Good-bye July, HELLO August!!

I don't want to write this post, but if I don't hold myself accountable, what's the point?

July was an utter failure.

Too strong? Maybe.

There were too many weeks when I was simply flat out lazy. Don't get me wrong, the month started out great. Strong. But it really petered out about mid-month. I completely stopped doing my Core/Balance Challenge around the 20th, I think. And my 31 Days of Yoga fell by the wayside, too. Ugh.

I did finish the month on an upswing, though, with a run on Mon, and bike ride on Tues, and another run this morning.

I am READY for August!

3 Things are going to make August AWESOME!

1. It's my birthday month!! And you get to celebrate with me. Whoo hoo I'll be hosting my first ever virtual race. I'll be announcing it tomorrow with all the details, so be sure and come back again tomorrow. Hint: There will be some fabulous, exciting prizes. You won't want to miss out!

2. Marathon training begins on Monday!! I'm unbelievably excited. It's my first marathon in 10 years, and I want to really train right this time. I'm still ironing out my training plan and will be posting it soon.

3. The 5kMYWay Challenge starts on Monday, too. Obviously, I've already run many a 5k, but I'm so honored to be included in with the other amazing coaches for this challenge. I think it's exciting to be training for a marathon while helping others train for their first 5k. Our running schedules will be different, but our need for motivation will be the same. I just know I'll be learning so much from the other coaches AND all the participants!

What's going to make August awesome for you?

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5k MY Way

I'm super excited to announce this! I've teamed up with a few other bloggers, and we're introducing a fun challenge/program for all of you who are thinking about running your first 5k.

This brilliant idea came to Annica Nicole on a recent run. Why not create a program that offers more than advice and training tips, but includes the social interaction of others just like you?

Introducing 5k MY Way

If you've been following me for awhile, you know that I love to run, but I'm no running expert, and while running is my favorite form of exercise, there are times when I don't run for weeks.

This program will be great, because I know I'm going to learn so much from all the participants as well as the other coaches!

If you're considering training for your first 5K, NOW is the time.

The challenge will begin on Monday, 8/5, and you'll be set to run a 5K sometime in Oct. The training plan will be flexible, and you can run whenever wherever you'd like. The 5K is up to you as well. Sign up for something local, totally rock it (I know you will), and then come back and brag.

Come back? Oh, did I forget to mention that you'll be a part of a private Facebook group just for the participants and the coaches. A nice safe place to ask questions, get training tips, and feel the support from others just like you. Plus we've got our own hashtag - #5kMYWay

Spread the word now and share your experiences throughout the challenge.

We're also going to have some mini challenges - not necessarily all specifically running related. So, this is going to be so. much. fun!

Have I piqued your interest? Are you ready for your first 5K? You can get even more details here or you click the link below to sign up.

Join the 5k MY Way Challenge!

If you've already had the experience of running a 5k, please share this challenge with anyone you know who might be interested.

I can't wait for Monday!!

If you've run a 5k, what do you remember about your first race?
If you've never run a 5k, what's holding you back?
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Pool Workout Roundup + Where's the Summer Gone??

This summer is just flying by! How is it almost August already? :-)

Good thing I live in Vegas, so the summer lasts a bit longer here than usual. I had to work this past Saturday, and spent the rest of the weekend doing absolutely nothing - except napping, watching TV, and cutting melon.

Instead of sharing a new pool workout this week cuz I was too lazy busy to create one, I'm going to give you all the pool workouts I created in July for you in one convenient post. Plus I'll throw in a couple more, too. You've still got a few more weeks of summer. Plenty of time to make the most out of your pool time. Who am I kidding? This are great year-round, if you have access to either a heated pool or an indoor pool.

Pool Workout #1
Total body workout with a bit of cardio.

Pool Workout #2
Time to focus on our arms!

Pool Workout #3
Let's not forget about our legs.

That's it for the workouts created by me, but here's a couple more that I found on Pinterest.

Yoga in the water? Yes, please!



And here's a great one from Fitness Magazine.


And last, but not least, here are a couple links for all you swimmers out there! These two links come from Christine at Love, Life, Surf. She's pretty awesome. You should totally go check out her blog.

