Where's the Beach?

It's Friday and that means it's also Fun For Friday time. This week I took the easy way out in terms of inspiration and decided borrow a "getting to know you quiz" from Angela from Happy Fit Mama . I think these posts can be fun and a great way to learn new tidbits about each other. Rather than tagging people, I'd love to hear your response to some (or even all) of the questions! 1. Describe your perfect day. It would definitely start with a mind-clearing, morning run. Since we're talking about my ideal day, it would mean I was off work with nothing on tap (no chores, no schedule). Jason and I might do a picnic lunch and take the pupsters for a nice walk. I would sit out on the patio, enjoy the sunshine on my face and read until my eyes were heavy. Then Jason and I might put the umbrella up, and continue to sit outside and just talk, maybe a glass of white wine just because. 2. What can you do today that you weren’t capable of doing a year ago?

What I love most about blogging is the inspiration. There are some really amazing people out there. Humble, beautiful, inspirational. I was lucky enough to meet one of them this past weekend. And this week, I've seen some wonderful posts that I wanted to share and talk about. Christine at Love Life Surf had a wonderful post about those shaky feelings of uncertainty when you step out and follow your heart and passions and about finding a "new equilibrium." Bonnie at Life to the Full  stated this: You're only as ______ as you want to be. I loved that, it puts responsibility back on ourselves and makes us ask those tougher questions about how hard we're working or even if it's worth working THAT hard. What's more important in our lives. Right now I want to be happy so I make that choice. That all brings me to this image I pinned Source So I might want lots of other things in my life. But if I don't stop and take the time to enjoy and appr

This weekend was just about perfect. Friday, we headed out of town to Branson, MO. It was pouring rain, incredibly dreary. And made for a longer than normal drive that direction. We were heading there to meet up with Lindsay ( Cotter Crunch ) and her husband. He was racing in the Rev3 Triathlon on Sunday. They had a fairly crummy drive themselves unfortunately. But, everything that Friday was, Saturday was the opposite. We woke up to crisp, clear skies, amazing temperatures, just perfect. Even better, I got to run with Lindsay and my husband. There is a path that runs alongside Table Rock Lake. It was such a fantastic run for so many reasons. The weather, the views, but mostly the incredible company. Lindsay is such a sweetheart. I just can't say enough good things about her, and her husband as well I might add. We got in a fantastic 6-mile run, then we went back to the condo to clean up. She had sherpa duties (aka hitting the expo with her husband). So the plan was that w

Well hello Friday, nice to see you again! It's been a long week around here. I let myself get stressed out and overly anxious. So much for the Slow Down Challenge huh? But, I made myself regroup last night and tried to remember that it's ok if things are left undone. Do what you can, try to enjoy rather than worry. I mean honestly, who cares if the laundry isn't put away? It's at least washed, and so are the crazy dogs now as well. I'm super excited this particular Friday. I mean, I love most all Fridays, but this one is going to be pretty darn amazing. This evening I finally get to meet my dear friend Lindsay (Cotter Crunch). Her hubby is doing the Rev3 Triathlon in Branson, MO on Sunday. But that's not where I live you're saying to yourself. Oh, but Branson is only about 2 1/2 hours away and my dad and step-mother have a timeshare there. See where I'm going with this now? Yep, got us a timeshare and Lindsay and James are staying in one of th

Do you ever get something set in your head to the point where you refuse to go with a different plan? No? Just me? Well, yesterday the "plan" was to go for a bike ride after work - me, Jason and Amy. It was Jason's birthday and what better way to celebrate than exercise right? Surely you all agree. He had actually gotten up and done his weight workout in the morning per my workout rotation I've set up for him. Yep, training my husband. I haven't decided if that's a good thing or not. I think he firmly believes I'm trying to break his muscles. Anyway, the plan was to ride after work. Around 5:15 I sent him a message asking when he was planning to be home, since he was supposed to be home "around" 5:15. He had a snafu situation at work. I texted Amy to see if she might want to try for a run instead. You see, not only was Jason stuck at work, but storms were popping up all around us. So there I sat, squeezed into in my diaper-like bike shorts

