Fun run for the Fam! Our Sacramento Santa Run 5K Race Recap 12/19/15

I am finally recapping the Sacramento Santa Run 5K I did on the 19th with the fam today for you. It was our first run in Sacramento and it was a fun one! It was a perfect first race for the kiddos and I'm very proud of both of them.

Davis Stampede Half Marathon Training Week 1 & Weekly Wrap 12/21/-12/27

 

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! This week started my half marathon training for the Davis Stampede half marathon in February. I took a look at the Hal Higdon Intermediate training plan I usually follow and it looks like I have 9 weeks until the Davis Stampede so I am starting at week 4 of his plan. I couldn't follow it so much this week with traveling to Utah to visit my mother-in-law's place for the holiday but I did what I could.

Here's a recap of last week's workouts

Fun Day Trip Part 2: Mt. Tamalpais Lookout and the Golden Gate Bridge

Happy Wednesday! Today I'm bringing you part 2 of our fun day trip a couple of weeks ago. We hiked up to the Mt. Tamalpais lookout and visited the Golden Gate Bridge. Both places are destinations you don't want to miss if you're in the area.

Last Week's Workouts and Weekly Wrap 12/14-12/20

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

Fun day trip Part 1: Muir Woods National Monument & Muir Beach Overlook

With no plans on Saturday and knowing the weather was supposed to be decent, we headed out for a day trip to Muir Woods. Our only plan was to check the park out and go on a hike (we weren't even sure which hike yet). We ended up going there and also checking out Mt. Tamalpais and later the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a fun day of exploring! We saw so much in one day that I am going to divide the day in parts. This post will be part 1: Muir Woods National Monument & Muir Beach Overlook. 

Last Week's Workouts and Weekly Wrap 12/7-12/13

This was probably the lowest mileage week I've had in a long time. Only 6 miles of running total for the week. When 6 year old got sick last Sunday it lingered and eventually I got sick. Wednesday was the day it hit me and I ended up with a fever, my body was achy, and I was just tired the whole day. I was in bed most of the day but still managed to feed the kiddos lunch while thankfully Hubby made dinner. I woke up Thursday a WHOLE lot better and was relieved that the fever went away. 

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

My Answers to a Fun Running Survey

Happy Friday! I saw this fun running survey on Sue's Blog This Mama Runs for Cupcakes and thought I'd share my answers with you. There are some good running related questions and you can learn a little more about me and my preferences. :) Have a great weekend!

Last Week's Workouts and Weekly Wrap 11/30-12/6

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

Hiking Crystal Cove State Park - El Moro Ridge Trail Loop

While visiting my sister-in-law and family in Southern California for Thanksgiving we did manage do a pretty cool hike at Crystal Cove State Park. We hiked the Moro Ridge Trail and did a loop back on the Moro Canyon trail. There were some nice climbs and great views.

Last Week's Workouts and Weekly Wrap 11/23-11/29

It's been a busy week! We visited my sister-in-law and her fam in Southern California for Thanksgiving. We left on Tuesday and did not got back until Saturday. During that time, I touched my laptop once, so I did not get much blogging done, but I'm happy with the time spent there and the kiddos had a blast. I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things this week, although Hubby will be gone (traveling to Portugal for work, and yes I'm jealous!) so I will be really busy with the kiddos. 

Here's how my week went and recap of last week's workouts:

Last Week's Workouts and Weekly Wrap 11/16-11/22

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

Things I'm Loving Right Now including Davis, Spotify Running, and My new Garmin 230!

Happy Friday! I can't believe it's November and almost the end of the month. The holidays are approaching especially with Thanksgiving coming up next week. I have lots of things to be thankful for, but we'll leave that for another blog post. Today, I want to talk about the things that I have been loving lately.

Last Week's Workouts and Weekly Wrap 11/9-11/15

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

Trenton 10K Race Recap 11/7/15

Last Saturday marked my 4th year running in Trenton. The first year I ran their Inaugural Half Marathon and the last two years the 10K. You can read last year's post here. I really enjoy running this race which is why I do it every year. Except this year would be different. It was my last time running it due to our big move to the West Coast. Some friends even thought I was crazy running a race on the morning of when we flew out, but I thought of it as the perfect way to say goodbye and end our wonderful 5 years in New Jersey.