Swim Intervals Workout

Tips for Lane Sharing

Now this is the point in my Monday posts, when I'd normally tell you about my workouts the previous week. Well, simply put, they didn't happen. Not even one day. Booo.

I started this week out with a 5k and some post-run yoga, so I already feel like I'm off to a better start. Whoo hoo!! With marathon training beginning in just a couple of weeks, I really need to get back into a good workout groove - cuz when that starts there will be no. more. excuses.
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What's for Dinner? Week of 7/28

The past Thursday, Lea over at Running with Ollie posted a "What's in Your Fridge?" link-up. I totally spaced it, so I figured I'll add it to my menu planning post. :-)

My fridge is kind of a hot mess right now with all the produce from yesterday's Bountiful Baskets pick-up.

It's hard to fit everything on Saturdays, but by Friday, it will be mostly thinned out.

Oh, I love a full fridge!!

A couple notes:

• What looks like a tub of ice cream is actually filled with sharlyn melon
• Yes, that is a bottle of margarita in the door next to the chocolate almond milk while the white almond milk in relegated to the bottom shelf.
• Underneath all that celery is a bag of carrots and a couple cucumbers
• There are 4 more different melons on the counter waiting to be cut
• Oh, and there are grapefruit, mangos, and nectarines out on the counter, too

Here's a little look at how I'll be using all some of this goodness this week.

Sunday - Layered Mexican Pizza
I've got no recipe but I'm going to try to create something along this line for dinner tonight.

Monday - Pasta
Jeff likes alfredo, and I love red sauce. I actually really dislike alfredo sauce, so I don't mind making two sauces for dinner on pasta nights. I also plan on adding a bunch of veggies to the sauce(s).

Tuesday - Dinner at Carmine's
I'm leaving Jeff on his own and heading to dinner at Carmine's at Caesar's Forum Shops. Yum!!

Wednesday - Salad
Big, delicious salads with everything we can think of in the fridge as toppings.

Thursday - Bean Mushroom Enchiladas

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Leftovers

I think I'll also make some coleslaw. I made some last week, and it was delicious! I also see a lot of celery/carrot sticks in my future.

Lots of healthy snacks. Whoo hoo!!
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Pooltime + Working It Recap:: 7/15-21

Well, this weekend flew by! I wish it were due some super fun things happening. Instead, a huge storm blew in Friday evening. Our power went out around 8pm and was out until around 7am. Could've been much worse, I suppose, but, at the time, it seemed like a SUPER long time without power.

Life was a bit back to normal for a couple hours.

Then, they had to turn off the water. Apparently, the storm caused a pipe to break. No water = no a/c.

When it's so hot with no relief, my energy and motivation gets zapped right out of me. Soooo, my weekend didn't quite go as planned.

Blah.

To cheer me (and YOU) up a little, here's my 3rd pool workout. This week, we're working our legs! No video or pics this week. The pool was so dirty from the storm plus my motivation was zapped, remember? :/

Seated Leg Lifts - Put your back up against the side of the pool with your arms outstretched up on the edge for support. With your back firmly against the side and your legs straight, lift your legs higher than waist level. Hold for a couple breaths and repeat.

Seated Leg Spreaders - In the same position, with your legs raised, open and and close your legs to really work your stubborn abductors and adductors.

Mogul Jumps - Stand in neck deep water, with arms slightly bent and hands in loose fists. Bend one knee, balancing on opposite foot. Jump side to side. Switch feet halfway through.

NOTE: If you're wearing a bikini, be sure and have a very secure top for this exercise. My girls kept wanting to jump loose in the one I was wearing. :-)

Plié Squats - In chest deep water, stand with feet wider than shoulder-width and toes pointing out at 45-degree angles. Bend at knees as deep as possible. Repeat.

Left Leg Swings - Stand at edge of pool with right side facing pool wall. Holding on the edge, lift your left leg straight in front of you and then swing it backward. Repeat swinging forward and back.

Right Leg Swings - Same as left, but on the other side. :-)

High Knees - In neck deep (or deeper) water, bring your knees as high as you can. Focus on keeping your torso upright and engaged.

