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.

Happy New Year! Goals For An Exciting 2018

I hope you all had a fabulous New Year's Eve! I spent a couple hours volunteering at a race, watched/listened to the live webcast of Times Square NYE while making chili and reading some blogs, toasted the New Year with champagne at the ball drop, watched New Year's Eve (cuz it was still 3 hours until midnight for us), and ran outside to watch the fireworks over the Strip when we heard them start from our apartment.

A pretty low-key evening but such a fun way to say good-bye to 2017
and hello to 2018!

And then I woke up this morning filled with such hope for the new year! Walking Sallie, it felt like a brand new world out there. Ripe with new experiences, adventures, and possibilities.

I say, BRING IT ON!

In the past, I've set a few very specific goals to help me shape my year. I'm doing things a little differently this year.

I'm only making two goals.

1. Transition to Forefoot Running
2. Become a Better Blogger

I know, I know. These goals aren't very SMART. They are general and a bit vague, so I plan on creating goals each month that will be a bit more precise and actionable.

But mostly, I plan on sitting back and seeing where 2018 takes me. I'm sure there will still be plenty of adventures, but without the pressure of forcing them.

I hope you continue to follow along.

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What are you most looking forward to in 2018?
Do you make SMART goals or more general goals?
What do you think makes a great blog?