Jogging for Egg Nog and Other Wknd Stuff.

Well hello there! How was the weekend? It’s never long enough…thankfully this work week for me is rather short and then on to Christmas break!

This weekend was filled with some fun things, including the Jog’r Egg Nog’r 5K! The night before the race I went out and had a little fun with the girls…this girl also teaches a rockin’ cycle class and is super duper awesome. Good times.

I was up the next morning bright and early for the race which took place at White Rock Lake. This was the third time in a row I’ve done this series, and the last 2 years I ran the 15K. This year I wanted to play with speed a little bit so I decided to rock out the 5K! I entered the Athena division…that is women over 150 lbs…and no I am not ashamed to say I am in that category, thankyouverymuch. I figured there was a great chance I would place if I rocked the Athena!

I am woman, hear me roar…or something like that.

 

The race started off right at 9 am and we were off! I did not wear my Garmin for this race…actually forgot to charge it but I was glad I left it at home! I just ran by feel and enjoyed the pretty views of the lake. It was over before I knew it! I finished solid at 24:00. 1st place in my category! Woot!! I was excited to place in this race for the 3rd year in a row. Still got it, baby.

I just couldn’t do the egg nog this year…I know, awful…too much vino from the night before didn’t quite mix, bahaha.

The rest of Saturday was fairly low key, I met up with a friend for lunch and then took it easy the rest of the day. Enjoying having the down time from running lots of miles before gearing up to coach another training season over at Luke’s Locker! I hope to be coaching the speed/track session along with teaching my spin classes at the gym. It should be fun.

Sunday I went to a friend’s holiday brunch! Brought these fancy cupcakes.

Good times chatting with these ladies

She had a nice little spread at her house too. Yummy treats galore. I worked off a few of them this morning in my cycle class. Now I’m ready to attack this short work week.

Have a great week…and remember to keep on praying for the families and those affected by that tragic incident on Friday. Hug your family members and friends a little tighter today and tell them how much you love them.

How was your weekend? Are you done with your Christmas shopping yet?

Finished mine last night

Cycle Party, Black Friday and a Little Running…Wknd Recap.

Hey hey! How was your weekend? Hopefully you are fully recovered from Thanksgiving mania. My holiday was nice and long so I am definitely ready for the work week! This morning I taught my 5:45 am cycle party – they were workin’ it! I have a feeling that might have something to do with all of the delicious food they ate a few days ago…just maybe.

Or I may just be inflicting punishment on them after all of the food I ate…

Backing it up to the weekend…after Thanksgiving BF and I participated in Black Friday just a little bit…we waited until about 5pm to go on Friday afternoon and the lines were still crazy long so I had to put a few stuff back…I did come out of there with some Christmas décor though. And this lovely candle from Bath & Body Works…

Later on I decorated and lit up the tree…

Saturday morning I was up early to get a little running in with my Luke’s buddies…it was nice to get moving again after the rest day on Friday.

I had to teach a spin class right after the run and I have to say that I LOVE teaching spin after running…because usually I’m all doped up on running endorphins and I mostly stay off of the bike and yell at them like a mad woman while they climb hills and do sprints. My Saturday class had so much energy – we burned off the pumpkin pie and then some.

Saturday night boyfriend and I went to church so we could sleep in on Sunday. The next day we were up for a little bit of brunch action. We went to the Riverwalk Cantina inside of the Gaylord Texan Resort for some grub.

How gorgeous is that water? Then this happened…

Oh and then this…yes that is a chocolate fountain…

We walked off some calories and looked at the trains and Christmas décor.

So overall a fun weekend. Nice and long and filled with running, rest, and love. Oh and today I am wearing what the boyfriend calls my Power Rangers bracelet. So I think I’m ready for the week, bring it on.

How was your weekend? Did you participate in Black Friday? Are you checking out any Cyber Monday deals? Shop for me cuz I’m done spending money, honey.

12 Miles, Brunch and a Little Festive…Wknd Recap.

Hope you had a great weekend! Mine was filled with some naughty and a little bit of nice. Let’s recap…

Saturday morning I was up early for a 12 mile run with some of my running buddies. Love running at Arbor Hills. This was the most mileage I’ve done since the marathon! I enjoyed getting outside again for some double digit miles.

After the run my friend Natalie and I went to brunch at Frankie’s. This joint has the tastiest brisket tacos! And of course mimosas.

Natalie and I also ventured over to a boutique next door to do some Christmas shopping. We tried on these Santa hats…

And also stocked up on some Christmas décor.