I talked about the Slow Down Challenge last week, and while the official "challenge" is over, it doesn't mean we have to stop slowing down. In fact, I made a very conscious effort to do just that over the week. I felt it was important to savor the time with my sister and her kids. I turned off the computer and didn't log back on until around 10:30 Saturday morning. And it felt fantastic. I didn't even check my phone. I have also started to try to pay more attention to what's around me. To notice new things. To enjoy the details of life. For example, this is a building I walk by Monday through Friday to and from the office. I love the details. Jason had to stop by his office (across from mine), I waited in the car with the sunroof open, windows down, music up, just enjoying the fresh air, sunshine, and architecture. And there's something about dappled sunlight that just makes me happy. Saturday, I took a client to the park for her workout. It w

I never really know how well-received weekend recap posts are, but I thought I'd do one anyway. I don't have any fantastic pictures to share, but I did have a pretty fantastic weekend. It was mostly about enjoying life, taking in the little things around me, taking in some amazing weather. It started Friday evening when my sis came over with her kiddos to stay the night. They were crazy excited to stay with us. Jason played in the pool with C for a solid hour (maybe longer). I think they were both worn out. While they played in the pool, I played Sorry with my sis and niece. I haven't played a board game in ages. I literally had to dust that one off. I'm so glad I've kept them all these years though. It was really fun playing with my niece. She's pretty competitive. I have no idea where that comes from ;-) What was the most fun was seeing her really open up and just be silly and have fun. She's very much like me and often reserved and holds back. So to

Party! Did someone say Party?? It's a Pin it Party and I'm all about that. I might be addicted to  Pinterest .  I mean, where else can you be inspired to shop, cook and decorate all in one place? Lindsay at the Lean Green Bean is hosting another Pin It Party . Basically, the idea is that everyone highlights 5 posts that they think are pin-worthy and worth a second look. If you like it, you pin it! It's a fun way to also look back at posts and remember recipes or workouts you might have forgotten about. 1. Biceps Triceps Superset Plus Bonus Burn I've enjoyed doing this workout a few times now, so I thought it was a good one to share again. It's a great time-saver workout, but also includes a great bonus burn to really burn out the muscles at the end of the workout. Everyone loves that right? 2. Calories are Not The Enemy This is one post that I definitely think needs to be revisited. Calories are not immediate fat cells. Calories are fuel for ou

I don't know about you, but I am always looking for new workout ideas, especially when it comes to weight lifting. I tend to get bored pretty quickly with the same routine week in and week out - and so do my muscles. At the same time, I don't always have a lot of time to spend lifting weights, and am pretty sure most of us don't. But, that doesn't mean you can't get in an effective workout. I love supersets as a quick workout, but decided to change my strategy last week and go with trisets for the same muscle group - in this case it was back and biceps. Originally, I had thought it would be more of an endurance type of workout. Not so much major muscle building because I knew I would have to go a little lighter with my weights. But I ended up reading a pretty good article explaining trisets in more detail and discussing why they are actually good for building lean body mass. With a triset workout, you're keeping your muscles under tension, working for the e

It's been a while since I've shared any new recipes here. Actually, it's been a while since I've made anything new. Sometimes it's just easier to stick with the tried and true. But, I finally ordered in some TVP ( texturized vegetable protein ) and was wanting to try to use it in a new way. I used to make TVP burgers ages ago binding them with egg. But they always seemed to crumble apart. I believe it was Kristina at Spabettie who did this - blended the TVP. Of course, when I saw the mention of blending the TVP it was one of those knocks own forehead with palm moments. And of course that makes much more sense. How did I never think of that one? Vegan TVP Veggie Burgers Ingredients: 2 cups TVP 2 cups water 1-2 carrots, diced 1/4 cup red onion, diced 3 tbsp minced garlic To taste: salt, black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin powder, liquid smoke 3 oz tomato paste 2/3 cup rolled oats, ground into oat flour 2/3 cup rolled oats, whole 2 tbsp g

