delayed friday favorites!

totally forgot to post Friday favorites last week...so to make up for it I have several favorites for you guys today! I hope everyone had a great weekend. Did anyone else spend it in front of the TV watching the Olympics like I did. It is only day 3 of the games and I have already found myself emotional involved with all of the athletes and their stories!

1. Rowing for Cross-training

I did this on Saturday, and my arms are stilll sore. It's a great change of pace from the bike and the elliptical. Plus maybe my arms/back will start getting more toned? one can only hope.

2. The Well

a new coffee shop find in Green Hills! The inside of the shop looks like it came straight out of pinterest with great wood pallet details, funky tables, and burlap chairs.

 Plus the company plans to donate all profits made from coffee sales to organizations dedicated to helping build clean water systems throughout the globe....how cool is that??

and they have Umqua oats. only the best bfast on the planet. If you are unfamiliar with Umqua oats, become familiar. It is a great on-the-go oatmeal that  uses whole rolled oats and natural ingredients. This is the first store that I've seen in Nash that carries this product. My friend's mom used to send us a box of the oats all the way from Pittsburgh before!!

My fav. is " Time Out"

Chocolate, coconut, and peanut butter. a winning combo.

3. WATERMELON

I swear I'm going to turn into one over the next week. I stopped at the Amish produce stand and asked the guy to pick me out a good one...he delivered.

this is just half of the watermelon cut up.

the other half is having to be saved for later....anyone have any good watermelon recipes?



so far, i have devoured about half of the bowl above. i expect to be ready to cut up the remaining half on Wednesday.

a day of rest

I woke up yesterday morning feeling soooo sore. I guess 5 days of working out caught up with my legs. they literally felt like jello... it probably didn't help that I was dehydrated either. I maybe drank 48 oz of water yesterday when i normally surpass 100 oz.

it was my "rest day" on my training schedule, so i decided to take full advantage of it--Mani/Pedi time!!

i will spare your eyes the picture of my toes getting done.

I have found a new love of getting mani/pedi's. I don't treat myself very often, but always have a great experience when i do! My sweet friend and I were able to sip a glass of wine, talk about our day, and relax in those uber comfy massage chairs.

 After our mani/pedi's we decided to walk over to the new fro-yo place and check it out. They had a whole spread of toppings, including mochi and boba. I played it safe with Oreo's, blackberries, and some toffee pieces. how fun are those spoons?!



i tried to wake up this morning and do a early 4 mi run while it was still relatively "cool"....another failed attempt. I think i pressed the snooze button at least 5 times. I'm blaming it on Tucker.

yessss, he does really sleep under the covers and rests his head on the pillow. spoiled doggie.

a successful weekend.

i would call this weekend a success. good friends, good food, good workouts!

Friday: I went to a lovely dinner with my friend Peacock to Logan's after a short walk/jog at the Y. You can't go wrong there...buttery rolls, peanuts on the floor, and they actually have semi-healthy dining options! We both got the 6 oz sirloin with salads and sides of broccoli. 10 WW pts.

                                                          

Saturday: i was able to get a quick cross-training work-out in. I biked a bit, walked a bit, and then tried the rowing machine! I think it's going to be a new fav of mine. I could def. feel it in my arms and back the next morning.

that evening, i met my friend Rachel and had my first Belcourt Movie theatre experience. It's a local  independent movie theatre that shows indie movies and classics. We went to go see Moonrise Kingdom...i loved it!! I would highly suggest it. super cute and funny. We then went to Hot and Cold and had dessert. I had the famous Jenni's Mango frozen yogurt and Rachel had a chocolate almond paleta. yummmm.

Sunday it was the big day...my first 5 mile run in a about 20 days. I woke up later than expected, checked the weather and it said 90 degrees outside..... treadmill it was! I was nervous about doing this long-ish run on the treadmill, but it was do-able thanks to the Oxygen Channel and their " Snapped" marathon. i seriously love that show. it's basically about crazy-psycho women who commit crimes to their husbands. it's very intriguing to me for some reason, and makes the time on the treadmill go fast.

                                                               
i fixed myself a late lunch on the grill. Chicken, onion, and green pepper kabob with corn on the cob, sliced tomato, mozzarella, and fresh basil from my garden.

here's to having a productive week!

What did you do this weekend?

Friday Favorites!

This week's Friday fav's are all about beating the heat. It's been a scorcher here in Nash lately. We are talking gross, muggy, 100 degree weather. not ideal for running. The treadmill and I have become fast friends.

 I'm almost done with my first week in my "updated" training schedule. I did  Zumba on Monday, ran 2.5 miles on Tues, took a little walk on Thurs, running 3 miles tonight, Cross-training on Sat. and then the 5 mile run on Sunday.

It's been awhile since I've done a 5 mile run...not afraid, just don't want to have to do it on the treadmill!!

Here's some of my favorite things to beat the heat:

1. Kafkas Kool Tie

I got a few of these before my first half marathon, knowing it would be a hot one. These things are life savers! They are made out of a nylon material that has these cool little beads things that keep the fabric cool. All you do is emerge the neck tie in a cooler full of ice water, let it sit for a good 20 min, and then wrap it around your neck.

I purchased mine at REI, but I'm sure they have them at other sports stores. They also have a TON of different colors/designs if pink isn't your color :)

here's me modeling mine during the Country Music Marathon in Nash.

2.  Lime-a-Rita!!

I was skeptical at first...but now I'm a believer. I honestly don't know what all is in this can, but its great over ice and with a lime! It def. helps beat the heat. Thanks to my neighbor Catherine for introducing me to this product! 4 for $8!

3. Edy's Fruit Bars made with Splenda

I ate 2 of these last night...and prolly could have eaten the whole box. They are addictive! and only 1 pt on WW. plus, what doesn't scream summer heat more than Popsicles? and they don't contain sugar. I'm a fan.



new playlist additions.

I have to run with music. or some kind of noise, but mostly music. I'm not a good talker when I run with others. I tried it for awhile, but just find myself going           

 " hey....yah...i can't...believe..she...didn't...give...a....rose..to..Sean..."

and then my energy goes ddooowwwnnn.

so, i have to have music to keep me goin'. i also really like to point/dance when i run to music, which i'm sure is very entertaining to those who watch me. but it pumps me up, so i continue!

here's some new tunes that i have recently added to my running playlist.

1. One more night- Maroon 5
2. The house that we grew up in- The Weeks
3. Hold on- Alabama Shakes
4. Uhn Tiss, Uhn Tiss, Uhn Tiss- Bloodhound Gang
5. Too good to be true- Eden's Edge
6. Simple Song- The Shins

Got any good running songs I should check out?

I'M BACK!!

ok...so I might have taken a little hiatus. I went home for a week to see my folks, travelled a bit, and then work has been crazy...and then I just forgot. and was unmotivated. buttt I'm BACK!

back to eating better. back to exercising. back to training. back to blogging.

yes. i. am!

In the midst of getting back to things, I have revised my training schedule for my 2nd half-marathon at the end of Sept. I realized that just by doubling a 10 week training plan into 20 weeks does not equal a better training plan. plus Ive skipped a couple of weeks and know that my body would not like it if i was running 9+ mile runs for several weeks in a row. SOOOO feel free to check it out here.
feedback? Should I add another day of " short" runs?
it will also help that it is now " normal " summer temps in Nash this week...and by normal I mean mid 90's. butt good news is I've been getting better at tread mill runs! Someone please remind me next year to opt out of half marathon training in the summer...I'm MUCH better at running in the cold.

Here's a photo update from the couple of weeks I was m.i.a.

basically it was friends. food. family. lake.