Tone It Up {Week 2}

Happy Friday, friends! I can't tell you how happy I am it's almost the weekend! Between house repairs and endless edits, I'm excited to have a couple of days off to unwind.

Week 2 of the Tone It Up plan (#lookforlove) is almost over and I'm finally feeling a little stronger (and still very sore, which I kind of love)! I'm really happy because even though the daily moves are still insanely challenging, I somehow find a way to finish them! Last night was another 45 minutes of cardio and the video I chose had a "power move" of 10 burpees w/ a jump in a row and I was able to do 9 in a row without stopping, which was huge because last week I could only do about 5-6. It's cool to see non-scale victories, too!

Yesterday I jokingly tweeted about my quick Target adventure. I went in with a very small list of "two dumbbells, a card and a pack of gum" and that. is. all. I. got! Can you believe it?! I was in and out of there in 11 minutes. I think I deserve an award. Or maybe coffee. I'm starting to miss my morning cup of french vanilla ;)

Caleb and I stayed up way too late last night, but it was worth it because we were with family. What's even better is this morning, my day started out on the right foot by getting to visit with Erin and the cutest nephew in all the land!! :)

Caleb and I had another great week of cooking at home;
Sunday: garlic peppercorn grilled chicken breast w/ broccoli
Monday: one-pan grilled chicken breast w/ broccoli & asparagus
Tuesday: (this is the night our power went out) ham sandwich on whole wheat bread & veggies w/ hummus
Wednesday: ground turkey taco salads
Thursday: Meatballs
Friday: TBD. Hopefully something delicious like salmon. I'm craving seafood! Caleb, if you're reading this, you might have to make a Kroger trip ;)

I hope everyone has fun plans for their weekend!

I'm bad at blogging.

I'm not sure what happened, but sometime last Fall I just started to let go of my blog a little bit. I used to blog 3, 4, sometimes even 5 times a week...now it's more like 2 MAYBE 3 times a week. I guess my mind has just been in other places, preoccupied with starting our business and starting our new young adult group at church. We've definitely had a lot going on but life really is slowing down a bit which feels great. Having free weekends makes my heart sing, ha! I do still love to blog, but I do have to say I just miss opening up a blank post and just writing. While I love link ups and favorite things posts, I'm going to try and write a little bit more from the heart like I used to.

I also just think blogging has changed a lot over the last few years, and I miss 2013 blog days, ha! It seemed so much easier. My SIL Erin wrote about that here and basically took the words from my mouth! It's crazy, but I'm thankful for everyone who comes back to read my silly little space on the internet :)

So what's new with us?
-We've had a few new consultations for our photography business which has been so so awesome. We're meeting some of the sweetest people!!!

-Update: OUR HEAT IS FIXED. Hallelujah! I got that glorious notification yesterday while I was at work and was over the moon I wouldn't have to go home to a chilly house. Seriously guys, it got down to 60 in our house. IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER! Yikes. Not what I'd call fun!

-However, our power went out last night due to high wind conditions (sadly it was in the middle of making dinner, but I'm happy my workout was at least done), but it helped us to unplug and be together. We popped in a movie in Caleb's laptop (that luckily had a full charge, still) and then read for a while under candlelight. The power was only out for a couple of hours, thankfully!

-My sweet friend Anna could have her baby ANY DAY NOW and I'm dying of excitement! She says I'm on the "must call" list when something happens, and I have to say I'm honored :) blogging has given me so many GENUINE friendships!

-I'm still going hard on the Tone It Up workout plan (#TIUteam) and week 2 is just as killer as week 1. I don't know how I made it through 45 more minutes of cardio last night after the daily moves, but I'm loving all the free workout videos I'm finding via Youtube! Shoutout to Becky for doing this challenge w/ me! ;) our daily workout snaps keep me going!

-We're still eating healthy at night, which was always both of our biggest downfalls. Last year, the routine/schedule of our 9-5 style work days kept us healthy and on track, then we'd get home and do a lot of late night snacking, so its been nice holding each other accountable and seeing results!

