Weekly Wrap - May 27

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Another Sunday came and went. I may just need to permanently move my Weekly Wrap to Mondays. 🤔 Of course, then my Mondays have been a little crazy lately, too. Thank goodness today is a holiday!

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

Today marks the start of Week 4 of the Tone It Up Bikini Series! I'm looking forward to pushing myself this week. Partially to make up for Week 3, which was kind of rough. There were a couple days that I simply wasn't feeling very good, so I had to skip my workouts two days in a row. 😒 I still kept to my meal plan {for the most part}, so it wasn't disastrous or anything.

Monday

Don't become a victim of the heat

I'm linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales & Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0.

It's no secret that I'm a hot-weather-loving gal! Vegas is perfect for me, but even I'll admit that there are days in the summer when it gets unbelievably hot. 😅

The last Friday in May is National Heat Awareness Day, sponsored by the National Weather Service.

As runners, cyclists, hikers, and general lovers of the outdoors (at least, I assume if you've found your way to my little blog that you're one of these), it's important that we keep our wits about ourselves when out doing the things we love during the heat of summer.

Summer is just beginning, of course, but it's never to early to start preparing for the summer heat beat down.

Weekly Wrap - May 20

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Note to Self: Do not try to do the grocery shopping and meal prepping and laundry on the same day. It simply takes too long and then you don't have time to post your Weekly Wrap on Sunday evening. 😜

Week 2 of the Bikini Series was another great week! I dropped another 2.4 pounds, which means I'm already halfway to my goal of 10 lb weight loss. 💃 My coworker brought me back a coffee cake from San Diego, which I snacked on all week! It was delicious, even though it probably wasn't the healthiest. All good in moderation, right?

I did have to take a complete rest day on Thursday and may have raided the candy bin at work as well, but it's all good, because one day didn't lead into multiple days. :)

Monday

5 Reasons Why I Miss Bike Commuting

I'm linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales & Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0.

Today is National Bike to Work day, which reminds me of my early days in Las Vegas. The first couple months of working at the Review-Journal were spent commuting about 5 miles each way to work. Then winter came, and I got out of the habit. That was back in 2012.

I'd still jump back on the saddle now and again until May 2016 when my office moved to a different area of town - around 13 or so miles from my apartment. That's a little too long of a commute for me.

Since I'm not commuting by bike today, here are 5 reasons why I miss it.

6 Surefire Ways to Make You Run Faster

Looking to increase your pace and run faster?

With a little good (bad?) luck and some planning, a speedier pace could be easier than you think! These 6 things are sure to put that pep in your step and push your pace just a bit faster.

Weekly Wrap - May 13

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Week 1 of the Tone It Up Bikini Series is now in the rear-view mirror! It was a big success. I stuck to my meal plan. I got in all my workouts including 3 runs. I dropped 3 lbs on the scale. Definitely a good week and a great start! I can't wait to see what the next 7 weeks bring.

I'm switching up my Weekly Wrap format a bit throughout the #TIUBikiniSeries challenge. I want to break down my week day-by-day, probably more for my records than anything else. I'm including what I did for my workouts each day plus what I ate. I'm also waiting to post until after dinner, so I can more completely record my Sunday. :)

Monday

I didn't sleep well Sunday night. I was too excited for the Bikini Series to start! I woke up several times throughout the night thinking It must be time to wake up! only to find out it had only been 1.5 hours or so.

Despite the sleepless night, I had a great Day 1!

Workout
2 rounds of 15: Biceps Curls | Shoulder Pulses | Reverse Flys | Pushups | Plank Up Downs
Cardio Arms with Tori - Yeah, I got no dance skills. 🙊
TIU Flex Friday - Arms were really burning after this!! 💪

I also went for a midday walk during lunch.

