What's for Dinner? Week of 7/27

Hi there! How's your weekend going? I've been very productive. I picked up bountiful baskets yesterday morning and did all the shopping. All before 9:30AM. AND I even did a lot of the prep yesterday. Plus did a little cleaning around the house and getting some clothes ready for donation. Felt pretty good!

#HalfTrainingWithJeff Update

In all my productivity yesterday, I left my Saturday run until our midnight run. We did the 6 miles on our modified training plan and then some, and it went pretty well. I know it's still painful for Jeff, but I'm pretty confident that he will finish the Half Marathon in two weeks without dying. :)

We skipped all our swimming workouts last week. :( And a couple of our runs. We don't have any long runs left before the race, but hopefully we'll be good about doing our shorter runs in the next two weeks.

Birthday Party Prizes

Good morning!

We're now over halfway through my birthday streak party! Only 18 more days until my birthday!! It's going to be a fun weekend, and I can barely wait. Guess I'll just keep running until then. LOL.

It's a pretty small party right now, and I'd love to still have YOU JOIN THE FUN! Just fill out this form to gain access to the spreadsheet where you can log all your runs and yoga sessions. You can start today OR you can retroactively enter any runs/yoga you've done since 7/5.

YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE TO STREAK! You can earn points for each run or yoga session that you do, even if you miss a day here or there.

Here are the prizes you could win!

A box of Cocogo!

I love this stuff! Such a delicious way to re-hydrate after a run. I just became an ambassador for them as well. So exciting! I'm running low on my stash, though. Time to put in an order. :)

If you want to try it NOW instead of waiting to see if you've won, you can get 40% off by using ENJOYINGTHECOURSE during checkout. Shop here.

You can follow Cocogo on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

A gift pack from Proud Runner!

This includes TWO pairs of socks, some stickers, and some temporary tattoos. I received the very same pack, and let me just say that I LOVE THESE SOCKS! Especially the cute ladybug socks. Both pairs are soft and comfy. The ladybuy socks are a low-rise sock, which is why I like them better.

You can follow Proud Runner on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Detour Smart Bars!

I recently received one box of each flavor to review. They were so delicious, I stashed 3 bars of each flavor to send to YOU as a birthday gift. I don't tend to be a huge fan of protein bars, but could honestly eat these all. day. long. The blueberry and apple cinnamon are definitely my faves. The texture is good and the flavor is delicious! I LOVE the yogurt drizzle on top. Yum!

You can follow Detour on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

A Bondi Band!

These headbands are perfect! They keep the sweat out of my eyes and they're super fun! Plus they can double as an ear warmer in the winter. :)

You can follow Bondi Band on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

And last, but not least, a multi-grip stretch strap!

We ordered one of these online a few months ago. We were accidentally shipped two. We tried to return it, but were told to just keep it. Something about not being able to find anything to return.

Works out for you because now I have an extra one to giveaway!










I'd love to have YOU PARTY WITH ME! In addition to running and yoga, you can earn extra points by sharing pictures, tweeting, and/or following any of the sponsors on Twitter (or your favorite social media platform).

JOIN THE PARTY TODAY!
Tweet

What's for Dinner? Week of 7/20

Hope you all are enjoying your weekend! Mine has been great - filled with physical challenges of training for races and recovery from those challenges. LOL.

#HalfTrainingWithJeff Update

In the wee hours of the morning (started around midnight), we went for our long run. 10 miles. Automatic PR for Jeff. :)

He is still struggling with a lot of pain in his lower legs (mostly right), but the 3:3 intervals are working for him/us. He is still determined to run a half, so while we haven't discussed it since getting home around 3AM from our run, that is mostly likely what we're going to do.

Originally, I had scheduled to run 11 miles next weekend, 12 after that, and then it's race weekend. After last night's run though, we've decided that he feels confident enough in making it through 13.1, but we're going to need to incorporate more REST to prepare. This was now our last long run before the race. We'll do 6 miles next Sunday (at midnight), and then totally rest the Sunday before the race.

We'll still do some shorter runs (3 miles) during the week, but his leg is going to need more rest to feel better on race day.

It's gonna be TOUGH!