Last Week's Workout Recap and Weekly Wrap 11/2-11/8

I am happy to say that we made it to Davis! We aren't in our new home yet (in a hotel) but hoping to be there Thursday of this week! :) Here's a recap of last week's workouts:

Healthy Human Stein Bottle, Tumbler, and Pints Review

I was provided the opportunity to receive these products without charge in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love water bottles so when I was given the opportunity to try out Healthy Human's products, I was excited. I don't know why but I can never seem to have too many of them. :) What made me interested in these bottles were their cool look. They have bright and vibrant colors and they are all stainless steel. Their pints also peaked my interest.

Last Week's Workout Recap and Weekly Wrap 10/26-11/1

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

My Favorite Places to Run in Central New Jersey

Only 10 more days until we move across the country to sunny California. As I'm typing this it is wet outside and pouring rain, so sun and higher temps have me getting excited for our new upcoming adventure. Last week I talked about my favorite hikes in NJ, you can read that post here. This week I want to share my favorite places to run. I feel very lucky and am thankful that I got to live in an area with great trails and running paths. 

Workout Recap and Weekly Wrap 10/19-10/25

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

My 5 Favorite Family-Friendly Hikes in New Jersey

Moving across the country in a little over 2 weeks has got me thinking about my time here in New Jersey. I've been living on the East Coast a little over 5 years and have enjoyed exploring all we could in our time here. I remember moving here and coming from the Pacific Northwest wondering if there would be any "cool" hikes. I was pleasantly surprised that there were great hikes out East too. I would like to share my 5 favorite hikes in New Jersey. Keep in mind, they are all family friendly as we were either towing our kiddos in the backpacks or they hiked on their own. :)

Last Week's Workouts and Weekly Wrap 10/12-10/18

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

Cloudline Socks Review & Discount Code

I was provided the opportunity to receive this product without charge in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love hiking as many of you know. One thing that makes a happy hiker are happy feet. When you walk for miles and miles, it is always good to have socks that are comfortable and prevent blisters. So I was pretty excited to try out these Cloudline hiking socks. 

Brooklyn Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon Race Recap 10/10/15

Last Sunday I ran Brooklyn Rock 'n' Roll's Inaugural Half Marathon. I say inaugural because you can tell it was a first by how unorganized the race was. The logistics were a mess in the morning but other than that, it was a great run. The weather was perfect and the course was both fun and challenging.

Brooklyn RnR Half Marathon Training Week 13 & Weekly Wrap 10/5-10/11

This was my last week of training leading up to the Brooklyn Rock n Roll half marathon. The week of taper went well. I'm very happy with how things went for the half on Saturday. :) Here's a recap of last week's workouts up to the Half Marathon:

Hiking Stairway to Heaven, to Pinwheel Vista and Appalachian Trail Boardwalk

On our last hike at Mercer Meadows, our 6 year old complained and whined during the hike and said that it was boring because there weren't many rocks and we weren't climbing a mountain. This time we wanted to make him happy by trying to find a hike with rocks and views. Pinwheel Vista fit the bill so we headed out to Vernon Township which was about 2 hours away. 

Brooklyn RnR Half Marathon Training Week 12 & Weekly Wrap 9/28-10/4

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

My 10 Favorite #BOSU Moves During the #BOSUStrong Challenge

Disclaimer: this post was sponsored by BOSU but all opinions expressed are my own. I truly appreciate all of the brands that support the Fit Approach (Sweat Pink) community.

This week is the very last week of the #bosustrong challenge that has inspired me to learn new #BOSU exercises. Before starting the challenge, my goal was to demonstrate how I was #BOSUStrong and now that we’re in the final week I plan to continue to be #BOSUStrong and continue to use the awesome BOSU for cross training. I couldn’t always make it for a run (to the gym/for a trail run/in the pool), but I still used the BOSU (workout) at home!

BOSU Balance Trainer Review and My 3 Fave Exercises for Toning Your Arms

Disclaimer: this post was sponsored by BOSU but all opinions expressed are my own. I truly appreciate all of the brands that support the Fit Approach (Sweat Pink) community. 

