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. 😏

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.

Week in Review - 8/20

After last week's post, this one is gonna seem pretty tame. It took me most of the week to fully recover from all the birthday fun. I was pretty tired all week, so my workouts were, let's just say, lackluster. 😊

Staying Fit in Sin City

I love living in Las Vegas! The lights, the glamour. The overindulgence.

It's a fabulous city, but isn't exactly a place synonymous with healthy. Being a local for several years now, I have learned a few ways to make your visit to the Las Vegas Strip a bit healthier.

Walk. Everywhere.

Skip the taxis, Ubers, and Lyfts. Instead slip on a pair of comfy shoes and walk, walk, walk. No better way to see the Strip and really experience Las Vegas (a.k.a. people watch) than on your feet. If you're a step counter, you'll quickly see that number skyrocket.

Be forewarned that while some of the casinos seem relatively close together on the map, they are deceivingly far apart. I definitely recommend good walking shoes.

Run the Strip.

This is one of my favorite things to do in Las Vegas! I live about a mile from the Strip and run it at least every couple months. I love it because it also incorporates a lot of stairs with all the pedestrian bridges, so I feel like I get an even better workout.

If you do this, I recommend going early in the morning. 6AM is the sweet spot, but I wouldn't go much later than 8 or 9, or you'll be dealing with large crowds. It's about 4 miles from the Stratosphere to Mandalay Bay, so you could easily get in any distance up to 8 miles. If you're looking for an even longer run, take it all the way downtown. It's about 6.5 miles from the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign to the Fremont Street Experience.

Make your visit to Las Vegas a bit healthier with these tips from @EnjoytheCourse.

Do a Stairs Workout.

There are a LOT of pedestrian bridges along the Strip to help the flow of traffic. They make for a nice and convenient workout, too. Here's my favorite stairs workout at the Wynn / Fashion Show Mall. It goes up and down escalators and stairs and crosses a bridge over the Strip.

Again, I'd recommend doing this early in the morning. Not staying in this part of the Strip? I'm sure you could come up with a similar workout using any of the other many pedestrian bridges.

Go for a Hike.

You could do an Indoor Hike at the Aria (after you've clicked to their site, hit the + symbol at the bottom of the fitness section to see all their fitness services). I've never done this but it sounds fun. This is not just a simple walk through the resort. It's a guided tour of the Aria's art collection as well. Your guide also throws in push-ups, squats, and other fun exercises. You will definitely get in a good sweat, according to this review in the Review-Journal. A little spendy for this girl, this indoor hike/tour of the Aria costs about $50, but I believe it also gets you access to the spa.

There are numerous excellent hikes off the Strip as well. The most popular is probably Red Rock National Conservation Area, which is gorgeous and only $7 per vehicle entrance fee. Of course, you'd likely need to rent a car, taxi, Uber, or Lyft, since it's about half an hour from the Strip. There are so many more places to hike as well, but all would require transportation off the Strip.

Take a Fitness Class.

Most of the resorts have a Spa and/or Fitness Center that offers a variety of fitness classes. You could do Dolphin Yoga ($50) at the Mirage or learn to pole dance at Stripper 101 ($39.99-$149.99) at Planet Hollywood.

We all know that staying fit is more than just exercise. What's the saying? You can't outrun a bad diet.

Well, Vegas has you covered in this respect, too. Many restaurants on the Strip have healthier options. Just peek at the menu before deciding which restaurant to dine at. If you don't see something that meets your needs, move along to one that does.

YES! You CAN eat healthy while visiting Fabulous Las Vegas! Check out these healthy gems that @EnjoytheCourse found.

I don't actually eat out that often, but I did a search for healthy eating in Las Vegas and found these gems.

The Juice Standard, in the Cosmopolitan. If you're into the juice craze, this is THE place to go on the Strip. Maybe even if you're not. 😉 They have juices, nut milks, & smoothies. Cocktails. Salads/wraps, toasts, & other snacks.
Harvest by Roy Ellamar, at the Bellagio. Only open for dinner, this is Farm to Table goodness. Everything sounds so good. Some options, of course, are healthier than others.
Mon Ami Gabi, in Paris. This came up on a few different lists of healthy options. I think mostly due to the variety of seafood.
Bruxie, at The Park. Their menu is filled with lots of decadence, but their killer salads look divine!
Nordstrom's Marketplace Cafe, in the Fashion Show Mall. Lots of delicious options! Plus their menu shows calories for each item, so you know what you're getting into.
Vegenation, Downtown. I threw in one off-the-Strip option, but still tourist-friendly. 😊 This is one I really need to try! They are 100% plant-based and support local farms. Win-win.

