Gretch Runs

Hi everyone! It's Dan again, Gretchen's lucky husband! Sorry in advance, I have a lot to share, plus it's been awhile! The last time I posted, I made a few goals for the month of August. Some of them I met, some of them I didn't. I meant to meet all of them though!... time just flies by way too fast. My goals were to get a rock climbing membership , try a local table tennis club , and run twice a week . I did buy a 3 day rock climbing pass from Groupon to try out a new gym near our house. Haven't gone yet, but I'm financially committed at this point. I found 2 table tennis clubs in the Pittsburgh area (thought there would be more), and they're both over 30 minute drive from our house, so not sure if I want to commit to that. And I ran 0 times for a total of 0 minutes and 0 miles! So August didn't turn out the way I expected... but I'm not going to leave you empty handed. There has been some progress and achievements I'd like to shar...

We're back at it again with a new training season!  I love fall races, so I'm so  excited to start training for the Towpath Half Marathon.  This is one of my favorite races that I ran last year, and I can't wait to see how it goes this year! This was my first week back at running, so let's take a look at how the week went!  (I forgot to take pictures this week, so I apologize for a text-heavy post.  Pretty pics of Pittsburgh will be back next week!) Monday 3 miles I'm back!  I decided to take a week off running after my half marathon.  Even though I didn't feel like I raced and didn't have any soreness at all, I thought it was a good idea to take a little break.  I definitely think it helped, because I felt really excited to run again my legs felt really refreshed! Tuesday 4 miles Alternated 5 minutes slow/5 minutes slightly faster. Not full blown "speed"work but enough to get some energy in my legs! Wednesday Yoga I had a...

Happy Friday everyone!  I'm excited to be doing a good old-fashioned Top Five Friday post!  I have a lot to share today, including a few of my recent favorite albums and some products.  I hope you enjoy, and have a terrific weekend! Linking up with  Mar ,  Cynthia  and  Court  as well as  Heather  and  Momfessionals Play! By Sephora I got my second Play bag, and this was a good month!  The theme was all about the eyes, and here are the products that I got: - Caudalie eye lifting balm - I've been using this all week and it's very moisturizing! This might look like a small size, but since you only need it on a tiny area it will last a really long time.  A full size is over $60 though, so I probably won't purchase it! - Sephora eyeliner in 15 (taupe) - This is one of my all-time favorite liners, so I was really excited to see this in the box!  The color is gorgeous, and the formula is smooth...

Hi everyone! Now that my most recent training cycle is over, I'm already looking forward to training for more races!  I took a week off of running, and now my mind and body both feel refreshed and excited to get back at it.  I have a few races on my schedule for the next few months, so today I'll be sharing my plans! Run Around the Square 5k  Saturday ! This is one of my favorite local races.  I ran it last year with Dan, so I'm excited to see how I can do on my own this year!  I love the course- it starts on streets and ends on trails.  It's a hilly race, but ends with a huge downhill!  Plus, there's always great local beer at the finish.  What more could you want? Towpath Half Marathon October 9 I also ran this race last year , and it was my first time breaking two hours in a half!  I was originally planning on running the full marathon this year, but I don't feel mentally or physically ready. I have a good base right no...

Hi everyone!  Today we're going to be getting a bit personal and talking about a touchy subject- money!  I recently discovered the Money Diaries series on Refinery 29, and thought it was such an interesting concept.  Seeing how people from around the country spend their money in a week is kind of fascinating to me! While I'm not affiliated with R29, I thought it would be fun to take that idea and share a week in my life and how I spend money.  Since this was a rest week after my half marathon, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to recap my week in money rather than workouts. Just to preface this post- if you're offended by money talk or don't want to hear about this subject, I would suggest skipping this post.  I'll be sharing some real life numbers, even talking about my income!  In keeping with the theme of the real Money Diaries, here is a snapshot of me: Occupation: Product Manager Industry: Banking Location: Pittsburgh, PA Age: 26 ...