Eats
M1: Morning Mocha Smoothie | M2: Apple with cinnamon | M3: Kale Salad | M4: Strawberry Shortcake Mini Muffins | M5: Thai Veggie Stir Fry

Tuesday

I slept so much better after a successful Day 1!

Workouts
2-mile run | 10:33 min/mi pace | Perfect weather, but I still took it slow and easy.
2 rounds of: 15 squat+press | 15 curl+reverse lunge | 15 bikini walkouts+tummy toner | 20 squat jacks | 15 bicycles

It was such a beautiful morning that I took my daily moves out to the patio after my run. I really want to/should do that more often!

Eats
M1: Morning Mocha Smoothie | M2: Clif bar | M3: Kale Salad | M4: Strawberry Shortcake Mini Muffins | M5: Thai Veggie Stir Fry leftovers

The 5 W's of Foam Rolling: Everything You Need to Know

I'm linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales & Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0.

Happy National Foam Rolling Day!! Every year May 11th is dedicated to the wonderful world of foam rolling, so I thought I'd answer the 5 W's - who, what, when, where, and why - of foam rolling.

7 Goals to make this year's #TIUBikiniSeries the BEST EVER

I just finished Day 2 of the Tone It Up Bikini Series! This is gonna be MY YEAR!!

Last weekend was spent really preparing for it, because I really want to see some amazing results at the end of the 8 weeks. Since I want this to be the best Bikini Series, I went to bed Sunday night with #allthefeels. So much excitement and nerves. Like when you know something super fun is happening the next day. Tell me you know what I'm talking about!

As a result, I didn't sleep very well Sunday night.

It didn't matter because Day 1 was a smashing success! And I slept much better Monday night. I rocked Day 2 as well. I'm pretty confident I'm gonna rock all 8 weeks. 😆

Weekly Wrap - May 6

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Whew! I just spent about 4 hours meal prepping for the week. I sure hope it pays off because that's a LOT of time on my feet in the kitchen. I'm very excited to get started on the TIU Bikini Series tomorrow and am very hopeful that I'll see some really positive results over the next 8 weeks.

Workouts

I took it a little easy this week since the Bikini Series is starting next week. I focused mostly on getting in my 3 runs and doing yoga to prepare my body and mind for the upcoming challenge.

5 Things I'm Super Excited about this May

Oh. My. Goodness. May is already off to the craziest start! I mean cah-ray-zy! I hope things calm down because I've got goals for May!

It's the first weekend of the month, which means it's time for COFFEE! Well, every day is a good day for coffee, but let's take a few minutes to catch up during the Ultimate Coffee Date! Ok, coffee isn't required. Perhaps you enjoy tea, milk, soda, water. Or maybe something a little stronger. 😜

Other than crushing my goals, here are a few things I'm looking forward to this month.

Will May be the best month of 2018 (so far)?

I'm afraid I blinked and April was OVER. How do some months seem to go by so quickly?! Wasn't I just writing down my April goals? Work was busy. Life was busy. Blogging was busy. I guess that all makes time speed up a bit. Here's hoping that May moves at a normal pace, so I can savor the springtime.

Goal-wise, I'd say my month overall was so-so. I had some great wins - including my longest run of the year (3 miles), consistent yoga, and 10 new blog posts. But some of my goals were barely checked off and others were barely missed. I'm not disappointed. I'd definitely say it was better than March.

Weekly Wrap - Apr 29

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Hello from sunny 🌞 Las Vegas! It's been gorgeous this past week. Well, maybe too hot for some with near record highs! Workout-wise, this was a pretty slow week, but work was crazy busy! And there was a little fun thrown in as well.

Workouts

I was still experiencing quite a bit of pain in my ankle most of the week, so working out wasn't a high priority. I still managed to make it out of the office for a few walk breaks, which was nice, but I pretty much dropped out of my challenges this month. But I'm OK with that. It's better to be healthy and uninjured than to stick it out with a fitness challenge. 😏

5 Easy Ways to Say No to Plastic

This post contains affiliate links. I'm linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0 linkup.

