Home Sweet Home

Thursday:

Beautiful sunrise run…first at the beach

and then along the Watercolor trails and boardwalks!

The downside to Jason returning home before me…He sent me this picture of the mail I received while on vacation.  Busted.

After my run, I had another breakfast on the Fish Out of Water patio.  The view and my fruit bowl were gorgeous!

I opted for the adult pool after breakfast.  The Watercolor Inn Beach Club is full of energy and this pool provides a nice quiet spot to relax.

And then, it was time to pack and head home, but not before one last picture from my balcony.

I basically packed a bucket of pineapple for the drive home. I also found a Smoothie King (they have vegan options).

Friday: National Donut Day!

Coincidence?  I think not.

What better way to kickoff donut day than with a gym workout followed by a green smoothie!  I am loving the New Balance Ice Graphic Tunic and 876 seemed like a fun number to run.  Take that OCD runners!

Bye, bye sand.  A much needed carwash.

I have been taking dates with me to snack on throughout the day.  One date really fixes my sweet tooth!

And, the main reason I came home (other than seeing my husband!) was to pickup my race bib for this weekend’s Franklin Half Marathon!  I’m joining friends and using it as a training run.  It’s always a super hot/hilly race.  I would never choose it as a goal race, but it’s fun to support a local run with friends!

After lots of yummy vacation food, I opted to skip the donuts.  It’s all about balance and I had my fair share of sweets over the last week.

Do you enjoy just running races for fun with friends or does your competitive spirit kick in?

Did you celebrate donut day?  What kind and from where? Obviously, I’m living vicariously!

After vacations, do you feel the need to “reign it in” and eat a little healthier?

Happy Weekend and Choose Joy!

The Friday Five

1.  Happy National Donut Day!!  Both Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ Donuts are giving away free donuts.

2.  Coola Sport spf30 Pina Colada Sunscreen Spray.  It’s organic, vegan, cruelty-free, and you get to smell like a cocktail!

3.  I am loving the new Picky Bar flavor, Ah Fudge Nuts!

4.  I enjoy following Annie Jaffrey’s beauty vlog.  She recommended Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia perfume and I’m so glad I ordered a bottle.  Gardenia is one of my favorite scents, it’s 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and affordable.

5.  Every time I wear the Lacie shorts from Lilly Pulitzer, I get compliments.  Lilly just brought them back (they’ve been sold out for a while) and I made sure to order another back-up pair.  They’re also super comfortable with an elastic waist band.

Happy Friday and Choose Joy!!!

My husband left me…at the beach.

I hope you had a very Happy National Running Day!!!!  I loved reading everyone posts about why they run…so inspiring!

Annie at TheLittleGSP.com pointed out that I never explained where 30A is…oops!  I’ve been hanging out on the Florida panhandle.  Scenic highway 30a is between Panama City and Destin.  It’s comprised of a bunch of little beach towns.

Wednesday:

The sunrise was gorgeous!!

Jason and I went swimming in the ocean (aka nature’s shower) after our run.

All washed up!  This was my not-so-graceful exit from the ocean.  Big thanks to Jason for catching this gem!

We went back to the Fish Out Of Water patio for breakfast.  They have THE BEST french toast that I’ve ever head in my life.  If you’re on 30A, you must try it.  I’m going to recreate it when I get home!

Then the leaving part…We were supposed to check out and head home, but I wasn’t ready.  Jason needed to get back for work, so he left and I stayed.  I seriously have the greatest husband!

Post-breakfast pool time!

Bike ride…

Lunch at Raw and Juicy (green smoothie, chia pudding, and coconut macaroons!)

Shopping in Seaside

Balcony coffee time.

Random dinner (salad, sweet potato fries, and fried green tomatoes) on the Great Southern patio

A big perk to staying at the Watercolor Inn: They deliver cookies to your room every night during turn down service…yum!

And, I totally forgot to post our turtle rescue from a couple of days ago.  Jason decided to shoot a play-by-play.  Look how big he/she is…so cool!!!

Do you ever just order random items off the menu that don’t go together?  Sometimes I just want what I want.

Do you have a sweet tooth before bed?  Those cookies don’t stand a chance with me.  They’re gone in a minute.

Rank in order of your favorite to least favorite…french toast, pancakes, waffles.  For me, it’s waffles, french toast, and then pancakes.  (Except with this french toast.  It always wins!)

#choosejoy

I’m not going home.

