Friday Five 2.0 - Love

I'm taking a sick day today. I haven't been feeling tiptop the last few days, so I figured a day off from work would do me some good.

I haven't been as good at blogging since I started ultra training. I've been pretty tired and sore and focused on training.

But since I'm home from work today and came across this quote, I thought it was perfect for this week's Friday Five 2.0.

With Valentine's Day coming up next week, it's no surprise that this week's topic for Friday Five 2.0 is Love.

Five⁺ Ways to Love Yourself

1. Take a rest day. That's what I'm doing today. I'm looking forward to doing absolutely nothing today, with a nap or two sprinkled in.

2. Go outside. Soak up some Vitamin D. Take a hike or go for a run. Or simply sit in a park and read a book.

3. Have a spa day. If you can, go to an actual spa. Or, if you're a penny pincher, like me, have a DIY spa day. Soak your feet in warm water with Epsom salt. Take a bubble bath with your favorite music and candlelight. Paint your nails.

4. Make a list of things that make you happy. Reminding yourself of what makes you happy will feel like a big hug and certainly make you feel loved. Back in 2013, I made such a list. It still makes me smile.

5. Laugh. They say laughter is the best medicine, and I tend to agree. Laughter can make you feel all warm and fuzzy.

Plus. Do Yoga! We hold so much emotion in our tight muscles, and releasing it is a great way to give yourself some love. Even if you're not very good at yoga, or don't consider yourself a yogi, take some time to stretch. Or have a date with a foam roller.

Now I'm off to relish in my rest day. And maybe do a couple other things on this list.
Tweet

Be sure to stop by Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness to see what everyone else is loving on today.

Week in Review - 2/05

So, my knee started bugging me on today's run. I definitely need to give it some TLC this week, i.e. lots of foam rolling and compression and stretching.

I'm also trying to eat better. I used to never really worry about nutrition, thinking that my exercise was good enough. I know the saying, You can't outrun a bad diet. And I believe it, but I just didn't think my eating was all that bad.

But with ultra training, I decided I needed to think of food as fuel. So, I downloaded the My Fitness Pal app (which I hadn't used since 2009) and was shocked by what I was lacking. I hope to write a post on that later. Maybe this coming week.

January Report Card

Happy final day of January! This month really flew by! I can't believe we are already a full month into 2017.

Today's topic for Tuesdays on the Run is Give your running month a letter grade. Using that as inspiration, I decided to do a monthly report card to check in on my 2017 Goals.

Week in Review - 1/29

In case you missed my big announcement on Tuesday, I started training for an ultramarathon (55k) this week. It is a little intimidating and scary, but mostly exciting! I'll really be pushing myself, but also really listening to my body.

I mentioned I created my own training plan and wasn't really following anything tried & true. The race is in the beginning of April, so I have about 11 weeks to train (well, 10 more to go now). I'm focusing not just on running, but also on strength and stretching and rest.

I'm starting out with only 3 days of running (Wed, Sat, Sun), two rest days (Mon, Fri), and 2-3 days of strength workouts (Tue, Wed, Fri). I'm sure I'll be adjusting as I go.

Friday Five 2.0 - StrideBox Review

At the end of December, Sarah reached out to me to see if I'd like to try out a StrideBox. Of course, I said yes, because I'm a sucker for anything free. :-)

I absolutely LOVED this box!

I know there are a lot of subscription boxes out there to choose from, but I think that StrideBox really goes above and beyond.

Friday Five 2.0 is a freebie topic this week, so I'm linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness to share 5 Things I Love About StrideBox.

One

Packaging. Isn't the design on this box cute?

The box came lined with yellow tissue paper, which I tore when opening the package, so no pic. It's a really small thing, but it made the box seem a little more special.

But what I loved most about the box was it's size, and that it fit in my mailbox. We have issues with packages at our apartment complex. The office often loses packages and never alerts residents that a package arrived. If you don't know something is coming, you can get a bit screwed. Packages coming through the USPS often have better luck - except that some vandals broke into the parcel lockers for larger packages in December and stole all the packages. Booo! All that to say, I was excited that this gem fit right in our regular mailbox.