Earth Day was this past Sunday and the theme this year was End Plastic Pollution.

Plastic pollution is a huge deal! Did you know there are now multiple plastic islands floating around out there? It's sad and gross all at once. :(

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is twice the size of Texas. That is HUGE, my friends.

I try to be conscientious about the amount of plastic I consume, but I can definitely do better. There are lots of ways to reduce the amount of plastic you consume and one of those ways is to purchase reusable products instead of throw-away products.

9 Running Drills to Make you a Better, Stronger Runner

Transitioning to forefoot running takes time because you often have to reteach your muscles how to function while out on a run. Running drills focused on forefoot running can aid in the transition because they force your muscles to repeat these functions in various ways to build strength and muscle memory.

I've found a few running drills to begin incorporating into warm-ups before starting my runs. They focus a lot on getting used to how it should feel to have a forefoot strike as well as focusing on balance.

Good balance is key to successful forefoot running because all the action takes place in front of your body. Good balance will keep you upright, stable, and less likely to face plant. 😜

Some of the videos below demonstrating these drills are duplicates, but I've embedded each video to begin playing at the time of the particular drill I've just described.

Weekly Wrap - Apr 22

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Happy Earth Day! I hope the weather was nice for you and that you were able to get outside today. It was a gorgeous day here, so I made a point to take my Sallie girl for a walk. She's pretty tuckered out now, but I'm glad I made the time. I even raised a little money using Charity Miles for The Nature Conservatory, since it's Earth Day.

Workouts

My workouts were sub-par this week. As you will see, I took 2 complete rest days and did 0 runs. I try to run Tue/Thu/Sat (or Sun) but Tue got away from me. I was going to run on Wed instead but my ankle has been bothering me. It probably would have been fine on the run because the pain is mostly only when I step on my heel in certain ways. It's worse when walking in place. Anyway, I talked myself out of running this week and decided to give my ankle a little rest instead.

Throwback to the 90s with Over 100 Songs

Today, I'm linking up with Kim, Janelle, and Steph for Tunes Tuesday. The theme this month is Throwback Jams (70s, 80s, 90s). Perfect for a trip down memory lane to my high school and college days.

Remember making mixed tapes for your friends? Finding the perfect songs and combining them into a fun mix? I had a few friends that were so good at making them! Me? Not so much. I always had so much trouble choosing the songs. And getting them to flow and fit onto a cassette? Not so much. LOL

Weekly Wrap - Apr 15

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

I'm so happy to report that I finally filed our taxes. Yesterday. Finished that up with a few days to spare and it feels so good. LOL I never got around to them last weekend, so I'm glad I made the time this weekend, cuz time was no longer on my side. 😂

Workouts

I didn't feel super on Wed and especially not on Thurs. 😒 I ended up needing a rest day on Thursday, and I don't feel too bad about it. Sometimes, that's just life and you gotta be OK with it and move on.

Best Hair Hacks for Your Active Lifestyle

Working out is important to you, but sometimes it's hard to squeeze it all in, am I right?!

I tend to try to get my workouts done in the morning before the day gets too crazy, but this limits my time as I need to leave enough time to get ready for work.

Maybe you squeeze in a workout during lunch and need to get back to the office.

Maybe you workout after work but still need to be presentable for dinner, errands, or meeting friends.

Whenever you choose to workout, does your hair get in the way?

Weekly Wrap - Apr 8

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

I'm happy to report that April is off to a great start! I'm on track with all of my goals, the weather has been perfection. Life is good!

Workouts

I'm pretty proud of my workouts last week. I got in 3 runs. I haven't missed a day of Rachels' challenge. I only missed one day of my Quick Hit challenge. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and attended Silent Savasana.

Let's Catch Up at the Ultimate Coffee Date!

Hope you're enjoying a lovely weekend. I don't really have too much to say today, so this should be a quick coffee date!