Tuesday:

We kicked off the day by heading to Justin Gaffrey’s gallery.  Jason got me one of his paintings for Valentine’s Day this year.  I’m a big fan!  You can see my painting in THIS POST!

We had breakfast on the patio at Fish Out Of Water.

We put in a little morning pool time….

Until some rain moved in.  Us, an umbrella, and a rain storm shenanigans.

For lunch we had a giant bowl of guacamole…and other food too, but it wasn’t near as exciting!!!

We did a little shopping and hopped on our bikes for an afternoon ride.  I love vacations where we don’t have to get in our car!!

Followed by a walk over to Seaside for dinner.  (Gross random note:  This was the first time I showered all day.  The ocean and swimming pool count for something, right?!)

Are you wearing jumpsuits and/or rompers?  I LOVE them!

Do you have any special plans for National Running Day?

Do you count the ocean or swimming pool as “bathing” during vacation?  (Don’t judge me!  I did eventually shower.)

#choosejoy

May Miles in 30A!

Another month is in the books!

May Miles: 343.  YTD: 1,571

Monday:

A bunch of Instagram runners wore orange for their run in honor of  @shanloves2run who lost her brother last week.  Everyone used the hashtag #runnerorange…pretty cool way to send some love her way.

We spent the morning exploring the Watersound dunes.  Beautiful!

Breakfast was at Raw and Juicy in Seaside!

Followed by a peaceful walk on the beach.

And pool time!

Where we were joined by this little guy…or girl.

The afternoon brought off and on showers, so we headed out for some retail therapy….first at Beau (my favorite home goods store).

And then Rosemary Beach!

For dinner, we had Italian at Borago.

I have a big crush on their Wild Mushroom Ravioli.

We walked over to Seaside to watch the sunset.  The clouds were crazy!

What do you like to do on rainy days at the beach?

Are you a mushroom lover?

How was your Monday?

#choosejoy

Oh Hey, 30A!

Saturday:

I woke up at an ungodly hour to get a little run in before we hit the road.  I was rewarded with a feather…it’s the little things!

Of course we stopped for a big gulp sized coffee at Starbucks.

I packed a bunch of fruit to nosh on and we hit Chipotle for lunch.

We made it Watercolor in about 7 hours.  It’s definitely worth it for this view!!

We cleaned up and headed out for dinner at the Great Southern Cafe!

They have one of my favorite veggie plates ever!

Sunday:

I hit the Watercolor trails for a gorgeous run!

And met up with Jason at Another Broken Egg for breakfast!

Fruit and oatmeal goodness!

And then he joined me for the run back to Watercolor. 30A has a great bike/run path that runs the entire 19 mile distance of the highway.

We changed straight into our swimsuits and headed to the pool!

I am clearly very happy!

I got to have lunch with this man and this view.  Life does not suck.

We went over to the Boathouse and rented Standup Paddle Boards!

Neither of us fell!

And we cooled off with the BEST Swell Pops!

We chilled in the room for a bit and headed out for dinner.  We will both sleep well tonight!

Have you ever tried Standup Paddle Boarding?
Are you a beach or pool person?
How was your race or weekend long run?!!

#ChooseJoy

Another Trail Run is in the Books!

Thursday:

Great run with the Brentwood Breakfast Club!

Yes, her name is Jen too.  Yes, we regularly wear the same clothes to group runs!  This was the second time in two weeks.

Jason and I are getting ready to head to the beach.  That calls for a pedicure.

It was National Burger Day, so of course I celebrated with a Veggie Burger for dinner.

For dessert I heated up a packet of San Clemente Cookie Dough to make a gooey partially baked cookie…so good!

Friday:

Because we’re about to head out of town, I moved my long run up a day.  My sweet friends joined me in the woods.  🙂

It was the hottest, most humid run I’ve had so far this year.  We got to see the coolest owl!!  (Thanks to fellow Dirtbag, Jennifer for taking a great picture!)

I was definitely a muddy mess by the end.

I must have lost a lot of salt, because I was craving avocado rolls and stir-fried tofu for dinner.

What type of wildlife do you typically see on your runs?  What’s the craziest animal you’ve seen on a run?  I usually see deer, chipmunks, squirrels, but rarely do I get to see an owl up close.  Sometimes I see snakes…oh and once we saw two bobcats!

Do you have any summer vacation plans?  Where to?  

