Checking things off the bucket list; in bulk

I've always been pretty adventurous, spontaneous, and the kind of person that wants to live life to the fullest.  Over the last few years, I've taken on an even bigger appreciation for this outlook.  I don't want to look back on my life and wish I had done something I chose not to.

How to balance work, running, health, and a social life

It seems like our lives keep getting more and more full and we are being stretched thin and in about a hundred directions at once.  Whether it's kids, being a caregiver for an aging family member, a career that demands long hours and lots of travel, or a multitude of other things, there's never a shortage of something to take up your time (that you just don't have).  So, how do you balance it all without offending people, dropping the ball at work, or driving yourself to sheer exhaustion?

Virginia Wine Country Half Recap and a Healthy Pineapple Dessert Recipe!

Yesterday was the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon, and, if you saw my post from a few days ago, you know I did not train for this race and knew I wasn't fully prepared going into it.  So, it's not surprising that it was a slow race, but that's okay because I still finished and felt great at the end.  (I didn't even have any knee pain after all of the hills!)

I can't stay away

So, I had decided to take a break from doing races and just focus on my health and do fun/easy runs without the need for a rigorous training schedule.  That lasted for about a month, then I realized I'm simply not that kind of person.  By focusing on my health, that's really all I did, continually focus on my health and get frustrated that I can't fix everything.  I kept being reminded that it is something that isn't within my control and since I didn't have a training schedule or goal to distract me, it actually had a negative impact on my well-being.  Once I realized that, I quickly located some races and registered for them.  I instantly felt better after hitting the register button; I now had something to distract me from the aspects of my health that I can't control (and work of course) and a goal to focus on achieving.

So, as of right now, here's what my schedule looks like:

Sunday Breakfast Experimenting

Sunday is usually our lazy day.  We still go to the gym at some point for an hour or two, but we take our time getting up in the morning, watch some tv, and usually make a big breakfast.

This morning, I finally tried making Gluten Free Protein Pancakes. I've been wanting to make them for months and never got around to it but this snowy weekend seemed like the perfect time to try them out, and, I actually had everything I needed to make them in the house already.