-Caleb and I started new books that really give each other insight on WHY we are the way we are. No matter how much I love my husband, there will always be things he'll do that I'll never understand, and vice versa! So he's reading a book called Captivating which is kind of like getting a peek into a woman's soul, and I'm reading Wild at Heart, which is more about why men are the way they are. I have to say it's been really cool and eye opening. They also bring us a little closer to God with each turn of the page, which we love!

-I haven't had coffee all year (this is where it sounds like it's been forever, when in reality, we're only 11 days into the new year, HA). I normally only had a small cup at work to curb my appetite before lunch so I wouldn't eat something sweet, but I'm trying to replace that with water for the most part.

-I didn't splurge on a big name-brand planner this year. As much as I LOVED my Erin Condren planner last year and think it's worth every penny, I wanted to mix things up. I surprisingly found the cutest 2017 planner at TJ Maxx and it even came with a buttload of stickers/extras! PS, check out my SIL & her friends sticker biz and get yourself some!! I know I will be, soon!

Hope everyone is having a great start off to their New Year! Remember, if you've maybe relaxed on your NY goals, it's never to late to get back on track! You've got this!

Weekend got me spinnin.

Spinning...literally. Caleb had the bright idea Friday night to ask another couple from church (who also attends our gym) if they were planning on taking a Saturday morning class or not. When they said 7:30 AM spin class, I was scared, ha! So went to bed at a decent hour Friday (after a fun date night in) and woke up before the sun the next day and met them there bright and early. This class was no joke! After 65+ minutes and 25 miles, I was surprised my legs were still intact! But it was fun to have my workout finished before we'd normally be awake on a Saturday!

After the class, we had a nice healthy breakfast at home and discovered that our heat was out. It was blowing out freezing cold air. Someone from the maintenance team came over pretty quickly and determined out entire system needed replaced (one perk of renting; we don't have to pay for it), but brought us a tiny space heater to hold us over. She even replaced our thermostat to a digital one, and replaced the old gritty dial one we had from the 80's. We have no idea when it will get fixed but we're praying that it's soon!

We enjoyed the rest of our day lounging, playing games, editing, and then we made dinner. We used spaghetti squash both Friday and Saturday in our recipes and it was pretty tasty!!

Sunday was a normal mix of both low key plans and relaxation. It's weird not having my Bengals on TV to watch anymore. I miss it!

I have to say, being at home makes me really happy. I've really never been that kind of girl who goes out on the town very often, and I'm finally realizing that I like it that way. Sure, here and there is fun! But mostly, being at home with Caleb is my happy place (preferably with some popcorn in hand and a good movie)!

What did you get into this weekend?! Hope it was fun!

Tone It Up {Week 1}

Thank goodness its Friday, even though this was only a 4 day week, it kind of seemed like a 6 day week. I'm ready for the weekend!

I corralled a few friends to help go through this 6 week fitness challenge (through Tone It Up) with me so its been fun to check in with them everyday (I'm looking at you, Becky!)!! This week's workouts had me just as sore as I was after my first half marathon, which I was NOT expecting! Not that I'm a big "runner" anymore, but that's all my muscles were really used to. I hadn't done workouts like this that were so targeted to specific areas (other than lifting), so it felt good to be trying something new.

The workouts have been so different day to day, which is definitely keeping me on my toes. Some days it's all about toning the abs, or the legs, or a rough 45 minutes of cardio. I think my favorite part though, has been tackling the different 5 moves each day! Sure, I'm exhausted and as sore as ever, but I know if I skip a day or put it off, I'll fall off track! So it feels really great to follow through on it all week!

