mark down monday: colds and other "road blocks"

It is widely accepted that having a cold during the summer is awful. Try having it during the hottest days of summer!

At the end of last week I was having a bit of insomnia (which has continued to the present, to some extent) and in combination with going from sub-zero AC temps to the sweltering outdoors, somewhere along the long the line my sinuses gave up. I woke up on Saturday morning with a miserable cold.

BUT! As much as I wanted to make excuses and skip my workouts over the weekend and this morning, I got going and was mostly productive.  I did a little research first to make sure working out with a cold was okay to do- turns out that most doctors say if your cold is contained to your head, you're good to goo. So go I did!

I didn't get to finish testing the new circuit workout I'm planning to share on my blog because I had a serious case of the sneezy sniffles (and had to keep wiping snot on my shorts, yum!) which kept me from really staying ahead of my workout... it got the best of me! Here's a recap of my workouts this week, sick days included:

• Monday: 20 minutes on the Elliptical (350 cals) and #FitAbs
• Tuesday: Cardio Sculpt Class
• Wednesday: 20 minutes on the Elliptical, 1 mile (9:00) on the indoor track, and #FitAbs
• Thursday: Cardio Sculpt Class- I can't remember why, but I really didn't want to go to class on Thursday, and I ended up being disappointed in it; I think everyone was just so beat from the heat wave, including the instructor, that the class was a bore. Also, we didn't do any core work! What the heck!
• Friday: Day off.
• Saturday: Sick Day #1. Ran a slow, hot 3 miles, stopped to walk twice. Followed by abs (205 reps!) Oddly enough, my sinuses felt the best they did all day when I was running...
• Sunday: Sick Day #2. Tested out 3/4 of my new circuit strength workout. Once I go through the whole thing once or twice more I will definitely be sharing it. It's a doozy!

Goals for the Coming Week (Only 18 days left in Bloomington!):

• Life: Try to rid myself of insomnia. Get the sleep, nutrients and relaxation I need to get rid of this cold. Keep up a positive attitude, because it reflects on other parts of life.
• Exercise: I had a really wonderful run this morning (went 2.5 miles with two VERY brief stops, so proud!) so if the weather cooperates I'd like to continue my morning runs on days that aren't Cardio Sculpt classes.
• Eating: I did pretty well last week with incorporating "treats" into my diet. This week I'm going to focus on having less treats.  Last week I had a lot of these: 

Iced Skinny Caramel Macchiato,
will you marry me?

• Blog: I was pretty happy with my blog this week! I had a bunch of fun posts, including a review of my favorite Bloomington restaurant, which got featured by @VisitBtown, and the low-down on RenPure and Burt's Bees shampoos. Going to try to keep up about ~3 posts per week. I feel like it's a good number without totally exhausting me.

That's all for me this week! It's interesting how last week I really needed, relied on, and thrived on my goals, and this week, while I still recognize their importance, I'm nowhere near as dependent on them. It just goes to show how much your life and outlook can change in seven days, I guess!

Happy goal-making, everyone!

three meals at the runcible spoon: bloomington, in

In the past two weeks, my favorite restaurant here in Bloomington has quickly become The Runcible Spoon.  It had been recommended to me by one of my best friends, musician Lauren Fairweather, but for some reason it took me five weeks before I finally ate there. I'm glad I did- the atmosphere is fun and relaxed, the food is cheap, vegan and veggie friendly, and most importantly, amazingly delicious.

So delicious, in fact, that in the past two weeks I've been back four times.  I brought cameras along with me after the first time so I could share some of my eats with you!

At breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the Tex-Mex Ranchero Omelette hits the spot.  It melds healthy fats (avocado) and not so healthy fats (sour cream, my fave!) with delicious veggies like spinach and tomatoes. It is seasoned to perfection and comes with a side of the Spoon's delicious whole wheat toast.  Filling, fabulous, and rings in at under ten bucks including coffee. A perfect savory meal.

