Friday, August 31, 2012

My Amazing August Recap

Happy last day of August!

This year is flying by and I love it! I just read my comment in the beginning of August about summer ("By Labor Day, despite living in the Sunshine State, I will feel like summer is long gone.") vs. my comment this week about it lasting for many more months. Haha! Whoops...guess I'm a little indecisive on that issue. ;-)

Do you remember my list of ways I wanted to make August amazing? Let's see how I did...

10 Ways to Make August Amazing!

1. Celebrate Seasonal Produce. I'm going to keep checking out my local farmer's market and fill every meal with delicious fruit and veggies that scream summer like watermelon, zucchini, salads, etc. Check! My sister and I have a standing Saturday date at the farmer's market. We just discovered the kettle corn...O.M.G. It's fantabulous! Kettle corn is produce, right? Right?! Seriously, I have been using a lot of fresh, summer produce like corn, tomatoes, summer squash, watermelon, etc., and we have been loving it!

2. Take a new class. There are 3 new fitness classes at the Y that I've been eyeballing- Zumba, Bootcamp, and Kickboxing. I tried out Power Yoga last month and liked it much better than the other yoga classes offered. Maybe I'll find another class to add to the rotation this month! Whoops. I fully intended to try every single one of these classes...that didn't happen. I still want to try them out though because variety is the spice of life and it keeps me from getting bored! Moving this to next month's list.

3.  Host and Olympics-watching party! Not sure I'll be doing this...the hubby and I work (what feels like) really loooong hours so we don't socialize much during the week. I HAVE been glued to the tv every evening watching the gymnastics, beach volleyball, and swimming competitions! Love me some Summer Olympics! Like I said before, I didnt' host a party, but we did soak up the olumpics. I felt like a little girl again, enthralled by the gymnasts and their skills. :-)

4.  Engage in an act of kindness.  Hmmm...I've got some ideas, but I like to keep my kind acts a surprise for the recipient. It's so much more fun that way. :D Staying a surprise...

5.  Plan a date night. I have already planned a Sister date night...now I just have to plan a special date night with the love of my life...any great ideas? My husband and I had a lovely date night this week- dinner, wine, desserts, our favorite tv show on Netflix. It wasn't really planned out in advance, but turned out to be exactly what I needed and oh-so perfect! He makes everything wonderful.

6.  Change something.  I'm thinking about organizing my apartment for this one...what do you think? Pantry and closet overhaul! WOOT! I can't be the only woman who gets excited about organizing, right? Riiiight. I'm also contemplating an outlook change. I know this isn't something you just "change," but I'd like to work on being more self-affirming...baby steps. I did overhaul my pantry. It is a million times better! And of course, the pantry organization led to rearranging the kitchen too.

7.  Start a new book. I've read some great books already this summer. My favorite so far was "Bloom" by Kelle Hampton. LOVED every minute of that book. The August book list includes: Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz, Wild by Cheryl Strayed (if I can ever find it at the library), Off Balance by Dominique Moceanu, and I'd like to read Divergent by Veronica Roth, but that one has been MIA at my local library for months. I read Odd Apocalypse. It was fantastic!

8.  Invest in new workout gear! I'm dying for a pair of Sketchers Go Run! shoes...  I picked up new running tanks and shorts, and a couple awesome items on clearance at Kohls- running capris (that I'm mostly using as yoga capris) and a half-zip running pullover. The pullover is amazing. It has those thumb holes. I can't wait until I can pretend it is cold enough to wear it! ;-)
9.  Pick a race to do with a friend! There's a 15k I want to run in September. It isn't in August, but its close! I'm trying to talk my sister into running it with me, or at least running the 5k. My sis and I are running the race in September! I've been training for it and am so excited to finally run it!

10. Commit to strength training. After participating in the Fitnessista's Summer Shape Up 2012 and loving it, I decided to give it another round this month. Because I'm training for the 15k in September and my first (EEK!) half marathon in February, I had to modify to keep my running workouts on consistent days (Tue, Thurs, Sun). I'm hoping it is still as effective, but I also know there was no way I could manage the stress of having my runs juggled around right now. Less stress = the way to go. I finished up my second round of the Fitnessista's Summer Shape Up 2012. I loved it the second time around as much as the first! I also love the definition I've started to see in my upper body. I'm looking for something to challenge me again in September...hmmm.

Did you meet any of your Amazing August goals?

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

I want to live.

Have you ever hit a point in life where you felt burned out or worn out or just plain out of sorts? Yeah, me too. That's kind of where life's at right now for me. I have a lot of exciting things going on- upcoming races, travels, etc.- but I'm severely lacking motivation at the moment.

I'm bored of my current routine.