Two

All the products. Of course. 

There was a nice variety of fuel to try plus one really cool accessory. I haven't actually tried everything yet, but here are a few of the items I have tried.

Power Bar - Protein Snack Bar - PB & Caramel

OMG! This was so delicious! I devoured it. I would definitely buy more of these.
I enjoyed this after a 5 mile run.

Pacific Health - Accel Gel - Key Lime

I tried this during a 10 mile trail run. I tend to like gels and this was no exception.
The key lime flavor was exactly what you'd expect - a perfect mix of sweet and tart.
Bonus that it was pretty easy to open as well.

Foods Alive - Power Snackers - Lemon Chia Crunch

I tried these after a 10 mile trail run. I liked the crunch and the slight lemon flavor, but
there was another flavor as well that I didn't care for much. 

StrideBox Essentials Water Resistant Silicone LED Armband

I've worn this on several early morning runs! I usually chose the blinky setting.
It mostly stayed in place and I usually forgot I had it on.

I'm looking forward to trying out the rest of the items.

Three

The Stride Guide.

This isn't unique to Stridebox. I'm guessing all subscription boxes come with a guide, but it's still something that I love. I love how it lays out everything in the box and let's you know when to use (before, during, or after a workout) and where to go for more info on the product. The pricing is nice as well.

Four

The back of the Stride Guide.

On the back of their guide is a collage of photos from social media that used #TagYourTrail. I love how they showcase real photos from real people. I found it very inspiring. And made me want to get out and hit my trails!

Five

Make It/Do It Card.

This card was probably my favoritist thing in the StrideBox! One side had a fun recipe to try and the other had a workout. I love that they work with bloggers to provide these cards. More fun stuff from real runners. More inspiration. More to try. More to feel accomplished about.

A StrideBox subscription is only $15 per month and there is no minimum commitment. You can cancel at any time. It's a great way to discover new items and to find some inspiration, too.

Have you tried StrideBox?

Tweet

What's Your Limit?

Limits.

We all have them, but as runners, we sure do like to push them, don't we? It's what makes us stronger, right?

Please tell me I'm right. :-) Otherwise, what you're about to read isn't just crazy, but crazy stupid.

I have a hard time defining my limits. I tend to have a pretty laissez-faire approach to running and fitness. But that's all about to change. At least for the next couple months.

I mentioned on Sunday that today I'd share with you what was next for me.

{deep breath}

Here goes...

Week in Review - 1/22

You know how they say, all's well that ends well? I had a fabulous Sunday (so far) and it blurs out all the rest of the week. I can't even remember if it was an overall good or bad week, that's how overshadowing today's trail run was.

More on that below....

Friday Five 2.0 - Winter Activities Anyone Will Love

TGIF, my friends! Who is ready for the weekend? I know I am. This week has been crazy at work. Let's just say I was ready for a drink at 8:05 yesterday morning. 😂

But enough about that!

Instead, let's link up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for Friday Five 2.0. This week's topic is Winter Activities.

Charity Miles: How To Guide

I'm linking up today with Marcia, Patty, and Erika for Tuesday's on the Run. This week's topic is Favorite Winter Gear. Winter's aren't really bad here in Vegas, so my winter gear isn't much more than long-sleeved shirts and running pants.

Instead, since I've received quite a few comments lately about Charity Miles (what it is, how it works, etc.), I thought I'd share a quick tutorial to show just how easy using Charity Miles is.

I've been using Charity Miles (off and on) for quite a few years now - at least back to 2012. The app has changed a bit since then, but the same basic idea behind it hasn't.

Every Mile Matters!

It's the perfect way for anyone to give back simply by going for a run, walk, or bike ride. There are a LOT of charities to choose from and the app really is so simple to use! You can earn up to 25¢ for a run or walk and up to 10¢ for a bike ride. All you do is use the app and then Charity Miles makes the actual donation to the various charities.

Seriously simply, but read on for a Step-by-Step guide to walk you through it all.

Week in Review - 1/15

Happy Sunday!