I'm also happy to report that the Spoon boasts one of the most delicious bean burgers I have ever had the priveledge of stuffing my face with. Served on a crispy whole wheat bun, with fresh veggies and a side of smashed potatoes (crispy on the outside, smooshy on the inside!), it is one of the best deals for dinner that I have heard- $5.75 for all that food, plus a lil extra if you want cheese.

My favorite of the three dishes I've tried so far is obviously the one I ate twice- the Spoon's famous pancakes.  I'm generally not a fluffy pancake type of girl. I also usually tend to think that pancakes the size of a plate are for heathens.  I break these habits when I come to the Runcible Spoon.  I add pear to my pancakes here, and I've never experienced anything more heavenly.  The pancakes are prepared with four different types of flour, which I suppose is why they are so light, and stuffing two of them down the ol' pie hole doesn't make me feel like a heffer. Or like a brick is sitting in my stomach the rest of the day.  Both positive things. They are honestly just the best pancakes I've ever eaten at a restaurant (best pancakes ever goes to my mom, duh!).

Also worth mentioning- the Spoon has a huge tea and coffee selection for the caffeine gurus in you.  This morning with brunch I sampled "Moscow Nights" black tea, and it may have been the best tea I've had since Russia.

I can see why The Runcible Spoon has been a Bloomington and Indiana University favorite since 1976.  It's affordable, accessible to all types of diners, and has the food to make crazed, bored students like myself make multiple visits a week. 

organic hygiene for normal gals: shampoo review

When I originally thought about this concept, I intended to pit these two amazing products- shampoo from Burt's Bees and Renpure Organics- against each other.

After using each of them for a significant amount of time, I can't say that I prefer one to the other, but I certainly will give you the lowdown on each brand and my favorite things about them!

I'm all a-buzz!

Burt's Bees was the first natural shampoo that I tried. I had been using super expensive salon brands for a while (my super amazing stylist got angry when I told him I used Pantene, comparing it to washing my hair with dish soap), and it was a drain on my budget.  Furthermore, when I found out what kind of crap I was putting into the environment, the itch to switch to organic really got to me.  I had always been an admirer of Burt's Bees, and when I found out that their products were not only easily accessible at most CVSs, Wegman's, and Targets, but CHEAPER BY HALF than my salon brand, the deal was done.

I have to admit, I was a little weirded out at first by the texture of the shampoo.  As I massaged it into my scalp, sometimes my fingers would get knotted in my hair, I suppose because it doesn't include some sort of detangler.  No worries, though- it rinses out clean as a whistle.

After running the conditioner through my hair (and massaging it on my scalp, which, with other conditioners, would cause my hair to get greasy quickly), and giving it a quick blow out (read: turning my head upside-down and shaking it around while holding a blowdryer in the vicinity), my hair was literally THE SOFTEST IT HAD EVER BEEN, and SO SHINY.  Also, while the grapefruit scent is a little overwhelming in the shower (especially for someone like me, who doesn't have a good relationship with the fruit itself), my hair kept a light, fruity, clean scent for 1-2 days after washing*.

Space Bottle to the Rescue

I got a totally awesome deal on my RenPure, which was two bucks off at the CVS I bought it from! The consistency of the shampoo is definitely more similar to a "normal" shampoo, and the scent is amazing.  It has more of a silky, lotion-like scent that has even wafted to my nostrils after sweaty workouts! Plus the packaging is totally neat.

My hair seems to get dirtier a little faster with RenPure, but it also takes less work to get it to look how I want- I can let it dry in a braid and it comes out smooth and shiny. What's even more awesome is that I have noticed less hair in the drain/on my brush than normal! Upon checking out the Renpure website, I found that this is common with their products:

16. Since switching to Renpure products, I’ve noticed a significant reduction in the number of hairs in the drain, how do you do that?

