Where's the Beach?

My original post for today was going to be about dreams - not your hopes and wishes kind either. But as I was out on my first solo, dark-thirty run since the time change, my mind was wandering around as is typical. I started thinking about all of the pros and cons of running solo vs with a partner.  When I came upon the Clinton Bridge, I realized I didn't have anyone to marvel at the lights with. But at the same time, no one would be miffed at me for stopping too long to take a picture.  I know I've mentioned it before, but when I first started running about 6 years ago, I only ran with Jason. I finally weened myself and then only ran solo. Then I met Amy about a year and a half ago (a little longer than that) and we ended up running 2-3 days a week at first. But as I got faster, we ended up running most of our runs together - or some day it'd be 4-6 miles together then a few solo.  Unfortunately, my reliable running partner doesn't live ...

Why Should You Hire A Personal Trainer? While you can go online and search for free exercise plans, nutrition plans, even running plans, they are generic and not personal to you and your specific needs. What weight rotation works for some, may not work for you. With nutrition, it's never a one-size-fits-all solution. And what running plan works for one person, may not help another one bit.  If you're new to fitness or new to running, then generic plans may leave you more confused and frustrated or possibly even injured. Generic plans do have their place of course. I offer many free workouts . But they aren't geared towards someone's very specific goals or needs. They're great when you're in a rut with your own workout and offer something new and different, maybe even something challenging. But they aren't part of a well-planned workout rotation. This is where having a personal trainer or running coach comes into play. As a certified persona...

This weekend turned out to be rather relaxing, and the weather turned out far better than originally forecast so that's a double bonus. Right now we're dog sitting for my sister and my dogs are loving Lily's bed. Maddie and Heath keep alternating control. But it wasn't all lounging around. I got in a pretty good 11-mile run Saturday. The temps were in the low 60's and the sun was out for the majority of the run. I just tried to enjoy the colors that are starting to emerge in the trees and flowers. Not a bad way to start the day. We ended up going out for pizza for lunch. Recovery right? Then we decided to get creative in the kitchen for dinner. I had bought wonton wrappers for pot stickers a while back. We finally decided to give it a shot. Neither of us had made pot stickers before. They're a little time-consuming to put together, but well worth it. And if you're in the kitchen with someone, it makes it way more fun. I had plenty of the ...

Hello Friday! This week I thought I would do a Fun for Friday Instagram style and share 5 Happy Instagram Snippets from the week. You know, Five for Friday ;-) 1.  Monday morning I woke up to snow on the ground. What? When did Arkansas move to the north? Thankfully it was very short lived, but pretty for the minute it was there. 2. My sweet furbabies lounging in the evening. Well, Maddie doesn't lounge, but clearly Heath has the concept down pat. Must be a male thing. 3. Hard to believe that this was the day after the snow. Hello spring weather and a good run. 4. Fiery sunrises always fascinate me. I might not be able to see this during a morning run since the  time change, but at least I can still enjoy from my office window. 5. Grilling season is in full swing at our house and last night Jason grilled tofu using a sauce I had made for another dish and had plenty of leftover, asparagus and baby potatoes. This was most definitely a nice treat ...

Happy first day of Spring! Thankfully, it feels like spring today. And at least for a few more days anyway. Spring makes me happy. Not just for the warmer weather, but the buds of color. I always feel like winter is so stark and drab. So those first bursts of color seem all the more vibrant and exciting. The one thing I am not loving right now is that it's pitch dark again in the morning. The sun isn't rising until around 7-ish, while I'm sitting in my office. Thankfully I have an east-ward facing window. I've moved my morning runs to midday or after work for a couple of reasons. One, the time change kicked my rear. Two, I really don't feel super comfortable running alone in the total dark. Third, it's warmer when the sun finally comes up. While I am enjoying the warmer temps of a midday or afternoon run, I am very much missing my morning runs too. I feel rather torn between the change of time for my running. I think there are pros and cons to the ...

Do you try to eat the so-called super foods regularly? Do you think they're over-hyped or hold true to their nutritional claims? Sometimes I do think certain food trends end up overly hyped, but probably with cause. I don't think anyone will argue that lentils or kale are bad for us. Well, actually, if you have blood clotting issues, then excessive amounts of kale could be an issue because it is high in vitamin K, a natural coagulant. But, that aside, super foods are nutrient-dense foods. They are often cleansing as well as offering healthy doses of minerals and nutrients our bodies need. For example, lentils are a fantastic source of iron, folate, thiamin, and manganese. Quinoa is also a great source for manganese as well as magnesium and even protein. So, why not combine some of these ingredients for a nutritionally dense salad? I had on hand some cooked lentils so I thought I would try pairing those with a massaged kale salad. I wanted to "beef" up the protei...

Did you race this weekend? It seemed like there were tons of St. Patrick's Day races going on. I had signed up for a new 10K - the Downtown Dash - put on by the Junior League. They had a 5K and 10K. Because it was an inaugural race, it was fairly small. I believe I heard that they had 500 people sign up overall for both race events. Of course, I think that's pretty good for a 1st time race. The race was downtown, my running grounds. I knew the route really well with the exception of one small stretch. I knew where the gradual inclines were as well as the downhills. So I felt really prepared for this race, with the exception of typical race-day nerves. Initially I had pulled out a tank top and shorts for the race, but then it ended up just a bit cooler than I had expected - around 48 degrees and damp. I made a quick top change then headed out to do an easy run down to the start of the race - 1.2 miles to be exact. It was a great  way to warm up before the race and t...