100th Post: Best of Busy, Bold, Blessed

Wow, 100 posts?!  Here we are.  I hope you've enjoyed all the pictures, recipes, running updates, and random ramblings.  And all the glamour shots of this one:

Caitlin over at my favorite blog Healthy Tipping Point does a monthly superlatives post that I always like, so I thought this would be something fun for my 100th post.  Enjoy!



Best Restaurant Copycat:  Homemade Chipotle Bowls - Omg I'm obsessed with these and apparently you are too because this is one of my most popular posts ever.

Most Intense: Are we addicted to meat? - I wasn't sure how people were going to feel about this post, but it was pretty well received and there were a lot of great comments.

Favorite Photogenic Trip: Baltimore Getaway - I loved our quick trip to Baltimore and I can't believe the pictures I captured.

Awesome Ladies Day: Winetober Fest - I need to get out to more events like this.

Moment I Lost My Mind:  Holy crap, I'm training for a half marathon! - Seriously felt like a crazy person at the time.

Best Way to Get Sweaty in 8 Minutes: Better Than Nothing Workout - No excuse not to fit in a workout!

Birthday Fun in Cape May: Suddenly September - What a wonderful birthday celebration!  Dave had some great tricks up his sleeve.

Thank you so much for reading!

What would you like to see more of on the blog?

I did it!

I ran 10 miles yesterday!  One more time... I ran 10 miles yesterday!!!!!  Double digits!  I still can't believe it.  I mean, I've been preparing for this since January, but when I put together my training plan I remember looking at April and May and thinking, am I really going to be able to do this?

Since I couldn't find a running buddy and I couldn't bare the though of doing the 10 alone, Dave came with me on his bike!  He carried all of my supplies (water, tissues, fuel, sweatshirt when I got hot), played paparazzi, and cheered me on at the end when I really needed it.  What a great boyfriend!

The weather was perfect, mid 40s into the low 50s, cloudy with some sun.  The trail had a lot of traffic since it was so nice, tons of bikes were flying by us (some a little closer than I cared for), but it wasn't a huge deal.  The first 5 miles out flew by.  I kept the pace pretty slow and didn't stop at all.  I felt great.  At the turn around point I ate a few apple slices.  I wanted to pick up some real fuel before the run, but I never got around to it, so I went with what I had, which seemed to work out.

 
The second half went well too.  But again, the end was such a mental game.  I always thought these runs would be hard because I would be winded and getting side stitches but that's not the case at all.  As far as all that goes, I feel like I could run forever.  But my legs, oh my legs.  They are screaming by the end.  My hips get so tight and my knees start to ache.  The last 2 miles were so tough, but I also pushed it and finished strong!

Again with the awkward splits, I hit the lap button at our turn around, so laps 7-11 were the second half.  Check out those last 1.88 miles!  Like a boss!

Finishing a long run is the best feeling ever!  Oh what did you do Saturday morning?  Sleep in?  Go to breakfast?  Battle a hangover?  I ran 10 miles!  I seriously feel like a rockstar.  And next weekend is the Broad Street Run and I am ready.

What's something big you've accomplished lately?!

Half Marathon Training: Week 16

Week 16:

- Monday, 3.5 mi in 88 degrees through the park, 41:11, BTN arms & abs, 1 minute plank
- Wednesday, 4.52 mi, 42:39, some intervals with a buddy
- Sunday, 9 mi, 1:35:00 with Shayna!
- Total Mileage = 17.02

 Week 16 Goals:
- Run 3 times: A+
- Try a new bodyrock.tv workout: F
- Planks 4 times: Big time F!

I sucked at my goals for the week!  There are a ton of bodyrock.tv workouts that are only 10 or 20 minutes long.  And planks only take a minute.  One minute!  I definitely could've fit these workouts in, but I really just didn't get it done.

On the flip side, I had a great week of running.  Monday night was a flop due to the heat and a struggling running partner, but it was good to get some hot weather miles in.  I have no idea what the weather will be like for my half.  Wednesday was a great run!  Remember my favorite running buddy from my 6 miler a few weeks ago?  We got together for some quick miles on a new-to-me portion of the Schuylkill River Trail.  We ran the first half at a consistent pace and then the second half doing half mile intervals, including a speedy ending, 8:42 whaaat?

Shayna signed up for the half with me months ago but she spent the winter in Florida so we were excited to get out together.  The forecast was looking pretty grim, but like I said before, who knows what the day of the race will bring, so we decided we were going rain or shine.  We totally lucked out with the weather and we only got a little on and off rain that actually felt good.  Shayna shared her gummy fuel with me, which was my first experience with fueling during a run.  They tasted like candy and weren't too bad to snack on.  I'm not sure if I noticed a difference in my run, but I know I need to practice fueling for my race, so it was a good start.  We ran a great pace and I loved running with her, the miles just ticked by!
 

We were having a grand old time, until about 7.5 miles in... my knees started really aching, my hips were getting tight.  I'd say this was my hardest long run yet.  Last week's 8 miles were so slow that they seemed pretty easy.  But on Sunday, finishing the run out was a mental game.  It was intense, but I'm so glad I did it.  9 miles in the books!  I accidentally hit the lap button in the middle, so excuse my awkward splits.