Looking back, this week seemed to fly by, but during the week, I was SO tired and SO unmotivated. I still managed to do all my workouts, though. Plus, I threw in a few yoga practices on my rest days. I need to do more yoga; it always feels so good!

Friday Five 2.0 - Dream Waterfall Destinations

I've been so unmotivated to blog this week! I don't if it's the dreary weather or what, but every night I get home and just want to VEG. There were a couple posts I had intended to write, but well, that lack of motivation won.

Let's try to get back on track by linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for Friday Five 2.0.

The theme this week is:

Dream Vacations or Winter Destinations

There are so many places I'd love to visit, but here are 5 waterfall destinations I'd love to cross off my list!

Week in Review - 1/8

How was the first week of 2017?

I'm going to shift my Week in Review posts to be Mon-Sun, instead of Sun-Sat. It just makes more sense to me, since Monday is more like the fresh start to the week. :-)

Ultimate Coffee Date - January 2017

Happy January and thanks for stopping by for the first Ultimate Coffee Date of 2017!

We are a full week into the new year. Hope it's going well for you.

I was going to resurrect videos for the Ultimate Coffee Date in 2017, but YouTube is not cooperating and I'm tired of waiting for my video to upload before I can do a little editing!

Perhaps I'll try the video thing again next month.

Friday Five 2.0 - Happy New Year

It's my first time linking up with Running on Happy and Fairytales and Fitness for Friday Five 2.0.

The theme this week is (no surprise)...

Happy New Year! Tell us your goals, resolutions, or other things you’re looking forward to in the new year!

Since I already shared my goals for 2017, I thought I'd share a few posts that I've recently read that may or may not help you achieve your goals this year!

#RWRunStreak Recap

I'm linking up today with Marcia, Patty, & Erika for Tuesdays on the Run. This week's topic is Running Resolutions and Goals. Since I shared my 2017 goals yesterday, I thought I'd do a little recap of the winter #RWRunStreak that ended on January 1st.

Let's just begin by saying that I am not a streaker. I 💛 my rest days! But I'm also kind of a sucker for a good challenge, so I do enjoy the Runner's World Run Streaks and try to do them when I can. I think this was the first year that I did both the summer and winter streaks. Pretty exciting. 😉

Happy 2017!

As much as I love December and reflecting back on the previous year, I ❤ New Years even more!
I feel like it's a clean slate, so full of promise.
A chance to look ahead and decide on what you want to accomplish.

I'm really excited about the goals I've set for 2017.

Week in Review 1/1

Happy New Year!

It was a pretty quiet week between the holidays for me. It was nice to have a short week at work with Monday off for Christmas and a half day on Friday for New Years.

Unfortunately, I caught the cold that had been floating around the office on Thursday. Boooo! Hoping it doesn't last too long.

Most Liked IG Posts of 2016

Hope everyone has a fun & safe New Year's Eve tonight! I'll be lounging at home, nursing this icky cold and hoping that it doesn't last long. {Read: How to Get Over a Cold Quickly}

It's time to officially say good-bye to 2016.

Since I only really blogged for 2 months this year, I thought it would be fun to send off the year by sharing my Top 3 Most Liked Instagram posts for each month of 2016.

January

A photo posted by Clarinda (@enjoyingthecourse) on Jan 17, 2016 at 10:19am PST

A photo posted by Clarinda (@enjoyingthecourse) on Jan 10, 2016 at 1:54pm PST

A photo posted by Clarinda (@enjoyingthecourse) on Jan 4, 2016 at 7:05pm PST

2016 in Review

One of the things I love most about December is looking back at all the fun I had throughout the year. 2016 was no exception!

Here is a recap of the year. Well, since this blog was inactive most of the year, this might be new-to-you, instead of a recap. 😄 Unless you follow me on Instagram. Then this might be a recap after all. 😉

My Year of Running 2016

Wow! It's so hard to believe that this is the final week of the year! I've been enjoying reflecting on the year and reading lots of other recaps from other running blogs.

I'm especially excited to see that the Year of Running is still a thing. It started with Amanda at Miss Zippy (no longer blogging) and is now being hosted by Courtney at Eat Pray Run DC.