Ok. Now, I'm officially HUNGRY!
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While you're in Fabulous Las Vegas, be sure to also check out Vegas.com for great deals on hotels, shows, tours, and more!

Fun fact: In June it will be 5 years since I came to Las Vegas on vacation and never left! That's just crazy to me because it seems like just yesterday. Of course, most people do make it back home after a trip to Sin City. 😉

Have you ever been to Las Vegas?
What's your favorite tip for staying fit while traveling?

I'm linking up with Angela for Sunday Fitness & Food.

{It's a Date} Wildlife Habitat at The Flamingo

WAY back at the end of December, Jeff and I had a little date night afternoon at the Wildlife Habitat at The Flamingo. I never ended up blogging about it, so... better late than never, right? :)

The Wildlife Habitat is a fun little nugget on the Las Vegas Strip for when you need a break from all gambling, shopping, and partying that most people come to Vegas to do.

I never knew there were so many varieties of ducks!

We arrived just in time for the Pelican Feeding, which was actually a feeding for all the other waterfowl as well.

It was a little chilly the day we went, but it was super fun to watch the pelican feeding and also to just walk around and watch all the other waterfowl swimming in the ponds.

There were also a lot of fish swimming around. :-)

Unfortunately, the flamingos weren't outside. Their little section of the habitat was under construction, so they were inside - somewhere warmer, I hope.

The best thing about the Wildlife Habitat? It's FREE! I love finding incredibly fun things to do for free in Vegas, and this is definitely at the top of the list now!

I'm definitely going to go back when the flamingos are out, because I think they would be incredible to see.

What's a fun, free date night you've had recently?
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Hello, Las Vegas. Introducing... ClassPass

I first heard of ClassPass a few months ago and was bummed that it wasn't yet in my city, so I was beyond excited when they contacted me to help promote the launch here in Las Vegas!

In case you haven't heard of ClassPass before today, here's the skinny.

For one monthly price, you can take unlimited classes at various studios. What a great alternative to a regular gym membership! You could build a workout routine full of variety by visiting studios of all types like barre, yoga, pilates, indoor cycling, bootcamps, martial arts, or strength training!

I can't wait to try out some new studios. I'm generally a solo workout girl, but taking a class now and again can be fun, and the flexibility of ClassPass makes it even better!

There is a limit of 3 classes/studio each month, but if you discover a favorite, just wait for the next month to start and you can visit that studio once again! Plus with so many studios available, I don't think you'll have any worries about running out of classes to take.

For those of you not in Vegas, ClassPass is also available in these other cities. NYC, Boston, San Francisco, LA, Chicago, Washington DC, Seattle, San Diego, Portland, Dallas, Austin, Miami, Denver, Philly, Atlanta, Charlotte, Columbus, Houston, Minneapolis, Phoenix.

You can use it in ANY city. Perfect if you travel a lot.

If you're interested in getting your own ClassPass, here's a link for you to skip the wait list and sign up today!

Membership does automatically renew, but there is no annual or long-term commitment. You can also put your account on-hold for $19/month, which still allows you to take 1 class per month.

The thing I love about ClassPass the most is the flexibility! I received a complimentary month subscription, so be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram as I explore new studios in Las Vegas! 
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December in Review

Wow! December really flew by. Doesn't it always?!

I've got a Year in Review post coming tomorrow, but today let's take a look at December. :) It was a pretty fabulous month!

I continued with the #RWRunStreak. Only 2 more runs to go!! :-)

I shared 3 holiday drinks using Cocogo. You can check them out here, here, and here.

Cocogo's Mistletoe Punch was my favorite

We celebrated our 10th anniversary and tried out a new (to us) restaurant, crossing off two of our 2014 goals. More on that tomorrow.

I went for a super fun Christmas run along the Las Vegas Strip.

We went to the Wildlife Habitat at the Flamingo. The flamingos weren't out because their island was being worked on, but we got to see the pelicans and other waterfowl being fed. There were so many beautiful little ducks! This also crossed off of our final 2014 goal. More on that tomorrow.

I took a lot of pictures in the habitat, so I think I'll share those in a post of its own.

My hair and makeup were pretty perfect, though! I even got compliments from a few random strangers while we were out and about.

I tested out some awesome arm sleeves.

I received the #FrostyVoxBox with lots of fun products to test. Lots more to come on this, but you can watch my unboxing on YouTube in the meantime.