I am always eager to try new fitness equipment so I was very excited when I was given the opportunity to review a BOSU balance trainer. When I received the box at my door I couldn't wait to try it out. I received the pink home balance trainer and I loved that it was pink! The brightness just makes you want to jump on it. :)

Beat The Blerch Half Marathon Race Recap - Morristown, NJ 9/26/15

I ran the Beat the Blerch Half Marathon last Saturday and it was one tough trail run! I knew it was a trail run and expected hills, but there were a LOT of hills on this course. I came into it not running for speed and treated it as a training run for Brooklyn RnR coming up on 10/10. I'm so glad I did because it's the toughest trail run to date (I've only done one other). However this was a fun one! The only race I know of that has couches, magical grape beverages, marshmallows covered with chocolate and bacon, cake, and nutella sandwiches on the course! 

Brooklyn RnR Half Marathon Training Week 11 & Weekly Wrap 9/21-9/27

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

My 5 Fave Stretches and 3 Tips for Toning Your Legs!

Disclaimer: this post was sponsored by BOSU but all opinions expressed are my own. I truly appreciate all of the brands that support the Fit Approach (Sweat Pink) community. 

I can’t believe it’s already week 3 of the #BosuStrong challenge, time flies when  you’re having fun! Last week we focused on balance and I was proud of myself for staying on track . This week it’s all about stretching and toning - so make sure you join in on the fun!

A Hike In Mercer Meadows - Loop from Hunts House

Last Sunday we wanted to get outside for a hike. We didn't want to go far so we headed out by one of our favorite parks. The park I'm talking about is Rosedale Park, which is where I like to take the kiddos to play on the playground. It is about 15 minutes from our place. I had walked there with friends before, but have never taken the fam. The trails go right from the park, but I know if we were to park at Rosedale the kiddos will not want to leave the playground. To avoid that, we parked out by the Hunts house.

Brooklyn RnR Half Marathon Training Week 10 & Weekly Wrap 9/14-9/20

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

6 Ways I Stay Balanced And BOSU Moves To Help Improve Balance

Disclaimer: this post was sponsored by BOSU but all opinions expressed are my own. I truly appreciate all of the brands that support the Fit Approach (Sweat Pink) community. 

If you forgot to join me last week for the #BOSUStrong challenge or just weren’t up for the cardio, make sure you join me this week as it’s all about the balance! We’re standing on one leg, lunging, and BOSU squatting our way through the week.

5 Reasons Why American Ninja Warrior is Great for Kids

Recently we visited the Stratosphere Trampoline Park in Hainsport, NJ. Though they really enjoyed the jump time on the trampolines, the main reason we visited was because we knew there was an American Ninja Warrior Obstacle Course there. I found out about it when a friend on Facebook posted a video of her kids doing the course (thanks Dana!). I also saw it on Groupon which made for a great deal and an even better reason to visit.

Brooklyn RnR Half Marathon Training Week 9 & Weekly Wrap 9/7-9/13

Sorry for the later than usual post, but I just did not have it all together this weekend. Not so much busy, but just tired. I even took two naps! I haven't been getting the 7-8 hours of sleep I should be getting and I think it caught up with me. I just needed a bit more rest which caused the slight delay. :) 

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

5 Things That Make Me #BOSUStrong

Disclaimer: this post was sponsored by BOSU but all opinions expressed are my own. I truly appreciate all of the brands that support the Fit Approach (Sweat Pink) community.

Today I am embarking on a 4 week challenge with BOSU and Sweat Pink to prove to the world that I am #BOSUSTRONG. Being #BOSUSTRONG means I make fitness a part of my everyday life, at home, out and about, and with my friends and family. I will squat, mountain climb, plank, push-up, lunge,  run  and hike my way to a stronger and leaner body.  And I will encourage Sherry @happyrunningmom.com [person] and Diane @runninrocker.com [person] to join me on this fun journey because we are one big, happy #FitFamily.

Zaitz Woods Nature Preserve

Zaitz Woods Nature Preserve is another one of those places I would not have found if it had not been for geocaching. The kiddos wanted to go geocaching so I looked for nearby places where some were located and the Zaitz Woods Nature Preserve had some. Finding new places is one of the reasons why I love geocaching. You can find out more about geocaching and check out the other reasons why I love it in an earlier blog post here. The thing about the Zaitz Woods Preserve is that we have passed by it many times because our 6 year old had soccer games on the fields right by the preserve. It was fun to finally check it out.

