Vitamin D, Football & Fab February Plans!

Saturday: 1 Hour of Barre3 & 2 mile walk with the dog

Saturday: 5.5 mile run (very easy pace)

Well first off, I'm just going to start by saying, what a BLOW OUT game yesterday. Right?!

 I didn't really have any emotional investment in either team so I wasn't too excited about it in the first place. Honestly, I was just looking forward to the spread of football food and the Red Hot Chili Peppers being in the half time show (they're one of my favorite bands & are awesome in concert!)
How did you feel about the game?

Well now that we've covered that, let's move on to more fitness related business... :)

How was your weekend?

I finally started feeling better on Saturday morning, which was perfect timing since I was signed up for a studio class of Barre3. 

Barre 3 is AWESOME. If you haven't heard of it, check it out. Barre is based on Ballet principles with Yoga and Pilates infusion. It's pretty much amazing and will leave you feeling the BURN when you're done. This particular Barre is Barre3 (there are a variety of franchises/names out there) but I love what Barre3 is what it stands for. There is a strong focus on a triad of principles: fitness (Barre), nourishment and connection (instructor & clients). A focus on health, fitness and encouragement?--Count me in, right up my alley! I was extremely excited to check out their Pearl District location this weekend and *praise the lord* I was finally feeling up for exercise on Saturday morning to enjoy it! Well, I could go on with how much I love Barre3 for days (and perhaps I'll revisit it for another post) but if you don't know much about it, you can check them out HERE. 

Through their website you can:

--Sign up for studio classes

--Get online classes

--Find healthy recipes

and so much more!

So, I really don't want to jinx it, but I must say, we have had some pretty amazing weather this week in the Portland area. With the sun peaking through our windows, I couldn't bear spending one more second inside the four walls of our home. I made sure to get my fair share of Vitamin D (and then some) as often as I could this weekend. I was pumped to get out and go for a run too! Oh my gosh, it was absolutely invigorating. I felt like I had come to life. Running is so cathartic for me, when I can't do it, I feel pent up. I absolutely loved the fresh air and sunshine. We don't get this often in Portland around this time of year, so I'm enjoying every second of it!

Well, we are finally in February. I thought January would never end. January was a very difficult month for me (for many reasons) but mainly because I was so sick. It really threw off my training plans and running abilities--I'm embarrassed to even share my actual January running milage . However, now that February his here, I'm moving on and I am determined to make it the month of FAB!

I like to give myself goals or values to work toward. At the beginning of each month, I create a short list of where I want to focus most, this way, I am aware of my goals and am really making them a priority. So, with that being said, here are some of my goals for the Fab month of February:

--ELIMINATE SUGAR--

 Let's be real here--> there is no health benefit to sugar, it makes me feel like garbage and I truly don't need it. Oh yeah, and it is so gosh darn ADDICTING! Now this doesn't mean that it's gone forever, but I want to know that I am not DYING to have it (honestly, I get pregnancy-level, "Gotta have it!", "I'll hurt ya if I don't get it!!" type of feelings when I'm craving sugar). I just want it out of my diet so that I can enjoy a bite here and there but not that I feel the need to have it every night after dinner (which I basically do now). That stuff is the devil, I tell ya. There are also some great alternatives to sugar that really aren't that noticeable. I found some awesome recipes that I cannot wait to share with you!
(More to come in another post about that)

--CROSS TRAINING: BARRE3--

With the killer workout this provides, I plan to incorporate this workout into my cross training days more often. I know that it will improve my muscle strength and make me a better runner because of it. 

--BE CREATIVE--

This is something that I haven't let myself do in a while and I love it. As corny as it may sound (and I don't really care), I really want to make inspiration boards for my running goals or take time to create thoughtful gifts for the people I care about most in my life. I want to take time focusing on things that I love to do for pleasure not because I have to. 

How about you?
Do you have any goals for the month of February?
How did you feel about the Super Bowl?

Oh and let's not forget!!!