In the past, the hard part has not been working out, but in eating clean. I can workout like crazy but then ruin it with a donut the next morning, so this New Year was really exciting as a clean slate, to do better! I know I mentioned earlier in the week, but Caleb and I have been cooking together more, and it's been so fun. Even when its something as simple as tacos, being in the kitchen together has been awesome. Here's what we had for dinner this week:

Sunday: taco salad

Monday: garlic herb chicken breast w/ asparagus

Tuesday: quinoa w/ chicken & kale
Wednesday: teriyaki shrimp w/ brown rice & fresh green beans

Thursday: lemon pepper salmon w/ asparagus & brown rice

Friday: TBD! Probably something involving shrimp because apparently we're on a shrimp kick ;)

Caleb and I both have small goals we're trying to hit, so we don't get overwhelmed with the big picture, and once we do, we'll finally have ourselves a little cheat night (which is Texas Roadhouse because duh gift cards and hellooo loaded sweet potato)!

I have to say I've slept like a rock most nights this week, I have more energy, and best of all? I haven't had a headache all week. I normally get them regularly, but cutting out a lot of the caffeine/sugar has helped, I think!

I hope you have a fun weekend planned! Enjoy, friends! :)

Currently {first of 2017}

Back at it again with one of my favorite link ups from Anne and her co host Jessica today! I always love this Currently prompt; it's a fun way to look at what's been going on in everyone's lives!

Currently I'm...

Gathering: junk. We've accumulated so much crap since we've moved to our town home in 2015 that we can't wait to get a house and have a big ole moving/yard sale. We just realized we have so much stuff that we don't even touch, look at, or remember is there until we randomly come across it. It's funny because I feel like we have thrown away/donated SO MUCH STUFF but I swear, once you start throwing junk out, it's kind of addicting!

Making: new meals. It's been so fun cooking every night. Caleb gifted me a cookbook called "Date Night In" and the couples intro reminded me a lot of Caleb and I. Anyway, they make it a point to spend one night a week cooking together. We've actually been doing this a couple times a week since Christmas and I have to say its been so much fun. One of our goals has been to keep our kitchen table free of clutter and we're eating there together every night. Honestly most night's we just plopped on the couch with our plates on our lap and just stared into the TV; so this is much more intentional and we're both absolutely loving it! Cooking together has been a blast, too!

Sipping: a WHOLE lot of H2O. I'm basically trying to drink my weight in ounces everyday and then some. It's hard, but worth it.

Following: the Tone It Up gals! They have a 6 week New Year challenge going and while there are options you can pay for to "enhance your experience", they also have a free version you can follow. So instead of watching their workout videos, I just google whatever that days prompt is, so if it says 45 mins of cardio, I do just that! They also have a ton of free videos on their youtube channel/fitness section of their website. The 5 daily moves are INSANE. What's funny is I thought that would be the easy part. I yawned this morning, and felt a muscle I've never felt before. The only other time I've been this sore was after running a half marathon. OUCH.

Resolving: this goes with what I said above but Caleb and I truly want to take better care of ourselves this year. I feel like that's just a general goal and might be "cliche" but really, we don't care. We both have new journals and we're writing down everything we eat, all of our workouts, our energy levels, how we felt that day, etc.! I have to say, putting pen to paper and being more intentional with what I'm eating has made a huge difference in my attitude, and its only been 3 full days!

I'm excited to see where this new year takes us! I just love the thought of a clean slate in January! Hope everyone has a great day!

December, I'll do my best.

Now that both Halloween and Thanksgiving are behind us, we are in full-fledged Christmas mode. I honestly can't believe its December already! This year has flown by. With a new month comes a new set of goals and a clean slate. Thank goodness for that because I flopped HARD in November on my fitness related goals. I'm trying not to be too hard on myself, because we all know that "life happens", but with my in-home morning workout both yesterday and today, I'm feeling pretty motivated to continue moving forward with this healthier lifestyle!

In the month of December I want to simply try my best. That might sound really generic to you, and like a cop out, but I know what it means to me.

It means I'm going to do my best job to be the best wife (best friend, best sister, etc.) that I can be. To do a better job of encouraging and supporting my loved ones in every situation they find themselves in. To be the friend that sends random notes of encouragement and love to my favorite people for no other reason than to just make them smile.