Renpure uses a unique and exclusive blend of surfactants to clean the hair. These ingredients not only foam to remove debris, but also act as emulsifiers to more gently remove oils, resulting in a reduction in the amount of friction the exposed to. This is important because the older the hair is or if the hair is chemically treated, it is more brittle. Therefore, because of this diminished friction effect, the consumer breaks less hairs as the products are applied.

Overall, I notice no significant difference in the strength, shine, smell, or feel of my hair since switching to organic, natural, readily available hair care products; in fact, I would say my hair has improved in all of these categories.

Have you tried any organic hygiene products? Do you make your own? Share your tips in the comments!

*I know, I'm totally gross. I will just admit it: I do not take a full shower every day. I am definitely a shower economizer. That being said, I am not smelly. When I am smelly, I shower. I just have a higher smell/sweat threshold than most, so leave me alone! :)

mark down monday: the doldrums

It's already 10pm on Monday night, which is generally my bedtime before my early Cardio Sculpt class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so this is going to have to be a quick one!

Fortunately, I can sum up my week with one onomatopoeic word: MEHHHHHHH.

As I mentioned earlier, it was midterm week here at the language workshop, and although I didn't feel that I had a whole lot to study, my stress levels were high. I also just hit an emotional low for the first time while being here; I was restless of being in the several square mile radius that is walkable Bloomington, I was tired of the social ventures available here, and I was just tired. Not a good week.

Coupled with the heat wave and a new eating plan, I was not only stressed, but stress-eating all week.  Overall, my five small meals per day trial went pretty well, but even though I was planning every morsel I would eat the night before, ensuring I would be well-fueled throughout the day, I still felt largely unsatisfied much of the time, which led to stress and boredom-induced snacking.

After having my intake planned to a T last week and stressing about calories, I'm starting to feel like maybe I need to take a break from calorie counting for a little while, now that I am in the swing of things and know how much and when I need to eat to fuel my language learning (and workouts, duh!). I'm going to give myself this week to figure things back out and get my emotions in check, and hopefully I won't need to make any drastic changes come next Monday.

Stat Check

• Monday: Elliptical and abs.
• Tuesday: Cardio Sculpt
• Wednesday: Julie from Peanut Butter Fingers' Elliptical Workout (shortened to 30 mins), abs and arms.
• Thursday: Cardio Sculpt
• Friday: Day off. 
• Saturday: Left early for Louisville. Ate a lot of food. Once again: mehhhh.
• Sunday: 20 minutes on the Elliptical at a high intensity, fast one mile run on the indoor track, Polish Power Strength Workout

I did okay with last week's goals, especially sunscreen! I've been applying every day. I didn't get to my Organic Hygiene for Normal Gals post due to midterm craziness, but I did post a heat-induced spur of the moment review of my Brita Bottle.

The #FitBlog 3000 in 35 challenge is still going great! Last week I logged 705 reps. I think I'm starting to see some subtle differences in the way my midriff looks.

W tym tygodniu (heck yes, Polski!)

• Blog: Let's see if I can do more than two posts per week, shall we?
• Eating: I just want to be happy with my consumption and myself this week. I want to feel satisfied. I do not want to feel stuffed, I do not want to starve. I'm going to do my best to make that happen, while relying less on calorie counting and more on how I feel.
• Fitness: Push it! This became a theme a little bit last week and I'm ready to take it home this week.
• Life: Try to get back to the sense of fulfillment  I felt when was not yet bored of being here. Do my best with Polish even when I'm tuckered out or never want to hear a Slavic language again. Take time out for me and the things that I love. Lose myself in a book.

It's amazing how much better I feel after simply thinking this all through. Goal setting is the bomb diggity.

What are your goals this week?

louisville, ky: where nutrition came to die

Our little group with Colonel Sanders.
Yes, I felt it entirely necessary to wear a big hat to Louisville.

It was hump week this week.  Friday we had our "midterms" for the program, marking a semester's worth of language learning done in only four weeks. To celebrate (and to get the hell out of the three mile radius we have traversed on foot and called home for the past month), a bunch of us rented a car and drove to Louisville, KY, about a two hour trip from Bloomington.