Without further ado, here is the 2016 edition of My Year of Running.

Week in Review 12/25

Merry Christmas!

Hope you all are enjoying a lovely day with family. I'm off to run the Las Vegas Strip in my Christmas hat. More on that next Sunday. :-)

In the meantime, here is my recap of last week.

12 Years!

Yesterday, I celebrated 12 years of marriage to my wonderful husband, Jeff.

Over the years, we haven't ever really given each other gifts to celebrate our anniversary. However, Jeff gave me a couple little traditional gifts for our 10-year, so last year we decided that each year for the next decade for our marriage, we would choose a traditional gift together. Year 11 is steel, and we bought a wine corkscrew.

The traditional gift for a 12 year anniversary is Silk. Since we are on a tight budget right now, and didn't want to buy actual gifts that we may or may not ever use like a silk scarf (for me) or a silk tie (for Jeff), I found a restaurant called Silk Road Asian Bistro.

My Year in Race Bling 2016

Today's topic for Tuesday's on the Run is Your year in race bling and/or pictures. I didn't run a lot of races this year, but here's the bling I managed to snag.

I didn't write a recap for all of them, but click on the pictures to read the recaps that I did write.

Week In Review 12/18

Wow! Can you believe Christmas is only 1 week from today? We don't really celebrate Christmas, but I am looking forward to running the Strip in a cute Christmasy running outfit.

But this post is about my week last week. :-)

I had a couple tough workouts, a few great runs, and a fun (but hard) experience volunteering at a race on Saturday.

Ugly Sweater Day

Did you know that the 3rd Friday in December is Ugly Sweater Day? Yep. That's today!

I donned my ugly sweater leggings to celebrate.

My company had an ugly sweater contest last week for our holiday party. We had some pretty good contenders.

I didn't participate, but I was one of the judges. How do you judge which sweater should win? Is it the ugliest? The most creative? Store bought? Homemade? So much pressure!

Enjoy Your Run

We've all been there. Out on a run that makes you question why the hell you do this.

A run that hurts physically or mentally.
A run when your body or mind just isn't feeling it.
A run that's a struggle to put one foot in front of the other.
A run that just doesn't go as planned or as you hoped.

"Find a way to enjoy parts of every run. Most of your runs should be mostly enjoyable."
~Jeff Galloway

I love this quotation so much! But it got me thinking, How can I make most of my runs mostly enjoyable?

Week In Review 12/11

Kind of a busy week with thrift shopping, happy hour, bowling, a company holiday and of course, all the normal running.

My Favorite Holiday Drink at Starbucks

If you knew me in real life, you'd know how much I love Starbucks. Their drinks are delish, of course, but even more than that, I love their rewards program and their customer service is some of the best!

Since I love it so much, I thought I'd share my favorite holiday drink with you.

It starts with a venti Chestnut Praline Latte.

What Running Taught Me This Year

Last week, I stumbled upon a new {to me} link-up called Tuesdays on the Run. I'm excited to join in the fun {a day late}. This week's topic is Something new running taught you this year.

Back in 2013, I shared 4 Lessons I've Learned about Running and in 2014, I shared 5 Lessons From Running I Haven't Learned.

So, what's something NEW I've learned this year?

Week in Review 12/04

Mostly a good week last week. #RWRunStreak is going strong and I'm keeping up with my Nike+ Run Club training program, too. The cold weather sucks, but at least it's helping me run a bit FASTER! 🏃

Ultimate Coffee Date - December 2016

Happy December! Since it's the first Saturday of the month, it's time for the Ultimate Coffee Date with Coco & Deborah. It's always fun to catch up with all of you on what's been going over a nice hot cup of joe (or tea, in my case this morning).

The last Ultimate Coffee Date seems both like it was a long time ago and that it was just last week. Anyone else feel this way about November? Just me?