I don't want to run another mile (although if you ask me right after the mile I might sing a different tune ;)

My house is atrocious. (Yes, this may shock some of you who think I am a domestic goddess in my spare time.)

I would like a month off of life. To do anything. Everything. Nothing. Just to be and do whatever strikes my fancy in the moment.

I've planned, scheduled, and organized myself right into a messy, dirty rut.

Unfortunately, what I'd like and what is realistic don't always go hand-in-hand. But that's OK. It gives me another chance to practice being good to myself. Letting go of my need for perfection and embracing the perfectly imperfect things in life. That my house is cozier because there a few jackets slung over a chair or a few books piled up next to the couch. My legs are stronger because of all the miles I'm logging in preparation for my races (and please don't misunderstand- I'm very excited about these races.).

My life is very, very full. Abundant, even. I'm just learning to embrace the messes that come with abundance. To find little ways to fit hobbies and fun moments into the busyness. And most importantly, to learn how to let go of the things that don't enrich my life, the things that are maybe more about being perfect than about living. I want to be all about the living.

A snapshot of one of those moments of living.


<3 K.E.

Friday, August 24, 2012

A Yummy Summer Dessert

It is still summer. For at least another month! It might start cooling down in September in other parts of the country, but here in the south it will be hot as hades for at least another month. At least.

So there is still time to make and enjoy this yummy summer dessert full of juicy, ripe goodness. Do it. You won't be sorry!

As soon as I smelled the sweet aroma of this cobbler baking in the oven, I knew- just knew- that it would be divine. It most definitely was. We devoured this baby in no time and I'm seriously considering making it again this weekend. So wholesome; so delicious. Mhmmm...


Peach & Blueberry Cobbler
The recipe can be found here at Fitness Magazine's website. Because I used healthier options for every ingredient, I'm just going to share my substitutes with you. If you prefer white sugars and flours in general or are craving them today in particular, feel free to use the original. It is still very low in calories and I'm sure it would still taste fabulous!

Here is a list of the original ingredients that I subbed, paired up with my healthier ingredients:

unsalted butter---->  Earth Balance soy-free
canola oil ---->  coconut oil
reduced-fat milk ----> unsweetened vanilla almond milk
sugar ----> coconut sugar

I think substituting spelt for the whole wheat flour would work out well. Unfortunately, I only have whole wheat in the house right now, so whole wheat is what I used!

The perfect summer dessert!

Serve up a generous portion with your favorite non-dairy ice cream and savor the last days of summer!

<3 K.E.



Wednesday, August 15, 2012

My Week in Workouts

Happy Hump Day!

I know I should be happy it is Wednesday, but in reality I wish it was Friday already. That isn't so surprising because, if I'm being totally honest, I was ready for it to be Friday as soon as Sunday night rolled around. I suppose that is the tell-tale sign of job burn-out, huh? That isn't surprising either... *sigh*

Let's back up and make this a more positive post, shall we?

Happy Hump Day! Aren't you thrilled the week is halfway completed! Woot! Woot!  (How's that? ;) )

I'm going to flirt with the possibility of using my blog as a workout diary of sorts. I feel as if it is already somewhat of a diary because I only write posts when I feel like it and I usually write them as if I were writing to myself or an imaginary pen pal. So, to help myself over the hump day (only 1 hour left!)- and hopefully help my lone reader out there as well!-here is a recap of my latest workouts:

S- I normally try to fit in a Power Yoga class on Saturday mornings right after the farmer's market...however, this Saturday I was more inclined to chill a little longer in bed with my handsome husband and then draw the farmer's market trip out a little more by grabbing coffee with my sister. Gotta love that kind of Saturday morning! That meant Sunday morning I was desperately missing my Power Yoga. I knew I had a looooong run (Hello, 7 miles!) scheduled, but decided I could abso-freaking-lutely handle a 1.5-hour Power Yoga class AND a 7-mile run. Yeah. I was that girl on Sunday. Needless to say, my yoga practice was so amazing. I felt really strong and finally was able to hold Crow pose. Yep. After years of yoga practice, I did Crow on Sunday! Whoop! Whoop! I was ridiculously fired up after that practice and tackled my run a few hours later after eating peanut butter and carob chips as a quick snack...let's just say I learned a big lesson that day. Peanut butter and carob chips don't get along well with my running stomach. Yikes! Other than stomach issues throughout my entire run, I felt very strong and capable the entire time. Seven, strong miles and 90 minutes of Power Yoga turned out to be a wonderful way to start the week!

M- HIIT Challenge for 30 minutes! My entire body was sore from yoga so I went easy today (following the calendar I created for August) and did HIIT on the recumbent bike. I wanted to do it on the elliptical, but some chick beat me to it and I didn't want to come back later. I felt pretty good and I could have pushed harder, but my legs were thankful for a break, albeit small.