What fun things did you do in December?
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3 Things Thursday + WINNERS

Happy Thursday!! We're in the home stretch of putting this week behind us. Yay!! It's been long, and a bit crazy at work, so I'm definitely looking forward to the weekend. :)

Here's are a few things on my mind this morning.

1. Winners!

Thank you to everyone who joined me for my birthday streak! I had a great time celebrating with all of you!!

Here are the winners:
Drink Cocogo - Elisabeth
Proud Runner gift pack - Irina
Detour Smart Bars - Jenny
Bondi Band - Karen
Multi-Grip Stretch Strap - Rachel

2. Art Show

Tonight, Jeff and I are getting all dolled up to go to a friend's art show. Cocktail Dress Attire. I ordered a few new dresses on Amazon. Gotta love Prime! They are set to arrive this afternoon, so I'll get home from work, try them on, and choose which one to wear. Nothing like the last minute.

Here are my options:

I'm super excited about tonight, but I also feel like I'm coming down with something. I was so tired yesterday that I went to bed at 7:30pm, and I woke up with a sore throat. I'm going to down some Emergen-C and hope that helps stave off whatever is coming my way.

3. Yesterday's Run

I attempted a little speedwork yesterday in the form of a tempo run. It's been a long time, since I went that crazy. My first mile was 8:55. YAY!! And then I took a little walk break when I got to the Strip. It's perfect because there is a pedestrian bridge about halfway through the route. I walked up the stairs, across the bridge, and down the stairs before starting on the run again.

I really tried to push it during the run back home, but I was tired, so it was a little slower on the way back.

Oh yeah! I also got hit on by a couple of hot foreign tourists. One, in very broken English, asked if he could go footing with me for a little bit. I let him - mostly because I was running with pepper spray, if he tried anything untoward. After a minute or two, he kissed my hand, and I took off to continue my tempo run.

Bonus: My nephew and his girlfriend

Will be visiting Vegas this weekend! She just turned 21 last week, and they are coming to Vegas (with a few other people) to celebrate! We don't have any specific plans to see them, but I'm looking forward to meeting up and doing something fun! Plus, Jeff and I did get a pool cabana for Sunday, so either way, it's going to be a fun weekend!
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Hiking Bristlecone Loop

Sunday morning, Jeff and I got up bright and early. Well, early for us on a weekend. :) We met some friends and headed to Mt Charleston for a morning of hiking.

Gorgeous morning for a hike!

We parked in the Lower Bristlecone Loop parking lot and started our hike from there. In total there were 8 humans and 5 dogs in our little hiking party.

The Sallie-girl came along with us, and she had a total blast walking along the trail with us without her leash. She played a little with the other dogs, but she was so good staying near us and not running off to explore places and things that she shouldn't.

I'd forgotten to charge my watch, so I left it at home. I wasn't planning on running, so I wasn't too concerned about time or distance. I'm guessing we did about 5.5-6 miles, and it took us roughly 3 hours. If I'm remembering correctly.

More on how Sallie, Jeff, and I survived the hike in a bit, but first, let's talk about the actual trail.

Bristlecone Loop is pretty easy to find. From Las Vegas, you travel north on US-95 for a few miles outside of the city. From there you'll take Lee Canyon Rd. It's a left-hand turn, and I'm pretty sure that it's well-marked. Don't take Kyle Canyon Road. That's the first Mt Charleston sign you'll see, but you'll end up on the wrong side of the mountain.

We weren't really paying attention to the odometer, so I'm not sure how many miles you drive once you're on Lee Canyon road, but you'll pass a few campsites and at least one other trailhead, Sawmill. There's a good sign for the Bristlecone Lower Loop parking lot.

Around Vegas...

April is off to a great start! No waiting until the last day to check off some of our 2014 goals. :)

On April 1st, we attended our neighbor's wedding. It was a fun little wedding at The Aria. That, in itself, could probably count as something New in 2014 (our first Vegas wedding), but after the wedding, we went to Kaya Sushi to check off our 2nd New Restaurant instead.

If you like all-you-can-eat sushi, this is the place for you!

Of course, if you know Jeff and me at all, you know we don't like fish or seafood, so sushi isn't exactly on the top of our list.

Instead, we ordered a few non-sushi items, like lettuce wraps.

Which still had fish or something in them, but I mustered my way through.

We also had a beef bowl (Jeff), teriyaki chicken (me) and bacon wrapped asparagus (Jeff). The food was pretty good (for us non-seafood/fish lovers).