If we were having coffee today, I would tell you how excited I am for April. I've got some solid goals that I really feel will go well this month. At least they've gone pretty good this first week. 😎

March, You Are Finished! April, Come She Will

We're a full quarter into 2018! March didn't actually seem to fly by - even though it was filled with a couple of weekends of visitors and some fun fitness challenges. I wouldn't say it dragged on, but I also wouldn't say that it flew by.

March didn't exactly go as planned. Lots of my goals went un-achieved, or under-achieved. I'm not going to let it get me down, at least not too far down. 😜 Instead, I'm going to reflect on my March goals and where/why I came up short and use that come up with some new goals for April.

Weekly Wrap - Apr 1

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

It was nice to have NOTHING to do this weekend! I spent it the doing some neglected chores around the apartment and *gasp* got some meal prep done today! Standing in the kitchen for so long today, I'm definitely going to sleep well tonight. :-)

Workouts

I had a couple days during the week that were pretty minimal but overall I'd say it was a pretty decent week workout-wise.

Do you know what time it is?

Time for some Runfessions!

Happy to be linking up with Marcia once again for a little runfessing.

I runfess that...  while my forefoot running transition is going well it is still a bit scary for me. Last week, I shared my full 2018 transition plan and seeing it all laid out is both calming and terrifying. It's definitely feeling more natural but I'll really start ramping things up in April and the doubts are starting to set in. Am I ready? Can I maintain form for longer than 1-2 miles?

Weekly Wrap - Mar 25

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Two fun-filled weekends in a row and I'm super late to the Weekly Wrap party again! Totally worth it to spend a few days with my sister and niece, though. As I was going to bed last Wednesday night, I saw a FB Story pop up from my sister that she was on her way to Las Vegas for Spring Break. What?! Despite having no warning and not being prepared for a weekend of shenanigans, it was a blast!

Workouts

Before I tell you about all that, let's talk about my workouts last week. Consistency definitely wasn't the name of the game, but I kind of made up for it over the weekend!

Announcing my Plan to Make me a Better Runner

If you've stopped by at all this year, you probably know that my BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal) for 2018 is to transition to forefoot running.

In order to accomplish any BHAG, it's important to have a plan. I know we're pretty much at the end of March {how did that happen?} already but I'm finally ready to share my 2018 Forefoot Running Transition Plan.

2018 Forefoot Running Transition Plan

I started the year very slowly but will start increasing mileage over the next couple of months. It's important to me to also include specific drills and exercises for forefoot running, so I'm excited to start incorporating those as well.

Weekly Wrap - Mar 18

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Daylight Savings Time mess with anyone else last week? I think I got cocky on Monday when I said I wasn't really affected. Tuesday was OK too, but then BAM! Wednesday came along and hit. me. hard. My energy was zapped. The later sunset, while welcomed, encouraged me to stay up later than usual so my mornings became nearly impossible.

Hoping to get my sleep and energy levels back to normal this week!

Workouts

With my lower energy levels, my workouts were definitely a little less than usual. I tried to {mostly} keep up with my daily challenges but didn't really do much extra.

Women of the 80s: A Totally Awesome Playlist

Last Thursday was International Women's Day, and I was pleasantly surprised at how many posts I saw come across my social channels celebrating the day. It seemed a much bigger deal this year, or maybe I was just paying more attention.

Women, of course, should be celebrated every day, but at least we have this one day set aside internationally as well as March also being National Women's History Month here in the U.S. (maybe other places as well).

One of my favorite genres to listen to while I run is 1980s pop, so I thought it would be fun to celebrate National Women's History Month with a playlist of the awesome female artists of the 1980s.

Weekly Wrap - Mar 11

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

My cold is still hanging on a bit. I called in sick to work last Monday to give myself another day of keeping my germs to myself. All week everything tasted and smelled a bit off. I hope I get those senses back to normal sometime this week!