How much to do you LOVE my new December mug?
Not much snow here in Vegas, but I still love it SNOW MUCH. hehehe

Stress Management Tool Kit Essentials

With Thanksgiving last week, the holiday season in now officially in full swing.  While this season should be filled with love and laughter, family and friends, it often comes with higher levels of stress. A couple years ago, I shared 4 Tips to Relieve Stress. Those are still some really great tips, but they do take some time. And, let's face it, sometimes during high stress, we need simple, quick, and easy solutions to help lower that stress.

I recently received a Wellness Newsletter at work. It was mostly about stress management, and one of the things it suggested was having a Stress Managment Tool Kit.

I couldn't resist sharing some tool kit essentials that can help you relieve stress anytime anywhere.

Week in Review 11/27

Hope you all survived Thanksgiving and are getting in the holiday spirit!

I started the #RWRunStreak on Thanksgiving as well as a new Nike+ training program. To help hold myself accountable, I thought it would be a good idea to do a Week in Review post each Sunday.

I'm mostly focused on running right now, but this frog doing yoga was just too cute!

Happy Thanksgiving

It's Turkey Day! Can you even believe it?!

This quote randomly found its way into my Inbox, and I really loved it!

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. --Melodie Beattie

I sincerely hope your day is filled with GRATITUDE, delicious smells wafting from the kitchen, family & friends, good food & fun!

Gobble! Gobble!
Tweet

What's your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
How are you celebrating today? We are skipping all traditional aspects of Thanksgiving and are instead heading outside to enjoy some of the gorgeous nearby trails. I love living in Vegas!

3 Ways to Celebrate Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is almost here! I thought I'd share some ideas to mix up your Thanksgiving Day celebrations and make the day a little more meaningful.

PJ 5k Recap

The PJ 5k takes place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and is the only time Glittering Lights is open to foot traffic. It's 3 miles of really cool holiday lights and displays.

This was my 3rd year running this race, and it just keeps getting better!

Urban Running: Staying Safe

While I love to hit the mountain or desert trails, I still largely identify myself as an urban runner. There is something about running through the tall buildings and along the busy streets that I find really rewarding.

Running through urban areas does come with its own set of risks and since November is National Running Safety Month, I thought I'd share 10 tips on how to stay safe out on the streets.

Thankful Thursday #3

Thanksgiving is just one week away. What are your plans? Big dinner? Gathering with family or friends? We don't really have any plans yet, but I'm thinking maybe a picnic in the mountains. Hmmm. I'll have to think on that a little more.

But today, here are a few more things I'm thankful for.

Thankful Thursday #2

Happy Thursday!!

We're another week closer to Thanksgiving!

Time to take a few minutes to reflect on the things I'm thankful for this week.

Living in Las Vegas. I'm so grateful to live in a place that is so close to absolutely gorgeous hiking trails. Some of my favorites are Red Rock National Conservation Area.

Ultimate Coffee Date - November 2016

When I was preparing my blog to get it ready for its big revival, I was super excited to see that Coco and Deborah were still hosting the Ultimate Coffee Date on 1st Saturday of each month.

Because who doesn't love having coffee virtually with all their blogging friends?

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

Thankful Thursday #1

Happy 1st Thursday of November. :)

We don't really do much to celebrate the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, but I thought it would be a good excuse time to reflect on some of the things I'm thankful for with a revival of Thankful Thursdays.

This week, I'm thankful for...

Hello, Again...

Sixteen months ago, I made the decision to close down this blog. I had been feeling uninspired for awhile, and blogging wasn't really working for me.

But I kinda started to miss it!

... sharing my running adventures
... sharing random thoughts and experiences of my every day life
... the blogging community

And then a couple weeks ago, I got an email from GoDaddy reminding me that my domain would expire in a couple months.

So, I got to thinking.... Why not start blogging again?

Maybe a 16 month hiatus was just what I needed to get my blogging mojo back. Fingers crossed. :-)

I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts, experiences, and tips with you all and hope that you'll enjoy my return.

Until next time...

Tweet

Closing down...

But not saying good-bye.

I'm afraid this little corner of the blogosphere has run its course. I've been trying to hang on to it for awhile now. Trying to keep it alive. But it's just not working for me anymore.

