article that Clare from Fitting It All in posted on her blog. It was an article about 10 things that become more awesome when you get old(er). 

1. Early morning workouts. This. is. everything. I can remember in college waking up on Saturday mornings, or any morning for that matter, presumably with a hangover of some sort, and thinking "there's absolutely no way you'll ever get me to work out before noon. EVER." Can we just talk about how much this has changed? Early morning workouts are my ABSOLUTE favorite now. Who needs coffee when you can go and get a 7-8 mile run in before work?!? And don't even get me started on Saturday & Sunday morning runs/workouts. I LIVE FOR THESE! I'm not rushed, I can relax, and to be honest, most of the time I do all this while watching The Food Network and thinking about how awesome it would be to come home and have a big plate of chocolate cookies. As Ina Garten would say, "How fabulous is that?"

2. A clean house. We're not even going to talk about how much I hated cleaning up until about 6 years ago when I moved out on my own. I feel like if I have a clean house, I can pretty much conquer the world.

3. A lower than expected water/power bill. Ha. You can't tell me this isn't awesome. My parents paid my bills through college so leaving a light on? Pssh, no biggie. Doing loads upon loads of laundry weekly? Ahh, whatever. Air conditioner on 24/7 during the summer? So what? Now...... we may freeze at night during the winter but hello, totally worth it when the bill comes.

4. Coupons/Wal-Mart Savings Catcher/any other way that I can save money when grocery shopping. Let's be honest--when you start the commitment to eating healthier, the grocery bill can and probably will go up. Way up. I'm now in the "heck yeah I'm clipping coupons" category. And since I live in a SMALL town, Wal-Mart is one of our only options for grocery shopping so I've turned into a Savings Catcher FIEND. I love scanning my receipt... and my family's receipts... and receipts I may or may not find laying on the ground. I'm officially up to $20 and although that may not seem like much, it's money that I'll be able to get back in my pocket when the time comes (my goal is at least $50.... it could take a while).

5. Going to be at 9pm. I'm not going to say much about this other than, 1) I'm a grandma and 2) I don't even care. I love it. And I've officially turned into the, "we're going to start a movie THIS late??" person. Referring back to #1, when you're up at 5:30am for workouts, going to be early is CRUCIAL. No shame in my game. If you're asking me to do something past 9 on week nights, this girl will more than likely turn you down.

There you have it. My list. I could go on and on an on but we'll just start with 5. :)

Have a great Wednesday!

Sarah

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Tuesdays on the Run

Found a new linkup that's pretty perfect for my blog. Why? It's all about running, duh! :)



Today's topic? All about the best fitness apps.

Here are some of my favorites that I use every. single. day.

1. My Fitness Pal.

This is a no brainer. I'm not on a diet by any means but do  like to track what I'm eating. This makes it so incredibly easy. I also love how it integrates into not only my new Fitbit app but also my iPhone 6 health kit.

2. Nike Run. 

I use this for every single run that I do. I've found that it's pretty accurate (even on the treadmill) and it's great for keeping up with total mileage monthly and weekly. And if you're competitive (like me), you can compete with your friends for most mileage in a month....... not that I do that or anything...


3. WOD Box.

I like this one because 1) it's got a GREAT database of workouts (mostly crossfit style) and 2) it's got built in timers--AMRAP, Tabata, etc.

4. Photofy. 

Let's be honest--if you don't post your workout photo to Instagram, it didn't happen, right? I love this app because of all of the fitness related stickers/themes! I've used it a TON lately. Most everything on it is FREE (always nice) and it's SUPER cute.



What are you favorite fitness apps?!

Sarah

Monday, February 9, 2015

Birthday Weekend

Well, I'm officially 28. And two days in, it's not so bad after all. I haven't broken a hip (yet), I haven't forgotten anything TOO important, and to be honest, I feel pretty darn good! I was thinking back to my 18th birthday and how exciting that was but I have to admit, 28 feels much better. In fact, my 28 year old self could totally kick my 18 year old's butt. I'm in the best shape of my life, I have more energy than ever before, and life. although crazy and unpredictable, is pretty fantastic. Do I wish I knew what I was doing? ALL the time. But right now, I'm just enjoying going with the flow for once. (Let'st just hope I'm this optimistic when I'm 30. Or God forbid, 38)

And now, a picture dump. Because Monday's are crazy.

Take that 18 year old Sarah. 

