2014 Year in Running Review

It's Tuesday and I am linking up with hosts Jessica Joy and Jill Conyers for their The Fit Dish Link-Up every Tuesday. There was no theme this week, so I thought I'd review my year in running.

What a year it has been! Here is my running recap of the year. 

NYC Half Marathon Training Week 1: 12/22-12/28

Hope everyone had a good Christmas! I'm still in Seattle but will be heading back to the East Coast soon. It's been fun hanging out with my family and seeing some good friends I haven't seen in a long while. 

Looking at the calendar I did not realize it until the end of this week that this week starts week one training for the NYC Half Marathon in March. I will be sort of following Hal Higdon's Intermediate Half Marathon Training schedule, sort of as in there will be lots of modifications and adjustments depending on my schedule. Anyway, I still can't believe I got a spot for the NYC Half. I'm really excited to run it and especially excited because my twin sister in Oregon will be flying East for it as well! :)

Here's  recap of last week's workouts:

Monday 12/22 - 1 Mile and Insanity Max 30 with my sister and brother-in-law. 

Gratitude Letter to My Health

It's Tuesday and I am linking up with hosts Jessica Joy and Jill Conyers for their The Fit Dish Link-Up every Tuesday.

Today's topic is "a gratitude letter to our health." I really like this topic as it made me think of how thankful I am for good health and how important our bodies are. Here's my letter:

Last Week's Workouts 12/15-12/21

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

TBT Hiking Post - Another Trip to the Enchantments

Happy Thursday! Here's another TBT post. There are actually no more formal posts from Hubby (I thought there were more, but I was wrong) so all the posts from here on out will be of our favorite pics from each hike with a little recap of the trip. Today's post is of our last trip to the Enchantments. I'm saying our last because we end up moving to the East Coast in 2009. If we had our way we'd go to the Enchantments every year because it's so beautiful!

Enchantments 10/11/08 - 10/12/08
We were lucky to get passes through the lottery to go to the Enchantments again. The last time me and Hubby went was his Proposal to me in July of 2007. This trip we went with some good friends.

#MrSketchHoliday Scented Markers Fun for the Kiddos!

I don't know about you but I remember when I was in elementary school, I loved the Mr. Sketch scented markers. I remember smelling them and coloring/drawing with them all the time. They were the everyday markers we used and I enjoyed using them. So when I qualified for the #MrSketchHoliday Scented Marker mission through Smiley360. I was pretty excited. It brought back memories of drawing and coloring when I was younger. 

Through Smiley360, I received a complimentary 6 pack of Mr. Sketch Scented Stix holiday markers and also a $5 gift card to Walmart towards another pack of Mr. Sketch Scented markers of our choosing in exchange for an honest review. When I told the kiddos about the scented markers they were intrigued and excited. Intrigued because I told them they were different from regular markers because these ones had different smells. And excited because I told them we were getting another new pack of markers on our trip to Walmart. 

When we got to Walmart I was actually disappointed when we got there because there was not much of a selection. The only type they had left was the Movie Night Markers, so we went with that. 

Last Week's Workouts Recap 12/8-12/14

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Best Stocking Stuffers for Runners

The holidays are very near. Do you know a runner and need some ideas as to a small gift or stocking stuffer? Or are you a runner that needs to give some hints to family or a significant other on what to put in your stocking? Whatever the case, here is a list of some ideas I've come up with for some really great stocking stuffers for runners (in no particular order). All are under $25. :)

TBT Hiking Post From Hubby - Three Fingers Hike

It's Thursday!! That means a Throwback Thursday post from Hubby. Today's post is of our hike to Three Fingers! I remember this being a challenging hike. It was long and one traverse was pretty scary, along with the ladders to the lookout. They were intimidating and scary but we did it! :)

Three Fingers 9/28/08

Three Fingers has been at the top of our list for a long time, but we hadn't been able to make it happen until this weekend. Knowing that this would be a long one and wanting to start early, we drove to the TH Sat. night and slept there. We started out at 6 AM Sunday morning using our headlamps. 

Goals for 2015

It's Tuesday and I am linking up with hosts Jessica Joy and Jill Conyers for their The Fit Dish Link-Up every Tuesday.

Today' s topic is "What's next? Goals for 2015."

When I saw the topic, I thought it was great. This was the perfect opportunity to actually write down my goals. I think the last time I had to write goals was when I worked full time and had to for work (so it's been a while). ;) I'm not one for actually writing goals down as I usually just have them in my head. So at least with this post, I can actually see them and it will be nice to look back at them by years end and see where I'm at. With that said, here are my goals for 2015:

Last Week's Workouts 12/1-12/7

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Simple Hydration Water Bottle Review

Today I am going to tell you about an awesome water bottle that is great for running. It is called the Simple Hydration Water Bottle. Like the label says it is designed for runners or anyone on the go. I had heard about this water bottle from my sister and she wrote a review of it here. I was skeptical at first because I didn't think the bottle would stay and that it would bother me.

