Monday, March 31, 2014

Meal Prep Monday - Blueberry Breakfast Pizza and Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

I had a super fun and busy weekend, including my first ever attempt at salsa dancing on Saturday. My coworker invited me, and in my effort to show up more I went despite having zero partner dancing experience. There was a class before the live band started, and I got the basic steps down (credit Zumba for that!) but was really confused when I had to work a partner. That didn't stop me from dancing for most of the next 4 hours though!

(Image Source)
There were a lot of good dancers, and most of the guys kept throwing me around the floor in spins even after my "ok but I've never done this before" disclaimer. I still had a pretty good time even though I had no idea what I was doing. Definitely made me want to get better at dancing, but maybe in a safer, more beginner friendly environment.

Between getting my groove on, I also found time to get my meal prep on.
 
Breakfast

I wanted to switch up my normal baked breakfast goods this week and came across this 
Oatmeal Blueberry Breakfast Pizza Cookie Thingy recipe from Yeah...imma eat that. I loved the concept (and the blog name!) but because I didn't have all of the ingredients/can't follow a recipe to save my life/etc, I ended up putting my own spin on it. Here's what I came up with.



Blueberry Breakfast Pizza

Calories: 211 | Fat: 7 g | Cholest: 0 mg | Sodium: 532 mg | Carbs: 29 g | Fiber: 8 g | Sugars: 10 g | Protein: 9 g

3/4 cup oats

3/4 cup flax meal
3 tbsp chia seeds

2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
4 egg whites
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1/2 baked sweet potato, mashed
1 cup frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together dry ingredients.

Mix in the rest of the ingredients.
Divide the dough into 6 roughly even balls. 
Flatten the balls onto a well greased cookie sheet into roughly 1/2 inch thick discs.  
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until firm in the middle.
Top with Greek yogurt, your favorite nut butter, or whatever floats your boat.
Makes 6 servings.

I really like the way these turned out. The "crust" has a lot of texture, a nice nutty flavor and isn't super sweet, but you still feel like you're eating a giant cookie for breakfast. Topping the pizza with 1/4 cup Greek yogurt and 1 tbsp nut butter gives you 20 grams of protein and 13 grams of fat for a breakfast with a lot of staying power. 


Protein

In the spirit of switching things up, I picked up a pack of turkey breast tenders at Trader Joe's instead of my normal chicken breasts. This Roasted Turkey Breast Tenderloins & Vegetables recipe inspired me to step away from the slow cooker and cook my poultry in the oven for once.


Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

Calories: 114 | Fat: 2 g | Cholest: 0 mg | Sodium: 46 mg | Carbs: 3 g | Fiber: 0 g | Sugars: 1 g | Protein: 21 g

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup Trader Joe's pomegranate vinegar (or other vinegar)
Juice from 1 large lemon
3 chopped garlic cloves
1 tbsp salt-free seasoning mix
1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 lb boneless skinless turkey breast cutlets

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix together all the ingredients except the turkey in a small bowl to make a marinade.

Place turkey breast into a large ziplock bag, pour in the marinade and shake to coat the turkey.
Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Place the turkey in a baking dish and poor the marinade over the turkey.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes, basting with the marinade 1-2 two times (if you remember).
Uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the turkey feels firm and is not pink in the middle.
Makes 8 servings.

I'm not the biggest turkey fan but this is pretty yummy. The marinade gives the turkey a lot of flavor, and the combination of cooking it in the marinade and keeping it covered for the first 20 minutes keeps the meat pretty moist. 

Sides

I baked some sweet potatoes as usual (not pictured because the collage came out better without them and you see them almost every week) and roasted some green beans, super fancy looking carrots of many colors that caught my eye at Trader Joe's, and fennel! 

I'd never cooked fennel before, bu it was super easy. t I just sliced it vertically and tossed it with a little olive oil, salt-free seasoning mix, and roasted it for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees. It was tasty--kind of like a milder, meatier onion.


Workouts

This week is all about getting my miles up for my 10 mi training plan. I'm only 3 weeks out from the Chardonnay 10 miler, so I'm planning on deciding for sure whether or not to sign up after this week!!

Monday: Pilates at Pulse Fitness
Tuesday: 5 mile run
Wednesday: Fitness Blender Fat Burning Functional Strength Training Workout
Thursday: 3 mile run
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Slow 6 mile run
Sunday: Beach volleyball (if I have any legs left) or yoga

Q: Are you a dancing fiend? Any salsa or other partner dancing tips for me?

