7 Easy Ways to Get More Steps

Do you have a daily step goal? Is it a struggle to get all your steps in? I have no problems on my run days, but those non-run days? Yeah, they can be problematic.

So, I thought I'd share 7 easy ways to increase your steps each day without adding in extra workouts. Achieving your step goal will get easier by making these simple changes to your daily life. No additional trips to the gym necessary.

1. Brush your teeth

Walk in place while brushing your teeth. If you brush the recommended 2 minute minimum, you can get in quite a few steps every time you brush. This is easier to do with an electric tooth brush, but can probably be done with any kind.

Week in Review - 9/24

This week was even more stressful/hectic than the week before! Next week will hopefully be better with my co-worker's return on Monday. I'm her backup, so it's been double duty for me while she's been out. I'll definitely be glad to see her tomorrow. :)

I took it pretty easy this weekend. Rest day yesterday. Light yoga today. I just needed to recharge before beginning half marathon training tomorrow. Yep, that's right. I've decided to actually train for my Run Laughlin half marathon in Dec. It's 10 weeks away, so a pretty doable training cycle. If you're looking to add a fall race (Dec 2nd is technically still fall and will still feel like fall in southern Nevada), you can save 15% off registration using code VegasCD.

Week in Review 9/18 - 9/24

5 Things on My Fall Bucket List

This post is sponsored by prAna in partnership with FitApproach. 
All opinions and images are my own.

Happy first day of Fall!

Growing up, spring was always my favorite season. It brought new life after the harsh Minnesota winter. It was a sign that summer was just around the corner. You could feel the excitement as the days grew longer and the end of the school year drew nearer.

Now that I am living in Las Vegas, I still love spring, but fall is quickly becoming one of my favorite seasons. I love the summer heat, but I also love the crisp, cool fall mornings. The flavors of pumpkin and apple are in abundance. The return of sweaters and long pants. It's all so comforting, like a hug from an old friend.

It's no secret that I've been looking forward to fall for several weeks now, so it's about time I came up with a short list of things I want to be sure to do now that fall is here.

My Fall Bucket List

Jeff and I are heading out for a long road trip in the beginning of October. We're heading up to the PNW to visit his family and to pick up a tote we left with his brother when we moved here 5 years ago. I'm pretty excited for the road trip and to cross the first two items off my list. :-)

Golden Gate State Park

We've been to San Francisco before and even walked halfway across the Golden Gate bridge, but it was Christmastime and cold and dark. We're planning this stop in the early morning. Perhaps we'll be able to catch the sunrise.

Cathedral Gorge State Park

I've been wanting to visit this NV state park for a few years now. It's less than 2 hours from Vegas, but we've never made the time. It's a short detour along our route back from Washington, so it seems perfect to include it as a stop on this road trip.

Bellagio Conservatory

One of the things I love most in Las Vegas is the Bellagio Conservatory. They change the display with the seasons, and it's always fun to see the new theme. This summer it was a tour of Italy and the fall theme is Proud as a Peacock. I'm excited to see all the beautiful flowers.

@EnjoytheCourse is ready for fall! What's on your fall bucket list? #prAnaFallStyle17 #sweatpink

Las Vegas Balloon Festival

A few years ago, I stopped at this festival before heading out for an 18-mile run. It was fascinating to watch the balloons take off. They have an evening Glow Show which sounds fascinating. There are lots of other activities as well, and I hope to spend a bit more time at the festival rather than just a few minutes before a long run.

Gilcrease Orchard

A Vegas gem that I've not yet experienced! They have a variety of fruits and veggies to pick yourself, but I'm most excited to try their apple cider. It's their signature item and perfect for a fall day, right? The pumpkin patch opens Sept 30, and I've read that apple picking starts sometime in Oct. I'm excited to get up early one Saturday morning to check it out.

In addition to these bigger items, I also plan on taking more walks with Sallie and maybe even Jeff. We also really want to get back on our bikes because it's been months since we've gone for a bike ride.

And, of course, there will be plenty of Starbucks fall treats.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram or Twitter so I can share my adventures with you!