Calf Raises - In neck deep water, lift up on your toes, pause, and release. Repeat.

Butt Kickers - In neck deep (or deeper water), kick your feet back to your butt. Again, focus on keeping your torso upright and engaged.

Squats - Move to slightly shallower water. Stand with feet hip width apart. Bend at knees as deep as possible. Repeat. Try to keep your toes in line with your knees throughout this exercise.

*******
And for my weekly recap, let's just say that things didn't go as planned. Despite the heat, I hardly made it to the pool, and my yoga and #CoreBalanceChallenge have been far from consistent this week. :(

Instead of my usual break down, here are my wins, losses, and draws from the week.

Wins

• I biked into work twice last week!! Whoo hoo!! The first time, I had plans after work, and I didn't want to have to deal with parking our huge van. Biking was hot, but simply easier. The second time, Jeff needed the van during the day, but it also felt so great to bike again! Of course, at the end of the work day, I'd forgotten that I had to bike home. I barely made it home before my brother stopped by for dinner.
• I ran a 10K on Saturday. Kind of. It was my first run since July 4th when I went on a self-imposed hiatus after the #RWRunStreak. It. Was. Hot. And Humid (for Vegas). I'm still pretty proud of what I did my first run back - even if there was a lot of walking.
• I got both feet off the ground in Crow. This was so exciting for me! It was only for ONE second, but it made me keep wanting to try again and again. I wasn't able to do it again. My triceps were so sore from all that weight on them. Definitely a pose I'll keep working on. :)

Losses

• The inconsistency of my daily yoga. When I do manage to get to it, I know I'm not pushing myself like I could/should.
• Same goes with my pooltime. Despite the heat, we skipped the pool most evenings. When we did go, we just floated around to cool off. :-(

Draws

• When I got back from my run on Saturday, Jeff started a movie. I should have stretched more while watching it. My legs are yelling at me a bit this morning.
• I stuck pretty well to my meal plan last week and enjoyed some delicious dinners. :)

How were your wins, losses, and draws last week?
Which is worse - no power or no water (which included no a/c where I live)?
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What's for Dinner? Week of 7/21

Wow. Last week must have been super busy. Or I just didn't have much to say. :-( Um. Let's go with busy...

It's time for my weekly menu plan. I think I've got some pretty tasty treats in store for the week. Whoo hoo!!

Sunday - Broccoli Cheese Roll-ups
I think these are quickly going to be a staple around here. At least until we finish off all the broccoli we got last week. Thankfully, it's still holding on. At least the last time I checked on it.

Monday - Pasta with sauteed veggies.
This is a recipe I found on allrecipes and pinned for future reference. We got a head of cabbage in our basket yesterday, and I'm not real sure what to do with it. This sounds good, but, of course, I'll be modifying it at bit (i.e. no chicken).

Tuesday - Leftovers

Wednesday - Bean Burger Wraps
Bean burgers sound delicious, but we don't have any burger buns. We do have a lot of wraps, so why not make burgers and then crumble them a little and put them in a wrap with all the normal toppings??

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Salad

Saturday - TBD

What are you cooking this week?
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Pooltime + Working It Recap:: 7/8-14

It's Monday! Time for our 2nd pool workout. Last week, our pool workout was more of a total body workout, so today I'm switching it up with an upper body workout.

Sorry. No video this week. I'm not sure where the weekend went, but I simply didn't have the time to shoot and edit a video. Probably a good thing, too, since my form wasn't really the best. Oops!

These exercises are pretty basic, except you'll be doing them underwater. Still, here's a little break down.

Bicep curls - You'll want to do these in shoulder-deep water. Squat down into a plié squat, so your shoulders are completely underwater and your body is stable. Start with your arms by your sides, palms facing forward. Curl your hands up to your shoulders. Try to keep your wrists in line with your forearms. Add weights to make it more difficult.

Push-ups - Face side of pool with hands on top of pool edge about shoulder distance apart, fingers spread and arms extended. Push down on side of pool, lifting upper body out of the water. Bend elbows, lowering yourself back down into the water as low as you can. Make it more difficult by bringing your arms closer to your sides. Make it easier by placing your hands on the side of the pool edge, and pushing your body toward the edge.

