Gretch Runs

Happy Monday everyone! I'm back today with a week in workouts recap. I took the week off last week- the first time I've taken rest days in a WHILE and it felt really good. I kept up my daily walk but otherwise didn't do any workouts at all. I don't know the last time I did that but my body needed the rest!  It was definitely a challenge getting back to it this week, but I made it through. Here's a look at how my week went- Monday Rest Day! Tuesday 10 min Yoga Flow with Chelsea (Peloton) Had my first day back at work after my week off and had to start off on a good note with some morning yoga. This was a little more active and tough..not really a way to ease in to the week! Thankfully it was short so I made it through. Time to Walk with Kesha (Apple Fitness +) Had a great walk at lunchtime and got to listen to the latest guided walk. It was interesting to hear from Kesha and how she's grown as an artist from her first album to her latest one, as well as some of h...

I admit it - I've fallen into the TikTok trap. Since our first lock down happened, I joined all of the millennials flocking to the app and have learned so much from it. From beauty tips and painting tutorials to drink ideas and recipes (maybe even a dance move or two) it's been a great source of entertainment for me this past year! Today I decided to start a series where I try out some of these videos that I watched from some of my favorite creators, as well as two of the viral recipes that I've seen everywhere.  Just a note- in most of the videos there aren't real "recipes" so I've tried to get the steps and ingredients as close as possible. I didn't really measure anything and just eyeballed it and everything worked fine!  Now let's get to the recipes. Coffee The Anna by AnnaxSitar Ingredients Coldbrew, Chai Tea Concentrate, Cream or Milk, Heavy Cream, Vanilla Syrup, Cinnamon Directions In a glass filled with ice, add cold brew, chai tea concentr...

Hello and happy Monday everyone! This was such a great week for me in terms of workouts- we finally had a full week of nice weather and I definitely took advantage of it. Lots of outdoor runs, some hikes- it was all around great! Here's a look at what I did- Monday 20 min Dance with Lashawn (Apple Fitness +) Woke up super sore, so I took an easy day today. Still had to get some kind of movement so a dance class was perfect! This one was really high energy and got me sweating. Lashawn is definitely my favorite dance instructor- her classes are so fun and easy to follow. Since it was so nice and sunny outside, I actually did the class outdoors. Tuesday 10 min Yoga with Anna (Peloton) I'm trying to start a new habit of doing a quick workout before work- either yoga or some kind of stretch- to get started on the right foot. Today's class was super easy and geared towards beginners so it was the perfect start to the day. 20 min Treadmill with Sam (AF+) Tried my first running cla...

Good morning everyone! Today I'll be sharing my recent reads- both from January and February. You'll notice a ton of holiday books- I finally got to check them out from the library and it's helped to keep me in the holiday spirit. Most of these books are in the romance / young adult genre, so next month I'm looking forward to getting back to more substantial, thought-provoking reads. But sometimes it's nice to have something fluffy and easy to read! Here's a look at my reads along with thoughts and ratings- 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston Sophie wants one thing for Christmas—a little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend Christmas in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship. Cue devastation. Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her gra...

Happy Monday and International Women's Day everyone! It's going to be a fantastic week- temperatures are going up and the sun has been around for the past few days. I had a great week of workouts- here's what I did! Monday 45 min BHM Movie Buff Ride with Kendall (Peloton) This ride was a bit different than the previous Movie Buff classes that I've taken. Instead of making the class feel like we were in a movie with a soundtrack playing in the background, Kendall gave some insights into the movies that she was featuring. It was a really insightful class and I learned a lot- hope more of these classes will take that format! 30 min Evening Yoga Flow with Chelsea (P) I needed this class today! It was so relaxing and felt amazing to stretch out at the end of a long day of work. Besides restorative classes, these are probably my favorite to take. Tuesday 20 min Dance with JHon (Apple Fitness+) I was super excited to try another dance class, and this was Latin music. Instead o...

Good morning everyone! I have a fun post to share today- for the past month, I've been working my way through a schedule that's supposed to boost my mood. I was flipping through Good Housekeeping's January/February issue (FYI- I borrowed this from my library's online system!) and saw an article about little ways to feel calmer, kinder, stronger, and more joyful just by taking a few minutes each day to focus on these activities. I figured it was worth a shot and would be fun to try out a challenge, so let's go! Week One Take 5-Minute Brain Breaks : As soon as I logged into work for the day, I added 5x5 minute blocks to block off time for my brain breaks! Luckily today wasn't a meeting-heavy day, so I got to squeeze them in between a few which worked perfectly. I did a guided meditation, some breath work (both from the Peloton app), a short walk, and then just zoned out for the others. It was a nice way to reset throughout the day, but might be better when I have...

Good morning and happy MARCH!! February is one of those months that always seems to take forever to go through, but this year it went by really quickly. I got reminded of the trip to Mexico that I was on exactly a year ago (my last time on a plane!), while it's been freezing and snowing like crazy here! Luckily it feels like spring is around the corner and we started our vegetable garden seedlings indoors this week. Hope is on the way! My highlight in February was probably the live Paint n Sip classes that I've been joining on the weekends. I found a painting account on TikTok (@hannahhh.mp), and every weekend she hosts a free session where she teaches us how to paint a watercolor landscape. At a time where I don't have plans or much to look forward to, this has been a bright spot for me. She also posts the tutorials on her Instagram afterwards, so when I need another calming activity I've been going through the archives. Let's start off with my annual goals and see...

Happy March everyone! It feels like there's a lot of change in the air- we had warm weather last week in Pittsburgh and pretty much all of the snow is melted, and there seems to be a shift towards more positivity when I'm talking to people. Spring is (almost) here! I know that we still probably have another snowfall or two coming our way, but I'm going to soak in all of the warmth while I can. This week I started to integrate some classes with Apple Fitness + to my week! Last week I got an Apple Watch to replace my Garmin that's lasted me 6 years, and with it I got a 3 month trial for the fitness classes. After I try out a bunch of classes, I'll definitely share my thoughts on the classes versus my experience with Peloton Digital! To distinguish these classes, I'll mark the ones with Apple Fitness + with AF+, and Peloton as P. Here's a look at what I did this week- Monday Time to Walk with Dolly Parton (Apple Fitness+) For today's walk, I decided to try ...