Many thanks to prAna for the amazing Harlene Top and the comfy London Jean from their new fall collection. These will be perfect for my road trip and many of my other fall activities.

No matter what's on your list for the fall, you'll find something to love at prana.com.
Use code FACD15 to save 15% off your order now through Nov 22.


What are you looking forward to this fall?
Any local events that are unique to where you live?

I'm linking up today with Running on Happy & Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0. This week's theme is Fall Activities.

Sea to Shining Sea Virtual Race Recap

As I mentioned in my week in review post, I ran a virtual half marathon last weekend.

The Sea to Shining Sea Virtual Race.

The beauty of a virtual race is that you can run it anytime anywhere. Well, within the specified time period. For this race, it was between Sept 17-23.

Sundays have been my long run days lately, so I decided the 17th would be the best date for me to do this race. I signed up with plenty of time to train for the race, but well, I never started. I did get in a couple 10ish mile runs, so I was semi-confident in running a 13.1.

Until race weekend, when I started to get pretty nervous about it.

Week in Review - 9/17

In the history of weeks, this certainly won't go down with the best of them. :( Lots of stress at work; not enough working out. But it ended (spoiler alert) with a pretty kick-ass half marathon, so I'm happy again. Fingers crossed next week will be a little better on the work front.

Week in Review 9/11 - 9/17

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

This post was written in collaboration with ConsumerSafety.org.

Did you know that September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month? Here are a few facts about Ovarian Cancer.

I was really surprised by the numbers affected by ovarian cancer. Not only does it rank 5th in cancer deaths in women, but women have a 1 in 75 chance of developing ovarian cancer in their lifetime.

Because of where it is in the body, it's a more difficult cancer to diagnose, which is why only 15% of ovarian cancers are diagnosed in stage 1.

Are You At Risk?

Week in Review - 9/10

Looking back at this week, I'd have to say it was a pretty good one! Maybe it was the 2 long runs. Or the slightly cooler weather. Or the super short work week. There were a few issues that I'm not going to mention because I don't want to dwell on the negativity. Let's just focus on the positive, okay?

Week in Review 9/4 - 9/10

Getting Ready for Fall Training

If you caught up with me on Saturday over coffee, you'll know that I am ready for fall! Bring on the cooler temps, all things pumpkin and apple, sweaters and boots.

Don't get me wrong. I love summer. I love the heat and the cold brew. Tank tops & shorts. This summer was all about turning 40 which I loved as well. But I'm ready to move on to the next thing.

Even though I'm not quite sure what that is yet.

What I do know...

1. My weight is slowly climbing back up.
2. My pace is slowing down.
3. My trail runs have all but disappeared.

Despite having finished RW Run Streak and the #ClarindaTurns40 fitness challenge, I've felt like my training lately has been floundering a bit. What am I training for? LIFE! :-)

Time to set some goals for Fall!

Week in Review - 9/03

Remember last week, when I said it's always something? Well, today, my phone decided to go kaput. Out of nowhere, it just attempted to restart and got stuck on the Google logo. Over and over again. I managed to log in for a few minutes, and then it happened again. After troubleshooting a couple more things, I hopped on a chat with Project Fi Support. Pretty painless and a new phone has been ordered and will (hopefully) ship tomorrow. It says it will ship tomorrow, but I'm not 100% convinced since it's a holiday and all.

Since it's a new month and new season (fall unofficially starts tomorrow, right?!), I'm switching up the format of these weekly posts. Hope you enjoy!

Week in Review 8/28 - 9/3

Ultimate Coffee Date - September 2017

Can you even believe it's September already?! I swear this year is flying by faster than any other. Ok. maybe that's an exaggeration, but it does seem crazy fast. You know what today is, right? It's one of my favorite days. It's the first Saturday of the month and time for the Ultimate Coffee Date.

August was such a fabulous month, so I have lots to share. Let's get right to it.

August Report Card

My 40th birthday came and went in August! It was one of the best birthdays I can remember. It really made this month so amazing - despite some apartment woes and other things. Come back tomorrow for the Ultimate Coffee Date and I'll share a lot of the details (in case you missed them in any of my other Week in Review posts).

First, it's time to check in with my 2017 Goals.