TBT Hiking Post - Shriner Peak

Happy Thursday!! Today's Throwback Thursday post is of our hike to Shriner Peak. We never did a formal post for this hike, so I have put together a bunch of our favorite pics during that trip. I remember that this hike goes up to an old fire lookout and I love lookouts because they always have the best views!! We also went with some good friends and we had a great time!

Shriner Peak 9/14/08

The trail leads up to some pretty awesome views of Mt. Rainier. Hubby and I love that mountain. We even climbed it. You can read about our climb here. I always have to mention that because it was a big deal. I love looking back at it. It is a pretty awesome mountain and we love to get pics of us with it in the background. :)

Mercer County Turkey Trot 5K Race Recap 11/27/14

I ran my first Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. I figured it would be a great idea to do some sort of exercise on Thanksgiving since I knew I would be eating lots of yummy food. When some running friends told me about the Mercer County Turkey Trot 5K, I was totally up for it. 

My Five Favorite Fitness Accomplishments

It's Tuesday and I am linking up with hosts Jessica Joy and Jill Conyers for their The Fit Dish Link-Up every Tuesday.

Today' s topic is "Your Favorite Fitness Accomplishments." This is a good one as it made me think about all the things that I have done fitness-wise throughout the years until now. There has been lots of things that I have accomplished and it is pretty fun reminiscing. 

Here are my top 5 favorite fitness accomplishments to date:

Last Week's Workouts 11/24-11/30

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Monday 11/24 - Rest
Tuesday 11/25 - Rest
Wednesday 11/26 - 2 mile run

Five of my Favorite Things to do on the Day After Thanksgiving

The day after Thanksgiving is for many about "Black Friday" and shopping. But for me that is not the case. I've had my share of shopping with my mom when I was younger and I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, but I'd rather sleep in and enjoy not having to deal with lines and crowds of people trying to get a good deal. 

Here is a list of five of my favorite things to do on the Day After Thanksgiving:

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! There will not be a throwback Thursday hiking post today, but I did want to write a bit about the things I am thankful for. 

Philly Half Marathon Race Recap 11/23/14

I ran the Philly Half Marathon that took place last Sunday in the "City of Brotherly Run and Sisterly Endurance." It was my first time doing this run and I enjoyed it. I had run in Philadelphia before for their Rock N Roll race but this was different, like a whole different magnitude, just because it was so big. The race offered both a full and half marathon and there were 30,000 runners running on race day.

5 Ways to Simplify Active Living to Make it a Sustainable Lifestyle

It's Tuesday and I am linking up with hosts Jessica Joy and Jill Conyers for their The Fit Dish Link-Up every Tuesday.

Today' s topic is "Keep it simple. How do you simplify active living to make it a sustainable lifestyle?"

Here are 5 ways that help me simplify active living to make it a sustainable lifestyle:

Half Marathon Training up to the Philly Half: 11/17-11/23

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Monday 11/17 - Rest
Tuesday 11/18 - 4 mile run while in DC. Very cold run but at least the sun was coming out.

Last Day in Washington DC: National Postal Museum 11/19/14

It was our last day in DC and I wanted to stick close to Union Station so we headed to the National Postal Museum as it was literally across the street from our hotel. I wasn't sure what to expect at the museum because I wasn't sure how stamps and mail could be fun. However, I was pleasantly surprised on how well the museum displayed exhibits on stamps, explored postal history, and explained how mail is/has been transported throughout the years.

A cool thing we found was the Create Your Own Stamp Design station. It was neat because it was a touch screen where you got to tap what features you wanted. 

TBT Hiking Post - Yellow Aster Butte

Happy Thursday!! Today's Throwback Thursday post is of our hike to Yellow Aster Butte. We never did a formal post for this hike, so I have put together a bunch of our favorite pics during that trip. I loved this hike as not only do you get awesome views, we also got to see my favorite animal while hiking, a marmot! :)

Yellow Aster Butte 8/4/08

The hike starts at Tomyhoi Lake trailhead and early on you will get great views of Mt. Baker. 

Day 4 in Washington DC 11/18/14

Today we visited the U.S Bureau of Engraving and Printing to learn about how are money is made. Tours run every 15 minutes from 9:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. We made it to the 10:30 tour and with it being off peak season we did not need a ticket. Tours are free like most other museums in DC. :) 

Before the actual tour you can watch a video on how money is made. During the tour no pictures, videos, or cell phones are allowed in use so I was not able to take any pics. The pics below are all from the gift shop.

