A Dose of San Diego Sunshine

Greetings from San Diego!

One of my good friends from when I used to live down here is having a baby very, very soon, so I decided to make a trip down south for her baby shower. Crystal is also along for the ride (she and I met when we both lived down here). Today, we took advantage of the hot, sunny weather and went from a run along one of my old favorite routes, a 5k loop from Little Italy down to the Embarcadero and back.

Tank: Under Armour [similar]

Sports bra: Lululemon [similar]

Pants: GapFit [similar]

Shoes: Newton Running [exact]

Sunglasses: Oakley [exact]

Since I'm used to running in San Francisco's permanent spring/fall weather, the heat took its toll today! It was not a very fast run for me, and I was sweating quite a bit by the end. Fortunately, this tank top is vented in the back, so it was a great choice for a warm day. I think shorts would've been a better option for the bottom half of my outfit, though. 

Crystal and me mid-run at Seaport Village

Here's hoping that the rest of the weekend has equally beautiful weather!

Let's Skip the Super Bowl and Go Running

Let me admit something to you all — despite being a girl who loves sports, the prospect of watching the Super Bowl this year was not appealing at all. I'm far from being a fan of either team involved. In fact, I dislike both. So, instead of watching, I took advantage of the fact that everyone else was inside by their TVs (and that it was yet another beautiful day) to go on a nice run and run some errands!

Shirt: C9 [exact]

Pants: American Eagle [similar]

Shoes: Newton Running [exact]

Sunglasses: Oakley [exact]

I received this shirt as a gift for Christmas but haven't tested it out yet. It was great! I loved that it was a bit longer than most of my running T-shirts. It's also fitted, but not skintight. All around, it was a good one! It appears that these shirts are on clearance at the moment, so I may have to snag a few more. Target was one of the places I went during my Super Bowl errands, but I didn't spot any there.

Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend!

Giving Barre a Shot

My friend Crystal has been talking to me about her barre classes for months now. Any time I mentioned feeling out of shape, she's quick to suggest joining her at her Dailey Method classes. Since I run a few times a week, I always felt like I was fine. However, I've started noticing my lack of core and upper body strength lately. I know core strength is important for runners, but because I don't particularly enjoy doing crunches in a gym, I neglect it.

So, I gave in. I finally agreed to give The Dailey Method's barre class a shot tonight.

Tank: Forever 21 [similar]

Pants: Yogasmoga [exact]

Sports bra: Lululemon [similar]

First thing's first: this is definitely a good workout. I discovered muscles that I didn't know existed several times over the course of an hour. However, I also had a few moments that I had absolutely no clue what we were even supposed to be doing in the class. I'm not sure if that was a reflection of the teacher or the way the classes work in general, but it was a bit frustrating. But, regardless of what I was doing, I was sweating quite a bit by the time I left. Only a few hours later, I'm already super sore and somewhat scared about what I'll feel like tomorrow! I can't say I'm sold on The Dailey Method yet, but I'll definitely give it another shot.

Yesterday, I went for my Wednesday running club yet, but neglected to take any photos. I promise good photos this weekend to compensate for it!

Running and Rock Climbing

Despite the cold weather this week, today was much nicer! So, I decided to head down to the water for a run in the sunshine. I even busted out a tank top for it! Before I headed out, though, my friends Kim and Brent texted, asking if I wanted to join them at a climbing gym nearby. I hardly ever get in upper body workouts and had been wanting to try climbing for awhile, so I figured why not?

Tank top: Under Armour [exact]

Sports bra: GapFit [similar]

Pants: Under Armour [exact]

Running Shoes: Newton Running [exact]

Sunglasses: Oakley [exact]

I found this sports bra at the Gap Factory Outlet last weekend, and I love it! It is reminiscent of Lululemon's Energy bra, but at about a fifth of the price. I particularly loved how it looked with the backless tank top I wore. These pants are also part of my latest Under Armour haul. The fit was fantastic! They're very compressive and completely opaque. Even when I was crawling up these walls with my legs all over the place, they stretched well and I didn't have to worry about anyone seeing anything I didn't want them to see. Between these and the C9 pants I shared the other day, I think I've found my new go-to running styles.

