Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! And Friday the 13th at that. I'm looking forward to a fun girls weekend but wanted to pop in real quick for a few of my favorites this week. :)

1. Okay, okay. I've said it a million times but.. it's FINALLY girls weekend! I'm going to go and get a quick workout in this morning, do some laundry, and then head to Asheville! Lucky for me, it's only 2.5 hours away so not a terrible trip. :) Any recommendations for what to do while we're there? I've been a few times but not since I was a junior in college so it's been a year.. or four. 

From St. Patty's Day weekend last year

2. I've had some killer workouts this week, especially yesterday. I came up with my own treadmill interval workout and it was legit. I've gotten into this routine where I get into the gym in the morning and just run--no pace change, no incline change, just run. SO, yesterday I had fun and played around a bit. My legs felt great so I ran at my (hopeful) marathon pace for 38 minutes--hovering between 8-8:15/mile. I then took 2 minutes off to walk, and then for the remainder of the hour, I full out sprinted two minutes, jogged 2 minutes, sprinted 2 minutes, jogged 2 minutes, and then walked 2 minutes. It was a great workout and really made the time pass. I will be adding this into my routine from here on out. Not to mention that it's time to get back outside again! :) I've been waaaaay to dependent on the treadmill this winter. 

3. Arctic Zero Cookie Shake ice cream + calorie free chocolate syrup = happy Sarah. I added some chunks of my homemade protein bars last night and it was probably the best decision I made all week. I'm still on the hunt for the chocolate chip cookie dough version....

4. I'm trying not to get TOO far ahead but I have some fun trips coming up in April/beginning of May and it's hard not to! The Kentucky Derby half, potentially going to VA Beach with Peter for a work conference he's going to, and then Florida for a fitness conference with my boss! So stoked! I'm especially excited for Florida because afterward, I'll be a certified personal trainer....... which means I REALLY need to start studying. 

5. My final favorite for this week is exactly what I'm doing right now--a relaxing morning in, watching the news, enjoying my Advocare MRS, and planning for this weekend. Funnily enough, after all of those snow days, I'm really missing this time right now. Go figure, right? 

I hope everyone has a FABULOUS weekend! Can't wait to share all of the shenanigans from this weekend (or as many as I can...) on Monday.

Sarah

Thinking Out Loud

Woo hoo! It's finally Thursday! Time to do a little thinking out loud...

1. I haven't had a full week of work in almost a MONTH. Crazy, I know. This week is spring break so the powers that be always give us Friday off. Awesome right? I guess I TECHNICALLY was on the clock all weekend but come on. Running a Spartan Race while doing so? My job is awesome. ;)

2. I'm heading to Asheville tomorrow for our girls weekend! I'm so beyond excited it's not even funny. We're running a fun St. Patty's day race on Saturday morning so I'm working on getting a killer costume together. And by killer, I mean I bought a funny St. Patrick's Day Shirt, some socks, and a headband. Never said I was creative. 

3. I've GOT to start doing more sprint workouts. GOT TO. I've been in a rut lately and just doing a lot of distance because it's easy (ha) but need to get my butt in gear. I did a killer interval workout on the treadmill this morning and felt great so that's my motivation moving forward. Anyone else have motivation issues when it comes to speed work?

4. I need to make this recipe, STAT. 

5. I think my coworker has talked me into doing another Tough Mudder. Might as well, right? It's no Spartan but it was still pretty fun last summer. I think we're going to do the one in Kentucky in June. Anyone else doing a Tough Mudder or Spartan this summer? I'm still dead set on doing the VA Super in August. I'm debating on trying to sign up for the 12 hour Hurricane Heat because it sounds AWESOME. 

6. I really, really, REALLY want to try the new Artic Zero flavors, specifically the cookie dough! My Wal-Mart sells Artic Zero surprisingly but I haven't seen the new stuff in yet... and I've been stalking hardcore. Ha. Maybe I can find them in Asheville?!

7. It's going to be 60 degrees and sunny here today. Spring fever, HELLO. After all of the snow we've had the last 3 weeks, I'm so beyond ready for some great weather. Not to mention, I'm ready to start taking most of my runs outside! :) 

Not much thinking going on in my brain this week but hope you enjoyed. :)

Have a great Thursday!

Sarah 

AROO!

Happy Tuesday!

After a long trip home yesterday, I'm back from my Spartan weekend in Atlanta. And it was INCREDIBLE! This was my second Spartan Sprint and certainly not my last. It was brutal, inspiring, fun, crazy, hectic, challenging... pretty much any adjective you can think of. Spartan has definitely stepped up their game this year.

We didn't race until 2:30pm on Saturday so by that point, weather was pretty good. Not TERRIBLY chilly thankfully--lower 60's and sunny. We ate lunch at Panera before hand and it was CLUTCH. I went into this year's race thinking it wouldn't be "too" bad since I never remembered feeling super tired after Charlotte last year... yeah. I was wrong.