Tricep kickbacks - Move to chest deep water. Change your leg stance into more of a lunge - with one leg in front of the other. Sink into that lunge until your shoulders are underwater. Lean your chest forward until your upper arm is parallel to the pool floor with your fist up near your chest. I like to rest my opposite hand on my front leg. Kick back your fist until your entire arm is parallel to the pool floor. Add weights to make it more difficult.

Side swipes - Move back into shoulder deep water and back into the plié squat. Start by extending arms straight out in front of you, hands clasped, then sweep them together across the body to one side, then back across to opposite side for one repetition. Try to keep both arms straight and below the surface of water throughout the move to create resistance. Maintain squat position, and keep hips facing forward, core engaged, and back straight throughout the move. Add weights to make it more difficult.

Remember that even though the underwater exercises might seem easier, the added resistance of the water is actually working your muscles even more than out of the water. To avoid injury, be careful when adding additional weight. Doing these exercises underwater also really focuses more on your core, too, since you've got to worry more about balance in addition to the exercises. Bonus!!

I'd love to hear what you think of this workout. Especially if you give it a try. :-) If you're still unsure on any of these exercises, click here for some animated gifs.

In other news, I was pretty lazy about all my workouts this week. What workouts I did manage, I didn't really give them my all. I hope to turn that around this week. I'm not sure how many times I need to learn the lesson of not leaving my workouts until after work. It almost never works that way.

And, here's the break down of the week.

Date	#CoreBalanceChallenge	Yoga	Pool
Mon 7/8	1:15 plank, :15 boat dancer	←	Yay!
Tues 7/9	1:15 plank, :40 superman dancer	←	Yay!
Wed 7/10	1:15 plank, :20 boat dancer	←	Yay!
Thur 7/11	1:20 plank, :40 superman dancer	←	Yay!
Fri 7/12			Yay!
Sat 7/13			Yay!
Sun 7/14	1:30 plank, :30 boat, :40 superman dancer	Morning Flow Yoga	Pool Workout #2

See what I mean? Kind of pathetic. *sigh*

All I can do now is get back to it, make working out in the AM a priority, and NOT beat myself up about having kind of a lazy week.

How were your workouts last week?
What do you do after having a lazy week?
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What's for Dinner? Week of 7/15

Last week's meals turned out so delicious! Plus, I even stayed on track with my menu plan.

If you saw my post yesterday, you probably know that we are a bit in wrap-heaven right now, so the next few weeks will be wrap central at the Dodson home.

Here's the plan for this week.

Sunday - Italian enchiladas
I'm going out on a limb with this one, totally making this recipe up from scratch. Wish me luck!!

Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - The Mob Bar
I'm going to check out this restaurant in Downtown Vegas with a few other local bloggers. I'm very excited!!

Wednesday - Pasta with roasted broccoli and eggplant
Again, trying something new without a recipe. Fingers crossed.

Thursday - Burritos

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - TBD

Since I've got a plan, but I'm still primarily making things up as I go this week, I've got no pictures to tease you with.

Instead, here is my creation for dinner last night. Broccoli Cheese Roll-ups.

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Volunteering with Bountiful Baskets

This morning, I got up very early for a Saturday, and Jeff and I headed to our Bountiful Baskets location. For once we actually left early enough to get there in time to help volunteer with the set-up.

So early in fact, that we were the first to arrive.

We chilled in the the van while we waited for the truck, the coordinator, and the other volunteers to arrive.

All the veggies come stacked on one pallet.

After unloading the pallet, we started sorting the fruits and veggies into all the baskets.

Imagine a pic of Jeff or me putting produce into the baskets. #bloggerfail

All finished distributing!

The extra add-ons are all lined up and organized, too.

It was super fun! And went by quickly.

Before I knew it, we were back home with all of this goodness.

Our regular basket included:

Fruits: red grapes, blueberries, peaches, canteloupe, watermelon, mangos
Veggies: lettuce, yellow onions, eggplant, lots of broccoli, grape tomatoes

We got a few add-ons as well.