I find myself more and more letting my blog get me down when I don't post very often or when I struggle to come up with blog ideas. And I hate to admit it, but I find myself comparing my blog to other running / fitness blogs and feel like I simply don't have anything valuable to contribute. My inadequacies insecurities creep to the surface, and that's just no way to live. :)

So, I won't be updating Enjoying the Course any longer.

But I'll still be around on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I'll still be running and enjoying the course / life / adventure / you name it.

And I'm super excited to also announce that Jeff and I will be starting a joint venture - Turtle Vida.

Turtle Vida is all about slowing down the pace, discovering more pleasures, and living an enriched life.

Right now, we're only on Facebook and Twitter (come say hello!), but soon we'll start a YouTube channel as well to branch into the world of vlogging.

We'll be sharing our adventures - both old and new - as well as our dreams for the future. We'll be sharing how we slow down and savor those experiences.

I truly hope that you'll continue to follow along with me - even if this blog is saying good-bye.
Tweet

Workout Recap + Jun 8 Meal Plan

Will I ever get back to meal planning? I'm not sure.

Tomorrow, I'll recap the full Bikini Series, but let me just say, it turned into a 7-week series for me instead of 8. :(

This is starting out as a downer post, but I really did have a great week last week!!

Workout Recap

Sunday: REST. 1.48 mile run

Monday: 1.53 mile run.

Tuesday: 1.5 mile run.

Wednesday: Yin Yoga (40 min). 3 mile run for #NationalRunningDay.

Thursday: Yoga (40 min). 3.9 mile run with a few hill repeats.

Friday: 1.4 mile run. Yoga (15 min).

Saturday: 1.51 mile run. Yoga (40 min). Walking a little around Lake Mead.

What's for Dinner?

It's getting to the time of year when I do not want to turn on the oven, so I see salads, crock pot dinners, and rice in the future.

Here are a few ideas of what may or may not go down this week:

Breakfast
Smoothies
Granola

Lunch
Tuna salad wraps
Salad

Dinner
Grilled cheese sandwiches
Pasta with red sauce
Chicken and rice
Burritos

What are you cooking up this week?
How were your workouts last week?
Tweet

Be sure to stop by Laura @ Mommy Run Fast and Jill Conyers to check out what everyone else is cooking up this week.

Workout Recap + Jun 1 Meal Plan

I'm a day late in posting this. I was pretty wiped out after my half marathon on Saturday and then walking to/from/around a Beer & Tequila Tasting event about 1 mile from my apartment.

I needed Sunday to do NOTHING and rest and recuperate, but I still wanted to get up at least my workout recap from last week.

Workout Recap

Sunday: Slim & Toned Arms. Bikini Yoga.

Monday: 6.4 mile trail run.

Tuesday: Bikini Cardio (aka 4.3 mile run w/ intervals). Bikini Abs. Bikini Arms. Sunset Workout (yoga).

Wednesday: 1.37 mile run. Bikini Kettlebell workout. Under the Sea workout. Lift & Tone Booty routine.

Thursday: Triple Arm Toning Challenge. 3.45 mile run.

Friday: 1.54 mile run. Island Bikini Ready. Bikini Booty Workout.

Saturday: Wildland Fire Awareness Half Marathon.

Today started the final week of the #BikiniSeries. I feel like the end is going to be a little anti-climatic, as I was hoping for some more physical changes, but I know that I should have made more diet changes to really see those results. There will be a final check-in next week to recap the entire series and some of the lessons/takeaways I learned throughout the 8 week challenge.

RW Run Streak is still going strong. Despite the rise into the triple digits the past few days.

What's for Dinner?

I don't feel like I should even include this section anymore, since I haven't been doing much along the lines of meal planning lately. :( But I'll keep it in here - for the day when meal planning starts happening again.

Here are a few ideas of what may or may not go down this week:

Breakfast
Smoothies
Granola

Lunch
Tuna salad wraps
Salad

Dinner
Grilled cheese sandwiches
Bean and cheese burritos
Pasta with red sauce

What are you cooking up this week?
How were your workouts last week?
Tweet

Be sure to stop by Laura @ Mommy Run Fast and Jill Conyers to check out what everyone else is cooking up this week.