Weather was AWESOME for my birthday so of COURSE I had to run! 9 miles in the books!

Scenery from my run. Umm, can I move here?

My "cake". I wanted to indulge but not TOO much so my  mom made this awesome, semi-healthy pie! It was delicious. I may or may not have had 6 slices..... hello, cheat day!

Props to my niece for helping me blow out the candles. 

That's right--I'm officially team Fitbit! 

Bring it on 28.

Sarah

Friday, February 6, 2015

Friday Favorites

It's been a long, LONG week and I'm so glad it's FINALLY Friday! I'm taking the day off from work--my birthday is tomorrow so I'm treating myself for once! :)

Friday Favorites

1. The Black List. Okay, I know I'm so far behind the times it's not even funny but Peter & I started watching on Netflix this week and we are both obsessed! I don't really have time to keep up with TV shows on a regular basis so I'm always like, 3 seasons off on everything. Anyway, this show is GOOD. We've been averaging around 2 episodes a night so, not too shabby! I cannot WAIT to see what happens!

2. Finding some killer new (to me) blogs to read! I'm especially obsessed over Peanut Butter Runner's workout page. I plan on adding several of those into my routine next week! I love finding people out there with a passion for health & wellness like me! I'm just starting my professional journey so it's fun to find those who have been doing it for a while now. And I always love a good running blog. ALWAYS. 

3. I'm going to be a Spartan.. AGAIN! I'm heading to Atlanta a month from tomorrow to participate in the Atlanta Sprint! I absolutely LOVE Spartan Races and out of all the obstacle races I've done (Tough Mudder, Rugged Maniac, Go Dirty Girl..), it is by FAR my favorite. I love that it not only incorporates obstacles but also has fitness challenges mixed in. It's TOUGH and I definitely felt accomplished after completing last year's Charlotte sprint. If you ever get a chance to do a spartan, don't pass it up! It's so worth it.


4. Again, my workouts this week. I've had some great runs, awesome WODS, and feel like I'm making progress toward my goals. This is a lame one but when you feel good about what you're doing, gosh darn it you just have to tell the world. And my main boss (umm, the Chancellor of our College) sent me a birthday card and totally wrote #beastmode. So that was pretty awesome.

5. BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!! I have no plans other than an 8-9 mile run tomorrow morning OUTSIDE (YES!) and watching Louisville play UVA tomorrow night. And that's perfectly okay with me. I requested an awesome salad bar for dinner and this pie. 27, you've been good to me (re: too good) but 28... let's do this.

Have a great weekend! And GO CARDS!

Sarah

Thursday, February 5, 2015

So, this is pretty fun.

Saw this on another blog and loved it.

Happy Thursday!

1. Something you will...

refuse to do for the rest of you life:  smoke. settle. 

always do forever: love peter. follow my dreams. 

2. Something you think is... 

certifiably disgusting: hair. like, loose hair. i find it absolutely repulsing. kind of weird, but it is what it is. ha.

absolutely amazing: love. probably because growing up, i never thought i'd get married. like, ever. it was never part of the plan and i certainly didn't think i'd be the first in my group of friends to walk down the aisle. it's absolutely mind blowing to me. but i'm thankful every morning when i wake up that i found "the one". even if we do drive each other absolutely crazy sometimes. ;)



3. A compliment you've been given that's made you...

feel on top of the world: how much i've changed since high school. since high school, i've lost over 60 pounds, gotten in great shape, and really figured my life out. i have dreams, goals, and ambitions now that i'm going to fight like hell to achieve. i'm pretty darn proud of that. 

pretty upset: i'm a workaholic. ahh. i love my job, i love helping people get fit, i love BEING in this business. i do work a lot but when you do what you love, it's never truly working. i'll admit, i need to be better about scheduling "me" time and letting work go on the weekends/night.. but i'll figure it out eventually. 

4. A name you...
hate: Christine--my middle name. I've hated this name since kindergarten and for the absolute most ridiculous. reason. ha. there was a girl in kindergarten that was annoying and no one liked and well, her name was christine. ever since then, i've associated my middle name with her and..... here i am today. i'm a terrible person. 

love:  SS. this was my nickname all through college and every time someone calls me that, i think about all of the awesome times my best friends and i had... and all of the stupid, crazy, insane things we did. :) man, some days i REALLY miss college!