• Delicious fresh bread
• A crazy amount of wraps - 20 each of chipotle, garlic & herb, spinach, and tomato basil
• 8 lbs of strawberries. Well, I'm only keeping 2 lbs. The other 6 are going to a couple co-workers.

We've been doing Bountiful Baskets on and off since the end of May, and so far, I'm still loving it! It forces us to eat better and try new recipes.

With all those wraps in my fridge and freezer, I'm off to Pinterest to find exciting recipes for wraps.

What's your favorite way to enjoy broccoli?
How about your favorite wrap recipe?
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An Announcement + the ABCs of ME

Check out what I did this morning!

I registered for a MARATHON! I'm super excited. It starts in Utah, runs through Arizona, and finishes in Nevada. BOOM! Three States, One marathon. :)

This will be my first marathon in over 10 years!! More on that later...

If you want to join me, it's only $75 ($80.25 with the fees) until 7/15 and then it goes up to $80. Oh yeah, and the race is on December 7th.

Now, for a little fun. My blogging friend, Tyly (go check her out. she's pretty awesome.), tagged me, and I could have sworn I did this already, but I couldn't find the the post, so here goes...

A. Attached or Single:  ATTACHED! I ♥ being married. :)

B. Best Friend: Lame, I know, but I'll have to go with my husband.

C. Cake or Pie: Um. Both? I have a huge sweet tooth, and I probably wouldn't say no to either. Except for Thanksgiving that is strictly a PIE holiday in my book.

D. Day of Choice: I love Mondays because it's like starting over every week, a chance to get back on track and back into a routine, but I also love the weekends, because I can be freer with my time and spend more time with Jeff.

E. Essential Item: My phone. I take it everywhere and check it often. Though I rarely use it to make or receive calls.

F. Favorite color: Orange or Yellow.

G. Gummy Bears or Worms: Bears. Though I'm sure I'd probably say yes to either.

H. Hometown: Alexandria, MN

I. Favorite Indulgence: Have I mentioned my sweet tooth???

J. January or July: Definitely July. Yes, even in Vegas. Did you know it gets cold here in January?? Not MN-cold, by any means, but I'd much rather be sweaty than shivering cold.

K. Kids: No plans.

L. Life Isn’t Complete Without: Laughter. I love to laugh.

M. Marriage Date: 12/21/2004

N. Number of Brothers / Sisters: Hang tight. You ready? 1 sister, 2 brothers, 3 step-sisters, 3 step-brothers, and 2 half-brothers. Step, full, half. It doesn't really matter! They're all family. :)

O. Oranges or Apples: Bananas :-)

P. Phobias: Lots of things freak me out, but I wouldn't go so far as to call them phobias. Spiders, roaches, crickets, pretty much all bugs will make me jump, but not scream. The ocean kind of freaks me out, too. Probably not the best for a scuba diver (though we haven't made it to the ocean yet).

Q. Quotes: Quotes are great! I love them. But I rarely remember them enough to keep with me.

Except maybe this one. This one is almost always running through my mind.

R. Reasons to Smile: My life in general makes me smile. My health. My knowledge. The sunshine. I love Vegas! I love my husband! I love my Sallie-girl! Life is good. :)

S. Season of Choice: Summer. Or maybe Fall. I hate to choose just one. Definitely not winter, though.

T. Tag 5 People: I'm going to be lame on this one, and tag EVERYONE! Play along, if you'd like. :)

U. Unknown Fact About Me: I'm terrible about shaving my legs. One of the many reasons I love maxi dresses and skirts.

V. Vegetable: Surprisingly, if you knew my younger self, I actually like a lot of vegetables. My favorites are probably ones that I can eat raw as snacks - carrots, celery, bell peppers, cucumbers, etc.

W. Worst Habit: I don't listen very well. :-( My mind is always racing to other places.

X. X-Ray or Ultrasound: X-ray. Ultrasounds require that cold gel. Ew.

Y. Your Favorite Food: Pizza is the first thing that came to mind. I love that it can be so versatile. Of course, more often than not, it's simply pepperoni that we enjoy.