Laura at Mommy Run Fast has put together another virtual race series - Fall 5 or 10 Mile . In the spring, I participated in her 5 by the 5th Challenge and really enjoyed it. It gave me something to work towards, especially recovering from my blood clot. The Fall Challenge is a bit different. This time you can choose to run 5 or 10 miles by the 5th of each month. I kind of like the challenge of the increased mileage. I do have a half marathon coming up at the end of October, so my plan is to go for the 10 miles throughout this challenge. Last Monday, I had planned on getting in my 10 miles, but it was one of those runs where I had to wave the white flag and call it quits at 9 miles. I could have just logged 5, because I technically had done those miles. But that's not how my mind works. I was determined to do the 10. Thursday ended up being my day. It was also the 5th, so I kind of had to do it that day or only log the 5 miles. Lucky for me, Thursday ended up being a prett

TGIF - don't know about you all, but I'm pretty excited that it's Friday. How is it that short weeks can feel longer some how? It's been a really weird week for me, especially after Tuesday's run. So, I was having a really hard time coming up with something fun and maybe silly for Fun for Friday. I needed something not so serious. I even thought about skipping today. But then I read a post over at It Linz - Happy Happy . She asks what makes you happy. I thought it was a perfect topic for a Fun for Friday post and hope she doesn't mind me borrowing it. I've done other posts like this before, so I will try to mention a few different things this time. What makes me happy: Beautiful sunrises that go along with running My husband and family An awesome running buddy My crazy furbabies Florida sunsets Roses What's something that makes you happy?

Yesterday I linked to Lindsay's post where she introduced the Slow Down Challenge . I love the idea. I need this. So I did sign up for it. This morning, as I was eating my oatmeal, I opened my email from Jeff Goins (the catalyst for this challenge) and today's challenge was " Savor ." Talk about perfect timing. He does mention that this isn't just about savoring food, it's savoring moments as well, like sunrises, sunsets, or maybe just that mental quiet that comes from running. I know I savored that time today during my run. Challenge: Savor Take your time with food today. If you're the one who cooks in your home, spend more than the minimum amount of time preparing the meal.  Slowly cut and cook each ingredient, imagining what they will taste like when blended. When you eat, chew slowly. Make each bite intentional and deliberate, counting to at least 20 before swallowing.  As you do, remember to appreciate and enjoy all the flavors in the fo

To say this week is totally off kilter is a mild understatement. Of course Monday was a holiday for us, so that throws off the week from the get go. But now my running emotions are all over the place. Because I was off Monday, I had decided to get in my 10-mile run. Well, originally I thought I would do 6. The decision to go farther came a little bit later, and how I came to that one I had no clue (you'll understand in a moment). What I failed to take into consideration is the insanely hot, just shy of 40 mile bike ride Jason and I had gone on the previous day. And of course it was still hot and humid Monday. It was 77 degrees when I set out just after 7am. Thankfully there were a few sprinkles along the way. That was about the only good part of the run it turns out. Oh, and because my initial intention was 6 miles, I didn't eat anything prior to the run. Yep, keeps getting better for me. From the start, I felt off. I couldn't seem to get my breathing regulated, my fo

I'm sure most of you have seen this little saying. I know I have, and I've sort of chuckled at it. Of course, I'm miffed by the word "joggers" instead of runners, but that's just me. And of course, you hear the stories in the news all the time, "Joggers discover body." Well, today, that happened to me. Body Found in MacArthur Park I was with Amy, and she was chatting away. We were going pretty fast, so I was mostly concentrating on just running. It was about 6:45, so the sun wasn't fully up. I noticed a man laying off to the side of the path, in a small ditch area that has lots of landscaping, natural plants and such. There's a lady out there most mornings tending to the weeds. Anyway, I vividly remember thinking that it just didn't seem right. I mean, we pass vagrants often enough. They're usually asleep with a knapsack, clothes, something. And they usually look more comfortable. This guy's clothing was clean, he had n