Gretch Runs

Hi everyone!  Today I'll be kicking off "Travel Week" with one of the most boring parts of traveling- packing.  I hate to pack and always put it off until the last possible moment (usually the night before).  Although it's not a lot of fun, it's a really important step, and something I've been working on perfecting the last few years!  This was actually my fourth trip out of the country, so I've learned a few lessons along the way.  I always keep my luggage minimal and only have one carry-on with me.  If you're like me and like to travel light, hopefully my tips will help! Tops I always bring neutral t-shirts when I'm traveling.  This way, I can mix and match with any bottoms I bring, as well as switch it up with a scarf or statement necklace.  I also make sure to bring a rain-proof jacket and a cardigan.  Weather in Europe can be unpredictable, so it's always a good idea to bring layering options!   To save space in my suit...

Hi Everyone!  I have a fun post planned for today - a guide and recap for my three days on the island of Mallorca in Spain! (I'll have my recaps for Denmark and Sweden coming soon!)  It was an amazing trip and the island was breathtaking.  We spent one day in the city of Palma, one day in Soller and one day in Sant Elm/Port d'Andratx, and I'll highlight each area in the sections below. I want to start off with a bit of background of the island.  I didn't know much about it before visiting, and it's such an interesting place!  I hope you enjoy! - The island is called Mallorca (or Majorca) and the capital is Palma .  It's a bit confusing, but the island is in the Mediterranean Sea and part of the Balearic Island (which also includes Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.)  Mallorca is the largest of these islands. - There's a lot of German and British tourists on the island, so speaking English is no problem.   The official language of the is...

"We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon." Emil Zatopek, Czech runner; winner of four Olympic gold medals A look at the runs I've completed this year   Well, after a rather long absence, I am finally writing again.  Throughout the past months, I've gone through so many ups and downs with my training that it was almost depressing to try to write all about it.  I've had a few injuries and lost weeks of training which really scared me and almost made me want to give up and run the half marathon again, which I know I can complete.  However, I kept telling myself that I made this promise to myself and to so many people to complete the marathon this year, that it would be such a let down to give up. I know that I would always look back on this failure with nothing but disappointment.   Lately, my training has been phenomenal....

Hello! What a week this has been. I did my longest training run yet and also went home for the weekend to surprise my mom for her birthday. While I was there, I got the chance to run with my dad, and had a terrific hill workout with him. Here's a look at my workouts from the past week: ------------------------------------------------------ Monday 1.30.12, Wednesday 2.1.12, Friday 2.3.12 Volleyball tournament. My team unfortunately came in last. Hopefully next time I'll have more luck! ------------------------------------------------------ Tuesday 1.31.12 This was my long run. I felt really great during it, and didn't really get sore or tired at all until mile 8. At that point, a little boy with his dad started to run alongside me for a block, and when he couldn't run any more he yelled back to his dad "I want to run like that when I'm older!" It was a great motivation to keep going, and hopefully I've inspired a new generation of runners...

At lot has happened since my last post. I went home for thanksgiving break and went running at home a lot, which was great to get back on track. While there, I ran a five mile race, the Turkey Trot . I've run the race in the past, but always the 5k, not the five miler. It was a great day and wonderful weather, and I got to run most of it with my friends. I've also been getting back on track with running at school. I'm almost ready to start my marathon training schedule and I'm SO EXCITED! Right now, I'm working on getting my endurance back and weight lifting again. I've done some great runs and can't wait to move forward with this! Here's a look at what I want to do this week: Monday: 3 mile run Tuesday: 3 mile run and half hour power sculpt Wednesday: 5 mile run Thursday: cross training Friday: 3 mile run Saturday: 1 hour run at home! I can't wait until I can start updating my blog regularly again. I have some great ideas to make it b...

Hello! Well, it's been a very hectic few weeks, and I have to admit that my training has suffered quite a bit due to life happening all around me. Last weekend, I took a trip home for my grandparent's 50th anniversary. Here's a picture of our beautiful family: We've had some unseasonably warm and beautiful weather in State College. Luckily for me, my boyfriend is a wonderful photographer, and took me to a gorgeous wooded area and got some pictures. Here's one of my favorites: I squeezed in some workouts and runs as much as I could. I did have a terrific run this weekend and did my longest training run yet: 9 miles. Even better news for me was the fact that my 9th and final mile was my fastest! (my Nike watch gives mile times for each mile run, then tells you your fastest and slowest miles). Here's a look at the runs I completed the past two weeks and used my watch: I'm now over 150 miles on my watch! I c...