Z. Zodiac sign: Leo. One month from today. I'll be celebrating by hosting my first virtual race. It will be a bit different than a regular virtual race, so keep you eyes open for that. It's going to be great fun!

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Review of ... Kona Kase

Being an ambassador for FitFluential has some sweet perks. Like trying out Kona Kase.

Performance. Fueled. Monthly.

I think monthly boxes similar to Kona Kase are all the rage right now. There are boxes for women. Boxes for men. Boxes for pets. Boxes with clothes. Boxes with food.

They're all over the place, but what I love about Kona Kase is that it offers fuel for my active lifestyle. I don't know about you, but I can get pretty overwhelmed when trying to decide what kind of fuel to try for my long runs or recovery from my long runs or simply snacks for that late afternoon craving.

And sometimes I get bored with the same old thing and like to mix it up, but don't know what to try next or where to find it.

Kona Kase makes it simple to try new products that you may never have heard of or weren't willing to try on your own.

Here is a picture of what I got in my June Box.

More than just fuel for your body, each box also comes with an inspirational quote. Fuel for your mind. :)

As well as a little blurb about each product and maybe a training tip on how to get the most out of the delectable little treat. Sometimes, you might even get a little discount code off your purchase of more. Can't beat that!

The little card that describes all the products also has a little spot on it for you to give it a grade from 1-5. If you're like me, you might forget if you don't write it down. Ha!

There are still a couple items that I haven't tried yet, because I'm on a running hiatus, but I loved nearly every item I've tried. The Half Pops were particularly satisfying. They're like popcorn that hasn't quite popped all the way, and seasoned deliciously. Only problem was that one bag was supposed to be 2 servings. Oops!

Add to all of these are the two guys behind Kona Kase - Taylor and John. They're regular athletes just like us who wanted to help make it easier to discover these great, lesser-known brands and breath some life into our fuel - instead of relying on our boring old energy bars. These guys are also super focused on customer service. They're quick to respond to any questions you may have, and they just seem like a couple of fun guys.

A monthly subscription starts at just $15, or you could get a discount by signing up for 3, 6, or 12 months. Either way, you can cancel at anytime if you're not satisfied, but I don't see how that's possible. :)

So, are you ready to try Kona Kase? If you're not quite sure, here's a little discount code that might help you say YES! Just enter FFJuly to receive $5 off month one.

Thank you, FitFluential and KonaKase!

Have you tried Kona Kase? 
If so, what's been your favorite new product?
What other subscription boxes have you tried (or heard of)?
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Pooltime + Working It Recap:: July 1-7

One of my July goals is to spend more time in the pool. Well, the first 4 days of July I was still finishing up my Run Streak, so my pool time was basically just floating around - not what I would really consider exercise. :)

Now that the streak is over, I'm switching to more strenuous pool time. Since I'm not much of a swimmer, my pool workouts will focus more on non-swimming exercises.

I'm hoping to share a different pool workout with you each Monday along with my previous week's workouts.

Here is my first one.

I've done this workout a couple times now, and let me tell you, it really works your legs. If you're unfamiliar with any of these exercises, here's a little video I made demonstrating this workout for you.



In case you don't want to see me in a bikini, here's a brief description of each exercise.

K-Tread - Extend both legs - one straight down, the other straight in front of you. Keep toes pointed, knees straight, and torso upright. Hold this position for a count of 5 and then switch legs.

Power Jacks - Kind of like a jumping jack, only keeping your arms in the water. Start with arms and legs extended out, and then bring them together - feeling the resistance of the water.  Cross your legs at the ankles and arms at the wrists.

Crunches - Float on your back with your arms out to your sides. Bring your knees to your chest.

Reverse Crunches - Float on your belly with your arms out to your sides. Bring your knees to your chest and kick your legs straight out behind you.

High knees - Just like on land, bring your knees as high as you can. Focus on keeping your torso upright.

Butt kickers - Kick your feet back to your butt.

So, there's my first pool workout creation. If you try it out, please let me know what you think!

I've also been doing yoga every day in July!

While some days I only did enough yoga to do my #CoreBalanceChallenge, I did try out a few other yoga videos and workouts this past week. Feel free to check out the links below for more info on those.