I have never been to Kentucky before, and didn't really have high expectations, but being the obsessive compulsive planner that I am, made sure we checked off a few unique Kentucky experiences on our trip. Unsurprisingly, they all had to do with (pretty much entirely unhealthy) food. Readers, shield your eyes! Except not really... the food was darn good, y'all!

A bourbon that will be sent out in 2012, costing about $700
per barrel! 

Our first stop on the Kentucky Food (well, in this case, beverage) Tour was the Jim Beam Distillery, which is about 30 minutes south of Louisville.  We learned about the Bourbon-making process, got to walk inside a warehouse holding 20,000 barrels of aging whiskey, and sample a few different types of Bourbon. Personally, I can't really handle any type of whiskey. I think it tastes foul and it makes my whole body shiver when I drink it. Not pleasant! It sure smelled good out there though. We found out that some of the whiskey evaporates from the barrels- they call this "Angel's Share," which we found hilarious. It colors all the trees, buildings, and basically everything outdoors black. This was how prohibition agents would find moonshine stills back in the 1930s!

A delicious and not so nutritious Kentucky Hot Brown.
The turkey, buried somewhere underneath Mt. Cheese ,
was some of the best I've ever had!

Our next stop was the famed Lynn's Paradise Cafe in Louisville itself, where we came to get a big ol' Kentucky-style meal. All of us opted for the "Hot Brown," the official dish of Louisville, which can best be described as an open-faced turkey sandwich doused with a creamy cheddar-and-probably-other-cheeses sauce, topped with tomatoes and bacon. It was kind of insane, and very delicious. Our only complaint was that there was probably a little TOO much cheese on it, and the turkey/bread ratio in comparison with the cheese was a tad low. However, we left Lynn's full-to-bursting and walked off our sandwiches around downtown Louisville and along the Ohio River.

I particularly liked the sugar-dusted crust.

Our last culinary adventure of the day involved pie. Nearly five hours after cheese became the main component in our bloodstream, we were starting to feel pangs of hunger... sort of. But we didn't want to leave Louisville without stopping at the famous Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen. I could barely decide what to order as I stood faced with flavors I had never sampled, but I went with an old favorite: peach pie a la mode. It was good, but definitely not mind-blowingly awesome. Perhaps it would have been better on an emptier stomach; after I ate it I once again felt like I would not recover from my food coma.

All food aside, I really enjoyed my time in Lousiville.  The downtown is clean and classy, with some interesting attractions. If you're driving through, you and your stomach should certainly stop for a Hot Brown.

Hydrating with the Brita Bottle: a Review

It was ridiculously hot in Bloomington (and according to the Weather Channel, all across the US) today.  For some reason the electricity/water cooling system in Bloomington fails when it gets this hot out, and so the building my class is in had no air conditioning. We were also unable to open the windows. It was honestly hard to breathe... let alone speak Polish.

Luckily, I've been carting around my new Brita Filter Bottle since I got to Bloomington. After finishing the giant bottle of Evian I had downed after getting off the plane, I got a glass of water from the faucet, only to discover that Bloomington water tastes like sucking on a pipe.

I wasn't going to buy another water filtration system since I already have a Brita pitcher at home, and after a trip to Target I discovered that I had a variety of filter-bottle options, including the Bobble, the CamelBak Groove, and the Brita. I ended up choosing the latter because of sheer price- when bought the Brita in a two pack (which I split with a friend who had a similar reaction to the tap water here), it was a whole 20 cents cheaper than the Bobble! I also felt like it was probably more durable and useable, and less "cutesy."

I'd give my experience with this bottle a 7/10. The water tastes better coming out of it, it's ergonomically pleasing and easy to exercise with, and the price is definitely right. I've also seen my water consumption go through the roof with better-tasting water always at my fingertips.