I can't forget to mention the Strawberry Soju. I'm still not sure what it was - other than delicious!

We were in our own private room for the wedding party, but I got to check out the rest of the restaurant when I went to the bathroom. It was super cute and cozy looking! Almost made me wish I loved sushi because the restaurant just had a feel to it that made me want to come back again and again.

On April 4th, we headed to Ageless Ascension Day Spa. We'd bought a Groupon back in January, and thought this would be the perfect time to redeem.

Now, we've definitely had massages before, but this was our first time ever getting a couples massage.

Unfortunately, we were quite disappointed. Boooo.

We arrived 15+ minutes early for our appointment, and then had to wait for 30+ minutes after our appt time for anyone to come and get us. They did put us in a little waiting area, and that would have been fine for 10-15 minutes. But after 45+ minutes it was just annoying and kind of soured us to the whole experience.

The room was set-up nicely, and the massage therapists were nice enough, but the massages weren't nearly as good as we'd had in the past. :(

I guess not everything we try in 2014 will be winners.

We might try another couples massage, but we'd definitely want to check out a different spa.

Do you like sushi?
Ever had a couples massage?
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Stewart & Ogden at the Downtown Grand

If you read this post, you might remember just how fast March flew by! Suddenly, it was the end of the month, and Jeff and I hadn't done anything new!

The easiest solution would be to check out a new restaurant. It would not only count for something New in 2014...

But also checks off a new restaurant (our goal is at least 3 this year).

So, on 3/31 (nothing like last minute) I jumped on Yelp and searched for nearby Hot New Businesses. Stewart & Ogden in the new Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino sounded perfect!

Top of the World

Ok. Maybe not.

But the Stratosphere is the tallest building in the Vegas area and offers the best views of the city, so when I heard that locals could go to the observation deck for free in January, I simply knew that should be our first new in 2014 thing to do.

We've been to observation decks before, but never to the Stratosphere, so one Friday after work and dinner, we decided to be tourists in our own city and go check it out.

To save gas, and since it was only 2+ miles away and a nice night, we decided to walk. We had so much fun just walking together! That would have been a great night on its own. Of course the socks and sneakers I was wearing didn't have the same plan. I may have even gotten a blister. :(

Getting closer!

We got there just in time. The line was long, but really swelled just after we arrived. Yay for beating the 9:30pm rush. :)

We had to wait in line to get tickets. Then you go up stairs and wait in line to go through a security check. More stairs to get to another line to wait for an elevator to take you to the 108th floor. That's a lot of lines!

The waiting really wasn't so bad; it actually went pretty quickly.

The view made it all worth it.

Here you can see Paradise (where we live) on the left and The Strip on the right.

Here I am being silly over downtown.

The lights were crazy! There were SO many!! But it was super fun to see where they dead-ended at the mountains. Only at night, you couldn't really tell there were mountains there at all.

It was a very fun date night!

But it wasn't enough for me. I wanted to see it during the day. I couldn't convince Jeff to go twice in one weekend. He's thinks its more spectacular at night, plus he wants to do the extreme rides next time we go.

I really wanted to see it during the day when it was still free, so I incorporated a trip back to the top during my Sunday run.

It was a bit more crowded - both the lines and the observation deck. I headed out much later in the afternoon than I'd intended, so I got there as the sun was just starting to set.  It was actually very pretty with the angle of the sun where it was.

Was it more spectacular at night? I'm not convinced. I do love the night lights, but I also love the mountains and the wispy clouds.

Here is Paradise and The Strip again, but during the day.

What do you think? Would you rather visit during the day or at night?
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Monday Listicles - The Weekend

This week's Monday Listicles theme is things to do on the weekend. Our weekends are generally pretty mellow, so here's a list of some regular things we do and some things I wish we'd do more. So, in no particular order...

10 Things to Do during the Weekend

1. Stay up way too late
We don't do this every weekend, but this past weekend we were up until 3am Sat morning. Just talking about random things

2. Sleep in way too late
When Sallie is feeling generous. She likes her breakfast at a very early hour and isn't too keen on pushing that back. But sometimes I convince her to sleep a bit later.

3. Be a tourist in our own town
Of course we live in a pretty great town to do this. This weekend we went to the Stratosphere.

4. Go for a run
I try to get out for a run at least once every weekend.

5. Make a fun breakfast
Pancakes, french toast, omelettes. Not all at the same time.

6. Go for a bike ride or for a hike
We don't do this nearly as often as I'd like, but one of these weekends we'll do it!

7. ROAD TRIP!
Again, we have yet to do this since moving to Vegas, but sometime this year, I hope we take a few short road trips. LA, San Diego, Phoenix, Grand Canyon are a few of the places I'd love to go.