Speaking of my #CoreBalanceChallenge, boat pose is HARD! If you follow me on Instagram, you'll see I have a lot to work on with this pose.

But even over the past week, I've felt some improvement - though I haven't attempted another photo. :-)

I also focused on Tree Pose for this first week. I felt pretty good about my balance on that one throughout the week. Often I just got bored after a minute or so and took myself out of the pose. This week, I'll be tackling dancer pose.

And, here's the break down of the week.

Date	#CoreBalanceChallenge	Yoga	Pool
Mon 7/1	1:00 plank, :10 boat tree pose	Yoga Basics	Yay!
Tues 7/2	1:00 plank, :30 superman tree pose	<--	Yay!
Wed 7/3	1:05 plank, :10 boat tree pose	Post-run Sequence	Yay!
Thur 7/4	1:05 plank, :30 superman tree pose	Yoga for Runners	Yay!
Fri 7/5	1:10 plank, :15 boat tree pose	Yoga Abs Yoga Dynamics	Pool Workout #1
Sat 7/6	1:10 plank, :30 superman tree pose	<--	Pool Workout #1
Sun 7/7	1:10 plank, :15 boat tree pose	<--	Pool Workout #1

How were your workouts this first week of July?
What's your favorite non-swimming exercise in the pool?
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What's for Dinner? Week of 7/7

Once again, I didn't really stick to the meal plan last week. Looking back, I can't even remember what I ate each night.

I accidentally threw out the recipe for the enchiladas I wanted to make last Sunday (it was on the back of a bag of shredded cheese), so I improvised and made some really delicious, hearty enchiladas. You can find the recipe here.

I still never ended up making that butternut squash and spinach strata. It just seemed too risky to use all that bread and eggs when I was too skeptical of Jeff liking it. Instead I used the squash and spinach in a pasta dish and a smoothie the next morning.

I'm feeling really good about this week's menu.

Sunday - Eggplant Parmesan
I got a couple of eggplants in this week's Bountiful Baskets, so I found a couple recipes on Pinterest for those.  Here is one.

Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - Easy Pasta and Broccoli
Again, from Pinterest. Menu planning is just so much easier with Pinterest. :) I pinned this a year ago, but never tried it. There was a small bunch of broccoli in our Bountiful Baskets, which Jeff hates, but this recipe looked so good to me this morning! I may just have to make him regular pasta.

Wednesday - Leftovers and/or salad

Thursday - Eggplant rolls
And another Pinterest recipe for eggplant. Hope it's a hit! :) I'll be skipping the mini potatoes.

Friday - Leftovers and/or salad

Saturday - Pasta
We have some leftover pasta sauce in the fridge that I don't want to go bad, like the last jar. Of course, with the two eggplant dishes, this might not be an issue.

Oh, I split a 25-lb case of peaches with a couple co-workers, which gave us each about 2-dozen peaches. That's a LOT of peaches. I think I'll probably make/freeze some into puree to use in place of oil in baked goods. I'm also considering baking a peach pie or some peach quick break. This morning I made some vegan peach french toast. It was divine.

What are you eating this week?
Any favorite peach recipes or uses?
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Thoughts on Streaking

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday!

I've been streaking every day since Memorial Day, and today was the last day of the Runner's World Summer Run Streak.

I DID IT!!

And here's a badge to prove it. :-D

This was my first ever streak, so I thought I'd share a few thoughts on my experience.

When I started the streak, I thought it, "One mile a day? Easy-peasy!"

But you know what? Streaking is HARD! Even at just one mile a day, it takes time. The majority of my runs were under 10 minutes, but with a warm-up and a cool-down and occasionally stretching, it really took a lot more time than I expected. Time that kept me from doing other workouts.

Or stretching. Streaking did not make me any more of a stretcher than before - though it should have. My legs often felt heavy during these runs, and stretching probably would have really helped, but I generally ran out of time before I needed to get ready for work or go to bed.

Most of the time, I tried to run in the mornings before work, but the weekends were the toughest! I know that most runners take advantage of not having work on the weekends to go for longer runs, but with a couple of serious heat waves, motivation on the weekends was difficult! There were definitely a few runs that I barely made it out the door before midnight.