It means I want to do a better job at treating my body right. That means earlier mornings and healthier snacks. Time to swap those delicious hershey kisses for some plain almonds, I can do this!

It means putting my all into these last few weddings we have to edit. We only have 1 more wedding to photograph for the year, and its going to be a very early morning for us Saturday! However, we want to go out with a bang and I'm excited to photograph in the early morning of December!

It means recognizing people around me with needs. Whether or not there are things I can do to help these people, I can always be praying for them. God has really been speaking to me lately about helping those in need. It truly just motivates me to get out of debt so we can be one step closer to blessing our loved ones, and complete strangers!

It also means spending more time in the Word. I truly feel better in EVERY aspect of my life when I make God a number one priority in my every day life. It naturally makes me a better friend, a better wife, and a better version of myself. I don't believe that's a coincidence, either.

A few fun "just because" goals?

To enjoy our little Christmas tree as much as possible.
Finish all of our family Christmas shopping by next week.
Pick a few delicious dessert recipes for when I hang at my Aunt's next weekend!
Take too many Polaroid photos, per the usual.
Pick an outfit for both the company Christmas parties coming up.
Win a couple more fantasy football games. I don't want to fall behind! ;)

I hope everyone has some fun goals to shoot for this month! Enjoy your Tuesday!

Finding my groove again.

Somewhere between our move, the psycho months of Sep/Oct and many 12 hour work days, I lost my self control, and found about 9 pounds.

Yeah. I'm not very comfortable in these work pants today, but its my own fault. Slowly, but surely, I've eaten out way too much, over-indulged in the office treats, and loaded up on the sugary drinks. Oh, and did I mention I've only made time for about TWO workouts the past two months? It's pathetic, really. I know, I know, 'life happens, Kayla', but I've pretty much exhausted that excuse. It's time to get back into shape. I miss waking up before the sun to get my cardio in, and I miss how accomplished I felt after a great run. I forget what it feels like for my pants to actually button without a struggle, and I'm sick of feeling tired/groggy all the time. Not to mention, my face has been breaking out like crazy. I've got to make some changes!

I was scrolling through my (Motivation) Pinterest board yesterday and saw this and something really just clicked.

A huge thing for me is learning proper portion control. I suppose I KNOW what a "healthy portion" of something would be, but I tend to want to eat a lot of something when I like it, and then hate myself for it. So silly! I'm ready though. I'm ready to treat my body the way it truly deserves. Knowing that treats are okay, in moderation, and that exercise isn't a punishment, but a blessing. Something else Caleb and I have vowed to get better with - meal planning. I've asked you all for tips before so I'm revisiting those and we're going to come up with an action plan this weekend on lists/shopping dates. We can't wait!

So here are a few fitness related goals for what I'm calling "NO EXCUSE NOVEMBER":

1. Run 12 times. No mileage/etc. I'm easing back into this and don't want to get too crazy. I've already run twice, so we'll see what I can do!

2. Try Insanity again. Caleb bought it a few years ago and we did it together all the time during our engagement. I'm hoping for those days its too cold to run outside, I can pop that in the DVD player and knock it out!

3. Stop eating past 8pm. I think this is a huge part of my bad scheduling habits. Some nights, like last night, I don't get home until well after 7, which means I'm hungry pretty late. I keep eating after dinner, mindlessly, while I edit. It's awful! Time to change that habit!

4. The Squat Challenge. I'm starting today so I'm going to see how well I can do!!

5. Try a few new recipes for HEALTHY dinners. Now that life is slowing down (thank goodness, I need it!!!) I'm excited to become a little more handy in the kitchen department ;)

What are your November goals?! Looking forward to what this month has to offer!
In other news - WHO DEY!!!! Can't wait to watch those Bengals hit the field again tonight! 

