Gretch Runs

Hi Everyone!  Happy Tuesday.  Today I have a fun blog post idea that came from  strengthandsunshine. It's a survey where you have to choose which of the foods in each group you would be willing to give up.  Some of these were really simple for me to choose, and some were nearly impossible.  Pick a few of the categories and tell me what you would pick in the comments, or make it into a blog post! 

Welcome to another week, the last of March!  The year is already a quarter of the way over (I work in a bank so I'm all about the quarters!)  and on Wednesday I'll be doing my first monthly goal wrap-up!  Does anyone else love the end of one month and the beginning of another?  I know I do! Today, I'll be doing another weekly goals.  This week should be very relaxed and not busy at all, thank goodness.  I'm looking forward to going to all my normal gym classes and seeing my favorite instructors!  I also have my first race of the year.  Here is my plan for the week: 3.5 miles Group Centergy C25K : 5 minute warmup, 28 minute run Speed workout : 1 mile warmup, 6 x 400 @ 1:45, 400 m jog between 1 mile cool down - Total of 5 miles Group Power C25K : 5 minute warmup, 28 minute run Spin class PHenomenal Hope 5K Race A Goal- 23:00 (7:24 pace) B Goal- 25:00 (8:03) C Goal- 27:00 (8:41) Rest day!! It's going to be a busy week wit

It's not how good you are, it's how good you want to be Thank goodness that the second week of training was a little less busy.  I had plenty of time to get my workouts in, even if I had to rearrange a bit.  It was Dan's birthday, so I had to move some classes to go out to dinner (which was great!) and we're also currently visiting his family in Boiling Springs, PA. (note, I'm not affiliated in ANY way with the Biggest Loser or with the Run/Walk.  I just wanted to make it clear what I'm training for in a fun way!) Here was my training plan for the week: To remind you, I'm using Hal Higdon's half marathon intermediate plan as a base, but adjusting it to fit my schedule.  I'm also helping Dan train for a 5K using the Couch to 5K plan . Here's how my week went: Monday 3 miles / 28:00 / 9:20 pace I had a dentist appointment, so I had to run on the treadmill at the gym.  Not a particularly good or bad workout, but nic

Believe it or not, it is finally spring time!  Pittsburgh has seen some glimmers of warmer weather in between snow and rain in the last few weeks.  Hopefully all the cold weather is behind us, because I'm ready for hot weather, shorts, and iced drinks. Today, for the DC girls ( Mar ,  Cynthia and Courtney ) Friday linkup, I'll be talking about my five favorite spring foods and drinks.  I mentioned last week that I love spring for the lighter, brighter food, so here's what I'll be eating in the coming months! http://thefitchen.com/2013/09/15/mango-fruit-salad/ There's nothing better than fresh fruit on a beautiful day.  I love to mix a few varieties together for an easy fruit salad, or blend it with some ice and coconut water for a delicious smoothie!  In the spring, some of my favorite fruits come in season- mango, berries and pineapple. This recipe sounds perfect- I love the addition of basil! http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/03/magazine/

Hi everyone!  Today, I'm joining in a linkup with  Anne  called Pin to Present!  Is anyone else obsessed with Pinterest?  I use it all the time for outfit inspiration, makeup ideas, travel guides, workouts, and recipes.  Now, you get to see me attempt my most recent pins! Today, I'm going to be trying out a few different pins: an art project, a hairstyle, and an outfit.  Go big or go home, right? First up is the art project.  I got this idea from Tatertots and Jello. I knew ahead of time that I wanted a project that re-purposed magazines, because I have a TON of old issues that I needed to get rid of.  This design was really pretty and easy to recreate!  I decided to make mine with a plane silhouette instead of a bird, since I love to travel so much.  This would be a fun project to do with kids, or to give as a present to someone because it's easy to personalize.  A running themed one would be really cool too!  Next time, I'll use a thicker paint and an extra c

Hi everyone! Today's review is a bit different, because it's more of a travel guide (my first one!). This one is very special to me because it's where I got engaged! Today is Dan's birthday, so I thought it would be a perfect post for today. I'll be telling you about where we stayed, where we ate, and what we did, as well as our engagement story.  Since this was a beach trip, we spent a lot of our time relaxing.  Future travel guides will have much more information! It’s helpful to know when choosing a location that locals commonly divide the area into three main sections: the Northern Beaches, consisting of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head; Hatteras Island, consisting of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco and Hatteras; and Roanoke Island, consisting of Manteo and Wanchese.  For our trip, we stayed on the Northern Beaches. -------------------- sleep -------------------- Nag's Head Inn Oceanfront Hotel

