February Bucket List

Time flies! I completely forgot to do a January bucket list, but I did make it through most of my list for December. I ran my first holiday 5K and tried this winter soup recipe.

I’m so thankful to celebrate the holidays with great friends. My friend L’s annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party was a blast. And Becca & Co. made sure I rang in the New Year with style complete with a balloon drop. Anyway on to this month’s bucket list!

february bucketlist

How To Be Single comes out this month and I can’t wait to go see it in theaters. I’m terrible about remembering to send out cards for Christmas, so I’m going to make up for it by sending Valentine’s cards to some of my close friends who live thousands of miles away.

I just found out that there is a small track at my alma mater that is open to the public. When I was training for my half marathon, I made it to a track workout once a week for about two months. Those speed training sessions really helped my overall endurance on race day and I know I need that stamina for the upcoming Gate River Run.

I keep reading about how runners need to do more cross training and not just run, so one of my goals this month is to try a new workout. Whether it’s boxing or a bootcamp class, I want to get out of my comfort zone.

 

Weekly Reading

selfconfidence

I’ve been worrying way too much lately about what to wear to work and on dates. I saw this “quotable” on Pinterest the other day and thought it was a healthy reminder to just do you, in whatever you’re wearing.

Glassdoor just released their top 25 jobs of 2016. Is your dream career listed?

Buzzfeed recently put out a video about the things you should start doing alone. It reinforces this article from New York Magazine about the simple pleasure of being comfortable hanging out with yourself.

I saw this off-the-shoulder knit sweater on Extra Petite and CapHillStyle and finally caved and ordered it. So much for my money diet this month.

This article by Marky Ramone on his life in the band stopped me in my tracks today. Give it the 30 minutes it deserves.

I am a sucker for a good planner. Came across this Daily Greatness Planner while reading HerAgenda. It’s taking all my willpower not to order it. I already have this Lilly Pulitzer and this Day Designer on my desk at work.

December Bucket List

This month’s bucket list is a few days late. I didn’t do the best job of crossing items off my November bucket list.

I ran my first Turkey Trot, skipped Black Friday and started a gratitude journal. We really only got a day or two of fall weather so I didn’t get to enjoy a fall tailgate or roast marshmallows.

Hopefully, I’ll find the time to cross of more items this month.

december bucket list

Gift Guide for Runners

Having trouble finding holiday gifts for your running buddies? Here’s a quick gift guide I put together.

Runner's Gift Guide

Nike Flash running tights – Perfect for early morning and after-work runs during daylight saving time. I saw these in action at the Nike store in San Francisco. They are so freaking cool. Seriously, check out the entire Nike Flash line.

Lululemon Free To Be Bra Wild – This bra won’t give you the support needed for a run, but it’s perfect for those recovery yoga classes. And it’s oh-so-pretty.

Feetures! Elite Ultra Light No Snow Tab Sock – I stocked up on these running socks a few months ago. They have great arch support and dry wick sweat away. They are a little expensive for socks but I haven’t had any blisters even on long runs with these on.

Athleta Go To Gym Bag – The perfect gym bag at an affordable price. This bag from Athleta fits a change of clothes, includes a shoe bag, yoga mat carrying strips and a removable bag for hot hair items, like a straightening iron.

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen – The quintessential modern book on running. Former AP journalist Christopher McDougall learns the secret to running injury free and enjoying it from the Tarahumura Indians in Mexico. This is definitely on my reading list for the new year and would make a great gift to any runner.

Yurbuds Ironman Inspire PRO Performance Fit Sport Earphones – Earbuds that are  guaranteed to stay in your ear! Designed for athletes, it comes with music controls so you don’t have to fiddle with your arm strap or belt pouch to skip a song.

BibFolio and Medal Display – I stumbled across these bib and medal displays on Pinterest and love them! I save my unique themed bibs and have been looking for a neat way to display them along with my race medals and this is it. What’s the point of completing all those races if you can’t show off the hardware?

Personalized Race Map Print – I’m always looking for unique art prints for my walls. This artist creates custom race course prints with your name and finishing time. It’s a beautiful way to commemorate the major accomplishment of completing a full or half marathon.

I hope this list helps you cross items off your holiday shopping list!

November Bucket List

Can you believe it’s already November?! It’s finally starting to feel a little bit like fall  still in the upper 80s and humid in Northeast Florida. I can’t wait for the temperatures to dip so I can break out my leather riding boots. Hopefully we’ll get to feel the season some so I can cross some things off my November Bucket List!

november bucket list

What’s on your bucket list for the season?

My Five Favorite Things About Fall

Fall in Florida is far different from the crisp Autumn the majority of the country enjoys as football season begins and the daylight hours shorten.

Down here, it stays unbearably warm, muggy and rainy. Like, rain everyday rainy. Jacksonville is about an hours drive north of Gainesville, but damn – it really felt like a swamp here last week! The mercury is finally dropping and I am rocking my new ankle boots,  maroon skirt and oversized scarfs.

First Fall Outfit

 

Here are my five favorite things about fall:

1. Cinnamon broomsticks
According to the Palm Beach Post, Publix sells 3 million of the handmade, pine-straw brooms a year. Bring on the cinnamon.

2. Sweaters
I love a good comfy sweater, but living in Florida means rocking flip flops and tank tops the majority of the year. The minute the temperature drops below 75, I break out all my comfy cardigans and chunky knits. I’ve had this L.L. Bean fisherman sweater bookmarked for weeks.

3. Hot Coffee
Cooler temperatures means it’s socially acceptable to down hot coffee like a Gilmore. No more of that watered-down iced coffee nonsense. And of course, pumpkin flavoring.

4. New TV shows
Fall means new seasons of all my favorite shows. I don’t watch a TON of TV. I prefer reading but new episodes of Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder and Empire take up my Thursday nights. And the best family-friendly show on-air right now is Fresh Off The Boat. I have to pause it at least once an episode to catch my breathe from a long belly laugh.

5. And last but not least, FOOTBALL.
I am so blessed to live in an NFL city where I get to tailgate with old friends and go to games. My group of friends have had season tickets in the same section for years and they have tailgating down to an art. The food, drinks and friends are always a great time – rain or shine.

Getting Started

inspirational fitness quotes

 

I’ve been toying around with the idea of starting a blog for what seems like years now.
I constantly came up with different excuses:
I couldn’t decide on just one thing to write about.
I love to travel, but don’t seem to take enough trips to create enough content for an entire blog.
I like to run but I’m not a personal trainer.
I like fashion but rarely go shopping.

Then a few weeks ago, I decided to stop making excuses and just start something. At worst, this site will be an outlet for my writing – at best, it may transform into a source of support or advice for a community with similar interests. Who knows unless I give it a shot?

Check back for race recaps, my take on nutritious recipes and more.

*image found here