New & improved

Last night was my first day back at the gym... in over 8 weeks. Did you read that correctly? In over EIGHT WEEKS! I've noticed a recent trend lately in my overall personality... I'm always tired, I'm always feeling gross, I'm always eating whatever I want... well, that stops now! It has to stop... as I said last night on my Instagram, I'm just "sick and tired of feeling sick and tired". No more excuses.

It's time to get back in shape. Hardly any of my pants fit comfortably, and that's just not acceptable anymore! I've already been logging my food, cutting out pop and I'm saying no to treats more often because they should be just that, the occasional treat! NOT something I have after nearly every meal just because I feel like it. I've gained quite a few extra pounds since the new year and I don't like that at all. Time to be a better ME!

I'll admit, my little trip to the gym last night was anything but pleasant. Our apartment complex was having a "resident appreciation night" and selling $5 pizzas in the parking lot, my run sucked and I found out halfway through my stay at the gym that someone left the flippin' HEAT running on an 80 degree day! I thought I was going to die...but you know what? I didn't. I completed almost 2 miles and walked uphill for some of it. Like I said, it wasn't the most amazing workout, but I still don't regret it!

Something about getting one part of your life back in order makes you just want to be better in all areas...so Caleb and I are calling this a new beginning for us. We want to be the best US we can be... in every part of our lives. That means making more time for reading instead of netflix binging, more time outside and less time on the couch (which we have been pretty good about already, yay), more healthy meals/meal planning rather than sporadic trips to Chipotle/Donatos. We're excited about these small changes and think that they'll make a huge difference in our overall habits.

What are YOU doing to be a better you this month?

June goals

I know its cliche to talk about how fast time is moving, but honestly... is this real life?! 2015 is nearly half way over already?! I'm definitely not complaining, though... I'm ready for warmer temps!

via

Since my half marathon in early May, I really haven't worked out much...okay, at all. Other than a few rounds of ultimate Frisbee and backyard kickball, I've been lazy. Mostly because for 3 straight weeks I felt like I could hardly put weight on my right foot, but to be totally honest? I had gotten out of the habit of exercising around mid-April. I truly think its because I just got lazy and stopped setting realistic (yet challenging) goals for myself.

Caleb and I watched a football movie on Sunday night where they wrote down very specific "season goals" and gave their cards to each other to keep the other accountable...I remember telling you all last year about our "weekly goals" challenge for each other, and we're going to start implementing that again. More on that to come later! For now...here are my JUNE goals!

To use MyFitnessPal again! At one point, my streak was over 170 days...I know its not all about the streak, but it really made me think twice about what I put in my body because I'd be logging it all.

Drink more water. This kind of goes hand in hand with the above goal, but I haven't been drinking nearly as much water as I used to so I'm wanting to cut out pop (upcoming dentist appt!!) and focus solely on water.

Get back in the gym. Now that my foot is feeling a million times better (no pain whatsoever - pretty sure I'm in the clear!), its time to push myself again. I've missed running and lifting so much. I've gained quite a few pounds since March and I'm ready to shed them and get back to feeling fit again! Exercise just makes me a happier person, and I love that.

Make our wedding album selections. I mean... talk about 2 years in the making. The sad part is? It was INCLUDED in our wedding package.. all we have to do is pick out our favorite pictures and its made FOR US! Although, I do still want to make my own customized photo books for a lot of seasons in life (both 2013 + 2014, our honeymoon and also our wedding...but lets be honest, that won't happen until wedding season is over).

Finish 2 books. This is a huge goal for me. Reading used to be such a huge part of my life and I love it so much. Now with blocking out certain evenings throughout the week for more "me time/free time" I know I can get this done.

Relax more. Sure, I've got a never ending list of edits to complete, and 4 weddings this month...but making more time for "me" and things I want to do? It's definitely happening. I'm excited for this month and all the fun things it's going to bring!!

What are a few June goals YOU have for yourself?

4 weeks fit challenge {my results!}

Here we are, finally! Linking up with Erin and Kristin today! 4 weeks after some of us set some goals -- its a time that's either really crummy to look back on because we didn't keep up with our goals, or really exciting cause we rocked the house on ALL of them! I'm here to tell you I'm a little bit in between, and you know what? I'm good with that.