T- Total body strength training (I think the routine took about 30 minutes, check it out here.) followed by a desperate attempt to make it to the voting booth before 7pm (made it with eight minutes to spare!) and then a 4-mile easy run at a 10:11 pace. In between voting and running, I made my starving husband dinner- my famous grilled BBQ chicken drummettes. Sure to please. :)

W-  Off Day to celebrate my sister's birthday!

T- I have another easy run planned for Thursday, 3 miles at a 10:43 pace. I might try to squeeze in a class at the YMCA, but I'm not sure what they have available or if I'll even feel like it then. There is also a chance I may combine Thursday's and Friday's workouts. We'll see.

F-  Another total body strength workout + Tabata!

S- Power Yoga!

So there you have it. It isn't anything fancy and I could do a lot more, but it's what I've been doing this month. I'm training for a 15k the end of September and the farthest I had ever run prior to this training was 6.2 miles. Sunday's 7 miler was only my second time running 7 miles straight. I am proud of my hard work and I hope that my dedication to training translates into a great race! *fingers crossed*

<3 K.E.

Thursday, August 02, 2012

August Already?!

Whoah. Time seriously flies by, doesn't it? I can't believe it is already August. I feel like the year just began! I guess that means I am getting old... ;)

There are several things I'd like to share with you guys, but I just haven't had the time to blog. I've been attempting to soak up every moment of summer before it disappears. I'm happy to report that I've had a lot of success in this endeavor! Farmer's Market meet-ups, discovering Menchies Fro-Yo, spending time at the beach and the pool, summer reading, grilling, Olympics...I think this list could go on forever! The one thing that has suffered terribly through all this is my poor apartment. I haven't been nearly as conscientious about cleaning as I was before the sun came out full force. It's just too nice to be inside! Now that it is August, I feel like things will slowly start to lose their "summery" feeling. By Labor Day, despite living in the Sunshine State, I will feel like summer is long gone. Therefore, I am still making the most of these all-to-short summer days and I found a post over on Fitnessista.com with 10 Ways to Make August Amazing! It is full of great ideas, so I quickly jotted them down and the ways I can make them happen. Here goes:

10 Ways to Make August Amazing! (from the Fitnessista.com)

1. Celebrate Seasonal Produce. I'm going to keep checking out my local farmer's market and fill every meal with delicious fruit and veggies that scream summer like watermelon, zucchini, salads, etc.

2. Take a new class. There are 3 new fitness classes at the Y that I've been eyeballing- Zumba, Bootcamp, and Kickboxing. I tried out Power Yoga last month and liked it much better than the other yoga classes offered. Maybe I'll find another class to add to the rotation this month!

3.  Host and Olympics-watching party! Not sure I'll be doing this...the hubby and I work (what feels like) really loooong hours so we don't socialize much during the week. I HAVE been glued to the tv every evening watching the gymnastics, beach volleyball, and swimming competitions! Love me some Summer Olympics!

4.  Engage in an act of kindness.  Hmmm...I've got some ideas, but I like to keep my kind acts a surprise for the recipient. It's so much more fun that way. :D

5.  Plan a date night. I have already planned a Sister date night...now I just have to plan a special date night with the love of my life...any great ideas?

6.  Change something.  I'm thinking about organizing my apartment for this one...what do you think? Pantry and closet overhaul! WOOT! I can't be the only woman who gets excited about organizing, right? Riiiight. I'm also contemplating an outlook change. I know this isn't something you just "change," but I'd like to work on being more self-affirming...baby steps.

7.  Start a new book. I've read some great books already this summer. My favorite so far was "Bloom" by Kelle Hampton. LOVED every minute of that book. The August book list includes: Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz, Wild by Cheryl Strayed (if I can ever find it at the library), Off Balance by Dominique Moceanu, and I'd like to read Divergent by Veronica Roth, but that one has been MIA at my local library for months.

8.  Invest in new workout gear! I'm dying for a pair of Sketchers Go Run! shoes...

9.  Pick a race to do with a friend! There's a 15k I want to run in September. It isn't in August, but its close! I'm trying to talk my sister into running it with me, or at least running the 5k.

10. Commit to strength training. After participating in the Fitnessista's Summer Shape Up 2012 and loving it, I decided to give it another round this month. Because I'm training for the 15k in September and my first (EEK!) half marathon in February, I had to modify to keep my running workouts on consistent days (Tue, Thurs, Sun). I'm hoping it is still as effective, but I also know there was no way I could manage the stress of having my runs juggled around right now. Less stress = the way to go.

How are you going to make August amazing?