However, in order to make the bottle not leak all over you, you need to make sure you close it correctly, or else you will lift it up to take a nice big swig of ice cold water, and... you've spilled it all down the front of your shirt:

All of the spots visible on my shirt are from drinking from
my Brita Bottle as I wrote this post. Albeit, I didn't close
it very carefully, but....

Overall, I would recommend it to someone who is looking to be able to rehydrate anytime, anywhere, without the necessity of a larger or more expensive filtration system, and who might not mind a little sprinkle now and then :)

Remember, even on days when the heat index ISN'T 100+ degrees, it's important to stay hydrated. It keeps your skin clear, your tummy full, and YOU full of energy.

Happy H20 guzzling!

mark down monday: attack of the food monster

It's time to evaluate how I did with my goals this week! While at first my Mark Down Mondays weren't really doing much for me, I'm starting to really enjoy the reflection, as well as looking forward to see how I can improve. I highly recommend it- and I'd love to hear your goals for the week, fitness or otherwise, in the comments.

Fitness Bid'ness

• Monday- Honestly, I'm so surprised I got out for a run on the Fourth of July. Not only had I eaten quite a bit at the picnic the program threw for us, but I had walked around town to the tune of 3 miles beforehand, AND it was hot as balls. I forced myself outside and completed a sweaty, slow 2 miles.
• Tuesday- Cardio Sculpt class. Getting a little bored in these classes but I'm not ready to make a big jump up in weight, which is all that's available to me. Trying to do the hard options and push myself whenever possible. Notably (and hilariously), while completing a pike on a stability ball, I rolled off my ball and onto the floor! How graceful.
• Wendesday- 20 minutes on the elliptical and abs.
• Thursday- Cardio Sculpt.
• Friday- 2.89 miles. Made it 1.5 miles without stopping, which I know is wimpy to some of you crazy distance runners, but it's hard for me. Slowly getting to where I want to be for the 5k in November.
• Saturday- Running Club! It was so hot outside that we didn't want to slog out a whole 5k, so we did a mile of hills followed by some intense group ab work.
• Sunday- Felt the need to get some more cardio in, so did 20 minutes on the elliptical instead of my usual 5-10 as a strength warmup, and then did my Polish Power workout.

So, overall, I'm pretty happy with my fitness. I got in a lot of running, as planned, and I hope to continue if the weather cooperates.

Fab #FitAbs

The 3000 in 35 #FitAbs challenge is going swimmingly! Last week I completed 708 reps of ab exercises, and I'm aiming for about the same this week. I had planned to dedicate a whole blog post each week to the challenge, but it turns out that it is surprisingly easy to fit at least 100 reps of my favorite exercises into my daily routine, even on days off or days I don't normally work my abs. So why not!? As  a side note, I LOVE "The Tuck" which Ashley taught us this week! So easy, fun and effective!

Beware the Food Monster

What I'm UNhappy with is my eating plan. I really wanted to eat clean this week, but something in me snapped. I ate out way too much, had ice cream twice, an unplanned Friday night outing turned into beer and bar food, and I was snacking all the while. I call myself a food monster when I behave like this. I just go around om nom noming everything that I feel like. The result is that I gained back some of the weight that Indiana had mercifully taken from me.

While I'm not so concerned about my weight, I would like to curb my snacking/craving inducing hunger, so I decided I'm going to plan my meals a little differently this week. Instead of eating 3 larger meals and hoping to get by, I'm going to try to evenly divide up my "meals" and "snacks" to keep me satiated throughout the day. I test drove this plan on Sunday to see if it might work (taking into account my break schedule during class), and here's what happened:

• "Breakfast" (pre and post workout snacks)- Some pineapple and a kashi TLC bar (140 cals), organic chocolate milk (170 cals).
• Mini Morning Snack 1 (~10am)- 100 cal almond mini muffin
• Mini Morning Snack 2 (~11am)- Oatmeal made with almond milk (200 cal)
• Lunch- Turkey, cheddar cheese, mustard on whole grain bread (300 cal)
• Afternoon Snack (poolside!)- red plum (30 cals), lightly buttered popcorn (30 cals), pb&j on whole grain (360 cals)
• Dinner- Kashi Frozen Entree (290 cals) sprinkled with goat cheese (30 cals), Pineapple, Baby Carrots, and Wheat thins for Snacky-desserts.

