Treat.Yo.Self.

Today’s workout – teaching my sweaty morning spinners. It was a bittersweet class I have to say since I will not be seeing them next week due to the holidays but thankfully we will see each other in the New Year. We rocked it out to some new tracks on the playlist.

 

After class I made myself a yummy post workout smoothie in my brand new ‘bucks tumbler.

 

Bananas, a dollop of peanut butter, ice and chocolate almond milk. Tasty, decadent, filling. Yum.

(Shameless plug)- I am teaching another spin class tonight at 6 PM over at 24 Hour Fitness in Bedford…come join me if you’re in the area for an awesome calorie burn!!

So since I could always use some new ‘work’ clothes…I heard about this awesome deal from Jen and decided to sign up to get some PV Body swag! I can’t wait to get my box of workout goodies in the mail.

Once you sign up they send you a full outfit from top to bottom to get your sweat on every month! Plus the membership comes with a Lululemon gift card…that’s enough to get me sold. Check it out here.

Just sharing the love. I try to keep ya’ll current…

And remember…always make time to Treat.Yo.Self.

 

Do you make post workout smoothies? Any recipes you want to share? I need ideas!!

What will you Treat.Yo.Self with today?

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! 

Sweet Little Package.

I woke up bright and early for a hot & sweaty spin class with my friend Marina this morning at 24 Hour Fitness. Class was intense and hilly. It always feels good to get it in early though. I am starting to get used to rising early and knocking it out.

 

I had some time to squeeze in my planks…I’m getting better…my next target will be holding a plank for 4 minutes. Baby steps. I’m getting there.

 

Do you realize how quickly you can break out into a sweat doing these? I love it.

 

I also did some strength training moves this morning while listening to Drake on my Pandora radio.

 

So let’s back that thing up to yesterday after work. I went home to get the mail, and get ready to teach dance class. That’s when I saw this little sweet package.

 

Early birthday gift, yeah!

(source)

My dad asked me what I wanted and I couldn’t resist. The Newton lightweight trainers from the Natural Running Store in a hot color – a runner girl’s equivalent to Christian Louboutins. Well maybe not, but pretty darn close. I am going to enjoy some lovely miles in these this summer while I’m training for this race.

This morning I’ll be sipping on the skinny toffee nut latte Starbucks gave me on accident instead of my normal dark roast. I didn’t notice they gave me the wrong coffee until I left the drive thru…but it’s pretty dang good!

Are you training for any marathon or race this summer (or right now)? If so, which one? Do you prefer morning, afternoon, or evening workouts?

Friday Faves.

What a long week it has been…although it was a short work week for me since I was off Monday, it really kind of dragged a bit! I am looking forward to teaching Danceaton class and running the White Rock Half Marathon this weekend! Not sure that I will set a PR for this race since I’m not really looking to, but I am looking forward to just being around some pretty awesome and motivating runners. It will be a good time!

So…here are some of my winter / holiday faves on this chilly Friday morning.

Asics Reflector Jacket – $90 from Athleta

I love this jacket and pretty much wear it everywhere now since it has been cold and windy lately down here in TX. I was lucky enough to receive it as a gift for volunteering as a coach at Luke’s Locker but it is totally worth the investment IMO. The women’s version is in a fabulous color and it even has a battery operated blinking light you can turn on in the shoulder if you are running in the dark. Or if you just like bling, like me.

Well, it wouldn’t be a HAPPY Friday without some delicious coffee…now would it?

The Starbucks Christmas Blend is my absolute fave…perfect bold roast for this time of year. It has a mellow taste to it, but it’s pretty strong. All I need is a grande Christmas bold and I’m rockin’ and rollin’! It is usually the bold on tap most days in December – I also think that they’re doing a special, buy a pound bag for $9.95 (reg price 14.95) but let’s just be real, I don’t have tons of time in the morning so I’d rather someone else make my coffee. Just keepin’ it real.

Peppermint chocolate bark

I made these last year as gifts to pass out to coworkers. They are so yummy and addictive. Here’s a very simple recipe. For a festive twist you can also buy these trays from the Dollar Tree and fill them with the chocolate, pop them in the freezer for a bit and woof! You have your bark.

Leggings & boots

There is nothing more comfy than rocking some leggings with your boots. Goes great with a sweaterdress and/or a dress w/ a blazer for work. Leggings are so great for fall and winter, they are inexpensive and you can buy them pretty much anywhere.

Nike Free TR Fit Winter Women’s Training Shoe

Via the Nike website: Built for cold weather, the Nike Free TR Fit Winter Women’s Training Shoe delivers great flexibility and support with an upper that’s designed to help keep your feet warm and dry.

I received these as an early Christmas gift from the BF’s mama (such a sweet lady she is, thanks mama). They are great for gym workouts, and very lightweight…I’m thinking they would also work great for shorter distance races like a 5 or 10k. I feel very springy and bouncy when I wear them.

What are some of  your winter and/or holiday favorites?