This morning Jeff and I woke up early, threw on our new tri-suits, and headed out to Lake Mead.

Oh, have I mentioned that we've decided on our 1st triathlon? Well, we haven't registered or anything, but we're pretty set on doing the Pumpkinman Sprint at Lake Mead.

We've been swimming for all of our Half Marathon training cross training days, but decided we should get some practice out in the lake. Since we live close enough to Lake Mead, and that's where the triathlon will be, we decided today was the perfect day to get to it.

IT WAS AWFUL.

I have never liked swimming. I'm the girl who in junior high used every excuse possible to get out of swim days for PE.

I've always said I'd do a triathlon - if it weren't for the whole swimming thing.

Well, today, all that came crashing into me with every. single. wave.

We ended up swimming, we think, about 250m. About 1/3 of the distance of the sprint tri. I barely made it. We swam out to one buoy. Took a break. Swam out to another buoy. Took a long break. I'm talking about FOUR minutes. Swam back to the first buoy, and then swam back to the entry point.

It was super windy out there, and the waves were crazy (for me). Thankfully, we were with the current on the way back, which I think cut our time in like half. Or so it seemed to me.

Getting to the first buoy was the HARDEST. I didn't think I could do it. BUT I DID!

Now, I know I need a LOT more training in. the. lake. But I've got almost 3 months to get a little more comfortable.

Have you ever run a triathlon?
Tweet

Wednesday's Workout: Yoga Flow for Runners

Are you doing the #ETCYogaStreak with me for my birthday? You can get all the details and sign up here.

A couple days into my streak, I created this little yoga flow after one of my runs. I loved it so much that I wanted to share it with you! Hope you try it and like it to.

Now, keep in mind that I am not a yoga teacher and would definitely consider myself a beginner yogi. I know I don't use all of the correct terminology, and I struggle with getting all the poses right. I know it should be more about progress than perfection, so keep that in mind when you're looking at these pictures. lol.

Also, I had to make up some names of the poses. Let me know if I got any wrong. And if you know the actual name of the poses, please leave me a comment.

I like to hold each of the following poses for 5-10 breaths, sinking a little deeper with each breath.

1. Downward-facing Dog

Start in Downward-facing dog. Try to keep your shoulders in line with your back. Remember that this is a full body stretch, so you should definitely feel this in your shoulders and upper back - not just your legs. Totally OK if you have to bend your legs in order to keep your back straight.

2. Warrior 1

Step your right leg forward into Warrior 1. Bend your front leg, so the knee is in line with your ankle. Turn your back foot slightly. Raise your arms above your head. With each breath, sink a bit deeper into the stretch. Eventually, you should be able to bend your back a bit to form a crescent shape with your arms.

3. Warrior 2

Keeping your lower body in the same position, straighten your arms until they are parallel with the ground.

4. Triangle

Straighten your front knee, shift your upper body forward slightly, and rotate your arms until your front arm is on the ground inside of your front foot. If you can't reach the floor, try using a yoga block for added stability.

5. Low Lunge

Lower both hands down to the ground on the inside of your front foot. Lower your back knee, so your shin is resting on the ground. As you progress, you can lower yourself down to your elbows. Try to keep your back straight and your shoulders away from your ears.

6. Low Lunge with Foot Roll

In this same position, simply roll your front foot to the outside.

7. Seated Hamstrings Stretch

Gently shift backwards until you're sitting on your back leg. Try adding in some toe taps while in this position. Step back into Downward-facing Dog. Repeat above poses on your opposite side, ending in Downward-facing Dog.

8. Yogi Squat.

Step both feet forward and bend your knees into a deep squat. Position your elbows on the inside of your thighs and bring your hands into prayer position.

9. Seated Twist.

Move into a seated position with your front leg extended straight in front of you. Bring your left foot over your right knee and your right arm to the outside of your left knee. Your left arm should be behind you on the mat for extra stability. Gently release from the twist.

10. Seated Foot Grab.

Pick up your left foot into your right hand (or elbow) and cradle your left knee into your right arm. Keep your back as straight as possible and your shoulders down away from your ears.

Repeat previous two stretches on your opposite side.