Friday, March 28, 2014

Five Favorite Fitness Activities

Happy Friday! As usual, I'm linking up with Fitting It All In's Five Things Friday and DC Trifecta's Friday Five. And because today's theme is favorite fitness activities, I'm also joining Fitness Friday. Fun! But first, I have an epic Friday fail to share with you.

I biked to work yesterday (pats self on back) and went running right after work (pats self on back again). Per my 10 mile training plan, it was an easy 3 mile run. Finished in 35 minutes, took some cell phone pics, and was feeling great. Until I tried to go back to my office to collect my wallet, keys, and bike.

(Image Source)
The garage was locked and I couldn't get in using my key code. I had my office key with me, but not the right key for getting into the building. And then my phone died. Cue massive panic attack.

Luckily, my housemate's office is right next door and she was working late and could give me a ride home. And double lucky that I have a car as well as a bike so I can get to work tomorrow. But still a pretty stupid way to end the day that got me home (and writing this!) a couple hours later than normal.

Anyways, back to my five favorite fitness activities. This was both like asking me to choose between my favorite children and least hated form of torture, so I'm a little conflicted. But here's what I came up with:

1. Volleyball

By now you probably know that I played volleyball in college and I still play on a ton of rec league teams. I love the competition, the team work and the versatility.  You can play it indoors and on the beautiful California beach, 6s or doubles, women's or coed. So many options and I love them all!

2. Flag Football
(Image Source)
I love flag football because it makes me feel like such a beast! My favorite thing is sacking the quarterback and I once threw a game winning touchdown. (I also threw a season ending interception, but we won't go into that) Super bummed that Santa Barbara doesn't have a coed league :(

3. HIIT
(Image Source)
I love HIIT (high intensity interval training) because it's super intense but over super quickly. Perfect for people with busy schedules and short attention spans like me. You can find a couple of my favorite HIIT routines here.

4. Group Fitness Classes

Something about exercising to music with a crowd of people gives me a much better workout than doing it alone. Exhibit A: the Zumba class I've been attending. Picture a giant ballroom with an amazing instructor on stage and 100+ people grooving to the beat. Or just watch the above video. You can't help having fun despite sweating buckets.

5. Running
(Image Source)
I've been running a lot lately and promised to run even more before the end of the year. But until recently I really only ran to consume massive quantities of food and/or alcohol after (ok, that's still the best way to get me to run). I can't say I love running. But I don't hate it with an undying passion anymore. Good enough for #5 in my book.

Q: What are your favorite fitness activities? Have any epic running or life fails lately?

Thursday, March 27, 2014

WIAW - Healthy Airport Food

Yesterday's 5 hour flight back from DC and 4 hour delay-induced layover in San Francisco got me a little confused about the days of the week. So I'm joining the What I Ate Wednesday and Workout Wednesday linkups a little late with some healthy airport food options. But first, I have a big announcement.

FitFluential Is Fitness Found

I'm super super excited to announce that I've been selected as a FitFluential Ambassador! FitFluential is "a nationwide network of highly influential fitness enthusiasts sharing their journey both online and offline through multiple social media platforms" and FitFluential Ambassadors are "social media influencers who work with FitFluential’s brand partners." Ambassadors also have "a strong presence on their social media channels, high quality content with a definitive voice and a passion for fitness-related topics." Yep, no doubt about it.
Thanks to all of you who have been reading this blog for the past 7 months (shout out to the 11 people visiting from Latvia this week, or the 1 awesome Latvian who visited 11 times) for making this possible. I really didn't think anyone would be reading, when I started this blog. Not even my mom. Better step my game up.

But now back to the food. My flight yesterday left at 9:30 AM and lasted about 5 hours, which meant I was flying right through lunch. And, because I was too busy hanging out with the bf to pack food and since US airlines don't feed you for free anymore, that meant I had to buy food. Not cool. I was, however, pleasantly surprised with United's Choice Menu.


Since my flight left before 9:45, I had the breakfast selection, which included this  Morning Energy box. Inside was a hard boiled egg, grapes, a square of cheddar cheese, a wheat roll, and some almond butter. Not something I was stoked to pay $6.99 for, but a lot healthier and tastier than most free airplane food.


I was a little hungry again (big surprise) by the second beverage service, so I bought a two-pack of 2 Degrees Bars. These bars had surprisingly good nutrition stats and were vegan, gluten free, non GMO, and pretty tasty. At $4.99 they were definitely not cheap, but probably cheaper than most snack food at the actual airport. 