Brooklyn RnR Half Marathon Training Week 8 & Weekly Wrap 8/31-9/6

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

#7daystretch #liveinprAna Challenge Wrap Up

This post is sponsored by prAna in partnership with FitApproach. All opinions are my own.

Last week,  I completed the #7daystretch with prAna and Sweat Pink and could not be more proud. We stretched, bended our bodies, minds, and souls and came together to show how we truly #liveinprana! For those that completed the challenge with me, I hope you were able to challenge yourself to stretch a little deeper, farther, and mindfully over those seven days.

Brooklyn RnR Half Marathon Training Week 7 & Weekly Wrap 8/24-8/30

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

PrAna Fall Clothing Review and Discount Code

This post is sponsored by prAna in partnership with FitApproach. All opinions are my own.

I was so excited to be one of the bloggers for the #7daystretch #liveinprAna challenge. I had blogged about my experience with the yoga #taketheleap challenge back in March and got to review an awesome outfit. Getting to try some of PrAna's fall line this time was another great experience. Let me just say up front that PrAna has awesome clothing!

Pulpit Rock Hike with the Fam Trip Report

Last Sunday was me and Hubby's 7th Anniversary. We both love hiking and each year we do some sort of Anniversary hike. This year we headed to Hamburg, PA to hike Pulpit Rock. We had hiked there once before, a couple of years ago when both kiddos were in the backpacks but this time we thought it would be a good one for the kiddos to hike on their own. 

Halfway there! #7daystretch #liveinprAna Challenge!

This post is sponsored by prAna in partnership with FitApproach. All opinions are my own.

We are halfway through the #7daystretch #liveinprAna Challenge! I have been enjoying the challenge so far. Through jumping for joy, stretching it out, bending (or at least trying), and working out I've been having lots of fun posting.

Bulu Box Review + Discount Code

As a Sweatpink Ambassador I was given the opportunity to try a Bulu Box free of charge through Fit Approach. All opinions are my own.

I had not tried a Bulu Box before so I was pretty excited when it arrived. For those that don't know what a Bulu Box is, it's a subscription box service where each month subscribers receive a box filled with 4-5 samples from top brands to try. They are health, nutrition, and weight loss based samples and the sizes are sufficient to decide whether they are right for you or not.

The #7daystretch #liveinprana Challenge & Brooklyn RnR Half Marathon Training Week 6

This post is sponsored by prAna in partnership with FitApproach.

Happy Monday! I'm excited because today starts the #7daystretch #LiveinprAna Challenge! But before we get into the challenge, I want to recap my week. It's been a busy week between painting, workouts, and the kiddos but I am am happy that I got all my running workouts in along with T25 and even PiYo.

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

Our Trip to Toronto

This post is a bit late, as it was a couple of weeks ago that we were in Toronto, but I wanted to share our adventure. After our visit to Niagara Falls, we headed up to Toronto to stay a couple of nights. Toronto too was on my bucket list of places to go before we moved because I had never been to Canada on the East Coast. On the west coast, I had been to Vancouver and Whistler and had great experiences there and I've heard great things so I wanted to check it out. Plus, my 6 year old expressed interest in visiting another country and this was an easy way to do that. :)

5 Things to Love About Niagara Falls

It wasn't too long ago that the fam visited Niagara Falls. It was on my bucket list of things to do before we moved and I am so glad that I got to cross it off my list. It was a great place to see. 

Here are five things that I loved about visiting the Falls:

Brooklyn RnR Half Marathon Training Week 5 & Weekly Wrap 8/10-8/16

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

DeskCycle Review: Great Way to Stay Active at Home and Work

I'm always looking for new ways to cross train and cycling is something that I have always wanted to do more of. I don't have any exercise equipment at home other than weights and bands, so when I was given the opportunity to review the DeskCycle, I was excited because this was the type of equipment that I was looking to get in the future anyway. I also loved the idea that I could bike and blog at the same time! I received a complimentary DeskCycle in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.