11. Happy Baby.

Finish the sequence on your back. Grab the outside of your feet and bend your knees. Sink your knees deeper toward the mat with each breath.

Namaste.

I hope you enjoyed this post-run yoga sequence! Don't forget to join my birthday party!

What are your favorite post-run yoga poses?
Tweet

What's for Dinner? Week of 7/13

Have you joined my birthday streak party, yet!? No? What are you waiting for? :-) There are some great prizes up for grabs, and I'd love to have you party with me. You can run or yoga or whatever gets you moving every day!

#HalfTrainingWithJeff Update Well, we are still pretty confident that we'll conquer the half marathon. We attempted a nighttime run last night to prepare for the midnight race. It was TOUGH! I'd been up since 6AM with just a short nap from 8:30-9:30PM. Probably wasn't the smartest idea. Also, not sure what we ate during the day, but we were both having some tummy issues. And it was HOT. All in all, not a very good recipe for success on this run. We ended up only running 4 miles - instead of the 9 on our training plan.

Good news! At least our lighting situation is all set. We tested out our configuration, and it worked great. Yay!!

We have one more long run on the schedule before the pricing increases for the ET Marathon races. So, one more long run before we have to make the decision of sticking to the half or dropping to a 10k. I'll be good either way. :)

What's for Dinner? Week of 7/6

I am loving this 3-day weekend! Of course, I awoke with a start this morning thinking it was Monday. What a relief to realize I still had one more day to the weekend! Whoo hoo!!

#HalfTrainingWithJeff continues to go well. We just finished week 3, and Jeff is still feeling good about continuing the training and running the full half on 8/10. I think it's so much better training with someone. Less temptation to skip a workout here and there. :) Of course, we are both kind of hurting after yesterday's 7-miler.

The pain in my butt has returned with a vengeance.

BUT I'm still going to try for a 1-mile run and some yoga today, but if it continues, I might have to consider not running my own #ETCRunStreak. I'd still love you to join my birthday party, though!

Ultimate Coffee Date - July 2014

Did you enjoy a fabulous 4th of July? We didn't really do anything. Spent a little time in the pool for some cross training and fought the crowds at Walmart for our weekly shopping trip. Now we have two full days to do whatever we want and not have to worry about running errands.

But first, it's coffee time!

If we were having coffee this morning... I'd tell you how great half marathon training is going with my husband. We're heading out for a 7-miler this morning. This will be by far the longest distance Jeff has ever run. We're dropping Genie (our car) off for her 30,000-mile check-up and we'll hit the road instead of simply killing time at the dealership.

If we were having coffee this morning... I share with you some of the creamiest, most delicious fruit dip that I made the other day. And, of course, I'd share the recipe.

Creamy Peanut Butter Vanilla Fruit Dip

Ingredients

• 6 oz Yogurt, plain, unsweetened
• 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter, heaping
• 2 squirts Pure Via® vanilla stevia liquid
• 1/8 tsp Cinnamon

Cooking Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth and creamy.
2. Serve with apple slices, bananas, grapes, or your choice of fruit.

If we were having coffee this morning... I'd definitely ask you if you were going to join me for my birthday party. I'm so excited about this run and/or yoga streak, and I really want it to be the biggest party ever, so the more the merrier. :-)

If we were having coffee this morning... I'd tell you how I've been fighting a major sweet tooth lately. And by sweet tooth, I mean chocolate. Seems like if there isn't chocolate involved, I just don't feel satisfied. I'm trying to grab fruit when I have a sweet craving, but it doesn't seem to help. Though my fruit dip did help a little.  I'd also ask how you deal with unhealthy cravings.

If we were having coffee this morning... I'd tell you how I feel like summer is slipping away. There are so many things I'd like to do this summer, and I feel like I'm running out of time. Good thing I live in Vegas, so summer lasts a bit longer than other places. :-)

If we were having coffee this morning, what would you tell me?

Why not grab a cup of coffee, relax for awhile, and catch up with some other bloggers at the Ultimate Coffee Date?
Tweet

ETC Birthday Party!

Tomorrow is THE DAY! Have you all been anxiously awaiting the start of my birthday challenge? I know I have been. :)

37 days of streaking to help me celebrate my 37th birthday on Aug 10th. 