I began the month insanely motivated, then a few things happened that slowed me down, but as of March 22nd, I've really kicked it into over drive. Something just "clicked" in me and I've worked really, really hard! I've run every day since, and for the most part, have eaten really clean! It feels amazing. So, lets go over my goals one by one.

Run 16 times

TOTAL WIN! I ran 16 times exactly. Some of those were as little as 2 miles, some were up to 7 miles... but I freaking did EVERY ONE OF THEM and it feels so good. You guys, I even woke up before work 4 days in the last week. Who am I turning into!? I'm pretty proud of myself. Sure, there were days I wanted to give up...but I pushed on. I finally started seeing some results this week, and that has me even MORE motivated than ever.

Lift weights

FAIL. Ha - yeah. We won't go into that one. I used to do this a lot but this month Caleb and I focused on running outside a lot with the new weather and it was awesome. So I'll be sure to focus more on that in April. I really want to be toned, and I truly think lifting helps my endurance during my long runs...so lets hope in April I can make a dent in this!

Run 3 miles in 30 minutes
HALF WIN! I ALMOST did this, by about a minute. So, I'm kinda giving it to myself - also because I ran 2 miles in 20 minutes a few times!

Stretch more
WIN! Woohoo! This was huge for me. I took a while after (and sometimes even before) each run to stretch my legs and calves, especially. My worst spots are always my shins, and the QL area above my rump... ha! Hey, we're being honest here. But this stretching has helped so much, I haven't had any pain. I'm praying for an injury free journey to my next half!

Some other exciting moments....
-Finding my nice Adidas dri-fit hoodie before an outdoor run
-Accomplishing the 7 miles straight was definitely my biggest milestone.
-Getting some adorable running pants for my half. I think that's going to be my thing - buying myself a crazy pair of running pants for every half or big race I run! It's true - you burn more calories in cute gear ;) sneak peek up above.
-Finally believing in myself. Knowing that I CAN do difficult things. My head gives up before my legs, so I've learned to push through.
-Finally learning how to properly use my watch and actually use it! Pumps me up!
-Finding more good music for my playlist.

I'm really not sure if I'm meant for distance running, I really would like to work on getting faster in shorter distances, but we'll see how I feel after this next half!  Sure, there were days I felt like doing NOTHING...and some days, I did just that. But the feeling I have after accomplishing a hard run, or even an easy one, just can't be beat. I finally feel like I've "found my groove" and hope that this link up has encouraged you guys like its encouraged me!!

Remember...

How was your month??

4 weeks fit challenge {my goals!}

My heart is quite happy today. Erin & Kristin have returned with their second annual link up called #4weeksfit and it really couldn't have come at a better time. The past two weeks weren't very easy, and totally screwed with my training plan. I've got just about 9 weeks left until my second half marathon and I need to kick some serious butt to prepare!! What's funny is when this linkup went live for the first time last year, I was only a week or two away from my first half marathon. We were so excited!!

Caleb and I // Erin and I

Okay where was I? Oh yeah, I've been super lazy. I'm just going to be 100% transparent here, cause its my blog, and I do what I want! ;) Since the holidays, I have gained 13 pounds. THIRTEEN!!!!! Can we talk about how sad that is? I've completely let the random free donuts in the office break room rule my life, and also neglected my duties at the gym most days.  While I know that I'm not "overweight", by any means... I'm highly uncomfortable in my own skin. I've never truly experienced what its like to hardly fit into the same work pants I've worn for nearly 3 years...until recently, and let me tell ya, its not pretty.

So, I'm here to declare my fitness- related goals for the month of March!

Run 16 times
This would average out to about 4x/week. I'm going to give myself bonus points if I can swing waking up before work to get my runs in...but I'm not going to count on it, cause most days? I love my sleep a little too much. Regardless, 16 miles is compatible with my training, so I think its a good number to stick with.

