July in Review

How in the world is it almost August? I'm seriously blown away at how fast this year has passed by! I say it all the time but it's true. With the arrival of August that means a few things - for one, it's my birthday month so woohooo about that. Second, it's our vacay month and last but not least, it's one month closer to Christmas! Yeehaaa!

Let's take a look back over July and see how it looks from a running/workout perspective.

So, y'all know I've given this little Orangetheory thing a try...and I love it...and I am having major results from it.

During the month of July, I attended 8 Orangetheory classes (including one today). Throughout that time, we worked on everything from endurance to strength to power and each and every class was a full head to toe workout.

On the running forefront, I ran twice a week for the month of July. My goal was to run one day during the week and a "longer-ish" run on the weekend. This scenario didn't always pan out as we've had several days of excessive heat warnings and I just can't deal running in "feels like 107 degrees" temps. So, my longer runs usually turned into shorter ones. Oh well...I'll get back into the swing of half-marathon training once it cools off outside. Even though my longer runs pretty much went to garbage this month, I did manage several quality runs and they were great. These runs were definitely confidence boosters and proof of how much Orangetheory has paid off!

I also ran one race during the month of July. This race was a 4 miler on the 4th of July and I managed a 3 second PR despite my ridiculous heart issues. I can't wait to see what the fall and cooler weather will bring!

I'd say it was a pretty good month in my book!

Goodbye, July! Hello, August! 

It's the Tuesdays On The Run Linkup with Erika, Marcia and Patty. 

Fitness Friday - 7/27

Hello Friday! I'm so very glad the weekend is here again. Jason is off from work this weekend which means we get to spend it together as a family! I love weekends when he's home! :)

Here's a glimpse of how my week went, workout wise!

Currently Training For:

• Dopey Challenge 2018 - Walt Disney World
• Rock n Roll New Orleans Half Marathon 2018 - New Orleans, LA 
• Contraband Days 5 Miler 
• 4 on the 4th
• Rock n Roll San Antonino Half 

Saturday - 4 mile run
Sunday - Rest day
Monday - Orangetheory strength day
Tuesday - 3 mile walk
Wednesday - Rest day
Thursday - 3 mile run
Friday - Rest Day

You'll notice I only made it to Orangetheory one day this week. Well, that's because my parent's are on vacation and Jason's work schedule this week didn't allow any extra time for me to get in a workout. Instead, I'm going for my second Orangetheory day of this week tomorrow morning!

 Knowing how my week was going to pan out, I convinced myself that I needed to get out of bed on Saturday morning and go for a run. It was too hot to run very far with Brayden and although my head told me that it wasn't really a "Saturday long run" if I didn't make at least five or six miles (yeah right), I didn't listen and just ran.

We started out super early (like not long after the sun rose) and it was my goal to be finished with the run before the heat index began to rise.

In total, we made 4 miles and I was happy with that. It was a very slow 4 miles from my usual because I just wasn't feeling it that day, but it was done and that's all that matters!

Afterwards, we had a few errands to run so we treated ourselves to Starbucks!

He loved his muffin!

On Monday morning, I got out of the door early for my one OTF opportunity for the week. It was an endurance day and I definitely left the workout feeling accomplished.

That evening, a local frozen yogurt shop offered a "pay your age" event, so we had to go! Basically, you had the opportunity to fill up your cup and pay pennies to the dollar of your age. Brayden' s was twenty cents and mine was three dollars and fifty cents! Score!

A crazy mad heat wave spread over the south earlier this week and we saw temps with a heat index well into the hundreds. Combine that with the humidity and it was so...UGH. Hot.

On Tuesday afternoon, my friend Melissa and I took Brayden on a three mile walk around our usual route. Have you ever seen a house all wrapped up like the circus is coming to town? Me either. We were like HUH? After a little investigation, I'm pretty sure they were treating termites.

Signs were even up all over the house, warning anyone who got too close of the "deadly poison" inside! Scary!

Last night, we waited until the sun was setting before heading out for a 3 mile run. It was still hot but not as bad as it's been this week.

This run started out with me thinking it was going to be another awful run like Saturday, and then it turned into an awesome run! I even had negative splits with pushing the stroller! The first mile was a 9:40, the second a 9:04, and the final mile an 8:25.

I'm serious when I say that cross training has made a world of difference. Why on earth I never stuck with something like this before, I have no idea!

I also can't wait for Saturday's Orangetheory workout! There's only one coach I haven't taken a class from yet and she will be the instructor on Saturday. I've heard she's awesome so I'm really looking forward to it!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Advice To My Former Running Self

Do you ever look back and think..."If I only knew then what I know now..." Of course, we all do! For today's Tuesdays on the Run topic, I've compiled a list of "things" or advice I would give to my former running self (from way back when), after having 9ish years of experience as a runner.

