Happy Monday! I got a jolt of inspiration this weekend so I wanted to start off the week on a motivational note and talk about my journey to a half marathon.

Practice does not make perfect. What even is perfect? No one is perfect. But practice certainly makes for a lot more ease and ability, and it's truly all about progress. That's how I feel about running. I'm a terrible runner! I've got short legs, a short stride and I'm all around SLOW. Running has always been a challenge for me but this year I decided to finally take on the challenge and register for the Philly Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. It's also a fun way to explore my new home, right?

Last year I really wanted to run a half and I jumped into running way too quickly, didn't stretch enough, etc. I ended up with AWFUL shin splints that forced me to just stop. It was incredibly discouraging, and I just kind of decided that running wasn't my thing. When I moved to Philadelphia, however, I got back into going on short runs around the city and realized how much I actually enjoy running.

The half marathon I signed up for this time is on Oct. 31. I've started training, but I'm not too hard on myself this time because my goal for this race is to simply finish without stopping to walk, even if it takes me three hours! Hopefully it won't, but you get the idea. I will say, a few weeks ago when my long run was a five-miler, I felt like there was NO way I could do anymore. Five felt like forever.

However, yesterday morning I ran seven miles and it was honestly one of the best runs I've ever had! It really gave me the push I needed to help me realize that I really can run a half marathon. I guess it's true what they say - if you put your mind to it, you can make it happen!

I've been trying to be a lot better about stretching before and after and foam rolling. Any running tips are much appreciated from any runners out there!

A few things I've discovered from changing up my routine to add in more running:

• I LOVE being outside. Unless I have to teach, I've been aiming to get outside for my workouts, not just running.
• Running is an amazing stress reliever. More-so than a strength training workouts or yoga for me, I think because I can listen to my favorite music and enjoy the scenery - it's simple, it's a great workout and I feel good after. The perfect weather here in Philly has also been helping...
• I love where I live. Seriously, I've discovered so many awesome streets and places that I want to eat. And homes that I want to live in. Philadelphia is a beautiful place!
• Shoes and compressions socks are everything. Running in Asics and wearing compression socks this time around has made all the difference. Although my shins act up sometimes, my hips and my knees never bother me.

I'll keep the updates coming about my running adventures.

Running - love or hate it?

Do you have any half marathon training tips?

Good morning! I have a recipe to share with you along with some more weekend pics and a workout. Last night I came home from work and felt inspired to make a quick grab and go snack. I eyeballed a lot of this recipe so these are very rough measurements!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp rolled oats
• Roughly 1 cup almond butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tbsp coconut flakes
• Water - as needed for consistency

Directions:

• Mix everything together besides water
• Add in water until mixture can easily be rolled into balls without falling apart

This is a super easy snack to make to have on hand and perfect for before or after a workout. I ate one after my early morning workout this morning. I tried a new gym only a couple blocks away from our new apartment. I wasn't feeling very creative in making up my own workout so I did this workout from one of my favorite bloggers, Jen at peanutbutterrunner.com. I switched the chest flies to pushups and added in 45 seconds of a cardio exercise after each round (burpees, skaters and jumping jacks.)

When I can get myself out of bed real early, I like to workout before hopping on the train to work because it gives me the freedom to come home and relax after work.

Before I go I wanted to share a couple more photos from last weekend. On Sunday we had brunch at Toast and it was delicious! I ordered the smoked salmon egg toasts. Such a perfect brunch meal. Michael ordered banana french toast and an egg sandwich. His french toast was definitely the best.

I also finally found a winter coat to help me survive when it gets cold...

In all seriousness though this is a SUPER warm down jacket that I got at Burlington for such a good price. And with that I'll leave you with:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y3815zqDHQ

- Rach

Hey there! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend. We had a good one here in Philadelphia. I didn't take many photos because I really was just enjoying the long holiday weekend and time with Michael and his two cousins who came to visit from DC. However, here's a picture from the beautiful fireworks over the Art Museum in Philadelphia. The Roots and Ceelo performed and were so good, even though we were probably about a mile from the stage! This morning I woke up and made some oatmeal.Don't be fooled by this pic - I immediately threw it all into a plastic cup and took it to go so I could walk to work (just over 1.5 miles). Eating hot oatmeal while walking to work on a hot and humid summer morning is probably not the best idea. I don't have my blender up here yet, but as soon as I do I can't wait to make my smoothies I miss it so much!

After work, I head up to the City Fitness in Northern Liberties to get in a quick workout before teaching back to back TRX classes. Tuesdays are my busiest days - I leave the apartment at 8 and don't get home until about 8:30 but somehow it seems to go by SO quickly.

I'll leave you with one of the TRX classes that I taught! It's only 30 minutes, so it's perfect for a quick strength workout with short bursts of cardio. Efficiency!

TRX Golf rotations: 

      TRX sprinter start:

TRX Crunch:

TRX Hamstring Curl: 

Make sure to stretch out real good after!

Hope everyone has a great hump day. Also on repeat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2PsXT88UeU

- XO Rach