Gretch Runs

Hello everyone and happy May!  April came and went very quickly for me- it was a busy month filled with races, planning and traveling!  I still tried to stick with my April goals (which you can check out here ) Keep reading to see how I did on my April goals, and what I want to achieve in May! 

Hello everyone!  How are you all doing? Now that I'm deep into half marathon training, I decided to share what my favorite fuel is for running!  I have it broken down into pre-, during and post-run.   I have a really sensitive stomach, and can't handle much food before a running (especially a race) so you'll notice that section is particularly empty.  I'm still trying to experiment and figure out what will work, but so far I'm coming up empty!  If anyone has suggestions please leave it in the comments! Also, I'm linking up with Amanda for Thinking out Loud Thursday! Before: Bananas - Pretty much the only thing my stomach can handle before a run.  I typically have a banana about 2 hours before a race, and occasionally before a workout.  I've tried mixing bananas in smoothies with some coconut water and that also works well! Water - I try to keep things simple and just sip on water constantly.  I used to only run after work, so I ma...

  Happy Wednesday!  Today for my review, I'll be talking about another clothes service called Le Tote.  In the past, I reviewed Stitch Fix (check out my latest fix here !).  I haven't been too happy with my "fixes" lately, so I decided to branch out and try a new service.  (note that I paid for all of this on my own and I was never contacted by Le Tote for this review!) Le Tote is much different from Stitch Fix, and I love the concept: You pay $49 a month, and receive unlimited totes for the month.  Each tote contains 3 articles of clothing and 2 accessories.  Before the tote is sent out, you have a day to review the shipment, and switch out pieces.  This is my favorite part- being able to see what you're getting ahead of time!   Once you receive your tote, you can wear it as often and as long as you'd like, then send it back in a pre-addressed and stamped envelope(they even wash everything for you!).  You can also purc...

Hi everyone!  Happy Tuesday to you all.  If you're anything like me, you love to finish up products.  It's so satisfying to completely use up something, and then be able to try new things!  I love seeing reviews on YouTube of empty products.  Once you use up something, you can really tell if you actually like the product or not, so those reviews are really helpful. Today I'll be sharing short reviews of products I used up recently.  This is going to be a series (probably once a month or every other month) so you can see what I use up regularly!  I hope that you enjoy! Face/Body Products   1. Tree Hut Shea Moisturizing Body Lotion in Brazilian Nut.   My all-time favorite lotion.  It's extremely moisturizing and smells AMAZING.  I've probably gone through 5 tubes of this and will keep buying it. 2.  Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Cleansing Pads. These pads made my skin feel really smooth ...

Hello everyone and Happy Marathon week!  I know a lot of you are running the  Pittsburgh 5k, half or full (some are even completing the challenge and doing two races!), so I'm wishing you all lots of luck!  I'll be on a plane heading over the Atlantic during the race, but I'll be cheering each of you on and will be eagerly awaiting race recaps.  Good luck! As for today, I'm going to keep it nice and short and just share my weekly goals!  Since I'm traveling, I may not be able to complete all my workouts.  That's fine with me - I'd rather enjoy my trip than stress about training.  Here's what I have on my schedule for the week: Monday : 4.5 miles Tuesday : Rest / yoga Wednesday : Speed work : 8x400 Thursday : 3 miles Friday : Rest Saturday : Copenhagen Park Run Sunday : Rest Have a great week!

from jenchoosesjoy.com Hi everyone and welcome to Week 6 of half marathon training! I'm officially half way through my training...what?!  I can't believe it but I'm feeling great and ready to put in 6 more weeks of hard training.  (note, I'm not affiliated in ANY way with the Biggest Loser or with the Run/Walk.  I just wanted to make it clear what I'm training for in a fun way!) Here was my training plan for the week: To remind you, I'm using Hal Higdon's half marathon intermediate plan as a base, but adjusting it to fit my schedule. Monday :  3.87 miles / 33:00 / 8:23 pace Beautiful morning run with some humidity and sprinkles.  I keep saying it, but I love these early morning runs!  Once I'm up and going, it's so peaceful and easy to keep going.  It's fantastic having the run out of the way early!   Tuesday :  Centergy Great class as always!  I especially love the hip openers.  Always feels s...

Happy, Happy Friday to everyone!  How are you all doing?   I'm so excited for this weekend, and especially excited for today's Friday Five post!  The topic is Favorite Blogs, and I have a lot of them!  I've been reading blogs for a few years now, and religiously follow my BlogLovin' list as well as Blogger Reading List.  I love finding new blogs to read as well, so I'm excited to read everyone else's suggestions!  Don't forget to check out the amazing hosts: Mar , Cynthia and Courtney ! I'll be talking about my favorite blogs in five different areas : Makeup, Travel, Food, Fashion and Local bloggers.  Hopefully there's something for everyone here!  I also linked to my 3 favorite posts from each blog if you're looking for a few posts to get started.  Hope you enjoy, and don't forget to leave me some of your favorite blogs below!   Makeup  Essie Button   I've been a long-time subscriber to Essie's You Tube channe...