Like I mentioned, streaking was way more difficult than I'd ever imagined it would be. By Day 11, I was starting to re-think the whole streak thing.

#rwrunstreak it was very difficult to get out there tonight. It's going to take some serious dedication to finish... http://t.co/ECcewUTWWM
— Clarinda (@EnjoytheCourse) June 7, 2013

But I continued to plod along. It was a real struggle until probably around Day 28. Getting to that home stretch really changed things! Suddenly it wasn't nearly as much of a struggle, and found myself actually looking forward to my runs again. Woo hoo!

So, it was with mixed feelings that I went on my final run this morning. I'm elated that a stuck it out and finished, but I'm also a little sad that it's over.

What's next? I'll be taking a running hiatus for at least two weeks.

In the middle of the streak, there were definitely more than a few runs where the only thing that kept me going was the thought of a running hiatus.

Now, it's really difficult to imagine not going for a run tomorrow.

During my hiatus, I'll be focusing on yoga and strengthening my core. I'm hoping to start marathon training in August, and I want to be strong and prepared, so I can better enjoy training.

Some fun random facts about this streak.

• 22 of the 39 runs were one milers.
• My fastest pace was a 1-miler @ 7:44 (day 31)
• My slowest was 6.6 miles @ 11:21 (day 1)
• 5 of the runs were non-timed - just enjoying the course. :-)
• 23 of the runs were sub-10min paces - 3 being sub-8s. 

Would I do it again? Absolutely! While it took awhile to get into a groove, I really enjoyed the streak and am so happy that I made it through to the end.

Did you streak?

Any fun plans for the 4th of July?

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The Light. The Bright. The Fabulous. #WaveSayonara

The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno.

I was beyond thrilled to be selected to review a pair of the brand new Wave Sayonaras. My current running shoes are on their last legs. First of all, they are trail shoes. Not exactly the best for this urban runner. Second, I got a small hole in the right shoe during RagnarZion back in April and it keeps growing. :(

Needless to say, I was practically jumping up and down when I got the text saying they were delivered. Of course, I was at work, so I had to keep it together.

When I finally picked up my package, it felt empty. Yeah, that's how light these babies are.

And bright pink.

Definitely my lightest and brightest shoes EVER!

Mizuno boasts them as their lightest everyday training shoe.

Seriously, at only 7.1oz (8.1 for mens) these shoes felt like I was running in nothing.

Whenever I go running shoe shopping, I like to have the experts recommend options for me to try. I'm not usually brand specific, so I tend to try a large variety. Without fail, they usually recommend a motion control shoe, but I tend to gravitate more to the stability/support section of shoes. I always feel like the motion control shoes are too clunky for me. And uncomfortable.

Since the heavier motion control shoes were often what was recommended to me, though I don't think I've ever actually purchased a pair, I was a bit nervous about how the Wave Sayonara would feel on a run. Would they be comfortable? Supportive enough?

I was pleasantly surprised at how fabulous they felt! In fact, my first mile in them scored me a FIFTEEN SECOND PR!

7:44. Woot woot!!

And that was in 80+ degree weather with crampy ickiness. I can only imagine how fast I'll be when the temps cool down again. In a few months.

The euphoric foam midsole ensures the proper cushioning without added weight and bulk so runners experience a light, smooth, comfortable, and responsive 'ride.'

Mizuno definitely hit the jackpot with these shoes!

Jeff commented last night that they feel so light, like they're made of paper. Hard to believe they don't just fall apart with every step, he said.

Well, I can assure you after several runs in these, they are sturdy - despite their lightness.


Here's a quick video from before my run this morning with a couple more thoughts on these fabulous shoes!



THANK YOU, #WaveSayonara, for helping me squeak in with a sub-10:00 pace for my 4-miler this morning - despite the 92° heat!!

If you're looking for a light, bright, fabulous shoe for your next mezamashii run, look no further! These go on sale on 7/5/2013 and retail at $119.99. Find them at mizunorunning.com or your favorite retailer.

What do you think of the Wave Sayonaras?
Tell me about your last brillant run.
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