THE WINNER OF MY BEARDED BROTHERS ENERGY BAR GIVEAWAY IS:
Jillian Tengood Hillman

Congrats girl! 
Please look for an email from me shortly!

**Disclosure: I am no dietitian and am not advising anyone to cut any items out of their diet. This is something that I am exploring for personal well being.**

New Year, New Goals!

Happy New Year to you!

After a brief break from blogging to repair my site and work on new material, I am proud to say that I am back! Last night my husband and I sat back discussing what a wild and crazy year 2013 was. It was surreal to think about how much we had gone through and even more so to think of how much we have both grown since this time last year. I cannot wait to see what this next year will hold for us. So, I am starting this year with a post about my 2014 goals. 

Run Like A Fiend: 

• Stronger-- Cross train like a fool! I had so many issues with my hips and knees this year so I really want to improve the strength in my quads and glutes to support those areas. My ultimate goal is to run a marathon this year. If  I can get those muscles stronger, I know I can do it. My last race of the year really proved to me that I would not be capable of going further in distance unless I build those muscles the right way. I plan on a strict regime of weight training two-three days a week and adding yoga or pilates into that equation on those days as well (aka--double workout days). 
• Better-- I want to be a better runner. And I want to race MORE! This year I don't want to focus on how far I can go but instead, learning how to make smaller goals in shorter races. I was so focused on distance that I forgot how to enjoy shorter distances as well. Mentally, I burnt myself out during training sessions because of this. Participating in shorter distances and creating new goals within those races will make me a better runner. 
• Faster-- First, I have to admit something to you...I hate running fast. I really do. I'm going to sound like a baby but...it's hard! It hurts! It's just down right unenjoyable to me. But you know what? This year, I'm adding faster to my list of goals because I want to improve my times. This year I want to beat that god-forsaking 2 hour mark that I just cannot seem to break and I want to focus on time goals for shorter distances like a 5 or 10k. I know I can do this. By training for speed, this will also make me a better and stronger runner! BOOM!! 
• Longer--Because I really want to get to marathon-status, I need to challenge my ability to run distance. I plan on much longer weekend runs and to push past my 13 mile limit. It's going to take time out of my day (which is a poor excuse for why I haven't been running longer lately) but it is actually really worth my time to do this. If I truly want to make a marathon happen (maybe the Portland Marathon in October) then I need to make this year count, training-wise. 

Feed My Soul

• Taking time to breathe.--All too often I am rushing ALL OF THE TIME. I want to stop worrying about how many things I can check off the "to-do" list and instead, just remember to BREATHE. Life can be crazy, stressful and completely overwhelming, if you forget to breathe, it will pass you by before you know it. I want to focus on slowing things down this year. 
• Read more--I want to make time to read more and stress less on social media. I have this on my list every year. I realized this year that part of the reason I never achieve this goal is because I haven't found a balance in my day to make time for it. This year, I will make time. 
• Balance--Between a full time job, blogging and training for races, I want to find a balance of how I can achieve all of the important commitments in my life. This will take a lot of planning and preparation to make this happen. I'm committed to doing this, this year. 

Blog With Purpose

• Commit to commenting-- I am still new to blogging and am learning proper etiquette, like commenting on other's pages and supporting fellow bloggers. This year, I am determined to comment on at least 2 blogs a day. 
• Become business savvy--I want to learn more about how blogging as a business truly works and how I can leverage my content.
• Network like a maniac-- I want to meet new bloggers, attend more conferences and do some guest posts this year. I know that I can learn so much from other bloggers in the community. 
• Bring quality content--I want to continue to bring my knowledge, experience and as much information as I can provide to you. *You can help me by commenting on my posts and sending your feedback and questions my way at: SBMRunner@Gmail.com (yes, I have a new email now). 
• Spread #MightyProud--This is my own special touch to my blog. Hashtagging your proudest moments have been so fun for me to see. I love seeing your photos so please continue to send them to my email or to use the #mightyproud when submitting them to a social media site. You are inspiring so many with every photo posted!

What are your resolution/goals for 2014?

How do you make sure you achieve the goals you set?

Do you like the new site?