Gretch Runs

Happy Tuesday friends! I don't know if you've noticed, but the days are getting shorter, and the mornings are getting darker.  This means that for the majority of us, we're running in the dark.  This year, I have transitioned into a morning runner, and I've picked up a few safety tips along the way.  I wanted to share some of my advice for staying safe during morning runs, but these tips can really be used for running at any time of the day.  I hope that you all find my tips helpful, and I would love to hear your best tips for staying safe! Make Sure You Can Be Seen My number one tip is a very obvious one- be seen!  Now that it's dark during more running hours, wearing reflective clothing is a must.  Last year, I got a reflective vest from the Nike outlet that cost me less than $10 ( here's a similar one), and it's made me feel really safe on my runs.  If I'm going to the track in the morning, I also wear a headlamp to offer more vis

What a beautiful weekend!  I hope you also enjoyed some great weather, because I am loving the cool, fall weather.  I managed to fit a few fun activities into my weekend, while also catching up on housework and fitting in some exercise.  Aren't those the best weekends?   Here are some highlights of my weekend- linking up with Erin and Katie ! As I mentioned in my weekly workout recap , I took a trip down to Ohiopyle State Park with Dan and Selma on Saturday morning.  This is a huge park about an hour southeast of Pittsburgh.  It's popular for White Water Rafting and Kayaking (which I've done before and highly recommend), as well as hiking and biking.  Dan had never been there before, so I thought it would be a fun weekend adventure!   We started our hike around 10AM, and quickly found a beautiful spot to have a little picnic.  The trail is really easy to follow- we parked in the small parking lot right before you get into town (it's directly after th

Another tough week in training has come and gone.  I'm coming to the realization that my runs during the week always feel great and my legs are full of energy, then by the time I get to my long run I'm exhausted and struggle to finish.  Does anyone else have that problem?   This week featured a tough speed workout, my longest training run yet, and lots of fun cross training.  Only two more weeks to go, and I'm definitely getting anxious, nervous and excited.  Let's take a look back at this week to see how my training went! Monday 5 miles easy / 47:20 / 9:26 pace I ran in the morning before work, and felt so great.  The morning was cool and dark, and I ran a different route.  The run went by really quickly and I felt terrific the entire time! Tuesday  6 miles interval / 50:45 / 8:27 pace 1 mile warm-up, followed by 3x1600 repeats with  800 recovery jog in between.  I felt really great on this run, and all of my intervals were in the 7:30 range

TGIF!   We made it through another week, and this weekend is looking gorgeous!  I have a lot of plans, most involving spending as much as possible outside.  The cold weather will be here before we know it, so I want to soak in as much sun as I can while it's still here! Today, I wanted to share 5 news stories that made me smile this week.  It's always good to look for some good in the world, when the news is always blasting us with attacks and deaths and tragedy.  I hope you enjoy reading the "good news", and please share any stories that made you smile lately! 9-Year Old Donates Birthday Money to Buy Bulletproof K9 Vests In case you're losing faith in humanity, read this story.  What an amazing thing for such a young kid to do!  I love this idea of forgoing gifts and donating to charity.  Dan and I (sort of) did this last year for the holidays, and it definitely meant a lot more than getting a pile of gifts. Amy Schumer Gets Book Deal I predict that

Yesterday was the official first day of FALL!  It's definitely getting chillier in Pittsburgh- particularly in the mornings and evenings.  I'm pulling out my hoodies and jackets and loving it! In honor of fall, I thought it would be fun to do a survey.  I'm a big YouTube junky, and saw that Jaclyn Hill posted a video with a bunch of fall questions and thought it would be fun to answer them.  Enjoy, and happy fall! 1: Favorite Fall Candle? I just got my first WoodWick candle, and I'm obsessed now!  I love the soft flickering sound, and they smell amazing.  Right now I'm burning a triple layer candle that has Vanilla Gourmand, Toffee Brittle and Toasted Marshmallow.  AMAZING!  It smells like a bakery in my apartment when I burn this! 2: Favorite Fall lip color? Rimmel Kate Moss in 107 .  I'm still a little nervous about wearing dark colors, but this one is so gorgeous and goes on really smoothly.  It lasts all day and is really cheap!  Perfect way

I can't believe it's time for another post about my empty products!  I have been going through products like crazy lately, which is a good and bad thing.  I'm trying to down-size my product collection (who needs 10 different lipsticks and 5 mascaras?), so it feels really good to get rid of used up products.  On the other hand, I'm running out of a lot of my favorite products and I'm sad to see them go!   Here is a look at the products that I've used up recently, along with mini reviews.  If you'd like to read my past empty posts, check them out here ! Makeup (1) Clinique Superprimer (sample) I really liked how moisturizing this primer was, and it helped my foundation stay on all day.  I never buy primer, because I always seem to get free samples with purchases or as a point perk.  If I were to buy my own primer, I would definitely check out this one!  There is a whole range of primers by Clinique that each address different skin issues, so

Today I wanted to mix things up a bit and talk about fashion!  I was having a conversation with a friend at work, and we both mentioned that we hate watching awards shows, but love to see the fashion.  Does anyone else do that?  I wanted to do my own (hopefully nicer) version of Fashion Police and talk about some of my favorite and least favorite looks of the night.  I hope you all enjoy this and will share your favorite looks from the runway! Favorite Looks Teyonah Parris : I LOVED this dress!  I thought it was so cute and fun, not to mention really unique from most red carpet gowns.  I loved the polka dot pattern, and it flowed and photographed so well.  I think the hair and makeup looks a bit aged compared to the youthful, fun dress, so that's the only difference I would make.  For any Project Runway fans out there- does this remind you of a dress that Kenley would make? Christina Hendricks : I'm not sure whose look I like better- Christina or her husband's

What a weekend!  Dan and I went across the state to visit his family in Boiling Springs.  We also had a race planned while we were there - the Diakon Outdoor Adventure Challenge .  It definitely was a challenge, and the entire weekend was a ton of fun.  Here's a little peek at some of the highlights! (linking up with Erin and Katie !) Someone was pretty excited for the trip!  Selma used to hate riding in cars, but lately she's been loving it!  I have to sit in the back with her or she gets sick, and she just cuddles in my lap the entire time.  Love it! Early morning walks along Children's Lake.  This is a fresh spring with a few "bubbles" - hence Boiling Springs and the high school mascot- the Bubblers. First place in my age group at the race!  (and repping Penn State!  Another WIN for the team this weekend!) After the race, we got to try out the high ropes course!  It was a lot of fun and tough.  It ended with a zip line at the en