Workouts

Even with a sick day on Monday, I still did my daily challenges plus a little yoga. Other than Wed, I pretty much just stuck to those daily challenges with maybe just a little something extra.

Yesterday, I had cramps pretty bad, so I slept a lot and skipped my daily challenges. I did do 7 loads of laundry, so I still hit my steps goal. We don't have laundry in our apartment, so I have to walk to the laundry room.

5 Easy Steps to Save More $$$ with Ibotta

Disclaimer: This post contains referral links. If you join Ibotta using my link, we both earn a bonus. That said, this is not a sponsored post and I am not being compensated to write it.

Have you tried the Ibotta app? It's one of my most loved apps right now! It's super easy to use, saves me money, and gets me to try some new things that I might not otherwise try. There are a lot of offers on items that I regularly buy as well. I definitely call that winning all around. 💕

I recently listed it among the things I'm currently loving. After that post, a reader reached out to me to say she downloaded the app, but wasn't seeing very many offers. She asked if I might consider writing up an easy tutorial on how to use the app. I thought that was a great idea, so here you go - complete with screenshots from my phone!

I hope you find it helpful to start saving money today!

1. Add Stores to Your Favorites

Weekly Wrap - Mar 4

This post contains affiliate links.

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

How was your week? In case you missed my Ultimate Coffee Date post, I'm currently battling a cold. It's the worst I've had in a while, and it sucks! I've already gone through So. Many. Tissues. I bought some Kleenex with soothing lotion and they are a lifesaver! My nose is still a bit raw but the tissues are nice and soft when I need to blow, which makes this situation a little more bearable. I've also been drinking tea with honey and lemon. It's really been hitting the spot.

I'm crossing my fingers that this cold doesn't stick around too long. I'm ready for spring!

Workouts

I started the week pretty strong, but my body probably knew a cold was coming on by mid-week. I was so tired on Wed, but I still finished Rachel's Supermans, Planks, & Twists February challenge before heading to bed.

She started a Total Body challenge on the 1st. It's a little different format than January and February's challenges, and I'm really excited about it! Sundays are supposed to be rest days, but I took my rest day yesterday instead. 😜

Join me! Time for the March Ultimate Coffee Date!!

March was off to a great start until I woke up with a running nose, sore throat, headache and zero energy. Booo...

Good thing this coffee date is virtual. 😉

If we were having coffee today, I would tell you...

I'm drinking tea with honey instead of coffee. Tea always sounds better when I'm sick. My husband got sick first. He doesn't like tea, so he's just been drinking hot water with lemon and honey. Did you know that honey and lemon not only taste good but also promote healing?


If we were having coffee today, I would tell you...

What Made February Great and Promising Goals for March

Man, February really flew by! I feel like I said that at the beginning of every month last year. Will 2018 fly by just as quickly?! Time, won't you please slow down just a little bit?

I'm definitely trying to accomplish great things this year, so I'm going to act and plan and dream and believe. How about you? What are you going to accomplish this year?

Part of all this is also analyzing and evaluating. How am I doing on my goals? What are my next steps to get me where I wanna go?

5 Heart-Pumping Workouts You'll Want to Try Now

American Heart Month has nearly come to an end, but we all know that taking care of our hearts goes beyond just the month of February. After all, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. While we can't control all the risk factors that may lead to heart disease, being active and eating healthy can help reduce the them.

The American Heart Association recommends getting in 40 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise 3-4 times a week.

Such activity helps reduce your risk of heart disease by:

• Preventing and managing high blood pressure
• Improving blood circulation
• Boosting your levels of good cholesterol
• Helping to manage stress levels

You don't need to pay for a fancy gym membership to get in a good workout!

I've rounded up 5 heart-pumping workouts that you can do right in the comfort of your own home!

Weekly Wrap - Feb 25

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

How was your week? Read on to get a glimpse into mine.