It's gonna be awesome!

This streak is really up to you. You can run or you can practice yoga or you can do a combination of the two.

A run streak is no easy task, and if done improperly, it can lead to injury, so be careful and listen to your body. If you're up for the challenge, it's as simple as running {at least} 1 mile every day from 7/5 to 8/10.

Maybe you've just finished the #RWRunStreak, and need a break, then you could join the party with some yoga. For the yoga challenge, just practice {at least} a pose every day from 7/5 to 8/10.

Or maybe you'd want to do some combination of the two. I'm hoping to both run and practice yoga every single day. But you could alternate between the two, if you're not quite ready to commit to a full run or yoga streak.

Let's make it a huge party by sharing pictures and tweeting our streaking fun. #ETCRunStreak #ETCYogaStreak

Tweet

And of course, it wouldn't be a party without a few gifts! I'm hoping to add a few more, but here's what I've got lined up so far.

**A box of Cocogo. Real Fruit Hydration.

**A gift pack from Proud Runner.

**A Multi-Grip Stretch Strap.

**A Detour Smart Bar sample pack NEW (added 7/11)

**A Bondi Band headband NEW (added 7/13)

I'm trying to work on more, so stay tuned.

Come back every day to enter to win one of the prizes with the rafflecopter below.

**********
UPDATE (7/9): I wasn't getting a very good response with the rafflecopter, so I created a form instead. I know that the Streak is already a few days in, but you can now enter your info retroactively. :) Or you can simply start today!

If you want to join the party, just fill out this quick form. 
If you entered via rafflecopter, I've already filled out the form for you. I'll shoot you an email with the link to the tracking form.

On the Thank You page, you'll receive a link to a spreadsheet to track your streak. Just enter an R or Y or RY every day that you either run or practice yoga or both. There are also some bonus entries all the way to the right. :)
**********

I also created some images you can use during your streak.

Thanks for joining my challenge! I can't wait to celebrate with you. :)

In the meantime, enjoy the 4th of July. See you tomorrow!!

June in Review

Happy July!! 

Whoa. Typing that I just realized that HALF the year is OVER. How did that happen?! Seems like I'm going to blink, and it will be 2015. There are still quite a few things we want to do this year, so we'll probably need to really start kicking it up a notch.

But not to get down about the things still left to do this year, here are a few highlights from June.

The most exciting thing I did was fly back to MN to surprise my niece at her graduation party. I still can't believe she's 18 already.

Jeff and I went hiking on Mt Charleston,

started training for Jeff's first Half Marathon,

and walked a 5k. The Sprinkler Sprint.

Oh, yeah, and I announced my birthday celebration challenge. JOIN ME!!

I also tried iced tea for the first time. And stevia. I'm sold on both.
And the winner of the Summer Fit Kit giveaway is ... Jill Conyers!

So. Yeah. It was a pretty fantastic month!!

Halfway through the year? Let's check in on those 2014 goals.

Individual Goals

Fitness goals - Run Faster and Train Harder
It was a pretty good month for training harder, but not so much with the running faster. It's been H-O-T here! Plus Jeff and I started training for the half together, and since it's his first half, there really hasn't been much time for speed work.

Blogging goals
I'm happy to report that after quite a bit of work in June, I saw growth across all my social channels and with my blog readership. Yay!

• I actually wrote a Monday Listicles. 10 Plans for Summer.
• And one Tuesday's Tip, too. 5 Ways to Beat the Heat.
• Two Fitness Friday posts - Staying Fit While Traveling, ETC Streaks
• Five Sunday for What's for Dinner/Week-in-Review posts!! Sweet. :)

Goals with Jeff

Run a Triathlon. Still haven't signed up for anything, but we have started swimming a bit as cross training for our half marathon plan.

Read 3 books together. I'm thinking this is going to be a wintertime thing. Or maybe fall.

New in 2014. We tried a new (to us) restaurant. I Love Burgers. It was delicious!

Enriching Activities. We checked off another Outdoor Activity this month when we went hiking Bristlecone Loop.

What was your biggest highlight from June?
How are you doing with your 2014 goals?
Tweet