Skiing Northstar

Reunited and it feels so good :)

I was back on snow this weekend for the first time this season! My friend Julia (who I worked with at the USSA and skied with all the time over the last two years) recently moved to South Lake Tahoe to work for Heavenly Mountain Resort, one of the resorts Vail owns in the Tahoe area. I've already been up to visit her once since she moved, but we weren't able to go skiing that time. This weekend, though, we went up to the north side of Lake Tahoe and spent a day on the slopes at Northstar!

It was an absolutely beautiful day! Unfortunately, there hasn't been a ton of snow in the Tahoe area yet this season so the conditions weren't perfect, but it was still a lot of fun. As the odd skier who enjoy groomers, it was great for me. I did have the challenge of skiing in skis that were in desperate need of a tune up (the edges were pretty much nonexistent), but that was fine! My legs were another story, though. Running clearly does not work the same muscles as skiing because I was hurting by the middle of the day.

Northstar itself was a great resort. It definitely had some Deer Valley vibes to it (in a good way). The groomed runs were very well done, the lake views were stunning and the on-hill staff were incredibly positive and friendly. Even with it being a busy holiday weekend, we were still able to find plenty of runs to ski that weren't crowded or chewed up. Both my morning coffee and afternoon Mexican food were delicious (although, as with every ski resort, they were overpriced). I love the fact that all of the Vail-owned resorts give you your on-hill photos for free, too! It's a nice touch.

It was an awesome day and I can't wait to get back up to Tahoe for another day on the snow! There's no such thing as a bad day when it involves skiing :)

Vacation, the Flu and Exercise

As I shared the other day, I started my Christmas vacation very enthusiastic about the prospect of running throughout it. After all, I was headed to sunny Florida! Why wouldn't I want to run in warm weather on the beach?!

Then, the flu decided it needed to take out my family over the holidays. First, my mom got sick. That meant missing virtually all of our family Christmas festivities. However, her fever broke before we headed down to Florida, so she still came along. Next, my sister got sick. She, unfortunately, was at the peak of flu horribleness when we left, so she stayed home. I woke up the morning we got to Florida with those beginning twinges of a sore throat and cough. Through some fanatical tea drinking and 12-hour nights of sleep, though, I was able to get through things with a bit more comfort than my mother or sister!

Sister (left)

Shirt: C9 [similar]

Pants: C9 [similar]

Shoes: Nike [similar]

Me (right)

Long Sleeve Half Zip: Nike [similar]

T-shirt: Gap Fit [exact]

Pants: Yogasmoga [exact]

Shoes: Newton Running [exact]

So, we did manage to get in one run before the flu struck. Christmas Eve Eve (two days before Christmas) was unseasonably warm in Indianapolis, so we took advantage of that and went for a run while listening to some One Direction (we're both fans and pretty unashamed about that). A few days later, though, my sister was down for the count and had to opt out of our family trip to Florida. My bout with the flu, though, fortunately held off until I was safely ensconced in 75-degree weather.

Sports bra: Lululemon [similar]

Shorts: Lululemon [similar]

Shoes: Newton Running [exact]

Sunglasses: Oakley [exact]

It was KILLING me not to go running in the amazing weather we have been having here in Florida! I've always been told that you shouldn't run if you have both body symptoms and head symptoms (e.g., muscle aches and pains combined with sinus congestion), so I waited until the body symptoms subsided to get my run on. I probably wasn't quite at the point where I should've been running yet, but I took it super easy (walk-running) and relaxed for quite awhile afterwards. Also, I'm not typically the running-with-no-shirt-on type, but I figured it was warm and everyone else on the beach was in bikinis, so why not?

Wine at the Line

Happy Saturday!

Last night, my little sister got married! It was a beautiful ceremony and, naturally, we all had a bit too much fun celebrating!

My lovely baby sister!