Hi everyone!  I have a packed post for you today.  I was originally planning on writing a separate race recap and Vancouver highlights post, but since it was such a short trip I decided to combine it into one post.  I hope you're ready for lots of pictures and highlights!  It was such a great trip and race, so there's lots to share.  Enjoy! I've only heard good things about Seawheeze, and the race definitely lived up to the hype.  Everything from packet pick-up to the race itself and post-race felt like a special event filled with tons of surprises!  Here are some highlights: The day before the race, I picked up my packet and checked out the exclusive Lululemon Seawheeze store.  This opens early in the morning just for the runners, then to the public later in the day.  We got there around 12:00 after landing in Vancouver, and there were no lines at all.  There were still lots of products available, but people were saying the more...

Hi everyone!  I can't believe that race day has come and gone already.  When I signed up for this race last year, it seemed like it was so far away.  Then, I picked up training and the 10 weeks of training seemed like such a long time.  Now the race is already over!   This was a great week for me that culminated in one of my favorite races to date.  While I didn't get a PR, I did have an amazing experience that might be one of my favorites of all time.  I'll definitely be sharing more, so today I'll just give you a quick look at the final week of training! Monday 4 miles Nice and easy workout this morning. Jogged and strolled my way through 4 miles.  Trying to keep it easy for the week. Tuesday Yoga Took it easy in yoga this week.  My favorite instructor was back and led us in some great folds and stretches. Wednesday Rest Day! Thursday 4 miles Easy four miler in the morning with some strides thrown in th...

oh, Candada.... Hi everyone!  Today I'm coming at you with a quick Top Five Friday post, all about Vancouver!  As you all probably know, I'm excited about my trip and the Seawheeze Half Marathon.  I'll be sharing the top five things I'm excited to see (and eat) during my trip. Talk to you all on Monday, and have a great weekend! Tim Hortons I might be starting off on a lame note, but I absolutely love Tim Hortons coffee!  Anytime I'm in a city that's lucky enough to have one, I always stop in and get their dark roast.  There's a few really close to our AirBnB, so I'll be sure to go there (probably daily). Stanley Park I absolutely love large parks in cities, so I'll definitely check out Stanley Park.  There's an aquarium which is right up Dan's alley, as well as lakes, trails, gardens and more!  This is also the location of the Sunset Festival (the after party for the race), which should be fun! Sea Wall Hopefully by...

Hi everyone!  This week is absolutely flying by for me and has been super hectic at work.  I thought it would be a perfect time for an updated Currently post- one of my favorites to read and share! Current Book Me Before You by Jojo Moyes I'm just getting into this book, but so far I'm loving it!  It's a really quick and easy read that everyone's been talking about, so if you haven't picked it up yet I would recommend it. Current Music Honestly, I haven't been listening to a lot of music lately.  I got rid of my Spotify Premium account, and mostly listen to podcasts now.  When I'm at work, I'll search for "relaxing piano" or "music for concentration"!  Besides that, I guess I'm in a music rut. As far as podcasts, a few of my current favorites are No Challenges Remaining (all about tennis), Invisibilia (psychological stuff that really makes you think) and The Lively Show (right now she's in Europe and...

And just like that- another training cycle is in the bag!  This weekend I'll be running another half marathon, and my final full week of training was a good one.  I feel ready for the race and excited to run!  Let's take a quick look at how this week of training went: Monday 4 miles / 38:15 / 9:33 pace Little morning run to get the week started! Felt good, just a little tired today. It was a beautiful morning though, and the days are starting to get (slightly) cooler! Tuesday 5 miles / 44:18 / 8:52 pace Great speed work this morning! 5 miles with 20 minutes alternating fast and slow. Funny how I can start out feeling so tired and legs feel heavy, then as soon as I have to start the speed session I can bust out 7:00 paces and it not feel hard at all. Felt so good to stretch out my legs! Loved this workout. Yoga / 45:00 My normal favorite instructor wasn't there, but the sub was alright.  Not my favorite, not my least favorite. ...