I even bought a Starbucks ornament to go on my Christmas tree! All hail the little red cup.

The rest of the weekend was fairly low key with the boyfriend. We made salmon on the cedar plank. Can I just say that this is my most favorite way EVER to make salmon now. I will be doing this now on quite often.

For dessert I got festive with this recipe and made some peppermint popcorn bark. Gooey and messy but very tasty!

I was going to put up the tree this weekend too but decided I would wait a few more days for that…probably right after Thanksgiving! Instead I decided putting up my holiday wreath would suffice.

How was your weekend? Have you put up any holiday decorations yet? Do you have any tried and true holiday dessert recipes? If so share them! 

Spin, Brunch, Run, Repeat…Wknd Recap.

Me too.

My morning started at the shiny happy hour of 5:45 am teaching my new spin class at the gym. My peeps were all fired up and ready to go…they had more CRAZY energy than I do. One lady explained to me that the right side of the room was the ‘party section’…they were hoopin’ and hollerin’ and having FUN! I love the balls to the walls energy so early in the morning. Definitely woke me up. After class I had showered at the gym, grabbed my Starbucks bold brew fix and jetted off to work.

This past weekend I got over the hump of my 2nd 20 miler of the marathon training season!

I ran with my Luke’s compadres who are all training to run MCM in October. We are officially 5 weeks away from domination! For some in my group it will be their very first marathon. I could not be prouder of these chicas.

I recovered rather quickly from the 20 mile run! Saturday I went home, and rested all day. Got some cleaning done in the apartment. Felt all kinds of productive. The next morning I got up and busted out a 4 mile shakeout run which really helped loosen me up.

Sunday was my annual fall brunch! I started this tradition of having a fall brunch at my place to celebrate the autumn season. We had cheese & crackers, turkey sausage, fruit, and I made some breakfast crescent rolls I found off of pinterest. Yum.

We sipped mimosas while the fellas watched them some football! So fun. My sweetest friend Shirley (in the pink) made the cut and is running the Boston Marathon in 2013!!! All kinds of awesome.

This week I will be hitting it hard at work and also getting up early to get some running in. I got in 41 miles of running last week and this week is recovery week! I will be running the Taco Run 10 miler on Sunday, totally looking forward to racing my little runner heart out! First 10 mile race ever = instant PR!!

Oh and how about it’s National Coffee Week!! Einstein’s Bagels is celebrating with coffee specials all week long. Get after it!!!

How was your weekend? Anyone have a race coming up? What’s your favorite Starbucks drink?

Sassy Pants Wknd Recap.

Hello there! Hope all is well in your world and you had a weekend filled with some fun in the sunshine. Who is in a happy peppy mood today? Oh yeah, that would be my car…

it also says “See Ya!” when I get out and it reminds me to buckle my seat belt for safety. So friendly.

I am getting my day rolling this morning here at work…before I dive in I must show you my fancy pants new dress from Tar-jay…

Cute huh? I thought so too.

I spent my weekend doing the usual…teaching dance class, ripping and running, and a little bit of pool time! Friday night was spent catching up on my favorite guilty pleasure reality show, Dance Moms…

Miss Abby Lee is one sassy pants dance teacher.

Also on Friday I used this recipe and made these crescent rolls with goat cheese, spinach, and mozzarella cheese. So yummy!

Saturday morning I taught dance class over at the 24 Hour Fitness Sport gym in North Dallas. Class was packed and full of energy. I love doing the song below, it’s an oldie but always gets everyone all hot and sweaty.

 

After teaching class and a nap I chilled out at the pool with some friends a majority of the afternoon. Boo got sick so the birthday festivities were a no go I was pretty pooped from the pool event from earlier so I took it as an opportunity to get some rest myself. And that I did.

Sunday…I woke up FULL of energy! Isn’t it funny how that happens when you have a Saturday night in? I kinda like it. I watched church online then decided I wanted to go for another long run! I put on my running clothes and decided I would just go out and run without any plans of how long I wanted to go. Temps were in the 70s which was perfect for an early run. I listened to Pandora radio and the miles ticked by. Before I knew it I ran 10 miles. Badda bing badda boom. 

After my long spontaneous run I met mama at my favorite brunch joint Penne Pomodoro for some yummy grub. Mama ordered the pizza and I got a delicious spinach salad with pan seared scallops, artichokes, goat cheese and heirloom tomatoes. What is it lately with me and spinach and goat cheese? Not so sure.