However, I decided I wanted to do a five-mile race today, so I had to power through the pain. This particular race, Wine at the Line, goes through a winery outside Indianapolis and promises a glass of vino at the finish. Normally, that would be very appealing for me! But, after a night of a few too many drinks, it was...a little less attractive. A few years ago, one of my friends told me that she thought running was the best hangover cure. While I can't say I necessarily agree with that, it definitely wasn't as bad as I was expecting!

Long Sleeve T-shirt: C9 [exact]

T-shirt: C9 [exact]

Tights: Under Armour [exact]

Shoes: Newton Running [exact]

After a week of heat and humidity here, a cold front blew through last night and dropped the temperatures down to the 40s. I had only brought along summer running clothes, though, so my mom and I had to make a last minute trip to Target for some extra layers! The pink T-shirt is part of a new line of reflective items at Target. I've been looking for some reflective clothing since it's getting dark earlier, so I didn't mind spending a bit of money on this! I didn't really need another baselayer (I've got tons from living in a ski town for two years!), but I was super grateful for it when the wind picked up at the race! Despite freezing my ass off while waiting for the race to start, my layering ended up being perfect during the race.

Back to San Francisco tomorrow!

Running in the Rain

I haven't had the opportunity to run in the rain in awhile! As much as I love San Francisco weather, rain isn't something that happens too terribly often (at least in the time I've lived there). So, when it was a little drizzly here in Indianapolis the other morning, I was excited about it.

The first few minutes of my rainy run were great! The rain was refreshing and there was a nice breeze. But after the first mile or so, it just felt crazy humid! On my run back (I did an out-and-back loop), the wind was in my face, which meant my sunglasses were covered in raindrops very quickly. Fortunately, it wasn't a super long run, so I was back and out of the rain before too much longer.

This photo kind of encapsulates how I was feeling about running in the rain after about 10 minutes.

Shirt: Under Armour [exact]

Pants: GapFit [similar]

Shoes: Newton Running [exact]

Sunglasses: Oakley [exact]

Headphones: Skullcandy [similar]

The back of this tank top is my favorite part of it! It just looks like a normal tank top in the front, but turn around and it's has a little bit more personality. I wore my highlighter pink pants because a lot of the roads around here lack sidewalks and have super narrow shoulders, which always makes me a little nervous when running on them. I try to run in neighborhoods with less traffic, but there are still a few areas that leave you no choice but to go on main roads! At least with my bright pants, it's a little easier to spot me!

Tonight's my sister's wedding! Can't wait!

Social Running

Happy Sunday Runday! Although I typically don't run back-to-back days (I like to mix it up with yoga or whatever other active thing catches my eye), Crystal asked if I wanted to run this morning, so I figured I'd go for it.

I used to never enjoy running with other people. I'm not a fast runner, and it always seems like running comes very easily to other people. They always wanted to talk while I was sitting there huffing and puffing trying desperately to keep up with them. It really wasn't until I started running with Crystal that I genuinely enjoyed it. It's a different kind of running. It's social running.

What I get out of a run with a friend is totally different than a solo run. My solo runs are exercises in mental strength, mainly. It's all about how hard I can push myself and conquer all those negative thoughts in my mind. With a friend, it sometimes is about getting out there despite not wanting to run, and sometimes, it's a way to up the pace or change up the route. Running with friends makes me more comfortable with trying new things, whereas running solo is about challenging myself on the turf I'm already familiar with.

Shirt: GapFit [exact]

Shorts: Lululemon [exact]

Shoes: Newton Running [exact]

Sunglasses: Oakley [exact]

There's just something about a cloudy day that makes me want to wear bright colors! I love these T-shirts from GapFit...the material is just wonderful. It's nice both for daytime wear and workout wear. They are a big clingy, though, so you may want to size up if you're not comfortable with that! My new running shoes are starting to get broken in, too, so I'm pretty happy about that. I always feel weird running in brand new, spotless shoes!