8. Relax and do nothing
This is how most of my weekends actually go. Or I get caught up on stuff around the house, like cleaning, organizing or doing laundry.

9. Marathon - movies or TV
Now, this is something that we'll frequently do - but we haven't for awhile.

10. NAP
Which includes lots of Sallie snuggle time. Some of my favorite moments are snuggling with her.

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Linking up with Stasha. Head on over there to see how everyone else spends their weekends and to see what next week's theme is.

Long Weekend Recap

Well, my long weekend has come to an end. :( Back to a regular routine this morning. It's okay. The memories from this weekend will last a long time. And if not, they'll be recorded here, for good measure. ;)

Obviously, the biggest highlight of the weekend was running the Tri-States Marathon with Katie.

Katie and me at the Start Line

Missed my recap of the race? Check it out here.

Besides running a marathon, the weekend was filled with delicious food and drinks.

And walking around the Strip.

Katie had never been to Vegas before, so we had to do at least something Vegas-y. But it was so cold! And we were both tired from a day of travel Thurs - Katie flying from KY; me circling the McCarran Airport for 20+ miles - that we just grabbed dinner at FIREFLY and called it a night.

So, before heading to Mesquite for the marathon, I had to at least show her the Vegas Strip. We parked at Fashion Show mall. I got some nail appliques on my ring fingers; Katie got her hair straightened AND bought the hair straightener. I decided that maybe it hadn't been the best idea to stop at the mall first. LOL.

We walked from Fashion Show to Aria, popping in and out of the casinos to hit the tables warm up.

Since we went during the afternoon, none of the free shows were going. I, at least, wanted to show her the Conservatory at the Bellagio.

It was between shows. #thwarted

It was still fun to see glimpses of the holiday show.

After walking around for a couple hours, we were both getting hungry! I saw I had a Starbucks reward for BOGO food, so we decided to grab sandwiches at Starbucks.

Unfortunately, we had to go to THREE locations before I could redeem my reward. Apparently rewards don't work in casinos. #lessonlearned

Katie and I got along fabulously! It was so much fun getting to know her in person and chatting about blogging and running. I so rarely get to do that in real life, so it was lots of fun!!

Come back anytime, Katie!

The rest of my weekend was spent watching movies and TV. And blogging a bit, too.

My legs were feeling pretty good on Sunday, but the DOMS definitely set in as I lounged on the recliner. Walking seemed to get more and more difficult as the day went on. I spent quite a bit of time massaging them throughout our movie marathon.

When I went to bed Sunday night, I was definitely happy about my decision to take Monday off work as well.

Thankfully, my legs were feeling much better yesterday. I even took Sallie for a 2-mile walk. They felt so good in fact that I think I'll even try going for a short, slow run before work today.

How was your weekend? Do anything particularly fun?
How long after a marathon until you're walking 100% normal again?
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Happy Friday + One Crazy Weekend ahead

Happy Friday, everyone!! Oddly, this week has simply flown by! It seems like it was just Monday. I love weeks like this. They don't happen very often, so it's always a nice little surprise when they do.

Vegas is going to be crazy this weekend! There is so much going on!!!

First up, Life is Beautiful is a HUGE music, art, food festival.

I'll be volunteering at the RJ booth Saturday afternoon from 3-6. If you're at the festival, stop by and say hello! You can charge your phone and/or get your picture taken.

I've got 2-day passes, but I'm not sure how much I'll go to the festival other than my volunteer shift because NHRA is also this weekend.

Jeff and I have tickets for Sunday. We went last year and had a total blast, so we're definitely looking forward to going this year, too!

Tonight there is a Party With Your Pooch at Town Square.

I think it sounds super fun, but I think I'd really be pushing my luck if I add a 3rd event to our weekend. :)

And then, of course, I also need to find time to run 18 miles. I've had a perfect training week, so there will be NO EXCUSES this weekend. I'm thinking of pushing it to Sunday morning, but maybe I'll stick to Saturday. Hmmm... Saturday might be better, anyway. You know. Get it out of the way before there is time for ANY excuses.

I want to say there was something else going on this weekend as well that sounded intriguing. It's probably for the best that I can't remember what it was. I'm not sure I could handle anything else.

What are your weekend plans? Crazy busy or low-key and relaxed?
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