The race was held at a horse park right outside of Atlanta and it was a killer course. Super hilly--more so than I expected. By the time we got out of the gate, I was pumped and ready to go. I ended up running the entire thing with my co-worker and we killed it. We had a great pace going and only stopped when there was a backlog at some of the obstacles. I won't go into too much detail just because words can't do this race justice. At least not mine. ;) I will say that we literally climbed a cliff (seriously) and that probably the most grueling obstacle of the day was one where you filled a bucket up with gravel and walked straight up this GIGANTIC hill and then back down and around. It was one of those obstacles where you feel pretty darn proud that you made it.


I have to say that I'm super proud of myself and all of the progress I've made in a year's time. I thought I was strong and in good shape last year but I still  had trouble with some of the strength obstacles, specifically pulling myself up a wall. This year, you better believe I was hauling butt over those things. And it felt GOOD.

We ended up finishing in around 1:40 which at first, I was a little disappointed with because it was slower than my time last year but then I realized a) this course was a LOT harder than Charlotte and b) there was a bit of a log jam towards the end so we lost some time there.

Out of all the mud / obstacle runs I've done, Spartan is BY FAR my favorite. It's in my opinion the most challenging--it REALLY pushes you to your limits. And not only that, the Spartan community is AWESOME. I can't tell you how many incredible people I met this weekend!

On Sunday, our group volunteered from 6am-7pm (!) and all I can say is that I definitely earned my race entry. It was HARD work--but so very rewarding. I got a chance to motivate and help other racers on the course and it was AWESOME to see people overcoming their fears and accomplishing things they weren't sure they could do. Not only that, the teamwork I saw was incredible.

It's safe to say that I'm hooked and already planning my Trifecta this year.

I know this is kind of a lame race recap but when I say there are no words that can accurately describe my experience, I mean it. It was truly a life changing weekend. I'm sure that sounds corny but when you get with a group of people who share the same passion that you do, it motivates and inspires you to push your limits beyond what you thought was possible. It was the kick in the butt I needed right now. I've felt like I was kind of in a "slump" as of late and just following the same old routine day after day without really "living". I feel alive again and let me tell you--it's a wonderful feeling.

Have you ever done a Spartan or mud/obstacle race?

Sarah

Thinking Out Loud

Happy Thursday!

Time to do some thinking out loud...

1. Not that this is really a surprise to anyone but... I have a snow day today. ha. The good news is that we did have work on regular schedule Monday & Tuesday. Yesterday we let out at 3:30pm because of flooding. Yeah. Flooding. The weather around here has been absolutely insane.

2. I'm leaving for Spartan Race tomorrow! We're taking a group of students to Atlanta to do the Sprint and I'm so unbelievably stoked! Unfortunately, it's going to be a little on the chilly side. The high is 60, the low is 33 so depending on our start time, who knows what the temp will be. Don't get me wrong, 60 degrees isn't cold by any means but when you're trekking through mud, water, and the like, it's going to get cold.. fast. Have I mentioned lately that I hate being cold?! ha.

From last year's Spartan Spring in Charlotte

3. My BFF's and I signed up to do a St. Patrick's Day race next weekend in Asheville for our girl's trip! So excited! Now I just need to come up with a fun costume... hmmm.

4. I won $150 to White Plum in a contest I entered! Umm, best day ever?! There are so many things I NEED in my closet! Decisions, decisions...

5. I'm pretty much obsessed with Luna's new Cupcake flavored bar. Has anyone else tried it? I'm totally a protein bar snob and usually stick with Quest but... these are GOOD. Totally worth checking out. None of our local grocery stores carry them (yet!) but hopefully soon?! I only have 1 left! :(

6. I desperately need help with my blog. ha. When it comes to buying a domain, designing, etc... I'm so out of the loop it's not even funny. Any tips?

7. Speaking of cupcakes. while I'm in Atlanta, Peter is heading home to Charlottesville. I'm desperately trying to convince him to bring me home a cupcake from SweetHaus. :) In particular cookie dough...... just saying.

Have a great Thursday everyone! We've almost made it to the weekend!

Sarah

What I've learned in 5 months.

Five months ago, I married my best friend.

First of all, it's hard to believe we've been married for 5 months already. I know everyone says that but it's the truth. It seems like it was yesterday that we walked down the aisle... not that I remember much because I was so nervous!
\
The main question I get asked ALL the time is, "So, how's married life?" and my answer is always that, well, it's really not that much different if I'm being honest. Peter and I lived together for 2 years before we got hitched so other than the fact we have a certificate now proving that we're together for life, it's kind of the same.

That being said, I have learned a few things in the first 5 months.

1. It's not just "my" future now.. it's "ours". Before we were married, I knew that Peter and I would be together forever but even so, my future was always singular. I always considered the fact that hey, Peter and I might not always be Peter and I. Now, the future is always "ours". When we make decisions, we make them together, especially about what paths we want to take, where we want to end up eventually, and how we want to live our lives. We don't always agree on this but we've definitely learned how to compromise and consider each other's feelings a LOT better.

