Gretch Runs

I can't believe this week is half over! It's been an insanely busy week with musical rehearsal every day and trying to fit in my workouts when I can. So far, I've succeeded and I'm 2/2 on the week. Today, I'll be tackling my first speed workout in my training, which is actually one of my favorite runs (embrace the pain, baby!)  Last week, I made my first order on Brooks's website. I knew that I wanted a new pair of light-weight shoes for shorter distances, and I've always had great luck with Brooks in the past. Their website also has a fantastic return policy, so I figured I would just make my order there instead of making the trek to the running store. I was in luck too- the shoe that I wanted was on sale, and I found a few other things on a great sale as well! First up are the shoes I picked out. They are the  PureFlow 3 , which I got for $65. I have to admit that the main reason I picked these is because one of my favorite bloggers, Janae , r...

Happy St Patrick's Day to you all! I don't think I'm Irish, but living in Pittsburgh I've always loved and embraced the holiday. In case you didn't know, we're the best city to celebrate the holiday ! I'm currently sipping some Irish Creme coffee (nonalcoholic of course) and wore my green T-shirt to the gym this morning! Luckily my gym offers morning and evening classes, so I didn't have to miss my workout because of dress rehearsal. It was hard waking up for a 6:00 class though! Once I was there and working out, I was so glad I made it.  Early workouts are kind of nice! Now onto the post title- as I mentioned in my yearly and monthly goals , I'm trying out a new cuisine each month. March is Indian (looking back, I should have picked Irish!)  I absolutely love Indian food. One of my best friends at work is from New Delhi and recently moved to Dubai. When she was living here, she would bring in amazing food and take me to the bes...

Happy Monday everyone! How was your weekend? Mine was busy...lots of (much needed) spring cleaning going on.  I also made it outside as much as possible.  Even though it was a little chilly, it was still above freezing, so I'll take it!  I also went to this awesome tea place near my apartment called Dobra Tea . If you're in Pittsburgh you should definitely check it out! This week is going to be really busy and exciting.  I'm in a musical at my old high school, and it's show week.  I'll be in dress rehearsals Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday...then the performances are Thursday through Sunday.  This week also is the start of my half marathon training!  I'm so excited to get into it and start working hard. Let's look at what I'll be up to this week: Monday 3 miles Tuesday Group Centergy (not sure what time dress rehearsal is, so I may have to miss this and Group Power this week!) C25K: 5 minute warmup Run 5 min/Walk 3 min Run 8 min...

Happy Friday!!  What a great week it's been.  It's finally warmed up in Pittsburgh, and I could not get outside enough.  I hope you've also been having a terrific week and are ready for a relaxing or fun weekend! This week, I'll be doing a special "Top Five Friday."  I'm linking up with Cynthia , Courtney and Mar on their Friday Five Linkup. Each week, they have a theme, and this week is "Day in the Life."  I'm adding my own spin to it, by sharing my Top Five Everyday Essentials !  Enjoy, and check out the fantastic hosts.  I'm also linking up with Clare , Katie and Heather! !  (this is why I love Fridays.  Linkups are so much fun!) 1.   Brita pitcher and soft bottle Lately, I've been drinking so much water.  In fact, one of my goals for the month was to drink a glass in the morning, after work and before bed.  This has been so easy by having a Brita pitcher filled up at all times!  The water tastes de...

Happy Friday-eve everyone!  Today I'm doing something new- joining the Thinking Out Loud linkup with  Amanda ! Today I'll basically be doing a picture dump from the past week, which will explain what's been going on in my life lately. First, though, I want to talk about the Bachelorette. If you didn't see it, the finale aired on Monday, and it was announced that there would be TWO  Bachelorettes next season- Kaitlyn and Britt.  First off, I'm so excited that Kaitlyn was chosen.  She seems like one of the coolest girls who's ever been on the show, and I think she will make a fantastic lead.  Britt is on the other end of the spectrum-much more emotional and opened up a lot quicker with Chris.  Much more of the typical personality that is chosen to be lead, whil Kaitlyn is more spunky and quirky. I think this twist will make things really exciting next season and will certainly help shake things up.  I've watched the show for a few...

Hi everyone!  Congratulations on making it halfway through the work week.  I hope you've been having a great week and are enjoying this beautiful weather! To start off, I'd like to say a huge THANK YOU to a local runner/blogger Steff from Run Steff Run for featuring me on her blog today!  She started the Pittsburgh Running Bloggers group that I'm a member of, and I'm in love with her blog.  If you're interested in seeing it, check it out  here!   Tell Steff I said hi! This week I have a really fun review to share- a service called Stitch fix  (referral link).  If you've never heard of the service, here's a quick summary I got from their website: Stitch Fix is the first fashion retailer to blend expert styling, proprietary technology and unique product to deliver a shopping experience that is truly personalized for you. Simply fill out the Stitch Fix Style Profile and our personal stylists will handpick a selection of five clothin...

Good morning!  Today I'll be sharing my first beauty post!  To be honest, I am a bit of a beauty/makeup addict.  I love to watch YouTube videos with makeup tutorials, or read beauty blogs to learn new tips and tricks.  However, my goal is to appear natural and never over-done.  I look very young as well, so I use makeup to appear more professional and put-together.  My day-to-day/work look is pretty minimal (to me!  For some of you, this may seem like a lot) and takes me about five minutes in the morning to throw on my face. Next week, I'll be showing you how I take this "day time" look and add a few steps to make it night-appropriate!  Hopefully you'll learn something new or find some cool products.  If not, come back later this week and we'll get back to the fitness! Face (2:30 minutes) -  It Cosmetics Bye Bye Undereyes (#1) This concealer is an absolute game changer for me.  I have horrible undereye circ...