Sarah's on the Run: Friday Favorites

I have to be honest--I love sunshine but man, sometimes it's pretty great to have just a classic, old school, rainy day. I seem to be the most productive when it rains so hopefully that holds true today--I've got a LOT of work to do!

Before I get to work though, I'm linking up with Heather, Jill, and the Virginia Bloggers for my Friday Favorites!

1. Okay, okay... I'm like a broken record on this one but my job is almost ALWAYS one of my favorites because each week it brings something new and exciting! I feel so blessed to come into work each day and do what I love and this week was no exception. Yesterday I had the opportunity to go workout with 60+ kids and it was AMAZING. I always feel like I'm terrible with kids but man... they were so much fun! I had a blast, they had a blast... I think we may be asked back. ;) And on Wednesday, I took my Power Hour class outside and did some OCR type exercises (walls, tire flips, stadiums, etc) and they absolutely KILLED it. These ladies are all a little older than me but man, I felt like a proud parent. They've been with me since the beginning of summer and I've grown to absolutely love this class and my core group in it. They inspire me each and every week.

2. This one is along the same lines of my first favorite but I just HAD to single it out because it basically made my entire week. After our workout with the kids yesterday, a boy around the age of 7 came up and started talking to me and as he was leaving he told me "I'm pretty sure you're stronger than my dad." hahahaha. BEST. COMPLIMENT. EVER.

It's not #flexfriday yet and I'm losing muscle tone with marathon training but you know what? After working out with a group of kids today, one of them told me I was "stronger than his dad" so who cares? 😏😊😁💪🏻👊🏻 #strong #fit #fitfam #fitness #igfit #instafit #fitfluential #instafitness #likeagirl #bemorehuman #unstoppable #fitgirl #fitlife #fitchick #muscles #marathontraining #runner

A photo posted by Sarah Smith Carlson (@sarahc33) on Sep 24, 2015 at 5:00pm PDT

3. I mentioned them last week but the sweet potato brownies I've been making are FREAKING DELICIOUS! Seriously! And fyi--they are ESPECIALLY good when you heat them up and add artic zero ice cream.. and chickpea cookie dough dip... just sayin'. I got the recipe from here but made a few changes based on the ingredients I have in my kitchen. I subbed honey for the maple syrup, used PB2 instead of cashew butter, added a few chocolate chips (duh), and added a tad bit of splenda. If you have some extra sweet potatoes laying around (and let's be honest, if you're a runner/healthy living blogger/smart person) you have some in your kitchen. ;)

4. I posted the picture below on my instagram feed the other day but had to share here too. Three years ago this week I ran my first half marathon... and legitimately hated every minute of it. I got to mile 10 and was basically cursing any and everything in sight. And not to mention my body was not happy. I finished in 2:28 minutes. Three years and 4 half marathons later, I made #5 that very same race. This year I finished in 1:42 and have a half marathon PR of 1:36. I love this sport even on the days I hate it. It's taught me so much about myself and given me the confidence to achieve things in all areas of my life.

3 years ago I ran my first half! It was TERRIBLE!! I ran it in 2:28 and hated every minute of it. At mile 10 I swore I would never run distance again. Flash forward to today and my half PR is 1:36, I've ran 5 and I'm less than 2 months away from my first Full. Funny how things change. 😏👊🏻 #run #racing #runner #runchat #runners #running #runhappy #instarun #instarunner #instafit #runlikeagirl #likeagirl #unstoppable #bemorehuman #igrun #igrunners #runrichmond #marathon #marathontraining

A photo posted by Sarah Smith Carlson (@sarahc33) on Sep 23, 2015 at 6:40am PDT

5. Speaking of throwbacks, this time last year I was just about a week out from my wedding! Next Sunday is my ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY! Can we talk about time flying?! I so wish I could go back to this day over and over and over again. :) The picture below is one of my favorites--we decided to go for the "first look" and I'm so glad we did. I remember how much it calmed my nerves seeing Peter before all of the craziness. It was such a special moment and one I'll never forget. I vividly remember thinking, "Wow, so I guess this means we're officially grown-ups now." ha. I don't know why that thought came to me but it did. I love this man.