Today's photo is taken from one of my first 5K's!

1.) Don't take yourself too seriously.

2.) Enjoy the journey. Seriously. Enjoy it...it's one of the best rides of your life!

3.) Every single race is not going to be a PR and that's ok.

4.) Having a goal and not reaching it during a race is ok, too....there will always be another race opportunity. However, when you do finally reach that goal, the feeling is like no other!

5.) Your running group friends will become some of your best friends for life. Appreciate them.

6.) It's OK if you miss a run here or there. No one is perfect and life happens.

7.) Take time to cross train more - this is so important!

8.) Injuries will happen. How you overcome and adapt will make you a stronger runner.

9.) Running will take you so many places and open up so many opportunities for you! Embrace it!

10.) Last but not least, don't wear a cotton t-shirt to run a 5K, especially if it's 100 degrees outside. (See my ridiculous self below...)

It's amazing to think how much knowledge has been gained over a 9 year time period. We learn so much and come so far, it's neat to go back and remember how things were when we first became a runner!

What advice would you have for your former running self?

Would you like to join in on future Tuesdays on the Run topics? Head over to the links below to check out our hosts and more information!

It's the Tuesdays On The Run Linkup with Erika, Marcia and Patty. 

Fitness Friday - 7/20

Another week has come and gone and it's Friday once again...which blows my mind. Wasn't it just a weekend like yesterday? I don't know what it was about this week, but it truly went by fast for me!

Since it's Friday, that means it's time for another weekly workout recap!  How did my week go? Take a look below! :)

Currently Training For:

• Dopey Challenge 2018 - Walt Disney World
• Rock n Roll New Orleans Half Marathon 2018 - New Orleans, LA 
• Contraband Days 5 Miler 
• 4 on the 4th
• Rock n Roll San Antonino Half 

Sunday - Rest day
Monday - 3 mile run outside
Tuesday - Orangetheory power day
Wednesday - Rest day
Thursday - Orangetheory strength day
Friday - Rest Day


On Saturday, I'll admit - I was lazy and wanted to sleep in. Super warm temps at 7 a.m. were not appealing to me, and Brayden would have had to come with me...so I skipped it. Oh well, I guess I'm allowed that every now and again. It's just so dang hot outside!


With missing a "long run" this weekend, I was going stir crazy by Monday! So, on Monday evening, I loaded Brayden up in the Bob and headed out for a 3 mile run.

Even at 7 p.m., the temps still "felt like" 101 degrees outside! What in the world...??

However, this run was a grand one. I started off at my usual pace and around mile 1, I realized I wasn't running hard enough. So, I picked up the speed at mile 2 and somehow managed negative splits for the remainder of the run...along with a pretty decent pace (for me), too!

All of this took place while pushing a 30 pound toddler on a hot July day. I attribute it all to Orangetheory. It really has made me a faster and better runner!

Brayden and his foot were pretty proud of us, too! :D

On Tuesday afternoon, I made my way to Orangetheory for a workout. It was power day and the entire workout felt amazing for me...which shocks me because I ate a bit of junk food that day. Regardless, my all outs were faster on the treadmill and I had a ton of energy! Whoop!

 

Thursday afternoon's Orangetheory workout was a strength day and not near as great as Tuesday. I ate so much better all day and felt like garbage. Oh well, I made it through and that's all that matters! Also, the OT Beat screen turned itself off with about 8 minutes left in class, so I know those splat points and calories should be a little higher.

In other news, Chef Brayden received his "kitchen" this week and he couldn't be more excited!

The look on his face when it arrived was priceless! 

My mom has been wanting one of these for him for a while and when a friend of mine posted hers for sale, I had to jump on it! Brayden is seriously in love!


Speaking of love, our "Mickey Mail" arrived this week!

Just means we are one day closer to our next trip! This is our Eastern Caribbean redemption cruise, to make up for the one that was canceled last year due to Hurricane Irma. I can't wait!


How was your week? Any fun weekend plans?

VLOG: Day 6 - Jamaica and Ziplining!

On today's installment of our Disney Cruise Line Vlogs, I'm sharing our time in Jamaica where we zip lined through a tropical wonderland of the Great Hope Estate. It was gorgeous with breathtaking views and although I didn't care for the wait times at some of the traverses (too many zip liners), I loved this excursion! Also, we had a little fun with Pirate Night that evening on board the Disney Fantasy!

 Check out all the fun we had in Jamaica and with Pirate Night below!