Workouts

I had some great workouts this week! 3 yoga sessions; kept up with the Supermans, Squats, & Twists challenge; finished out the #ShareLoveYogaStyle challenge.

Once more to the Runfessional...

The last Friday of the month means it's time for RUNFESSIONS!

This is only my second time visiting the runfessional, but it's good for the sole (see what I did there?) so I'm happy to be linking up with Marcia once again.

I runfess that I haven't been out for a real run since New Year's Day.

Weekly Wrap - Feb 18

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

Last week started out pretty slow. I stayed up a bit too late last Sunday prepping my breakfasts and lunches for the week. My body needed a little rest Monday morning, so I opted to sleep in a bit instead of working out.  Tuesday was also a wash because I wanted to finish Tuesday's post before work, so that took my morning workout time.

If I don't workout before work, I don't generally work out. Plus, this past week I had zero energy in the evenings. Not really sure why.

Workouts

Despite the slower start to the week, I'm pleased with how my workouts went! I pretty much stayed caught up with the Supermans, Squats, Twists challenge. I missed Tuesday but made it up on Wednesday. I did 3 days of Tone It Up workouts and 2 days of yoga.

What is this Crazy Thing Called Forefoot Running?

I'm about a month and a half into my 2018 goal of transitioning to forefoot running. After sharing my why on transitioning, I got a few questions about forefoot running.

One I'd like to touch on today is:

WHAT IS FOREFOOT RUNNING?

The answer seems very simple ⇝ It's when you run on the ball of your foot, right?

Not exactly.

Weekly Wrap - Feb 11

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap. Be sure to stop by their blogs to see what everyone else was up to last week.

In case you missed my Instagram post yesterday, I took my run outside! My slow transition to forefoot running is coming along. I wanted to run 5 minutes but ended up with 6. Doesn't seem like much, I know, but I could definitely feel it in my feet and legs. I'm excited about this step and hope to continue these short runs throughout the next week.

Here's what else I was up to last week.

Workouts

I'm pleased with my workouts this past week! 2 yoga workouts. Kept up with the Supermans, Squats, and Twists challenge. 3 days of Tone It Up workouts. A Random Kettlebell HIIT workout. Jeff and I even took Sallie for a 2-mile walk yesterday.

5 Things You'll Love. I know I do.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Happy Friday!

I, for one, am very happy that Friday is finally here. It was a very long week at work playing catch-up from 7 days of vacation. It took me until Thursday afternoon to finally feel above water. It was crazy! I don't usually have such a hard time getting caught up but there were so many little things that kept coming up. It was exhausting.

Anywhoo, I'm linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five 2.0 linkup. This week's theme is LOVE. You know, since Valentine's Day is next week.

5 Things I'm Loving Right Now

Weekly Wrap - Feb 4

Linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap.

I got home from my road trip to MN around midnight between Friday and Saturday. Completely exhausted after being in the car around 18 hours or so. As I got undressed and ready for bed, I glanced in the mirror and did not like what I saw. So, I was really nervous stepping on the scale this morning (I generally weigh myself Sunday mornings), hoping that the number hadn't climbed too much in the past two weeks since I last weighed myself.

I'd lost 2.6 pounds. What?! Proof that the number on the scale isn't really all that important. It's more important to feel good and have those clothes fit properly.

Here's what I was up to last week.

Workouts

Fitness-wise, this past week was pretty light. I finished out the TRUE 30-day yoga challenge and started the Supermans, Squats, and Twists challenge. And that's about it. 😄

Join me for a Look at my Breathtaking Road Trip

I am so very glad to be back in sunny Las Vegas. And just in time for the Ultimate Coffee Date! Why not grab a hot beverage and let me tell you all about my road trip. 🚗

Revealing my February Goals to Get Back On Track

We are one whole month into 2018! Are you still excited about the new year? Still working toward any goals?

I'll be sharing my February goals, but first let's take a moment to recap January.