Hi everyone!  Today I have the second installment in my "Eat Around the World Challenge" (if you missed the first one, click here !).  Today, we'll be traveling to France.  This is another cuisine that I've never made before, and I actually haven't eaten much of either!  There aren't many French restaurants in Pittsburgh, and the ones we have are a bit out of my price range. It was fun trying out some new recipes, but unfortunately the sides turned out much better than the main dish.  I did find an AMAZING recipe that you'll find below, and I can't wait to make it again and again!  It's incredible!  Keep reading and see what I came up with! P.S. I'll be linking up with Anne in her next Pin to Present series!  If you want to follow me on Pinterest, click here .  The pictures on the left are the pins, and my version is on the right. Chicken Chasseur The chicken chasseur was very odd- when I made it first, the sauce was r...

Hello everyone!  Lately, I've been on a pretty big shopping kick.  I mentioned before that I've been saving money throughout the year, and I finally decided that this was the month to spend it!  With my trip to Europe coming up, I decided to splurge on some new clothes to take along.  It was also Chic Week at Sephora, so I tried out some new products! Keep reading to see what I picked up from Lululemon (my first trip there!), Madewell, Express and Sephora.  Lululemon 1. cool racerback in sugar crush multi - I tried on a few tank styles, and this one was my favorite.  This was the only print they had in my size, and I didn't want a solid color.  I like it, but I'm going to keep an eye out for more patterns!  I haven't worn this on a run yet, but I bet it will work great. 2. run swiftly short sleeve in heathered black - Love the material of this!  I wore it to a group power class, then running on the treadmill.  It didn't both...

Today's topic for the Tuesdays on the Run Linkup (which I've been LOVING being a part of!) is "Why I Run".    I love this topic, and it'll give me a good chance to tell you all a bit about my running history.  This is a lengthier post, so if you'd like the short version, read this article I wrote for Huffington Post, right before I ran my first marathon. I started running when I was 8 years old, because my sister and dad would go out running at a park nearby.  I really wanted to join them, and my parents finally let me when I turned 8.  It was love at first stride, and I couldn't stop running.  I did my first race when I turned 10 at the same park- the Brighton Heights 5k.  I ended up beating my dad and sister, and finished in the top few women! My first race.  Notice all the white cotton t-shirts..running was really different back then! From then, I didn't want to stop running.  My dad, sister and I formed "Team Braun" an...

Happy Marathon Monday to everyone!  There are so many amazing bloggers out there who are running (some for the first time, some for their 5th+ time) and I'm cheering on each and every one of you!  I would also love to see Meb win back-to-back races, and maybe even a local lady win it this year.  I'm so excited to watch and run some miles in honor of Boston!  Maybe one day I'll be out there running the famous streets in the footsteps of some of the greatest! I had such a fun weekend, so I've got to give you all some of the highlights.  Linking up with the Healthy Diva for MIMM!  Brunch at The Urban Tap with Susie !  The food wasn't the best (I got Shrimp and Grits and they were pretty bland) but the drink menu was amazing and the conversation was great!  Thank you, Pittsburgh, for such a beautiful day while Susie was visiting!  Maybe she'll think about moving to the burgh?  No?? OK.. Beautiful, beautiful day!  Went to Sc...

When you think about quitting, think about why you started. I can't believe another week has come and gone in my training! This was a fantastic week for me and I had some terrific workouts.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and I even did a few morning workouts!  Keep reading to see what I did this week. (note, I'm not affiliated in ANY way with the Biggest Loser or with the Run/Walk.  I just wanted to make it clear what I'm training for in a fun way!) Here was my training plan for the week: To remind you, I'm using Hal Higdon's half marathon intermediate plan as a base, but adjusting it to fit my schedule.   Monday 5 miles /  49:00 / 9:43 pace Ran home after walking dogs at the Humane Society for an hour.  Wow, it was a hot one and I felt it!  My legs felt like lead and I was tired the entire time (running with a backpack isn't exactly comfortable either).  I'm so glad I bought a water before I started!  Runs...

Hello everyone!  Is anyone else excited for the weekend?  I know that I am, and I have it packed full of activities!  I hope the weather cooperates, because it's looking beautiful so far. Today, for the weekly Friday Five linkup (with Mar , Cynthia and Courtney ), we're talking about Top Brands!  This is a really fun topic, and I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with.  I decided to pick my top brand for five different areas, as well as some suggestions on my favorites from each brand.  Let's get into it!