After landing in San Francisco, my connection to Santa Barbara was delayed for 2 hours, which meant I was getting hungry again. Luckily, Fraiche, a "a homemade, organic fresh yogurt and frozen yogurt café" had a stand in the terminal and I was able to get some steel cut oats with organic yogurt, berries, dates, granola, toasted coconut, and honey. Not all airports have such fancy fare, but oatmeal is usually available and one of the best healthy options.


I also found a whole two shelves of organic snacks, candies, and chocolates at a random gift shop. I somehow resisted, but it was a good reminder to think outside of the food court when looking for good food choices at the airport.

Q: Have you ever bought airplane food? Have any tips for eating healthy during travel?

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Weekend Highlights - Back in DC!

Happy almost beginning of the week! I'm a little very late posting this weekend recap because I took a long weekend to go back to DC to see the bf and attend my friend's baby shower. And because I wanted to keep my baby shower attendance a surprise, I had to avoid talking about my trip and stay off social media until after Sunday. Oh the horror!

(Image Source)
I spent most of my trip eating delicious things that I can't get in Santa Barbara. Which, coincidentally, happened to mean a lot of noodle soup. Including an amazing homemade bowl courtesy of the bf! (bottom right)


Between all the eating and catching up, I managed to fit in a PDR-setting 6 mi trail run on Saturday in line with my 10 mile training schedule. It was great to be back on familiar trails, although I had to create a new route to get in the extra mileage. Typically, I ended up taking a wrong turn somewhere and turning my 6 mile loop into a 7 mile out and back, so I walked the extra mile. No biggie. Definitely not as bad as the last time I got lost in the woods.


On Sunday, I spent most of the day at a baby shower for my bff Sun from rustyfarmhouse. She looked beautiful and it was so great to surprise her and share the day with her. Plus they had tasty gluten free cupcakes!


The bf took the day off Monday so we could spend more time together. I originally planned to do a cute day walking around the mall downtown and museum hopping. But that plan got way less cute when the temperatures got below 40 degrees. Not used to these crazy DC winters any more!

We still went downtown, but only hit up the National Gallery of Art, which is a good choice since there is a ton to see without having to venture back out into the cold. We spent our time walking through the classical sculpture galleries (my fav!) and visiting a huge temporary photography exhibition showcasing the work of Garry Winogrand, an American photographer active from the 1950s to 1980s. The exhibit is open until June, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting the DC area.


After the museum, we hopping back on the metro to check out the new Bluejacket brewery and tavern over by Nationals Stadium for a little beer tasting and late lunch. The food was delicious, all the beers we tried were great, and they do 4 oz tasting pours so you can try more of them! The only downside is that it's a little out of the way in Southeast, but I'd highly recommend it for a pre or post baseball game visit.


Ironically, although I managed to get out of Dulles on time this morning despite snow coming down, I'm stuck at San Francisco right now waiting for my plane to Santa Barbara to get here. Boo. Here's hoping I get home in time for a run!

Q: What did you get up to this weekend? Can you even remember that far back?

Friday, March 21, 2014

Fearless Five

Happy Friday and thanks for all the encouragement on my potentially crazy pants plans to run a 10-miler in a month. So far I've done a good job of sticking to the training schedule. Which isn't really that remarkable considering that there were only 3 miles on the menu today. 

In other news, I've been tuning the radio to NPR instead of the top 40 when I'm in the car. That only gives me about 10 minutes of news at a time, but as my housemate says, I definitely feel 10 minutes smarter every time I leave my car!


(Image Source)

One of the NPR programs I heard recently was, ironically enough, about the fact that intelligence is not the best predictor of academic performance. Many researchers think 'grit' is the key to success. According to NPR, "experts define grit as persistence, determination and resilience; it's that je ne sais quoi that drives one kid to practice trumpet or study Spanish for hours — or years — on end, while another quits after the first setback."

What interested me the most was the program's description of experimental efforts to increase students' grit. Most of this work focuses on making students believe that failures and mistakes are a normal part of learning instead of reasons to quit. Teachers give students space to struggle with questions before offering hints, for example, helping them "get comfortable with struggle so they see it as just a normal part of learning."

I've been facing a lot of challenges lately, in my new job, new city, and even with writing this blog. I've jumped at the opportunity to stretch myself with new goals, and made a commitment to make 2014 a year of growth. But tackling new challenges means facing the real possibility of failure, which is something I've always feared. That NPR program reminded me that if I want to succeed, I have to learn to embrace the possibility of failure.