Weekly Wrap - Jan 28

Oh yeah. I know that it's well past my usual Sunday posting for the Weekly Wrap! Road trips and travel, in general, will do that. Linking up with Holly and Wendy. Here's what I've been up to this past week.

Workouts

A road trip can really mess you up. LOL
Even though I didn't leave until Thursday morning. 😂

14 Oatmeal Recipes That Will Leave You Drooling

Did you know that January is National Oatmeal Month? Here are 14 recipes that you need to try!

There is something warm and comforting about a hot bowl of oatmeal. Enjoy some unique twists on the traditional bowl of oatmeal.

Weekly Wrap - Jan 21

Welcome back to another episode of the Weekly Wrap! Linking up with Holly and Wendy. Here's what I've been up to this past week.

Workouts

Looking back over the week, I'm pretty happy with my workouts. Sure, I could have pushed a little hard some days, but something is better than nothing. And something was accomplished every day. Grateful to be doing the Yoga With Adriene TRUE series. It's definitely been keeping me motivated throughout the week. I also did the Tone It Up daily workout most days.

How to Make the Best Creamy Artichoke Pasta Salad

Ibotta had Reese artichoke hearts on sale in the app. I wasn't sure if I even really liked them, but I decided to buy a can and experiment.

I created a pasta salad and was pleasantly surprised with how delicious it turned out!

Why Turn the Tables on My Running Form?

It's no secret that one of my goals for 2018 is to transition to forefoot running. I feel like it's all I've been talking about lately. It's definitely my current BHAG - Big Hairy Audacious Goal.

I've had a few people ask me why I decided to make the change, so I thought it would be a good idea to share my why behind this life-changing goal.

It all started a few years ago when I read Born to Run. Well, it may have started earlier than that, but that's when I really fell in love with the idea.

Weekly Wrap - Jan 14th

I've gone back and forth on how I want to do my weekly wrap posts this year. I still haven't come up with anything that I really love. Guess it will be a work in progress. 😃

Linking up with Holly and Wendy!

Workouts

How do you like this graphic for my workout summary? It was a bit time-consuming to create, but I don't think it will be as bad updating it each week.

5 Delicious Additions to Make the Best Hot Cocoa

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Today's topic for the Friday Five 2.0 is Ways to Keep Warm. Living in Las Vegas, our winters are pretty mild. No bomb cyclones. No blizzards. We did get a little rain earlier this week, but nothing to get too worked up about.

We do get overnight lows down in the 30s and 40s though. Perfect weather for cozying up with a hot cup of cocoa - definitely one of my favorite ways to keep warm.

I'm kind of lazy about making hot cocoa, though.
I tend to stock up with a big canister of Swiss Miss to get me through the winter.

I may be lazy about making the cocoa, but sometimes I like to go a little crazy with additions to make it even more delicious.

5 Delicious Additions to Make the Best Hot Cocoa

1. Flavored Syrups

The Bottom Line on Why Toe Socks are Better

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

I made the switch to toe socks back in Aug 2014 (thank you IG!) and have never looked back. Well, it did take a couple runs to get used to fabric between my toes. It didn't take more than a couple runs, though, before they were comfier than any other socks. I honestly cannot imagine running in any other type of socks.

The first Ultimate Coffee Date of 2018 - Join Me!

Welcome to the first Ultimate Coffee Date of 2018! I'm so excited to sit back today and catch up over coffee... or hot tea! Did you know that January is National Hot Tea month? I'm more of a coffee drinker but sometimes I enjoy a nice cup of tea as well. What's your hot beverage of choice?

I was sad to miss last month's coffee date, but I was out crushing a half marathon. In case you missed it, you can read my Run Laughlin recap here.

If we were having coffee today, I'd tell you that I'm starting to feel much better about the new year. I was floundering a bit this week focusing on my goals, but yesterday I finally got my 2018 blogging calendar/planner printed out. Just simply having it printed seemed to aright myself and I feel a little less adrift. Now to use it and see this blog grow throughout the year.

