Gretch Runs

Yay for week two!  This was probably one of the best weeks of training that I've ever had.  Not only did I hit all of my mileage, but I also crushed my speed workout for the week, and felt great on my long run (which ended up being longer than what my plan prescribed).  I can definitely tell what a difference having a good base built up before I started training is making, and I can't wait to keep on training and see what happens on race day! I'm getting way ahead of myself- for now, let's just take a look at how my week of training went: Monday 4 miles / 9:39 pace Went out at lunch to run an easy 4 miler. Super hot and I didn't bring water (mistake one) and didn't drink water beforehand (mistake two).  I took it nice and easy but was still really sweaty and tired...definitely need to make sure I always have water with me in this heat!!  (And hopefully the heat is ending SOON). Tuesday 3 miles / 9:36 pace I had my wisdom teeth take

Hi everyone and happy Friday!  This was a pretty tame week for me (I'll tell you why down below), so I'm ready for some fun this weekend!  I don't have anything planned as of now, but I'm hoping to get in some kayaking, some brewery drinking, and maybe even some tennis playing (in anticipation of the US Open about to start!).  I hope you all have a fun weekend as well! linking up with  Erika ,  Heather , and  Friday   Five   Song Little Mix and CNCO - Reggaeton Lento Remix Another week, another Latin song!  I definitely go through phases with listening to different types of music, and in the summer I always tend towards Spanish styles.  This one is a fun remix and I'm loving it!  Not entirely sure if this counts as a true Spanish song since it's half in English, but oh well! If you like Despacito, you'll LOVE this one! ps- I just saw that Miley Cyrus is releasing her next album at the end of September!  I'm loving her new stuf

Last week, I went on a trip to Cincinnati to cross off an exciting item on my 30x30 list- going to a professional tennis match!  I've been a huge fan of tennis for the past few years, and I love watching sports live.  So- it was perfect timing when there was a huge tournament in nearby Cincinnati! The entire trip was so much fun, so I'm excited to recap what we did: Beer and Food Everyone told me that I had to check out the breweries in Cincinnati.  Don't have to tell me twice!  We started our trip by heading straight to the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, where we grabbed some vegetarian burritos at Findlay Market.  I always love going to markets, and this one was amazing!  There were lots of food stands, live music, indoor and outdoor stalls, and even a mini beer garden. We grabbed our food to go, and headed down the street to Rhinegeist Brewery.  This place was amazing!! The brewery is in a huge building, with the main floor filled with benches, corn

I'm so excited to say that half marathon training has officially started!! I've always loved training for races, but I don't think I've ever been this eager to get going.  I have such a great base built up from the past few months, and I'm really optimistic about my race goals.  Best way to start off a training cycle, right?! Here's a look at how my first week of training went, which started with a mini vacation to Cincinnati: Monday 3 miles / 10:00 pace We got to Cincinnati, and I ran in my hotel's gym before we headed to the tennis tournament.  I had to wake up around 6AM to get my run in,  but I couldn't skip my first run of my training schedule!  After my easy run on the treadmill, I completed the " Dirty Dozen " core exercise that's included in my training plan. Tuesday Rest Day!! After being out in the sun from 7AM to 10PM and having to get up early again, the last thing I wanted to do was go for a r

I seriously can't believe that it's Friday already!  Dan and I went on a little trip to Cincinnati this week, so all day yesterday (my first day back at work), it felt like a Monday.  I won't complain that the weekend is already here :)  I'll be sharing a bit about our trip below, but look for a full post coming soon!  It was such a fun trip and I got to cross something off my bucket list, so I can't wait to share more.  I hope you all had a great week as well! linking up with  Erika ,  Heather , and  Friday   Five   Song Explicale by Yandel A few weeks ago, my music obsession was Wisin, and now it's his old duo partner Yandel is coming out with new music.  I love this song, which has a completely different sound than Wisin.  This doesn't really have a hard beat like most reggaeton music, and I can't wait to hear more songs from his upcoming album (which includes a song with Wisin)! Podcast Runner's World Podcast Th

Happy Friday!!  What a week this was- work was insane, I took care of some things that I've been putting of for years  (that really took a weight off my back), and kept on with my running streak!  I'm really looking forward to this weekend, because Dan and I have some fun plans to spend a bunch of time outside hiking and kayaking, and will be getting ready for some exciting plans next week.  I'll share what we're up to next Friday, but for now I'm going to be sharing my favorites from the week! linking up with  Erika ,  Heather , and  Friday   Five   Song Jasmine Tate A few weeks ago, I went to Vine Rewind at the Pittsburgh Winery, and got to listen to some great musicians.  One of them stuck out to me, and I haven't been able to stop listening to her ever since!  Jasmine Tate has such an amazing, interesting voice, and her songs are beautiful.  I really enjoyed listening to her sing live (the entire band was just electric), so if you ever s

It's that time again- time to start training for my next race!  It feels like it's been such a long time since I really trained for a race, and even longer since I focused on the half marathon.  I think it's my favorite race distance, because training doesn't have to take up your entire life, and the races are always fun. For my next half marathon, I decided to run the Buffalo Creek Half Marathon .  It will be my first time running this race, and there are a few reasons why I decided on this one: Close to my house .  This means that I can stay at home before the race, eat my own food, not wake up super early to get to the start line, and also train on the actual course!   Rails-to-trail course .  I've done other races on this kind of crushed-limestone course, and I really like it.  It's easier on my body, and I can train on other trails around my house for my long runs.  Net downhill .  The course is supposed to be perfect for getting a PR- in fact, mo

July was such a busy and fun month, and I can't believe it's August already.  I seriously can't believe that the summer is basically over..before we know it there will be pumpkin spice lattes, scarves, and Halloween decorations everywhere!  Before then, you all know what time it is.  That's right...it's already time for the monthly linkup with  Kristen and me.  Make sure you link down below and tell me what's going on! Goals and Resolutions Do Something Crafty .  This definitely took a back burner in July.  I was so busy with being outside as much as possible, hanging out with friends, visiting with family, hosting guests from out of town, that I didn't really do anything crafty!  Whoops :) Be Musical . I've been playing piano like crazy and I can tell a huge difference since I started!  I'm so glad that we splurged and decided to buy a keyboard last year, and it's definitely one of the most-used things in our house.  I also st