Gretch Runs

Hello Fall(ish) weather! We got some amazing weather this week and weekend (finally!) and it felt great to be outside. I'm already looking forward to runs in long sleeves and hikes to see the changing leaf colors. I do love summer, but I'm ready for a little bit of a change. How about you? What's your favorite season? Here's a look at my week in workouts! Monday 30 min I Love Ibiza Ride with Ben Had to cross Ben off my instructor list, so I was excited to see he had a fun ride planned for first thing on Monday morning! Nothing like a rave vibe to start off the week. The music was great but I have to say that Ben is too chill for this type of class! I still enjoyed it, but I think Jess King would have killed this one. Tuesday 10 min Yoga Flow with Kristin This was a really great quick class! Went through a bunch of postures but didn't feel rushed at all. If you're in a pinch and need a quick flow to stretch out this was a great one. Wednesday 30 min Classic Rock ...

Hi everyone! Today I'm SO excited to share my finished bathroom! This is one of those projects that I wanted to do since we moved in- I never liked how our bathroom looked, but it always got pushed aside. I figured that since I'm always home now it would be the perfect time to finally tackle this room, and I'm so glad that I did- this quickly went from my least favorite room in the house to one of my favorites! Plus- I was able to do everything for under $200.  Let's see what I did! (ps- if you want to see the other projects I've done in quarantine check out this post!) First I want to share some of my inspiration pics- I used these to imagine what I wanted and what might not look good in a small space. While I didn't copy these exactly, I used bits and pieces from each to inspire my vision!  Here are the images that I took inspiration from- To start out, let me share the "before". This is after I did a few minor decorations and we also removed the ori...

Hi everyone! This was a fun week for me- Dan and I went camping at Raccoon Creek State Park! We were originally supposed to go on Thursday, but he had a minor accident and we left on Friday instead. It was lots of fun though! Here's how my week of workouts went- Monday  2 mile run Convinced Dan to join me for a morning run. It was so nice and cool out so this felt heavenly. Don't think he agreed, but we made it without walking! 30 min Intermediate Yoga Flow with Chelsea Evening yoga flow with my favorite instructor. This was my first Intermediate flow in a while, and I loved it! It was challenging, but all within my capabilities. There were a lot of twists and heart openers which I enjoy. The time flew by! 20 min 90s Ride with Alex Great ride right after yoga to end the night. This was so much fun...putting my favorite time period of music together with the best cycle instructor and it's a recipe for success. More of this please! Tuesday 30 min Pop Fun Run Pre-work run. Fel...

Happy Monday! Last week was kind of crazy- work was busy with lots of meetings everyday, and I had more (socially distant) plans than usual. Feels nice to be around people again. We also had a car issue that kind of ruined some plans, but otherwise it was a nice week. Here's how my workouts went- Monday 45 min SUP Mornings on the water are the best! Headed out for some tranquility and found it. This is going to be a good week- I can feel it. 20 min Hip Hop Full Body Strength with Adrian It's official- I think that Adrian is my new favorite instructor. His classes are always challenging but within my wheelhouse (movements are simple or have a good modifications). Plus, his demeanor is just what I like in an instructor- warm and friendly but pushes you to keep going. Really enjoyed this full body workout, which had 2 circuits and a bonus round at the end! 30 min Latin Celebration Ride with Kendall I wanted to do a quick ride at night, so I chose one that I had bookmarked with Ken...

Happy Monday everyone! I took last week really easy- didn't really do much in terms of working out, and I think my body and mind really needed that rest. Now I'm feeling back to my normal(ish) self and had a great week. Here's a look at how my week of workouts went! Monday 40 min HIIT Run with Jess Sims Kicked off the week with a morning run. Felt good to get some speed in my legs after taking a week off of running! 20 min Max Richter Slow Flow with Aditi Got home just in time to join this yoga class. It was really nice and the music was beautiful. 30 min Club Bangers Ride with Alex Joined in this class with a few friends and it was so fun! So many good songs and Alex's energy is always my favorite. I was just planning on taking it easy but kind of pushed because I was having so much fun. Tuesday 20 min Walk + Run with Andy Took Selma with me on this walk and run class, mostly walked it.  30 min Advanced Beginner Ride with Hannah C Lunchtime ride with some friends- one ...

Hi everyone and welcome back to the next installment in my monthly reads. This was a really good month of books for me- I read five highly enjoyable books with a variety of subject matters- from a memoir to a court drama, and everything in between. There's even a Pulitzer Prize winner (my second of the year..look at me being classy).  Let's look at what I read and my thoughts! The Holdout It's the most sensational case of the decade. Fifteen-year-old Jessica Silver, heiress to a billion-dollar real estate fortune, vanishes on her way home from school. Her teacher Bobby Nock is the prime suspect after illicit text messages are discovered between them--and Jessica's blood is found in his car. The subsequent trial taps straight into America's most pressing preoccupations: race, class, sex, law enforcement, and the lurid sins of the rich and famous. It's an open and shut case for the prosecution, and a quick conviction seems all but guaranteed. Until Maya Seale, a y...

Hi everyone and welcome back to my third Garden Update (check here for the others)! Today we're getting into the fun stuff - harvesting all those yummy veggies and herbs that I worked so hard to plant and keep alive. Things have definitely been growing like crazy lately, and I've been in produce heaven! I'll be sharing some of my favorite ways to use all of the veggies that I'm growing- some are preservation methods, and some are actual recipes. I hope this helps give you some inspiration if you're also growing any of these. I would also love to know how you're using your veggies as well! Before we start, I want to share the products that I'm using. I didn't have anything when I started this, so I was happy to find that Ball offers a starter set for preserving. This has everything you need- 4 half Pint jars, preserving rack, real fruit classic pectin, jar lifter, headspace/bubble remover tool, jar funnel. These are all working great for me and was reaso...

Is it really August? If you told me it's still May I would believe you- when people say that time is a construct I think that this is exactly what they mean. While the days go by and the sun rises and sets, it doesn't actually feel like any time is changing. And those are my Monday morning thoughts 😅 As far as my highlights of July - it felt like a month where nothing really happened. I found myself struggling more than usual - it seems like in most places (including Pittsburgh) cases of Covid are getting worse and worse, yet I see friends and people going out and traveling like this is just another year. As a rule follower, this is something that's really been upsetting me...I feel like the kid waiting for recess and all my classmates keep acting up and we have to stay inside.  But- I did have one day where Dan and I went kayaking and then biked to two different outdoor breweries. That was a day that I could relax, enjoy the weather, and just be... in a socially responsib...