Spreading out my "mini meals," each around 320 calories, really did keep me full and happy all day. This was a fairly active day too- I did strength AND spent the day at the pool. Hopefully this new plan will work well for the coming week (and onward), and help me plan out my meals more carefully so I can afford to eat treats like ice cream and have a beer on Friday night :)

The Coming Week:

• Eating Goal: Eat clean! PLAN treats and nights out!
• Fitness Goal: Try to tack on a little more time before stopping and walking on runs.
• Blog Goal: Continue with my Organic Hygiene for Normal Gals series. Take more pictures! I have one picture from this week, but it makes a very delicious soup look rather gruel-esque.
• Life Goal: Wear more sunscreen. I didn't reapply at the pool today and I am definitely seeing the results. If I hadn't just bought this sunscreen, I would be running out to the store to shell out the big bucks for Neutrogena, because I use that on my face and my face is now about 3 shades lighter than the rest of my body. Except the rest of my body is mostly pink right now. Hopefully it's not too bad of a burn and will be brown by tomorrow. I'm just grumpy with myself for not thinking that reapplication was necessary. On the bright side, I recently purchased Burt's Bee's Day Creme with SPF 15, so at least my face will continue to be protected even on non-pool days. 

What are your fitness goals this week?

organic hygiene for normal gals: an intro

Lake Moraine, Alberta, Canada.
The world needs more places this clean.

During the first few weeks of an environmental studies class I took in my last semester of college, we read an article by Alan Weisman entitled "Polymers Are Forever," which details this (simplified for easy reading) process occurring all over the world:

The stuff we clean ourselves with has plastic in it (or, in cases of far more stupid human beings than myself, we improperly dispose of bottles and other plastic items). This stuff washes eventually washes into the ocean, where it is broken up by the current and waves into tiny tiny pieces, which are mistaken by fish for food. Fish eat them. We eat fish. We ingest plastic.

That's the short version. It struck me that not only was the Neutrogena Body Clear Body Scrub I had been using for years full of plastic exfoliating beads which helped keep my "backne" at bay, but the makeup, shampoo, facewash... everything that helped keep me clean and beautiful was contributing to the dirtying of the Earth and affecting its inhabitants, down to the smallest little fishies. The effects can be seen in this video, which is part of a TED talk about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (interest piqued?), also detailed in Weisman's article:

I do not want to eat plastic. I do not want to eat a piece of fish that has been breathing my dirty Redken shampoo water its whole life.  I may not be perfect, and as a poor graduate student my budget and overall life circumstances can't support a 100% organic lifestyle in this regard, but I like to think I go about as organic as possible for a normal gal.

That is to say- I understand the many restrictions of an organic lifestyle for most people around the world. So, I present to you one of the steps I've taken, starting with the small, easy, and surprisingly inexpensive- hygiene products!

In coming posts, I'll be detailing my experiences with three organic hygiene brands: Burt's Bees, Renpure, and St. Ive's.  Next week: shampoo!

What are your favorite organic hygiene products?

mark down monday: summer sweat

Happy Fourth of July! I have off from class today (thank goodness, because I feel like a zombie), and before I begin my restful day of studying and naps, I thought I'd give you the lowdown on how last week went and how I hope this week will go :)

Overall, this week was a week of averages. I made some poor eating choices, I ate some really healthy stuff. I had some workouts that left me feeling "eh," I had a few really excellent workouts. I'm content with average- not every week can be amazing, right?