Adding Some Color to a Cloudy Day

It's a pretty gloomy weekend so far here in SF. It's hot (relatively speaking), humid (again, relatively speaking) and there's no sunshine to speak of...the fog is lingering even during the day. It's kind of nice, though, because I never feel as bad spending a weekend being lazy when it's not particularly nice outside. I thoroughly enjoyed my morning of Netflix and coffee!

By mid-afternoon, though, it was run time. I was a little sore after Thursday's run with Crystal (it's amazing that you can lose so much in just two weeks away!), so I decided to do my 5k loop again. This time, I managed to push myself a bit harder. My speed was back up to normal times, but I was definitely a lot more tired than normal when I hit that 3.5-mile mark. Oh well...just incentive to keep at it!

Shirt: C9 [similar]

Pants: GapFit [similar]

Shoes: Newton Running [exact]

With it being so glum outside, I figured I'd brighten up my run with some fun colors. These pants are some of my favorite pants I own...they fit perfectly! I wish Gap still made their crop pants like this but, alas, they've switched from diamond gusset to triangle gusset and the triangle just doesn't work for me. 

I've been pretty good food-wise today. I had a nice strawberry yogurt parfait for breakfast, which was a nice change from my usual weekend splurges. I made a buffalo chicken sandwich for lunch that I went a little overboard on, but I'm not planning on having a large dinner to counterbalance that. How's everyone else's weekend going so far?

Corporate Challenge

It's been a bit quiet on the workout front! Fortunately, I'm getting my stitches removed from my back tomorrow and should be back to running and yoga very soon!

Today, though, I participated in the 3.35-mile J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge with a bunch of my coworkers.. I couldn't really run, but my back has healed enough that briskly walking worked just fine. Fortunately, my coworker Whitney was kind enough to walk with me! We did attempt to run for a few parts of the race, but my back just wasn't feeling so hot and I decided not to push it. Those little bits of running felt great other than my back, though! I'm anxious to get out and run again!

No clothing info today since you can barely see what I'm wearing! The shirt I'm holding (the finisher shirt) and the one I'm wearing (our team shirt) are both custom race ones, anyways!

More life updates coming soon...and hopefully, more running!

There's Always Room for Running Shoes

Since I won't be able to share much in the way of workouts over the next two weeks, I figured I'd write something a little different than usual. As I'm sure you've noticed, I tend to travel a lot. It's not always glamorous and frequently is just a quick jump across the country to go home for a weekend. Still, there's something about travel that has a tendency to throw off your usual routine, particularly where workouts are concerned.

So, what do I do when I travel?

I'm going to drop a bit more of my Dad's wisdom on you here. When I was younger, I was notorious for trying to pack everything humanly possible in my suitcase. Once, I remember asking my Dad if it was okay to include some running shoes in my suitcase for a family trip to Florida.

"There's always room for running shoes," he said.

That has stuck with me throughout all my travels. Whether I'm going to Russia for work or just going home for a weekend, I always bring my running shoes. Whether you're going to Vegas for a weekend or off to New York, there's always someplace to run. Ask at the front desk of your hotel and they can usually give you a map or rundown of local running trails and areas to avoid. The ability to run anywhere in the world is actually a big reason why I started running in the first place!

A few other good tips and tricks for staying fit on the road...

• Check out the hotel gym and pool. It may not always be big and fancy, but it's something!
• Some hotels, like the Aria in Vegas, offer fitness programs for guests. Ask at the front desk!
• Take a workout DVD along or sign up for an online workout program like Daily Burn (my sister swears by it!). These are usually designed to be done in smaller spaces, so a hotel room or guest bedroom floor should work just fine.
• Bring multi-purpose clothing. I personally love wearing yoga pants and leggings both for fun and workouts, so they serve double duty when I travel.
• Don't go too crazy when you go out to eat! Even though it's tempting to throw your cares to the wind on vacation, splurge where you really want to but don't go crazy at every meal.

Anyone else have any tips that have worked for them? Tweet your tips to me (@ripode) and I'm happy to add them in!

Shake it Off

After a few days off courtesy of a rolled ankle, I'm back at it!