2. Kids can wait. Seriously. As soon as I get asked the question about married life, typically the next question is, "So, when are you guys going to have kids?" Okay. There's absolutely nothing wrong if you want to have kids immediately. But for us, we want to enjoy being married first. We want to be established. We want to have a little more pre-kid fun. And I want to run my marathon first. ;) When the timing is right, we'll know. But... for now, we're just enjoying each other's company.

3. Just because we're newly married doesn't mean that we're pooping out rainbows 24/7. We still argue. We still disagree on many, MANY things (like how he needs to quit dipping.. gross! And how I need to get better at picking my clothes up in the bathroom!). But, we're learning to work through our differences. One our biggest re-occurring arguments is over TV. What can I say, I like watching the Food Network. A lot. ;)

FYI--Fat Tuesdays is my favorite. place. ever.

4. We still need our alone time and there's nothing wrong with that. He golfs, I run. Just because we're married doesn't mean we need to spend every waking moment together. We would for sure kill each other if that were the case. For instance, I'm going on a girls weekend trip next week and in a couple of months, he's going on a golfing trip with his buddies. And we're both totally okay with that.

5. Marriage should be FUN. Yeah, it's a serious commitment but that doesn't mean you shouldn't still have fun with your partner. We get in ruts and routines every now again where our lives basically consist of working, eating, and sleeping but that's when we take a step back and do something fun to break the monotony. Whether it be going to a movie, enjoying a drink, or taking a weekend trip... we always make sure that our marriage isn't a chore, it's a choice.

I have SOOOO much more to learn but I'm so happy I get to learn it with this guy. Happy 5 months to my best friend, my partner in crime, and my "dawg" for life. 

Sarah

TOTR

It's another edition of Tuesdays on the Run! Probably my favorite linkup since it involves, well, running. ;)

Today's topic:

What is your favorite post race treat?

This is a hard one for me, mostly because I don't know that there's one thing I REALLY gravitate toward every time. But here are a few of my favorites. 

If it's a shorter race/run, usually just a banana or an Advocare Chocolate Meal Replacement Shake. I've said it a million times before but... chocolate meal replacement shakes are my favorite! Mostly because they taste exactly like a chocolate milk shake if done right. And if you're a runner, I feel like it's almost mandatory that you enjoy bananas. Am I right? Add a big slab of PB or PB2 on there and it's moneyyyyyyy. 

Half marathon or longer? You better believe I'm treating myself. And usually it's with something chocolate. Or sweet. Because let's face it... I'm totally a dessert person. After my first half marathon, we went to IHOP for pancakes. They were delicious. Even if they did come back up a few hours later. (Was totally unprepared for my first one!)

After Tough Mudder last year, I went for a large oreo milkshake and fries from Zaxby's. So. Good. And so worth it after being out in 100 degree weather for 7 hours. #noregrets

When I (hopefully) complete my first full marathon in November, I'm not sure what I'm going to go for. But you better believe I'm already doing my research. :)

What is your favorite post run treat?!

Sarah

Simply Marvelous.

Guess who's working today?!

After 14 days of snow days, I'm FINALLY back to business... literally!

I have to admit--it was super hard setting the alarm for 5:25am this morning but now that I'm up, have my run over with, and am getting the work day started, I feel great!

In honor of the greatness, I'm linking up!

Marvelous is.... Spartan Race in Atlanta this weekend! I'm so stoked! Have I said that enough on here yet?! I've done several of the bigger obstacle races and in my opinion, Spartan is definitely the best! If I'm doing an obstacle / mud race, I want lots of obstacles/mud... not longs stretches of running. Spartan does a good job at meeting my expectations.

Marvelous is... 60 degree weather on Wednesday! After 2 weeks of snow and crap, I'm ready for it!

Marvelous is... spending last night with my niece. She's at the stage now where she is SO MUCH FUN! We have the best time. She's pretty much my best friend and I'm okay with that. ;)

child labor??! Lol

Marvelous is... getting a long run in to start the work week. I always like doing longer runs on Mondays. I think it sets the tone for the rest of the week.

Marvelous is... having pizza last night. I've been eating pretty "clean" for the last few months but snuck a few (okay, more than a few) bites of pizza last night and it was delicious.

Marvelous is... shopping! I haven't been in soooo long! We live 45-50 minutes away from the closest mall/Target (ugh, right?!) so I finally had a free day to go and I took advantage! I almost felt guilty about buying more black workout pants/capris but then... I didn't. At all. You can never have enough, right?!

Marvelous is... Advocare's Chocolate Meal Replacement Shake. Can't say it enough. SO. FREAKING. GOOD.

Marvelous is... having a husband who will drop your phone off at work because you totally forgot it in your morning rush. And who doesn't think you're weird because you ask him to bring ice cubes because it makes your Advo shakes that much better.

Marvelous is... thinking about new possibilities, the future, and reaching dreams/goals.

What's marvelous about your Monday?!

Sarah