The Eats

• I bought a tiny blender for $15 and had my first few Green Monster Smoothies! The first recipe I tried was Diana from The Chic Life's Cookies and Cream Green Monster, and it was delicious! This is also the first time I've tried almond milk, and I think I'm hooked. 
• At my weekly pizza trip to Mother Bear's, my friend Elliott and I chose a healthier option- a veggie pizza! It was quite delicious, and a good way to get those veggies in :)

Mother Bear's "Summer Garden."
Spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, and broccoli! mmm.

• Ever since I arrived in Bloomington, I've been obsessed with Red Mango! I think it is the tastiest froyo I've ever had. 

What I like to call "The PMS Special."
Note copious amounts of chocolate chips.

• I also ate with some friends at a new HuHot Mongolian Grille that opened up in town. I usually love Mongolian places, and while the ambiance of this chain was fun, I wasn't entirely impressed with their vegetable selection and was in a serious and dangerous food coma after eating only two half plates full of food. I found out later that their sauces contain two times more sodium than a person should consume in a day, not to mention that I loaded up on the carbs way more than my body is used to at the moment. Even though the lunch menu was a good deal and the restaurant had a fun vibe, I probably won't be returning.

The Feats

• Monday- Cardio- Easy 5k prep on the indoor track. Decided I definitely needed to step it up a notch.
• Tuesday- Cardio Sculpt Class. Still coping with the effects that waking up at 6am has on my day. For example, I fell asleep during a film viewing. I was seriously out for about 20 minutes. I think if I snack during the movie it might keep me awake, but I'm not sure what kind of compromise that is.
• Wednesday- Cardio- Wasn't feeling the elliptical so did another 5k workout. This time I ran 1/4 mile, walked 1/8. It was definitely tiring but I realized that in a half hour I was getting nowhere near 5k length. Hmmm.
• Thursday- Cardio Sculpt Class. We used body bars in this class, and since they are more similar to bars+plates that I'm used to working with, I took heavy bars and really challenged myself. Wasn't as sore as I was last week, but felt accomplished.
• Running Club! Thursday was the first meeting of our running club for language workshop participants! We did a 5k- running 1 mile splits and stopping to walk for no more than 3 minutes in between each of the splits. I felt so accomplished afterward! We also ran with a pace of about 8:50/mile, meaning I am quite capable of finishing my 5k in under 30 minutes!
• Friday- Day off. Sort of. I started the #Fitabs Challenge and completed 100 ab exercises on Friday!
• Saturday- Cardio, arms, and abs. Did 30 minutes on elliptical, 100 ab exercises and arm toning. Had to leave weight area sooner than anticipated because of a strange guy who was grunting louder than weight-lifting-men usually grunt and caressing himself/dancing in between sets. Hmm.
• Sunday- Polish Power Strength Workout!

The Coming Week

• Fitness Goal: I think I'd like to replace more of my elliptical workouts with 5k training. I will be running twice a week with our group, but I'd like to continue to train on my own, so I can take things at my own pace. While I'm pleased as punch to know that I can run a 5k all in one swoop, I still will continue to follow the Couch to 5k plan, pushing myself at a faster pace than I would on distance runs.
• Eating Goal: I want to eat very cleanly this week. I'm going to try to make it without trips to Starbucks on long days, because I've had a few incidents in which caffeine may have kept me up late. Hopefully Green Monsters can replace my Iced Skinny Caramel Macchiatos. Also, I have so much delicious food from the Farmer's Market and a really fruitful shopping trip, I should have no reason to eat crap.
• Blog Goal: Since I've started this blog, I've been meaning to post about organic personal hygiene products, but since I view it as a pretty academically-oriented post, I wanted to wait until I had time to write it well. This is the week! I'm giving myself until Thursday evening. It should be totally doable. I will also be posting short #fitabs updates every Friday.
• Life Goal: Continue my voracious reading pace (I finished Water for Elephants in less than 24 hours). Enjoy more Bloomington sunsets like this one:

I have a particularly well-situated window. It gives me joy!

Have a great week and a great Fourth!