Week 17 Goals:
- Planks, 3 times
- Arms & abs, 2 times
- Finish my 10 miler

Double digits this weekend!  I couldn't find a partner in crime, so Dave is going to join me on his bike.  I'm excited to have a buddy... and a gear carrier!  A week and a half till Broad Street, and one month till the half :D  I hope you're having a good week!

Do you like to do planks?  How do you convince yourself to fit in workouts?

Playing Catch Up

I neglected my blog this week and I really haven't been posting as much as I'd like to in general.  So here comes a photo dump catch up.

A few weeks ago, I went to my first baby shower!

The shower was for my good friend Sarah, who was due in May, but she just had her baby on Wednesday!  Good thing little Caleb Joseph was early, he was 8 lbs 10.8 oz!  She just got home from hospital today, I'm not sure when she'll be ready for visitors, but I absolutely can't wait to meet him.

Ok, now some random pictures summing up the fun stuff from the past week and a half.

Ladies night!

Amazing smelling lilacs!

New Mexican place in Phoenixville and you bring your own tequila!

 

And then yesterday was baby shower number two!  Kimber's little baby boy is due in June.

 

I'm so excited to meet the babies and be Aunt Amber!  Oh my, we really are growing up aren't we?

Well, I'm keeping it short and sweet, I ran 9 miles this morning and the rest of the day has been dedicated to being a lazy lump.  Is it really already Sunday night?  I hope you had a good weekend!

Do a lot of your friends have babies yet?  What's a good gift to bring a new mommy?

Half Marathon Training: Week 15

Week 15:

- Tuesday, 6.01 mi with a group on the Perkiomen Trail, 58:56
- Wednesday, 10 min dog walk
- Thursday, 2.81 mi walk/run intervals, 26:07
- Friday, BTN arms
- Saturday, 8 mi with some ladies on the River Trail, 1:28:26, BTN arms & abs
- Total Mileage = 16.82 mi

Goals for week 15:
- Run 3 times: A+
- Leg workout: F
- Arms & abs 2 times: B+

This was a great running week!  Tuesday I went to the group run, there's usually two pacing groups and I started out with the fast group.  I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with them the entire time, but I figured I'd go as far as I could and then drop down and go join the slower group.  I stuck with them for the first two miles, but the pace kept getting faster and faster and so finally just when I thought I was going to be running alone, one of the other guys dropped back with me.

This was a great run.  Even after slowing down, we kept a great pace!

Then Thursday I tried out something new, I did walk/run intervals.

The goal was to run fast (well faster than my usual pace) during the running portions and then recover while I was walking.  I didn't go very far, but it was pretty tough.  Even with walk breaks (and lots of them) my pace was faster than usual.

I want to run faster in general... which means I have to run faster.  I can't sustain a 9:18 pace for an entire run (yet) but I think intervals are a great way to push my pace!  And yay for burning some extra calories!

Saturday was 8 miles and it was pretty uneventful.  The pace was slower than I generally cared for, but it made the miles easy and enjoyable.

Anyway, my runs were great this week, but additional fitness was kind of a flop.  I fit in some BTN arm exercise and did some ab work one day, but I haven't really been feeling inspired.  I would like to tone up for bsuit season and I know I have to shake up my routine to get the results I'm looking for!

Week 16 Goals:
- Run 3 times
- Try a new bodyrock.tv workout
- Planks 4 times

Running 9 miles this weekend, 10 next weekend, and then the Broad Street Run!  6 weeks until my half... holy moly!  I still can't believe I'm really doing this!

Do you ever find yourself in a fitness rut?  What's your favorite way to mix up your workouts?

Can we go back this weekend?

I've been busy busy, I need to catch up and fill you guys in on my weekend!  Friday night we headed down to Cape May.

I love that feeling you get right at the start of your vacation, anticipation, freedom, excitement.  It was only a weekend, but we were both thrilled to enjoy a cold cocktail on the front porch as the sun set right when we got there.  Our night continued with a search for good eats.  We tried to hit up the raw bar, but unfortunately it was already closed for the night, womp for off season hours.

We saw people eating on the dock, so I was convinced we just missed it, bummer!  Next we headed to one of our fave bars, The Ugly Mug for some pub fare.

 

We ended up heading home and going to bed early after dinner.  We must really be getting old, but getting 10 hours of sleep was glorious!  Our weekend continued with sticking our toes in the sand and running into some friends that we ended up joining for breakfast.

The beach was super chilly, especially since it was so windy on Saturday, so we headed back to the house and I did some sunbathing on the back porch while Dave cut the grass.  And then it was time for a run.  I was really looking forward to running around Cape May, but then it was time and I really didn't want to leave my lounge chair.  I rallied myself and headed out the door with my camera.

 

 

 

I've absolutely fallen in love with Cape May.  Before dating Dave I'd never been and now I don't want to go anywhere else.  Well... except for Long Beach Island!  We left Cape May Saturday afternoon and headed north to spend the night with Leah and Pete.  We feasted on delicious tuna, drank way too much tequila, and laughed so hard our sides hurt.

 

Those are our tequila smiles!  The next day, our Easter started off with some egg dying, mimosas, an epic breakfast, and a walk on the beach.  Perfection.

 

And then there was this crazy guy at the beach...

 

Straight crazy!  The rest of our holiday was spent feasting and chatting with family.  What a wonderful weekend!  I hope you had a good holiday too.

Have you ever gone in the ocean when it's super chilly (like a crazy person)?!  Where's your favorite beach spot?