 

I will be teaching lots of dance classes this week, including a 90 minute class on Wednesday afternoon! I am looking forward to it. Tonight before I teach class I may hit up some weights or do some tabata…we’ll see…gotta keep this sassy pants spontaneous streak going…

What did you do this weekend? Do you plan your workouts way ahead of time or do you like to change it up with a little bit of spontaneity? 

Memorial Day Wknd Recap.

I am back after my short blogging hiatus! I’ve missed you guys. Hope you all had a wonderful long holiday weekend! Let’s get caught up.

This weekend stayed fairly busy but still had a nice mix of relaxation. Saturday morning I coached my running group over at Luke’s Locker. We did some drills followed by an easy 5 mile run. Still building those miles up for marathon training. After the run I wanted to do a little bit more and added on some miles in my mom’s quiet little neighborhood. There were beautiful flowers blooming so of course I stopped and admired them. I logged a little over 7 miles total that day.

After the run I got all cleaned up and caught up with my friend Natalie for our traditional brunch at Penne Pomodoro. Girl talk and pizza, perfect combination.

Saturday night I turned in early so I could get up the next morning and do some sweaty cross training at 24 Hour Fitness. I went to spin class and then did some Danceaton with Gaby. Always a good 2 hour long workout! I had to make room for all of the barbecue I knew I was going to eat later on.

Sunday evening was fairly low key. Eric and I went to church and basically were lazy the entire day. I went to the grocery store and stocked up on goodies for the week. I also made dinner – lemon pepper tilapia and roasted asparagus. Love cooking on Sundays.

Memorial Day Monday was busy but fun! I went for a run around 7am. It was already quite balmy already outside so I found a nice shaded loop in my neighborhood and logged about 5 miles. I used Run Keeper to log my run since my Garmin watch was dead. I was happy with my pace considering how warm it was!

 

After the hot run I wanted to do a little bit more so I went to the free day of yoga over at Sunstone! I attended the fire series 60 minute class, and boy was it HOT!

I really enjoyed it and felt so amazing afterwards! My arms are still sore this morning after that workout!

Eric and I spent the remainder of the day at the pool with some friends. I made some of my famous skinny buffalo chicken dip for the pool party. I added some crumbled goat cheese on top. It was a big hit!

I enjoyed hanging out in the cabana by the pool and working on my tan.

This week I am going to be doing a little bit more running and I am teaching Danceaton at the end of the week! I am also super excited because I signed up for another race – the Wounded Warrior 10K in June! I will be running this race with a bunch of my Luke’s running buddies so it should be fun!

What did you do over the long weekend? Have you ever tried a hot yoga class? What is your favorite poolside snack?

TLC, Brunch & a Marathon…Wknd Recap.

This weekend I spoiled and pampered my mama, and I hope you gave your mama a little TLC too! Love this lady.

On Saturday afternoon we went to a spa event in Dallas at this lovely venue called the Spa Bar.

The event featured catered appetizers, chair massages, manicures, and makeovers! I enjoyed a wonderful massage, especially after the track workout I had done earlier in the day…definitely had some tight muscles in my back that needed to be loosened up. It was a win-win situation, since both me and mama took part in the spa day!

Much needed.

Earlier that morning, my running group participated in their last track workout of the season! We had a great turnout and I think we have lots of people continuing on with the program to train for a marathon in the summertime!

 

Saturday night I went to church (LOVE Saturday night church, why else wouldn’t you want to sleep in on Sunday mornings?) then went to a friend’s birthday party. Not very many pics from that but I will just post one for good measure. Don’t mind the creeper in the background…

Sunday morning was the Danceaton Marathon at 24 Hour Fitness! An hour and a half of some sweaty dancin’. I got to teach a few songs on the stage so that was a good time. We had over 175 people in attendance! I love going to the extended dance classes to brush up on some of my choreography and just dance the minutes away.

After the marathon I met up with my mama and some friends for brunch on the patio at a place called Holy Grail. I had a hankering for eggs benedict. I tell ya I have to learn how to make a poached egg at home, definitely hit the spot.

That was my weekend in a nutshell! Full of pampering, dancing marathons and running. All of my favorite things.

What did you get your mama for Mother’s Day? If you could eat anything for breakfast what would it be? 

Giddy Up – Weekend Recap.

The happiest of Mondays to you! My weekend was awesome, and I hope yours was too! Let’s catch up, shall we?

