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. 😆

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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 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.

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.

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?

Week in Review - 12/31 + December Report Card

Who's ready for 2018?! 🙋I've got big plans for the year, and I can't wait to get started!

But first, let's wrap up 2017 with a quick review of this past week along with December's Report Card and a final check-in with my 2017 goals.

My week wasn't too crazy. Unlike many people, I worked Tue-Fri, so it was a pretty typical week. Except that we moved offices from the 1st to the 3rd floor of the same building. I got to work from home Tue-Wed while we waited for the WiFi to be set up. They'll be doing some remodeling in our new offices over the next few weeks, but the space is definitely bigger than where we were. It should be quite nice when it's all finished. I'm just excited about all the extra steps I'll get in taking the stairs at least twice a day. 🤣

Running 
Christmas morning 10k run along the Strip in a Santa hat. I've been doing this the past several years. It's my one Christmas 🎄 tradition. Also, I kept up with the #RWRunStreak with at least 1 mile a day.

Tone It Up
I did TIU workouts on Tue, Wed, & Fri. DOMS were definitely present most of the week.

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And now for a look back the final month of 2017 and how I did on all my goals for the year.

General Running/Training (25%): A

I ran an amazing half marathon on the 2nd. I did a week of yoga. I did quite a few days of Tone It Up workouts (which left me SORE)! Throughout it all, I've even kept up with the Runner's World Run Streak.

Run at least 600 Miles (25%): A

I DID IT!! On Christmas Day I breached my 600-mile goal for the year. There were a few months when I kind of doubted myself, but the two RW Run Streaks and fall half marathon training really helped me to kick it out. I'm pretty psyched that I accomplished this goal. 🏃🎉

Be More Active in the Local Running Community (25%): B

December flew by! I really thought I'd have no problem making it out to one more group run, but it just never worked out. I was all set to meet up with the Tues night group the day after Christmas but they skipped that week. 😞 There was a group run yesterday morning, but my warm bed won out. Ugh. I'm still happy with my 7/8. It's way more than in past years, so though I didn't meet my goal, I still broke out of my comfort zone.

7 of 8 group runs completed
3 of 3 times volunteering at a local race 🎉

I'll be volunteering at my 3rd race of the year this afternoon. Woot woot!

12 Trails of 2017 (20%): B+

Jeff hurt his toe/foot early in the month, so we never ended up going for a hike together. I did do a new trail with Kristy after the half marathon, so I'm going to count it. My goal, my rules, right?!

There's a scenic drive just outside of Laughlin called Christmas Tree Pass. It's a 12-mile gravel road with some gorgeous views. About 2 miles in we pulled off to hike Grapevine Canyon. It's filled with cool petrogylphs. I was pretty tired after my race, so I didn't take too many pics of them, though.

Since I allowed this trail for December, I'm modifying my no-trail in February. The goal was supposed to be a new trail to both me and Jeff that we hiked together. Back in February, we didn't hike a trail together, but I did run some new trails on my own while training for an ultra (that never happened).

ALL DONE!

Current Events Night (5%): F

I don't know where the month went, but it sure wasn't spent discussing current events. lol

Final Grade for December: B+

December started out really great and then kind of fizzled by the end. Work was a bit crazy with lots of people on vacation (myself included) that it often wiped me out by the end of the days that I worked.

Final Grade for 2017: A

I had a couple rocky months at the beginning of the year, and if you averaged my final grades, it would have been a solid B for the year. I'm bumping it up to a solid A, though. I had a lot of great training throughout the year. I hit 600 miles. I discovered 12 new trails. I turned 40 and had a fabulous birthday - complete with a fitness challenge, a visit from family, and a few other surprises. There was a long road trip in October. Looking back I really had a great year!


Even though I didn't have any blogging goals in 2017, I still thought I'd share my Top 5 posts of the year.