If we were having coffee today, I'd tell you that we moved offices at work. We just moved from the 1st floor to the 3rd floor of the same office building. It's a much bigger space, and there will still be some remodeling done to make it a little more our own, but it's not exactly better. At least not just yet. We cannot seem to get the temperature right in the area where I sit, so I've been so cold at work all week! Now, I get cold pretty easily, but you know it's cold in the office when your coworker who is never cold complains.

If we were having coffee today, I'd tell you that I initiated a Fitness Challenge at work. Not everyone opted to participate, but it should be fun! You get 1 point for every 10 minutes of exercise each day. There will be a weekly winner for whoever gets the most points during the week and a grand prize winner for whoever gets the most points over the 4 weeks. It just started on Thursday, but it definitely pushed me to do just a little extra on Thu & Fri. I probably won't win, but I already got the sweet satisfaction of creating the tracking spreadsheet. I made it in Google Sheets. It includes a field that calculates who is in the lead and protects the lines so you can only track your own exercise. No messing with other people's rows! LOL It was fun figuring out the formulas.

If we were having coffee today, I'd tell you I'm both excited and nervous about our next road trip. We'll be driving back to MN at the end of the month for my brother's wedding. We're taking a different route than we have in the past, so that will be fun. But a cross country road trip in January can be dicey. I'm trying to keep very positive thoughts that the weather will be pleasant for the drive - NO STORMS, please!

If we were having coffee today, I'd share a quick weekly wrap with you!

Monday - Final 1 mile run of the #RWRunStreak
Tuesday - TIU Daily Moves (3 rounds of 15 reps); Day 1 of #YWATRUE yoga challenge
Wednesday - TIU Daily Moves (3 rounds of 15 reps); Day 2 of #YWATRUE yoga challenge
Thursday - TIU Daily Moves (3 rounds of 15 reps); Best Detox Yoga Workout;  Day 3 of #YWATRUE yoga challenge; Walk after work with Jeff and Sallie
Friday - TIU Daily Moves (3 rounds of 15 reps); Lower Body Burnout;  Day 4 of #YWATRUE yoga challenge; Walk before work with Sallie

I'm planning on doing the TIU workouts today and tomorrow as well as Days 5 & 6 of #YWATRUE. Maybe throw in a couple extra walks as well to get in more minutes for the office fitness challenge. 😉

And a brief check-in of my January goals:

• So far this week, I haven't done any research on forefoot running, haven't practiced or videotaped my forefoot running form. Fingers crossed I am able to start some of that tomorrow.
• I did massage my feet a couple evenings and practiced toe sitting most nights.
• I haven't missed a day of the #YWATRUE yoga challenge.
• This is my 3rd post of the week. :)
• I have picked out a couple posts to revive but haven't done the work yet.
• I haven't worked on optimizing my PageSpeed or created my GA Dashboard.

So, I'm on-track with some goals and need to up my game on a few others.

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If we were having coffee today, what would you want to chat about?
If you work in an office, is it too cold, too hot, or just right?
How were your workouts last week?

Thanks for joining me today! Be sure to stop by our lovely hosts Deborah and Coco to catch up over coffee with some other amazing bloggers.

I'm also linking up today with Holly for the first Weekly Wrap of 2018.

Revealing My January Goals for a Successful 2018

Yesterday, I shared my Happy New Year 2018 goals. I'm keeping my annual goals really simple this year and am just focusing on two goals 1) Transitioning to Forefoot Running and 2) Improving my Blog. Each month, I'll be setting more specific goals to help me achieve these larger ones.

FOREFOOT RUNNING

It's something I've wanted to do for awhile now, but it's definitely still a hard concept for me to wrap my head around. I'm taking my time and slowly easing into the world of forefoot running.