A few weeks ago, I talked about my everyday 5-minute makeup look .  I'm so glad that a lot of you liked that post!  It was a lot of fun for me to put together, and I hope to sprinkle in a bit of beauty posts every once in a while. Today, I'll be sharing what I add to that look if I'm going somewhere after work.  Today I'm actually going out for a fancy dinner with Dan for his birthday, so this is exactly what I'll be doing once I get home!  This is still going to stay on the neutral side, but add a few more products to look more special.  It's really easy, but some of the techniques (like the liquid liner) can take a bit of practice.  I'm no pro, but I think I've gotten much better after lots and lots practice (and makeup remover)!  Hope you enjoy :) Face I don't like to add to many extra products, but I'll touch up any areas that have worn off throughout the day.  I'll dust on a bit more of my Tarte Airbrush foundation that I used

Another weekend has come and gone, and this one was really exciting.  Our musical opened on Thursday and we had our final show on Sunday.  It was such a whirlwind, and all the performances went really well.  I'm happy to have more free time, but I already miss playing! In case you missed it, I recapped my first week of training in a post yesterday.  This week is another packed week of workouts.  It's going to be another busy week, because Dan and I are traveling to his hometown to see his family, because his birthday on Wednesday.  I have a special post planned for that day, so make sure to come back and check it out! Here are the workouts I'm planing for the week: Monday 3 miles Tuesday Group Centergy C25K: 5 minute walk 25 minute run 5 minute walk  Wednesday Speed work- 30 minute tempo Thursday Group Power Friday C25K: 5 minute walk 25 minute run 5 minute walk   Saturday 3 miles Sunday Long run- 6 miles C25K: 5 minute walk 2

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'" - Peter Maher Hi everyone!  Now that my half marathon training is in full swing, I thought it would be useful to review each week of my training so I can hold myself accountable.  I'm sort of stealing this idea from one of my favorite bloggers, Jennifer at Running on Lentils (who, by the way, is kicking butt in training for the Pittsburgh Marathon!) (note, I'm not affiliated in ANY way with the Biggest Loser or with the Run/Walk.  I just wanted to make it clear what I'm training for in a fun way!) Here was my training plan for the week: To remind you, I'm using Hal Higdon's half marathon intermediate plan as a base, but adjusting it to fit my schedule.  I'm also helping Dan train for a 5K using the Couch to 5K plan . Here's how my week went: Monday 3.27 miles / 28:0

Happy Friday to everyone!  As I keep saying, this week was insane and I am so happy that it's over.  I have three more performances of the musical, then I can finally take a rest.  Playing this much makes me miss college when I played in the marching band at Penn State!  I will be happy to relax after work, though, and not have to rush to practice. As usual,  I'm linking up with  Cynthia ,  Courtney and  Mar  on their Friday Five Linkup  as well as  Clare ,  Kate  and  Heather! !   The topic for today was Spring, which was very vague.  I decided to talk about my five favorite things about springtime! 1. Trail running.  I mentioned this a bit in my Pittsburgh Running Routes post , but I absolutely love trail running.  I grew up running at Riverview Park, and ran cross country in middle and high school, so I feel really comfortable on trails.  I love how you never know what to expect, the hills are always rolling, and the scenery is beautiful (the above picture is fro

Happy Thursday!  Today is opening night for my musical, and I'm so excited for this week to be over!  I love being in musicals and really love playing my saxophone, but the final week of dress rehearsals and shows is so stressful and exhausting!  I'll be happy when it's all over, but then immediately miss playing again.  I need to find a group I can play with year-round. Today I'm linking up with Amanda  for another Thinking Out Loud Thursday. I want to talk about some of my current favorite shows!  As you'll see, I'm really into reality competitions.  I'm not one for most reality shows, but competitions are my absolute favorite- especially cooking ones!  This is a great time for me, because my favorite shows are pretty much just starting.  I also threw in one of my favorite scripted shows.  Hopefully some of you also like these shows and we can chat about them! First up is a show that just came back for its 20th season this week- Dancing with th