How to: Sun & Moon Salutations → This post is actually from 2013. Wow!
The Why's & How's of Foam Rolling
Celebrate with Me! → An invitation to my 40th birthday fitness challege.
Staying Fit in Sin City
Running Mistakes: Proper Fueling → The importance of food, water, and sleep.
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To see my grades from all year:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November

I'm linking up today with Tricia & Holly for the final Weekly Wrap of 2017. Have a fantastic New Year!! 🎉🎉

Run Laughlin Race Day Goals & Strategy

I don't know if it's because of half marathon training, or if it's flown by quickly for everyone, but man, have these past couple months have flown by! I can hardly believe that Run Laughlin is already this Saturday.

If you've been following along, I've been posting my training recaps each Sunday, and I think that's really helped me to stay motivated and on track. This is the first half marathon that I've actually trained for in quite sometime, and I'm proud of how well it's gone.

Time to set some Goals and Strategize for Saturday!

#1 Have fun!

Because otherwise, what is the point? Whether I'm running hard or taking it easy, if I'm not enjoying the race, then that's just not cool.

#2 PR, baby!

Despite Sunday's disappointing run, I'm still going to try for a PR on Saturday. Sure, I didn't do much (read: any) hill training, but I'm going to go into the race confident! It's 90% mental, right?!

Comparing the elevation map from Sunday's run and the one of the race, the hills on race day aren't as steep, so I really think I'll be OK.

That's it! I'm only setting 2 goals for this race. If I don't end up getting a PR, I'll be OK with just having fun. If my strategies start to fall apart, or if I crash into a wall like I did on Sunday, I'll just fall back on my # 1 goal of having fun.

Read on to find out my race day strategies.

Pace Strategy

My previous PR is a 2:10:26 half marathon, which is a 9'57" pace.

Based on the elevation map and crunching some numbers, here's how I plan to break it down:

Mile 1    Set alerts for 10'15" slow and 9'30" fast.
It's a slight downhill, but I still don't want to start off too fast. Plus, it usually takes a bit for my legs to warm-up.

Miles 1-3.5    Set alert for 10'30" slow; turn off the fast alert.
This is the first uphill climb, so I'll slow down a bit to conserve some energy.

Miles 3.5-7    Set alert for 9'30" slow; no fast alert.
This is mostly downhill, so I'll speed up to make up some time lost on the first hill.

Miles 7-8.5    Set alert for 10'25" slow; no fast alert.
This is the 2nd uphill climb. Not as daunting as the first, but also rated a Cat 5 (the least difficult category). By this point in the race, hopefully, I'll be nice a warmed up, so I can conquer this hill a bit easier than the first.

Miles 8.5-Finish    Set alert for 9'45" slow; no fast alert.
There are some uphills sprinkled throughout the last few miles, but I'm hoping they won't be so bad since they are relatively short hills.

I crunched the numbers. 
If I can manage these paces, I'll barely squeak out a PR.
But a PR is a PR, right? Even if it is only a few seconds. 😂

Fuel and Hydration Strategy

I haven't really talked about it much throughout my training, but I'll continue with the same strategy on race day that I've done on all my long runs.

Hydration - I have an alert on my Garmin to drink every half mile. Just a sip or two. I find this really helps avoid sloshing and keeps me hydrated throughout the race. I'll carry my handheld and refill it at water stations as needed. There are 6 along the course, so I should be able to refill adequately.

Fuel - I'm all about the Garmin alerts! My Eat alert goes off every 45 minutes. I'll suck down a gel and swallow a salt tablet. I only started using salt tablets a few weeks ago but have found them helpful in training.

Music Strategy

I'm torn on using music. I usually skip music during a race, but I haven't done a long run without music in quite some time. I think I'll create a playlist just in case and decide on race morning if I want to listen to it while I run.

I feel like I have a pretty good strategy. Probably better than I've ever gone into a race. It feels good.

Who knows exactly what race day will bring, but I'm going to go into it with a positive mind and spirit. And a good plan.

At this point, that's really all I can do.
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What kind of goals do you do set for a race?
Do you ever strategize to this extent?
Music or no music?


I'm linking up today with Erika, Marcia and Patty for Tuesday's on the Run.

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.