" STAND UP and FINISH what you started " Bob Harper This was a really rough but fun week. I had 4 exams, countless hours of homework, 2 presentations and band practice. On the weekend I went camping for the first time ever, which was so much fun! I also incorporated an aerobic class at Penn State into my workout, which was a great change of pace and really enjoyable! I'll try to add another in the next week. 9/26: stretching and light plyometrics 9/27: 3.5 mile run: 27:00, 8:00/mile 9/28: 6x400 repeats on treadmill with 1 mile warm-up and 1 mile cool-down 9/29 : 3.5 mile run: 30:00, 8:32/mile Step Aerobics class- 45:00 9/30, 10/1: REST and CAMPING! 10/2: 4.25 mile run: 38:47, 9:07/mile Here's next week's schedule: 4 Stretch & Strengthen 3.5 m run 35 min tempo 3 m run + strength Rest 3 m run ...

I just had a terrific vacation this weekend. On Friday, I finished my internship and had a goodbye lunch with all the tech interns. Saturday I went to the Pirates game (my third of the week) and Train performed after as part of the Skyblast show. Then, my mom, sister and I went to Deep Creek, Maryland, which is only about 2 hours away from Pittsburgh. We got there on Sunday night and left Wednesday afternoon. Here's a quick summary of what we did and my workouts: Monday : racket ball, kayaking on Deep Creek Lake, tennis, mini golf, 3 mile run Tuesday : horseback riding, antique shopping, mini golf (again) 3 mile run, 1 hour weight lifting Wednesday : mountain coaster It was such a nice, relaxing trip. I got to squeeze in some workouts and tried to do as many activities as possible, even though the weather didn't exactly cooperate. Tomorrow I'm going to Cleveland for 2 days to go to an Indians game, then it's back to Penn State! Summer is over already,...

Here are some pictures from the weekend: -Friday night, taken at the "water steps" on the North Shore by PNC Park. I'm on the left and my roommate Heather is on the right. Coordination was not planned. -Saturday afternoon at Station Square. This was taken at the "dancing waters", which light up and puts on a show to go along with music. Favorite with tourists! -Saturday afternoon at the Duquesne Incline. -Again from Mt Washington, further down the road. This is Heinz Field where the Steelers play! I apologize for the terrible picture quality, these pictures were all taken with my phone! Enjoy and have a great day!

Hello! Unfortunately, once again, my life is taking over my training schedule and I haven't been running as much as I'd like. This weekend, my two roommates for next year came to visit, as well as my grandparents, so I've been extremely busy! Here's a quick summary of my weekend: Friday: dinner at Atria's, walk around North Shore Saturday: kayaking on Allegheny River for two hours, walk around downtown, lunch at Primantis, walk to Duquesne Incline, walk around Mt. Washington, Duquesne Incline down, walk to Station Square, late lunch/drinks at Bar Bleu, fish and veggies dinner at home Sunday: church, mall, lunch/drinks/watched Pirates and World Cup at Rivertowne Tavern, walk around downtown and North Shore Monday: Hofbrauhaus with grandparents after work Overall, very busy past few weeks. Everything should be settling down until the end of my internship (a few Happy Hours after work but nothing more than once a week). Training should be back on schedule. Luckily ...

Hello! What a weekend I had! Unfortunately, I didn't officially work out, but I did get to exercise some new muscles, which I'll explain later. This weekend was one of the best that I can remember, and definitely is the highlight of my summer. To start off, on Friday after work, all of the PNC interns were invited to the Pirates/Cubs game. I am a HUGE sports fan, especially of Pittsburgh teams, so I was really excited to go. This year I've already been to over ten games, so it's been a really special summer getting to see the Pirates doing so well. We had incredible seats (picture below) a few rows directly behind home plate. It was such a great game, and we ended up winning with Mike McKenry's first major-league home run. What an exciting, amazing game! On top of that, McCutchen and Correia got named to the All-Star team, and the Pirates won the series. Overall, a terrific weekend to be a Pittsburgher. On Saturday, two of my friends from college, Chris and Rob, cam...