This weekend was spent brunching, some R& R, LOTS of dancing, and catching up with some good buddies! It all started with Saturday morning at the track. I went to coach/time my running group, and didn’t run. The whole weekend. But, I was in the mix and it was nice just being out there yelling at them encouraging them with motivating words to keep them going!! The crew had some 800 meter repeats on deck. Everyone finished strong! I am so proud of them, I think they are making some great strides in their training!

the awesome green machines! total domination!!!

After the track workout I had to hot tail it over to the 24 Hour Fitness gym off of Central and Royal in Dallas to teach Danceaton.

I had a bunch of heart pumping tracks to keep them going. It was a great workout as usual, even teaching the class you are guaranteed to get a good sweat session in!

After my busy morning I took a little nap, went to Saturday night service at my church and met up with some friends later at Gloria’s for dinner!

After some treats and eats we went over to Cowboys Red River for some country dancin’! I had never been country clubbing before so this was new to me but I truly enjoyed it – would definitely do it again!

hangin' with Sarah and Andrew

Olivia, Sarah, Daniela, and me

The next morning I had brunch with the girls at Main Street Bistro. I was lazy all afternoon. Eric and I had a groupon at King Spa and Sauna so we spent the evening there relaxing enjoying all of the hot and steamy rooms! The King Spa has numerous saunas and steam aromatherapy rooms, and even a little café!

Someone got a little too relaxed and feel asleep a few times.

Out favorite sauna room was the Fire Sudatorium! It gets up to 170 degrees in there so you don’t stay in there for long!

I enjoyed some spicy Korean noodle soup for dinner! It was so yummy!

I also tried some of their berry/tart swirl frozen yogurt with fresh kiwis! It was a great way to cool off from all of the hot rooms!

 

That was my weekend in a nutshell. This week will be busy but I will be checking in! I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

I also wanted to shout out to my running buddy Elaine who is totally dominating the Boston Marathon this morning! GO Elaine GO!! 

 

Have you ever been to a spa? What is your favorite spa treatment – massage, facials? Did anyone have a race this weekend? Tell me about it!

Bling, Bootyshaking & Firefly 5K Recap.

Monday Runday – 7.25 miles in 58 minutes, humid with a nice cool breeze 

I am definitely ready to hit it at work this week after a fun weekend! This past weekend was full of dancing, running with tutus on, and glowsticks. Sounds crazy right? Of course it is, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Saturday morning I was up early for a run with some of my buddies. Since I didn’t have to coach my running group this weekend (the half marathon spring training has wrapped up for the most part – next week we will be moving into some track work) I ran with my friend Shirley who is running the Eugene Marathon in a few short weeks! She had a 20 miler on deck but since I didn’t really need that kind of mileage my friend Ann and I decided we would do 10 miles with the group. It was humid out but glad to get it done.

After the run I took Ann and Sarah to my Danceaton class at 24 Hour Fitness! Gaby was teaching and had a lot of new songs and choreography. I think the girls had a great time and hopefully will join me again soon! I need to get back to the Carrollton gym with the disco and party lights…it’s always fun rocking out on the stage. It’s more like a party than a workout, that’s why I love it so much. We even like to capture videos of class for youtube…can you find me?

Fast forward to Saturday night…the Firefly 5K Run! Since we got some miles (and some booty shaking) in earlier I decided this wasn’t going to be a ‘race’ race, just a ‘for fun’ race. And it worked out perfectly since it was sooo many runners – over 6,000! Way more runners than I remember seeing last year. And of course we took tons of photos, with our tutus and blingy glowsticks on.

I honestly had no real expectations for this race and was surprised I had much more in the tank than I thought I was going to have. Overall I was pleased with my 5K time of 24:44, 7:52 avg pace.

After the race I stuck around a bit for the Luke’s Locker tailgate party! My friends brought their music and lawn chairs and we just hung out in front of the store. We had a few people get crazy with the Twister game too!

Sunday I went to church and brunch with my mama at Mattito’s Tex Mex in Frisco! They have an amazing all you can eat brunch with an omelet station, taco bar, waffles and bottomless mimosas! I was in heaven. I got my fill of fresh fruits and chocolate strawberries from the chocolate fountain.

I look forward to running the Firefly 5K again next year! It was a great ‘fun run’ with awesome entertainment and just a crazy good time! I definitely recommend it to anyone!

I also wanted to give a SHOUT OUT to my friend Heidi for rocking the Ironman 70.3 Texas in Galveston this past weekend! She is a rockstar in every sense of the word! Congrats mama! 

Have you ever run a night time race before? What is your favorite fruit to dip in chocolate?