To run 3 miles under 30 minutes
I haven't done this in a very long time, and I know it would just make me THRILLED! I want to train my body that it CAN do whatever I push it to do. So, I'm hoping one day soon that I can hop on that treadmill (unless Spring decides to show up early and I can hit the real pavement!?) and knock out 3 miles in under 30 minutes! I think I'm getting there because yesterday I did 2.8 miles in 28 minutes! I seem to be on track.

Lift more weights
I haven't been in the weight section of the gym in a while. I miss it so much. I always felt like lifting helped my runs, as I was building lots of extra muscle. I can't wait to get back at it! Especially with my stud of a personal trainer (aka...my husband)

Stretch, a LOT
Last year I got a lot of pain in my "QL" area... (above the rump). It wasn't fun, and I honestly think its because I didn't properly stretch/ice my body throughout my training. I've been doing some intense yoga sessions via youtube here and there and have been loving them. In a love/hate type way!

Are you linking up? I can't wait to read everyone's challenges!!!!

I run because...

Training for this half marathon definitely did NOT go as planned. I signed up last September, got to it right away, then two months ago just kind of got lazy about it. Then vacation happened, we had a death in the family, and life just kept happening. But you know what? That's alright...I'm excited as ever about my first half, even if I have to walk a little of it. Last night, Caleb and I took a spontaneous date downtown and he kept saying "we'll be running on that street on Sunday!!" and something just got me really excited. I'm just happy that I have the privilege of running. So, why do I choose to run?

...because I can

...because I love the feeling of accomplishment when I'm done

...because I like a challenge

...because I like to prove myself wrong. Never did I ever imagine I'd sign myself up for a half marathon, but I did...and I'm all sorts of excited/terrified/pumped about it!

...because the results make me happy

...because having a good playlist makes me feel like I can take on the world

...because I feel happier and much more energetic throughout the week

...because I've always wanted to be able to say "I'm a runner"

...because its something Caleb and I can do together, he challenges me.

...because running shoes are cute, the more colorful the shoe, the better I run...right??

...because the running community is just plain awesome!

...because it challenges me to get outside and hit real pavement

...because it's a blessing to run, I have legs, and I wanna use 'em!

...& because I like it. Simple as that.

#4weeksfit - I WILL DO THIS!

I am beyond excited about this link up that my SIL and Kristin are doing...called 4 weeks fit. When Erin told me about this link-up a couple weeks ago, I was so nervous...what the heck would my goals be?! What if I don't accomplish them!? Then I remembered how awesome and supportive this blog community is...and I WILL meet my goals!

I thought going through the HUNDREDS of fitness related pictures I've taken since we joined our gym last fall would be fun to look back on. I have to say, that is what absolutely changed my life. I used to be so active in high school, then not so much in college, then went back at it a little before our wedding...but joining that gym really made this time feel like it was a LIFESTYLE change. Which is exactly what I want it to be.

Run 50+ miles total this month.

Even typing that out terrifies me... I mean, the most I've ever run in a month was 40 miles total (and that was LAST April), and it nearly killed me. But then miss Anna told me she just had her first 100 mile month, which made me think she's an actual psychopath, but also motivated the crap out of me!!

Wake up before work 2x/week to exercise.

I used to do this a lot during the Winter, but have only done it once recently. It makes me so happy knowing I have my work out done with before my day really starts, and that means I get more time w/ my man at home after work...which makes us both happy!

Finish a half marathon.

Erin and I signed up for our first half marathon back in September, so we had plenty of time to train. Perhaps, too much time? We both really slacked off in the second half of our training and are probably not going to be able to run the whole thing, but you know what? That's alright. She's one of my best friends, and I plan to have a blast with her and our husbands and cross that finish line together. Life is all about having fun, and who better to spend your first half with than the people you love most?!

I'm so excited to try these goals out, and report back on May 30th how great I know we all did!!!! Who's with us!?