5. Something people say about you that you...

know is entirely false: 
i'm intimidating? i had no idea about this one until recently. i'm a runner and win quite a few races around my area. before a race, i'm totally focused. i don't talk to anyone, i do my own thing, and try to get my head in the zone. and apparently that intimidates others. now i know. 

think is on point: i'm overly competitive. this is so true it's not even funny. whenever i do anything, i wanna be the best. period. and duh, i wanna win! 

winning the "conch blowing" competition on our honeymoon

winning one of many races this year


6. A taste you...

can't stand: baked apples. cheesecake. 

can't get enough of: CHOCOLATE. to say i'm a chocoholic would be a major understatement. if i could eat pretzel m&m's for the rest of my life and gain weight, you better believe i would.
7. A song you always...
turn off immediately: anything Katy Perry. sorry. i'm sure i just pissed off a lot of people in the blogosphere. ha

belt out the lyrics to:  "Power" by Kanye. this was my JAM in college. 

8. Animal you...
fear: dogs not on a leash. runner's WORST nightmare.

need in your life right this instant: a dog. i've never had one--we've always been cat people. but i wanna change that!

9. Something you...

will never ever eat: any kind of bug.. well, except for the tequillla worm on occasion. i did that a few times in college.

would eat for every meal if you were given the chance:  pretzel m&m's (see #6) and my mom's chicken enchiladas. and pizza. and warm cookies/brownies...


10. To enhance your looks you...

would love to, but would probably never resort to: nothing. i'm not vain i just think that i was born this way and there's no need to change!

just stick to:  working out, duh!

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Treadmill Tuesday

So, I'll be honest. You'll find a LOT of runner's out there who are totally against the treadmill. But me? It's been my saving grace lately. Of course given the choice, I'd rather run outside but working at a health & wellness facility and sometimes being at work for 12+ hours a day, having a treadmill (well, several) at my disposal, has been an absolute LIFESAVER!

I rotate in and out of a lot of treadmill workouts but this is by FAR my favorite. When I need to get some decent mileage in but need a break from the monotony, this is my go-to routine.



A few of my other tips for treadmill runs?

-if you have the option, take the workout time off of the treadmill! It will drive you crazy!
-if you're lucky enough to run on treadmills with a tv attachment, find a show you like and run during the show, walk during the commercials
-do an interval workout! This ALWAYS makes time fly when I'm running.

Don't ever let anyone make you feel bad about running on a treadmill! :)

Happy Tuesday!

Sarah

Monday, February 2, 2015

Monday, Funday

Happy Monday everyone!
Brain dump today!

Not much news to report on my end. I had a pretty low-key weekend, which I'm totally okay with. About the most I did was go for a couple of nice long-ish runs Saturday and Sunday morning. Otherwise, I relaxed a WHOLE lot--something I normally don't get to do during the week.

On Friday, I made this cookie dough dip and it was so, so SO good! I highly recommend it and will most definitely be making it again. I also made roasted red pepper hummus yesterday and I'm pretty proud of how that turned out too. I've been trying to do more around the kitchen in 2015 and so far, so good. I can now cook a mean chicken breast, let me tell you. (That's how helpless I usually am--luckily I have an amazing husband who loves to be in the kitchen!)

Saturday I watched the Louisville-Carolina game--it was AWESOME! My boys came back from being 18 down to win in OT! Love exciting games like that! I'm hoping the birthday fairy will produce tickets to this Saturday's game at UVA. If I have to ring in the year 28, might as well do it watching my Cards play, right? Riiiiiiight.

Speaking of my birthday, I'm hoping to get the new Fitbit Surge tracker. I'm kind of obsessed. I've had my Nike Fuelband for about 2 years now and although I love it, I'm ready to join the rest of the world. The surge looks like a good fit for me--it has a GPS tracker in addition to the new HR monitor feature and of course, step tracker. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

And finally, the Super Bowl. Although I'm not really a football fan (unless Louisville is playing), I have to admit, I watched the game in it's entirety. If a football game can keep my attention, then you know it's a good one. I can't say I was really pulling for one team or the other but I've always liked Tom Brady so I guess I'm glad New England won. And my favorite commercials of the night? Of course the #LikeaGirl campaign from Always--I've seen this one before but I loved that they played it during the middle of the Super Bowl. And then I was STOKED to see this one from Reebok--it made me want to go out and run 8 more miles in addition to the 8 I ran yesterday morning. It's my mentality down to a T.



#BeMoreHuman today.

Have a great Monday!

Sarah