So to help us all get a little more 'gritty', I'm joining Fitting It All In's Five Things Friday and the DC Trifecta's Five Things Friday link ups with five inspirational quotes on embracing failure and making mistakes.





Q: What's one thing you've done that's scared your pants off? How did you get the courage to try?

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Easy Track Interval Workout and 10 Mile Training Plan

Sorry to everyone back on the East Coast, but the weather and awesomely long post-day light savings days have been absolutely perfect here. So perfect, in fact, that I finally made it to the track for an interval workout for the first time!


I was planning to do one of the track interval routines I shared back in February, but the sprints tired me out a lot more quickly than I thought they would. I blame the jet lag. So for today's Workout Wednesday, here's the easy track interval workout I did yesterday:


In other running news, one of my coworkers is running the Santa Barbara Chardonnay 10-Miler on April 19th and is looking for race buddies. I'm all about making buddies here, plus the course is gorgeous, supposedly fairly flat, AND there is a wine tasting afterwards. So even though I still haven't run a 10K despite my training plan and have never run more than 5 miles at a time, I'm seriously considering running a 10-miler in one month. Mostly because of the wine.

Further boosting my confidence in my ability to do this and not die, my weekly mileage for Run This Year has been fairly close to what's recommended in the first half of this 10 week novice 15K/10 mile training program. So, unless I come to my senses, here's my plan for the next 5 weeks:

(Image Source)

Q: What's the least amount of time you've ever had to prepare for a race? Can I really do this or is it just the malaria meds talking?                                                                                   

Monday, March 17, 2014

Meal Prep Monday - Mango Overnight Oatmeal and Slow Cooker Chicken

So I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I made it home safely from India last night. The bad news is that I came home to this:


The weekend I left for India, it rained in Santa Barbara. Great for the drought situation, not so great for our roof, which apparently leaked everywhere and all down the inside of our walls. So our landlady sent contractors to tear out walls, blast fans to dry things, and do all kinds of construction-y stuff while I was gone. They waited to do my room until last, so it's inhabitable and I'm stuck borrowing my housemate's bed while she's out of town. (Thanks, Jess!)

With the home renovation craziness, unpacking,  and prepping to go back to the office, I consider finishing this week's meal prep and post a small miracle! But in my jet-lag, stress and malaria prophylaxis addled state, I avoided attempting anything fancy and kept it super basic. 

Breakfast

Overnight oatmeal is the easiest meal prep breakfast I know, and Trader Joe's had delicious frozen mango on sale. Boom. Mango mason jar overnight oatmeal recipe born.



Mango Mason Jar Overnight Oats

Calories: 384 | Fat: 12 g | Cholest: 0 mg | Sodium: 141 mg | Carbs: 47 g | Fiber: 9 g | Sugars: 23 g | Protein: 20 g

1/4 cup oats
1 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp slivered almonds

1 cup frozen diced mango
1/4 cup non fat Greek yogurt
3 tbsp egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Mix ingredients together in a mason jar.
Refrigerate overnight and enjoy!
Makes 1 serving.


Protein

I made slow cooker shredded chicken this week because it's the easiest meal prep protein ever. Just dump 2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts in the slow cooker, add spices and enough broth to cover the chicken, and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If you're wondering how to use it in meals, check out my post here for some ideas. I also picked up some ready to eat edamame at Trader Joe's for a meatless protein option, no cooking necessary.


Sides

I made my usual roasted broccoli and cauliflower, cooked some frozen peas, and was planning to bake some sweet potatoes. But that turned out to be difficult because I didn't buy any. Luckily, I discovered some rutabagas I bought and forgot before I left for India, and 2 out of 3 were still good. Score!


Workouts

The weather in Santa Barbara has been beautiful, and with the whole daylight savings time change thing that happened while I was gone, I'll be able to get in more post-work runs. Should help me with my Run This Year goal and 10K training schedule!

Monday: Rec league volleyball playoffs
Tuesday: Track interval workout (for reals)
Wednesday: Zumba
Thursday: Easy 4 mile run
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Slow 6 mile run
Sunday: Yoga class?

Q: Have you been through any fun home renovations lately? Is there such a thing as a fun home renovation?

Friday, March 14, 2014

Five Free Hotel Room Workout Videos

It's my last day in India! It's actually not even a full day, since I have to leave for the airport at around 1:30 AM. Still can't decide whether or not to try to grab some sleep before heading out. Maybe I'll surprise myself.