My Long Run Turned DC Running Tour

On Sunday I had a 12 mile long run scheduled and when I came across running routes, I knew I would be seeing some awesome sites. I knew part of my route would hit the National Mall along with the Lincoln Memorial but I winged the rest of my run and added the Jefferson Memorial, the Tidal Basin, and the Martin Luther King Memorial. I figured why not add more sites and tour the city. What an awesome run! DC is very runner friendly. 

I started my run pretty early, I think I left the hotel around 6:35am. There weren't many runners out yet, but I did see more by the end of my run. I started right by Union Station and headed towards the National Mall. Here I am heading towards the Washington Monument.

Day 3 in Washington DC 11/17/14 National Museum of Natural History

The weather forecast called for rain all day so we checked out the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. It was the perfect place to spend the day. There was so much to see. 

Half Marathon Training 11/10-11/16

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Monday- Piyo Define Lower and Define Upper Body

Day 2 in Washington DC 11/16/14

Today we ventured to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. From Union Station it is fairly easy to get there as you take the red line on the Metrorail to the Woodley Park/Zoo/Adams Morgan stop. The walk was longer than expected to the zoo but not too bad.

What is great about the zoo is like other Smithsonian museums, it is also free! The Zoo is fairly big so we were unable to see everything but we did see all of the animals we were hoping to see. The animal I most wanted to see were the pandas. They were along the Asia Trail which was the first area we came across.

Day 1 in Washington DC 11/15/14

We arrived in Washington DC today as Hubby has got a big conference and he invited us to tag along. We got in close to lunch time and were lucky enough to get checked in to our hotel early. We dropped off our stuff and parked our car at the Union Station garage where parking per day was $24. A lot better than $50 per day at the hotel we were staying at. 

After a quick lunch at Union Station (lots of food choices there with restaurants and a food court downstairs), we headed towards the Air and Space Museum. Btw, big thanks goes to Jenny from Run Jenny Run who gave me a list of food and place recommendations in DC to explore with the kids and also running routes! Thank you Jenny! :)

From Union Station we walked towards Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum to meet a friend with her son who is also good friends of the kiddos. I Google mapped the walk and it turned out to be a 20 minute walk, which was great especially after we had just eaten lunch. I enjoyed the walk and stopped to take pics of the kiddos. Here they are by the Capitol.

TBT Hiking Post - Tuck and Robin Lakes

Happy Thursday! Today's Throwback Thursday post is of our hike to Tuck and Robin Lakes. We never did a formal post on this hike, so I have put together a bunch of our favorite pics during that trip. I remember that the weather wasn't the best and we even went up Trico Mountain but had no view due to the clouds and fog rolling in.

Tuck and Robin Lakes - Trico Mnt. 8/2/08

We started on the Deception Pass Trail and within the first couple of miles come across Hyas Lake.

Trenton 10K Race Recap

The Trenton 10K took place in Trenton, NJ. The start is right by Arm and Hammer Park where the Trenton Thunder Baseball team plays and the finish ends right inside. I really like this race because it is close to home and I don't have to travel far to get to the start. I've done their half marathon (Inaugural year) and the 10K last year, so it's a favorite of mine.

Does Your Mind Wander? Things I think About While Running.

It's Tuesday and I am linking up with hosts Jessica Joy and Jill Conyers for their The Fit Dish Link-Up every Tuesday.

Today' s topic is "Does Your Mind Wander? Thoughts While Working Out or Running." 

For me while running, my mind can be all over the place and sometimes not. Here are some of the things that I think about while actually running:

Half Marathon Training 11/3-11/9

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Monday 11/3- 5 mile run on the Canal trail.

The Fitness Games App Review

I received the opportunity to review The Fitness Games App through my ambassadorship with Fit Approach. I received the Gold version of the app free to review. All opinions are my own.

What is the Fitness Games App about?

TBT Hiking Post from Hubby - Esmeralda Peak

Happy Thursday! Today's Throwback Thursday post from Hubby is of a hike up Esmeralda Peak in the Teanaway area. I remember we camped the night before the hike and it was so much fun, especially since we were with good friends. The hike itself was great and the views were awesome!

7/28/08 Esmeralda Peak

Following the weather forecasts, we went east this weekend and decided on Esmeralda Peak.  You start on the trail towards Gallagher Head Lake.  We somehow coincidentally wore matching outfits. 

My First Experience Volunteering at a Race

This last weekend I was fortunate to have the chance to volunteer for The Princeton Half Marathon. Fortunate because I wasn't running a race this weekend and the run is so close to home. As a runner it was great to be on the other side for a change. 