I typically do my weekend runs on Saturday mornings, but yesterday I was busy helping Crystal with stuff for her wedding most of the day (we made some pretty awesome centerpieces!). So, this morning, after being lazy and thoroughly enjoying my morning coffee and an episode of Covert Affairs on the living room sofa, I decided to run the Golden Gate Bridge again.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky, which isn't all that common here in San Francisco! While I can't say the running part was as great as my last bridge run (I had to stop for walking breaks pretty frequently and wasn't winning any awards on speed), I did end up getting to 10 miles total! Taylor Swift's super catchy new single popped up on shuffle right at mile six when I was thinking about taking a shortcut home...but it reenergized me and I got four more miles in.

Tank: Forever 21 [similar]

Sports bra: C9 [similar]

Shorts: Lululemon [exact]

Shoes: Newton Running [exact]

Sunglasses: Oakley [exact]

San Francisco runners are spoiled because it's pretty much always cloudy and cool, which makes the weather absolutely perfect for running. Today, though, it was HOT!! I took my tank top off for most of my run and just wore my sports bra (which I'm sure thrilled all of the tourists on the bridge who bumped into sweaty me when they weren't paying attention). I was pleasantly surprised by how little sweat was visible on these shorts!

I've been pretty good food-wise this weekend. I did reward myself with ice cream post-run, though! They say chocolate milk is a great recovery food, so that means chocolate ice cream is, too, right?!

Taking Out the Head Trash

My dad is an awesome runner. He's in his 50s but runs half marathons at least every other month (including at least one in every state I've lived in!). Anytime I have an excellent run, I call him during my cooldown walk to tell him about it.

His dad was also a really great runner. One of the things I remember my dad always telling me that his dad said is that a run is when you take out your head trash. I didn't really understand what that meant when I was trying to run when I was younger. But with each foray I make into running, I understand it more and more.

It's been a busy week at work. One of my clients had a corporate launch, which meant 10+ hour days and early mornings. I hadn't been eating properly because I tend to reach for the potato chips when I'm not consciously thinking about nutrition. Even though I wanted to exercise, it was the last thing on my mind when I was getting home at 9pm and hadn't eaten dinner yet. So, over a couple of days, my "head trash" had started to pile up.

This afternoon, I was just mentally exhausted. For the first time in a long time, I just had this feeling that I had to run. I knew in the back of my mind that running was what it was going to take to get rid of any leftover stress. So, I threw on my running shoes as soon as I got home from work and I ran.

My goodness, did it feel great!

I ended up running 3.5 miles and was smiling by the end. I love it when that happens!

Top: Nike [similar]

Shorts: Lululemon [exact]

Socks: C9 [exact]

I can't say my outfit today was nearly as impressive as my run! I love these shorts (the colors are some of my favorites and the fabric is very light while still opaque) and shirt (it's from my Olympic days!), but together, they just don't look amazing! But, hey - they got the job done today!

Wine and Cheese and Running

I swear...anytime I don't feel like running at all, I end up having my best runs! When I got home tonight, my legs hurt and I was hungry. So, I gave myself a half hour to down some cereal and water and then forced myself outside. I ended up running for 35 minutes without stopping, which is way more than I was supposed to on this particular day of Couch to 5k. The weather was perfect tonight, so I'm guessing that helped!

Shirt: Columbia Sportswear [similar]

Pants: Lululemon [similar]

Shoes: Newton Running [exact]

These pants are actually five years old! They were given to me by a friend ages ago and still look and feel just as good as the day I first received them. I wish Lululemon still made things as high quality as these! Don't get me wrong...I clearly like Lululemon (almost every one of my #WOOTDs seems to include it), but it just isn't what I used to be. 

MyFitnessPal was great today! I ended up eating well enough throughout the day that I had a few calories leftover to enjoy a glass of wine and a little bit of cheese before bed. It's definitely been my best nutrition day in awhile. I also got inspired while grocery shopping tonight and made four days worth of yogurt parfaits to take to work so I can avoid my morning stop at Starbucks for breakfast. 

Good days are the best!