I had about 12 hours between my domestic flight to Mumbai and my flight back to the US and was able to fit in one last treadmill run.


This was important since I couldn't run for the second week of my trip due to the gym at my second hotel mentioned online not existing and safety issues with running outside. 

While I couldn't run for the second half of my trip, I did manage to workout almost every day in my hotel room. So in case any of you are traveling soon and without a gym option, I'm joining Fitting It All In's Five Thing's Friday and the DC Trifecta's Friday Five link ups to share five hotel room workouts I did in India.



This workout is great because it's designed to be virtually silent, which means you can do it in your hotel room even if the only time you have to work out is early in the morning or late at night.

2. Blogilates New Body Makeover


Pilates is a great travel workout because it's quiet, doesn't take a lot of space to do, and you don't need any equipment besides a couple extra towels to stand in for an exercise mat. This video from Blogilates is great because it works your whole body in just under 30 minutes.

3. Jessica Smith TV 30 Minute Power Walk


Indoor walking is a great hotel room cardio option, as long as you don't stomp too loudly. I usually do it barefoot with a towel or bathmat under foot and haven't had any noise complaints.

4. Denise Austin Total Body Burn Cardio Dance Workout




Dance fitness is another good way to get in some cardio without leaving your hotel room. This routine takes a little more space, although I've done before in the tiny Arlington condo living room. You just have to get a little creative with your moves. #makeitwork

5. Fitness Blender Total Body Toning Low Impact Cardio Workout



Fitness Blender has so many great low impact routines I couldn't resist including another one. This workout is really more toning than cardio, but it is very quiet, requires little space, and will give you a full-body burn in a relatively short amount of time.


For a couple more hotel room workouts, check out one of my previous workout Wednesday posts here.

Q: Any travel coming up? What's your travel workout of choice?

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

What I Ate Wednesday - India Edition

I'm still in India for a couple more days. I haven't been able to run since the fitness center listed online at my second hotel is "under construction"/a figment of the management's imagination. On the plus side, there is a ridiculous amount of floor space and a giant mirror in my room, which makes hotel room workouts/selfies very convenient. 


Unsurprisingly, the lack of gym hasn't stopped me from eating. Besides the amazing breakfast spread at my first hotel, I've been a little disappointed with the food. Definitely has more to do with the specifics of this trip and not my feelings towards Indian food in general, which I LOVE. I also haven't been eating healthy, which isn't surprising considering my lack of willpower when surrounded by rice and fried bread. Anyways, here's a look at what I've been eating in India.

Breakfast


The hotel breakfast during my first week in Mumbai was AMAZING and it was really hard not to eat to the point of feeling sick. I mostly tried to stick with one Indian fried bread thing like a dosa, stuffed paratha, or uttapam along with a bunch of fresh fruit and some yogurt to avoid over indulging, but I wasn't always successful.

My current hotel's breakfast spread is much more limited and much more fried carb heavy. They do have eggs to order though, so I've been getting a veggie omelette and pairing it with whatever vegetables, fruit, and yogurt is on the buffet. Oh and sprouted lentils are really common here so I've also been eating a bunch of those for some extra protein, which is fun.

Lunch


I had excellent salads for lunch a couple times at my first hotel in Mumbai, which were definitely my healthiest meals of the trip. Probably the best lunch I ate was the unassuming idli (small pressed lentil and rice flour cakes) dish on on the top right that I got from a food court. It was coated in tons of super spicy and flavorful green curry sauce, but the fact that I was eating it for lunch at 4:30 pm also probably contributed to it's deliciousness. I've been eating cafeteria food for the past couple days, which I didn't manage to get a picture of, but it wasn't too easy on the eyes or the stomach so you aren't missing much.

Dinner


I did try to eat healthy food for dinner, but besides getting a salad at the hotel in Mumbai I mostly failed. Exhibit A: the goan fish curry top center I was recommended when I wanted a light fish and vegetable dish. The curry was quite good, and the fish in it wasn't bad, but there wasn't a vegetable in sight. Exhibit B on the top right is what happened when I tried to order the Chinese chicken noodle soup and a veggie spring roll for room service. I ended up with fried chicken noodles and a LOT of spring rolls. Not bad, but not exactly the light meal I was imagining. And I did get Pizza Hut once, which I'm not proud of, but because it isn't safe to go out at night it was my only option besides the hotel restaurant. And hey, there are lots of veggies on that pizza. And a stuffed cheese crust...  