I signed up to volunteer at a water station by the boat house which was at around mile 5.5 of the half marathon. We were told to get to our station by 6:30am. Me and my friend got there on time and met our fellow volunteers. It was a nice mix of volunteers - a couple of the volunteers were runners, a couple had a family member running in the race, and a majority were from a local pharmaceutical company. We helped set up the tables and started pouring water and the energy drink (MVP from Wegmans) that was provided for the runners.

The Difference Between An Average Vs. Awesome Run

It's Tuesday and I am linking up with hosts Jessica Joy and Jill Conyers for their The Fit Dish Link-Up every Tuesday.

Today' s topic is "What's the difference between an average vs. awesome workout/run?" I will focus here on running with this question.

Half Marathon Training 10/27-11/2

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Monday 10/27- Rest
Tuesday 10/28- Short walk

Perfect 10 Miler Race Recap 10/26/14

The Perfect 10 Miler race took place at Mercer County Park in West Windsor, NJ. I loved this race because it was so close to home. I did not have to travel far as the park is only 15 minutes from my place. :)

TBT Hiking Post - Climbing Mt. St. Helens

Happy Thursday! Today's Throwback Thursday post is of a trip we took with friends to climb Mt. St. Helens. We never did a formal post so this post will mainly be of our favorite pics during that trip. I really enjoyed this one because we went with really good friends and had a great time hiking together. 

Mt. St. Helens 6/21/08

We started real early in the morning. It was dark so we hiked with our headlamps.

What Running Has Taught Me About Life

It's Tuesday and I am linking up with host, Jessica Joy and Jill Conyers for their The Fit Dish Link-Up every Tuesday.

Today' s topic is "What has your past taught you about living today?". There are many things that my past has taught me about living today, however I will focus on how running has taught me about life.

Here is what running has taught me about life:

Half Marathon Training 10/20-10/26

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Monday 10/20- 4 mile run on the treadmill.

Muscoot Farm with the Kids

Last Sunday, with my Mother-In-Law in the area, well up North near White Plains, NY, we headed up there to visit with her for the day. She had found this local farm that we could visit. This farm was called Muscoot Farm. It was pretty neat as they were having their Autumn Celebration so there were booths with local vendors and there was a display of cool vintage cars.

TBT Hiking Post from Hubby - Saddle Mountain

Happy Thursday! Today's Throwback Thursday post from Hubby is of a hike up Saddle Mountain in Oregon. We were visiting my sister who lives West of Portland and my new nephew. This hike is on the way to Cannon Beach and a fun one! I remember it being pretty open at the top with cool views!

Saddle Mountain 5/17/08

Sharon at the trailhead.

Philly Boo at The Zoo

We took the kiddos to Boo at the Zoo at the Philadelphia Zoo last Saturday. We have gone the last couple of years and have really enjoyed it. It's great because the kids get to dress up in their costumes and trick or treat at different stations marked throughout the zoo. 

Halloween Candy Craving Crushers

It's Tuesday and I am linking up with host, Jessica Joy for her The Fit Dish Link-Up every Tuesday.

Today' s topic is "Halloween candy craving crushers: How will you avoid sugar overdose?".

Half Marathon Training 10/13-10/19

Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Monday 10/13- Rest

Tuesday 10/14- 3.4 mile walk with a friend

Baking Soda works! No more stinky clothes!

Ever have clothes that still smell even after you wash them? I don't know about you, but sometimes I do. Sounds gross, but it happens. It's always my workout/running clothes that it happens to. Maybe it has to do with it being in the laundry bin for a while and with so much sweat on it the stink just stays? Whatever the case, it happens. 

TBT Hiking Post - Arches NP and Canyonlands NP

Happy Thursday! Today's Throwback Thursday post is of a trip we took to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. Hubby never did a formal post so this post will mainly be of our favorite pics during that trip. Let me just say that both Arches and Canyonlands are amazing!! Both are definite must sees if you ever get a chance. Just head to Moab, UT and you will be amazed! :)

Arches & Canyonlands National Park 5/24/08-5/27/08

Cheesequake State Park Family Hike

With Sunday looking like a nice day for a hike, we ventured out to Matawan, NJ, a little less than an hour away from Princeton to Cheesequake State Park. You read it right, Cheesequake, not cheese steak or cheese cake. :p I was curious about the name and according to Wikipedia, the name was derived from the Lenape Native American word Cheseh-oh-ke, meaning "upland" or "upland village". We chose the hike as it was another one on the list of best fall foliage hikes in NJ on njhiking.com.