Missed a recap? No problem! (Said Jamaican style) :)
Check them out here:

• Day 1 Animal Kingdom and Epcot & VLOG
• Day 2 Boarding the Disney Fantasy & VLOG
• Day 3 Day at Sea with Remy Brunch & VLOG
• Day 4 Cozumel & Chichen Itza & VLOG
• Day 5 - Grand Cayman & Sting Ray City & VLOG
• Day 6 - Jamaica & Ziplining & VLOG
• Day 7 - Second Day at Sea with Palo Brunch & VLOG
• Day 8 - Castaway Cay Day & VLOG

Running While On Vacation

Running on vacation - anyone else with me? It seems like every time I pack for a vacation, it includes a running outfit or two. Taking time to sneak in a couple runs on vacation really makes a difference for me, and here's how:

 

 Helps me stay on schedule and keep a sense of normalcy 
It seems like there's always a race I'm training for, so keeping up with a training plan (loosely) helps me stay on track. I don't usually go on vacation with the intention of running or working out daily, but sneaking in a few runs here and there really helps!

 Running in new places and seeing new sights can be fun!
There's something exciting about running in a new place, be it a resort, a cruise ship, or even a track at a hotel (yes that's happened once)!

A lot of vacays are centered around race weekends
A good way to stay active on a vacation is to include a race in your plans! 

Most resorts have a running track, path, or gym
It's been a long while since I stayed at a resort that did not have some form of workout location. Hitting the gym early before it gets crazy is always my plan and it seems to work! If I'm running outside, I like to make sure the sun is at least rising because running in a strange place in the dark doesn't seem like a safe idea.

Helps me feel less guilty about eating all the foods...and desserts
I mean, it IS vacation after all. Any calorie counting goes out the window and I tend to eat all the things! Adding on a few miles here and there helps me feel less guilty about indulging while on vacation. 

It's the Tuesdays On The Run Linkup with Erika, Marcia and Patty. 

Hello Fresh Review

Recently, I had the opportunity to try a Hello Fresh box at a deal I could not pass up. I'm sure you all know about Hello Fresh but if you don't, it's a essentially a food delivery service with the purpose of making the cooking process easy.

For starters, I decided on the "family size" box with the two meal option. I was also given several different recipe choices to pick from.

Ultimately, I decided on the Maple and Rosemary Glazed Pork Cutlets (our favorite of the box) and the Carolina Barbecue Chicken.

The box arrived and was packed with plenty of ice packs and cold preserving padding. I also received an email when it was delivered to remind me to check the front porch which was really nice!

Each meal was packaged with all of the ingredients together in one brown bag. This was nice because it was simple to store away in the fridge for later use. The meat for each dinner was also packaged beneath the brown bags in a separate compartment so it didn't contaminate anything. (Also a nice perk!)

Our first meal to try was the Pork Cutlets and I mainly decided on this because I wanted to save the BBQ chicken option for the night before the 4th of July. Corny? Yes, I know.

After sorting through the ingredients and chopping several of the items, it was time to get cooking. This part took a little longer than I expected, but I guess that was just getting into the groove of things.

I do love to multitask while cooking and it was easy to do so. Both the pork and the couscous wer going at the same time.

While everything was cooking on the stove, I prepared the salad.

Even with the multitasking, this meal still took about 45 minutes to complete. It was absolutely delicious though, and we loved every part of it! 

My toddler loved it, too!

Next up was the Carolina Barbecue Chicken.

This recipe was delicious as well, although our fire alarm went off in the process of cooking the chicken. Whoopsie!

This recipe was a little easier to make time-wise because it didn't require as much prep ahead of time. Also, I added a few extra pieces of chicken from my own stock to the pan because I wanted to have something already prepared for lunch the following day.

We loved this dish as well. The chicken was flavorful and wasn't dry - just the way I like it! Also, the combination of the chicken, mac and cheese, and green beans was a perfect pre-fourth meal!

So, what did I think of Hello Fresh overall? Well, I have a few pros and cons. I like that the ingredients are all (mostly) shipped to you which saves a grocery shopping trip. I also loved the flavors of both recipes. One of the main things I don't care for with this delivery service is the quantity of food. If I'm going to spend 30+ minutes in the kitchen preparing a meal, I want enough to have leftovers for lunch the following day at work. An option to change this would be to add your own items like I did with the chicken but again, you're using items from your own stock which isn't the purpose of this box. Also, the price is a bit high for me, especially if leftovers aren't an option. I'm not sure I would subscribe to this on a long term weekly basis, but it will be fun to try from time to time! 

Have you ever tried Hello Fresh or another meal subscription service? If so, what did you think?