Q: What have you been eating lately? Have any funny food ordering mishaps?

Monday, March 10, 2014

Meatless Monday Recipe Roundup

I didn't meal prep this week because I'm in India, but you can check out my previous meal preps here if you're looking for some ideas. 

Luckily, there are a lot of restaurants in India so I've still been able to eat a ton despite the lack of meal prep. Unluckily, it's been hard to eat healthy with all the delicious bread-like things, fried cheese, rice and curries staring at me all the time. Oh well, when in Rome India.


On the plus side, meatless Monday's have been super easy since there are so many vegetarian options. Which I guess isn't surprising since, according to Wikipedia, as many as 40% of Indians are vegetarian and there's even a government mandated vegetarian/non vegetarian labeling system for all packaged food products. 

I love meat (a piece of crispy pork belly is pretty close to heaven in my book), but I've been trying to eat more plant-based meals because it's good for the environment, especially since there's a serious drought in my new home state of California. Monica of Run Eat Repeat summed up why really well so I won't repeat the info here. #AintNobodyGotTimeforThat

Anyways, in honor of Captain Planet, India's vegetarians, and meatless Monday, here's a round up of vegetarian recipes so good you won't miss the meat.

The Lean Green Bean's Sweet Potato Quinoa Black Bean Burgers: This combo of sweet potato, quinoa, and black bean makes for a super hearty burger without the beef.  I made these awhile ago and they were so tasty I have to give it another go soon. 


Skinnytaste's Quinoa and Spinach Patties: It's been ages since I adapted this recipe, but it's still one of the bf's favorite meatless recipes, with lots of satisfying meat-free texture.

The Vegetarian Times' Tempeh BologneseThe last time I made baked tempehI used it in Italian flavored dishes for the first time thanks to this recipe and loved it. This would be even tastier/healthier than my pre-made sauce version and would be amazing over spaghetti squash.


Yup, it's Vegan's Baked Sweet & Sour Pineapple Sriracha Tofu Nuggets: I finally tried pressing tofu before baking and it really does make a huge difference. This recipe calls for freezing and thawing the tofu before pressing and the resulting texture looks awesome.

My Vegan Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili: Chili makes a great vegetarian dish, and the pumpkin adds in extra creaminess and filling power to make up for the lack of ground meat.


Q: Do you do meatless Mondays? Meat-only Mondays? What's your take on meat-eating? 

Friday, March 7, 2014

February Recap and March Goals

Happy Friday! It's been Friday in India for ages. I'm not saying this means I'm ahead of the curve or anything, but it at least means I've had more time to procrastinate writing/write my Friday post than usual. 

(Image Source)
The extra time definitely came in handy since I've been pretty busy working, eating tons of Indian food, and buying scarves. Told you I have a problem.


Between all that scarf buying, eating, procrastinating, and actually working, I somehow managed to remember my monthly goals. So, less than a full week into March, I'm joining in the DC Trifecta's Friday Five linkup with a recap of my February goals and five goals for March.

February Goal Recap:

1. Show up to a pick up volleyball game
I went to women's indoor 6s, coed indoor 6s, AND beach doubles drop-ins last month. *pats self on back*

2. Bike to work once a week
I did this every week except for the week I sprained my ankle, so I'm going to call it close enough to cross off. 


3. Try a new fitness class

Finally tried hot yoga and I surprisingly kind of liked it.


(Image Source)
4. Run 35 miles
I took off a week from running with an ankle sprain and only managed to run 28 miles. I'm a little off my Run This Year goal but I can totally make it up in March. Or April. Or May...

5. Phone my friends

I did a much better job of getting some much needed voice contact by actually scheduling calls ahead of time. Organization, it works! Who knew?


(Image Source)

March Goals:


1. Run 4+ times in India
I'm already halfway there! Is that cheating?

2. Run 35 miles
Finally going to hit my miles target this month.

3. Try a new fitness class
Any suggestions?

4. Hike inspiration point
There's a lot of beautiful hiking in Santa Barbara but I haven't gone yet. Inspiration point is supposed to be fairly easy but still satisfying, just how I like it.

5. Hang out more with new friends
I'm lucky to have 4 super fun housemates who I love to hang out with. But I should at least try to make other friends. Which means I need to be more brave/proactive this month. I really need to work on my friend game.

(Image Source)
Q: Have any exciting plans or goals for March? Know any cures for a scarf addiction?