Are you racing or running long this weekend?  Share!

Sushi…yay or nay?  What’s your go-to order at a sushi restaurant?  

Happy Weekend and Choose Joy!

The Friday Five

1.  I bought a New Balance Ice Graphic Tunic at the Boston Expo.  I have worn it so much that I went ahead and ordered it in another color.  (They run big.  I wear an XS and it’s still loose.)

2.  Mantra Bands.  I LOVE these bracelets.  Obviously, I’m partial to the Choose Joy, but they have so many wonderful options!!

3.  R8 Roll Recovery.  After numerous recommendations, I finally bought an R8 Roller.  It’s so nice not having to contort my body to try and foam roll areas like my inner thighs.  Plus, it’s actually small enough to pack in my suitcase when I travel for destination races!

4.  Amphipod Hydraform Jett-Lite Thermal Running Water Bottle 20oz.  Amphipod has redesigned their handhelds and with some terrific updates.  I especially like that they replaced the pop top with a Jett Squeeze cap.  It’s easy to drink on the run and so much easier to clean.

5.  Friday feel good…Senior Class Donates $8000 to Principal Battling Cancer

Happy Friday and Choose Joy!

She’s a Brick House

Tuesday:

The sunrise was gorgeous on the way to the track!  (Don’t worry, I was in the passenger seat…not driving.)

Track Tuesday was the return of the Brick Workout.  It’s all about running fast on tired legs…long distance at a slow pace, medium distance at a medium pace, short distance at a fast pace.

Note: For the next few weeks I’m doing “trackish” speed work, because I’m training for a trail ultra and I’ve learned to not push my speed workouts year round.  I’m running based on effort and less on goal split times.

4 mile warmup plus strides
2 x 1600m (1 minute recovery)
2 x 800m (400m recovery jog)
2 x 400m (400m recovery jog)
1 mile cool down

I can’t let a Tuesday pass without a Taco Tuesday joke!

I am addicted to my fruit infuser water bottle.  My current favorite is lemons with a drop or two of liquid stevia, because I have to trick myself into drinking water by making it taste like lemonade.

Our dinner was a kitchen sink dinner.  It didn’t make a lot of sense, but it’s what I was craving.

Wednesday:

I met up with some friends at Percy Warner Park for a trail/road combo run.  It was super hot and humid, but we had a blast!  Apparently my crazy hair and I were pumped to take a finish photo!  Oh, and logged another 1,050ft of gain.

I devoured this pineapple when I got home.

Not only do I love their mango margaritas, I love the Rosepepper Cantina in Nashville for their hilarious signs.

Tequila…yay or nay?  I like it in a frozen fruity drink, but can’t do it straight.

Do you do speed work year round or do you take some time off?  I’ve learned that I can’t push it year round.  I still do light speed work, but the downtime is good for me.

This is big debate in our house.  Do you consider fruit healthy?  I could live off of fruit alone.  My husband tries to limit the sugar.

#choosejoy

Simple Grilled Brussels Sprouts

This is a super simple and delicious way to grill Brussels sprouts! It’s the perfect side dish for your summer barbecue.

While the grill is heating up, halve all the fresh brussels sprouts and place them in a large bowl. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic.  Let this marinate for 10-15 minutes.

Throw all the sprouts into a grill basket and grill on low for about 40-45 minutes.

Stir occasionally. The outer edges will start to brown. (I love the brown crispy edges best!)

Remove and serve.  Optional garnish: Grated Parmesan cheese and/or lemon juice.  I like to grill my lemon first and then drizzle the juice over the cooked Brussels Sprouts.

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds Brussels Sprouts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic; minced
salt and pepper to taste

Optional garnish: Grated Parmesan cheese and/or 1 grilled lemon

Instructions:

Clean, trim, and slice your brussels sprouts in half.

While the grill is heating up, clean, trim, and slice your Brussels sprouts in half.  Place them in a large bowl.  Add olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Let this marinate for 10-15 minutes.

Throw all the sprouts into a grill basket and grill on low for about 40-45 minutes. Stir occasionally. The outer edges will start to brown.

After the 45 minutes or so, place them in a large bowl serve and garnish if desired with Parmesan cheese and/or grilled lemon**.

**Slice lemon in half and grill cut side down for about 2 minutes.

#choosejoy

Related Recipes:

Lemon Grilled Asparagus

Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Cranberries

Sweet Potato Pomegranate Salad